_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

refused any form of conversation upon the subject of religion? Only

upon one occasion at Rochecotte did you give me any outline of your

ideas upon this subject; at that time you were more advanced than

myself in respect of certain beliefs. My experiences since that date

have brought me more rapidly along the road, but my starting-point has

been my recollection of that conversation, in which I saw that you

admitted certain fundamental principles of which I was not sure. In

any case, my speculations have not advanced beyond that point, and

only in points of practice do I attempt to guide my movements by this

compass; I have never busied myself with dogmas or mysteries, and if I

prefer the Roman Catholic religion I do so because I think it most

useful to society in general and to States; individual religion is a

different matter, and I think any religion based upon the Gospel is

equally good and divine. Since I have seen all supports falling away

around me, I have felt my own weakness and the necessity of some

support and guide; I have sought and found; I have knocked and it has

been opened to me; I have asked and it has been given to me; and yet

all very incompletely hitherto, for when one thus walks alone and ill

prepared it is impossible to avoid wrong paths, or to avoid slipping

in the ruts with continual stumbles. Nor would it have been wise to

arouse myself to excessive zeal and fervour, which would have prepared

a reaction, perhaps fatal; I therefore advance step by step, and when

I consider my progress am humiliated to see how little I have risen; a

little more kindness, patience, and self-command is all that I have

acquired. I have the same delight in the things that please me, the

same repugnance for those that weary me, my dislikes are not extinct

and enmity remains keen, my mental anxiety is often wearing, my

energies are inconsistent, my speech often too hasty and its

expression inconsiderate. I have, too, a thousand modes of

self-flattery; I am wounded by blame, and too pleased by approbation,

which I sometimes seek and would be ready to arouse at necessity; in

fact, there is no task so long and difficult and none that demands

more exertion and perseverance than to satisfy one's conscience.

[26] Extract from a letter.

Apart from the practical methods which I have felt must be followed as

a thread to guide me through the labyrinth, I have also been helped by

a great sense of gratitude. One day in England I was suddenly struck

by the thought of the innumerable favours which had been granted to

me, though I had made so ill a use of my powers and my advantages. I

admire the patience of God and the long-suffering of Providence

towards me; to have found what I have found seems to me so real a

blessing and so ill-deserved that it has filled me with gratitude.

This sense has continually increased, and partially supports me in

accomplishing the sacrifices which I am making. The deep instruction

to be daily derived from the old age of M. de Talleyrand; the death of

Marie Suchet;[27] her mother's grief; the successive deaths of so many

of my acquaintances of different ages, sexes, and positions; of the

granddaughter whose eyes I have closed,[28] and who brought death so

near to me; the close reading of good books; the lofty conversation

of M. de Royer-Collard, who is ready to throw aside philosophic doubts

and is slowly succeeding--all these influences have made me consider a

thousand matters hitherto unnoticed, and have directed me towards a

lofty and a certain goal. Such is the story of this side of my life.

My attitude, however, is not that of outward profession, and I can say

that I am more advanced in reality than in form; in the latter

respect, I doubt if I shall ever change.

[27] Daughter of the Marshal of Albuféra.

[28] Yolande de Valençay.

What a long answer this is to one small page of your letter! If it

seems to you too long, say so, and we will reserve all these

revelations for evenings at Rochecotte.

The Duc d'Orléans gives a glowing account of a conversation with

Prince Metternich, by which he was delighted.

The Princesse de Lieven has just gone away, to the general relief. I

think that the Princess and her proud niece[29] came to feel that they

had been somewhat ridiculous here, as they went to some trouble on

their last day to utter innumerable thanks and excuses for the

inconvenience they had caused, &c.

[29] The Baroness of Mengden, niece of the Princesse de Lieven,

afterwards lived at Carlsruhe, where she was abbess of a noble

chapter. She was very tall, especially in the upper part of her

body, and any one seated by her side at dinner was obliged to

raise his head in order to see her face. As she was very

good-natured, she became to some extent her aunt's drudge; at

Valençay, when the Princesse de Lieven stayed there, she gave her

niece her jewel-box to keep when she was out driving, so that the

Baroness of Mengden could rarely take part in these excursions.

_Valençay, June 24, 1836._--How stupid ill-nature is! Madame de Lieven

has been unkind enough to write to Paris groaning and lamenting over

the profound boredom which she felt here, and her correspondents have

been laughing at us or using her words against us; the fact is widely

known and commented upon. Our friends told us of it with great

indignation. This small ingratitude on the part of Madame de Lieven,

which apparently arises on this occasion from want of social

experience, is real stupidity; in any case, I am not surprised; I

would have made a bet that it was so; her weariness was too profound

to be concealed, and I clearly saw that the need of revenge was felt

in her correspondence. I do not reproach her for being bored, for

saying so, or even for writing the fact, but for prolonging her stay

here under the pretext of illness. She was afraid of travelling alone,

afraid to be isolated at Baden, and dared not stay longer at Paris,

and so she stayed here, to die of inanition and to rouse our

ill-feeling. This did not prevent her from weeping like a penitent

when she went away; her tears were sincere, for she shed them, not for

us, but for herself, her wandering and lonely life. On that point I am

not deceived.

Yesterday I had a letter from M. de Valençay from Leoben. They were

very pleased with Vienna in every respect. However, the Prussian royal

family showed to better advantage than the Imperial royal family. The

Prussian princesses were thought more striking for their youth, their

beauty and good style, and notwithstanding the garland of lilies,

which seems to have been the result of a teasing or coquettish

conversation, our Prince Royal and Princess Albert began an obvious

flirtation. The Empress of Austria and the Duchess of Lucca, her

sister, are very beautiful, but in a cold, austere, and imposing

style. Our Princes distributed the same presents at Vienna as at

Berlin, but instead of the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour which

was given to Ancillon, Prince Metternich, who has long possessed all

the French orders, was given a magnificent service of Sèvres china.

_Valençay, June 25, 1836._--M. de Barante[30] writes from St.

Petersburg saying that there is great feeling against Madame de

Lieven, on account of her long stay in France. Some ill-temper has

also been aroused by the successful journey of our Princes, but

nothing of the kind has been shown to our ambassador, who is treated

personally with great politeness.

[30] French Ambassador at St. Petersburg.

It is said that Mrs. Norton was most angry, in the course of the

strange trial--of which _Galignani_ gives a far too detailed

account--because the servants who were called to give evidence said

that she rouged and dyed her eyebrows.

_Valençay, June 27, 1836._--Another attempt upon the King's life.[31]

What a dreadful mania it is, and will it be always futile? Such is the

sad question which one cannot help asking. We know nothing yet beyond

the news telegraphed to the centres of the neighbouring departments,

whence the prefects have sent messengers for our information.

[31] On the evening of June 25, 1836, a young man aged

twenty-six, named Louis Alibaud, shot at the king in the court of

the Tuileries when Louis-Philippe was reviewing the National

Guard and the drummers were beating a march.

_Valençay, June 28, 1836._--Our Princes have been told by letter not

to hasten their return on account of the attempt upon the King's life.

They should reach Turin to-day, and are expected at Paris on the 8th.

It seems that Lord Ponsonby[32] has gone mad. He insists upon the

dismissal of Reis Effendi[33] and the chief of the Guard. He has

written two notes to the Ottoman Porte in which he even threatens the

Ottoman Empire with disruption if satisfaction is refused. Admiral

Roussin himself writes that Lord Ponsonby is mad. All the Ministers,

including the Russian Minister, are working to prevent a rupture; the

Court of Vienna is explaining the matter to the English Government in

London, and it is hoped that Lord Ponsonby will be recalled.

[32] English Ambassador at Constantinople.

[33] Reis Effendi was the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Turkey.

_Valençay, June 29, 1836._--Yesterday I had a letter from our

travellers, dated from Roveredo, where they were detained by the

indisposition of the Duc de Nemours. It was a somewhat serious attack,

of which they made light in their letters to his parents, but which

greatly frightened the Duc d'Orléans. He was also greatly vexed by the

hurried departure of General Baudrand. It seems that this departure

was provoked not so much by the necessity of a rapid journey to the

waters as by some ill-temper at the fact that the Prince Royal did not

show sufficient confidence in him.

The Princes were about to make their way to Florence, as the Grand

Duke of Tuscany had been especially pertinacious in asking for a

visit, but the illness of the Duc de Nemours stopped their journey.

