AtthistimeneitherHamburgnoritsterritoryhadanymanufactureofcloth.Allwoollenstuffswereprohibited，accordingtoM.Eudel，andstillmydutywastofurnish，andIhadfurnished，50，000cloaksfortheGrandArmy.IncompliancewitharecentImperialdecreeIhadtohavemadewithoutdelay16，000coats，37，000waistcoats，andtheEmperorrequiredofme200，000pairsofboots，besidesthe40，000pairsIhadsentin.YetM.EudelsaidthattannedandworkedleatheroughtnottoenterHamburg！Ifsucharidiculousapplicationofthelawof1796hadbeenmadeitwouldhaveturnedthedecreeof21stNovember1796againstFrance，withoutfulfillingitsobject.
Thesereflections，towhichIaddedotherdetails，madetheGovernmentconcludethatIwasright，andItradedwithEnglandtothegreatadvantageofthearmies，whichwerewellclothedandshod.Whatintheworldcanbemoreridiculousthancommerciallawscarriedouttoone’sowndetriment？
Atthebeginningof1807myoccupationsatHamburgweredividedbetweenthefurnishingofsuppliesforthearmyandtheinspectionoftheemigrants，whomFouchepretendedtodreadinordertogivegreaterimportancetohisoffice.
IneverletslipanopportunityofmitigatingtherigourofFouche’sorders，which，indeed，weresometimessoabsurdthatIdidnotattempttoexecutethem.Ofthisaninstanceoccurstomyrecollection.AprinteratHamburghadbeenarrestedonthechargeofhavingprintedalibelintheGermanlanguage.Themanwasdetainedinprisonbecause，verymuchtohishonour，hewouldnotdisclosethenameofthewriterofthepamphlet.Isentforhimandquestionedhim.Hetoldme，witheveryappearanceofsincerity，thathehadneverbutonceseenthemanwhohadbroughthimthemanuscript.Iwasconvincedofthetruthofwhathesaid，andIgaveanorderforhisliberation.ToavoidirritatingthesusceptibilityoftheMinisterofPoliceIwrotetohimthefollowingfewlines：——\"Thelibelisthemostmiserablerhapsodyimaginable.Theauthor，probablywiththeviewofsellinghispamphletinHolstein，predictsthatDenmarkwillconquereveryothernationandbecomethegreatestkingdomintheworld.ThisalonewillsufficetoprovetoyouhowlittleclangerthereisinrubbishwritteninthestyleoftheApocalypse.\"
AfterthebattleofEylauIreceivedadespatchfromM.deTalleyrand，towhichwasaddedanaccountinFrenchofthatmemorablebattle，whichwasmorefataltotheconquerorthantotheotherparty，——IcannotsaytheconqueredinspeakingoftheRussians，themoreespeciallywhenI