Chapter II (2)

_Fontainebleau, May 30, 1837._--Writing here is a feat of some ingenuity. The weather was too fine yesterday, and a great storm followed; it burst in the morning, and cleared ten minutes before the arrival of the Princess, who was received in bright sunlight and with much emotion. Her arrival was a fine spectacle; a family scene amid the most royal splendour. The Princess showed much emotion, no embarrassment, nobility and grace, and was equal to the occasion. I do not know if she is pretty; she is so gracious that people have not considered that point. She reminds one a little of Madame de Marescalchi, but is of a much more German type, while the lower part of her face recedes a trifle. She has beautiful hair, a good complexion--in short, she looks very well, and the Prince Royal is well pleased.

Pauline never left my side even at dinner, to which I was taken in by the Baron von Werther. He was placed between the Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg and myself. M. de Talleyrand was far from well yesterday, yet by force of will he kept a smiling countenance. I was very anxious about him the whole time.

Until to-morrow we shall number two hundred and eighty at table. Yesterday the day began for me at half-past five in the morning at Paris, and finished here at one o'clock at night. At ten o'clock I must be fully dressed for the Queen's mass.

_Fontainebleau, May 31, 1837._--The two most exhausting days have passed, for which I thank heaven, as I have been trembling the whole time for M. de Talleyrand, who has been so incredibly rash as to undergo these severe trials. However, he has seen everything, and has come through with little more than fatigue.

Those who wish to be correct follow the Queen to her private mass in the morning. Pauline has just taken me into a charming little chapel, in memory of Louis VII., the Young.

The two German princesses were not visible yesterday for the whole morning. The time before dinner was filled up by walks, for those who were tempted, of whom I was not one, and the inspection of the wedding presents for the rest, of whom I was one. The presents and the dresses are most fine and magnificent, especially the case by Buhl which contained the shawls, which was one of the finest things I have seen. The whole was exhibited in the rooms of the Queen Mother. The diamonds are beautiful, and the jewels numerous, in different styles, but there are no pearls. The Duc d'Orléans does not like them, and the Princess can also wear the Crown pearls.

The royal family dined in private. Madame de Dolomieu and General Athalin presided at the table of two hundred and eighty guests in the Diana Gallery. Pauline was again near me at dinner, and M. Thiers on the other side.

At half-past eight the civil marriage took place in the room of Henry II., a superb spectacle in the most beautiful surroundings imaginable, and magnificently lighted. The Chancellor, M. Pasquier, who was recently appointed to this post, was in his ermine robes at a great red and gold table, around which stood all who were witnessing the ceremony, with the bridal pair in front of him. We made our way there in procession. Then we went on to the great chapel, ornamented with the shields of France and Navarre. The exhortation given by the Bishop of Meaux[69] was both short and well weighed. Unfortunately, in the case of mixed marriages many ceremonies have to be omitted which would add to the picturesqueness of the scene. The priest of Fontainebleau, who is the famous Abbé Lieutard, and hitherto one of the chief opponents of the present Government, assisted the Bishop, and even claimed to do so as a right. The hall, which was arranged as a Protestant church, could hardly hold us, and the crowd was suffocating; the exhortation of the pastor, M. Cuvier, was very long and very dull, going back to the creation of the world, with continual references to procreation. It was puritanism itself. Before the blessing he asked the bride permission to perform a duty with which he had been entrusted by the Biblical Society, and offered her a Bible, in which he urged her to read constantly. I thought the act quite out of place at such a moment, and very disrespectful to the Queen, who is making a great sacrifice from the religious point of view.

[69] Mgr. Gallard.

The Princess was perfectly calm the whole time; I noticed no nervousness, and less emotion than at the time of her arrival. She was perfectly well dressed. Unfortunately she has no colour, and thus wants a certain lustre, but in spite of her thinness she is graceful and charmingly simple. Her feet are long and well made and her hands are white and delicate; in short, she is a person of much attraction.

