Jerome never fulfilled the wishes of his brother, who always called him a
little profligate. From his earliest years his conduct was often a
source of vexation to his brother and his family. Westphalia will not
soon forget that he was her King; and his subjects did not without reason
surname him "Heliogabalus in miniature."

The First Consul was harassed by the continual demands for money made on
him by his brothers. To get rid of Joseph, who expended large sums at
Mortfontaine, as Lucien did at Neuilly, he gave M. Collot the contract
for victualling the navy, on the condition of his paying Joseph 1,600,000
francs a year out of his profits. I believe this arrangement answered
Joseph's purpose very well; but it was anything but advantageous to M.
Collot. I think a whole year elapsed without his pocketing a single
farthing. He obtained an audience of the First Consul, to whom he stated
his grievances. His outlays he showed were enormous, and he could get no
payment from the navy office. Upon which the Consul angrily interrupted
him, saying, "Do you think I am a mere capuchin? Decres must have
100,000 crowns, Duroc 100,000, Bourrienne 100,000; you must make the
payments, and don't come here troubling me with your long stories. It is
the business of my Ministers to give me accounts of such matters; I will
hear Decres, and that's enough. Let me be teased no longer with these
complaints; I cannot attend to them." Bonaparte then very
unceremoniously dismissed M. Collot. I learned afterwards that he did
not get a settlement of the business until after a great deal of trouble.
M. Collot once said to me, "If he had asked me for as much money as would
have built a frigate he should have had it. All I want now is to be
paid, and to get rid of the business." M. Collot had reason and honour
on his side; but there was nothing but shuffling on the other.