Si la notte (sic) contient le mot ultimatum fait lui sentir que ce mot renferme celui de guerre, que cette manière de negocier est d'un superieur à un inferieur, si la notte ne contient pas ce mot, fait qu'il le mette, en lui observant qu'il faut enfin savoir à qui nous en tenir, que nous sommes las de etat d'anxieté—que jamais en n'obtiendra de nous, ce que l'on a obtenu des dernières années des Bourbons, que nous ne sommes plus ce peuple que recevoit un commissaire à Dunkerque, que l'ultimatum remis, tout deviendra rompu.
Effrayez le sur les suites de cette remise S'il est inébranlable, accompagnez le dans votre salon sur le point de vous quitter, dit lui "mais le Cap, et l'ile de Gorée, sont ils evacués" radoucissez un peu la fin de la Conférence, et invitez le à revenir avant d'écrire à sa Cour, enfin que vous puisiez lui dire l'impression qu'elle a fait sur moi, qu'elle pouvoit être diminuée, par l'assurance de l'evacuation de Cap et de l'ile de Gorée.
Nap.
[Translation.]
St. Cloud 4½
I am in receipt of your letter which was given me at Malmaison. I desire that the conference should not end in idle words. Be cold in your demeanour—haughty and if need be proud. If the note contains the word ultimatum, let him feel that this word means war, and that this manner of negotiating is that of a superior to an inferior; if the note does not contain this word see that he uses it saying that we must really know where we are, that we are weary of this state of tension and that they will never obtain from us, what they obtained in the last years of the Bourbons, that we are no longer the people to receive a Commissioner at Dunkirk and that the ultimatum once delivered everything will be broken off. Frighten him as to the consequence of this act on his part, if he is unwavering take him to your drawing-room and as he is on the point of leaving say to him "But the Cape and the Isle of Gorée, are they evacuated?" Then towards the end of the interview tone down matters a little, and suggest his coming back before writing to his Court, so that you may be able to tell him the impression which the conference has made upon me, and that it could be softened by the assurance of the evacuation of these places.
Nap.
This letter was purchased by the Earl of Crawford and Balcarres, whose attention I called to its great interest. Lord Crawford probably possesses one of the finest sets of Revolutionary and Napoleonic MSS. in the hands of any private collector. He is at the present moment engaged in cataloguing them.