356]. 
ved by the daily and laborious oc- 
cupations, in which he was en- 
gaged in the cabinet of Medals, 
and in which he displayed mech 
critical acumen and profound eru- 
‘dition. 
In 1753, on the death of M. de 
Boze, with whom he had | been 
associated for seven- years, he was 
smede keeper of the 
Medals, to which office he was pro- 
.moted, notwithstanding some op- 
position, by the zeal of his aliustri- 
ous friends, M. de Malesherbes, 
M. de Stainville, afterwards mini- 
ster ard Duc de Choiseul, and M. 
de Gontacq, brother to the last 
Maréchal de Biron, 
In.1754, M..de Stainville,- be- 
ing appointed ambassador at Rome, 
invited Barthelemy to accompany 
him to Italy ; an offer which his: 
y3 
duty and avocations would not 
permit him to aecept.. In the 
year 17555 however, he was. ena- 
bled to take this journey with his 
friend M. de Cotte; and his re- 
sidence in Italy was ‘made particus 
larly agreeable by the continuance 
of M. de Stainville, who introduced 
him to the amiable and celebrated 
Pope Benediét X1V. At Naples 
he became acquainted with Ma- 
zocchi, who was then occupied in 
the task of unfolding the numerous 
ancient MSS, that had been found 
jn Herculaneum. Mazocchi had 
decyphered two or three, which 
containing matter of ‘ittle impor- 
tance, the work was on the point 
of being abandoned at that time 
-but for the zealous encouragement 
of Barthelemy, who, if the Mar- 
qu's Carraciola, then minister at 
Nap! es, and who had the matter 
much at heart, had lived, would 
certainly have been the means of 
the work’s going oa with ardour 
and effect. Asa proof of Barthe. 
cabinet) of 
and cerreéting, 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1796. 
lemy’s retentive powers; having 
applied in vain for the liberty to 
copy one of these manuscripts, in 
order to send a -fac simile of the 
ancient writing to the learned in 
France, and, being only. suffered 
to examine it, he read it over at. 
tentively five or six times, and, 
suddenly leaving the apartment, 
copied the fragment from miemory, 
when~ he came 
back, some slight errors, he sent 
it the same day to the academy of 
Belles Lettres; enjoining secrecy, 
however, that no blame might at. 
tach ‘to. Mazocchi., At Rome he 
had the pleasure and honour to 
give anew and satisiactory expla- 
enation of the beautiful Mosaic of 
Palestina, which is printed in the 
_thirgeenth volume of the academy 
of anscriptions. 
wai. de Stainville, on his return 
to Paris in 1757, being named to 
the embassy of Vienna, Barthelemy 
joined him there with Madame de 
Stainville, who .had remained be- 
hind at: Rome: and a very flatter. 
ing offer was then made him to 
undertake a voyage to Greece, and 
up the Levant, at the king’s ex. 
pence ; but he declingd it, as in- 
compatible with the duties of -his 
office, 
In 1758, M. de ‘Stainville, then 
Duc da Choiseul, having succeed- 
ed to the ministry in the room of — 
Cardinal de Bernis, he determined 
to provide for Barthelemy ; which 
he accordingly did, by granting 
him successively pensions on. the 
arehbishoprick of Abby, and upon — 
the treasury of St. Martin of Tours, 
and finally, the place of secretary- 
general of the Swiss; besides which, 
he enjoyed a pension of 5000 lites 
on the Mercure. 
In 17715 M. de Choisevl was 
displaced in the ministry by M. 
D’ Aiguillon, 
