Memoirs of the Duchesse de Dino (Afterwards Duchesse de Talleyrand et de Sagan), 1836-1840
yet keep in check.
_Paris, May 1, 1837._--The Duc de Broglie is going to meet the
Princess of Mecklenburg at Fulda, on this side of Weimar, not to marry
her, but to offer his compliments and his escort. The wife of Marshal
Lobau will be the Princess's lady-of-honour.
Yesterday I had a letter from the Archbishop of Paris, who sends me a
copy of the answer from Rome, which he had just received, concerning
his last difficulties with reference to the archiepiscopal estate.
Rome entirely approves his conduct, and leaves him free to conduct any
transaction which may satisfy his general interests. This last phrase
is distinctly vague. I shall probably go to-morrow afternoon to thank
the Archbishop and to learn some further details. He adds in his
letter that he is certain that the Government have received an answer
similar to that which he communicates to me.
_Paris, May 2, 1837._--I am assured that the Prussian Minister here,
Baron von Werther, will take the place of M. Ancillon at Berlin. He is
offering some objection to the proposal, but it is thought that he
will accept.
The Marquis de Mornay has been nicknamed the Sosthenes of the July
revolution--amusing, but very true.
I have seen M. Royer-Collard, who thought that the law concerning
secret funds would pass, but would be a mortal blow to the Cabinet.
Yesterday evening I went to the Court reception held on the 1st of
May.[60] There was an enormous crowd, including every type of beauty
and ugliness, of well and badly dressed people. The Duc d'Orléans did
not appear, as he is suffering from a severe sore throat and
inflammation of the eyes. He is wise to take care of himself, as he
has only three weeks for that purpose.
[60] The birthday of Louis-Philippe.
I was told at the Château that in a morning session of the Chamber M.
Jaubert had positively flayed the Ministry, and that to-day's session
might easily end in their overthrow. I hardly think so, as no one is
anxious to seize their inheritance.
Rumours are also current of an important victory said to be won by Don
Carlos.
Apparently I did not mention what Matusiewicz told me about the new
Queen of Naples, concerning whom I asked him many questions. She is
the Archduchess Theresa of whom so much was heard last year. He says
that she is agreeable, witty, kind, and nice, with no haughtiness or
fine manners, and nothing of the princess about her. The King is said
to be deeply in love with her.
_Paris, May 4, 1837._--Yesterday I went to the Sacred Heart to see the
Archbishop. I found him delighted with the answer from Rome, and not
anxious to make any public parade of it. Whatever formalities the
other side might raise, he was anxious to use the liberty given him
from Rome to handle the whole question in a pacific spirit; in short,
he was calmer and gentler than I had seen him for a long time.
_Paris, May 5, 1837._--M. Molé, who dined here yesterday, said that
his colleague, M. Martin du Nord, would make a kind of apology to-day
to the Chamber for his outburst of the day before yesterday. M. Thiers
has harangued his forces and calmed their feelings.
The ratification of the marriage contract of the Duc d'Orléans has
come to hand from Mecklenburg; the illness of Herr von Plessen, the
Mecklenburg Minister, had prevented him from travelling to the spot
where the ratifications are to be exchanged, and some delay was
feared, which would have been the more prolonged as the Minister has
since died. M. Bresson therefore sent a bearer to him with the Act; he
was almost at his last gasp when he signed it, and died three hours
afterwards.
Herr von Lutteroth says that the portrait of the Prince Royal which he
was commissioned to take to the Princess Helena produced an excellent
impression. Two attacks of influenza made it impossible to finish the
portrait of the Princess; in her place I would not send anything. Herr
von Lutteroth is full of the delightful qualities of the Princess,
although he admits that her nose is by no means distinguished and her
teeth rather bad. Otherwise she is admirable, especially her figure,
which is charming. When he dined with her her gloves were too large
and she wore black shoes which obviously were not made at Paris. The
vexatious point is that the Duc d'Orléans has an obstinate cold on his
chest; he coughs a great deal and his voice is very weak, but he is
taking care of himself, and wisely.
Mecklenburg princesses have no dowry, but when they marry the States
vote them two or three hundred thousand francs as a voluntary gift.
The Duc d'Orléans has refused this vote, to the great delight, it is
said, of the people of Mecklenburg. The Duc de Broglie will be
accompanied upon his mission by the Comte Foy, son of the famous
General, the Comte d'Haussonville, MM. Léon de Laborde, Philippe de
Chabot, and Doudain, the last-named with the title of First Secretary
to the embassy.[61]
[61] This embassy of honour was sent to meet the royal bride; the
meeting took place at Fulda on May 22, 1837.
_Paris, May 6, 1837._--After a visit from M. Royer-Collard, and as
though by way of contrast, I went yesterday morning and waited for a
long time at Madame Bautrand's, the famous costumier. I wanted to
choose a few things for the entertainments at Fontainebleau, and spent
an interesting time over it. In the first place there were the most
delightful articles, then there was a crowd of people waiting for some
mark of favour, and messages were coming from the Château hastily
summoning the great personage. One really might have thought one's
self in the rooms of a party leader.
Yesterday evening I had a note from Madame de Castellane written after
the session of the Chamber, giving the following account of it: M.
