Rapine seemed to be legally authorised, and was perpetrated with such
fury, and at the same time with such ignorance, that the agents were
frequently unacquainted with the value of the articles which they seized.
Thus, for example, the Emperor ordered the seizure at Hamburg, Bremen,
and Lubeck of all English merchandise, whatever might be its nature or
origin. The Prince of Neufchatel (Berthier) wrote to me from the Emperor
that I must procure 10,000,000 francs from the Hanse Towns. M. Daru, the
Intendant-General, whose business it was to collect this sort of levy,
which Napoleon had learned to make in Egypt, wrote to urge me to obtain a
prompt and favourable decision. The unfortunate towns which I was thus
enjoined to oppress had already suffered sufficiently. I had obtained,
by means of negotiation, more than was demanded for the ransom of the
English merchandise, which had been seized according to order. Before I
received the letters of M. Darn and the Prince of Neufchatel I had
obtained from Hamburg 16,000,000 instead of 10,000,000, besides nearly
3,000,000 from Bremen and Lubeck. Thus I furnished the Government with
9,000,000 more than had been required, and yet I had so managed that
those enormous sacrifices were not overoppressive to those who made them.
I fixed the value of the English merchandise because I knew that the high
price at which it sold on the Continent would not only cover the proposed
ransom but also leave a considerable profit. Such was the singular
effect of the Continental system that when merchandise was confiscated,
and when afterwards the permission to sell it freely was given, the price
fetched at the sale was so large that the loss was covered, and even
great advantage gained.

Peace being concluded with Russia it was necessary to make choice of an
Ambassador, not only to maintain the new relations of amity between
Napoleon and Alexander, but likewise to urge on the promised intervention
of Russia with England,--to bring about reconciliation and peace between