Pitt was not the man to feel much concern for the death of any one; but
he understood and seized all the advantages afforded to him by this great
error of policy committed by the most formidable enemy of England. In
all the Treasury journals published in London Bonaparte was never spoken
of under any other name than that of the "assassin of the Duc d'Enghien."
The inert policy of the Cabinet of Vienna prevented the manifestation of
its displeasure by remonstrances, or by any outward act. At Berlin, in
consequence of the neighbourhood of the French troops in Hanover, the
commiseration for the death of the Due d'Enghien was also confined to the
King's cabinet, and more particularly to the salons of the Queen of
Prussia; but it is certain that that transaction almost everywhere
changed the disposition of sovereigns towards the First Consul, and that
if it did not cause, it at least hastened the success of the negotiations
which England was secretly carrying on with Austria and Prussia. Every
Prince of Germany was offended by the violation of the Grand Duke of
Baden's territory, and the death of a Prince could not fail everywhere to
irritate that kind of sympathy of blood and of race which had hitherto
always influenced the crowned heads and sovereign families of Europe; for
it was felt as an injury to all of them.

When Louis XVIII. learned the death of the Due d'Enghien he wrote to the
King of Spain, returning him the insignia of the Order of the Golden
Fleece (which had also been conferred on Bonaparte), with the
accompanying letter:

SIRE, MONSIEUR, AND DEAR COUSIN--It is with regret that I send back
to you the insignia of the Order of the Golden Fleece which his
Majesty, your father, of glorious memory conferred upon me. There
can be nothing in common between me and the great criminal whom
audacity and fortune have placed on my throne, since he has had the