permitted to her. I was then pursuing my studies, preparatory
to entering into the Polytechnic school; and from her great goodness
to her children, she wished to watch over their education, as near
as her exile could allow her. She went in consequence to settle at
Auxerre, a little town where she had no acquaintance, but of which
the prefect, M. de la Bergerie, behaved to her with great kindness
and delicacy.

From Auxerre she went to Rouen: this was approaching some leagues
nearer the centre to which all the recollections and all the
affections of her youth attracted her. There she could at least
receive letters daily from Paris; she had penetrated without any
obstacle the inclosure, entrance into which had been forbidden to
her; she might hope that the fatal circle would progressively be
contracted. Those only who have suffered banishment will be able to
understand what passed in her heart. M. de Savoie-Rollin was then
prefect of the Lower Seine; it is well known by what glaring
injustice he was removed some years afterwards, and I have reason to
believe that his friendship for my mother, and the interest which he
shewed for her, during her residence at Rouen, were no slight causes
of the rigor of which he became the object.

Fouche was still minister of police. His system was, as my mother
has said, to do as little evil as possible, the necessity of the
object admitted. The Prussian monarchy had just fallen; there was no
longer any enemy upon the Continent to struggle with the government
of Napoleon; no internal resistance shackled his progress, or could
afford the least pretext for the employment of arbitrary measures;
what motive, therefore, could he have for prolonging the most
gratuitous persecution of my mother? Fouche then permitted her to
come and settle at the distance of twelve leagues from Paris, upon
an estate belonging to M. de Castellane. There she finished Corinne,
and superintended the printing of it. In other respects, the retired
life she there led, the extreme prudence of her whole conduct, and
the very small number of persons who were not prevented by the fear
of disgrace from coming to visit her, might have been sufficient to
tranquillize the most suspicious despotism. But all this did not
satisfy Bonaparte; he wanted my mother to renounce entirely the
employment of her talents, and to interdict her from writing even
upon subjects the most unconnected with politics. It will be seen
that even at