[276] "On the 27th of April, the Marquis de Gallo presented the preliminaries, ratified by the Emperor, to Napoleon at Gratz. It was in one of these conferences, that one of the plenipotentiaries, authorised by an autograph letter of the Emperor, offered Napoleon to procure him, on the conclusion of a peace, a sovereignty of 250,000 souls in Germany, for himself and his family, in order to place him beyond the reach of republican ingratitude. The general smiled, he desired the plenipotentiary to thank the Emperor for this proof of the interest he took in his welfare, and said, that he wished for no greatness or riches, unless conferred on him by the French people."--MONTHOLON, tom. iv., p. 103. [277] Correspondence Inédite tom. ii., p. 564. See also Jomini, tom. ix., Pièces Justificatives, Nos. 1 and 2. [278] Daru, tom. v., p. 568; Montholon, tom. iv., p. 135. [279] See, in Daru, tom. v., p. 605, the report of the two envoys, Dona and Justiniani. [280] "Non, non, quand vous couvriez cette plage d'or, tous vos tresors, tout l'or du Pérou, ne peuvent payer le sang Français."--DARU, tom. v., p. 619. [281] For a copy of this manifesto against Venice, see _Moniteur_, No. 239, May 16, and _Annual Register_, vol. xxxiv., p. 337. "As soon as it was made public, the whole Terra Firma revolted against the capital. Every town proclaimed its independence, and constituted a government for itself. Bergamo, Brescia, Padua, Vicenza, Bassano, and Udine, formed so many separate republics."--MONTHOLON, tom. iv., p. 143. [282] Daru, tom. vi., p. 9. [283] Daru, tom. vi., p. 10. [284] Daru, tom. vi., p. 13. [285] Daru, tom. vi., p. 32. [286] Daru, tom. vi., p. 36. [287] Daru, tom. vi., p. 40. [288] "The French troops entered Venice on the 16th of May. The partisans of liberty immediately met in a popular assembly. The aristocracy was destroyed for ever; the democratic constitution of twelve hundred was proclaimed. Dandolo was placed at the head of all the city. The Lion of St. Mark and the Corinthian horses were carried to Paris."--MONTHOLON, tom. iv., p. 142. [289] "General Bernadotte carried the colours taken from the Venetian troops to Paris. These frequent presentations of colours were, at this period, very useful to the government; for the disaffected were silenced and overawed by this display of the spirit of the armies."--MONTHOLON, tom. iv., p. 145. CHAPTER X.