NAPOLEON AT BOURGOIN. 433 
to Fourier, “ which would seem to have occurred in your 
presence at the very gates of the city, with respect to the 
tricoloured cockades substituted for the cockade of Henry 
IV., with respect to the eagles which you say have re- 
placed the white flag, I do not suspect your good faith, 
but the uneasy state of your mind must have dazzled 
your eyes. Prefect, return then without delay to Gre- 
noble ; you will answer for the city with your head.” 
You see, Gentlemen, after having so long proclaimed 
the necessity of telling the truth to princes, moralists will 
act wisely by inviting princes to be good enough to listen 
to its language. 
Fourier obeyed the order which had just been given 
him. The wheels of his carriage had made only a few 
revolutions in the direction of Grenoble, when he was 
arrested by hussars, and conducted to the head-quarters 
at Bourgoin. The Emperor, who was engaged in ex- 
amining a large chart with a pair of compasses, said, 
upon seeing him enter: “ Well, Prefect, you also have 
declared war against me?”—*Sire, my oath of alle- 
giance made it my duty to do so! ”—*“ A duty you say? 
and do you not see that in Dauphiny nobody is of the 
same mind? Do not imagine, however, that your plan 
of the campaign will frighten me much. It only grieved 
me to see among my énemies an Lgyptian, a man who 
had eaten along with me the bread of the bivouac, an old 
friend!” 
It is painful to add that to those kind words succeeded 
these also: “How, moreover, could you have forgotten, 
Monsieur Fourier, that I have made you what you are?” 
You will regret with me, Gentlemen, that a timidity, 
which circumstances would otherwise easily explain, 
should have prevented our colleagne from at once em- 
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