The stones were overgrown with grass; nobody appeared, no voice was
heard except the clacking of half a dozen old women who were weeding on
their knees, and all the windows were closed. The dreary, deserted
present compared with the magnificent past excited nearly the same
feelings as if I had been looking on Tadmor in the wilderness. After
passing the Imperial prison we were ushered into the apartments of the
Imperial prisoners, the poor Pope and his 16 Cardinals. I had quite
forgotten the place of their confinement, and was a little surprised
when the man said, "Here, Sir, dwelt for 19 months the holy Conclave of
St. Peter." He must have led a miserable life, for though he was allowed
two carriages, with 6 and 8 horses to each, he neither stirred out
himself nor allowed any of the Cardinals to so do, saying he did not
think it right for prisoners. Buonaparte saw him in January, I think the
man said, for the last time. So much for Fontainebleau. Few have
followed their master to Elba. Roustan the Mameluke and Constant his
Valet were certainly very ungrateful; one of them--I forget which--to
whom Buonaparte had given 25,000 fr. (about L1,200) the day before he
left Fontainebleau, applied to the Duc de Berri for admission into his
service; in reply the Duc told him his gratitude ought to have carried
him to Elba, but though it had not, if he (the Duke) ever heard that
Buonaparte wished to have him there, he would bind him hand and foot and
send him immediately. None of the Royal allies have been to
Fontainebleau at the time or since, except the King of Prussia, who
came incog. a few days ago. This the guide said he had heard since; he
had, indeed, seen three persons walking about, but he had not shewn them
the Palace nor spoken to them. That it was the King of Prussia was
confirmed by a curious little memorandum I found wafered over a high
glass on the top of the room in which we dined, and which caught my eye
immediately; I shewed it to the people of the house, who said they had
not observed it before, but remembered three gentlemen dining there on
that day. "Sa Majeste le Roi de Prusse accompagne du Prince Guillaume
son fils a dine en cette appartement avec son premier Chambellan Mr.
Baron D'Ambolle, le 8 Juillet, 1814." ... This is the way the King of
Prussia always went about in Paris, nobody knew him or saw him....

From Fontainebleau we went to Melun and kept proceeding through Guignes
to Meaux. At Guignes we bega