Memoirs of the Duchesse de Dino (Afterwards Duchesse de Talleyrand et de Sagan), 1836-1840
several times told me this: "She thinks she has a vocation, and has
seen a special call of Providence in this marriage proposal; her
mother-in-law, who is inclined to the Pietist sect, was swayed by the
same idea."
The following has also been told me by Count Rantzau: Upon the day
when he learnt of Meunier's attempted assassination of the King,
negotiations for the marriage had been already opened. He was unable
to hide from the Princess his fear of the fate towards which she was
inclined. She then replied: "Stop, sir; the news that you give me, far
from shaking my will, only confirms it. Providence has perhaps
destined me to receive a shot intended for the King, and thus to save
his life. I shall not shrink from my mission."
There is thus a strong strain of fanaticism in her, which in no way
spoils her extreme simplicity of manner or the remarkable calm of her
bearing. This is so unusual a combination that I have been more struck
by it than by any of her other good qualities.
_Valençay, June 22, 1837._--Madame Adélaïde has written a long letter
to M. de Talleyrand, with full details of the entertainment at the
Town Hall, which seems to have been the most beautiful thing of this
kind, and far more magnificent than anything else that has yet been
done. The King was admirably received as he passed through the streets
and at the Town Hall. There were five thousand persons at this
entertainment. Princess Helena thought the diorama of Ludwiglust[72]
perfectly like the original.
[72] The Castle of Mecklenburg, where the princess had been
brought up.
_Valençay, June 25, 1837._--So the old King of England is dead. I was
interested to read the manner in which the young Queen was proclaimed
at London, in her own presence from the balcony of St. James's Palace.
This beautiful and touching scene is marked by a very pleasing
restraint.
_Valençay, June 28, 1837._--A widely circulated rumour at Paris
asserts that Mr. Caradoc intends to secure a divorce from Princess
Bagration--an easy process; that he will be made a peer and will
become the husband of the young Queen. He asserts his descent from the
Kings of Ireland. All this I believe to be nonsense, but meanwhile the
young Queen is so charmed with him that she will do and say nothing
without his consent.
Here is another story: Charles X. had given the Duc de Maillé a
picture for the church of Lormois; the family has just sold it to a
dealer for fifty-three thousand francs; the result has been a dispute
with the Civil List officials, who assert that Charles X. had no right
to present the picture. Pamphlets have been printed setting forth the
case on either side. If the dealer is obliged to restore the picture
he will force the Maillé family to return the fifty-three thousand
francs. Apart from this picture, the family found that the inheritance
of the Duc de Maillé consisted solely of debts. It is certain that if
the picture came from one of the museums or one of the royal castles
Charles X. had no right to give it away. It is all very unpleasant.
_Valençay, June 29, 1837._--M. de Sémonville was introduced in the
evening by the Queen herself to the Duchesse d'Orléans at the Round
Table. He told the Princess that only the kindness of the Queen could
have induced him to show her so old a face. "You mean so old a
reputation," replied the Princess. The old cat sheathed his claws and
was pleased.
_Valençay, July 1, 1837._--I hear from Paris that the situation of
public affairs is regarded as satisfactory at the moment, although the
Ministerial elections have generally shown opposition. At Strasburg,
Grenoble, and Montpellier they were absolutely Republican. Many people
assert that the Ministry should dissolve the Chamber, as it is worn
out. They urge that the marriage of the Prince Royal and the amnesty
make the present moment favourable, that later on circumstances will
not, perhaps, be so advantageous, but that the King refuses to
consider the idea. M. Royer-Collard writes to me on the same subject:
"I think that M. Molé is inclined to dissolution, and the King, though
he will not yet accept it, will be led to it by force of
circumstances. The Chamber is exhausted and can carry on no longer."
As a postscript he adds: "I have had a long interview with M. Molé,
and I am to see him again; he has decided to propose, and therefore to
carry out, the plan of dissolution. I did not urge him, but I am of
his opinion. The Chamber can no longer go on, and a dissolution need
only be desired and accepted to become necessary."
Finally Madame de Lieven writes to me as follows immediately before
starting for England: "M. de Flahaut was anxious to secure the
complimentary mission to London. He has been obliged to give way to
General Baudrand, which has increased the bad temper both of the
husband and the wife. Sébastiani is so ill that he is useless at
London; I really do not know who keeps your Court informed. Madame de
Flahaut is working as hard as she can to secure the recall of
Granville from Paris and the appointment of Lord Durham to his post,
with the double idea of removing a competitor from Palmerston's path
and having an ambassador at Paris inclined to intrigue. Granville's
chief merit was that he had no such tendency. In my opinion Durham
will have to have his way, as he will no longer stay at St. Petersburg
and wants something better. Your Deputies are said to be dispersing in
uneasiness and discontent. M. Molé says that he wants a dissolution,
but that the King does not.
"M. Molé's last reception was well attended. A hundred and fifty
deputies came to M. Guizot's party. M. Thiers has written from Lucca
that his wife suffered severely from sea-sickness."
