was extremely ill-treated a few months afterwards, to punish
him for having shewn me some attention: and the chagrin he felt at
having incurred the disgrace of the emperor, was, it is said, one of
the causes of the illness which carried him off in the prime of
life. Unfortunate country, where the circumstances are such, that a
man of his understanding and talent should sink under the chagrin of
disgrace!

I saw in the papers, that some American 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 I was obliged to address myself to the minister of police
to ask for that indulgence. It has been already seen that 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 observe his style*.

* (Note of the Editor.)
This is the same letter which was printed in the Preface to Germany,

"GENERAL POLICE.
MINISTER'S CABINET.
Paris, 3d October, 1810.

"I have received the letter, madam, which you did me the honor to
write to me. Your 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 arrangements which you have
yet to make, as I cannot grant you any more.

"You must not seek for the cause of the order which I have signified
to you, in the silence which you have observed with regard 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 consequence 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 which it will occasion
to 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
Coppet but 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 o