After all these ceremonies we separated. I went to look after M. de Talleyrand, about whom I was anxious, and whom I found very well. M. Molé came in, in a bad temper. It is indeed strange that throughout this affair he has obtained no favours of any kind.

_Fontainebleau, June 1, 1837._--There is no political news to be learnt here. The Princes are absorbed in themselves; M. de Salvandy, the only Minister on duty near the King, is in the same state. Curiosity is turned away from politics, and there is enough here to arouse it and satisfy it.

Yesterday was spent as follows: After lunch came a very long drive in the forest; twenty-six carriages, each with four horses, the great royal coach with eight horses, and then eighty riding horses, all conducted by the richly liveried servants of Orléans, were assembled in the great courtyard of the Cheval Blanc, and provided a general opportunity for excursions. We hastened to follow the King and to traverse the most beautiful parts of the forest. Many sightseers who were seen galloping most imprudently among the rocks joined the royal procession, and gave the wood an animated and charming aspect.

I forgot to say that lunch had been preceded by a mass said by the Bishop of Meaux in the great chapel. Every one was there, including the royal family and the Duchesse d'Orléans. I should have been glad yesterday, when there was no mixed marriage to consider and when only the King's mass was being said, if the service had been finely rendered with appropriate music. Instead of that there was nothing of the kind; there were no clergy and not a sound of music; even the bell for the moment of elevation was forgotten. Methodists display much more trickery in their pretentious simplicity and their affected and solemn speech; but at mass, where the words cannot be heard, outward show is necessary, with incense, music, flowers, gold, and bells, and all that can stir the soul by uplifting it to God without the necessity of hearing the words pronounced.

Many people have gone and others have come, including the Turkish Ambassador,[70] who sat by Pauline at dinner. The theatre hall has not been restored, and looks faded; the orchestra, which was not from Paris, was abominable; Mlle. Mars has grown old, and no longer played her parts properly; the other actors were very poor, and the choice of plays was not happy. These were _False Confidences_ and _The Unexpected Wager_. The Princess Royal was in the great box at the back of the hall, between the King and Queen. She listened attentively, but her face does not express her feelings, and does not change. She is always gentle and calm to the point of immobility, and makes no gestures, which is a mark of distinction. Perfect repose gives a sense of dignity, and when she walks or bows she does it with perfect grace.

[70] His Excellency Mohammed Nouri Effendi.

M. Humann, when he went away yesterday, was run away with by the post-horses down the hill of Chailly. He jumped out of the carriage, bruised his face, and put his shoulder out.

_Fontainebleau, June 2, 1837._--Yesterday was not so full as the preceding days, as after mass, lunch, and the gathering after lunch, we were left with a few hours' freedom. I spent them with M. de Talleyrand or in the town. M. de Talleyrand went to see Madame Adélaïde, to whom he wished to give a piece of news which reached us from the Bauffremont family, who were interested by it, and which, to speak truly, has produced a sad effect here. It is the announcement of the marriage of the Count of Syracuse, brother to the King of Naples, with Philiberte de Carignan. This young person is the granddaughter of the Comte de Villefranche, the prince of the house of Carignan who married, in a fit of folly, the daughter of a boat-builder at St. Malo, Mlle. Magon Laballue. The Sardinian Court only consented to recognise the marriage on condition that the children of it should enter religious orders; the revolution destroyed this obligation, and the son entered the army and married Mlle. de La Vauguyon, sister of the Dowager-Duchess of Bauffremont, who was burnt to death in 1820. It was only after her death and the accession of the present King of Sardinia that the last two children were recognised as princes of the blood and treated as such. The eldest daughter was married before this concession to a private individual of high family, the Prince of Arsoli, a Roman family. Philiberte, the daughter and granddaughter of marriages contested or doubtful, thus becomes Princess of Naples. The marriage, by licence, must have taken place the day before yesterday with much haste and precipitation. The displeasure it will cause here is obvious. The King of Naples is at the bottom of it.

