THE LAST CONDÉS
When Henri Jules de Bourbon succeeded to the Condé inheritance, he
continued with filial piety to carry out all the improvements and
additions to Chantilly which his father had planned. François Mansart,
the most fashionable architect of the period, had by that time nearly
completed those unfortunate alterations which transformed the ancient
feudal fortress into a species of Versailles. This Prince also built the
parish church on a site presented by the Grand Condé to the inhabitants
of the hamlet which had begun to form itself around the castle. He
completed the menagerie and by his orders Mansart built an orangery
ending in a pavilion called by him _Le Pavillon d'Oronthée_. Statues of
the Grand Condé, of Bossuet, of Molière, of Le Nôtre, and of La Bruyère,
executed by the most famous sculptors of the day, were placed along the
Terrasse du Connétable; whilst marble copies of celebrated antiques were
set up in the gardens and park. He spoke of Chantilly as "_ses delices_"
and was never weary of planning improvements there. He also directed
that the famous deeds of his father should be recorded on canvas by
Sauveur Lecomte in accordance with directions left by that hero himself.
In 1688 the Prince de Condé entertained at Chantilly the Grand Dauphin,
only son of Louis XIV, with whom he was on terms of great intimacy; and
the apartments in the Petit Château occupied by that Prince were those
once inhabited by the Grand Condé himself. A description of the
entertainments given upon this occasion may be read in the _Mercure de
France_ of that year, as follows: "A great _battue_ had been arranged,
and the Dauphin appears to have been delighted by the enjoyment of such
splendid sport. Luncheon was served on a big stone table in the middle
of the forest.[12] On the centre of the table was placed a basket
containing the most exquisite fruit, and during the repast mythological
deities made their appearance whilst dances were performed to the sound
of appropriate music. Every day--and the Dauphin remained for
seven--some new diversion was contrived."
As Henri Jules de Condé grew older he seldom left Chantilly. His temper
became more and more violent and difficult; and during his last years he
rarely appeared at Court. He died in 1709, leaving a legacy to the
Hospital at Chantilly, which had been founded by his grandmother,
Charlotte de Montmorency.
The Duc de Bourbon, generally known as Louis III, Prince de Condé, died
soon after his father. Louise Françoise, his wife, had presented him
with six daughters and three sons; of whom the eldest, Louis Henri,
succeeded to the title of Prince de Condé at the early age of
eighteen.[13] He, like his predecessors, also spent great sums on the
embellishment of Chantilly. By him were built the great stables--a
monument unique of its kind--in which vast buildings more than two
hundred horses and packs of hounds for fox, deer, and boar hunts, were
housed. In the adjoining courtyards were lodged their numerous
attendants--_piqueurs_, _chasseurs_, and stable-boys--and the carriages,
coaches, etc., needed for such an establishment. The central cupola of
this stupendous edifice was originally adorned with a statue of _La
Renommée_, but this was destroyed by a cannon-ball during the Revolution
of 1792.
The famous Duchesse de Berry, daughter of the Regent and wife of the
younger grandson of Louis XIV, passed a whole week at Chantilly as the
guest of this Prince; and great magnificence was displayed for her
entertainment. Saint-Simon in his _Mémoires_ relates an incident which
happened during these festivities. On the farther side of the grand
canal the Duke kept a very beautiful menagerie, full of rare animals and
fine birds; and whilst the company were strolling about and playing
games in the grounds a huge tiger escaped and prowled about the gardens
to the terror of the gay revellers. After some time, however, and
fortunately before any accident had occurred, the beast was captured and
induced to return to his cage.
In consequence of the numerous royal visits paid to him, Louis Henri
entirely remodelled the interior of the Grand Château. The King's
Apartment was over the Museum; it extended from the Chapel to the
so-called North Tower, and was composed of guard-rooms, long galleries,
and vast chambers. That of the Queen was over the present Entrance-Hall,
and ran as far as the Treasury towers. From it one could penetrate into
the Chapel, which at that time was situated where is now the splendid
staircase leading to the Museum.
During the time of this Prince the youthful Louis XV came to Chantilly
from Reims. He arrived in the evening and the whole place was
beautifully illuminated--so much so that "every detail of the building
could be seen as if in broad daylight." The festivities on this occasion
were many and various. The chase during the day and in the evening
performances by an Italian comedy company engaged for the occasion, and
by a famous ballet which lasted four-and-twenty hours.
