PROJECTED ASSASSINATION OF NAPOLEON. 17 



ities did not even enter my thoughts. It seemed a fatal- 

 ity which came to smite me, and of which I must undergo 

 the consequences, however serious they might be. 



I counted much on the solicitations of Brissot's mother, 

 already so cruelly tried during the revolution. I went to 

 her home, in the Rue de Conde, and implored her earn- 

 estly to cooperate with me in preventing her son from 

 carrying out his sanguinary resolution. "Ah, sir," re- 

 plied this lady, who was naturally a model of gentleness, 

 " if Silvain " (this was the name of her son) " believes 

 that he is accomplishing a patriotic duty, I have neither 

 the intention nor the desire to turn him from his pro- 

 ject." 



It was from myself that I must henceforth draw all my 

 resources. I had remarked that Brissot was addicted to 

 the composition of romances and pieces of poetry. I 

 encouraged this passion, and every Sunday, above all, 

 when I knew that there would be a review, I went to 

 fetch him, and drew him into the country, in the environs 

 of Paris. I listened then complacently to the reading 

 of those chapters of his romance which he had composed 

 during the week. 



The first excursions frightened me a little, for armed 

 with his pistols, Brissot seized every occasion of showing 

 his great skill ; and I reflected that this circumstance 

 would lead to my being considered as his accomplice, if 

 he ever carried out his project. At last, his pretensions 

 to literary fame, which I flattered to the utmost, the 

 hopes (though I had none myself) which I led him to 

 conceive of the success of an attachment of which he 

 had confided the secret to me, made him receive with at- 

 tention the reflections which I constantly made to him on 

 his enterprise. He determined on making a journey be- 



