"Believe, monsieur, that no one admires you more, or is more devoted to you than your servant." DISPATCH TO M. LE COMTE DE LA FERRONAYS "ROME, 12 _January_ 1829. "MONSIEUR LE COMTE, "I saw the Pope on the 2nd of this month; he was good enough to keep me with him in private audience for an hour and a half. I must report to you the conversation which I had with His Holiness. "We first spoke of France. The Pope began with the most sincere praise of the King. "'At no time,' he said, 'has the Royal Family of France displayed so complete a harmony of good qualities and virtues. Now calm has been restored among the clergy; the bishops have made their submission.' "'That submission,' I replied, 'is, in part, due to the sagacity and moderation of Your Holiness.' "'I advised what seemed reasonable to me to be done,' answered the Pope. 'There were no spiritual matters involved in the ordinances[704]; the bishops would have done better to leave their first letter unwritten; but, after saying, "_Non possutnus_," it was difficult for them to withdraw. They tried to display as little contradiction as possible between their actions and their language at the moment of their adhesion: we must forgive them for it. They are pious men, firmly attached to the King and the Monarchy; they have their weaknesses in common with all men.' "All this, monsieur le comte, was said in very clear and excellent French. "After thanking the Holy Father for the confidence which he showed me, I spoke to him in terms of consideration of the Cardinal Secretary of State: "'I chose him,' he said, 'because he has travelled, because he knows the general affairs of Europe and because he seemed to me to possess the sort of capacity which his post demands. He has written, with respect to your two ordinances, only what I thought and what I recommended him to write.' "'Might I venture to give Your Holiness,' I resumed, 'my opinion of the religious situation in France?' "'You will be doing me a great pleasure,' replied the Pope. "I suppress a few compliments which His Holiness was good enough to address to me.