greatest military chiefs of the republic, and what Buonaparte wifhed and aimed at, the union of all parties. It. ferved alfo, in fome meafure, to lull all fufpicion of an approaching political explofion. It could scarcely be expected that any plots were hatching in an aflembly convened for the expreffion of common fentiments, and harmonized by the power of mufic. The Temple of Victory was adorned for the occafion in the most magnificent manner. There was a difplay of the most beautiful tapestries of the gobelins, and the walls were decorated with an immenfe number of standards, taken in the course of the war from the enemies of the republic. On the organ of the church, or temple, various airs were played, fuitable to the occafion. To this feaft there were no women* admitted, nor yet any spectators. The number of guests was feven hundred and fifty. At the head of the principal table was placed the prefident of the council of elders; on his right hand Gohier, the prefident of the directory; on his left, general Moreau; next in order

came Lucian Buonaparte, prefident of the council of five hundred, and then the general, his brother. Among the toafts that were given there were two, which were fuppofed to exprefs the fentiments of the better and founder part of the nation. The prefident of the directory gave for his toaft, "peace:" general Buonaparte, "the union of all Frenchmen." Neither the generals Jourdan and Augereau, nor Briot, nor fome others of the most active jacobins, though members of the legiflature, came to this entertainment: the tone of which was not fuited to their tempers. It was characterized from beginning to end by filence, and an air of conftraint. There was no other converfation than fome observations on the mufic. After fome public toafts Buonaparte difappeared, and the feast was over in little more than an hour.

In proportion as matters were concerted between Buonaparte and Sieyes, and Roederer, whom they admitted as their confident and co-adjutor, and as their project feemed practicable and rife for

execution,

He

execution, it was communicated to wider and wider circles of fuch members of the legislative affemblies, as they reckoned with confidence among their friends and adherents. And, what is remark able in fo communicative a nation, the fecret, though neceffarily imparted to a great number of perfons, was kept till the moment of the intended explosion. On the evening of the day after the feaft, twenty members of both councils affembled at the house of Lemercier, prefident of the council of elders. Thefe were Lucian Buonaparte, Boulay de la Meurthe, Lemercier, Courtois, Cabarus, Regnier, Fargues, Villetard, Chazal, Barillon, Bouteville, Cornet, Wimar, Delecloy, Fregeville, le Hatry, Goupil, Pretelyn, Rouffeau, Herwyn, Cornudet. Thefe legiflators, after taking an oath of fecrecy, feparated, for the purpose of preparing as many as they could truft for the new crifis.

By an article of the conftitution of the third year of the republic, 1795, it was established" that the council of elders might change whenever they should think proper, the refidence of the legislative bodies; that in this case they should appoint a new place and time for the meeting of the two councils; and that whatever the elders should decree, with regard to this point, fhould be held irrevocable. fundamental law, which had been adopted on the recommendation and authority of abbé Sieyes, who had been a member of the commiffion for framing the conftitution, be

This

came the fulcrum, as it were, of a new revolution. A majority of the commiffion of infpectors, agreably to what had been agreed on, on the pretext of jacobin confpiracies ready to burft forth in Paris (an alarm for which, according to fome writers, there was not a little foundation), fent letters of convócation to the members of the council of elders, with the exception of fuck as were diftinguifhed by an excels of jacobinical ardour, and at eight o'clock in the morning of the ninth of November, the members, to whom letters had been fent, at five, affembled at their ufual place of meeting. The greatest number, ignorant of the caufe of this unufual convocation, were informed, by thofe in the fecret, of a confpiracy that was brewing, and advifed the adoption of whatever effectual meafures fhould be propofed for averting the danger. As foon as the affembly was formed, Carnot, one of the infpectors, having afcended the tribune, reprefented the dangers which threatened the country, and expatiated on neceffity of speedy and effective measures for its deliverance. He was followed in the fame, but in a more animated and alarming strain by Regnier, who, in conclufion, declared, that the remedy which had been prepared, was, to tranfport the legiflative body to a commune near Paris, where they might deliberate fafely on the meatures neceffary for the falvation of the country. He affured the council, at the fame time, that Buonaparte was ready to undertake the execu