Yesterday after dinner we went to hear Duprez in part of the opera _William Tell_, and the Esslers danced in a pretty ballet. I was surprised that the Princess Royal never lost her calm, even at the most exciting points of Duprez' acting. I never saw a movement of her head, a gesture, or any greater animation in her face. The same was true during the ballet, which I can better understand.

_Fontainebleau, June 3, 1837._--M. de Talleyrand started this morning with Pauline. They wish to keep me here until to-morrow. No one could have been surrounded with greater regard and attention than has been shown to M. de Talleyrand; he was quite overcome as he went away. The King and Madame Adélaïde have insisted that he shall return to Paris for next winter, but I do not think that he will give up his project of going to Nice.

Pauline's stay here has done her no harm. She has always behaved perfectly and pleased me much. She was delighted to be in the same room with me. Her dress was in excellent taste, and she has gone away very pleased to have been here, but also glad to go and in no way dissipated in heart or mind.

Nearly every one has gone, and only those on regular duty and intimate friends remain. I am starting to-morrow at the same time as the Queen and the Duchesse d'Albuféra, who came here yesterday. The country drive was very pretty, animated and popular. We then went into the prettiest part of the forest, called the Calvaire, whence there is an admirable view. From the depths of the ravines over which we hung singers who had been stationed there raised their song. It was delightful, and the weather, wonderful to relate, lent such a charm to the drive that it was prolonged. We eventually returned past the large vine arbour and the canal.

After dinner we had a tiresome comic opera, _The Flash_, followed by _The Caliph of Bagdad_, for which the King had asked as an old favourite. It was very late before this was over, and as I stayed up with M. de Talleyrand my sleep was cut short, the more so as his early departure obliged me to be ready in good time. The King and Madame came to say good-bye to him in his room. After lunch the King amused himself by showing the Château to three or four guests. I was delighted both with the Château and with our guide.

_Paris, June 5, 1837._--I came back yesterday from Fontainebleau. Mass was said at six o'clock in the morning, and then the departure took place. I was included in the royal company, and thus arrived in excellent time, not leaving them until they turned off for Saint-Cloud. The last day at Fontainebleau, the day before yesterday, was occupied much to my taste, by a historical excursion, and in the evening we had a theatrical performance by actors from the Gymnasium. The whole stay at Fontainebleau was very pleasant, as I received much attention and kindness.

As soon as I arrived yesterday I went to the Champs Elysées to Madame de Flahaut's house; she had urgently begged me to come and see the royal entry, for which the weather was magnificent. There was a vast crowd and a most brilliant procession, the Princess bowing with perfect grace. The view from the Place Louis XV. and the Champs Elysées was magnificent. All went off very well, but there was not enough cheering and more curiosity than enthusiasm. People opened their eyes but not their mouths. The main point is that there were no pistol-shots, and that the King was able to show himself to the crowd without any _apparent_ precautions.

_Paris, June 6, 1837._--Yesterday I saw M. Royer-Collard, who was somewhat displeased with the marriage of the Prince Royal, as a man of the Faubourg Saint-Germain might well be. I was vexed with him, and we had a small quarrel. He is partial in his views, and his conversation is intolerant to an extraordinary degree.

The day before yesterday in the garden of the Tuileries there were more than sixty thousand people present from eleven o'clock in the morning to eleven at night, and such real enthusiasm that the King was obliged to leave his state dinner in the Hall of the Marshals and come out upon the balcony with his family, whence he uttered a few words of thanks, which were received with infinite delight. From the moment of entering the garden until the march past of the troops the royal family remained in the Pavillon de l'Horloge, whence there was a magnificent view. The setting sun gilded the top of the Obelisk and the Arc de Triomphe, and was reflected upon the arms and cuirasses of the troops; the benches of the National Guard were adorned with flowers. I am assured that it was a real transformation scene.

There seems to be much inclination towards a dissolution of the Chamber, at any rate on the part of M. Molé. M. Royer-Collard is vigorously urging him in that direction.

