compel Sweden to go to war with them; the French would expel them from
the centre, from the south, and from the west of Europe. Napoleon was
already meditating the expedition to Portugal, if that kingdom would not
join his coalition. With these ideas floating in his brain, Turkey was
now only an accessary in his plans, and he agreed to the armistice, and
to the conferences at Tilsit.

But a deputation had just come from Wilna, soliciting the restoration of
their national independence, and professing the same devotion to his
cause as had been shown by Warsaw; Berthier, whose ambition was
satisfied, and who began to be tired of war, dismissed these envoys
rudely, styling them traitors to their sovereign. The Prince of Eckmühl,
on the contrary, favoured their object, and presented them to Napoleon,
who was irritated with Berthier for his treatment of these Lithuanians,
and received them graciously, without, however, promising them his
support. In vain did Davoust represent to him that the opportunity was
favourable, owing to the destruction of the Russian army; Napoleon's
reply was, "that Sweden had just declared her armistice to him; that
Austria offered her mediation between France and Russia, which he looked
upon as a hostile step; that the Prussians, seeing him at such a
distance from France, might recover from their intimidation; and
finally, that Selim, his faithful ally, had just been dethroned, and his
place filled by Mustapha IV., of whose dispositions he knew nothing."

The emperor of France continued, therefore, to negotiate with Russia;
and the Turkish ambassador, neglected and forgotten, wandered about our
camp, without being summoned to take any part in the negotiations which
terminated the war; he returned to Constantinople soon after, in great
displeasure. Neither the Crimea, nor even Moldavia and Wallachia, were
restored to that barbarous court by the treaty of Tilsit; the