They have met the Archduchess Marie Louise,[34] cousin-german of our

Prince Royal. She asked M. de Valençay for news of us, as she is his

godmother. He thought she was not so aged as she has been described.

They have also seen the Princess of Salerno and the King of Naples.

The latter is described as having a fine head, but a coarse and clumsy

figure. He is in despair at the death of his wife, with whom he lived

on very bad terms until she was with child, in giving birth to whom

she died. He is said to be very whimsical.

[34] The widow of Napoleon I.

The Archbishop of Paris was at Neuilly at eleven o'clock on the day

when the King's life was attempted. It is unfortunate that he can

never appear before the King except immediately after an attempt at

assassination, and I therefore think that his visits are not very

popular, as they are made under conditions with which one would

readily dispense. He refused to admit the body of Sieyès to the

church, and it was taken straight to the cemetery.[35]

[35] Sieyès died at Paris, June 28, 1836.

My deepest grief concerning the attempted assassination of the 25th is

that I fear the pistol-shot has killed our Princess Royal. Many say

that Alibaud is another Louvel, an isolated fanatic, a natural product

of newspaper extravagances and bad teaching. The King wishes to pardon

the assassin, but it is thought that the Cabinet will not suffer him

to do so. General Fagel[36] has been at Neuilly, notwithstanding the

presence of the Belgian King and Queen; the King treated him very

kindly.

[36] General Fagel had been the ambassador of the King of the Low

Countries in France under the Restoration.

_Valençay, July 5, 1836._--My chambermaid's serious illness forces me

to wait upon myself. I have felt a little awkward, but shall get used

to it. It is not always pleasant, but it is useful, and I do not

complain. I have, indeed, my moments of discouragement, but then I

chide myself and it passes away. At times great nervous fatigue

results from want of practice, but this will disappear, for we are not

upon earth to amuse ourselves, or to rest, or to be well and happy and

comfortable; that is our chief illusion; we mistake our object, and

are then angry that we do not attain it; if we tell ourselves that the

object of life is work, struggle, and sacrifice we avoid

misunderstandings and escape the most painful of fates.

The examination of Alibaud will not be printed; so much the better, as

all this is bad food for public curiosity. Yesterday I had a letter

from the Duc de Noailles, who is one of the judges; he told me that

the crime was obviously prompted by want. As the man had not a

halfpenny he wished to kill himself, but he thought his death should

be made interesting and useful. Such is the influence of bad teaching

derived from the republican age and society in which he has lived. He

is not a gloomy fanatic like Louvel, nor a modern Erostratus like

Fieschi, but is merely a beggar of considerable self-possession and

badly brought up.

All the newspapers, Carlist, Radical, and Moderate, are greatly vexed

by the mandate of the Archbishop of Paris. To appear at Neuilly is too

much for some; unwillingness to use the term "the King" in the mandate

is a platitude which does not deceive others and irritates many; the

Jesuitical and equivocal phrase at the end is thought very pitiable.

In short, the outcry is general and deserved. I am sorry, for at

bottom he is a man not without good qualities, but with a deplorable

want of tact.

I have a letter from M. de Valençay written from Milan; the horseraces

in the arena, where twenty-five thousand people collected, and the

illumination of the theatre of La Scala were admirable.

The Mayor of Valençay came to consult M. de Talleyrand about an

address to be presented to the King concerning the last attempt upon

his life, and begged M. de Talleyrand to draw it up. He commissioned

me with the task. Here it is, as it has been passed and as it was sent

to Paris yesterday. To fall from diplomatic to municipal language is a

great proof of decadence. That at any rate is what little Fontanes of

Berry has produced, and of all the addresses drawn up on this occasion

it is undoubtedly the most monarchical both in form and substance.

/* "With the confidence of children, the respect of subjects, and

the gratitude of the friends of true liberty, the inhabitants of

Valençay venture to place at the foot of the Throne the

expression of their delight at the miraculous preservation of the

sacred person of the King and their wishes for the permanent

happiness of the Royal Family. Insignificant and remote as is the

quarter of your realm whence these loving hearts yearn towards

your Majesty, your goodness is our guarantee that our token of

respect will be indulgently received. Our town, moreover, is not

without its claims upon the interest of the King, and the claim

which we are most pleased to assert is the honour which we have

had in receiving His Royal Highness Monseigneur the Duc

d'Orléans, and the recollection of the kindness which he has

shown amongst us," &c. &c.

Then follow the signatures of the Municipal Council, including that of

M. de Talleyrand.

_Valençay, July 10, 1836._--My son, Valençay, arrived yesterday; he

told us nothing new about his travels, and only confirmed his previous

letters. We have also the Prince de Laval, by whom M. de Talleyrand is

wearied to death, and with good reason. At Paris the Prince is

tolerable, and sometimes even amusing, but in the country his want of

judgment and his snobbishness, which induces him to say, for instance,

that the orange-tree, pruned, clipped short, and planted in a box, is

the aristocracy of nature, his continual practice of asking questions,

of stammering and spitting before one's face, and always looking on

the insignificant side of things, are most wearing; and he does not

say a word of his departure.

The Duc d'Orléans writes to say that only for reasons of state would

he be sorry not to marry the daughter of the Archduke Charles, for her

attractions for him are entirely moral; in person he thinks her, if

not ugly, yet insignificant, and he is not attracted. In any case, the

father and daughter readily assent to the proposal of marriage; the

Emperor of Austria says nothing; but his brother the Archduke Francis

Charles and his sister-in-law the Archduchess Sophie say "No."

_Valençay, July 13, 1836._--Yesterday evening we had a visit from the

Duc Decazes[37] and the Comte de la Villegontier, who stopped for tea

on their way to their foundry at Aveyron. M. Decazes was sad and

sorrowful concerning the King's dangers and the open sores in society,

as revealed by the trial of Alibaud. He also complains, and with

reason, of the organisation, or rather the non-organisation, of the

police. He says that the King alone has preserved his calm and

presence of mind, but that around him all are sad, anxious, and

agitated, and that the Queen and Madame are very unhappy. Marshal

Lobau has persuaded the King that the National Guard would take it ill

if his Majesty did not review them on the 28th of this month. He will

therefore pass under the Arc de Triomphe de l'Etoile, where the

National Guard will march before him. But this is too much. The July

festivals will be confined to the opening of the Arc de Triomphe, and

the Obelisk from Luxor will be unveiled. No further commemoration

would be required, in my opinion.

[37] M. Decazes then acted as chief referendary to the Chamber of

Peers.

Alibaud yielded to the exhortations of the Abbé Grivel. He confessed,

and therefore has repented. On the scaffold he kissed the crucifix

before the people, but when one of the servants took away his black

veil he flew into a rage and turned suddenly round to the multitude,

red in the face, crying, "I die for my country and for liberty," and

then he submitted.

M. Decazes also told us that every day brought him anonymous letters,

denunciations, and revelations, and that it was impossible to get a

moment's peace. He left me in profound sadness.

_Valençay, July 16, 1836._--The Prince de Laval, who is still here,

admiring everything and evidently well pleased in spite of our

political differences, has a certain form of wit which consists in

saying smart and clever remarks now and then, but these are wanting in

taste and balance. His class snobbishness recalls that of M.

Saint-Simon, his caste prejudice is carried to a ridiculous point, his

curiosity and gossip are unexampled, and his selfishness and

absorption in his own importance and amusement are inconceivable; he

advances every claim on his own behalf, and is therefore unbearable

when taken seriously. Taken the other way, there is something to be

got out of him, the more so as, though he is a tease, he is not

ill-tempered, and the very extravagance of his poses forces him to

live up to them.

The Duc de Noailles, whom we also expect here to-day, is very

different; he is reasonable, self-possessed, cold, polite, and

reserved, asking no questions, never chattering nor wearying anybody;

but though he is unpretentious his claims to consideration are none

the less real, and he is absorbed, first of all by his position as a

great lord, and then as a politician. His position as a man of fashion

and fortune, of which Adrien de Laval boasts his past possession, as

they are now gone, has no attraction for him. I might even say that if

M. de Laval is a quondam young man, the Duc de Noailles is an old man

before his time. He is only thirty-four or thirty-five, but his face,

his manners, and his life in general make him appear fifty.

_Paris, July 27, 1836._--I think more and more of the Duc de Noailles.