The Turkish Ambassador here can speak a few words of French. This discovery is due to myself, for every one took his professed ignorance so literally as not to speak a word to him. He looked so dull that I felt sorry for him, and made a venture. He replied in a few words, and the result is that I have been allowed to see the portrait of Sultan Mahmoud, who seems to be very handsome.

_Paris, June 7, 1837._--Yesterday I called upon the Queen to thank her for Fontainebleau. The Duchesse d'Orléans was with her mother-in-law, gracious, pretty, and amiable. She is a real treasure, and is generally popular. She delighted the Council of State, the peers, and the Deputies by adding a kind phrase to the answer which her husband returned to the different speeches. She has spoken individually to each peer, and never in commonplaces. They are all delighted.

My awakening this morning was a sad one, as news was brought to me of the death of Adrien de Laval. He was a sincere friend, and they are scarce. I am very sorry, both for him and for his aunt the good Vicomtesse de Laval, who is hardly able to bear such a shock; and if she also should be carried off it would be a heavy blow to M. de Talleyrand.

_Paris, June 8, 1837._--The popularity of the Princess Royal increases steadily. She has even been talking to General Neigre, of the Antwerp Artillery. The Duc d'Orléans is extremely proud and happy at the respect shown to her. It is certain that the personal influence of his wife increases his own importance, and I already see that the Pavillon Marsan will rise superior to the Pavillon de Flore.[71] I am not sure that some small jealousy has not already arisen.

[71] At the Palace of the Tuileries the Pavillon Marsan was
occupied by the Duc and Duchesse d'Orléans, while the Pavillon de
Flore was occupied by Madame Adélaïde, sister of King
Louis-Philippe.

The following story is related as a fact: The Duchesse d'Orléans saw her husband turn his opera-glasses for a long time in the direction of Madame Lehon. She then turned to him and took away the opera-glasses, saying, half jestingly and half seriously: "That is no compliment to me, and is not polite to the person at whom you look." He is said to have offered no objection to her action, and if this is true it is noteworthy.

M. de Flahaut is furious because he has not received the Grand Cordon of the Legion of Honour. He had proposed to resign his post as First Equerry, but has changed his mind. It is said that the Duc de Coigny refuses him any authority except over the stable.

_Paris, June 11, 1837._--I cannot give many details concerning yesterday's festivity at Versailles. I started about one o'clock in full dress, with the Duchesse d'Albuféra, and we came back together at four o'clock in the morning. The weather was beautiful, the spot admirable, the gardens in regal state, the inside of the house splendid, and the sight magnificent. It lasted for five hours. My eyes are smarting with the glare of the lights. Fifteen hundred people were invited, and yet some are displeased; I admit that I should have drawn up the lists in another way.

I had the honour of dining at the King's table, for whom it was a great day. At the last set piece there was a tremendous shout of "Long live the King!" and it was well deserved.

Count Rantzau, who is escorting the Dowager Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg, was deeply touched to see in an honourable position the portrait of Marshal Rantzau, who served under Louis XIV., and whose descendant he is. He sat by me at dinner, and I drew a great deal out of him concerning the Princesses, whom I esteem more highly every day.

_Paris, June 12, 1837._--I am starting to-morrow to rejoin M. de Talleyrand at Valençay.

The King of England is most seriously ill, and is only kept alive with curaçao and raw meat. He knows that he is dying, and is calling his family round him: the FitzClarences, and even Lord Munster. Mr. Caradoc is said to be taking Sir John Conroy's place with the Duchess of Kent. He sends for presents for her, the cost of which is paid by the Princess Bagration. It is said that if the King dies the Duchess of Kent will summon Lord Moira to the post of Prime Minister, who is a great Radical; others say that King Leopold is advising his niece to take Lord Palmerston, but the little Princess is inclined to Lord Grey.

_Valençay, June 14, 1837._--I have just arrived, after a tiring journey in dreadful heat and two thunderstorms. M. de Talleyrand is very well, as also is Pauline.

