80 THE ROYAL INSTITUTION. [CHAP. II. 



I was at the public audience of the 14th of July, and 

 dined with the First Consul, and also stayed and spent the 

 evening at the Tuileries. We sat down to table about 

 240 persons, and about 60 or 80 of the company stayed and 

 spent the evening. There were a few card tables not more 

 than four or five. The First Consul did not play, but walked 

 about and talked to the company. He went out two or 

 three times upon an elevated terrace, or rather large open 

 platform, on the level of the apartment we were in to see 

 the illuminations of the gardens. As often as he appeared, 

 the crowd below saluted him by clapping hands. 



He went to the opera the next evening, and, instead of 

 occupying his private box, which is grille, he went and took 

 his place in the front of Madame Bonaparte's box, where he 

 was exposed to the view of the whole house. The applause 

 he received was quite enthusiastic and lasted near a quarter 

 of an hour. ' Vive Bonaparte ! ' was heard from every part 

 of the theatre, and the actors were obliged to stop for some 

 time. These applauses were again repeated when he went 

 away. He came to the meeting of the Institute on Satur- 

 day without any guards, and accompanied only by his 

 brother-in-law, General Murat. I followed him down the 

 stairs when he went away. I found his carriage waiting for 

 him, surrounded by about ten or twelve grenadiers, who kept 

 the crowd at a small distance from the carriage and formed 

 a line from the foot of the staircase. He was received by 

 the populace with shouts of applause, and he drove away 

 without guards and with a single footman behind his 

 carriage, which was a coach. 



Thursday Morning, July 31. 



This letter will be forwarded by M. d'Ifeffel, the Elector's 

 charge d'affaires at London, who will leave Paris this 

 evening. My stay at Paris is very uncertain ; I fancy, 

 however, that I shall set out for Munich in the course of three 

 or four weeks. The Elector writes me the kindest and most 

 nattering letters, and I have the satisfaction to think that 



