Memoirs of Napoleon, vol 15 | Page 6

his benefactor. The King, deceived, like many other persons,
by the reputation which Fouche's partisans had conjured up for him,
was certainly not aware that Fouche had always discharged the
functions of Minister in his own interest, and never for the interest of
the Government which had the weakness to entrust him with a power
always dangerous in his hands. Fouche had opinions, but he belonged
to no party, and his political success is explained by the readiness with
which he always served the party he knew must triumph, and which he
himself overthrew in its turn. He maintained himself in favour from the
days of blood and terror until the happy time of the second Restoration
only by abandoning and sacrificing those who were attached to him;
and it might be said that his ruling passion was the desire of continual
change. No man was ever characterised by greater levity or inconstancy
of mind. In all things he looked only to himself, and to this egotism he
sacrificed both subjects and Governments. Such were the secret causes
of the sway exercised by Fouche during the Convention, the Directory,
the Empire, the Usurpation, and after the second return of the Bourbons.
He helped to found and to destroy every one of those successive
Governments. Fouche's character is perfectly unique. I know no other
man who, loaded with honours, and almost escaping disgrace, has
passed through so many eventful periods, and taken part in so many
convulsions and revolutions.

On the 7th of July the King was told that Fouche alone could smooth
the way for his entrance into Paris, that he alone could unlock the gates
of the capital, and that he alone had power to control public opinion.
The reception given to the King on the following day afforded an
opportunity of judging of the truth of these assertions. The King's
presence was the signal for a feeling of concord, which was manifested
in a very decided way. I saw upon the boulevards, and often in
company with each other, persons, some of whom had resumed the
white cockade, while others still retained the national colours, and
harmony was not in the least disturbed by these different badges.
Having returned to private life solely on account of Fouche's presence
in the Ministry, I yielded to that consolation which is always left to the
discontented. I watched the extravagance and inconsistency that were
passing around me, and the new follies which were every day
committed; and it must be confessed that a rich and varied picture
presented itself to my observation. The King did not bring back M. de
Blacas. His Majesty had yielded to prudent advice, and on arriving at
Mons sent the unlucky Minister as his ambassador to Naples.
Vengeance was talked of, and there were some persons inconsiderate
enough to wish that advantage should be taken of the presence of the
foreigners in order to make what they termed "an end of the
Revolution," as if there were any other means of effecting that object
than frankly adopting whatever good the Revolution had produced. The
foreigners observed with satisfaction the disposition of these shallow
persons, which they thought might be turned to their own advantage.
The truth is, that on the second Restoration our pretended allies proved
themselves our enemies.
But for them, but for their bad conduct, their insatiable exactions, but
for the humiliation that was felt at seeing foreign cannon planted in the
streets of Paris, and beneath the very windows of the Palace, the days
which followed the 8th of July might have been considered by the
Royal Family as the season of a festival. Every day people thronged to
the garden of the Tuileries, and expressed their joy by singing and
dancing under the King's windows.

This ebullition of feeling might perhaps be thought absurd, but it at
least bore evidence of the pleasure caused by the return of the
Bourbons.
This manifestation of joy by numbers of persons of both sexes, most of
them belonging to the better classes of society, displeased Fouche, and
he determined to put a stop to it. Wretches were hired to mingle with
the crowd and sprinkle corrosive liquids on the dresses of the females
some of them were even instructed to commit acts of indecency, so that
all respectable persons were driven from the gardens through the fear of
being injured or insulted: As it was wished to create disturbance under
the very eyes of the King, and to make him doubt the reality of the
sentiments so openly expressed in his favour, the agents of the Police
mingled the cry of "Vive l'Empereur!" with that of "Vive le Roi!" and it
happened oftener than once that the most respectable persons were
arrested and charged by Fouche's infamous