_Valençay, June 17, 1837._--Madame Adélaïde has sent M. de Talleyrand details of the accidents which took place upon the day of the fireworks; twenty-three persons were suffocated in the crowd and thirty-nine are injured. This has naturally caused much grief. The Duchesse d'Orléans was anxious not to go to the entertainment at the Hôtel de Ville and to cancel the balls; but it was pointed out to her that many people would be disappointed and much expense needlessly incurred. Festivities have therefore been postponed until after the funeral of the victims.

It seems that the fireworks, the illuminations, and especially the sham fight, were remarkably beautiful. Popular festivities are hardly ever held without accidents, and I am always afraid of them. The victims all belong to the working class, which makes their case still sadder, and some of them leave their families in poverty.

_Valençay, June 18, 1837._--Pauline has made a conquest of the Archbishop of Bourges, Mgr. de Villèle, who called here before my arrival. She is said to have done the honours of the Castle remarkably well, with unusual self-possession, grace, and propriety. I am not sorry that she was obliged to try.

Considerable restorations are being made in our great castle. The northern part of the moat has been cleaned out, and the wretched little gardens which blocked the approach to it have been cleared away; there is now a walk all the way round. The belfry upon the town church looks very well, and in general the place seems improved.

Hostile newspapers try to draw comparisons between the accidents at the fireworks and the sad scenes upon the marriage of Louis XVI., and the catastrophe at the Schwarzenberg ball at the time of the Emperor Napoleon's marriage. They draw omens from these coincidences. But what more disastrous coincidence could there be for the elder branch of the Bourbons than the assassination of the Duc de Berry and the revolution of 1830? Yet no misfortune happened at the marriage of this Prince. It is not in consequence of such special incidents that kings lose their thrones.

The Municipal Council at Paris has voted a hundred and fifty thousand francs for the further expenses of the festivity. Everything is on so large a scale that the hire of glasses and water-bottles costs four thousand francs. Ices and refreshments to the amount of twenty thousand francs were distributed on the day when the festival was postponed to the workmen and to the hospitals. The patients will have a feast, and smart sayings are in circulation concerning the indigestion they are likely to get.

_Valençay, June 19, 1837._--A German newspaper has a story of a vision which the Duchesse d'Orléans is said to have seen, and speaks of her idea of playing the part of a second Joan of Arc. All this is doubtless ridiculous; at the same time there is some mysticism in her desire to come to France, for M. Bresson, the most prosaic of men, has 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
of acquittal, which was unanimously given in 1837.

The fact is that at the Château anybody called Rigny is in bad odour, for the opposite reason from that which has made the fortune of M. Bresson. It is not enough to be a devoted servant of the Government; one must also be, and always have been, an Orléanist.

I have received Madame de Lieven's first letter from London. She seems delighted with the magnificence of her hosts' style of living, the Duke and Duchess of Sutherland, and also by the attentions of her friends. She says that the young Queen is a marvel of dignity and industry, and is not to be led, even by her mother. She manages her whole Court herself, and as the Duchess of Sutherland is Mistress of the Robes the Princess sees the notes that the Queen writes on the occasion of the Court functions, which are models of good arrangement and propriety. The Duchess of Sutherland is in charge of all arrangements, and is even above the Lord Chamberlain. Apparently she can become a second Duchess of Marlborough if she likes. When the Queen receives addresses on her throne the Duchess of Sutherland stands at her right hand, while the Duchess of Kent, the Queen's mother, is seated below the steps. The Queen wishes to review the troops on horseback, and what she wishes she does. Lord Melbourne is all-powerful and the Whigs are triumphant; the elections will be keenly fought; it is the Tories' last chance. Lord Durham has resumed his power over the Radicals, who flatter him, and the Queen does not share her mother's liking for him.

The English crown has no diamonds. The very beautiful diamonds of the Queen-Dowager are her own property, and came to her from her mother-in-law, the old Queen Charlotte, who bequeathed them to the crown of Hanover. As this crown is now separated from the English crown, the Duke of Cumberland, as King of Hanover, reclaims the diamonds. Thus Queen Victoria has none, and although she is in no hurry to send back these jewels she will not wear them.

