I was there, at one stage from a country-seat[714] whose inhabitants my long voyage had not caused me to forget. But the gardens of Armida, where were they? Two or three times, when returning to the Pyrenees, I have caught sight of the Column of Méréville[715]; like Pompey's Column, it acquainted me with the presence of the desert: like my fortunes at sea, all has changed.
I reached Paris before the news I sent of myself: I had out-distanced my life. Insignificant as are the letters which I wrote, I go through them as one looks over inferior sketches representing the places one has visited. Those notes, dated from Modon, Athens, Zea, Constantinople, Jaffa, Jerusalem, Alexandria, Tunis, Granada, Madrid, and Burgos, those lines written on every manner of paper, with every manner of ink, carried by all the winds, interest me. I love unrolling even my very firmans: it is a pleasure to me to touch the vellum, to observe the elegant caligraphy, to wonder at the pomp of the style. How great a personage I must have been! And what poor devils we are, with our letters and our forty-sou passports, beside those lords of the turban!
Osman Seïd, Pasha of Morea, thus addresses to whomsoever it may concern my firman for Athens:
"Men of law of the townships of Misitra[716] and Argos, cadis, nadirs, and eflendis, of whom may the wisdom ever increase; you who are the honour of your peers and our great men, vaïvodes, and you through whose eyes your master sees, who replace him in each of your jurisdictions, public officers and business men, whose credit can only grow greater.
"We inform you that of the nobles of France, one noble in particular from Paris, the bearer of this order, accompanied by an armed janissary and by a servant as his escort, has solicited permission and explained his intention to pass through some of the places and localities which are within your jurisdictions in order to go to Athens, which is an isthmus lying beyond and separated from your jurisdictions.
"Wherefore, effendis, vaïvodes, and all others above-mentioned, when the aforesaid person shall arrive at the places subject to your jurisdiction, you shall take the greatest care that he be treated with all the particular consideration of which friendship makes a law, etc., etc
"Year 1221 of the Hegira."
My passport from Constantinople for Jerusalem says:
"To the sublime tribunal of His Grandeur the Cadi of Kouds[717], Scherif and Most Excellent Effendi:
"Most Excellent Effendi, may Your Grandeur seated on your august tribunal accept our sincere blessings and our affectionate greetings.
"We inform you that a noble personage from the Court of France, named François Auguste de Chateaubriand, is at present on his way towards you to make the holy pilgrimage (of the Christians)."
Would we extend a like protection to the unknown traveller with the mayors and gendarmes who inspect his passport? In these firmans we can also read the revolutions of the nations: how many "permits" has it required that God should grant to the empires, before a Tartar slave could lay orders upon a vaïvode of Misistra, that is, a magistrate of Sparta; before a Mussulman could recommend a Christian to the Cadi of Kouds, that is, of Jerusalem!
The Itinéraire has entered into the elements that compose my life. When I set out in 1806, a pilgrimage to Jerusalem appeared a great undertaking. Now that the crowd has followed in my steps and that the whole world is in the diligence, the wonder of it has vanished; I have little left of my own save Tunis: people have travelled less in that direction, and it has been allowed that I pointed out the real sights of the ports of Carthage. This creditable letter proves it:
"Monsieur le Vicomte,
"I have just received a plan of the ground and ruins of Carthage, giving the exact outlines and inclinations of the soil; it has been taken trigonometrically on a basis of 1500 meters, and rests upon barometrical observations made with corresponding barometers. It is a work of ten years of precision and patience; and it confirms your opinions regarding the position of the ports of Byrsa.
"With this exact plan I have gone over all the ancient texts, and have, I believe, determined the outer circumference and the other portions of the Cothon, Byrsa, Megara, etc., etc. I wish to do you the right which is your due upon so many scores.
"If you are not afraid to see me swoop down upon your genius with my trigonometry and my heavy erudition, I will be with you at the first sign from yourself. If we, my father[718] and I, follow you in literature longissimo intervallo, at least we shall have tried to imitate you in the noble independence of which you set France so fine an example.
"I have the honour to be, and I am proud of it, your frank admirer,
"Dureau de La Malle[719]."
My geographical accuracy.