FESTIVITIES AT CHANTILLY
Since there was no prospect for Condé to take any prominent lead in the
affairs of his own country his name was proposed as a possible successor
to the throne of Poland. He declined, however, to accept a crown which
had been the cause of so much misery to King Wladislav IV and to his
brother Jean Casimir. There being no heir-apparent to that throne the
eyes of Marie de Gonzague, Queen of Poland, turned upon the Duc
d'Enghien, Condé's only surviving son, and it was in connection with
this idea that a marriage was arranged between Henri Jules de Bourbon
and Anne of Bavaria, eldest daughter of the Princess Palatine, sister to
the Polish Queen. Claire-Clemence was not over-pleased at the idea of
this marriage, since she did not share her husband's ambitions. The
uneasy throne of Poland for her only son was a proposal which she could
not face with equanimity.
The union that she would have preferred was one with Mademoiselle
d'Alençon, youngest daughter of Gaston d'Orléans, a Princess whom Henri
Jules often saw and greatly admired, for the Orléans family at that time
lived in the sumptuous Palais d'Orléans, not far from the Palais Condé,
which was built on the site now occupied by the Odéon Théâtre. But the
Princess could not prevail upon her masterful husband, who had not only
taken his son's education, but also his entire future, into his own
hands. The brave lady, who had played so important a part during the
Fronde, and had shown so much courage and determination under her many
difficulties and trials, had at this time completely broken down in
health. She only appeared at Court festivities at long intervals, and
although she was present at her son's marriage she did not join the
young couple at Chantilly. The Grand Condé, surrounding himself with
friends, lived there from choice; and there Anne de Gonzague paid him
frequent visits, whilst Claire-Clemence was left neglected in Paris.
Society soon followed suit; and such neglect and isolation told upon a
constitution naturally delicate. This Princess, once so full of
admiration for her hero, now began to cherish resentment against him;
and she who for long years had, in spite of his neglect, never uttered
one word of complaint, at last broke out into bitter recrimination. We
gather from Condé's letters that she suffered from violent fits of
passion, and that a secret fear lest he should make away with her became
more and more a fixed idea. It is said, however, that when she appeared
at the baptism of the Dauphin her attitude was full of dignity and
commanded involuntary respect. Two years after this an unfortunate
incident happened, never entirely explained, which reduced
Claire-Clemence to imprisonment for the rest of her life. Condé had
compelled her to dismiss a page, named Duval, who had been in her
service. She had, however, promised him a pension which it seems was
left unpaid. One day, whilst the rest of the servants were at their
meals, he penetrated into the Princess's apartments to beg for his
pension. His voice was heard by the page on duty in the next room, who
at once entered the chamber in order to protect Her Highness from his
importunities. A violent quarrel arose between the two men, and the
Princess, in her endeavours to separate them, was severely wounded. When
the rest of the servants, on hearing the noise, rushed into the
apartment, Her Highness was found unconscious on the floor. This was the
version put about in Paris; but Condé, on being informed of it, was
beside himself with rage, and caused Duval to be arrested and condemned
to the gallows.
Condé, so magnanimous alike to friends and enemies, in this instance
behaved most brutally to his wife, and availed himself of this
opportunity to get rid of her. Instead of defending her against a
scandal which increased day by day from its very mystery, he himself
heaped calumny upon her. He immediately left Chantilly for Paris, and
without visiting the Princess his wife, went straight to Louis XIV and
demanded a _lettre de cachet_ against her. The King, however, with
greater humanity, refused his request; upon which Condé returned to
Chantilly in great wrath and contrived another scheme. He concocted a
document under which the Princess consented to transfer all her property
to her son during her lifetime; which deed he persuaded the Duke to
present to his mother for signature. There was, however, a clause under
which Her Highness was to retain a right of disposal over her jewels. By
this scheme he proposed to induce her to retire altogether from the
world without offering any defence.
Abandoned by her husband, robbed by her own son--who actually did
persuade her to sign the above-mentioned instrument--the unfortunate
Princess found herself no longer the courageous woman that she once had
been. Instead of rebutting the wicked calumnies which attacked her
honour, she merely endeavoured to save the unworthy Duval from the
guillotine--a wretch who, under torture, uttered confessions
compromising the Princess, which were, however, considered by the
Parlement as inconclusive. Condé, furious with his wife as the cause of
all this scandal, again demanded of Louis XIV a _lettre de cachet_ and
this time secured it. Her very generosity on behalf of the accused Duval
was employed as a pretext for separation; and crushed and broken in
health and spirits, she was transported one morning to the fortress of
Châteauroux. In the presence of her son, the Duc d'Enghien, she said to
the _curé_ of Saint-Sulpice, who was her confessor: "This is the last
time that I shall be able to talk to you, for I shall never return from
the place where the King is pleased to send me. Nevertheless the
confession which I have made to you will always prove my innocence."
