Memoirs of the Duchesse de Dino (Afterwards Duchesse de Talleyrand et de Sagan), 1836-1840
the atmosphere filled with sweetness and light and breathing joy and
happiness; new life, new warmth and pleasure are springing into being,
and I feel suffocated in this town. The public promenades cannot take
the place of the country, and nothing can bring back the sweet
springtime of last year, with its flowers, its wide horizon, and its
freshness, in which it was so easy to take breath. I would worship any
one who could give me back these things! And instead I drive with
Madame de Lieven through the Bois de Boulogne in a closed carriage!
Such was my occupation yesterday, while M. de Talleyrand was at the
Academy of Moral and Political Science, voting for M. de Tocqueville,
who failed to secure election.
_Paris, March 24, 1836._--The Princess Belgiojoso is rather striking
than beautiful: she is extremely pale, her eyes are too far apart, her
head too square, her mouth large and her teeth discoloured; but she
has a good nose, and her figure would be pretty if it were somewhat
fuller; her hair is jet black, and she wears striking dresses; she has
intellect, but wants balance, and is full of artistic whims and
inconsistencies; her manner is intentionally and skilfully natural,
sufficiently to hide her affectation, while her affectation seems to
counterbalance a certain innate vulgarity, which her flatterers style
an untamed nature. Such is my impression of this personage, with whom
I have but the slightest acquaintance.
M. Royer-Collard found me reading the "Imitation" the other day, and
brought me yesterday a pretty little copy which he has had from his
youth, and has almost invariably carried about with him. I have been
deeply touched by this gift, and regard it as a most precious
possession. My only objection to this little book is the fact that it
is in Latin: I never knew Latin well, and I find that I have now
forgotten it. I think I shall have to take it up again.
M. Royer asked me to give him in exchange some book which I had
constantly read. I gave him a copy of Bossuet's "Funeral Orations,"
deeply scored with my marks; the ribbon-mark is torn away, but a
hairpin happened to be marking one of the passages in the oration on
the Princess Palatine, which had a special meaning for myself. M.
Royer accepted the little volume most gratefully.
Yesterday evening I went to the Italian Opera, and Berryer paid a
visit to my box. His mind was full of the morning session in the
Chamber of Deputies and of M. Guizot's _formidable_ speech. M. Thiers
proposes to reply this morning, as, indeed, he must, unless he wishes
to see M. Guizot become paramount in the Chamber; in short, we are to
see the real adversaries engaged in a hand-to-hand struggle. This is
an event, and is so regarded. Berryer described the whole affair
marvellously well, without bitterness against any one, and without a
word more than was necessary to make the situation clear. In ten
minutes he had told me everything.
_Paris, March 27, 1836._--Yesterday morning I had the honour of seeing
the King with Madame Adélaïde; his conversation was charming. He was
kind enough to tell me stories of his marriage, of the Court of
Palermo and the famous Queen Caroline. I also heard that Prince
Charles of Naples and Miss Penelope arrived here within the last two
days in a state of complete destitution. This was an embarrassing
event, and in a sense discreditable, especially to the Queen.[14]
[14] Prince Charles of Naples, brother of the Duchesse de Berry,
was the nephew of Queen Marie Amélie.
I have reason to believe that Thiers did not reply forthwith to
Guizot's great speech the other day for reasons of prudence, and in
obedience to the orders of his superiors; but he will lose nothing by
waiting, and we shall see a striking explosion upon the next
opportunity. I think the authorities were unwilling to regard the
question as a duel between two individuals, and have preferred to let
the effect of the first speech wear off before offering a reply. In
any case, an enormous majority responded to the effort that was made.
The only vexatious point is the number of concessions offered by M.
Sauzet in his speech, and on this subject I have noticed some strong
discontent.
M. de Tocqueville's name was proposed, without his knowledge, to the
Academy of Political and Moral Science by M. Cousin; M. Tocqueville
has told me that he did not wish to seek election again. As the
grandson of M. de Malesherbes, he has no desire to join an Academy of
mere figureheads, of which, for the most part, this institution is
composed.
_Paris, March 29, 1836._--It is certain that all idea of intervention
in Spain has been abandoned by every grade within the Governmental
hierarchy; some had never entertained the project, and others have
dropped it. I think there is no reason to fear any imprudence whatever
in this direction.
Rumour is entirely occupied with a conversation between the King and
Guizot, in which the former is said to have expressed his extreme
displeasure with the dates which were given as marking the good system
of administration. The King said that the system was not the work of
any individual, but was his own, and that the only date he would
recognise was his own date, August 9. He added that it was bad policy
to attack the only Cabinet which could command a majority at that
moment. Guizot replied that if the King cared to test the matter he
would see that the majority was to be found elsewhere. "Not so,"
returned the King; "it is you, sir, who are deluded, and you fail to
see that the course you are pursuing rather divides you from the
points at issue than brings you nearer to them. If you continue, you
will perhaps force me to take a measure which I detest, and which will
assuredly be more displeasing to yourself; that measure is a
dissolution of the Chamber, please remember." I believe this
conversation to be literally exact, and I think it will induce people
to consider their words and deeds more carefully, the more so as the
doctrinaires, who know perfectly well that they have no chance of
re-election, will shrink from a dissolution.
