The Pope became the object of public respect and general curiosity.  I was exceedingly anxious to see him, and my wish was gratified on the day when he went to visit the Imperial printing office, then situated where the Bank of France now is.

A pamphlet, dedicated to the Pope, containing the “Pater Noster,” in one hundred and fifty different languages, was struck off in the presence of his Holiness.  During this visit to the printing office an ill-bred young man kept his hat on in the Pope’s presence.  Several persons, indignant at this indecorum, advanced to take off the young man’s hat.  A little confusion arose, and the Pope, observing the cause of it, stepped up to the young man and said to him, in a tone of kindness truly patriarchal, “Young man, uncover, that I may give thee my blessing.  An old man’s blessing never yet harmed any one.”  This little incident deeply affected all who witnessed it.  The countenance and figure of Pope Pius VII. commanded respect.  David’s admirable portrait is a living likeness of him.

The Pope’s arrival at Paris produced a great sensation in London, greater indeed there than anywhere else, notwithstanding the separation of the English Church from the Church of Rome.  The English Ministry now spared no endeavours to influence public opinion by the circulation of libels against Bonaparte.  The Cabinet of London found a twofold advantage in encouraging this system, which not merely excited irritation against the powerful enemy of England, but diverted from the British Government the clamour which some of its measures were calculated to create.  Bonaparte’s indignation against England was roused to the utmost extreme, and in truth this indignation was in some degree a national feeling in France.

Napoleon had heard of the success of Caffarelli’s negotiations previous to his return to Paris, after his journey to the Rhine.  On arriving at St. Cloud he lost no time in ordering the preparations for his coronation.  Everything aided the fulfilment of his wishes.  On 28th November the Pope arrived at Paris, and two days after, viz. on the 1st of December, the Senate presented to the Emperor the votes of the people for the establishment of hereditary succession in his family:  for as it was pretended that the assumption of the title of Emperor was no way prejudicial to the Republic, the question of hereditary succession only had been proposed for public sanction.  Sixty thousand registers had been opened in different parts of France,—­at the offices of the ministers, the prefects, the mayors of the communes, notaries, solicitors, etc.  France at that time contained 108 departments, and there were 3,574,898 voters.  Of these only 2569 voted against hereditary succession.  Bonaparte ordered a list of the persons who had voted against the question to be sent to him, and he often consulted it.  They proved to be not Royalist, but for the most part staunch Republicans.  To my knowledge many Royalists abstained from voting at all, not wishing to commit themselves uselessly, and still less to give their suffrages to the author of the Duo d’Enghien’s death.  For my part, I gave my vote in favour of hereditary succession in Bonaparte’s family; my situation, as may well be imagined, did not allow me to do otherwise.