40] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1800. 



council of elders had been joined 

 by amajority in thatof fivehundred, 

 in a calm and regular manner, it 

 is by no means certain that the sol- 

 diers would have cast the balance 

 in favour of the former council and 

 their general. The general was 

 admirably seconded throughout the 

 whole by his brother, the presi- 

 dent : had it not been for his sea- 

 sonable appearance and address to 

 the troops, they might have hesi- 

 tated which party to obey, divided 

 by their respect for the general, 

 and that authority which always at- 

 tends every shew of established go- 

 vernment. Time would have been 

 afforded for the council to muster 



a force, though small perhaps, yet 

 not undecided; and this might 

 have brought the events of the day 

 to a quite different issue. But, after 

 all, there arises, in the course of 

 ages, men of such force of mind as 

 in some measure controls fortune. 

 The council of five hundred was 

 not permitted to carry on their pro- 

 ceedings inacalm ami regular man- 

 vcr any longer than it suited the ge- 

 neral and his party that they should 

 be thrown into confusion : and, on 

 the whole, it may be said, that on 

 the present great occasion, the ge- 

 nius of Buonaparte carried all be- 

 fore it. 



