Memoirs of the Duchesse de Dino (Afterwards Duchesse de Talleyrand et de Sagan), 1836-1840
reliable, as I quote not merely M. de Valençay, but other letters
which came in yesterday, written moreover by natives of Berlin. The
accident which nearly befell the Duc d'Orléans at the manœuvres was
caused by his politeness to the Princesses; he was reining in his
horse near them, when he was nearly thrown, but the skill with which
he recovered himself gained him many compliments; and on this question
the Duchess of Cumberland writes as follows: "Imagine what would have
become of us if any misfortune had happened to him; I should be ready
to leave my sick body upon my bed and be changed into a guardian angel
to hover over them during their stay at Berlin, and thus to answer the
confidence of your Queen, who begged me in a charming letter to treat
her sons as my own."
Upon the day when our Princes were at home to the Diplomatic Body M.
de Ribeaupierre, the Russian Minister, sent his excuses, alleging a
swollen face. Contrary to the old etiquette of Berlin, the whole of
the Diplomatic Body was invited to a ball at the house of Prince
William, the King's brother. Of this entertainment I am informed: "The
ball given to the French mission by order of the King, Louis-Philippe,
was a great success; the French Princes were so tactful as to do the
honours themselves, and received the King and the Princesses at the
foot of the staircase."
_Valençay, June 2, 1836._--The Princess de Lieven arrived here
yesterday in a feeble state of health. We took her in and looked after
her as well as we could, but towards the evening I began to feel that
she had some presentiments of a tiresome stay, and that if the journey
hither lay before her at this moment she would hesitate to undertake
it. This I can understand. Here she will have no news and will not be
able to see the shadow-show of life, which are both necessities to
her. The novelty of the outer world, recollections and historical
traditions, natural beauties, the domestic life of a household,
reading, thought, and work are by no means to her taste, and in other
respects Valençay has never been more poverty-stricken than at this
moment.
The verses which M. de Peyronnet has sent to me are not very
excellent, but that point is of no account in comparison with the
actual circumstance and the whole question. During the winter I
worked pretty hard for these poor people, and obtained some definite
alleviation for M. Peyronnet, who was the worst of all in health, and
this he found very agreeable; I hope that I may be able to do more for
him as soon as the session is over. It was this charitable work which
inspired the verses in question.[22]
[22] We have been unable to find them.
My sister writes to me from Vienna saying that great preparations are
made to receive the French Princes, and in particular Paul Esterhazy
is working for that purpose; there will be an entertainment at his
house at Eisenstadt. Unfortunately many people are in the country and
many in mourning.
_Valençay, June 4, 1836._--We have had two days of bad weather, but
yesterday morning a better prospect fortunately allowed us to take
Madame de Lieven for a drive in the forest and past the warren, the
quarries, &c. In the evening, however, M. de Talleyrand had an attack
of palpitation, which was but slight, though it is evident that the
enemy is still there. Madame de Lieven yawned to desperation. The poor
woman is bored, which fact I can very well understand and pardon. The
truth is that, with her frame of mind and habits, she is not likely to
endure our solitude or the dull and quiet atmosphere of the household
which is due to the mental and physical state of M. de Talleyrand.
Moreover, the Princess is not an easy guest from a material point of
view; she has twice changed her room, and now wants to go back to the
first room she occupied, in which is the bed of Madame de Staël. Lady
Holland could not have given us more trouble, and Pauline says that
the Princess is "rather whimsical."
A caricature has appeared in London of Lord Melbourne and Mrs. Norton
on the very day of the eclipse; it represents the sun and Mrs. Norton
as the moon passing over it, while beneath is the word "Eclipse." The
reference is to the scandalous law-suit which Mr. Norton is bringing
against his wife, and in which Lord Melbourne is unpleasantly
compromised.
_Valençay, June 5, 1836._--The poor Princess de Lieven is greatly
bored, and expresses herself on the subject with strange openness.
Yesterday she asked me, as if she were talking to herself, why we had
invited her at a time when we had no one staying in the house. I began
to laugh, and replied very gently: "But, dear Princess, you yourself
were so kind as to ask to come. We would have invited the whole world,
but the session is not yet finished, so that diplomatists, peers, and
Deputies cannot leave Paris." "That is true," she replied, and later
on, when she saw that M. de Sercey had just arrived at Paris, she was
full of regret that she could not be there to ask him questions; she
also thought her _salon_ would have been very interesting that evening
during the discussion of the foreign service vote. I like
straightforward persons, because with them at any rate one knows
exactly where one is.
_Valençay, June 10, 1836._--The Princess de Lieven received letters
yesterday from her husband, telling her that she has been represented
in a very bad light to the Emperor Nicholas. Conversations and whole
speeches have been sent to St. Petersburg as though they emanated from
the Princess, which are certainly fictitious, for she is very zealous
in her master's service; but those who talk a great deal and see many
people are always compromised sooner or later. The Princess is greatly
agitated in consequence.
