CHAPTER VI.
1797.
Napoleon's correspondence--Release of French prisoners at Olmutz-- Negotiations with Austria--Bonaparte's dissatisfaction--Letter of complaint from Bonaparte to the Executive Directory--Note respecting the affairs of Venice and the Club of Clichy, written by Bonaparte and circulated in the army--Intercepted letter of the Emperor Francis.
During the time when the preliminaries of Leoben suspended military operations, Napoleon was not anxious to reply immediately to all letters.
He took a fancy to do, not exactly as Cardinal Dubois did, when he threw into the fire the letters he had received, saying, "There! my correspondents are answered," but something of the same kind.

To satisfy himself that people wrote too much, and lost, in trifling and useless answers, valuable time, he told me to open only the letters which came by extraordinary couriers, and to leave all the rest for three weeks in the basket.

At the end of that time it was unnecessary to reply to four-fifths of these communications.

Some were themselves answers; some were acknowledgments of letters received; others contained requests for favours already granted, but of which intelligence had not been received.

Many were filled with complaints respecting provisions, pay, or clothing, and orders had been issued upon all these points before the letters were written.