Madame de StaeVi Ten Years' Eiilt/ 



649 



the midst of the luxury of Asia, and 

 the el^ance of France. The masters 

 of thc' house had spent a considerable 

 time in India, and their chateau was 

 adorned with every thing they had 

 btoui^ht back from their travels. This 

 residence excited my curiosity, and I 

 found myself extremely comfortable in 

 it. Next day M. de Montmorency gave 

 rae a note from my son, which pressed 

 me to return home, as my work had 

 met with fresh difficulties from the 

 censorship. My friends who were with 

 me in the chateau conjured me to go ; 

 I had not the least suspicion of what 

 they were concealing from me, and 

 thinking there was nothing but what 

 Augustus's letter mentioueif, I whiled 

 away the time in examining the Indian 

 curiosities, without any idea of what 

 was in store for me. At last I got into 

 the carriage, and my brave and intelli- 

 gent Veudean, whom his own dangers 

 had never moved, squeezed my hand, 

 with tears in his eyes : I guessed im- 

 mediately that they were making a 

 mystery to me of some new persecution, 

 and M. de Montmorency, in reply to 

 my interrogations, at last acquainted me 

 that the minister of the police had sent 

 his myrmidons to destroy the ten thou- 

 sand copies which had been printed of 

 my book, and that I hatl received an 

 order to quit France within three days. 

 My children and frieuds had wished 

 me not to hear this news while I was 

 among strangers ; but they had taken 

 every possible precaution to prevent the 

 sei2ure of my manuscript, and they 

 succeeded in saving it, some hours be- 

 foi'e I was required to deliver it up. 



I saw in the papers, that some Ame- 

 rican vessels had arrived in the ports 

 of the channel, and I determined to 

 make use of my passport for America, 

 in the hope that it would be possible to 

 touch at an English port. At all events 

 I required some days to prepare for this 

 voyage, and 1 was obliged to address 

 myself to the minister of police to ask 

 for this indulgence. It has been al- 

 ready seen tiiat the custom of the 

 French government is to order women, 

 as well as soldiers, to depart within 

 twenty-four hours. Here follows the 

 minister's reply ; it is curious to ob- 

 seiTC Iiis style. 



« GENERAL POLICE. 



" MIWI8TERS CABINET. 



Pari*, 3d October, 1810. 



" I have received the letter, madam, 

 which you did me thc hononr to write to 

 mc. Tour son will have informed you that 



I saw no impropriety in your delaying your 

 departure for seven or eight days : I hope 

 they will be sufficient for the arrangementa 

 which you have yet to make, as I cannot 

 grant you anymore. 



" You must not seek for the cause of the 

 order which I have signified to you, in the 

 sileuce which you have observed with re- 

 gard to the Emperor in your last work ; 

 that would be a great mistake ; he could 

 find no place there which was worthy of 

 him ; but your exile is a natural conse- 

 quence of the line of conduct you have 

 constantly pursued for several years past. 

 It has appeared to me that the air of this 

 country did not at all agree with you, and 

 we are not yet reduced to seek for models 

 in the nations whom you admire. 



" Your last work is not at all French ; it 

 is by my orders that the impression has 

 been seized. I regret the loss it will occa- 

 sion the bookseller ; but it is not possible 

 for me to allow it to appear. 



" You know, madam, that you would 

 not have been permitted to quit Coppetbut 

 for the desire you had expressed to go to 

 America. If my predecessor allowed you 

 to reside in the department of Loir and 

 Cher, you had no reason to look upon this 

 license as any revocation of the arrange- 

 ments which had been fixed with regard to 

 you. At present you compel me to make 

 them be strictly executed ; for this you 

 have no one to blame but yourself. 



" I have signified to M. Corbiguy to look 

 to the punctual execution of the order I 

 have given him, as soon as the term I grant 

 you is expired. 



" I regret extremely, madam, that you 

 have forced me to begin my correspondence 

 with you by an act of severity; it would 

 have been much more agreeable to me to 

 have only had to offer you the assurance of 

 the high consideration with which I haye 

 the honour to be madam, lO-O 



" Your most humble, and 



" most obedient servant, 



Signed " The Duke of Rovigo. 



P. S. I have reasons, madam, for men- 

 tioning to you that the ports of Lorient, La 

 Rochelle, Bourdeaux, and Rochefort, are 

 the only ones in which you can embark. I 

 request you to let me know which of them 

 you select. 



FEMAliE TRAPPIST. 



We reached the convent in the midst 

 of a severe shower, after having beea 

 obliged to come nearly a mile on foot. 

 As we were flattering ourselves with be- 

 ing admitted, the Prucureur of la Traj>pe, 

 who has the direction of the female 

 convent, told us that nobody could be 

 received there. I tried, however, te 

 ring thc bell at the gate of the cloister; 

 a nun appeared beiiind thc latticed 

 opening through which the i>orfress 



may 



