en strangers to the knowledge of civil,
criminal, administrative, political, and military law? When one is
called on to regenerate a state, there are directly opposite
principles by which one must necessarily be guided."--NOTE BY THE
EDITOR of FRENCH EDITION.

Claude Francois de Malet, born at Dole, 1754. In 1806 was a general
officer, and was dismissed the service. Plotting against the
Emperor, he was imprisoned from 1808 to 1812. On October 24 he
issued a proclamation that the Emperor had died in Russia, and that
he (Malet) had been appointed Governor of Paris by the senate. He
made Savary prisoner, and shot General Hullin. He was made prisoner
in turn by General Laborde, and summarily shot.-TRANS. (See "The
Memoirs" by Bourrienne for the detail of this plot. D.W.)]

As for myself I cannot deny the painful feelings I experienced the first
time I went out in Paris, and passed through the public promenades during
my hours of leisure; for I was struck with the large number of persons in
mourning whom I met,--the wives and sisters of our brave soldiers mowed
down on the fields of Russia; but I kept these disagreeable impressions
to myself.

A few days after my return to Paris their Majesties were present at the
opera where 'Jerusalem Delivered' was presented. I occupied a box which
Count de Remusat had the kindness to lend me for that evening (he was
first chamberlain of the Emperor, and superintendent of theaters), and
witnessed the reception given the Emperor and Empress. Never have I seen
more enthusiasm displayed, and I must avow that the transition seemed to
me most sudden from the recent passage of the Beresina to those truly
magical scenes. It was on Sunday, and I left the theater a little before
the close in order to reach the palace before the Emperor's return. I
was there in time to undress him, and I well remember that his Majesty
spoke to me that evening of the quarrel between Talma and Geoffroy which
had occurred a few days before his arrival. The Emperor, although he had
a high opinion of Talma, thought him completely in the wrong, and
repeated several times, "A man of his age! A man of his age! that is
inexcusable. Zounds!" added he, smiling, "do not people speak evil of
me also? Have I not also critics who do not spare me? He should not be
more sensitive than I?" This affair, however, had no disagreeable result
for Talma; for the Emperor was much attached to him, and o