HISTORY OF EUROPE. [39 



excuses for departinjT from the de- 

 cree, by shewing that the revision 

 could not he deferred. The pre- 

 sence of the soldiers miglit have in- 

 fluenced the votes, without viola- 

 ting them by open force. A major- 

 ity of the five hundred might, 

 in a very short time, have been 

 gained over to join the elders, by 

 address ; and the odious means of 

 armed violence might have been 

 avoided. But tlieimpetuous and do- 

 mineering character of Buonaparte, 

 it was said, altered the original plan 

 of the revolution for the worse. — 

 In his speeches, proclamations, and 

 all his deportment, particularly in 

 his audaciously penetrating into the 

 hall of the live hundred, while his 

 myrmidons accompanied, or were 

 ready in an instant to follow him. 

 In all these particulars he assumed 

 the style of an arbitrary legislator, 

 determined to deal, alone, the 

 destiny of the republic, which alien- 

 ated the council of live hundred to 

 such a degree, that, instead of fol- 

 lowing the example of the elders, 

 they appeared almost unanimousfor 

 renewing the oath to the constitu- 

 tion ; and a majority of them were 

 even of opinion that Buonaparte 

 should be outlawed. There re- 

 mained now, indeed, no other 

 means of overcoming their resist- 

 ance, and saving liiraself ; but that 

 resistance, and the danger in which 

 he was placed, were of his own 

 creation. A little more condescen- 

 sion, moderation, opeiniess, and at- 

 tention to the members of the coun- 

 cil of iive hundred, would have 

 smoothed the way to the object in 

 view, without the odium, and the 

 danger too that was incurred by a 

 contrary mode of proceeding. So 

 inattentive to that assembly, and so 

 eoniidcnt was Buonaparte that they 



would follow the impulse given by 

 himself, and the council of elders, 

 that he was not at the pains to gain 

 over more than ten or twelve of the 

 members. What an illusion, to 

 imagine that the ma-jority of the 

 five hundred, animated by the old 

 conventionalists, who, outof power, 

 liad tlie prospect only of contempt, 

 would lay down their offices without 

 a struggle ? What skill or prudence 

 can be traced in the conduct of this 

 military politician, who, elated with 

 his military glory, could speak only 

 of his victories, his soldiers, his 

 brothers in arms .''" Others, on 

 the point of the general's conduct, as 

 far as it related to the accomplish- 

 ment of his design, observed " that 

 any advantages that might have 

 accrued to him from courting and 

 cajoling, and giving his confidence 

 to a greater number of the five 

 hundred, were more than compen- 

 sated, by secresy and promptitude 

 of executicm. In the course of the 

 time necessary to gain over a major- 

 ity in the council, though opposi- 

 tion in certain quarters might have 

 been avoided, adverse accidents 

 might have happened, not thought 

 of. The secret disclosed to a great 

 ninnbcr must have reached the ears 

 of the three directors, Barras, Mou- 

 lins, and Gohier, who would have 

 arrested Buonaparte. In fact, he 

 had crossed the Rubicon, and ha- 

 ving gained the council of elders, 

 and being sure of a few firm and 

 able supporters among the five hun- 

 dred, he trusted with coniidence, 

 and it was justified by the event, 

 that the rest would be brought to 

 submission, by terror." 



It has been justly observed that 

 in this, as in other great revolutions, 

 not a little was owing to accident 

 or fortune. If the minority in the 



