第280章 [1762](29)

Dastier had described them to me, was sufficient to make me deliberatebefore I resolved to expose myself to such dangers.I ardentlywished for the interview for which M.Buttafuoco had given me reasonto hope, and I waited the result of it to guide me in mydetermination.

Whilst I thus hesitated came on the persecutions of Motiers, whichobliged me to retire.I was not prepared for a long journey,especially to Corsica.I expected to hear from Buttafuoco; I tookrefuge in the island of St.Pierre, whence I was driven at thebeginning of winter, as I have already stated.The Alps, coveredwith snow, then rendered my emigration impracticable, especiallywith the promptitude required from me.It is true, the extravagantseverity of a like order rendered the execution of it almostimpossible; for, in the midst of that concentered solitude, surroundedby water, and having but twenty-four hours after receiving the orderto prepare for my departure, and find a boat and carriages to getout of the island and the territory, had I had wings, I shouldscarcely have been able to pay obedience to it.This I wrote to thebailiff of Nidau, in answer to his letter, and hastened to take mydeparture from a country of iniquity.In this manner was I obligedto abandon my favorite project, for which reason, not having in myoppression been able to prevail upon my persecutors to dispose of meotherwise, I determined, in consequence of the invitation of my lordmarshal, upon journey to Berlin, leaving Theresa to pass the winter inthe island of St.Pierre, with my books and effects, and depositing mypapers in the hands of M.du Peyrou.I used so much diligence that thenext morning I left the island and arrived at Bienne before noon.Anaccident, which I cannot pass over in silence, had here well nighput an end to my journey.

As soon as the news of my having received an order to quit my asylumwas circulated, I received a great number of visits from theneighborhood, and especially from the Bernois, who came with themost detestable falsehood to flatter and soothe me, protesting that mypersecutors had seized the moment of the vacation of the senate toobtain and send me the order, which, said they, had excited theindignation of the two hundred.Some of these comforters came from thecity of Bienne, a little free state within that of Berne, andamongst others a young man of the name of Wildremet, whose familywas of the first rank, and had the greatest credit in that littlecity.Wildremet strongly solicited me in the name of hisfellow-citizens to choose my retreat amongst them, assuring me thatthey were anxiously desirous of it, and that they would think it anhonor and their duty to make me forget the persecutions I hadsuffered! that with them I had nothing to fear from the influence ofthe Bernois, that Bienne was a free city, governed by its own laws,and that the citizens were unanimously resolved not to hearken toany solicitation which should be unfavorable to me.

Wildremet perceiving all he could say to be ineffectual, broughtto his aid several other persons, as well from Bienne and the environsas from Berne; even, and amongst others, the same Kirkeberguer, ofwhom I have spoken, who, after my retreat to Switzerland hadendeavored to obtain my esteem, and by his talents and principleshad interested me in his favor.But I received much less expectedand more weighty solicitations from M.Barthes, secretary to theembassy from France, who came with Wildremet to see me, exhorted me toaccept his invitation, and surprised me by the lively and tenderconcern he seemed to feel for my situation.I did not know M.Barthes;however I perceived in what he said the warmth and zeal of friendship,and that he had it at heart to persuade me to fix my residence atBienne.He made the most pompous eulogium of the city and itsinhabitants, with whom he showed himself so intimately connected as tocall them several times in my presence his patrons and fathers.

This from Barthes bewildered me in my conjectures.I had alwayssuspected M.de Choiseul to be the secret author of all thepersecutions I suffered in Switzerland.The conduct of the resident ofGeneva, and that of the ambassador at Soleure but too much confirmedmy suspicion; I perceived the secret influence of France in everythingthat happened to me at Berne, Geneva, and Neuchatel, and I did notthink I had any powerful enemy in that kingdom, except the Duke deChoiseul.What therefore could I think of the visit of Barthes and thetender concern he showed for my welfare? My misfortunes had not yetdestroyed the confidence natural to my heart, and I had still to learnfrom experience to discern snares under the appearance offriendship.I sought with surprise the reason of the benevolence of M.