except Russia, is in the situation of Sweden.  You want a number of objects of the first necessity, which nature has withheld from you.  You can only obtain them by perfect freedom of navigation; and you can only pay for them with those peculiar productions in which Sweden abounds.  It would be out of all reason to close your ports against a nation who rules the seas.  It is your navy that would be blockaded, not hers.  What can France do against you?  She may invade you by land.  But England and Russia will exert all their efforts to oppose her.  By sea it is still more impossible that she should do anything.  Then you have nothing to fear but Russia and England, and it will be easy for you to keep up friendly relations with these two powers.  Take my advice; sell your iron, timber, leather, and pitch; take in return salt, wines, brandy, and colonial produce.  This is the way to make yourself popular in Sweden.  If, on the contrary, you follow the Continental system, you will be obliged to adopt laws against smuggling, which will draw upon you the detestation of the people.”

Such was the advice which I gave to Bernadotte when he was about to commence his new and brilliant career.  In spite of my situation as a French Minister I could not have reconciled it to my conscience to give him any other counsel, for if diplomacy has duties so also has friendship.  Bernadotte adopted my advice, and the King of Sweden had no reason to regret having done so.

CHAPTER XXIII.

1810

Bernadotte’s departure from Hamburg—­The Duke of Holstein- Augustenburg—­Arrival of the Crown Prince in Sweden—­ Misunderstandings between him and Napoleon—­Letter from Bernadotte to the Emperor—­Plot for kidnapping the Prince Royal of Sweden—­ Invasion of Swedish Pomerania—­Forced alliance of Sweden with England and Russia—­Napoleon’s overtures to Sweden—­Bernadotte’s letters of explanation to the Emperor—­The Princess Royal of Sweden —­My recall to Paris—­Union of the Hanse Towns with France—­ Dissatisfaction of Russia—­Extraordinary demand made upon me by Bonaparte—­Fidelity of my old friends—­Duroc and Rapp—­Visit to Malmaison, and conversation with Josephine.

While Bernadotte was preparing to fill the high station to which he had been called by the wishes of the people of Sweden, Napoleon was involved in his misunderstanding with the Pope,

—­[It was about this time that, irritated at what he called the captive Pope’s unreasonable obstinacy, Bonaparte conceived, and somewhat openly expressed, his notion of making France a Protestant country, and changing the religion of 30,000,000 of people by an Imperial decree.  One or two of the good sayings of the witty, accomplished, and chivalrous Comte Louis de Narbonne have already been given in the course of these volumes.  The following is another of them: 

“I tell you what I will do, Narbonne—­I