Memoirs of the Duchesse de Dino (Afterwards Duchesse de Talleyrand et de Sagan), 1836-1840
loss has thrown many people into great grief.
I have called upon Madame Adélaïde, where I heard all the nice things
that the Duchess of Würtemberg is saying about Germany. The Duchesse
d'Orléans feels that her child has quickened, and I think that her
condition will be publicly announced in a few days.
They say that the young Queen of England gallops down the streets of
London through all the omnibuses and cabs. Her old aunts think this is
very shocking, and so it is.
In the English Parliament there is a coalition no less astounding than
that of MM. Thiers and Guizot; Lord Brougham and Lord Lyndhurst have
joined hands.
_Paris, April 1, 1838._--Yesterday I went with my sister to the court
of the Louvre to see the bronze statue which is to be sent off in a
few days to Turin and is on exhibition for the moment. It is a statue
of Emmanuel Philibert of Savoy after the battle of Saint-Quentin,
pulling up his horse and putting his sword into its sheath. It is the
work of Marochetti, a delightful thing, full of grace, nobility, and
life. I was very pleased with it, and it seems to have met with the
general approval.
_Paris, April 3, 1838._--Yesterday I gave M. de Talleyrand the little
document which I had drawn up for him. The incident passed over
without a storm. I suppose that he will have read and digested it
yesterday evening, and I shall see to-day whether the horizon is
clouded.
_Paris, April 4, 1838._--The little document was entirely successful.
Yesterday I took my sister to Saint-Roch to hear the Abbé de Ravignan,
who pleased her greatly. He has a fine face, a beautiful voice, an
excellent delivery, faith, conviction, warmth, authority, a close and
vigorous style of argument, couched in clear and noble language, with
a precise choice of words. He is not prolix and never diffuse. He
lacks unction and his teaching is therefore rather doctrinal than
evangelical, so that his talent had full scope as he was preaching on
the infallibility of the Church.
M. de Pimodan, a great Legitimist, who was giving his arm to one of
the lady collectors, insolently blocked the Queen's passage; the
vicar, the Abbé Olivier, who was accompanying her to the door, and who
is a little thick-set man, strong as a Turk, vigorously elbowed M. de
Pimodan to move him out of the way; he flew into a rage, and rudely
asked the _curé_ what he meant by shoving him. The Abbé calmly
replied: "I meant, sir, to make room for the Queen"; upon which the
gentleman muttered some very insolent remarks, which passed unnoticed.
The Princesse de Bauffremont, who was to be one of the lady
collectors, heard the evening before that Madame de Vatry was also to
perform this duty. There were six of these ladies, chosen from
different circles of Parisian society, in order to untie as many
purse-strings as possible. The Princess then said that she would not
be seen in company with the daughter of M. Hamguerlot, and withdrew.
Was ever such false pride or want of charity?
_Paris, April 8, 1838._--The general attention was occupied by the
session in the Chamber of Peers yesterday. The speech of M. de Brigode
which was delivered the evening before had made every one alert, and
the active part taken by the Duc de Broglie in this discussion seems
to be an event, and is connected with the hostile movement and the
impious alliance in the Chamber of Deputies. The Ministry made an
excellent reply to the attacks of MM. de Broglie and Villemain. M.
Pasquier, who is angry at an attempt to limit his powers, made a very
bad President. The Ministry is anxious concerning Easter week.
* * * * *
The Duc de Talleyrand, younger brother of the Prince de Talleyrand,
died on April 28, 1838. The Duc and Duchesse de Dino then inherited
his title, which they afterwards bore. The following 17th of May the
Prince de Talleyrand died in his turn, after four days' illness.
* * * * *
The following letter was written on May 10, 1838, but was placed at
this point of the Memoirs by the author herself.
_A letter addressed by the Duchesse de Talleyrand to the Abbé
Dupanloup with reference to the latter's account of the last
moments of the Prince de Talleyrand._
"I have read with profound emotion, M. l'Abbé, as you may be sure, the
valuable manuscript which I now beg to return to you.[90]
[90] The manuscript in question was an account of the last
moments of the Prince de Talleyrand, written by the Abbé
Dupanloup, afterwards Bishop of Orleans. The author never printed
it, and bequeathed it, with all his papers concerning the Prince
de Talleyrand, to M. Hilaire de Lacombe, who sent them to the
Abbé Lagrange, afterwards Bishop of Chartres. He only used them
for purposes of frequent quotation in the life of the Bishop
Dupanloup, which he wrote some years ago, and two chapters of
which are devoted to M. de Talleyrand. These papers are now in
the possession of M. Bernard de Lacombe. The letter of the
Duchesse de Talleyrand, transcribed in this volume, is reproduced
here, although I have already published it in _Le Temps_ of April
30, 1908.
"Everything is related with a truth and simplicity which must, I
think, touch the hearts of the most indifferent and convince the most
sceptical. I have nothing to add to your account, which perfectly
describes all the incidents of the sad event unfortunately
accomplished before our eyes. But perhaps I alone am able to point out
the course of mental development which for some years had certainly
begun to modify M. de Talleyrand's feelings. It was a gradual process,
and there is a certain interest in following its slow but sincere
growth, as it eventually led him in so consoling a manner to his goal.
