It was not until he breakfasted with Talleyrand that he learned what had led to the fall of Pitt's government. There were present two other guests: Roederer, a politician and economist who had played a leading part in the Liberal Revolution of '89, gone into hiding during the Terror and since become one of Bonaparte's principal advisers, and Cambaceres, the Second Consul. The latter was a famous gourmet and also so great a glutton that out of the head of his own dining table he had had a semi-circle cut to accommodate his huge paunch: so it was, no doubt, on his account that the dishes served at this breakfast would have been more appropriate to a banquet.
The talk was at first of Spain and an expedition that was now being planned to go to America. In the time of Louis XIV the French had established settlements in Louisiana but by the Treaty of Paris in 1763 had yielded them to Spain; and twenty years later Spain had recovered from England the province of Florida. Since then the Spaniards had ruled the whole vast territory from Mexico north to California, and across the Mississippi aid the Missouri to the Atlantic ocean.
After the break-up of the First Coalition in '95 and the defeat of Spain, France had endeavoured to get back her old territories, but Godoy, King Carlos's Prime Minister and the lover of his Queen, had stoutly resisted. Then, in the previous October, Bonaparte had again raised the matter and brought pressure to bear on the King. This had resulted in a secret deal by which Carlos agreed to cede Louisiana in return for Bonaparte making the King's son-in-law King of Etruria.
Meanwhile it had emerged that it was Lucien who had been the author of ihe Caesar, Cromwell. Bonaparte pamphlet. He had. from being a rabid King-hater, so altered his views that he now wished to see his brother made King, in the hope that he would be appointed his successor. When the mole-like Fouche had produced evidence that Lucien Bonaparte was the author, Napoleon had been so furious at this premature attempt to promote a monarchy that he had packed him off to Spain to prevent him from making further trouble in France, and with orders to overcome Godoy's continued resistance.
As Ambassador at the Court of Madrid in March, Lucien had forced the Minister to resign. There had followed the Treaty of St. Idlefonso by which Spain not only gave up Louisiana to France but also undertook to make war on Portugal unless she closed her ports to British shipping
Roger had already learned that the expedition to India had never matured, and as he had never been to America he felt reasonably confident that Bonaparte would not attempt to send him to Louisiana. As soon as he could find an opening he turned the conversation to England.
Talleyrand smiled across at him, "About affairs there I am now particularly well informed; as. apart from my normal secret sources. I now have an official representative in London. Perhaps you have met him—one Monsieur Otto?'
Shaking his head, Roger replied. 'No, and since we are still at war with Englard I am much surprised... '
'We may not be for much longer,' Talleyrand cut him short cheerfully. 'Otto, of course, has not the status of an Ambassador; but since the Peace of Lunevillc and Mr. Pitt's resignation the English have become much more tractable. They agreed to my sending Otto over to arrange an exchange of prisoners.'
'Since Your Excellency is so well informed and I've not heard the reason for Mr. Pitt's retirement I'd much like to know it.'
' 'Twas due to a disagreement between him and King George on a question of religion. Fearful of another rebellion in Ireland, he has for some years hoped to engender a greater loyalty in the Irish people by incorporating their government with that of Britain and giving them some share in it. Politically he succeeded, by putting through an Act of Union at the opening of this year, but that did not get to the heart of the matter because Catholics were still debarred from becoming Members of Parliament. Although 'tis said that he made no public promise, there can be little doubt that he bought the consent of the Irish leaders to this Union by giving them to believe that he would later put through a Bill emancipating all Catholics from the disabilities they have suffered for so long. His Cabinet was behind him in this wise and humane measure, but the King would have none of it. He maintained that his consent to such a Bill would violate his oath to uphold the Protestant constitution.'
Roederer laughed, 'And so we are rid of our most inveterate enemy through the act of the King he served so well. With him, too, are gone Messieurs Dundas, Grenville, Windham, Spencer, Cornwallis and Castlereagh. The whole pack. That mad monarch deserves that we should put up a statue to him.’
'It is an ill wind ...' agreed Talleyrand. 'Milord Hawkesbury, who has succeeded Milord Grenville as Foreign Minister, seems much more amenable to reason. I have real hopes now that before many months are past we may agree upon a pacification.'
Cambacdres, who had been eating solidly and who, when at a meal, never spoke on any subject except the food, looked up suddenly and said, 'To do justice to your chef. Monsieur le Ministre. I'll take another helping of that lobster pate. 'Tis excellent, and I must beg of you the recipe.'
Roger would have liked to hear more of events in England, but the chef was sent for and there ensued a discussion on whether the flesh of lobsters or crayfish lent itself better to such dishes. Imbecile as he thought the King's bigoted behaviour and sorry as he was that his old master should have been dismissed for having endeavoured honourably to carry out his understanding with the Catholics, he was extremely pleased to hear that at last there was a prospect of the long and costly war coming to an end.
When Cambaceres had resumed his munching, the talk turned to certain fiscal measures that Roederer was advocating to the First Consul, a subject on which Roger knew nothing; and shortly afterwards the party broke up.
The following day being Saturday, it was to be expected that on his return from the coast the First Consul would go direct to Malmaison for the week-end; so in the afternoon, hoping to re-establish at once his position as one of Bonaparte's intimate circle, Roger rode out there. To his delight the great man was in an excellent temper, pulled his ear, invited him to stay to dinner and, while the meal was being prepared, took him out to walk up and down the splendid avenue. ,
As usual Bonaparte was full of his own plans, his immediate preoccupation being with the official restoration of religion in France. Pope Pius VI had been most brutally handled by the Republican Commissioners when the French had occupied Rome, but be had died fifteen months before and Bonaparte was in hopes of coming to an agreement with his successor, Pius VII. He had written to him suggesting that he should send a representative to Paris to discuss the reformation of the French National Church, established in the early days of the. Revolution, into a body to which the Pope would be willing to give his blessing. Pius had readily responded to the overture and had already despatched Cardinal Consalvi to act as his negotiator.
Dismissing the subject as swiftly as he had entered on it, Bonaparte then confirmed Talleyrand's hopes of an early peace with England. Stalking along with his hands clasped behind his back and his big head thrust forward, he said:
'My position is much stronger than it was eighteen months ago, and theirs is now hopeless. Austria has had her lesson, my hold upon the Netherlands is secure and I am again master of all Italy. Spain is in my pocket and Portugal soon will be. The Danish fleet has taken a beating but the Swedes could yet cause England a lot of trouble in the Northern seas. The murder of the Czar was something of a blow for, mad as he was, I could have made good use of him; and I fear this young man Alexander is likely to be influenced by people about him who wish me no good. But at least, before he died, Paul aided me in pushing the spineless Frederick William into kicking the English out of Hanover, and Prussia is a valuable ally. Taken as a whole the situation is overwhelmingly in my favour.