. . He tolerated virtue only when he could cover it with ridicule."[47] Nearly all his false calculations are due to this defect， combined with an excess of constructive imagination. - Cf. De Pradt， p.94： "The Emperor is all system， all illusion， as one cannot fail to be when one is all imagination. Whoever has watched his course has noticed his creating for himself an imaginary Spain， an imaginary Catholicism， an imaginary England， an imaginary financial state， an imaginary noblesse， and still more an imaginary France， and， in late times， an imaginary congress."[48] Roederer， III.， 495. (March 8， 1804.)[49] Ibid.， III.， 537 (February 11， 1809.)[50] Roederer， III.， 514. (November 4， 1804.)[51] Marmont， II.， 242.
[52] Correspondance de Napoléon，" I. (Letter to Prince Eugéne， April 14， 1806.)[53] M. de Metternich， I.， 284.
[54] Mollien， III.， 427.
[55] "Notes par le Comte Chaptal"： During the Consulate， "his opinion not being yet formed on many points， he allowed discussion and it was then possible to enlighten him and enforce an opinion once expressed in his presence. But， from the moment that he possessed ideas of his own， either true or false， on administrative subjects， he consulted no one； . . . he treated everybody who differed from him in opinion contemptuously， tried to make them appear ridiculous， and often exclaimed， giving his forehead a slap， that here was an instrument far more useful than the counsels of men who were commonly supposed to be instructed and experienced. . . For four years， he sought to gather around him the able men of both parties. After this， the choice of his agents began to be indifferent to him. Regarding himself as strong enough to rule and carry on the administration himself， the talents and character of those who stood in his way were discarded. What he wanted was valets and not councillors. . . The ministers were simply head-clerks of the bureaus. The Council of State served only to give form to the decrees emanating from him； he ruled even in petty details. Everybody around him was timid and passive； his will was regarded as that of an oracle and executed without reflection. . . .
Self-isolated from other men， having concentrated in his own hands all powers and all action， thoroughly convinced that another's light and experience could be of no use to him， he thought that arms and hands were all that he required."[56] "Souvenirs"， by Pasquier (Etienne-Dennis， duc)， chancelier de France. In VI volumes， Librarie Plon， Paris 1893. Vol I. chap. IX.
and X. pp. 225-268. (Admirable portraiture of his principal agents， Cambacérès， Talleyrand， Maret， Cretet， Real， etc.) Lacuée， director of the conscription， is a perfect type of the imperial functionary.
Having received the broad ribbon of the Legion d'Honneur， he exclaimed， at the height of his enthusiasm： "what will not France become under such a man？ To what degree of happiness and glory will it not ascend， always provided the conscription furnishes him with 200，000 men a year！ And， indeed， that will not be difficult， considering the extent of the empire." - And likewise with Merlin de Douai： "I never knew a man less endowed with the sentiment of the just and the unjust； everything seems to him right and good， as the consequences of a legal text. He was even endowed with a kind of satanic smile which involuntarily rose to his lips . . . every time the opportunity occurred， when， in applying his odious science， he reached the conclusion that severity is necessary or some condemnation." The same with Defermon， in fiscal matters[57] Madame de Rémusat， II.， 278； II.， 175.
[58] Ibid.， III.， 275， II.， 45. (Apropos of Savary， his most intimate agent.)： "He is a man who must be constantly corrupted."[59] Ibid.， I.， 109； II.， 247； III.， 366.
[60] "Madame de Rémusat，" II.， 142， 167， 245. (Napoleon's own words.)"If I ordered Savary to rid himself of his wife and children， I am sure he would not hesitate." - Marmont， II.， 194： "We were at Vienna in 1809. Davoust said， speaking of his own and Maret's devotion： "If the Emperor should say to us both， 'My political interests require the destruction of Paris without any one escaping，' Maret would keep the secret， I am sure； but nevertheless he could not help letting it be known by getting his own family out. I， rather than reveal it1 would leave my wife and children there." (These are bravado expressions， wordy exaggerations， but significant.)[61] Madame de Rémusat， II.， 379.
[62] Souvenirs du feu duc de Broglie，" I.， 230. (Words of Maret， at Dresden， in 1813； he probably repeats one of Napoleon's figures.)[63] Mollien， II.， 9.
[64] D'Haussonville， "L'église Romaine et le premier Empire，"VI.， 190， and passim.
[65] Ibid.， III.， 460-473. - Cf. on the same scene， "Souvenirs"， by Pasquier (Etienne-Dennis， duc)， Chancelier de France. (He was both witness and actor.)[66] An expression of Cambacérès. M. de Lavalette， II.， 154.
[67] Madame de Rémusat， III. 184
[68] "Souvenirs"， by Pasquier， Librarie Plon， Paris 1893.-， I.， 521.
Details of the manufacture of counterfeit money， by order of Savary， in an isolated building on the plain of Montrouge. - Metternich， II.， 358. (Words of Napoleon to M. de Metternich)： "I had 300 millions of banknotes of the Bank of Vienna all ready and was going to flood you with them." Ibid.， Correspondence of M. de Metternich with M. de Champagny on this subject (June， 1810).
[69] "Souvenirs"， by Pasquier， Librarie Plon， Paris 1893. - Vol. II.
p. 196.
[70] Madame de Rémusat， II.， 335.
[71] Madame de Rémusat， I.， 231.
[72] Ibid.， 335.