"I will therefore try to retrace my recollections of this matter, and
I think I shall not go back too far if I begin with my daughter's
first communion, which took place at London on March 31, 1834. On that
day she came to ask for the blessing of M. de Talleyrand, whom she
called her good uncle. He gave it her tenderly, and then said to me:
'How touching is the piety of a young girl, and how unnatural is
unbelief, especially in women.' However, a short time after our return
to France M. de Talleyrand was alarmed by the strength of my
daughter's feelings. He was afraid that she might be taught to
mistrust him, or to form unfavourable opinions of him, and even asked
me to find out from what point of view Pauline's confessor treated the
subject. I put the question directly to my daughter, who replied with
that candour which you yourself know, that as her uncle did not
involve her in any sin she never spoke of him to her confessor, who
only mentioned him in advising her to pray to God earnestly for him.
M. de Talleyrand was touched by this answer, and said to me: 'Such
conduct is that of an intelligent and deserving man.'
"From that time he was anxious that Pauline should have more
opportunities for attending church, and even go some distance from
home to receive the benefit of your wise direction; he used to offer
her the use of his carriage, and I have sometimes seen him go to
personal inconvenience for the advantage of his 'little girl.'
"Eventually he derived a certain self-esteem on account of Pauline's
religious earnestness, and seemed to be flattered that she should have
been so well brought up under his own eyes; he would often say, in
speaking of Pauline, 'She is the angel of the house.' He took great
pleasure, as all good minds do, in declaring the merits of others. No
one could give praise more gracefully, with greater moderation,
advantage, and propriety; any one who was mentioned or criticised by
him received all the credit that could be his due. Upon occasions he
would certainly utter words of blame, but only at rare intervals, and
never with such direct force as when he praised. He was especially
lenient towards ecclesiastics, and if he disapproved of them it was
only for political reasons, and never on account of their religious
ministrations, while he always expressed himself with great
moderation. He both respected and admired the ancient Church of
France, of which he spoke as a great, a fine, and a magnificent
institution. In his house I have seen cardinals, bishops, and simple
village pastors; all were received with infinite respect, and became
the objects of tactful attention. An inappropriate word was never
uttered before them; M. de Talleyrand would never have allowed
anything of the kind. I have seen the Bishop of Rennes (the Abbé
Mannay) spend months at Valençay and the Bishop of Evreux (the Abbé
Bourlier) stay at M. de Talleyrand's residence in Paris with the same
purity and freedom of conduct and enjoying the same respect as in
their dioceses. Towards his uncle, the late Cardinal of Périgord, M.
de Talleyrand was a tender, attentive, and deferential nephew. He was
often to be seen at the Archbishop's house, where he was especially
fond of a talk with the Abbé Desjardins, whom he liked for the
gentleness and the wide range and tact of his conversation.
"I have often been astonished at the unconstraint of my uncle's
bearing in the society of ecclesiastics, which I can only explain by
supposing that he was under a delusion, strange, but real and
long-lasting, concerning his actual position with reference to the
Church. He was quite aware that he had dealt the Church a blow, but he
thought that the process of secularisation which he had unduly
stimulated had been one of simplification rather than of
destruction.[91] As his position thus seemed to him pretty clearly
defined, he regarded it as easy. This mistake lasted as long as his
political life, and only after his retirement did he think of defining
more exactly his relations with the Papacy. But before this time a
vague instinct made him feel that if, in his opinion, he did not
exactly owe any reparation, he owed at least some consolation to those
whom he had saddened. He therefore was ready to support the interests
of the clergy upon every occasion, and never refused an alms either to
a priest in distress or to a beggar, but tacitly recognised the claims
of both upon him. His charity was great, and I gave him much pleasure
by repeating to him a remark made by a most estimable person, which
was as follows: 'You may set your mind at rest; M. de Talleyrand will
come to a good end, for he is charitable.' I was able to remind him of
this saying at the most solemn hour of his life, as you, M. l'Abbé,
may remember, and remember, also, what consolation he derived from it.
He was always deeply grateful to those in retirement from the world
and in convents who prayed for him. He never forgot it, and used to
say: 'I have some friends among the good souls.' His heart was touched
because he was a good man, a very good man indeed; he felt this
himself when he used to ask me: 'Am I not really better than I am
thought to be?' Certainly he was better than he was thought; only his
neighbours, his friends, and his servants could appreciate the extent
of his simple kindness, his attention, his love, and his loyalty. You
have seen our tears. The good-hearted alone are thus lamented.
[91] M. de Talleyrand had spoken strongly in favour of the
Concordat. The Pope was aware of the fact, and on March 10, 1802,
addressed a Papal letter to him which authorised him to re-enter
civil life, though expressed in somewhat vague terms.
"After his return from England he was twice strongly impressed with
salutary effect by the Christian death of the Duc de Dalberg and by
the religious habits which characterised the latter part of the life
of Dr. Bourdois, his contemporary, his friend, and his doctor. He was