poleon from that hour meditated
the dethronement of the dynasty of Gustavus--but this object was not yet
within reach.

The Principalities of Lucca, Massa-Carrara, and Garfagnana, were now
conferred on Napoleon's sister, Eliza (Madame Bacciochi): on Pauline,
the younger sister, who, after the death of General Leclerc, had married
the Prince Borghese, the sovereignty of Guastalla was in like manner
bestowed.

The Batavian republic had for years been in effect enslaved by France.
On pretence that her leading men, however, still yearned after the
alliance of England, and thwarted him in his designs on the commerce of
that great enemy, Napoleon now resolved to take away even the shadow of
Dutch independence. The Batavian Senate were commanded to ask Louis
Buonaparte for their king; and these republicans submitted with the
better grace, because the personal character of Louis was amiable, and
since Holland must be an appendage to France, it seemed probable that
the connection might be rendered the less galling in many circumstances,
were a prince of Napoleon's own blood constituted her natural guardian.
Louis had married the beautiful Hortense-Fanny de Beauharnois, daughter
of Josephine--so that, by this act, two members of the imperial house
were at once elevated to royalty.--They began their reign at the Hague
in May, 1806.

Another great consequence of Austerlitz remains to be mentioned. The
Kings of Wirtemberg and Bavaria, the Grand Duke of Berg, and other
sovereigns of the West of Germany, were now associated together in a
close alliance under the style of the _Confederation of the Rhine_:
Napoleon added to his other titles that of _Protector_ of this
confederacy; and the princes of the league were bound to place 60,000
soldiers at his command.

Finally, it was on his return from the triumph of Austerlitz, that
Napoleon trampled down the last traces of the revolutionary organisation
in France, by creating a new order of nobility. Talleyrand became Prince
of Benevento, Bernadotte, of Ponte Corvo, Berthier, of Neufchatel; the
most distinguished of the Marshals received the title of Duke, and a
long array of Counts of the Empire filled the lower steps of the throne.

These princedoms and dukedoms were accompanied with grants of extensive
estates in the countries which the French arms had conquered; and the
great feudatories of the new empire accordingly bore titles not
domestic, but foreign. In everything it was the