He is a man of good judgment, sound taste, with a sense of honour and

excellent manners. He is also dignified and possessed of common sense,

while his goodwill is valuable, and his high position may be useful in

the world in which he is a figure. But my high opinion of his good

qualities and the value which I set upon his goodwill and friendship

do not prevent me from seeing his pretentiousness. His chief ambition

is political, and is not, perhaps, sufficiently supported by the ease

of temperament which is quite indispensable at the present time. The

whole family has remained what it was two hundred years ago. The

Noailles are rather illustrious than ancient, rather courtiers than

servants, but servants rather than favourites, intriguers rather than

ambitious, society people rather than lords, snobs rather than

aristocrats, and above all and before all, Noailles. I know the whole

of the family existing at the present time; the best and most capable

of them is undoubtedly the Duc, whom I judge perhaps somewhat

severely, but for whom I have always a real esteem.

I left Valençay the day before yesterday at six o'clock in the

morning; my dear Pauline was very sad at being left behind; I slept at

Jeurs with the Mollien family, reaching their house at eight o'clock

in the evening, and arrived here in pretty good time. I found M. de

Talleyrand in fairly good health, but much disturbed by the state of

affairs. The King will not be present at to-morrow's review, and has

given it up because of a discovery that fifty-six young people have

sworn to kill him. As it was impossible to arrest these fifty-six, it

has been thought more advisable to abandon the review. In what times

we live!

The death of Carrel[38] has also thrown a gloom over us. He made many

mistakes, but his mind was distinguished and his talent remarkable.

Even M. de Chateaubriand, the author of the "Génie du Christianisme,"

wept as he walked in the funeral procession of the man who refused to

see a priest and forbade the holding of any Church ceremony at his

funeral. The desire to produce an effect usually ends in some loss of

taste and propriety in the most essential details.

[38] A violent newspaper quarrel brought about a meeting between

Armand Carrel, editor of _Le National_, and Emile de Girardin,

editor of _La Presse_. A pistol duel took place on July 28 in the

wood of Vincennes. Armand Carrel was severely wounded in the

stomach, and died the next day, after expressing a definite wish

for burial in a cemetery without any Church service.

Affairs in Spain are going very badly. The supporters of intervention

are growing active, and many of them are influential and leading

spirits, but the supreme will is in active opposition to them.

During my journey yesterday I was in very good company, with Cardinal

de Retz, whose memoirs I have taken up again; I had not read them for

many years, and then at an age when one is more attracted by the facts

and the anecdotes than by the style or reflections. The style is

lively, original, strong, and graceful, while the reflections are

thoughtful, judicious, elevating, striking, and abundant. What a

delightful book, and what insight, and often more than insight, in

judgment, if not in action! He was a political La Bruyère.

_Paris, July 28, 1836._--Yesterday the Duc d'Orléans came to see me.

He is in very bad health and somewhat melancholy; he too is obliged

to take an infinite number of precautions which sadden his life. The

King had resolved to go to the review, but was at the same time so

convinced that he would be killed that he made his will, and gave full

orders and directions to his son concerning his accession to the

throne.

At the end of the morning I also had a call from M. Thiers, who was

very pleased with the news he had just received from Africa, with the

political situation at home and abroad, and, in short, with

everything, apart from the great and continual dangers which threaten

the King's life. There were to have been several attempts upon the

King's life on the day of the review; these attempts were to be

organised separately and without connection. One was to be delivered

by a group of men disguised as National Guards, who were to fire a

volley of twenty shots at the King as he passed, one of which would

certainly have found its mark. Two of the young men who have been

arrested--and the arrests amount to more than a hundred--have already

made important confessions. Yesterday morning a man was arrested in

whose house was found a machine like Fieschi's, but more perfect and

smaller in compass, with more accuracy and certainty in its working.

_Paris, July 29, 1836._--Yesterday evening I was with the Queen. She

seemed quite natural in manner, though she said very bitterly: "We can

testify to ourselves that we are entirely upright, and yet we are

forced to live amid terrors and with the precautions of tyrants."

Madame Adélaïde urges her not to sadden the King's temper. He was with

his Ministers, and did not come in till later. His manner was quite

ordinary, but his features bear the mark of gloomy thoughts; the

greatest vexation he ever experienced in his life was his inability to

go to the review. Moreover, he thinks that his days are numbered, for

the day before yesterday, when taking leave of the Queen of the

Belgians, who was returning to Brussels, he told her that he would not

see her again. The young queen was in ill-health, and nothing was more

heartrending than their farewells. Poor people!

A remarkable fact which is vouched for by all the officers of the

legions of the National Guard is that during the last fortnight a

number of unknown or notorious people, such as Bastide, and others,

have put down their names on the rotas of the National Guard and take

sentry duty; this was in order that they might find a place in the

ranks which were to march before the King upon the day of the review.

Nothing sadder can be conceived than the Tuileries. I stayed there two

hours with an inexpressible sinking of heart, a melancholy and an

inclination to weep which I could hardly restrain, especially when I

saw the King. I shall start early to-morrow morning for Valençay.

_Chartres, July 31, 1836._--I left Paris yesterday, but much later

than I intended, as the Duc d'Orléans sent word that he wished to

speak with me again. I cannot say how much I have been touched by his

perfect kindness to me. He came to see me every day, and showed that

he counted me as his best friend--and he is certainly not mistaken. He

has made remarkable progress in every respect, and if heaven preserves

him to us I am sure that his reign will be brilliant. I hope that a

good marriage will clear our political horizon, which is very dark.

What is his marriage to be? That question will be decided next week,

for I think that he certainly will marry; circumstances make it

entirely necessary to consolidate and strengthen that which crime

threatens and attacks daily, and a continuation of the line becomes

even more important than the greatness of the alliance. The latter,

however, is not to be despised. Search is made, but if no success

results the only object will be to find a wife who can bear fine

children, without any idea of a morganatic marriage, which is not

required for many sound reasons, any more than a marriage with any

member of the Bonaparte family. Religion is a matter of no

consequence. It is absolutely necessary to deliver Paris from the

mournful condition into which it has fallen. I know the French, and if

they are shown a young and engaging bride they will be delighted,

while the foreign political world will perhaps be more considerate to

us when it has no further matrimonial snare to spread before us.

Yesterday I stayed a few minutes at Versailles with Madame de Balbi,

and a few minutes more at Maintenon, with the Duchesse de Noailles. I

am now starting for Châteaudun, and shall go on from thence to

Montigny, where I have promised to visit the Prince de Laval.

_Montigny, August 1, 1836._--I left Chartres after hearing mass in the

cathedral, which, as far as I could see, has not suffered from the

fire.[39] The wood- and lead-work have gone, but as the vaulting

within, which was made of stone, has not suffered, nothing is to be

seen from within the church. The work of repair is now in progress.

[39] In the month of June 1836 a conflagration, supposed to be

caused by the carelessness of some plumbers, completely destroyed

the chestnut beam-work of the cathedral, which was the admiration

of visitors and was known as "the Forest." A great number of old

windows were broken or melted, and the bells were seriously

damaged. For several hours the fire threatened to spread to the

whole of the lower town. The important work of repair lasted for

several years.

I stopped at Châteaudun in order to go over the whole of the old

castle, including the kitchens and the dungeons. Though greatly

ruined, some beauties yet remain, and the view is splendid. The Prince

de Laval came to meet me, and brought me here in his carriage. He is

making a charming spot here, arranged with good taste, care, and

magnificence. The situation is beautiful, and the Gothic part of the

castle has been well preserved and carefully restored. The castle

would give a very good idea of the owner to anybody who did not know

him. I must admit my astonishment at the fact that the spot could have

been arranged as it was by Adrien de Laval; the truth is that he has

an excellent architect; and then the Baron de Montmorency has arranged

the court, and has had several consultations with me concerning the

arrangement of the rooms, for this is not my first visit. In short, it

is charming, and though things are much better at Rochecotte, there

are some here which outrival ours. In respect of size and proportion

the two places can be well compared.

_Valençay, August 2, 1836._--I have now returned to my lair, and am

delighted to be far from the uproar of Paris, but I should like time

for a good rest, whereas M. de Talleyrand has also just come with

people who are to surround us from to-day. If I could choose a coat

of arms which really meant something I should prefer a stag at bay

with the dogs around him.

It is impossible to be more hospitable than M. de Laval has been, and

I am slightly ashamed of the small ingratitude of which I may be

guilty in relating one of the most ridiculous affairs which I know.

