reached the
Emperor on the day after the battle of Austerlitz. The alarming accounts
which he received hastened his return to France; and on the very evening
on which he arrived in Paris he pronounced, while ascending the stairs of
the Tuileries, the dismissal of M. de Barbs Marbois. This Minister had
made numerous enemies by the strict discharge of his duty, and yet,
notwithstanding his rigid probity, he sunk under the accusation of having
endangered the safety of the State by weakness of character. At this
period even Madame de Stael said, in a party where the firmness of M.
Barbs Marbois was the topic of conversation--"What, he inflexible? He is
only a reed bronzed!" But whatever may be the opinion entertained of the
character of this Minister, it is certain that Napoleon's rage against
him was unbounded. Such was the financial catastrophe which occurred
during the campaign of Vienna; but all was not over with Ouvrard, and in
so great a confusion of affairs it was not to be expected that the
Imperial hand, which was not always the hand of justice, should not make
itself somewhere felt.

In the course of the month of February 1806 the Emperor issued two
decrees, in which he declared Ouvrard, Wanlerberghe, and Michel,
contractors for the service of 1804, and Desprez their agent, debtors to
the amount of 87,000,000, which they had misapplied in private
speculations, and in transactions with Spain "for their personal
interests." Who would not suppose from this phrase that Napoleon had
taken no part whatever in the great financial operation between Spain and
South America? He was, however, intimately acquainted with it, and was
himself really and personally interested. But whenever any enterprise
was unsuccessful he always wished to deny all connection with it.
Possessed of title-deeds made up by himself--that is to say, his own
decrees--the Emperor seized all the piastres and other property belonging
to the Company, and derived from the transaction great pecuniary
advantage,--though such advantage never could be regarded by a sovereign
as any compensation for the dreadful state into which the public credit
had been brought.

CHAPTER V

1805-1806.

Declaration of Louis XVIII.--Dumouriez watched--News of a spy--
Remarkable trait of courage and presence of mind--Necessity of
vigilance at Hamburg--The King of Sweden--His bulletins--Doctor Gall
--Prussia covets Hamburg--Projects on Holland--Negotiatio