merit led the public mind to the consideration of religious topics.  I remember Madame Bacciocchi coming one day to visit her brother with a little volume in her hand; it was ‘Atala’.  She presented it to the First Consul, and begged he would read it.  “What, more romances!” exclaimed he.  “Do you think I have time to read all your fooleries?” He, however, took the book from his sister and laid it down on my desk.  Madame Bacciocchi then solicited the erasure of M. de Chateaubriand’s name from the list of emigrants.  “Oh! oh!” said Bonaparte, “it is Chateaubriand’s book, is it?  I will read it, then.  Bourrienne, write to Fouche to erase his name from the list.”

Bonaparte, at that time paid so little attention to what was doing in the literary world that he was not aware of Chateaubriand being the author of ‘Atala’.  It was on the recommendation of M. de Fontanel that Madame Bacciocchi tried this experiment, which was attended by complete success.  The First Consul read ‘Atala’, and was much pleased with it.  On the publication of the ‘Genie du Christianisme’ some time after, his first prejudices were wholly removed.  Among the persons about him there were many who dreaded to see a man of de Chateaubriand’s talent approach the First Consul, who knew how to appreciate superior merit when it did not exite his envy.

Our relations with the Court of the Vatican being renewed, and Cardinal Fesch appointed Ambassador to the Holy See, Bonaparte conceived the idea of making M. de Chateaubriand first secretary to the Embassy, thinking that the author of the ‘Genie du Christianisme’ was peculiarly fitted to make up for his uncle’s deficiency of talent in the capital of the Christian world, which was destined to become the second city of the Empire.

It was not a little extraordinary to let a man, previously, a stranger to diplomatic business; stepping over all the intermediate degrees; and being at once invested with the functions of first secretary to an important Embassy.  I oftener than once heard the First Consul congratulate himself on having made the appointment.  I knew, though Bonaparte was not aware of the circumstance at the time, that Chateaubriand at first refused the situation, and that he was only induced to accept it by the entreaties of the head of the clergy, particularly of the Abby Emery, a man of great influence.  They represented to the author of the’ Genie du Christianisme that it was necessary he should accompany the uncle of the First Consul to Rome; and M. de Chateaubriand accordingly resolved to do so.

However, clouds, gathered; I do not know from what cause, between the ambassador and his secretary.  All I know is, that on Bonaparte being informed of the circumstance he took the part of the Cardinal, and the friends of M. de Chateaubriand expected to see him soon deprived of his appointment, when, to the great astonishment of every one, the secretary to the Roman Embassy, far from being disgraced, was raised by the First Consul to the rank of Minister Plenipotentiary to the Valais, with leave to travel in Switzerland and Italy, together with the promise of the first vacant Embassy.