its
arrival. As the Duc de Rovigo entered the audience-chamber Napoleon
advanced to meet him, and apostrophised him thus: "Well, I have learned
fine things of your Bourrienne, whom you are always defending." The fact
was, the Emperor had already received a copy of the letter, which had
been opened at the Hamburg post-office. The Due de Rovigo told the
Emperor that he had long known what his Majesty had communicated to him.
He then entered into a full explanation of the intrigue, of which it was
wished to render me the victim, and proved to him the more easily the
falsehood of my accusers by reminding him that in 1802 I was not in
Hamburg, but was still in his service at home.

It may be supposed that I was too much interested in knowing what had
passed at the Tuileries not to return to the Duc de Rovigo the same day.
I learned from him the particulars which I have already related. He
added that he had observed to the Emperor that there was no connection
between Rapp and M. Talleyrand which could warrant the suspicion of their
being concerned in the affair in question. "When Napoleon saw the matter
in its true light," said Savary, "when I proved to him the palpable
existence of the odious machination, he could not find terms to express
his indignation. 'What baseness, what horrible villainy!' he exclaimed;
and gave me orders to arrest and bring to Paris the infamous writer of
the letter; and you may rely upon it his orders shall be promptly
obeyed."

Savary, as he had said, instantly despatched orders for the arrest of the
writer, whom he directed to be sent to France. On his arrival he was
interrogated respecting the letter. He declared that he had written it
at the instigation and under the dictation of Marshal Davoust, for doing
which he received a small sum of money as a reward. He also confessed
that when the letter was put into the post the Prince of Eckmuhl ordered
the Director of the Post to open it, take a copy, then seal it again, and
send it to its address--that is to say, to me--and the copy to the
Emperor. The writer of the letter was banished to Marseilles, or to the
Island of Hyeres, but the individual who dictated it continued a Marshal,
a Prince, and a Governor-General, and still looked forward to the
Viceroyalty of Poland! Such was the discriminating justice of the
Empire; and Davoust continued his endeavours to revenge himself by other
calumnies for my not having considered him a man of talent. I mus