_Valençay, July 6, 1837._--The following is an extract from a letter
from Madame de Lieven dated from Boulogne: "I have seen M. Molé and
M. Guizot at the last moment; the former had received a letter from
Barante. My Sovereign's ill-temper is in no way improved, and is even
worse than before. It is a hopeless case, as he is going mad. M. Molé
is certainly jealous of Guizot. I have some very amusing things to
tell you on that subject, which have all happened since your
departure. There are some strange characters in the world, and as I
naturally have a sense of humour, I laugh."
I should like to know the details of this rivalry, which seems to me
so improbable, from the nature of its object, that I am inclined to
think the Princess has been led astray by feminine vanity. She
confuses jealousy with the susceptibility native to character.
I have a letter from Baron de Montmorency, the executor of the Prince
de Laval, telling me that the latter, in a pencilled note, written the
evening before his death, has left me a souvenir which he is sending
me. I am deeply touched by it.
_Rochecotte, July 11, 1837._--I arrived here yesterday, and am obliged
to go out on business. The valley of the Loire is superb. The spring
is late this year, and the foliage is therefore unusually green for
this season. My plants have all grown very well, the climbers
especially, and the flowers are abundant; everything seems in
excellent order.
_Rochecotte, July 12, 1837._--Yesterday I went round my house; small
improvements are slowly being carried out.
I was much struck by the effect of the Sistine Madonna in the
drawing-room, which has taken the place of the Corinne, which has gone
to the drawing-room of the Abbé's house. The change is almost
symbolical, and shows the difference between the spirit of my past and
that which now dominates me, or, to speak more accurately, is gaining
ground; progress is by no means rapid.
_Rochecotte, July 13, 1837._--Yesterday it only rained for half the
day, and I was able to go round my little empire, which I found in
very good condition. I shall be sorry presently to tear myself away
from it. I propose to dine and sleep at Tours, and shall be back at
Valençay to-morrow.
I was able yesterday to visit my hydraulic rams.[73] Nothing takes up
less room or produces a better result. Many workmen come to see them,
and several landowners wish to imitate them; it is really an admirable
invention. I have now water for the kitchen, the stables, and
everywhere, and next year I shall present myself with a fire-engine.
[73] As Rochecotte was without any water-supply, and the hillside
upon which the castle was built was quite bare, hydraulic rams
were introduced. These were the first imported to France. The
Duchesse de Dino had them made in England, and insisted that
French measures should be transposed exactly into English, and
English into French, with the result that when they were set up
at Rochecotte, where they still stand, the measurements were
found to be exact.
_Valençay, July 15, 1837._--I left Tours yesterday morning. Before
starting I saw the sad sight of a man killed by lightning. His
companion only had his legs broken, and was being taken to the
hospital for a double amputation.
I had lunch at Loches, where I visited everything: the tomb of Agnès
Sorel, the oratory of Anne of Brittany, and a curious church, the
prison of Ludovico Sforza. I admired the magnificent panorama from the
top of the towers. We then stopped at Montrésor, to inspect one of the
prettiest Renaissance churches I have seen. It is built by the side of
an old castle, which was begun by the famous Foulques Nera, the
greatest builder before Louis-Philippe.
At the ironworks of Luçay[74] I found horses from the house, which
brought me here very quickly.
[74] Luçay de Male is a dependency of the estate of Valençay. By
its architecture the castle of Luçay seems to belong to the same
age as that of Valençay. It is in a fine situation, overlooking
the ironworks, the fine lake which provides it with water, the
town of Luçay, and picturesque ravines.
_Valençay, July 18, 1837._--With regard to the trial of General de
Rigny, I can say that the General was deeply hurt, and reasonably so,
because the Government wished to punish him after his brilliant
acquittal before the Council of War; he declared to the Minister of
War that if they chose that moment to deprive him of the command of
Lille, he would accuse Marshal Clausel before the civil courts, and
without in any way sparing him, as he had felt obliged to do at
Marseilles. The Minister of War told him that he had wished to give
him the command, but that the King objected. M. Molé and the whole
Council said the same, and Baron Louis, uncle of General de Rigny,
thought it well to go to Neuilly and demand an explanation from the
King. The King said that the General had been proved guilty of
insubordination, to which the poor old uncle replied: "But your
Majesty is surely ready to recognise the judgment that has been
passed; the Council of War admitted that the remarks attributed to my
nephew were libellous; all that we can now do is to prosecute the
Marshal." The King then replied: "Ah, I did not know that. I will look
into the details of the trial, and then we shall see."[75]
[75] In 1836 Marshal Clausel, who was then Governor of Algeria,
attacked the Bey of Constantine unsuccessfully; upon his failure
the army, which was weakened, was obliged to raise the siege of
the town and to retreat by forced marches in the midst of
continual attacks from the Arab troops. General de Rigny, who was
stationed in the rearguard, bore the whole weight of this
disastrous retreat. In spite of his efforts he found that his
general had singled him out in an order of the day for a formal
accusation of treacherous insinuations and advice, and had
declared him a rebel and an unworthy officer. General de Rigny
demanded to be judged by a court-martial, and secured a verdict