the

tion of whatever decree he might be charged with. Regnier, therefore moved, that the council fhould be referred to St. Cloud. The difcuffion of other motions, made by different members, was overvoted, and Regnier's carried by a great majority. It was farther moved and agreed to, that this tranflation fhould take place on the following day; that Buonaparte fhould be charged with the execution of the decree, and to take the neceflary measures for the fecurity of the national reprefentation; that, for this end, he thould be invefted with the general command of every kind of armed force at Paris; that he fhould be called into the council to take the requifite oaths; and, finally, that a meffage, containing the refolution of the council, fhould be fent to the directory, and to the council of five hundred. An addrefs was alfo voted to the French people, ftating the right poffeffed by the council of elders to remove the legislative body to St. Cloud, and allo the motives which had induced them to use this privilege in the prefent circumftances. Their general object, they alleged, was, to reprefs a fpirit of infubordination, faction, and endlefs commotion, and to obtain a fpeedy peace both within and without the territories of the republic. This addrefs had the defired effect. The Parifians, defirous of peace, confident in Buonaparte, and breathing inceffantly after fomething new, waited calmly for the developement and catastrophe of the piece now to be acted. Buonaparte, thus invefted with irrefiftible military power, obeyed the welcome fummons, and appeared in the hall of the affembly, accompanied by Berthier, Lefebre,

Macdonald, and other general officers. He pronounced a fhort fpeech at the bar, and swore that he would execute the decree of the council in his own name, and that of his companions in arms. "Woe be to thofe, he faid, who with for commotion and diforder. Affifted by my brave companions I will put a ftop to them. Examples are not to be looked for in paft times. Nothing in hiftory resembles the clofe of the eighteenth century: nor is any thing in the clofe of the eighteenth century like the prefent moment. We want a republic founded on civil liberty; or a national reprefentation. We fhall have it. I fwear we fhall." The meflage of the elders being read at the bar of the council of five hundred, the deputies, who were not in the fecret, or who were of the democratical party, were ftruck with aftonishment, but kept filence. All deliberation was fufpended, and the houfe adjourned till next day, at twelve o'clock. On going out of the hall, fome of the members cried vive la republique. Others who began to entertain fome vague fufpicions of what was intended, added, vive la conflitution!· Meanwhile, the walls of Paris were covered with proclamations prepared for the occafion. In one of thefe Buonaparte acquainted the national guard with the measures that had been taken by the council of elders. In another he informed the foldiers of the command which had been conferred on him, inviting them to fecond him with their accustomed courage and firmnels, promifing them that liberty, victory, and peace, and to restore the republic to the rank which two years ago

it had held in Europe, and which incapacity and treafon had brought to the verge of deftruction. To the officers of the national fedentary guard, at Paris, he declared, in a third, that a new order of things was on the point of being fettled, that the council of elders was going to fave the state, and that whoever fhould oppofe their defign, fhould perish by the bayonet of the foldier. At the fame time care was taken that thefe proclamations fhould be fupported by a due military force. But ftill every attempt was made to colour the enterprize as much as poffible, not only with patriotic profeffions but legal appearances. For this end, a pamphlet, on the fame day, November 9, was diftributed at the doors of the two councils, and throughout all Paris, entitled " A Dialogue between a Member of the Council of Elders, and a Member of the Council of Five Hundred." The former endeavours to overcome the objections, and to allay the fears of the latter, refpecting the tranflations of the councils, by oblerving that it was a conftitutional measure; that in the prefent circumftances, it was neceffary to the freedom of deliberation and debate; that, as to infuring the execution of this meafure, by an armed force, this alfo must be confidered as a thing conftitutional, or clearly within the powers of the council of elders, who, if they would change the refidence of the legislature muft alfo be fuppofed to poffefs the means of changing it in peace and fafety; that the Parifians would have no reafon to complain of it, as the councils would remain at St. Cloud, only for a few days; that protection was going to be afforded to li