Adrien possesses the order of the Holy Ghost, which is no longer worn;

he had several medallions, and will any one guess what he has done

with them? He has had them sewn on the middle of one of the velvet

counterpanes which cover the chief beds in the castle. I was never

more surprised than to wake up in the morning and find a large

inscription of the Holy Ghost across my figure.

_Valençay, August 6, 1836._--I have a letter from M. de

Sainte-Aulaire, dated July 22, from Vienna, which begins as follows:

"I am now writing to you, as this letter will be taken by a courier

who will start in two days and tell the Ministry I really do not know

what. The attempted assassination by Alibaud has evoked unexpected

manifestations of interest for the King here, and wishes no less

sincere for his accomplishment of the great work with which Providence

has entrusted him; but we need not be surprised that this incident has

also increased the terror which is felt or which people seek to rouse

concerning the condition of Paris. 'Everything comes to him who

waits.' On this condition I would have answered for his success, but

it is one of the cases where people will not wait, and possibly with

reason." This letter from M. de Sainte-Aulaire must have come by the

courier who brought the important answer concerning the proposed

marriage between the Duc d'Orléans and the Archduchess Theresa; hence

this answer must have arrived at Paris, and I am the more inclined to

think that it has been received, as Madame Adélaïde informs M. de

Talleyrand that her nephew will write to him personally upon his own

affairs. It is from no curiosity, but with a keen desire to see the

fate of the young Prince happily settled, that I impatiently await his

letters. I should also like to see the King of Naples make one of our

princesses his queen.

_Valençay, August 7, 1836._--By way of continuing the quotation which

I gave yesterday from M. de Sainte-Aulaire's letter, I will say that

the reply has been received and that it has been unfavourable. I am

sorry, for our sakes, but if it is a setback to our Prince Royal I

regard it as possibly a political error on the part of those who have

declined. Their repentance may yet be speedy, for the incident may

change the appearance of the world and bring once more into opposition

the two forces which were inclined to amalgamate.

_Valençay, August 9, 1836._--Yesterday at lunch-time we saw our

cousins arrive, the Prince de Chalais and his brother.[40] The former,

in my opinion, has the most charming face that I know, a fine figure

and noble manners. I talked a great deal with him, as he did not leave

until after dinner. He has sound sense, simplicity of mind,

uprightness of heart, curiosity upon useful matters, and a sensible

and reasonable interest in everything that can strengthen the fine

position of a great landowner.

[40] The Comte Paul de Périgord.

I am informed that the decree which is to liberate the prisoners of

Ham has been signed. I am truly pleased to hear it, as I have worked

hard to secure it. They are not given full liberty, but a change of

residence with some relaxations preparatory to full freedom, which

will allow them to recover their shattered health more readily and

under better conditions.

Every one is well pleased at Neuilly with the King of Naples. Our King

has been much worried by people who would like him to intervene beyond

the Pyrenees, against his wish, but hitherto he resists vigorously.

This mental anxiety, together with the precautions which people wish

to impose upon him to secure his safety, is poisoning his life.

_Valençay, August 11, 1836._--M. de Talleyrand is informed that the

Spanish problems, which are growing more and more acute, are causing

bitterness at Paris, where nothing of the kind should exist--namely,

between the King and his Minister of Foreign Affairs,[41] who is

supported by the Prince Royal, as these two men are anxious for

intervention. We may wonder who will emerge victorious from this

domestic struggle.

[41] M. Thiers.

_Valençay, August 22, 1836._--I can well understand the reflections

made concerning the Grand Duchess Stephanie of Baden; her want of tact

is due to her early education. She was brought up in a pretentious

boarding-school,[42] where she learnt much except that exquisite sense

of propriety which may be transmitted hereditarily or implanted in

youth but can never be taught. For instance, she asked M. Berryer to a

ball at her house, though he had not been introduced and had not asked

for an introduction. Then she talks too much, as a rule, and attempts

to bring herself into notice by conversational brilliancies which are

not always properly calculated or adapted to her position. Princesses

are not obliged to be kind; they must, however, be obliging and

dignified; but to understand the limits of propriety and not to go

beyond them they must have acquired certain habits from infancy; here

the Grand Duchess Stephanie was wanting, and Madame Campan has not

been able to amend the defect. I believe her to be at bottom an

excellent person. Her life shows devotion and courage in the

misfortunes through which she has passed with great credit. I think

that Madame de Lieven, who criticises her so severely, would not

emerge so unscathed from the crises caused by her difficult position

with respect to her husband. The Grand Duchess had a nice manner and a

pretty, alert, and graceful bearing; she needed youth, and as she lost

youth her defects became more obvious. This, unfortunately, is every

one's case, and for that reason it is wrong to say that people are too

old to amend; on the contrary, when charm passes away it is most

essential to replace it by capacity; charm of youth calls forth

indulgence and provides excuses which disappear with those charms and

graces, and are replaced by a severity of judgment which can only be

opposed by more self-control, more self-renunciation, and more

self-respect.

[42] The institution of the famous Madame Campan, now the school

of Ecouen.

We are officially informed that the refusal from Vienna was expressed

in polite terms, but no reason was given. The possibilities of

Princess Sophia of Würtemburg have not been considered, in spite of

what people say. Our Prince Royal has started for the country,

somewhat thin and changed, but entirely convalescent.

From Madrid we hear that Isturitz has resigned. Calatrava takes his

place as President of the Council. Everything is going very badly.

The King of Naples starts for Toulon on the 24th, and goes, as he

came, unmarried.

The ex-Ministers are still prisoners at Ham, in consequence of

difficulties which have arisen among the Ministers in power. The

Minister of the Interior wishes to keep the prisoners under his

supervision, and the President of the Council wishes them to remain in

the fortresses, under the milder regulations, but in military

strongholds; but so long as they are there, the Minister of War claims

supervision over them. It is quite time that this treatment came to an

end, for the unhappy people are ill.

Madame Murat has obtained permission to spend a month at Paris. She

will arrive in a week, and is said to be taking no part in her

brother's intrigues.

Yesterday I had a letter from Madame de Lieven, who announces her

return to Paris as a positive fact. I am afraid she may be making a

great mistake. Yesterday I had a letter from St. Petersburg in which

she is said to be in very bad odour at Court. On the other hand, M. de

Löwe-Weimar is very well treated at Court, and poses as an aristocrat.

Horace Vernet is also spoiled and petted in a most inconceivable

manner. Why, in view of that, should Madame de Lieven be thus

harassed? Can it be that she is suspected of being something of an

intriguer? The English are certainly right to include the capacity of

keeping quiet among a person's best qualities.

_Valençay, August 24, 1836._--I have a comical and unexpected piece of

news to the effect that M. Berryer has been playing in a vaudeville at

Baden with Madame de Rossi. This must be a strange occupation for a

politician, but it is better for him than bad company in Switzerland.

Yesterday the newspapers announced the death of M. de Rayneval[43] at

Madrid. This will increase the difficulty of a question which is

complicated enough already.

[43] French Ambassador in Spain.

_Valençay, August 27, 1836._--We have no details from Paris, but

obviously some Cabinet crisis is in preparation. Meanwhile M. Thiers

seems to have been anxious to involve the King in the Spanish

difficulty against his wish, and to have acted for that purpose

without consulting his colleagues. The result has been a considerable

amount of ill-feeling which is difficult to quell, and should lead in

a few days either to the submission of Thiers to the King or to the

formation of a new Ministry, which, however, would contain some

members of the present Cabinet, and in particular, I think, M. de

Montalivet. All this is a matter of speculation, for we know nothing

definite.