M. de Chateaubriand has sold his works, unedited or as yet unwritten,
for a hundred and fifty thousand francs cash, in addition to a yearly
income of twelve thousand francs payable to his wife upon his death.
He is said to be completely upset by the payment of his debts, and his
future existence which is thus defined and circumscribed seems to him
a heavy burden. Everything he writes, even apart from his memoirs,
will belong to his publishers in return for a scale of payment now
laid down. The manuscripts of his memoirs have been solemnly sealed up
in his presence in an iron box, which has been deposited with a
solicitor. He says that his thoughts have suffered imprisonment for
debt in place of himself.
_Paris, March 30, 1836._--I have certainly heard more music this year
than last; as I am deprived of all my favourite amusements, I have
devoted myself wholeheartedly, without reserve, to music, and have
sought opportunities for hearing it. As the advance of years or
circumstances diminish my tastes, the pleasures which are left to me
are intensified by the disappearance of others; affection takes the
place of coquetry and music of dancing; reading and meditation replace
idle conversations, with their malignity or indiscretions; I drive
instead of calling, and prefer rest to excitement.
_Paris, April 13, 1836._--I took Pauline yesterday evening to a
charity lottery at the house of the Duchesse de Montmorency, where
there was a crowd. All the Faubourg Saint-Germain were there,
including even the Duchesse de Gontaut, formerly governess to the Duc
de Bordeaux; she condescended so far as to bow to me very politely.
Pauline was interested by everything, as girls of fifteen usually are.
She was very pretty; her hair was simply done, but dressed by the
great Edouard; she wore a sky-blue dress, and looked fresh as a rose,
with her calm and dainty bearing and her happy little face; in short,
she met with general approval, consequently I felt well disposed to
every one; the slights formerly inflicted upon me by this or that
person were forgotten when a pleasant word or a kind look was
addressed to Pauline. It is certainly better not to live in hostility
with society, and if one is so wrong-headed or unfortunate it is very
pleasant to make one's daughter a means of reconciliation.
I have letters from England telling me that the Duchess of Gloucester
has become the happiest person in the world; Lady Georgiana Bathurst
is her lady of honour; she is at home every evening, and her house is
the meeting-place of the high Tories; all the news is to be heard
there, and gossip goes on, with which the Duchess delights the King
every morning. The King of England sees his Ministers only on
business, and has no social intercourse with them. Lord Melbourne does
not care or complain, and goes his own way without worrying the King,
which seems to me to be a sound plan.
Yesterday morning, thanks to a special ticket, for which I sent to ask
the Archbishop, I was able to hear the last of the series of lectures
given at Notre-Dame by the Abbé Lacordaire. He is starting for Rome
to-day, and will be absent for two years. There were at least five
thousand persons in the church, nearly all schoolboys and girls. Among
the men who came in with the Archbishop and were favoured with seats
on the Banc de l'OEuvre I recognised the Marquis de Vérac, the Duc
de Noailles, and M. de Tocqueville. I was placed just behind this
bench, with some fifty ladies, none of whom I knew; I was opposite to
the pulpit and did not lose a single word. Imagination, vigour, and a
style far removed from that of the seminary are the distinctive
qualities of the Abbé Lacordaire; he is a young man with a good
delivery. His use of metaphor, however, seemed to me to be slightly
confused and somewhat too daring, while his doctrine allowed no room
for the beautiful and humble theory of grace. I think that St.
Augustine, the great apostle of grace, would have found matter for
criticism in his words. On the whole, I was interested and struck with
the attentive attitude of his audience. The Archbishop concluded the
lecture with some suitable words of thanks and farewell to the young
preacher, and with a blessing at once appropriate, simple, and gentle
upon the congregation, which was received with surprising respect by
his young hearers. It must be said that when the Archbishop avoids
politics and the commonplaces of the seminary he can produce, as he
did yesterday, a noble and touching effect, with his fine face and
gestures and his appealing tone, in his splendid cathedral and from
his exalted position, whence he looked down upon these many young
faces. M. de Tocqueville, who called upon me towards the end of the
morning, was even then moved by the scene.
_Paris, April 13, 1836._--MM. Hyde de Neuville, de Jumilhac, de Cossé,
Jacques de Fitz-James, and de Montbreton have all started for Prague,
to ask Charles X. to give up the Duc de Bordeaux. In the event of a
refusal they have resolved to carry him off, and flatter themselves
that they will have the co-operation of the young Prince in the
attempt. They wish to find a home for him in Switzerland, where he is
to be educated, and so brought nearer to France in every sense of the
term. This project, which is in itself somewhat visionary, is reduced
to absurdity by the boasting and gossip with which it has been
announced. Another plan, of which the police have been informed, is to
carry off one of the young princes of royal blood and to keep him as a
hostage. The Minister of the Interior has been somewhat disturbed by
this proposal.
_Paris, April 21, 1836._--A courier arrived yesterday from Vienna