Chapter I: Front Matter

ANECDOTAL RECOLLECTIONS
OF THE
CONGRESS OF VIENNA

ANECDOTAL RECOLLECTIONS
OF THE
CONGRESS OF VIENNA

BY THE
COMTE A. DE LA GARDE-CHAMBONAS

WITH
_INTRODUCTION AND NOTES BY THE_
COMTE FLEURY

Translated
BY THE AUTHOR OF
‘AN ENGLISHMAN IN PARIS’

WITH PORTRAITS

LONDON
CHAPMAN & HALL, LIMITED
1902

Edinburgh: T. and A. CONSTABLE, (late) Printers to Her Majesty

CONTENTS

PAGE
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE OF THE COMTE AUGUSTE DE LA GARDE-CHAMBONAS xiii

INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER

Introduction--A Glance at the Congress--Arrival of the
Sovereigns--The First Night in Vienna, 1

CHAPTER I

The Prince de Ligne--His Wit and his Urbanity--Robinson
Crusoe--The Masked Ball and Rout--Sovereigns in Dominos
--The Emperor of Russia and Prince Eugène--Kings and
Princes--Zibin--General Tettenborn--A Glance at his
Military Career--Grand Military Fête in Honour of Peace--
The Footing of Intimacy of the Sovereigns at the Congress
--The Imperial Palace--Death of Queen Maria Carolina of
Naples--Emperor Alexander--Anecdotes--Sovereign Gifts
--Politics and Diplomacy--The Grand Rout--The Waltz, 11

CHAPTER II

The Drawing-Rooms of the Comtesse de Fuchs--The Prince Philip
of Hesse-Homburg--George Sinclair--The Announcement of
a Military Tournament--The Comtesse Edmond de Périgord
General Comte de Witt--Letters of Recommendation--The
Princesse Pauline--The Poet-Functionary and Fouché, 41

CHAPTER III

Reception at M. de Talleyrand’s--His Attitude at the Congress
--The Duc de Dalberg--The Duc de Richelieu--Mme. Edmond
de Périgord--M. Pozzo di Borgo--Parallel between the
Prince de Ligne and M. de Talleyrand--A Monster Concert, 55

CHAPTER IV

The Prince de Ligne’s Study--A Swimming Exploit--Travelling
by Post--A Reminiscence of Madame de Staël--Schönbrunn--
The Son of Napoleon--His Portrait--Mme. de Montesquiou--
Anecdotes--Isabey--The Manœuvring-Ground--The People’s
Fête at Augarten, 70

CHAPTER V

The Prater--The Carriages--The Crowd and the Sovereigns
--The Sovereigns’ Incognito--Alexander Ypsilanti--
The Vienna Drawing-Rooms--Princesse Bagration--The
Narischkine Family--A Lottery, 87

CHAPTER VI

The Castle of Laxemburg--Heron-Hawking--The Empress of
Austria--A Royal Hunt--Fête at the Ritterburg--A
Recollection of Christina of Sweden--Constance and
Theodore, or the Blind Husband--Poland--Scheme for her
Independence--The Comte Arthur Potocki--The Prince de
Ligne and Isabey--The Prince de Ligne’s House on the
Kalemberg--Confidential Chats and Recollections--The
Empress Catherine II.--Queen Marie-Antoinette--Mme. de
Staël--Casanova, 105

CHAPTER VII

A Court Function--The Empress of Austria--The Troubadours
--Amateur Theatricals--The Empress of Russia--The
Prince Leopold of Saxe-Cobourg--Tableaux-Vivants--Queen
Hortense’s Songs--The Moustaches of the Comte de Wurbna--
Songs in Action--The Orphan of the Prisons--Diplomacy and
Dancing--A Ball and a Supper at Court, 137

CHAPTER VIII

Prince Eugène de Beauharnais--Recollections of the Prince de
Ligne--The Theatre of the ‘Ermitage’ and of Trianon--The
Baron Ompteda--Some Portraits--The Imperial _Carrousel_
--The Four-and-Twenty Paladins--Reminiscences of Mediæval
Tournaments--The Prowess of the Champion--Fête and Supper
at the Imperial Palace--The Table of the Sovereigns, 152

CHAPTER IX

Recollections of the Military Tournament of Stockholm in 1800--
The Comte de Fersen--King Gustavus IV.--The Challenge of
the Unknown Knight--The Games on the Bridge at Pisa, 174

CHAPTER X

The Prince de Ligne’s Song of the Congress--Life on the Graben
--The Chronicle of the Congress--Echoes of the Congress--
A Companion Story to the Death of Vatel--Brie, the King of
Cheese--Fête at Arnstein the Banker’s--The Prince Royal
of Würtemberg--Russian Dances--The Poet Carpani and the
Prince de Ligne, 193

CHAPTER XI

The Last Love-Tryst of the Prince de Ligne--A Glance at the
Past--Z---- or the Consequences of Gaming--Gambling in
Poland and in Russia--The Biter Bit--Masked Ball--The
Prince de Ligne and a Domino--More Living Pictures--The
Pasha of Surêne--Two Masked Ladies--A Recollection of the
Prince de Talleyrand, 218