_Valençay, August 28, 1836._--A letter from Madame Adélaïde yesterday

informed M. de Talleyrand as follows: "The Ministry is dissolved, to

my profound regret. I am especially sorry for Thiers, but he was

obstinate upon the question of intervention in Spain, and this has

spoiled everything. The King wished to disband the new body that was

formed at Bayonne, and demanded a formal undertaking that there should

be no question of intervention hereafter; Thiers refused, and

resigned. Any Ministerial crisis at this moment is very vexatious, for

we have so small a circle from which we can choose. The King has sent

for M. Molé, but he was in the country. He will require time to come,

and no doubt he will ask for Guizot. It is all very distressing, and

we know by experience how long and difficult is the task of forming a

new Cabinet. Pity me, for I am heartbroken!" Such was the position of

affairs the day before yesterday in the immediate neighbourhood of the

crisis. I am very sorry it should have occurred, in the first place

because I have a real interest in Thiers, and because I regret that

his revolutionary instincts should have overcome his devotion, his

gratitude, and the recognition which he owed to the great wisdom, the

prudence, and the long experience of the King. Moreover, constant

changes of Ministry are Governmental misfortunes and shake public

opinion too frequently; besides, Thiers' dexterity, alertness, and

promptitude, apart from his energy and his intellect, are useful to

the State. What use will he make of these powers when he has full

liberty of action? Madame Adélaïde, as the extract from her letter

shows, has no great love for the Doctrinaires, but it is inconceivable

that M. de Broglie should be recalled, with whom M. Guizot considers

that he has settled accounts for ever. Apart from these disadvantages,

I think it is obviously beneficial for the King to have given a fresh

proof that on questions of real importance he cannot be shaken and

will not be driven into action against his wish. Thus in February he

resisted the arrogance of the Doctrinaires, and has now overthrown the

infatuation of Thiers. This seems to be a fair warning for the future

Ministry, whatever its political colouring, and an excellent guarantee

to all right-thinking men in Europe.

_Valençay, August 29, 1836._--M. de Talleyrand ought to regard the

accidents that happen to him without disastrous results as a guarantee

that his life is certainly assured, and in my place I think that this

warning would rather turn my thoughts upon what they portend and

induce me to thank God for the respite granted to lighten our burden

of responsibility. Sometimes he reflects upon death, but not often.

Yesterday evening there was a violent storm which threatened the

Castle. After a loud clap of thunder he asked me what I had been

thinking of at that moment, and I immediately replied: "If a priest

had been in the room I should have confessed myself, for I am afraid

of sudden death. To die unprepared and to carry with me my heavy

burden of sin is a terrifying prospect, and however careful one may be

to live well we cannot do without reconciliation and pardon." M.

Cogny, our doctor, who was there, and who is terribly afraid of

thunderstorms, added somewhat foolishly that he was performing an act

of contrition at every flash. M. de Talleyrand said nothing at all,

and we went on playing piquet. I take every opportunity of

strengthening my belief, and thus attempting to arouse his, but never

until I have an opening. In such a matter a light touch is

indispensable.

Yesterday I had a long, interesting letter from the Duc d'Orléans, and

a letter which I think the more satisfactory as he has returned to

more reasonable opinions upon the Spanish question. His opinion of the

Ministerial crisis corresponds entirely with my own. I have also a

letter from M. Guizot written from Broglie on August 24. When writing

he had no news of the resignation of Thiers, which took place on the

25th. He informs me that he has just bought a small estate near

Lisieux and is going to turn farmer.[44] I presume that I shall next

hear that he has left the plough to resume the pen and speechifying.

[44] This estate was the Val Richer, where M. Guizot lived until

his death.

_Valençay, September 1, 1836._--I am strongly inclined to accede

entirely to the opinion concerning the Emperor Nicholas which states

that the only royal quality in his possession is personal courage. His

chief deficiency seems to me to be that of intelligence, not only in

conversation and judgment, but in general.

M. de Montessuy, who accompanied M. de Barante to an entertainment at

Peterhof and passed the night there, writes that he saw the Empress at

a distance in the gardens and respectfully withdrew, but that in the

evening she reproached him for so doing, saying that she had come down

in order to speak to him and that it was wrong of him to avoid her.

All this story seems to me to be very unlikely.

Madame Adélaïde writes to M. de Talleyrand on August 30 that nothing

has yet been done with regard to the Ministry. M. Molé has opened

communications with MM. Guizot and Duchâtel, both of whom have arrived

at Paris, but unanimity between them is rendered difficult by their

respective sense of dignity. The King and Madame seem greatly to

regret their forced separation from the retiring Ministers and the

necessity of calling in others.

_Valençay, September 3, 1836._--Yesterday I learned a piece of news

which is causing me much anxiety and is likely to involve me in

embarrassment: the death of my man of business in Germany, Herr

Hennenberg, who died at Berlin on August 23. I am thus obliged to

replace a most upright and capable man, a strong and respected

character who had full knowledge for twenty-five years not only of my

business, but of all my intimacies, past and present, who has thrown

himself heartily into every interest of my life and performed immense

services, and, in spite of the many pecuniary shocks which I have

experienced, has restored my fortunes and brought them to visible

prosperity, often to my own astonishment. He was, in short, a man to

whom I had entirely handed over the control of my affairs, as, indeed,

was necessary, in view of the long distance which separates me from

the centre of my interests. Such a man cannot be replaced by

correspondence or blindly, nor can I remain in uncertainty and

unsettlement for any length of time without suffering incalculable

loss. Hence a journey to Germany seems an absolute necessity; but, on

the other hand, how can I leave M. de Talleyrand alone in view of the

present state of his health? It is not to be thought of, and I pray

that Providence may deliver me from this inextricable complication.

Letters from Paris say that attempts to form a Ministry are so many

successive failures, that the King is growing tired of it, and that

Thiers is beginning to say that Spain is past all remedy. Perhaps they

will end in patching the matter up, but the shock that each party has

received will weaken their harmony, apart from the paralysing sense of

mistrust and rancour which will remain. It is all very sad.

_Valençay, September 4, 1836._--We have letters daily from Paris, but

no word regarding any solution of the difficulty. Yesterday I thought

the breach might be healed; I am less inclined to think so to-day. It

is even possible that the journey to Fontainebleau may take place

before the reconstruction of the Cabinet. M. Thiers would like to

start for Italy, to which the King has replied that his resignation

will be accepted only when he has nominated a successor. Molé and

Guizot are possibilities which seem to be exhausted without result.

_Valençay, September 7, 1836._--We are told that the _Moniteur_ of

to-day will contain the names of a Guizot-Molé Ministry, recruited

entirely from among the Doctrinaires under the influence and by the

efforts of M. Guizot. I had a letter from M. Thiers yesterday, and am

sorry to see some ill-temper displayed against all who do not share

his ideas about that wretched Spanish question. In particular he

thinks that the signatories to the Quadruple Alliance should have

agreed with him. This remark is addressed to M. de Talleyrand, who

proposes to reply that a fresh reading of the treaty will show that it

was drawn up in such a way that France is not under obligation in any

direction. M. Guizot persisted in objecting to the retention of M. de

Montalivet as Minister of the Interior, and as the latter thought it

inconsistent with his dignity to leave this post for another, as

Guizot had proposed, he has resigned, to the King's great regret, and

will go to Berry, where he has property. Sauzet and d'Argout are said

to be going to Italy, once the refuge of dethroned Sovereigns and now

the inevitable touringground of ex-Ministers.

The following fact is certain: On the 4th of this month information

was received that the _Société des Familles_, the most numerous and

best organised of secret societies at this time, proposed to make some

attempt to raise a public disturbance. Their intention was perfectly

clear; the fear of discovery doubtless prevented them from putting it

into effect. They proposed to advance upon the prison where the

political prisoners are confined, to set them at liberty, to seize the

Prefecture of Police, and thence to march upon Neuilly. The Ministers

assert that their intentions were quite serious.

_Valençay, September 9, 1836._--The newspapers are already declaring a

terrible war upon the new Ministry, which will be settled before the

Chambers.[45] The Opposition journals predict a breach in the

Cabinet, which seems a not unlikely possibility. Then perhaps we shall

see M. Thiers return to the head of affairs, but with a certain

opposition to confront him, after making war upon a system which he

had long supported and entering into obligations with men inclining to

the Left, in which case he would be likely to draw the Government into

dangerous paths. I do not really know, but in general things seem to

me to be growing dark. In any case it is fair to recognise that the

new Ministerial combination can display to the country and abroad

honourable names, distinguished talent, and recognised capacity. Let

us hope, then, that it may rest upon a solid basis. Eight or ten days

before the last crisis M. Molé, after a considerable silence, wrote a

very sprightly letter to M. Royer-Collard and to myself.

[45] The Ministry was composed as follows: M. Molé, President of

the Council and Minister of Foreign Affairs; M. Guizot, Minister

of Public Instruction; M. Persil, Minister of Justice; M.

Duchâtel, Financial Minister; M. de Gasparin, Minister of the

Interior, with M. de Rémusat as Under-Secretary of State; M.

Martin du Nord, Minister of Commerce and Public Works; General

Bernard, Minister of War; and Admiral Rosamel, Minister of Naval

Affairs.

