ItwasBaronPlessen，theDukeofMecklenburg’sMinisterofState，whofavouredmewithasightoftheKingofDenmark’sletters.M.Plessentoldme，likewise，atthetimethattheDukehadformedtheirrevocabledeterminationofnotreceivinghisdaughter.AfewdaysafterherarrivalthePrincessvisitedMadamedeBourrienne.Sheinvitedustoherparties，whichwereverybrilliant，andseveraltimesdidusthehonourofbeingpresentatours.But;unfortunately，theextravaganceofherconduct，whichwasveryunsuitabletohersituation，soonbecamethesubjectofgeneralanimadversion.
ImentionedatthecloseofthelastchapterhowthepromptitudeofM.deChampagnybroughtabouttheconclusionofthetreatyknownbythenameoftheTreatyofSchoenbrunn.UnderthistheancientedificeoftheGermanEmpirewasoverthrown，andFrancisII.ofGermanybecameFrancisI.，EmperorofAustria.He，however，couldnotsay，likehisnamesakeofFrance，’Toutestperduforsl’honneur’;forhonourwassomewhatcommitted，evenhadnothingelsebeenlost.ButthesacrificesAustriawascompelled，tomakeweregreat.TheterritoriescededtoFrancewereimmediatelyunitedintoanewgeneralgovernment，underthecollectivedenominationoftheIllyrianProvinces.NapoleonthusbecamemasterofbothsidesoftheAdriatic，byvirtueofhistwofoldtitleofEmperorofFranceandKingofItaly.Austria，whoseexternalcommercethusreceivedacheck，hadnolongeranydirectcommunicationwiththesea.ThelossofFiume，Trieste，andthesea—coastappearedsovastasacrificethatitwasimpossibletolookforwardtothedurationofapeacesodearlypurchased.
TheaffairofStaps，perhaps，madeNapoleonanxioustohurryawayfromSchoenbrunn，forhesetoffbeforehehadratifiedthepreliminariesofthepeace，announcingthathewouldratifythematMunich.HeproceededingreathastetoNymphenburg，wherehewasexpectedonavisittotheCourtofBavaria.HenextvisitedtheKingofWurtemberg，whomhepronouncedtobethecleverestsovereigninEurope，andattheendofOctoberhearrivedatFontainebleau.FromthenceheproceededonhorsebacktoParis，andherodesorapidlythatonlyasinglechasseurofhisescortcouldkeepupwithhim，and，attendedbythisoneguard，heenteredthecourtoftheTuileries.WhileNapoleonwasatFontainebleau，beforehisreturntoParis，Josephineforthefirsttimeheardthedivorcementioned;theideahadoccurredtotheEmperor’smindwhilehewasatSchoenbrunn.ItwasalsowhileatFontainebleauthatNapoleonappointedM.deMontalivettobeMinisteroftheInterior.TheletterswhichwereceivedfromParisatthisperiodbroughtintelligenceofthebrilliantstateofthecapitalduringthewinterof1809，andespeciallyofthesplendouroftheImperialCourt，wheretheEmperor’sleveeswereattendedbytheKingsofSaxony，Bavaria，andWurtemberg，alleagertoevincetheirgratitudetotheherowhohadraisedthemtothesovereignrank.
IwasthefirstpersoninHamburgwhoreceivedintelligenceofNapoleon’sprojectedmarriagewiththeArchduchessMariaLouisa.ThenewswasbroughttomefromViennabytwoestafettes.ItisimpossibletodescribetheeffectproducedbytheanticipationofthiseventthroughoutthenorthofGermany.
——[\"NapoleonoftenreflectedonthebestmodeofmakingthiscommunicationtotheEmpress;stillhewasreluctanttospeaktoher.Hewasapprehensiveoftheconsequencesofhersusceptibilityoffeeling;hisheartwasneverproofagainstthesheddingoftears.