MURAT GRAND DUKE OF BERG AND CLEVES. 331

missioners. The inhabitants who had not much causeto be enamoured of their former governments, veryreasonably thought that they could but gain by a change ofMasters.

Three days after the ceremony, Murat arrived atDusseldorf , without guards or troops of any kind, only; accompanied by two Aides-de-camp and the officers of hishousehold. The people welcomed him with sincere| applause, and drew his carriage into the city surrounded byj all the principal inhabitants. He was received at the grand1 ducal palace by all the late authorities, civil, military and

■ clerical. After the ceremony of the “ Tc Deum,” he en-' gaged them all to dinner, at which the frank, kind, and

■ intelligent manner of his address gave joy and confidence toall. A decree appeared next day, announcing that “ the

i Grand Duke thought it most advantageous to the countryto make no changes whatever in the persons of the au-thorities or in the administration of public affairs, because itwas more prudent to introduce such alterations as mightappear useful, one at a time and after due deliberation withthose best qualified to judge of their expediency.” FromDusseldorf , Murat proceeded to Cleves, where the sameceremonies were gone through.

Ambassadors from all the courts of the Continent andthe United States , were accredited to the court of Berg andCleves. The inhabitants became delighted with the new! government, as well they might, for Murat abstained fromimposing on them any of the French laws, institutions, ortaxes which were at variance with the habits and inclina-tions of his people. An instance (perhaps trivial) of therespect and affection which he had inspired during hisreign was shown in 1813—when an insurrection on theright banks of the Rhine , having been provoked by theapproach of the coalized armies, all the statues and pictures