On the 17th of March he called his secretary, Bourrienne (so the latter states), and lay down with him on a map of Piedmont: then, placing pins tipped, some with red, others with black wax, so as to denote the positions of the troops, he asked him to guess where the French would beat their foes: "How the devil should I know ?" said Bourrienne.

"Why, look here, you fool," said the First Consul: "Melas is at Alessandria with his headquarters.

There he will remain until Genoa surrenders.

He has at Alessandria his magazines, his hospitals, his artillery, his reserves.

Crossing the Alps here (at the Great St.Bernard), I shall fall upon Melas, cut off his communications with Austria, and meet him here in the plains of the River Scrivia at San Giuliano." I quote this passage as showing how readily such stories of ready-made plans gain credence, until they come to be tested by Napoleon's correspondence.