1821.1 ' Memoirs of Napoleon. 43 
caise, at 8 o’clock in the evening, a 
machine was exploded, and Bonaparte 
saved his life only by the merest 
chance. This cowardly and wicked 
attempt had the effect of killing and 
wounding several persons, and of da¬ 
maging most of the houses in the quar¬ 
ter where it was made. An enquiry 
took place, when it appeared that the 
conspirators had filled a barrel with 
combustible matter, placed it on a 
small carriage in the street before- 
named, and with it a rifle-gun ; it was 
so placed as to obstruct the carriage of 
Bonaparte. The consequence of the 
enquiry was, that not less than 130 of 
the most troublesome of the enemies of 
ilis government were transported to 
Cayenne, and several suffered on the 
scaffold. 
Another circumstance occurred about 
this time, which was the topic of uni¬ 
versal conversation, and a pretext for 
affixing odium on the character of the 
first consul, namely, the death of the 
Duke D’Enghien, son of the Duke de 
Bourbon, who was shot by his order at 
the castle of Vincennes. Bonaparte 
justified the measure on the law of re¬ 
taliation, alleging that it was one of 
prudent self-preservation; for, that the 
Duke D’Enghien was endeavouring to 
excite the French people to rise in fa¬ 
vour of the Bourbons, and to destroy 
him. This, however, is certain, that he 
was at that time beset with conspira¬ 
cies on all hands; for the Generals 
Pichegru, Moreau, Georges, the two 
Counts De Polignac, with 43 other in¬ 
dividuals, were arrested at the same 
lime. Pichegru died in prison, Georges 
suffered on the scaffold, with eleven of 
his companions; Moreau was exiled 
to America, and the Counts de Polignac 
were detained prisoners in a fortress. 
Addresses followed these proceedings 
from all parts of France, and if it be 
fair to calculate on the expressions of 
mankind, Bonaparte was as much en¬ 
titled to the sentiments of attachment 
which they breathed forth as any of the 
crowned heads of Europe; for he, like 
them, was but the organ of the nation. 
The language of these addresses was of 
the most flattering kind. “ France 
would have been lost,’’ said they, “but 
you saved if. To give the nation its 
proper splendour, it has need of a prince 
whose head, like that of other sove¬ 
reigns, is adorned with a crown—accept 
that of Charlemagne!” To these ex¬ 
pressions of attachment Bonaparte re¬ 
plied by accepting the proffered crown, 
and the senate confirmed the wishes of 
the people by a decree, which was dated 
the 18th of May, 1804. On the 2d of 
Dec. following he was crowned Empe¬ 
ror of France, in the church of Notre 
Dame, in Paris, with the title of Na¬ 
poleon the First, for which purpose 
the Pope, PiusVII., came in person from 
Home to give the ceremony greater 
eclat. This was the period at which 
might be said to commence the third 
epoch of Napoleon’s life, assuredly the 
most remarkable. 
The new Emperor was recognized by 
the Emperors of Austria and Russia, 
and by the Kings of Prussia, Spain, and 
Denmark. The King of Sweden alone 
refused to accede to the proposition of 
acknowledgmen t. 
On the 18th of March, 1805, Napoleon 
was proclaimed King of Italy, promising 
to the people that he would not hold sove¬ 
reign rule longer than was compatible 
with the interest ofhis subjects. Hav¬ 
ing returned to Paris, lie called together 
the legislative body, and in his opening 
speech he told the assembly, 66 I have 
no wish to augment the French terri¬ 
tory, but to preserve its integrity: I 
have no ambition to exercise a great 
influence in Europe, but I desire not to 
lose what I have acquired for France ; 
no new state will be incorporated with 
the empire.” 
England seemed to be the only power 
competent, by her vast resources, plau¬ 
sible forms of government, and mari¬ 
time strength, to keep the flame of war 
alive, and Napoleon looked at the Bri¬ 
tish government with an anxious eye. 
He knew that to their councils, and the 
influence of British gold, was to be at¬ 
tributed the duration of the continental 
war. He, however, on the 7th of Aug. 
1805, published a manifesto, in which 
he held out to the invading army the 
hopes of sacking London, concluding 
each sentence with the well-known Ro¬ 
man phrase, “ Delenda esi Carthago 
He assembled a numerous flotilla, and 
formed, at Boulogne, a camp of 200,000 
men. The difficulty was to make good 
a landing, or even to put to sea with any 
chance of being able to quit the French 
ports. The French people were amused 
with the idea, and some were sanguine 
enough to believe it already accom¬ 
plished. But the battle of Trafalgar, on 
the 21st of October, destroyed these 
fond hopes, and, with them, the greatest 
part of the French navy, the only safe 
conduct for the invading army. 
The expedition against England was? 
therefore 
