explosion of guilty ambition, to possess the means of rekindling the
continental war, of distracting the alliances of Napoleon, and
ultimately of ruining the power which, for the present, appeared
irresistible. But a short interval of tranquillity ensued: and we may
avail ourselves of the opportunity to recur for a moment to the internal
administration of French affairs under the Imperial Government, as now
finally organised.

Buonaparte, shortly after the peace of Tilsit, abolished _the
Tribunate_; and there remained, as the last shadows of assemblies
having any political influence, the Legislative Senate and the Council
of State. The former of these bodies was early reduced to a mere
instrument for recording the imperial decrees; the latter consisted of
such persons as Napoleon chose to invest for the time with the privilege
of being summoned to the palace, when it pleased him to hear the
opinions of others as to measures originating in his own mind, or
suggested to him by his ministers. He appears to have, on many
occasions, permitted these counsellors to speak their sentiments frankly
and fully, although differing from himself; but there were looks and
gestures which sufficiently indicated the limits of this toleration, and
which persons, owing their lucrative appointment to his mere pleasure,
and liable to lose it at his nod, were not likely to transgress. They
spoke openly and honestly only on topics in which their master's
feelings were not much concerned.

His favourite saying during the continuance of his power was, "I am the
State;" and in the exile of St. Helena he constantly talked of himself
as having been, from necessity, the Dictator of France. In effect no
despotism within many degrees so complete and rigid was every before
established in a civilised and Christian country. The whole territory
was divided into prefectures--each prefect being appointed by
Napoleon--carefully selected for a province with which he had no
domestic relations--largely paid--and entrusted with such a complete
delegation of power that, in Napoleon's own language, each was in his
department an _Empereur a petit pied_. Each of these officers had under
his entire control inferior local magistrates, holding power from him as
he did from the Emperor: each had his instructions direct from Paris;
each was bound by every motive of interest to serve, to the utmost of
his ability, the government from which all things were derived, to be