he hastily quit vienna, escaping the formal charge of desertion because his new appointment had not been confirmed. the savage independence of his nature rendered subordination intolerable to him; he had been three times disgraced for absenting himself without leave, and his superiors resented his satirical humour. after leaving the army he went to florence, and was fortunate enough to discover in the laurentian library a complete manuscript of longus's "daphnis and chloe", an edition of which he published in 1810. in consequence of a misadventure—blotting the manuscript—he was involved in a quarrel with the librarian, and was compelled by the government to leave tuscany. he retired to his estate at véretz (indre-et-loire), but frequently visited paris, and divided his attention between literature and his farm.