CHAPTER XII

Illness of the Prince de Ligne--The Comte de Witt--Ambassador
Golowkin--Doctor Malfati--The Prince gets worse--Last
Sallies of the Moribund--General Grief--Portrait of the
Prince de Ligne--His Funeral, 244

CHAPTER XIII

The Fire at the Razumowski Palace--The Prince’s Great Wealth
--The Vicissitudes of Court Favour in Russia--Prince
Koslowski--A Reminiscence of the Duc d’Orléans--A
Re-mark of Talleyrand--Fête at the Comtesse Zichy’s--
Emperor Alexander and his Ardent Wishes for Peace--New
Year’s Day, 1815--Grand Ball and Rout--Sir Sidney Smith’s
Dinner-Party at the Augarten--His Chequered Life, his
Missions and his Projects at the Congress--The King of
Bavaria without Money--Departure and Anger of the King of
Würtemberg--The Queen of Westphalia--The Announcement of
a Sleighing-Party--A Ball at Lord Castlereagh’s, 256

CHAPTER XIV

Some Original Types at the Congress--M. Aïdé--A Witticism of
the Prince de Ligne--Mme. Pratazoff--Mr. Foneron--The
Old Jew--His Noblesse and his Moral Code--Mr. Raily--
His Dinners and his Companions--The Two Dukes--The End of
a Gambler--The Sovereigns’ Incognito--Mr. O’Bearn--Ball
at the Apollo--Zibin and the King of Prussia--Charles de
Rechberg and the King of Bavaria--The Minuet--The King
of Denmark--Story of the Bombardment of Copenhagen--The
German Lesson, 282

CHAPTER XV

Religious Ceremony for the Anniversary of the Death of Louis
XVI.--Reception at Talleyrand’s--Discussion on the
Subject of Saxony and Poland--The Order of the Day of the
Grand-Duke Constantine--A Factum of Pozzo di Borgo--A
Sleighing-Party--Entertainment and Fête at Schönbrunn--
Prince Eugène--Recollections of Queen Hortense--The
Empress Marie-Louise at the Valley of St. Helena--Second
Sleighing-Party--A Funeral, 309

CHAPTER XVI

Reception at Madame de Fuchs’s--Prince Philippe
d’Hesse-Hombourg--The Journalists and Newsmongers of
Vienna--The French Village in Germany--Prince Eugène--
Recollection of the Consulate--Tribulations of M. Denville
--Mme. Récamier--The Return of the _Émigré_--Childhood’s
Friend, or the Magic of a Name--Ball at Lord Stewart’s--
Alexander proclaimed King of Poland--The Prince Czartoryski
--Confidence of the Poles--Count Arthur Potocki--The
Revolutions of Poland--Slavery--Vandar--Ivan, or the
Polish Serf, 328

CHAPTER XVII

The Emperor Alexander, the King of Prussia, and the Naval Officer
--Surprise to the Empress of Russia--More Fêtes--A Ball
at M. de Stackelberg’s--Paul Kisseleff--Brozin--Fête
offered by M. de Metternich--The Ball-Room catches Fire--
Fêtes and Banquet at the Court--Ompteda--Chronicle of the
Congress--The Tell-tale Perfume--Recollection of Empress
Josephine and Madame Tallien--A Romantic Court Story, 346

CHAPTER XVIII

The Comte de Rechberg’s Work on the Governments of the Russian
Empire--The King of Bavaria--Polish Poem of Sophiowka--
Madame Potocka, or the Handsome Fanariote--Her Infancy--
Particulars of Her Life--A Glance at the Park of Sophiowka
--Subscription of the Sovereigns--Actual State of
Sophiowka, 364

CHAPTER XIX

A Luncheon at M. de Talleyrand’s on his Birthday--M. de
Talleyrand and the MS.--The Princesse-Maréchale Lubomirska
--New Arrivals--Chaos of Claims--The Indemnities of the
King of Denmark--Rumours of the Congress--Arrival of
Wellington at Vienna--The Carnival--Fête of the Emperor
of Austria--A Masked Rout--The Diadem, or Vanity Punished
--A Million--Gambling and Slavery: a Russian Anecdote, 375

CHAPTER XX

Isabey’s Study--His Drawing of the Plenipotentiaries at the
Congress of Vienna--The Imperial Sepulchre at the Capuchins
--Recollections of the Tombs of Cracow--Preacher Werner
--St. Stephen’s Cathedral--Children’s Ball at Princesse
Marie Esterhazy’s--The Empress Elizabeth of Russia--
The Picture-Gallery of the Duc de Saxe-Teschen--Emperor
Alexander and Prince Eugène--The Pictures of the Belvedere
--The King of Bavaria--Anecdotes, 394

CHAPTER XXI

Ypsilanti--Promenade on the Prater--First Rumour of the
Escape of Napoleon--Projects for the Deliverance of Greece
--Comte Capo d’Istria--The Hétairites--Meeting with
Ypsilanti in 1820--His Projects and Reverses, 406