Page:Life of Napoleon Buonaparte.pdf/7

 scription, in order to protect the national representation On the 19th November the meeting accordingly took place at St Cloud, when soldiers occupied all the avenues. The council of ancients assembled in the galleries; and that of five hundred, whom Lucien Buonaparte was president, in the orangery. Buonaparte entered into the council of ancients, and made an animated speech in defence of his own character, and called upon them to exert them elves in behalf of liberty and equality. In the mean time a violent altercation took place in the council of five hundred, where several members insisted upon knowing why the meeting had been removed to St Cloud, Lucien Buonaparte endeavoured to allay the rising storm, but the removal had created great heat, and the cry was, "down with the dictator! no dictator!" At that moment Buonaparte himself entered, followed by four grenadiers, on which several of the members exclaimed, "what does this mean? no sabres here! no armed men!" while others descending into the hall, collared him, exclaiming, "outlaw him, down with the dictator!" On this rough treatment, general Lefebvre came to his assistance, and Buonaparte retiring, mounted his horse, and leaving Murat to observe what was going forward, sent a picket of grenadiers into the hall. Protected by this force Lucien Buonaparte declared that the representatives who wished to assassinate his brother were in the pay of England, and proposed a decree which was immediately adopted, "That general Buonaparte, and all those who had seconded him, deserved well of their country; that the Directory was at an end; and that the executive power should be placed in the hands of three provisionary consuls, namely, Buonaparte, Sieyes, and Roger Ducos." Such was the Cromwelhan