25th. Josephine is always afraid I may fall seriously in love; she doesn't realize that love was not made for me. For what is love? A passion that leaves the universe on one side, to place the loved one on the other. And, surely, such an exclusion is not in my character!

I have always enjoyed the analytic process, and if I fell seriously in love I would analyze my feelings step by step.

February 10th. (To Régnier.) Notwithstanding the prohibition, Mme. de Staël will arrive at Melun on the 15th. Please order a police agent there to make her return to the frontier at once, and to take her to the country either of her late husband or of her father. The intention of the Government is that this intriguing foreigner should not stay in France, where her family is already responsible for enough evils.

20th. British troops continue to occupy Alexandria and Malta; this gave the Government good ground for complaint; but it appears the transports that are to bring them back to Europe are now in the Mediterranean.

March 11th. Are all the efforts I have made for liberating Italy to remain unfruitful? Is that country irrevocably fated to remain nothing? The feebleness of the Government at Milan surpasses all that can be imagined.

(To Chef de brigade Colbert.) You will proceed to Russia. You will hand the inclosed letter to the Emperor. In conversation you will emphasize the esteem in which Russians are held in Paris. Dwell on liberal and philosophic ideas when talking with the Emperor. In case war with England should be mentioned, you can say that in view of the existing antipathy the French nation is perfectly ready for a conflict. Be civil to the diplomatic corps, to the English minister just like the others. You will speak of the First Consul as very busy planning canals, starting manufactories, and working at matters of public education.
 

Go, sir, gallop, and don't forget that the world was made in six days. You can ask me for anything you like, except time.

(To the Emperor of Russia.) A more serious contest has arisen with England. Under the provisions of the treaty of Amiens she was held to evacuate Malta within three months, and France on her side to evacuate Taranto within the same period. I have faithfully evacuated Taranto. On inquiring why Malta was not evacuated, I received the reply that there was as yet no Grand Master: that was adding a clause to the treaty. The Grand Master is appointed: I am told it was necessary to await the accession of Your Majesty, to which I agreed, and which is now accomplished; I notified the British Cabinet to this effect. Then England raised the mask and informed me that she wished to hold Malta for seven years.

13th. Diplomatic reception at Madame Bonaparte's at the Tuileries:
So it's war you want?

(Lord Whitworth: No, First Consul; we appreciate too deeply the benefits of peace.)

We have already been at war for fifteen years!

(Whitworth: That is already too much.)

But you want to continue for another fifteen years, - you force me to it. The English want war, but if they are first to draw the sword, I shall be last to place it in the scabbard. They don't observe treaties; we shall have to veil them in crape. If you want to arm, I will arm too; if you want to fight, I too will fight. Woe betide those who do not respect treaties! The French people can be killed, but cannot be intimidated!

16th. (To General Hédouville.) The First Consul is distressed to see that, in the face of all Europe, aspersions have been cast on his good faith, and that the English Ministry, in a public document, have suggested that at a time of peace the First Consul was meditating a military operation. This attack on his good faith has wounded him deeply, and Sunday last, at Madame Bonaparte's reception, he seized the opportunity of expressing his sentiments on an occasion that was likely to lend emphasis to what he said.

May 1st. So the English Ambassador is not here to-day? - He is probably packing up!

(To Talleyrand.) Your letter was handed to me at Malmaison. If the note contains the word ultimatum, make him understand that that word means war; if the note does not contain it, get him to put it in, on the ground that we must know where we are.

13th. The British Ambassador has just left Paris.

23d. The intention of the Government is that General St. Cyr should march immediately from Rimini, with his corps, to enter the states of the King of Naple. On reaching Taranto General St. Cyr will start throwing up fortifications at once.

I have just given orders to General Mortier to enter the Electorate of Hanover with a corps of 25,000 men.

26th. If the English want to make us jump the ditch, we will jump. They may capture a few frigates or a few colonies, but I will strike terror in London, and I prophesy that before the war is over they will weep tears of blood.

June 20th. From the date of these presents no colonial produce coming from English colonies shall be admitted to French ports, nor shall any merchandise coming directly or indirectly from England.

26th, Amitns:

I arrived here Saturday at seven in the evening. I am sending to Paris the four swans presented to me by the city of Amiens according to an ancient custom; I expect to have them placed in the ponds at the Tuileries.

July 1st, Calais:
I went to Boulogne, which I reached at ten o'clock at night. I employed the day, starting on horseback at three in the morning, in inspecting the port. I had the gun-boats out, and they had a brisk engagement with two English frigates which finally bore off, one having lost an anchor.

To-day I breakfasted at Ambleteuse, and thence rode along the coast. In a marsh I discovered a very favourable spot for my plans, at the point that is nearest to England. I returned to Calais on horseback; it is nine o'clock, and I am going to dine.

I saw all the merchant and the Government ships; I took a boat to inspect Fort Rouge; so I am free to start to-morrow for Dunkirk, where I shall find my wife and the Ministers of the Interior and of Foreign Affairs. I shall stay there three days to catch up current business, and to give my suite some rest.

5th, Dunkirk:
I have spent the last two days in the saddle or at sea. To-day I have done no riding, which has rested us all.

