overeigns, the great Napoleon and Maria Louisa, his august
spouse." Ferdinand set a climax to his disgusting obsequiousness in a
petition begging to be adopted as a son, and asking for permission to
appear at court. Compiegne, whither the imperial pair soon returned,
was crowded with royal personages, with the most distinguished
diplomatists, and with the couriers bearing congratulatory despatches
from persons of consequence throughout Europe.

CHAPTER XX

RIGORS OF THE CONTINENTAL SYSTEM[35]

[Footnote 35: References: Marbot, Memoirs, ch. 28. Mahan:
Influence of Sea Power. Sloane: Political Science Quarterly,
The Continental System of Napoleon, XIII, pp. 213 _et seq._]

Measures of Ecclesiastical Procedure -- Reforms in the Church --
Napoleon as Suzerain of the Pope -- Methods of Defying the
Continental System -- Measures to Enforce it -- Rearrangement of
German Lands -- Napoleon as a Smuggler -- "Simulated Papers" --
Evasions of the Imperial Restrictions -- Visit to the Netherlands
-- Napoleon and his Brother Louis -- The Latter Defiant --
Louis's Negotiations with England -- Fouche's Interference -- His
Counterplot.

[Sidenote: 1810]

The consolidation of Napoleonic power appeared to be progressing
rapidly. In February a decree of the senate had declared the Papal
States to be divided into two French departments, under the names of
Rome and Trasimenus. The Eternal City was to give her name, as second
city of the Empire, to the imperial heir. The Pope, endowed with a
royal revenue of four millions, was to have a palace in each of
several different places, and reside, according to his choice, in any
one, or in all in turn. He was to swear that he would never contravene
the judgments of the Gallican Church, and his successors were each to
be similarly bound on their accession to office. Daunou wrote a book,
which was published at the Emperor's expense, maintaining the two
theses of Machiavelli: first, that the court of Rome had always used
its spiritual power to increase its temporal estate; secondly, that
its efforts had always been directed against the temporal power
strongest at the moment in Italy. Unconquerable as was the resistance
of Pius VII on the whole, he had nevertheless surrendered temporarily
at the beginning of what might be called the second quarrel of
investitures, by inducting into their offices the bishops nominated by