s to a man
in defence of their native soil; but they are not fond of making war
abroad. They are not yet arrived at a pitch, to give the English any
serious uneasiness. Some future day perhaps, they will be the avengers
of the seas; but this period, which I might have had it in my power to
accelerate, is now at a distance. The Americans advance to greatness
but slowly."--"Admitting, that the Americans can give England no
serious uneasiness at this moment, your presence in the United States
will at least furnish it with an occasion, to stir up Europe against
them. The combined powers will consider their work as imperfect, till
you are in their possession; and they will compel the Americans, if
not to deliver you up, at least to expel you from their
territory."--"Well! then I will go to Mexico. I shall there find
patriots, and will put myself at their head."--"Your Majesty forgets,
that they have leaders already: people bring about revolutions for
themselves, not for others; and the chiefs of the independents would
be disconcerted by your Majesty's presence, if they did not oblige
you, to seek an asylum elsewhere...."--"Well, I will leave them as
they are; and go to Caracas; if I do not find myself well received
there, I will go to Buenos Ayres; I will go to California; in fine, I
will go from shore to shore, till I meet with an asylum against the
malignancy and persecutions of men."--"Supposing your Majesty to speak
seriously, can you reasonably flatter yourself with continually
escaping the snares and fleets of the English?"--"If I cannot escape
them, they will take me: their government is good for nothing, but the
nation is great, noble, generous; they will treat me as I ought to be
treated. After all, what would you have me do? Do you wish, that I
should suffer myself to be taken here like a dolt by Wellington, and
give him the pleasure of parading me in triumph through the streets of
London like King John? Since my services are refused, there is but one
step I can take: to depart. The destinies will do the rest."--"There
is still another, Sire, if I dared suggest it to you: your Majesty is
not a man to run away."--"What do you call running away?" said
Napoleon with a proud and angry look: "where do you see me running
away?"--"I entreat your Majesty not to dwell on that expression."--"Go
on, go on."--"I think then, Sire, that your Majesty ought not thus to
quit France, first, for your safety's sake, next for your honou