_Valençay, September 10, 1836._--Yesterday M. de Talleyrand received a

nice deferential little note from M. Molé upon his accession to the

Ministry. The burden of the letter was as follows: As the new Cabinet

had been formed upon a question and with ideas which M. de Talleyrand

had wisely made his own, the new Ministers might congratulate

themselves upon his approval, and for himself he trusted that it might

be so, as he relied upon M. de Talleyrand's counsel and opinion. M. de

Talleyrand immediately replied. It is not my business to praise the

answer, but I think it should please M. Molé, though he will find no

criticism in it of the man whose place he takes. M. de Talleyrand may

regret the blindness of M. Thiers upon the Spanish question, but it is

not for him to blame M. Thiers in definite terms, as he has long shown

and felt goodwill for him.

_Valençay, September 11, 1836._--I shall not quote Madame de Lieven as

testifying to the accuracy of the story told by M. de Montessuy,[46]

but I admit that I cannot understand so strange an incident. If one of

our princesses or our Sovereign had so acted, a revolutionary

interpretation would immediately have been put upon it at St.

Petersburg, and if the Emperor Nicholas admits Horace Vernet, and

especially M. de Löwe-Weimar, to his favour, his intimacy, and his

confidence, I do not see why the King should be reproached for dining

at the Tuileries with his National Guards. The truth is,

Louis-Philippe cannot use the knout or Siberia, which are two stern

precautions against familiarity, though it is fortunate for each of us

that these weapons are not in his hands; in Russia, neither age nor

sex nor rank nor merit is any protection.

[46] _See_ above, p. 63.

I have a letter from M. Guizot couched in most sprightly terms,

telling me of his entrance to the Council. The friendship of the King

for M. de Talleyrand and the confidence with which he honours him

forbid any Minister to be on bad terms with him; our intentions are

identical, so that between ourselves and these gentlemen all should go

well.

I have a long letter from the Comte Alexis de Saint-Priest from

Lisbon. He writes from time to time, though I only send short dry

notes by way of answer; but he seems determined to regard them as

proofs of friendship. It is merely a case of calculating

self-interest. He knows that the Duc d'Orléans shows me some kindness,

and he believes himself called upon to play a part when this Prince

comes to the throne, and therefore desires in any case to be one of my

friends; any one reading the opening sentences of his letter would

think that I was a great deal to him and he to me. I am somewhat vexed

in consequence.

_Valençay, September 13, 1836._--How is it that people are so often

found ready to report ill-tempered speeches to the persons affected by

them? It is a strange and too common frame of mind. To myself it is so

hateful that while I believe myself incapable of it, I always receive

very coldly those who bring me confidential remarks of this nature. I

think that the first condition upon which one can live in peace is to

speak evil of things only when they are bad and as little as possible

of people, and the second condition is to disregard evil spoken about

ourselves unless it be spoken to warn one of some trap or actual

danger, but it is very rarely that such information is actuated by

this good and laudable intention. These moral reflections are evoked

by the slanders which Lord Rosse is said to have uttered about Madame

de Lieven and the information brought to her concerning them. In any

case I see that social habit, knowledge of the world, the necessities

of conversation, and, in short, the thousand and one considerations

which make hypocrisy a virtue, or at any rate a social quality, allow

these two people to meet on good terms, and if that be so, my theories

are of little or no importance.

_Valençay, September 16, 1836._--The following is an extract from a

letter received by M. de Talleyrand yesterday; it was not sent by

Madame Adélaïde, but the writer is generally very well informed. "M.

Molé is ill. He has not yet been able to pay any calls, nor to receive

any ambassador, nor has any council yet been held by the King. It is

said that his health will not allow him to remain long in office, and

that he will never establish himself there with any certainty. If he

should resign, it is thought that the Ministry would not be entirely

dislocated, and that Montalivet would probably take his place. There

is also a rumour that the Ministry is ready to confront the Chambers

fearlessly, and expects to secure a majority, that it is ready to be

contented with a small majority in the hope of seeing it grow, and

that it does not intend to make every point a Cabinet question.

Marshal Soult is not to be Minister of War. He was anxious to be

President of the Council, but this was refused, and the post will

probably be given to Molitor, Sébastiani, or Bernard. The Ministry is

entirely dominated by the King's policy upon the Spanish question. The

body which was gathering on the Pyrenees frontier will be disbanded

and the Foreign Legion abandoned. In any case that legion is at the

service of Spain, and we have no right to use it for our own purposes.

Strictest adherence will be maintained to the limits laid down by the

treaty of the Quadruple Alliance. At the same time an ambassador at

Madrid will be appointed, though the death of Rayneval might have

enabled us to dispense with this; but the appointment will be made

from respect to England. A rumour has gone abroad, but it is a great

secret, and the appointment is not yet settled, that this ambassador

will be the Duc de Coigny. The King is a little doubtful of the

attitude which Thiers will adopt. He is also much displeased with him,

and has expressed his displeasure several times. At one time Thiers

took some steps to return to the Ministry, and the matter was

discussed. He then submitted himself wholly to the King's opinion and

will upon the Spanish question, but the style of the King's expression

showed that he was very far from reposing confidence in Thiers, and

that he would only take him back perforce and in a difficult and

unavoidable position. The true cause of Thiers' resignation is not so

much difference of opinion between the King and himself as the

deceitful course by which he wished to draw the King into intervention

against his will. Since he has gone several facts have been discovered

of which no one had any suspicion. Thiers went away announcing that he

would only return for the following session if he saw his policy

attacked. He is said to be really very despondent about his fall, and

has the more reason for despondency as he is sole author of it. The

mode of his resignation has greatly diminished the reputation which he

first achieved, and the public opinion is not in his favour."

_Valençay, September 21, 1836._--Yesterday we heard that the

Constitution of 1820 had been proclaimed at Lisbon. It is asserted

that this event was prepared at London, and the fact remains that

Admiral Gage, who was in harbour with three ships of the line,

remained a passive spectator. The queens of the South are not destined

to enjoy unbroken slumber, for at Lisbon, as at Madrid, the Queen was

forced to sign the new Constitution at two o'clock in the morning. The

army took the side of the people and of the National Guard. The poor

little Prince of Coburg has made a sad marriage indeed. If he remains

in private life with so heavy a burden as Doña Maria he will collapse.

It is impossible to avoid some feeling of dismay at these military

reactions, and we are deeply anxious to see our Cabinet completed by a

_real_ Minister of War. General Bernard was the last chance, and would

be the best choice, as Marshal Soult persistently refuses.

_Valençay, September 23, 1836._--Our festival of St. Maurice[47] was

held yesterday, and was most brilliant. Numbers of neighbours came,

and our cousins came over from Saint-Aignan. The gamekeepers with

their early trumpet-blasts, fine weather, a long drive, the banquet in

the Castle, and dinner to the little school-girls, the three courts

lighted up, and a most pretty entertainment, cheerfully and

delightfully played, completed our festivity.

[47] St. Maurice was the patron saint of the Prince de

Talleyrand.

_Valençay, September 25, 1836._--It is certain that Charles X., to

please the Duc de Bordeaux, has requested Don Carlos to receive his

grandson into his army, and Don Carlos has very wisely refused. The

truth is that this would have been the only thing that could have

induced France to intervene.

A letter from Strasburg gives me many details concerning the Abbé

Bautain and MM. Ratisbonne and de Bonnechose which interest me

greatly, for it was these men who carried on the correspondence

concerning the philosophy of religion which I read last winter. This

book is preceded by their biographies and the story of their

conversion, so that my knowledge of their case is complete. M.

Royer-Collard, to whom I have spoken several times concerning the Abbé

Bautain, told me that when he was high master of the university he

knew the Abbé, then quite a young man; that he had a distinguished

mind and a lively imagination, but that his mother was at Charenton

and that there seemed some likelihood of his following her, though at

the same time he thought a great deal of him for many reasons. I trust

that the death of Mlle. Humann will not relax the precious bond which

unites all these young people, with their goodness and sincerity. The

manner of Mlle. Humann's death was like that of Queen Anne of Austria,

a description of which I have just read in the _Mémoires_ of Madame de

Motteville; this queen also died of cancer. I know few incidents so

touching and edifying, so curious and well described, as the death of

this princess. I have finished these memoirs; a book which

counterbalances, from the political standpoint, the memoirs of

Cardinal de Retz. By way of restoring my equilibrium, I am reading

the _Mémoires_ of the Grande Mademoiselle. I read them before my

marriage, at a time when I did not know France, and therefore knew

even less the district which I now inhabit, and in which this princess

lived for a long time; consequently her book has an entirely new

attraction for me and interests me deeply.

