should be taken. Talleyrand and the Abbe Sieyes gave his
councils the benefit of all their abilities; and a plan of attack upon
the constitution was soon agreed upon. The Council of Ancients were
easily persuaded that a new constitution was wanting; but the Council of
Five Hundred vowed that they would die for that which they had already
got. On the 9th of November it was agreed in the Council of Ancients
that the assembly should adjourn to St. Cloud, and that Napoleon should
put this into execution, being made supreme commander of all the forces
for that purpose. The sitting was then dissolved; and Napoleon instantly
issued two proclamations, announcing his command, and inviting the army
and national guard to aid him in restoring liberty, victory, and peace
to France. In this state of affairs, Barras, Sieyes, and Ducos, three
of the directory, resigned; Moulins and Gohier remained to support the
present constitution. These, however, by the orders of Napoleon, were
guarded in the Luxembourg, so that the directory was in point of fact
dissolved. It remained now for the councils to form a new executive; and
to this end they met at St. Cloud, surrounded by troops. The Council of
Five Hundred swore fidelity to the constitution; and Napoleon resolved
to crush them. At his command the troops entered the Orangery with fixed
bayonets, and the deputies were glad to make their escape by the windows
and through the adjacent woods. On that evening the Council of the
Ancients and about fifty of the scattered Five Hundred abolished the
directory, and established in its place three consuls, who, with two
committees chosen from each council, were charged with the task of
preparing a new constitution. These consuls were Napoleon, Sieyes,
and Ducos, the men who concerted together to bring about this new
revolution. "Thus the French revolution closed its agitated career
almost in the point from whence it set out--in despotism." All their
hopes of the blessings of liberty were with one fell blow dashed to the
ground by the conqueror of Egypt and Italy--by one man, and he of men
one of the meanest.

[Illustration: 298.jpg LAST EFFORT OF TIPPOO SAIB]

AFFAIRS OF INDIA.

During this year the power of Tippoo Sultaun was destroyed. Recently he
had been encouraged in his hostility by the French, who eagerly sought
to strike a blow at the commercial prosperity of Great Britain. It was
for this purpose that the Egyptian expedition had bee