5 8 RECOLLECTIONS OF FORTY YEARS. 



to between the Romans and 

 the .French. To avoid any 

 unfortunate contact between 

 the two forces, and to place us 

 in such a position that we 

 could retire without inconveni- 

 ence whenever France might 

 require her troops, a strong 

 position in the city, where the 

 head-quarters could be estab- 

 lished with the necessary forces, 

 will be the object of special 

 stipulations in the event of an 

 agreement being come to. I 

 have pointed out to M. de 

 Rayneval, upon a map of Borne, 

 the advantage we should de- 

 rive from occupying, upon 

 Monte-Pincio, a part of the 

 Academic de France and all the 

 buildings attached to the splen- 

 did convent of Notre-Dame- 

 du-Mont. These French pro- 

 perties form a very good body 

 of military positions. The steps 

 of the convent descend into the 

 interior of the city, and up to 

 1815 any man pursued by the 

 police had only to put his foot 

 upon the first step of these 

 stairs to enjoy the privileges of 

 the inviolability of French ter- 

 ritory. The sisters of the 

 Sacred Heart, who now inhabit 

 it, are only tenants of the 

 French Government, and they 

 have two other very fine pro- 

 perties in Rome, to which they 

 could meet. 

 12. While our army remains 12. The principal canton- 