_Valençay, September 28, 1836._--A few days ago a Spanish courier

arrived at Paris from Madrid. He had been stopped by the Carlists, who

had taken all his despatches except those directly addressed to King

Louis-Philippe. In these despatches Queen Christina announces that she

proposes to leave Madrid, leaving the two Princesses behind. The next

day a telegram came in stating that the Queen is to leave Madrid, with

all the Ministry, for Badajoz. This town was chosen as being nearest

to Portugal, and because the Queen would be unable to travel in the

direction of Cadiz or the Pyrenees or to any seaport. Unfortunate

creature!

_Valençay, October 2, 1836._--M. de Valençay, who is at the camp of

Compiègne with the Duc d'Orléans, writes that everything is going off

well and that the King's visit has had an excellent effect. The

Ministers, who all accompanied the King to Compiègne, followed him on

horseback to the great review, but M. Molé felt uncomfortable after a

few minutes and got into the Queen's carriage. The camp is said to be

very fine; the King was excellently received, and the young Princes

make a good appearance. I am the more pleased to hear this as it is

the first time that the King has left his confinement since the case

of Alibaud. His presence in camp must have been thought very

necessary, as the Duc d'Orléans answered for the King's safety with

his own life, begging him to go and show himself to the troops; and

only then did the Council, which had at first opposed the plan,

consent to the King's journey.

_Valençay, October 5, 1836._--I must copy the following passage about

the castle of Valençay, which I found in the _Mémoires_ of the Grand

Mademoiselle, vol. ii. p. 411, in the year 1653: "I continued my

journey to Valençay, and arrived there by torchlight. I thought I was

entering an enchanted house. The rooms are the most handsome,

delightful, and magnificent, in the world; the staircase is very fine,

and is reached by an arcaded gallery that is superb. It was

beautifully lighted up; there were plenty of people, including Madame

de Valençay, and some local ladies with handsome daughters, and the

general effect was most perfect. The room corresponded with the beauty

of the staircase, both in decorations and furniture. It rained the

whole day that I was there, and I think the weather must have done it

on purpose, as the covered walks had only just been begun. From there

I went to Selles; it is a fine house."

I have a letter from Alexander von Humboldt about the death of my man

of business, Herr Hennenberg. He offers his services in a most

obliging and careful letter, marked by the utmost flattery and

wittiness, a curious document which I shall keep among my precious

autographs. The death of this man has aroused the interest of all my

friends. Were it not for the anxiety which would pursue me if I were

to leave M. de Talleyrand and my daughter, a journey to Prussia would

suit me entirely.

_Valençay, October 18, 1836._--Yesterday I had a letter from the

Prince de Laval, written from Maintenon, where he was staying with M.

de Chateaubriand and Madame Récamier. He told me that a messenger from

the Princesse de Polignac had just arrived begging the Duc de Noailles

to go to Paris to try and remove the fresh obstacle which prevented

the accomplishment of the promise to improve the condition of the

prisoners. The Prince de Laval adds that the Duc de Noailles was about

to start, and that he would return to Montigny, whence he would come

and pay us a short visit and tell us of the new complications which

have arisen concerning the poor prisoners of Ham.

_Valençay, October 20, 1836._--Yesterday we had a pleasant visit from

M. Royer-Collard, who came over from Châteauvieux in spite of the

deplorable state of the roads. He was very indignant that any one

should be bargaining with the prisoners of Ham about their liberty. He

left me a letter which he had received from M. de Tocqueville, who had

returned from a journey in Switzerland. In it I found the following

passage: "I have closely examined Switzerland for two months. It is

very possible that the present severity of the French Government

towards it may force this disunited people to submit, but it is

certain in any case that we have made implacable enemies there. We

have accomplished a miracle by uniting in common feeling against

ourselves parties hitherto irreconcilable. This miracle has been

performed by the violent measure of M. Thiers, and perhaps even more

by the pride and haughtiness of our ambassador, M. de Montebello, and

his mania for interfering in the domestic affairs of the country upon

every possible occasion."

I have recently been thinking a great deal of what has been done or

left undone for the prisoners at Ham. All the newspapers with the

exception of the _Débats_ unanimously blame the last measures, the

favours offered as a bargain and the degrading conditions imposed upon

these prisoners, who are a class by themselves and unexampled in

history. These unfortunate men, moreover, are not asking for liberty,

but are only requesting some alleviation on the score of their health.

It seems that our present Ministers do not share the opinion of

Cardinal de Retz, who said: "Everything that seems dangerous and

really is not, is almost always a wise measure." Some one else makes

another observation which seems very applicable to recent events:

"There is nothing finer than to do favours to those who are against

us, and nothing weaker, in my opinion, than to receive favours from

them. Christianity, which enjoins the first action upon us, would

certainly have enjoined the second if it were good." Here we have a

clever saying in the style of that fine period when everybody, even

the least perfect, had some grandeur about him. I do not know whether

vice is now any less, but as for grandeur I can find none.

_Valençay, October 23, 1836._--I have decided to write a short note

concerning the castle of Valençay, describing its foundation and

history, &c., which I shall dedicate to my grandson, Boson, in the

following words:[48]

TO MY GRANDSON,

"All are agreed that it is disgraceful to know nothing of the

history of one's own country, and that undue modesty or undue

presumption are possible dangers if one is ignorant of one's

family history, but few are aware how greatly the pleasure of

inhabiting a beautiful spot is increased by some knowledge of its

traditions. Of these three kinds of ignorance the last is

undoubtedly of least importance, but it is also the most common;

schoolmasters may create the first, parents the second, but only

individual taste can lead us to inquire into dates and facts

connected with places which are not generally recognised as

famous. This inquiry may seem trivial if it is not justified by

any interesting recollections of the past, but in such a case as

that of Valençay, where the house is well known for its connection

with celebrities, it is the less excusable to disregard or to

confuse its history, as we are specially called, if not to

perpetuate these famous events, at least to respect them.

"It has been a pleasure to make this piece of history easier for

your study. May it encourage you to remain as noble in heart and

thought as are the glories and the traditions of the ancient place

of which I propose to tell you the story."

[48] This note upon Valençay was printed in 1848 by Crapelet, Rue

de Vaugirard, at Paris, with the dedication to which the author

here refers. This curious work is quoted by Larousse in his great

"Dictionnaire universel du Dix-neuvième Siècle," under

"Valençay." It has become scarce, but several copies exist.

_Valençay, October 24, 1836._--Yesterday I had a very kind letter from

the Duc d'Orléans, telling me of the departure of his brother the Duc

de Nemours for Constantine. He envies him his dangerous enterprise.

M. the Prince de Joinville was at Jerusalem.

_Valençay, October 28, 1836._--All our letters from Paris say that no

ceremony has been more imposing than the erection of the Obelisk of

Luxor.[49] The royal family was welcomed with delight. It was their

first public appearance in Paris since Fieschi's attempt, and the

people showed their pleasure. The Cabinet hesitated, as in the case of

Compiègne, but the royal will carried the day, and with successful

results.

[49] The Obelisk of Luxor was given to King Louis-Philippe by

Mehemet Ali, Pasha of Egypt. It was removed from its place before

the Temple of Luxor, carried to Paris, and erected in the Place

de la Concorde in 1836.

_Valençay, October 30, 1836._--To-morrow I propose to start from here

at eight o'clock in the morning; I shall lunch at Beauregard,[50] dine

at Tours and sleep at my own house at Rochecotte, where M. de

Talleyrand and my daughter will join me on November 2.

[50] With the Comtesse Camille de Sainte-Aldegonde.

_Rochecotte, November 2, 1836._--I have not had a moment's rest since

my arrival here, as I had to put everything in order before the

appearance of the guests whom I am expecting, and to examine the

changes that have been caused during my absence by the construction of

the artesian well; these changes have greatly improved the immediate

neighbourhood of the Castle, though much remains to be done.

I am inclined to think that M. Thiers has uttered some very

ill-advised remarks concerning all of us. Ill-temper and despondency

usually find unmeasured expression in the case of persons whose early

education has been deficient. It was the Spanish question which drove

M. Thiers from the Ministry, and on this point he was absolutely

opposed to M. de Talleyrand; hence the result. I have no ill-feeling

against him; it was bound to be so. Moreover, there are very few

people of whom I am sufficiently fond to hate them profoundly.