Count Orloff has been sent to London to compliment the Queen. Madame de Lieven hopes to learn from him how far she can defy the Emperor, her master.

M. Thiers wrote to her from Florence that he was not satisfied with the treaty concluded with Abd-el-Kader.

_Valençay, July 26, 1837._--Letters received this morning seem to show that the resolution to dissolve the Chamber has been retracted, or has given rise at any rate to hesitation. The audacious declaration of the King of Hanover, the success of Don Carlos, and the fear of seeing the English elections turn in a Radical direction is said to give rise to apprehension here of definite mandates and republican tendencies in the coming general elections.

The Court is at the town of Eu, and from thence will go on to Saint-Cloud. The Dowager Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg accompanies its movements. She is liked and respected, and, feeling that her position will not be agreeable in Germany, she is in no hurry to return, and is somewhat afraid of the solitude that there awaits her.

Yesterday I had a letter from M. Royer-Collard, who is in Paris, from which the following is an extract: "Dissolution resounds throughout all correspondence, even in that from the Minister of the Interior. Conditions, however, are laid down: if Don Carlos does not reach Madrid, if the King of Hanover is not overthrown, if the English elections give no cause for terror; these reservations are due to the character and policy of the King, who does not care to run risks, and who spares the Doctrinaires by leaving them some hope. The decision is to come from M. Molé, who would leave them nothing. In neither case is there any consideration as to whether the step in itself is good or bad: 'It will all pass over.' For my part, if I am allowed to express an opinion, it is precisely those cases which are considered capable of postponement that I would never postpone. I do not know what the new Chamber will be like, nor do I expect miracles from it, but I regard the old Chamber as inadequate and entirely incompetent, if any important resolution is required."

I have also a letter from M. Thiers from Florence. He seems to be sad and uneasy about his wife's health; he speaks of her with warm and tender anxiety, and says that this is his only trouble and that he defies politics to disturb his equanimity henceforward. He adds: "I have returned to literature and philosophy; like the classical Bossuet, I enjoy the spectacle of human affairs in monuments and books--that is to say, in the memorials of men of former times. I claim the power of discovering the truth from a mere hint, and as this is the method of historical investigation I believe I have a good knowledge and understanding of the past. This presumption of mine, which harms nobody, neither M. Guizot nor King Louis-Philippe, nor Prince Metternich, would enable me to live very happily and busily if I were spared family cares. I shall therefore do all that I possibly can to remain as I am; I wish to improve, to increase my intellectual and moral powers, and this can be done better in retirement than anywhere else, as one then has time for reflection and study, undisturbed by selfish considerations. If some fine position should appear some day when I have made myself what I can become, well and good; but to spend one's life bandied about between the King and his demands for an appanage and the Chamber with its refusals, to be constantly harassed by the Tuileries and the Palais Bourbon, by people who are never grateful and make you the butt of their grievances without the only recompense for the troubles of position, the power to do good--all this is simply not worth while. I say this with full meaning, and as I am happy enough to see that my feelings are shared by those about me, I shall maintain my point of view; so that this winter you will see me in entire freedom."

_Valençay, August 1, 1837._--M. de Vandœuvre came to pay us a visit yesterday. He told us an amusing story of Madame de Boigne, who had been invited to dinner with M. and Madame de Salvandy. When she arrived she found only the lady of the house, who apologised for her husband and said that he could not appear at dinner because he was ill. They sat down without him, but when they went back to the drawing-room they found the young Minister, as he calls himself, carelessly reposing in a long chair, in Turkish slippers and a fine flowered dressing-gown, with a smoking cap embroidered by ladies' hands cocked over one ear. The sharp and prudish face of Madame de Boigne at that moment is said to have been indescribable.

The daughter of the Duchesse de Plaisance has died of typhoid fever at Beyrout, in Syria; her father told me the news. The fate of the unhappy mother, of whom at present I know nothing, causes me grief and anxiety. She was a good friend to me at a time when I had but few friends, and I cannot forget it.

