d
judged him too severely. But his air of constraint, and his captious
endeavours, to penetrate what M. Werner might have said to me,
convinced me, that his conscience was not at ease; and I felt my just
prejudices revived and increased[4]. The time I staid with him was
spent in idle questions and dissertations on the probabilities of
peace or war. It would be useless and tiresome, to recite them here.

[Footnote 4: When the Duke of Otranto became minister to
the King, and was appointed to make out lists of
proscription, I was desirous of knowing, what I had to
expect from his resentment; and wrote to him, to sound
his intentions. He sent for me, received me with much
kindness, and assured me of his friendship and
protection. "You did your duty," said he to me, "and I
did mine. I foresaw, that Bonaparte could not maintain
his situation. He was a great man, but had grown mad. It
was my duty, to do what I did, and prefer the good of
France to every other consideration."

The Duke of Otranto behaved with the same generosity
towards most of the persons, of whom he had any reason
to complain; and, if he found himself obliged, to
include some of them in the number of the proscribed, he
had at least the merit of facilitating their escape from
death, or the imprisonment intended for them, by
assisting them with his advice, with passports, and
frequently with the loan of money.]

The rising of the King of Naples became afterwards the subject of our
conversation. "Murat is a lost man," said M. Fouche to me: "he is not
strong enough, to contend with Austria. I had advised him, and I have
written again lately to the Queen, to keep himself quiet, and wait the
course of events: they would not listen to me, and have done wrong:
they might have had it in their power to treat; now they cannot; they
will be sent about their business without pity, and without any
conditions."

The Emperor, who had become uneasy, directed M. de Montron and M.
Bresson to be watched. He was informed, that the latter had just been
sent to England by order of the minister at war.

The Prince of Eckmuhl, being questioned, said, that an English dealer
had forty thousand muskets to sell; and he h