1 80
2 pitch, on entering those rooms in which I had passed my earliest
3 happy age, and not missing either of my dear and beloved parents.
4 My voice faltered, and tears began to flow down my cheeks,
5 when I saw once more, after an absence of twenty years, my
6 father, mother, brothers and sisters, pressed them to my throb-
7 bing heart, received their welcome, and felt their kisses. As
8 they were informed of the day of my arrival, they had post-
9 poned the christening of my brother’s daughter, and fixed
10 it for the moment of my return, in order to heighten the
11 solemnity of that ceremony, and to have me for her godfather.
12 For that purpose, we went that very afternoon to the principal
13 church, in which I had myself been christened, where a multitude f
14 of the citizens were already assembled to witness the holy act, the
15 news of my arrival having spread through the town with the
16 rapidity of lightning ; some were attracted by curiosity, eager
17 to see me in my extraordinary and splendid oriental costume.
18 I also fancy that many of them were desirous of knowing
19 whether I had lost the fluency with which I formerly spoke the
20 languages of our country (Saxon, German, Hungarian, and
21 Walachian). When they heard me speak them with the same
22 facility as formerly, the interest they took in my person was still
23 further increased. My parents and friends admired my oriental
24 costume so much, that they requested me not to change it ; and
25 I yielded to their request, and afterwards visited many of the
26 capitals of Europe in that dress.
27 • I passed the remainder of the season at Kronstadt in the most
28 agreeable manner ; after which, I proceeded on my journey to-
29 wards Vienna, passing through Hungary. Thence, I went to
30 Trieste and Venice, Milan, Genoa, Nice and Marseilles ; from
31 this last, I made a short excursion to St. Tropez, to see General
32 Allard’s family, from whom I learned that the general had left
33 India and was expected at Bordeaux. I proceeded to that city,
34 and, after a three weeks’ stay, I was so fortunate as to meet with
35 the general, who brought me the box containing the antiques
36 which I had forwarded to him from Cabul. I afterwards visited
37 Paris, and came to England, by Calais and Dover. My com-