_Valençay, August 4, 1837._--I have read the article upon Madame de Krüdener in the _Revue des deux Mondes_. She was a Courlandaise, and I have seen her at my mother's house, with whom she struck up a small friendship. My mother also thought, and rightly, that it was her duty to take some notice of all her compatriots. Madame de Krüdener was an adventuress by nature, and if she had not been well born she would have been recognised as such long before her final absurdities. From 1814 until her death she lived surrounded by a gang of scoundrels, who followed her about Europe and presented an unpleasant sight which was anything rather than evangelical. They were a strange company of apostles.

People who are easily excited, animated and changeable, ready for anything, attracted in the most opposite directions, are often regarded as hypocrites, simply because they are changeable, and one is always tempted to doubt their sincerity. Such is the case of M. Thiers. I am sure he is very happy as he writes in his villa at Careggi,[76] amid recollections of the Medici, and that he is also entirely disgusted with Paris. Ardent and impetuous natures, equally ready for any enterprise, are unfortunately often misjudged by characters more happily balanced. I know something of this from my own experience. We shall undoubtedly see M. Thiers once more in the arena of politics and ambition, but to-day he sincerely believes that he has left it for ever. The advantage of such natures as his, and perhaps as mine, consists in the fact that they are never wholly cast down and are so supple and elastic that they accommodate themselves to the most different situations; but it must be admitted that corresponding inconveniences are involved. Their judgment of things and of people is often too rapid, and their execution is often too quick and too complete; by springing from rock to rock they are always in danger, and sometimes fall; they then descend to an abyss, which is regarded as their proper position by those who have been able to maintain themselves steadily at one height, are by no means sorry to see their overthrow and are disinclined to offer any help. How many times have I seen and experienced this! The worst part of it is not the accusations of folly, but of hypocrisy. There is, however, for these natures one infallible resource, when they have the strength to fall back upon it: they can force themselves to recover their equilibrium and follow the golden mean. It is a long task, which will continue necessarily throughout their lives, but that is the advantage of it, as the end of it can never be determined.

[76] Careggi forms part of the town of Fiesole, near Florence.
Several villas stand about the neighbourhood, the most famous
being that which was built by the Medici, which contains several
Renaissance masterpieces. The Grand Dukes of Tuscany offered the
use of it to distinguished foreigners who stayed at Florence. In
this way M. Thiers occupied it in 1837. In 1848 the Princess of
Parma sought refuge there in her flight from the revolutions.
This villa still belongs to the house of Lorraine.

The Duc de Noailles writes to us that his uncle has died within a few hours, with every symptom of cholera. I do not know whether I am wrong, but for me everything is shrouded in a veil of darkness, and I instinctively fear some catastrophe. If only it does not fall upon M. de Talleyrand or upon my children! For myself I trust in the will of God and prepare myself as well as I can. But how many arrears remain to be paid, and how terror-stricken I should be were it not for my full confidence in the Divine mercy!

_Valençay, August 5, 1837._--M. de Montrond writes from Paris to M. de Talleyrand that the following story was told of the young Queen Victoria at the house of the Flahauts: The Duchess of Sutherland had kept the Queen waiting; when she arrived the Queen went up to her and said: "My dear Duchess, pray do not let this happen again, for neither you nor I ought to keep any one waiting." Was not that very well said?

