JET. 34.] CONTINENTAL POLITICS. 533 



are only 85,000 men of the French army, exclusive 

 of the German allies (of whom one -tenth in the 

 hospitals), to the east of the Khine. This includes 

 Germany, Poland, &c. ; but is exclusive of 20,000 

 at the camp near Utrecht. These, however, can't 

 be considered as disposable; and it is exclusive (of 

 course) of 20,000 more at Boulogne. These are, I 

 apprehend, more disposable. To proceed, Murat and 

 Bonaparte are on bad terms, and the latter recently 

 sent Murat notice that he must make preparations to 

 receive General Perignon as commander-in-chief in 

 the kingdom of Naples. He sent him with 10.000 

 French troops picked corps. Murat's answer was, 

 ' He should receive them at the frontier with 20,000 

 Neapolitans/ However, he has thought better of it, 

 and let them and Perignon in. 



" Next, Bonaparte lately demanded of the Emperor 

 of Austria a passage for a corps from Dalmatia to 

 Poland through the Austrian state, and the emperor 

 in a very civil but firm letter, written with his own 

 hand, explained that he could not, and gave his 

 neutrality as the reason. Bonaparte received this 

 letter when in private with the empress and Segur 

 (a confidential officer of his household), and, turning 

 round, said to his wife, ' Votre pere est un f 

 bete ! ' This was told by Segur to Eussell ; and 

 Baring don't wish it to be mentioned. 



" The above circumstances I should not have de- 

 tailed but for the more than common authority of 

 Alexander Baring. Such things are so easily fabri- 



