ed metropolitan of Kiew, thought that my
discovery was of great importance. Nevertheless, he sought to dissuade
me from publishing the memoirs, believing that their publication could
only hurt me. "Why?" This the venerable prelate refused to tell me more
explicitly. Nevertheless, since our conversation took place in Russia,
where the censor would have put his veto upon such a work, I made up my
mind to wait.

A year later, I found myself in Rome. I showed my manuscript to a
cardinal very near to the Holy Father, who answered me literally in
these words:--"What good will it do to print this? Nobody will attach to
it any great importance and you will create a number of enemies. But,
you are still very young! If it is a question of money which concerns
you, I can ask for you a reward for your notes, a sum which will repay
your expenditures and recompense you for your loss of time." Of course,
I refused.

In Paris I spoke of my project to Cardinal Rotelli, whose acquaintance I
had made in Constantinople. He, too, was opposed to having my work
printed, under the pretext that it would be premature. "The church," he
added, "suffers already too much from the new current of atheistic
ideas, and you will but give a new food to the calumniators and
detractors of the evangelical doctrine. I tell you this in the interest
of all the Christian churches."

Then I went to see M. Jules Simon. He found my matter very interesting
and advised me to ask the opinion of M. Renan, as to the best way of
publishing these memoirs. The next day I was seated in the cabinet of
the great philosopher. At the close of our conversation, M. Renan
proposed that I should confide to him the memoirs in question, so that
he might make to the Academy a report upon the discovery.

This proposition, as may be easily understood, was very alluring and
flattering to my _amour propre_. I, however, took away with me the
manuscript, under the pretext of further revising it. I foresaw that if
I accepted the proposed combination, I would only have the honor of
having found the chronicles, while the illustrious author of the "Life
of Jesus" would have the glory of the publication and the commenting
upon it. I thought myself sufficiently prepared to publish the
translation of the chronicles, accompanying them with my notes, and,
therefore, did not accept the very gracious offer he made to me. But,
that I might not wound the susceptibility of the great master, for whom