secured the heredity succession; to the address of his agents, who,
either with or without his authority, dazzled the poverty of the
Scandinavians with the promise of fourteen millions with which his
election was to enrich their treasury; and finally to his flattering
attentions, which had gained him the voices of several Swedish officers
who had been his prisoners. But as to Napoleon, what did he owe to him?
What was his reply to the news of the offer of several Swedes, when he
himself waited upon him to inform him of it? "I am at too great a
distance from Sweden, to mix myself up in her affairs. You must not
reckon upon my support." At the same time it is true, that either from
necessity, from his dreading the election of the duke of Oldenburg; or
finally from respect for the wishes of fortune, Napoleon declared that
he would leave it to her to decide: and Bernadotte was in consequence
elected crown prince of Sweden.

The newly-elected prince immediately paid his respects to the emperor,
who received him frankly. "As you are offered the crown of Sweden, I
permit you to accept it. I had another wish, as you know; but, in short,
it is your sword which has made you a king, and you are sensible that it
is not for me to stand in the way of your good fortune." He then entered
very fully with him into the whole plan of his policy, in which
Bernadotte appeared entirely to concur; every day he attended the
emperor's levee together with his son, mixing with the other courtiers.
By such marks of deference, he completely gained the heart of Napoleon.
He was about to depart, poor. Unwilling that he should present himself
to the Swedish throne in that necessitous state, like a mere adventurer,
the emperor generously gave him two millions out of his own treasury; he
even granted to his family the dotations which as a foreign prince he
could no longer retain himself; and they parted on apparent terms of
mutual satisfaction.