ionary monarch, who had
been acting in Europe against the ancient courts, as the republic
had acted against the ancient governments; he placed himself in a bad
situation with respect to Austria, which he ought to have crushed after
his victory of Wagram, or to have re-established in her possessions
after his marriage with the Archduchess. Solid alliances repose only
upon real interests, and Napoleon could deprive the cabinet of Vienna
neither of the will nor the power to fight him again. This marriage
changed also the character of his empire, and separated it still more
from the popular feelings and interests; for he now sought after the old
French families to decorate his court, and he did all that he could
in order to mix and unite together the ancient noblesse and his new
noblesse, even as he had mixed royal dynasties." Men were not wanting,
however, who thought they saw in this union the guarantee of the welfare
of the world and the beginning of a golden age; who conceived that this
connexion of the favourite of fortune with one of the most illustrious
houses of Christendom would reconcile the revolution with its opponents.
"But after fortune had done everything for her ungrateful bosom-child;
after the Corsican master of war had arrived to such a degree of glory
and power as no mortal had attained before him, he wantonly overthrew by
his insatiable ambition the colossal edifice of his grandeur." Some
of the acts which tended to his final downfall have been recorded in
previous pages: this year added to their number. In the first place,
the territory of the Prince Primas was augmented by Hanan and Fulda,
and elevated to the grand duchy of Frankfort; but it was declared the
hereditary portion of Prince Eugene Beauharnois, because for the future
no temporal dominion was to be united with spiritual dignities. At the
same time the remnant of the electorate of Hanover was adjoined to the
kingdom of Westphalia, reserving a certain revenue for France: and other
decrees equally despotic regulated the aggrandizements of Bavaria and
Wurtemberg. But one of the most despotic acts which was committed by
Napoleon during this year had reference to Holland. To appease his wrath
and gratify his revenge, Louis, Napoleon's brother, and King of Holland,
interdicted all commerce with England, and agreed that a French army
should be established on the coast of Holland for the purpose of seeing
this interdict put into execution. Holland was