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commemorate the epoch of the conversion of the French army. This succeeded so well in gaining their good opinions, that the Fetham of obedience was given by the Cheiks; the sultan Kiber declared to be the friend of the Prophet and specially protected by him.

GOOD ADVICE.

At every action and enterprise ask yourself this question, What will the consequence of this be to me? Am I not likely (1) to repent it?

THE INFERNAL MACHINE.

On the evening of the third Nivose (24th of December) an opera was to be performed in the hall of the Oratorio, and the artists were very desirous that Napoleon should be present. Having however passed the greater part of the day at the council of state, and being greatly fatigued, he fell asleep (2) at seven o'clock after his dinner, upon a sofa in his wife's drawing-room (3), who, shortly after he awoke, pressed him to partake of a little amusement to do which he displayed great unwillingness. However marshalls Bessieres and Lannes having arrived in the mean-time, he agreed and got into his carriage, accompanied by those two officers, attented by his

(1) Likely, probablement.

(2) To fall asleep, s'endormir. (3) Drawing-room, salon.

THE INFERNAL MACHINE.

91

usual escort of pages, out-riders (1), and a dozen of horse grenadiers, of which last, two rode with the outriders about twenty paces in front of the carriages. After passing the gates of the Carousel? to get to (2) the rue de Richelieu, it was necessary to pass through the rue de l'Echelle, and the rue St.-Nicaise. At the corner of the last there was a small two-wheeled (5) cart, with a cask mounted upon it, exactly resembling those which are used in that capital to water the streets. This was the infernal machine. One of those who were stationed to explode it having advanced a few paces to meet the carriage, in order to ascertain that it was the first consul's, received a blow from one of the advanced grenadiers, and was by his boots knocked down upon the ground; he got up, ran to the machine and fired it, but not before the carriage had turned the corner. Napoleon describes the first sensations he felt (before he heard the noise of the explosion, and saw the falling of the roofs of the houses) to have been a rocking motion, as if the vehicle had been borne by the waves of the sea, and at that instant the carriage windows were shivered to atoms. The coachman being in liquor (4) fortunately took the noise of the explosion, for a salute fired in honour of the consul, and flogged his horses as hard as he was able, so that only one man (the last of the escort), not having turned the corner, was wounded

(1) Out-riders, piqueurs.

(2) To get to, gagner, parvenir.
(3) Two-wheeled, à deux roues.
(4) In liquor, ivre, gris.

and thrown to the ground. Napoleon's consort, and his sister Caroline, then pregnant (1), followed his carriage at the distance of about a hundred paces, and the machine exploded between them.- General Rapp, who was in the carriage with them, immediately sprang out (2) and endeavoured to quiet the alarm of the ladies, who thought that Napoleon was killed, until assured of his safety a few moments afterwards by the grenadiers of the escort. As soon as the carriage had passed the theatre de la République, Napoleon, being very uneasy about his wife, stopped, and ordered the piquet to go and meet her; he then went on to the Opera; and although all the glasses (3) in the house were immediately pointed at (4) him, it is said that nothing unusual was observed on his countenance.

A few moments afterwards however they were undeceived by the arrival of the women, whose pallid faces, in which consternation was evidently pourtrayed, and a profusion of tears plainly demonstrated that some untoward event had occurred. The explosion of the machine destroyed five or six houses, killed about a dozen of the inhabitants, and wounded thirty.

(1) Pregnant, enceinte, adj.
(2) To spring out, sauter de...

(3) Glasses ou opera glasses, lorgnettes.

(4) Pointed at, braqué sur.

CONSPIRACY AGAINST NAPOLEON.

93

TRUTH.

Truth is always consistent (1) with itself, and needs nothing to help it out (2). It is always near at hand, it sits upon our lips, and is ready to drop out before we are aware. Whereas (3) a lie is troublesome and sets (4) a man's invention on the rack, and one trick (5) needs a great many more to make it good (6).

ABP. TILLOTSON.

CONSPIRACY AGAINST NAPOLEON.

During the reign of Napoleon, a conspiracy was formed at Paris for the destruction of his government. Among the principal conspirators were Pichegru and Georges. They were closely pursued, and even traced to their lodgings; the places where Georges had slept three nights before, and Pichegru two nights before, were known; the police officers had got scent of them, and tracked them like bloodhounds (7) from place to place. The legislative body enacted a law on the 9th of February pronouncing the pain of death on all who afforded them protection.

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Pichegru was betrayed by a person to whom he had confided his secret, and was sold for one hundred thousand franks. At two o'clock in the morning of the 28th of February, some police officers entered the chamber where he slept, having opened the door by means of a key, which had been furnished to them, and rushed to a small night-table on which his pistols were lying. Pichegru, who was a man of extraordinary strength and courage, though surprised, defended himself with his fists (1) like a madman (2), so that they were under the necessity of binding (5) and conducting him thence with only his shirt on, to the prefecture of the police, where seeing all resistance fruitless, he submitted and underwent (4) his examination, and was committed to prison.

Until then the public opinion with respect to Moreau's culpability had been suspended; but no sooner was it ascertained (5) that Pichegru was arrested, than he was abandoned by almost every body, and supported no longer, but by the party. Georges, and about twenty more of the accomplices still remained at liberty: fearing that they might escape, Napoleon had recourse to an expedient unexampled, I believe, till then, and which proved to what an extent he was seconded by the sentiments of the capital. He declared Paris to be in a

(1) Fists, poings.

(2) A madman, un fou, un enragé. (3) To bind, lier.

(4) To undergo, subir.

(5) Ascertained, assuré, reconnu.

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