7th, Lille:
I reached Lille at six in the evening.

(To Régnier.) I think it would be well for the prefect of police to draft a circular to the booksellers to prevent their selling books until seven days after sending you a copy, so that in the case of pernicious works, like the book of citoyen Salis, The Correspondence of Louis XVI, and the poem Pity, they can be stopped.

11th, Ostend:
I have crossed parts of Belgium and am pleased with the attitude of the people. Yesterday I visited Ostend, and viewed several points that are of importance to the town and its inhabitants. I am just starting on my way along the coast to Blankenberghe. To-night I shall reach Bruges, where my wife has preceded me.

17th, Ghent:
I was present yesterday at a splendid fête given by the Commerce of Ghent in the market-place. To-day I proceeded in full state to the cathedral to attend mass.

23d, Brussels:
I have been here two days, but have not gone out.

Fête given by the municipality, that seemed to me badly managed. Five or six times more people than the place could hold.

Oh! what an ugly headdress!

Who fiddled your hair like that?

No children? Perhaps it's not your fault. See that you get some!

26th. All the Belgian ladies were presented to my wife to-day. Illuminations are blazing in the Allée Verte. Having spent the day in the saddle, I prefer attending to my letters while the ladies have gone off.
 

The way in which the troops are placed near Boulogne, Etaples, and Ambleteuse is very important, and an essential feature of the operations; for the troops will have to embark and disembark frequently: their embarkation must be very prompt. From the giving of the order to its execution there must be only an hour or two.

August 4th, Namur:
Mortier has just sent me a Latin MS. by Leibnitz addressed to Louis XIV proposing the conquest of Egypt. It is a very curious work.

23d, Saint Cloud:
England will never get other terms from me than those of Amiens; I will face everything, but I will never consent to her holding anything in the Mediterranean. From Malta, Nelson holds all Italy blockaded. By the help of God and a good cause, the war, however unfortunate it may be, will never make the French people bow before this proud nation that makes its sport of all that is sacred on earth, and that has, especially these last twenty years, assumed a predominance and arrogance in Europe that menace the very existence of all nations in their industry and commerce, those mainsprings of national existence.

September 6th. The winter will be a severe one; meat very high. There must be plenty of employment in Paris.

Push on the construction of the Oureq canal.

Start work on the quais Desaix and d'Orsay.

Have the new streets paved.

Get other work for the masses.

October 1, Paris:

There shall be erected in Paris, in the centre of the place Vendôme, a column on the same lines as that erected at Rome in honour of Trajan. The column shall be surmounted by a pedestal adorned with an olive wreath on which there shall be a statue of Charlemagne.

3d. (To Régnier.). I am informed that Madame de Staël has arrived at Maffliers. Have her informed by one of her friends, and without any fuss, that if she is still there on the 7th she will be taken to the frontier by the gendarmerie. The appearance of this woman has always been like that of a bird of ill omen, a symptom of trouble. My intention is that she should remain out of France.

29th. (To Admiral Bruix.) I am glad to see that your port at Boulogne is beginning to fill up. Havre, Cherbourg, Granville, St. Malo, have large flotillas ready that may reach you at any moment. They will double your strength. In the meanwhile I have much satisfaction in hearing of the good spirit of the troops and of the zeal with which they work at their naval tactics.

30th. (To Rear-Admiral Decrès.) Please collect at Rochefort and Brest the transports for the expedition to Ireland.

November 5th, Boulogne:
I arrived unexpectedly at Boulogne on Friday at one o'clock. I set to inspecting with the liveliest interest the preparations for our great expedition; at midnight I was still at it. I am in barracks in the centre of the camp on the seashore, where the eye can measure the space that separates us from England.

9th. I spent Sunday visiting our new ports at Ambleteuse and Wimereux, and in manceuvring the troops.

I inspected to-day, in the closest detail, the naval workshops; -their condition is as bad as it well could be. I have just converted some barracks into a naval arsenal. I have to look after the smallest details in person.

I have spent some hours in inspecting the troops man by man.

Our fleet, which already numbers one hundred men-ofwar, remains at anchor in the bay, and the English don't dare to close in to short range. Lord Keith is apparently in command and has several 64's; he has suffered some damage even at long range.

I passed some part of last night in making the troops perform night evolutions; these manœuvres may often be profitably undertaken by well-trained and disciplined troops against a militia.

Things are taking on a formidable appearance.

11th. The sea is heavy, and the rain is unceasing. I spent yesterday in the port inspecting, - there is always something to see.

12th. Rain in torrents. I spent all day yesterday in boats or on horseback. it seems to agree with me. I have never had such good health.

I hope I shall soon reach the goal that Europe is watching. We have the insults of six centuries to avenge.

16th. From the cliff at Ambleteuse I had a sight of the English coast. I could make out houses and movement. The thing is a ditch, and with a pinch of courage it can be jumped.

December 7th, Paris:
The combined fleets will start (in March), and reach Boulogne (in April).

At the end of February I shall be at Boulogne with 130,000 men. With a good wind we need the fleet for only twelve hours.

29th. I start to-morrow at six in the morning for Boulogne. I shall be back for the opening session of the Legislative Body.