Livingston was quick to see the change of policy; but although he understood as much as was known to any one, he could not count with certainty on the result.[16] Not even Joseph and Lucien knew what was in their brother’s mind. Talleyrand seems to have been elaborately deceived; even as late as February 19 he was allowed to instruct General Beurnonville, the French ambassador at Madrid, to express “the warm satisfaction which the last acts of sovereignty exercised by the King of Spain in Louisiana have given to the First Consul.”[17] The last act of sovereignty exercised by Spain in Louisiana had been the closure of the Mississippi. Before Beurnonville could obey this order, Godoy, hastening to anticipate possible interference from France, promised Pinckney, February 28, that the _entrepôt_ should be restored. King Charles’s order of restitution bore date March 1, 1803; Beurnonville’s note, urging the King to sustain Morales, bore date March 4, and March 10 Don Pedro Cevallos replied to Talleyrand’s congratulation in a tone so evasive as to show that Godoy was again deceiving the First Consul.[18] Cevallos did not say that the right of deposit had ten days before been restored; he contented himself with mentioning the reasons alleged by Morales for his act, adding at the close the empty assurance that “in every way his Majesty prizes highly the applause of the French government.” In January, only a few weeks before, Godoy had told Beurnonville, with unconcealed satisfaction, that Bonaparte should not have Florida,--although without Florida the town of New Orleans was supposed to be of little value. In February he snatched away what he could of New Orleans by replacing the Americans in all their privileges there. Livingston plied the French officials with arguments and memorials; but he might have spared himself the trouble, for Bonaparte’s policy was already fixed. The First Consul acted with the rapidity which marked all his great measures. England at once took Sebastiani’s Report as a warning, and began to arm. February 20 Bonaparte sent to the Corps Législatif his Annual Report, or Message, which spoke of Great Britain in language that could not be disregarded; finally, March 12, Livingston saw a melodramatic spectacle which transfixed him with surprise and excitement.[19] The scene was at Madame Bonaparte’s drawing-room; the actors were Bonaparte and Lord Whitworth, the British ambassador. “I find, my Lord, your nation want war again!” said the First Consul. “No, sir,” replied Whitworth; “we are very desirous of peace.” “_I must either have Malta or war!_” rejoined Bonaparte. Livingston received these words from Lord Whitworth himself on the spot; and returning at once to his cabinet, wrote to warn Madison. Within a few days the alarm spread through Europe, and the affairs of St. Domingo were forgotten.