I had an answer in about an hour, that his majesty, attended by the royal family and great officers of the court, was coming out to receive me.

I advanced a hundred yards.

The emperor and his train alighted from their horses, the empress and ladies from their coaches, and I did not perceive they were in any fright or concern.

I lay on the ground to kiss his majesty's and the empress's hand.
[Illustration] I told his majesty that I was come, according to my promise, and with the license of the emperor, my master, to have the honor of seeing so mighty a monarch, and to offer him any service in my power consistent with my duty to my own prince, not mentioning a word of my disgrace, because I had hitherto no regular information of it, and might suppose myself wholly ignorant of any such design; neither could I reasonably conceive that the emperor would discover the secret while I was out of his power, wherein however it soon appeared I was deceived.
I shall not trouble the reader with the particular account of my reception at this court, which was suitable to the generosity of so great a prince; nor of the difficulties I was in for want of a house and bed, being forced to lie on the ground, wrapped up in my coverlet.
[Illustration].