Departure for Malmaison—­Unexpected question relative to the Bourbons—­Distinction between two opposition parties—­New intrigues of Lucien—­Camille Jordan’s pamphlet seized—­Vituperation against the liberty of the press—­Revisal of the Constitution—­New ’Senatus- consulte—­Deputation from the Senate—­Audience of the Diplomatic Body—­Josephine’s melancholy—­The discontented—­Secret meetings—­ Fouche and the police agents—­The Code Napoleon—­Bonaparte’s regular attendance at the Council of State—­His knowledge of mankind, and the science of government—­Napoleon’s first sovereign act—­His visit to the Senate—­The Consular procession—­Polite etiquette—­The Senate and the Council of State—­Complaints against Lucien—­The deaf and dumb assembly—­Creation of senatorships.

When nothing was wanting to secure the Consulate for life but the votes of the people, which there was no doubt of obtaining, the First Consul set off to spend a few days at Malmaison.

On the day of our arrival, as soon as dinner was ended, Bonaparte said to me, “Bourrienne, let us go and take a walk.”  It was the middle of May, so that the evenings were long.  We went into the park:  he was very grave, and we walked for several minutes without his uttering a syllable.  Wishing to break silence in a way that would be agreeable to him, I alluded to the facility with which he had nullified the last ’Senatus-consulte’.  He scarcely seemed to hear me, so completely was his mind absorbed in the subject on which he was meditating.  At length, suddenly recovering from his abstraction, he said, “Bourrienne, do you think that the pretender to the crown of France would renounce his claims if I were to offer him a good indemnity, or even a province in Italy?” Surprised at this abrupt question on a subject which I was far from thinking of, I replied that I did not think the pretender would relinquish his claims; that it was very unlikely the Bourbons would return to France as long as he, Bonaparte, should continue at the head of the Government, though they would look forward to their ultimate return as probable.  “How so?” inquired he.  “For a very simple reason, General.  Do you not see every day that your agents conceal the truth from you, and flatter you in your wishes, for the purpose of ingratiating themselves in your favour? are you not angry when at length the truth reaches your ear?”—­“And what then?”—­“why, General, it must be just the same with the agents of Louis XVIII. in France.  It is in the course of things, in the nature of man, that they should feed the Bourbons with hopes of a possible return, were it only to induce a belief in their own talent and utility.”—­“That is very true!  You are quite right; but I am not afraid.  However, something might perhaps be done—­we shall see.”  Here the subject dropped, and our conversation turned on the Consulate for life, and Bonaparte spoke in unusually mild terms of the persons who had opposed the proposition.  I was