_Valençay, August 8, 1837._--Yesterday I had a letter from Madame de Lieven, which was begun in England and finished in France in the course of her journey to Paris. She has seen Orloff in London, and thinks that through him she has settled her business so well that she can venture to return to Paris. She tells me some curious things of the young Queen. "Every one has been taken in by her; she has secretly prepared herself for a long time for her destined position. At the present moment she gives her whole heart to Lord Melbourne. Her mother wished her to enter into obligations with the Radicals, and also with Conroy personally. It seems that Conroy, who dominates the mother, had behaved very rudely to her daughter, and even threatened her with confinement three days before her accession if she did not promise him a peerage and the post held by Sir Herbert Taylor. She gave him a pension of three thousand pounds and forbade him the palace. The mother only comes to see her daughter when she is sent for. The Duchess of Kent complains bitterly, and is obviously overcome by vexation; and Caradoc, who had miscalculated his possibilities in that quarter, has shared in this disgrace and has left England. The young Queen is full of affection and respect for her uncle, King Leopold, who did not like Conroy; he used to take the girl's part against her mother. Melbourne is all-powerful, and adores his young Sovereign. Her self-possession is incredible. People are quite afraid of her; she keeps every one in order, and I assure you that everything looks very different as compared with the old King's time. The Queen wears every day the Order of the Garter as a medal upon her shoulder, and the motto upon her arm. She has never grown tall, and therefore wears a dress with a train even in the morning; she has a distinguished appearance; her face is charming and her shoulders superb. She issues her orders as a queen; her will must be obeyed at once and without contradiction. All the courtiers seem overwhelmed."

_Valençay, August 15, 1837._--I knew Madame de Lieven's taste for planting herself at Paris, but I did not think it went so far as to induce her to monopolise the Russian Embassy, and from every point of view this is a false move; with whatever kindness she may meet in her present position, which is regarded as neutral and without influence, an official position would bring her into inextricable difficulties.

_Valençay, August 17, 1837._--The following is an extract from a letter from Madame de Lieven received yesterday: "For the moment Conservatism is very fashionable in England. The new House of Commons will be much better composed than the last; I hope and I believe that this will produce an agreement with the moderate Tories; they are prepared for it. I can answer for Sir Robert Peel and the Duke of Wellington, who are ready to give their help and support for the moment without any return. If Lord Melbourne accepts he will lose the support of the Radical Party, and will find himself obliged in a short time to bring Tories into the Cabinet; but that is the best bargain open to him, and Lord Melbourne is more inclined to it than his colleagues. We shall see if he is bold enough to take the step; when I left him he seemed ready for it. The Queen will not be married or think of marrying for a year or two at least. You may rely upon the accuracy of this statement. The Duchess of Kent is a complete nonentity, and even put somewhat on one side by her daughter. Conroy dare not appear before the Queen. The Queen is astounding! Most astounding! With so much power at eighteen, what will she be like at forty?

"The Clanricardes have quarrelled with the Ministry. She is happy, because she can now be as Tory as she pleases.

"Diplomacy is in a poor way at London, since you and I are no longer there. The members look shabby indeed; they seem mere nobodies, receive no respect, have no position, know no news, ask everybody for news, and come and whisper a Court affair a fortnight after it is forgotten. I blush for my late profession.

"Esterhazy has gone to Brussels. This is producing an effect at London, as it is the first act of recognition to the Belgian royalty; but from that source Queen Victoria's policy is inspired."

_Valençay, August 20, 1837._--We hear from Paris that the Duc d'Orléans has a cold and is growing thin. There is some fear of his lungs, and it is said that he takes too much exercise. It is thought the exertion of the camp at Compiègne may be too much for him. His wife is literally adored by the royal family, and by all who come near her.

I have a charming letter from the Duchess of Gloucester. These old princesses seem to have been deeply saddened by the death of the late King.

_Valençay, August 25, 1837._--The King and Queen of the Belgians will be at London on the 26th of this month--that is, to-morrow. It is supposed that the King will have full influence over his niece, but that he will not restore relations between the Duchess of Kent and the Queen, or go out of his way to spare the former, as he finds their disunion in accordance with his ideas.

The Princess de Lieven is very angry with her husband, who will not appear at Havre, where she has arranged to meet him. She is doing her utmost at St. Petersburg to gain some means of reviving her husband's spirits, of which, to use her own expression, very little remain. She repeats that she cannot leave Paris without risking her life. I think that she has no great desire to meet the poor Prince again. She tells me that M. Guizot is at Paris, that he comes to see her every day, and that he drives M. Molé away as soon as he comes in. M. Molé is invited to the camp at Compiègne from the 1st to the 4th of September, and M. Guizot from the 5th to the 8th. The whole of France will be invited in turn.