Embracing her son for the last time, she fainted away; and in that state
she was conveyed to the carriage which was to transport her to the
distant castle of Châteauroux, where she was to be buried for the
remainder of her life. No news of the outer world ever reached her, and
even her only child never visited her. This barbarous treatment, this
cruel seclusion, brought on hallucinations, during which it is said that
she was haunted by the image of her husband. Châteauroux, a gloomy
fortress with numerous towers, inspired her with terror; and there were
even rumours that she was ill-treated by her gaolers. Madame de
Longueville was the only member of the Condé family who showed any pity
for this poor, forlorn woman, and she expressed a wish to visit her; but
Condé, unrelenting, refused her permission. He sent, however, Père
Tixier to ascertain whether she had all she needed, who reported that
she seemed to be in constant terror lest the food offered to her might
contain poison. Through many long years she dragged on a sad life in
this cruel solitude; and not even the news of her husband's death, whom
she outlived by several years, reached her. Unrelenting to the last,
Condé is said to have written on his death-bed a private letter to Louis
XIV, desiring him as a favour never to release Claire-Clemence. When at
last death delivered her, she was buried in the little church of St.
Martin, within the precincts of Châteauroux. Only a few Franciscan monks
and some poor people of the neighbourhood, whom out of her own scanty
resources she had continually assisted, attended at her funeral. Neither
her son nor any of her relations were present. When, in 1793, this
little church was restored, her remains were thrown to the winds, and
not one of her descendants took the trouble to raise a protest. More
than a century had to pass before even one voice was raised in defence
of this cruelly wronged woman. Louis Joseph de Bourbon, the father of
the last Condé, in his _Biography_ of his famous ancestor, could not
refrain from a severe condemnation of the cruelty with which the "Hero"
had treated the wife who had shown so much courage and loyalty on his
behalf.
The noble-minded Duc d'Aumale, in his _History of the Princes de Condé_,
is also full of sympathy and appreciation for poor Claire-Clemence;
although he endeavours to excuse the great Condé's conduct towards her
by explaining the repugnance he must have felt for Richelieu's niece.
A curious circumstance which seems still further to enhance the tragic
fate which befell Claire-Clemence is the indifference shown to her by
her own nearest relatives. At the very time when she was pining away in
the fortress of Châteauroux, not only her husband but her son also seems
to have felt no pity nor care for her. At Chantilly, where Anne de
Gonzague reigned supreme, festivity followed festivity, and it was she
who received the crowds of guests who thronged to visit that delectable
resort.
* * * * *
The visits to Fontainebleau, where, after the death of the Regent, the
King so often shut himself up for hours together, are described as being
very tame compared with those to Chantilly, where the time passed far
more agreeably. Turenne and the Maréchal de Grammont were frequently
invited. Also such celebrated men of letters as Boileau, Racine,
Corneille, La Fontaine, and Molière found their way thither; for Condé
took a great personal interest in their works, and helped and encouraged
them considerably. Boileau was a specially welcome guest at Chantilly.
Once, however, during an animated conversation with the Prince, he
contradicted him in some statement; but noticing an angry look upon His
Highness's countenance, he became alarmed, and, making a profound bow,
said: "_Je serais toujours de l'avis de M. le Prince, surtout quand il
aura tort_"--a piece of tact which was much appreciated by his host, and
disarmed his anger. Condé was also the first to recognise the greatness
of Molière, and to protect him from his rivals. The _Precieuses
Ridicules_ were first acted at Chantilly, and the players were lodged
there for over a week. When Louis XIV fell so passionately in love with
Madame de Montespan, Molière wrote his poem _Amphitryon_, wherein he
advises husbands to offer to Jupiter a share of their nuptial love--a
work which he dedicated to the Prince de Condé. It was Boileau who
brought Racine to Chantilly, and his tragedies were often performed
there. Moreover, the Court itself paid prolonged visits to the Grand
Condé, and thither thronged all the most distinguished personages in
Europe. Madame de Sévigné, in her famous _Letters_, describes the
"_delices_" of Chantilly; and descriptions of festive gatherings of all
kinds held there are frequently to be found throughout the records of
the period. The _Gazette_ devoted many columns to details regarding
pleasure and hunting parties and lunches at the Maison de Sylvie.
In the month of April 1671 Chantilly opened its portals to receive Louis
XIV and his bride, the Infanta Maria Theresa. The Château itself was
reserved for the Royal party, whilst the courtiers and the officers of
the suite were lodged throughout the neighbouring villages. Sixty tables
were served three times a day; and it was during this Royal visit that
Vatel, the _maître d'hôtel_, whose skill directed the whole, suddenly
committed suicide because he was unable to provide the necessary fish on
a fast-day. He was greatly mourned, especially by his master; but a
substitute was soon found, who succeeded even better than his
predecessor, so far eclipsing him, in fact, that his loss was soon
forgotten.
Louis XIV was so charmed with this visit that he is said to have been
inspired by Chantilly to create Versailles. "_Mon cousin_" he jokingly
said to Condé when leaving, "_il faut que vous me cédiez Chantilly_." To
which Condé promptly replied, "_Chantilly est aux ordres du roi.
J'espère que sa majesté me nommera son concierge._"