Martin du Nord offered a reasonable explanation; M. Augustin Giraud
vigorously attacked M. Molé, who returned an admirable reply; M. Vatry
challenged the great champions to enter the arena by proposing an
amendment; M. de Lamartine, in a wearisome speech entirely off the
point, aroused M. Odilon Barrot, who then delivered one of his finest
speeches; M. Guizot in his turn made an excellent reply.
I was awakened just now to receive a note from M. Molé, telling me
that M. Thiers, shaken and almost converted by yesterday's session, is
anxious to overthrow the Ministry and so force M. Guizot to come
forward with his friends, with the object of overthrowing him in turn;
he adds that M. Dupin reminded M. Thiers of his obligations, telling
him that such action would be dishonourable. M. Thiers seemed to waver
once more, and announced that he would summon his friends again. M.
Molé sends me this news, asking me to discuss it with M. Thiers from
Dupin's point of view. He has applied to the wrong person, for the
burnt child fears the fire, and I have too keen a recollection of last
year's scene to put my hand into a wasp's nest of that kind. I prefer
not to meddle with what does not concern me, but in any case to-day's
work will decide the case of the Ministry.
_Paris, May 7, 1837._--I did not go out yesterday morning, and left my
door open, so certain visitors came in: M. Jules d'Entraigues, the Duc
de Noailles, and the little Princess Schönberg. All were full of the
session of the previous evening and of M. Guizot's magnificent speech.
He really performed admirably, and aroused the deepest parliamentary
emotion in the Chamber.
About five o'clock M. de Tocqueville arrived. He came from the session
and had just heard Thiers, who had replied to Guizot. It seems that no
one ever showed greater power; it is he who saved the Ministry and
secured the passing of the law.[62] He added that Thiers spoke quietly
and coldly, seeming to avoid any oratorical effects, and not
attempting to outdo his rival in dramatic display, but anxious only to
deliver a blow, and he is said to have succeeded.
[62] The reference is to a law concerning the estimates for the
secret police fund.
At dinner our guests were the Duchesse d'Albuféra, M. and Madame de La
Redorte, MM. Thiers and Mignet. M. Thiers was well pleased with his
day's work, and gave a warm tribute to Guizot, roundly asserting that
he would never have been so foolish as to try and eclipse him, seeing
that that was impossible; he had attempted only to make his position
impossible, and that he had done. He then gave us his speech, which
seemed to me to be strikingly clear, sensible, and practical. He told
me that M. Royer-Collard had almost fallen upon his neck, saying, "You
have killed them!"
In the evening I went to Madame Molé's, to a dinner given in return
for that which I recently gave when the Electress was present. The
only subject of conversation was the session in the Chamber. The
Ministry were as pleased as if they had been successful, though there
is no possibility that they will triumph. As I came back I called upon
Madame de Lieven. She had heard Guizot on the previous evening, but
not Thiers in the morning. Thus she had remained entirely under
Guizot's influence, which was the more appropriate as he came in
himself delighted with the concert of praise by which he has been
received; but in reality he felt the blow had been struck. I, who know
him well, thought his feelings quite obvious.
As I write I am quite deafened by the noise of the drum which is
continually beaten for the great review of the National Guard which
the King is to hold to-day. Heaven grant that all goes off well. I am
most anxious.
I know that Herr von Werther and Apponyi are but moderately satisfied
with the political doctrines expressed by M. Guizot in his speech of
the day before yesterday; they were expecting a less limited and less
middle-class system. There they were wrong, for M. Guizot's social
ideas are alone appropriate to the age and to the country as it is now
constituted.
_Paris, May 8, 1837._--I should be delighted if the last piece of news
I have heard were true, that the Grand Duchess Stephanie is to marry
her daughter to the Duke of Leuchtenberg; there would then be no
possibility of her marrying one of our princes, and I should be
equally pleased because I am not anxious to see among them a nephew of
the Prefect of Blois.[63]
[63] The Comte de Lezay-Marnesia.
The day before yesterday, in the evening, I met the Marquis of
Conyngham at the house of Madame de Lieven. He related that the
Duchess of Kent, who is always doing tactless things, recently invited
Lord Grey to dinner together with Lady Jersey. Their respective rank
required that Lord Grey should take Lady Jersey into dinner; Sir John
Conroy requested Lord Grey to do so, but he absolutely refused, and
Lady Jersey was taken in by some one of lower rank. Both were keenly
irritated in consequence.
It seems certain that the Duchesse de Saint-Leu is dying. The
physician Lisfranc, who has returned from Arenenberg, says so. The
poor woman has mismanaged her life and her position, and she is
expiating her fault most cruelly. It is dreadful to survive her eldest
son and to die far away from her second son, entirely cut off from her
family; this misfortune disarms the severe criticism which one might
be tempted to utter concerning her.
Yesterday was held the great review, and all my rooms were filled from
eleven o'clock in the morning. From our windows we had a perfect view
of the march past, which followed the Rue de Rivoli, and then passed
in front of the Obelisk, where were the King, the Queen, the Princes,
and a very numerous following. Sixty thousand National Guards and
twenty thousand line troops marched past. Previously the King had gone
round the ranks within the Cour du Carrousel and on the Esplanade des
Invalides. The National Guard shouted "Vive le Roi!" most vigorously,