cellent, and you praise me far beyond what I deserve. What has
been said with respect to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is quite
correct. The description could only have been given by one who knows the
localities. But the Holy Sepulchre itself might easily have escaped the
fire without a special miracle. It forms, in the middle of the circular
nave of the church, a kind of catafalque of white marble: the cupola of
cedar, in falling, might have crushed it, but could not have set it on
fire. It is nevertheless a very extraordinary circumstance, and one
worthy of much longer details than can be confined within the limits of
a letter.

I wish much that I could relate these particulars to you, personally, in
your retirement. Unfortunately, Madame de Chateaubriand is ill, and I
cannot leave her. But I do not give up the idea of paying you a visit,
nor of receiving you here in my hermitage. Honourable men ought,
particularly at present, to unite for mutual consolation. Generous ideas
and exalted sentiments become every day so rare that we ought to be too
happy when we encounter them. I should be delighted if my society could
prove agreeable to you, as also to M. Stapfer, to whom I beg you will
convey my warmest thanks.

Accept once more, I pray you, the assurance of my high consideration and
sincere devotion, and if you will permit me to add, of a friendship
which is commenced under the auspices of frankness and honour.

DE CHATEAUBRIAND.

The best description of Jerusalem is that of Danville; but his little
treatise is very scarce. In general, all travellers are very exact as to
Palestine; there is a letter in the 'Lettres Edifiantes' ('Missions to
the Levant'), which leaves nothing to be desired. With regard to
M. de Volney, he is valuable on the government of the Turks, but it is
evident that he has not been at Jerusalem. It is probable that he never
went beyond Ramleh or Rama, the ancient Arimathea. You may also consult
the 'Theatrum Terrae Sanctae' of Adrichomius.

No. II.

COUNT DE LALLY-TOLENDAL TO M. GUIZOT.

_Brussels, April 27th, 1811._

Sir,

You will be unable to account for my silence, as I found it difficult to
understand the tardy arrival of the prospectuses you had promised me in
your letter of the fourth of this month. I must explain to you that the
porter here had confounded that packet with the files of unimportant
printed papers addressed to a Prefecture, and if the want of a book had