trusty officers always surrounded him; these precautions increased in proportion as the day of his coronation approached.  On the morning of that day, about nine o’clock, when full dressed in his Imperial and royal robes, and all the grand officers of State by his side, a paper was delivered to him by his chamberlain, Talleyrand, a nephew of the Minister.  The instant he had read it, he flew into the arms of Berthier, exclaiming:  “My friend, I am betrayed; are you among the number of conspirators?  Jourdan, Lasnes, Mortier, Bessieres, St. Cyr, are you also forsaking your friend and benefactor?” They all instantly encompassed him, begging that he would calm himself; that they all were what they always had been, dutiful and faithful subjects.  “But read this paper from my prefect, Salmatoris; he says that if I move a step I may cease to live, as the assassins are near me, as well as before me.”

The commander of his guard then entered with fifty grenadiers, their bayonets fixed, carrying with them a prisoner, who pointed out four individuals not far from Bonaparte’s person, two of whom were Italian officers of the Royal Italian Guard, and two were dressed in Swiss uniforms.  They were all immediately seized, and at their feet were found three daggers.  One of those in Swiss regimentals exclaimed, before he was taken:  “Tremble, tyrant of my country!  Thousands of the descendants of William Tell have, with me, sworn your destruction.  You, escape this day, but the just vengeance of outraged humanity follows you like your shade.  Depend upon it an untimely end is irremediably reserved you.”  So saying, he pierced his heart and fell a corpse into the arms of the grenadiers who came to arrest him.

This incident suspended the procession to the cathedral for an hour, when Berthier announced that the conspirators were punished.  Bonaparte evinced on this occasion the same absence of mind and of courage as on the 9th of November, 1799, when Arena and other deputies drew their daggers against him at St. Cloud.  As this scene did not redound much to the honour of the Emperor and King, all mention of the conspiracy was severely prohibited, and the deputations ready to congratulate him on his escape were dispersed to attend their other duties.

The conspirators are stated to have been four young men, who had lost their parents and fortunes by the Revolutions effected by Bonaparte in Italy and Switzerland, and who had sworn fidelity to each other, and to avenge their individual wrongs with the injuries of their countries at the same time.  They were all prepared and resigned to die, expecting to be cut to pieces the moment Bonaparte fell by their hands; but one of the Italians, rather superstitious, had, before he went to the drawing-room, confessed and received absolution from a priest, whom he knew to be an enemy of Bonaparte; but the priest, in hope of reward, disclosed the conspiracy to the master of ceremonies, Salmatoris.  The