consolidate the Continent against England, and complete the
stage in his progress now gained. Above all, he could at once restore
the confidence of France by the proclamation of peace and the
upbuilding of her prosperity. To be sure, he had forecast a division
of his prospective Eastern empire with Russia, he had left Prussia
outraged and bleeding, and Austria was uneasy and suspiciously
reserved; but he had checkmated them all in the menace of a restored
Poland, while their financial weakness and military exhaustion,
combined with the reciprocal jealousies of their dynasties, might be
relied on to prevent their immediate hostility. Besides, while he had
sung a certain tune at Tilsit, in the future he would, as he
sarcastically said somewhat later, have to sing it only according to
the written score.

CHAPTER VI

THE PATH OF NAPOLEONIC EMPIRE[13]

[Footnote 13: References: Jauffret: Memoires historiques sur
les affaires ecclesiastiques de France pendant les premieres
annees du XIXe siecle. Thorsoe: Den danske Statspolitiske
Historie 1800-1864. Lemoine: Napoleon et les Juifs. Lemann:
Napoleon et les Israelites; La preponderance juive.]

Napoleon and the Neutral Powers -- The Protectorate of Portugal
and the End of Etruria -- Annexation of the Papal Legations --
Seizure of the Danish Fleet by Great Britain -- The Degradation
of Spain -- Godoy's Impolicy -- The Spanish Court and the Heir
Apparent -- Effects of the Russian Alliance in Paris --
Napoleon's Commentary on the Treaty -- His Administrative Wisdom
-- Public Works in France -- The Jews in France -- The Sanhedrim
-- Napoleon's Successful Reforms -- War Indemnities and Finance
-- Annoyances of the Continental System.

But in order to fulfil the purposes and realize the possibilities
which were indicated in the treaties of Tilsit, no time was to be
lost. The fate of Sweden and the Hanse towns having been virtually
settled, there remained three small maritime states in Europe which
still maintained a nominal neutrality--Denmark, Portugal, and Etruria.
One and all, they must choose between England and France. To each a
summons was to be addressed, and Napoleon wrote the preliminary
directions at Dresden. Between the lines of his despatches it was
clear that the precious naval armaments of all three powers--ships,
arsenals, stores, and men--must be put at the disposal