f to be so necessary? Does he expect to teach
me?" He then compelled his secretary to send that letter to the very
minister who stood most in dread of Talleyrand's influence.

It would not be correct to say, that all those about Napoleon beheld the
war with an anxious eye. Inside the palace, as well as without it, many
military men were found who entered with ardour into the policy of their
chief. The greater part agreed as to the possibility of the conquest of
Russia, either because their hopes discerned in it a means of acquiring
something, according to their position, from the lowest distinction up
to a throne; or that they suffered themselves to participate in the
enthusiasm of the Poles; or that the expedition, if conducted with
prudence, might fairly look to success; or, to sum up all, because they
conceived every thing possible to Napoleon.

Among the ministers of the emperor, several disapproved it; the greater
number preserved silence: one alone was accused of flattery, and that
without any ground. It is true he was heard to repeat, "That the emperor
was not sufficiently great; that it was necessary for him to become
greater still, in order to be able to stop." But that minister was, in
reality, what so many courtiers wished to appear; he had a real and
absolute faith in the genius and fortune of his sovereign.

In other respects, it is wrong to impute to his counsels a large portion
of our misfortunes. Napoleon was not a man to be influenced. So soon as
his object was marked out, and he had made advances towards its
acquisition, he admitted of no farther contradiction. He then appeared
as if he would hear nothing but what flattered his determination; he
repelled with ill-humour, and even with apparent incredulity, all
disagreeable intelligence, as if he feared to be shaken by it. This mode
of acting changed its name according to his fortune; when fortunate, it
was called force of character; when unfortunate, it was designated as
infatuation.

The knowledge of such a disposition induced some subalterns to make
false reports to him. Even a minister himself felt occasionally
compelled to maintain a dangerous silence. The former inflated his hopes
of success, in order to imitate the proud confidence of their chief, and
in order, by their countenance, to stamp upon his mind the impression of
a happy omen; the second sometimes declined communicating bad news, in
order, as he said, to avoid the harsh rebuffs which