berty and property, the conftitution reftored, the reign of terror and factious intrigue overthrown; and a bafis eftablished, on which foreign powers would treat with confidence for peace, which was the grand object of the present measure. To this reafoning the member of the council of five hundred made little objection. "But," faid he, "between ourfelves, my friend, I dread, in this affair, the interference of Buonaparte. His renown, his authority, the juft confidence that the army place in his talents, and, above all, his talents themselves, may place in his hands the moft formidable afcendency over the deftinies of the republic. What, if he should prove a Cæfar or a Cromwell? Here the elder quoted the words of Buonaparte, that "He would be a fool who fhould fport the glory of having contributed to the establishment of liberty and a republic against the fovereignty of Europe." He went ftill farther and affirmed that Buonaparte's ready acceptance of the commiffion which he had been called on to execute, by the elders, was a moft unequivocal proof of his moderation and fubmiffion to his country. If he had refused to accept

it what would have been faid of him by any man of judgement and penetration? Why nothing elfe, but that his refufal was the refult of profound ambition. Every thing tends faft to anarchy and confufion. The republic is on the point of diffolution. Buonaparte, amidst a thousand excelles and horrors, will ask the command of the army and will obtain it. Every citizen, wearied with fruitles attempts to bring the guilty to juftice, or to find an afylum for himfelf, will turn his eyes to the general, throw himfelf into his arms, and

demand

demand from him vengeance, juf tice, and protection. In order to be invested with arbitrary power, it would then be only neceffary for him to accept it."

The general, on the night between the eighth and ninth, fent a confiderable force to the palace of the elders, while he himself, with a great number of flaff officers, repaired to the Thuilleries, all the avenues of which were fhut up from the public. A ftrong detachment of cavalry was ftationed near the hall of the council of five hundred. Thefe different bodies were reinforced in the morning by additional troops, and particularly by cavalry and artillery.

Of the five directors, Sieyes alone was privy all along to what was going forward. Ducos was admitted into the fecret afterwards. Barras was informed of the change that had taken place early on the morning of the ninth, and invited to give in his refignation. He hesitated for fome time, but at length fent in his refignation into the hands of general Buonaparte, who had come to the Thuilleries, at eleven, by Bottot, about twelve o'clock. The general, when Bottot arrived, had just gone out to harangue the officers, foldiers, and citizens, in fome of the adjoining courts, and garden. Bottot whispered to the general the object of his miffion. Buonaparte with his left hand took hold of Bottot's arm, and placed him a little behind, and then began his fpeech to the troops, the exordium of which, was The army has cordially united with me, as I cordially act with the legislative body." Some fentences in this harangue, reflecting on the conduct of adminiftration, were afterwards mifreprefent

ed as addreffed to Bottot, and pointed particularly against Barras. But the fact has been fully afcertained to have been otherwife. When this fpeech, which was followed by repeated acclamations of vive la Re-, public! vive Buonaparte was finished, Buonaparte took Bottot afide and defired him to tell Barras that he was inviolably attached to him, and would protect him against the violence of his enemies..

Gohier, who did not rife from bed till late in the morning, was furprised to find on his table the decree of the council of elders for changing the refidence of the legiflature. He repaired to the council room of the directory, where he met Moulins as much furprized and perplexed as himself. Their perplexity was increased when they dilcovered that Sieyes and Ducos, in confe quence of a meffage from the elders, had repaired to the Thuilleries. The fecretary was called to write their orders, but it was observed that two members did not form a majority. They repeatedly fent for Barras, who pofitively refused to join in their deliberations. As the only refource that now remained was that of military force, they fent orders to general Lefebre, who commanded the 17th divifion, to furround the houfe of Buonaparte, with a strong party of the directorial guard. But general Lefebre fent for anfwer, that he was then under the orders of Buonaparte, on whom the chief command of all the troops, in and near Paris, had been conferred, by the council of elders. And it was quickly difcovered that the directorial guard had gone over to the fide of the general, and had joined a large body of other troops, in the garden of the Thuilleries.

The