_Rochecotte, November 4, 1836._--What is the meaning of all this

Strasburg disturbance?[51] I am inclined to think there is something

serious in this mad Bonaparte enterprise, from the fact that a similar

movement took place the same day at Vendôme. Six sergeants began the

affair, which was immediately crushed, though one man was killed. I do

not know whether the newspapers have anything to say of it, but it is

quite certain, as the two prefects of Tours and Blois related it to

M. de Talleyrand, who told me the news when he arrived. The Grand

Duchess Stephanie will be uneasy concerning the expedition of her

cousin, Louis Bonaparte.[52] I am sorry for the Duchesse de Saint-Leu,

although I think she had some knowledge of the affair and is more

inclined to intrigue than to act a part; but she is a mother, and has

already lost her eldest son, and she must feel terrible anxiety; it is

a just though bitter punishment for her miserable intrigues.

[51] On October 26, 1836, Prince Louis Bonaparte, accompanied by

his friend M. de Persigny, and supported by Colonel Vaudrey,

attempted to begin a military revolt and to overthrow the king,

Louis-Philippe.

[52] Afterwards Napoleon III.

_Rochecotte, November 7, 1836._--Yesterday I had a letter from Madame

de Lieven, who tells me that the Emperor Nicholas is indisposed. When

a Russian admits that the Emperor is indisposed he must indeed be ill.

His death would be an event of very different importance from the

outbreak at Strasburg. I do not think the French would have any great

reason to regret him.

_Rochecotte, November 10, 1836._--Madame Adélaïde informs M. de

Talleyrand that the King has resolved not to bring the young Bonaparte

to trial; he will simply insist upon his immediate departure for

America and exact a formal promise that he will never return to

France. Madame de Saint-Leu has written to the King to beg for her

son's life. She is known to be hidden at Paris, where the authorities

are unwilling to leave her; nor will they allow her to live in

Switzerland. Apparently she will go to the United States with her son.

What foolishness it is which can lead to such a result!

_Rochecotte, November 11, 1836._--Madame de Lieven was saying recently

before Pozzo that she would perhaps spend the next winter at Rome.

"What on earth would you find to do in Italy?" cried Pozzo. "You could

ask no one to tell you the news except the Apollo Belvedere, and if he

refused you would say, 'Wretch, away with you!'" This sally of Pozzo's

made every one laugh, including the Princess; she is, in fact, quite

frivolous.

_Rochecotte, November 20, 1836._--Yesterday's letters told of a

reversal in the affairs of Portugal. The counter-revolution seems to

have failed at the moment when success was thought certain, and the

mishap was due to a want of understanding between the little Van de

Weyer and Lord Howard de Walden. The disaster is complete.

Madame Adélaïde tells M. de Talleyrand that the Court will certainly

not go into mourning for the death of Charles X., as no notification

of the event has been received.[53] She quotes several examples in

which mourning was not worn for this reason, though near relatives

were concerned, including the case of the late Queen of Naples; she

was aunt and mother-in-law to the Emperor of Austria, and died in the

Imperial castle near Vienna, but the Austrian Court did not go into

mourning because the King of Naples, who was then in Sicily, did not

send a notification of his wife's death. Such precedents are

invincible.

[53] Charles X. had just died at Goritz, in Austria, on November

6, 1836.

_Rochecotte, November 21, 1836._--The death of Charles X. has divided

society in Paris upon every point. Every one wears mourning according

to his own fancy, from colours to deep black by infinite gradations,

and with fresh bitterness about every yard of crape that seems to be

wanting. Some refer to him as the Comte de Marnes and Henry V., others

as Louis XIX. In short, the place is a perfect Babel, and they are not

even agreed upon the disease of which Charles X. died. Yesterday's

letters speak of nothing else, except the affairs of Portugal. We are

informed that the clumsy attempt might easily shake the position of

Lord Palmerston.[54]

[54] The Queen of Portugal had been forced, after several

outbreaks, to accept the Radical Constitution of 1820. In

November she began a counter-revolution, helped by Palmella,

Terceira, and Saldanha, believing, at the instigation of England,

that the population of Lisbon would support her, and proposing to

dismiss her Ministers. She had been wrongly informed concerning

the popular feeling, and was forced to abandon the struggle.

_Rochecotte, November 22, 1836._--The Prince de Laval writes that M.

de Ranville is staying with him at Montigny, while M. de Polignac[55]

is on the road for Munich and Goritz. I do not know at all how this

business has been arranged, nor do I know the meaning of this meeting

of Paris clergy summoned to the house of M. Guizot, the Minister of

Public Worship. They say that the Archbishop is preparing a manifesto

in consequence, but I have not yet received the answer to the riddle.

[55] M. de Polignac, who was a prisoner at Ham, had demanded from

M. Molé his transference to a sanatorium.

Only the Abbé de Vertot could tell the full story of the revolutions

in Portugal. Lord Palmerston would not be the hero of it, nor Lord

Howard de Walden either. What can one think of the base methods

employed by such diplomacy?

_Rochecotte, November 28, 1836._--Differences of opinion concerning

the question of mourning for Charles X. have found their way into the

royal family; the Queen, who had voluntarily assumed mourning the

first day, was vexed because the Ministry forced her to abandon it.

The Cabinet is afraid of newspaper controversy, but has gained

nothing, as all the newspapers are in rivalry according to their

political colouring. I am much puzzled to know what shade of white,

grey, or black I shall adopt when I reach Paris; generally speaking,

the ladies of the neutral party who are also of society wear black in

company and white at Court. The position of our diplomatists abroad

will be very embarrassing.

M. de Balzac, who is a native of Touraine, has come into the country

to buy a small estate, and induced one of my neighbours to bring him

here. Unfortunately it was dreadful weather and I was forced to invite

him to dinner.

I was polite, but very reserved. I am greatly afraid of these

publicists, men of letters, and writers of articles. I never spoke a

word without deep consideration, and was delighted when he went.

Moreover, he did not attract me; his face and bearing are vulgar, and

I imagine his ideas are equally so. Undoubtedly he is a clever man,

but his conversation is neither easy nor light, but, on the contrary,

very dull. He watched and examined all of us most minutely, especially

M. de Talleyrand.

I could very well have done without this visit, and should have

avoided it if I had been able. He aims at the extraordinary, and

relates a thousand incidents about himself, of which I believe none.

The Prince de Laval informed me that M. de Polignac has not yet been

able to profit by the freedom which was granted him, as he was too ill

to move at the moment arranged for his departure.[56] He asks to be

transported to the nearest frontier, Mons or Calais, to avoid any

route of which he could not endure the fatigue.

[56] His punishment had been commuted to perpetual banishment.

_Rochecotte, December 2, 1836._--The Archbishop's letter concerning

the convocation of the clergy is a bad one, because of its

fault-finding, which is an unsuitable characteristic in an

ecclesiastic whose finest quality is evangelical simplicity; but we

must also admit that he must have been shocked by the attempt to

influence the clergy directly, and that the prohibition of prayers

instituted by the Church is somewhat too revolutionary, and I wish we

could reform revolutionary ways more definitely. We cling to them out

of fear, and this timidity, which is too obvious, brings us into

isolation abroad and encourages enemies at home.

The Duc d'Angoulême will certainly style himself Louis XIX. and his

wife the Queen; she wished it to be so. However, immediately after the

death of Charles X. they sent all the insignia of royalty into the

room of the Duc de Bordeaux, declaring that even if events were

favourable they never wished to reign in France. In any case the

notifications were issued under the incognito title of Comte de

Marnes. The young Prince is called Monseigneur at Goritz. He and his

sister are staying with his uncle and aunt.

M. de Polignac wrote to M. Molé after the death of Charles X., saying

positively that he would be grateful to the King of the French for

permission to leave Ham, and thus obtained his permit. M. Peyronnet

wrote in charcoal on his prison wall, "I ask mercy only from God,"

which I think he had hardly the right to say, since he left his prison

in very lively spirits. He would not see M. de Polignac again, even at

the last moment.

_Rochecotte, December 15, 1836._--I shall certainly leave here

to-morrow evening, and shall be at Paris in the afternoon of the day

following.

* * * * *

[The two correspondents whose letters furnish material for these

memoirs spent a few months together at Paris, so that the memoirs

were interrupted, and recommenced in 1837.]