The Prince d'Orange is quite obviously showing signs of madness, which
take the form of such sordid economy that his wife and children have
not even enough to eat; he keeps the key of the pantry himself, and
the Princess has to send out her chambermaid to buy cutlets. The
eldest son is said to be a young scamp. He is now at London with his
younger brother, where they are known as the "unripe Oranges." The
Dutch are said to be much perturbed about the future of their country,
and are praying that the life of the present King may be prolonged.
_Valençay, June 13, 1836._--Yesterday I had a long letter from the
Crown Prince of Prussia, with a kind sentence concerning the French
Princes and their father, the King, though with a qualification
against revolutions which shows his true opinion. It is a curious
letter. I have had another from M. Ancillon in most laudatory terms,
with no qualification, concerning the travellers, the union, the
peace, and M. de Talleyrand; also a curious letter. Finally I have two
very long letters from M. de Valençay written from Vienna; he had
stopped at Günthersdorf, of which he gives full details.[23] At Vienna
he had seen the Count of Clam at the house of his aunt of Sagan, from
whom he had learnt that the first interview had given great
satisfaction and that our Princes had said everything that was proper.
The Archduchess Sophie spoke very kindly of her remembrance of me and
treated my son very well. He thinks that the Austrian princesses lack
that grace and distinction which is so striking in the princesses of
the Prussian royal family. Princess Metternich was at the first
evening reception given by M. and Madame de Sainte-Aulaire; she
behaved most discreetly, and stayed very late; the Duc d'Orange only
talked to her for five minutes, and then upon the subject of
homeopathy! She deserved a small lesson.[24]
[23] An estate belonging to the Duchesse de Dino in Silesia.
[24] Princess Metternich had used some discourteous terms
concerning the assumption of the crown by Louis-Philippe in 1830.
The great diplomatic reception of the nobility and the garrison seems
to have been superb. M. de Valençay was especially delighted by the
races at Baden, where he was entertained by the Archduke Charles, who
spoke to him very warmly of M. de Talleyrand. The Archduke received
all the Frenchmen most cordially. They dined with the Archduchess
Theresa, who is described by M. de Valençay as of an agreeable
appearance, with pretty manners, and an attractive face. She is very
dark and small. The Duc d'Orléans was seated near her at dinner, and
their conversation was vivacious. Prince Metternich was also there. He
has been reconciled, at any rate outwardly, with the Archduke.[25] The
latter has retired to the pretty town of Baden, where he grows
flowers; he told M. de Valençay that, like all old soldiers, he loved
his garden. The Duc d'Orléans was to dine there again by himself two
days later. The Archduke adores his daughter, and will leave her free
to choose her own husband; she has refused the Crown Prince of
Bavaria, and is to inspect the Kings of Naples and Greece. The Russian
alliance alone causes her father some fears.
[25] The Liberal ideas of the Archduke Charles had induced Prince
Metternich to remove this prince from the Court and to regard him
with suspicion. They had almost quarrelled.
M. de Valençay was also delighted with the entertainment at Laxemburg,
and the water-parties, with music everywhere, which reminded him of
Virginia Water. All the society of Vienna was there informally, and
the scene was correspondingly animated.
It is quite clear that all this causes ill-feeling at Prague. The
Dauphine was speaking to some one who asked her, when she was about to
start for Vienna, at what time they would have the honour of seeing
her again; she replied that any one who wanted to see her henceforward
would have to come and fetch her. A Vienna lady, a strong political
opponent of France, said before M. de Valençay, in speaking of our
Prince Royal, that he was so kind and gracious it was to be hoped that
he was not something else!
The travellers are to start on the 11th and make their way to Milan
through Verona, devoting ten days to the journey.
The Prince of Capua and Miss Penelope are at Paris. The former has
seen the Queen; he will go to Rome, and there open negotiations for a
reconciliation with Naples.
All the Coburg family and the Belgian King and Queen are coming to
Neuilly.
_Valençay, June 17, 1836._--It seems that every day must be marked by
some tribulation. Yesterday evening we had a terrible fright, the
consequences of which might have been most serious; they seem to have
been but slight, though the doctor says that we cannot be certain for
nine days that no internal shock has been sustained. M. de
Talleyrand's mania for staying out late brought him back yesterday in
his little carriage when it was pitch-dark; moreover, he childishly
amused himself by steering a zigzag course, so that he twisted the
front wheel. This checked his progress, and he could not perceive the
cause in the darkness, so he told the servant to push harder, which he
did. The result was a violent jolt, which shot him out of the carriage
and threw him head first with his face on the ground upon the gravel
of the Orange Court at the entry of the _donjon_. His face was badly
bruised, but fortunately his nose bled freely; he did not lose
consciousness, and wished to sit in the drawing-room and play piquet.
At midnight he put his feet in hot mustard and water, and is now
asleep. But what a terrible nervous shock at his age and with his
weight, and when he is suffering from a malady which demands that he
should be spared every emotion and disturbance!
_Valençay, June 18, 1836._--M. de Talleyrand's face has suffered
considerably, but otherwise he seems to have escaped miraculously from
this remarkable fall.
_Valençay, June 21, 1836._[26]--Do you remember that it was you who