"Monsieur Guizot received me kindly, and by no means as a stranger. He attended to the recital of what had occurred at Damascus, and said in reply that Monsieur Baudin was not a Consul; but I said he represented the French Government, and the people believed he spoke their sentiments. Monsieur Guizot then said he would write a very strong letter himself to Monsieur Baudin,[1] and would speak with the King on the subject, and I should hear from him. I immediately went to Lord Normanby, and informed him of all that had passed; he thanked me for calling, as he was just going into the country for a couple of days, and was happy he had been able to facilitate the accomplishment of my object."
August 5th.—Sir Moses went to the Foreign Office to see Monsieur Le Sage, the head of the department. The latter, having mislaid the papers, had to go over the whole business again, but eventually promised to write to Monsieur Baudin, who had exceeded his duty in expressing his own opinion as that of the French Government.
August 9th.—Monsieur Hude came to Sir Moses from Baron James de Rothschild, and brought him the following note, written by the King's own hand, to Monsieur Guizot:—
"Dimanche, 8 Août 1847.
"Mon Cher Ministre,—Je recevrai Sir Moses Montefiore demain aux Tuileries pendant que vous serez occupé à faire la Clôture, c'est-a-dire à une heure précise. Veuillez donc l'en faire prévenir. Je n'ai pas d'autre moment a' lui donner comme vous le savez.—Bon Soir.
"L."
Sir Moses at once put on his uniform, and went to the Palace of the Tuileries a little before one o'clock. The King was in Council, and it was ten minutes before two when the Ministers left to go to the closing of the Chambers of Peers and Deputies. Two minutes after he was conducted through a splendid picture gallery and several large apartments into a room, in which the officer who was his conductor left him.
The King immediately entered, and said, "I am very happy to see you, Sir Moses; you are come from England." Sir Moses then informed His Majesty of the object for which he had solicited the honour of an audience, in compliance with the wishes of his co-religionists in the East. He informed His Majesty of the unfortunate occurrence at Damascus, and asked permission to read him a paper containing the particulars of his petition, to which the King graciously assented, asking if there was sufficient light, as the blinds were closed. The King paid great attention while Sir Moses read, and when he came to the part which mentions the Jews of France, His Majesty observed, that he was happy to have been the first to have given them every civil right, and hoped soon to see the example followed in every country; he fully concurred in the sentiments expressed in Sir Moses' statements. His Majesty very graciously took the paper, when Sir Moses had finished reading it, and said he would give it to Monsieur Guizot, who took as keen an interest in the matter as he did himself, and would attend to it. When Sir Moses mentioned the loss of the child at Deir-el-Kámár, he immediately said, "But it has been found, and there is an end of the matter." His Majesty could not have been more gracious, and Sir Moses was satisfied that the Government would give such directions to their officers in the East, as would prevent their again acting in so cruel a manner with regard to the Jews. On his taking leave, the King inquired if he intended leaving Paris, and said that he was going to-morrow to the Chateau d'Eu, where he would be happy to see Sir Moses at all times.
Sir Moses left the Audience Chamber by the wrong door, and after wandering through two or three rooms, endeavouring to find his way out, he met the King. He very good humouredly said, "You have lost your way; I will show you," and most kindly walked with him through two large rooms which brought them to the end of a long picture gallery, where there were many officers and servants. Here the King bade him farewell. Sir Moses felt the greatest confidence that the great object he had at heart had been blest with success.
Paris, August 10th.—He called at the Foreign Office to return Monsieur Guizot his thanks, and the latter repeated his assurance respecting the protection of the Jews in the East.