of government, and all the concomitants of a
court; for the churchman the temples were at once opened; and the
rebuilding of the hierarchical fabric, in all its wealth, splendour and
power, was offered in prospective. Meanwhile, the great and crying evil,
from which the revolution had really sprung, was for ever abolished. The
odious distinction of castes was at an end. Political liberty existed,
perhaps, no longer; but civil liberty--the equality of all Frenchmen in
the eye of the law--was, or seemed to be, established. All men
henceforth must contribute to the state in the proportion of their
means: all men appeal to the same tribunals; and no man, however meanly
born, had it to say, that there was one post of power or dignity in
France to which talent and labour never could elevate him. Shortly after
Napoleon took possession of the Tuileries, _Murat_, who had long been
the lover of his sister Caroline, demanded her hand in marriage. The
gallantry and military talents of this handsome officer had already
raised him to a distinguished rank in the army, and Josephine warmly
espoused his interests: but Buonaparte was with difficulty persuaded to
give his consent to the match. "Murat is the son of an innkeeper," said
he,--"in the station to which events have elevated me, I must not mix my
blood with his." These objections, however, were overcome by the address
of Josephine, who considered Napoleon's own brothers as her enemies, and
was anxious, not without reason, to have some additional support in the
family. Her influence, from this time, appears to have remained
unshaken; though her extravagance and incurable habit of contracting
debts gave rise to many unpleasing scenes between her and the most
methodical of mankind.

[Footnote 32: The morning after the constitution was announced, the
streets of Paris were placarded with the following pasquil:--

------------------------------------------------
| POLITICAL SUBTRACTION. |
| From 5 Directors |
| Take 2 |
| --- |
| There remain 3 Consuls |
| From them take 2 |
| --- |
| And there remains 1 BUONAPARTE. |
------------------------------------------------

This sufficiently expresses what was considered to be the essence of the
new constitu