In 1723, after the death of the Regent, the Duc de Bourbon became Prime
Minister of France. His wife, Anne Marie de Bourbon, had died and his
mistress, the famous Marquise de Prie, reigned supreme--an even more
fascinating, and certainly a more intelligent woman than the Montespans,
Pompadours, and Du Barrys, who so completely succeeded in captivating
the Bourbon Kings. She possessed a beautiful voice, with which she
interpreted Italian music, learnt during her stay in Turin where her
husband for many years had been ambassador. She also, like Madame de
Pompadour, patronised art and had portraits of herself painted by
Rosalba and Vanloo. Her house was furnished with exquisite taste, and
she understood to perfection the arts of the toilet. At first she
devoted herself to a life of pleasure, but she soon saw the wisdom of
becoming her lover's adviser-in-chief. In order to shield him against
the intrigues of the Orleans family--as long as the King remained
unmarried and without a nearer heir--she persuaded the Prime Minister
that the Spanish Infanta, daughter of Philip V, who had been educated at
the French Court and was intended to be the future Queen-Consort of
France--though she was still a child of not much more than ten years
old--should be sent back to her father. When this had been accomplished
a marriage was speedily arranged with Maria Leczinska of Poland,
although she was several years older than the young King. This act led
to an immediate rupture with Spain and brought no political advantage to
France. But in order to understand to the full the game played here by
Madame de Prie, we should note that Maria Leczinska had been at first
intended for Monsieur le Duc; wherefore by making her Queen of France
she not only hoped to keep her lover to herself, but also to get
ascendancy over the King through a queen whom she had helped to raise to
so exalted a position. Somewhat unexpectedly, however, she found an
implacable enemy in Cardinal Fleury, who was to Louis XV what Richelieu
and Mazarin had been to his predecessors. He had been the young King's
preceptor and exercised a great influence over him. When it occurred to
Fleury that he might become Prime Minister in place of the Duc de
Bourbon the latter, notwithstanding the strenuous efforts of Madame de
Prie, was compelled to yield and to resign on the charge that he had
confided affairs of State to unqualified persons. He retired to
Chantilly with his mistress, where, the lady received a most
discourteous welcome from Madame la Duchesse Douarière; and to the grief
and dismay of the Duke a _lettre de cachet_ from the King presently
commanded her to retire to a property in Normandy which belonged to her
long-neglected husband. The Duc de Bourbon never ceased to regret her,
because, as he asserted, he felt that she was so devoted to his
interests as to have subordinated every other sentiment. She only
survived her humiliation a few years; but it was some time after her
death before the childless Duke thought of remarrying. His choice fell
upon a young princess of Hesse Rhinfeld, whose eldest sister had married
the King of Sardinia. The new Duchess, who was barely fifteen, was as
beautiful and graceful as she was good. This marriage put an end to the
disgrace into which the Duke had fallen at Court; and from that time
Louis XV, who very much admired the young _châtelaine_ of Chantilly,
never went to Compiègne without paying her a visit on the way. In memory
of these Royal visits he sent her a beautiful spray of diamonds, which
the Duc de Luignes in his _Mémoires_ values at seventy-two thousand
francs. The same writer adds that in the month of August 1738 the King
came to Chantilly for a stag-hunt; and that he arrived at the Château in
a gondola, accompanied by four Court ladies. The Duke and Duchess
received this gay party and supper was immediately served, but next
morning the heat was so excessive that the stag-hunt had to be
abandoned. At nine o'clock, however, His Majesty promenaded upon the
terrace, while airs from well-known operas were sung to amuse him. The
Queen, Maria Leczinska, also enjoyed strolling about the gardens and
driving through the park, where all sorts of games were specially
devised for her.
In 1740 the Duc de Bourbon fell ill and died rather suddenly. His young
wife survived him barely a year; and their only son, Louis Joseph, then
but five years of age, was left to the charge of his grandmother. She
presented him soon after to Louis XV as Prince de Condé, and it was then
remarked that he was very fair and tall for his age. His uncle, the
Comte de Charolais, meantime administered the property at Chantilly
with great judgment and skill on behalf of his nephew and ward.
The young Prince was taken to Chantilly by his uncle for the first time
at the age of fourteen, and all sorts of amusements suitable for his age
were prepared for his pleasure. He at once conceived a great affection
for the place, which continued for the rest of his life.
When he attained the age of seventeen his uncle Charolais considered it
time for him to marry, and proposed to him several suitable matches. At
one of the entertainments given to further this end the young Prince's
choice fell on Charlotte de Rohan Soubise, a young lady renowned for her
grace and beauty; and their marriage was celebrated at Versailles with
great pomp. The young couple passed their honeymoon at Chantilly and,
according to the chronicles of the old Château, they immediately
commenced to display the traditional Condé taste for profuse
hospitality. Balls, theatricals, garden-fêtes, etc., followed each other
in quick succession for six weeks.
[Illustration: PLATE XVI.
CHARLOTTE, PRINCESSE DE CONDÉ, WIFE OF LOUIS JOSEPH DE BOURBON.
_Musée Condé._
Jean M. Nattier.]
In 1756 their son and heir was born. At first he was known as the Duc
d'Enghien but this was afterwards changed to Duc de Bourbon. The second
child was a daughter, Louise de Condé, subsequently famed for her great
intelligence and beauty. The Princess Charlotte de Soubise was a general
favourite at Court; but in spite of her many social engagements she
never neglected her maternal duties and always showed herself a most
devoted wife and mother.
The Prince, notwithstanding his domestic felicity, considered it his
duty to add a "sprig of laurel" to the trophies of his glorious
ancestor, the Grand Condé. He therefore joined the army and greatly
distinguished himself during the Seven Years' War. In 1762 he gained the
victories of Grinningen and Johannesberg.
The sudden death of his wife the Princesse de Condé from an attack of
diphtheria put an end to his conjugal happiness; but to Chantilly he
always returned after his campaigns, so as to be in the old home and
with his children. A highly cultured gentleman, he took intense interest
in literature and scientific research, enriching with numerous volumes
the library of the Château and adding thereto mineralogical and
physiological collections of great value.
His only son, Louis Henri Joseph de Bourbon, when just fifteen was
affianced to Louise Marie Thérèse Bathilde d'Orléans, five years his
senior and an intimate friend of his sister Louise. Even in those days
of early marriages this union was considered abnormal, and it was at
first arranged that the young couple should wait for a time. But the
youthful pair threatened to elope unless they were allowed to marry that
same year, so with "_un éclat de rire_" the King gave his consent.
When Marie Antoinette as Dauphine visited Chantilly the grace and charm
of the young Duchess, who presided over the brilliant fêtes given upon
that occasion, were much admired. Louis Joseph, like the Grand Condé,
was passionately devoted to the art of the stage, and his
daughter-in-law, like so many great ladies of her time, was
distinguished for her literary talents. She herself composed the
comedies in which she, her husband, and her Royal guests took part.
The theatre at Chantilly, celebrated for its elaborate decorations and
beautiful scenery, was approached by a terrace adorned by forty-eight
marble vases; whence a double staircase led through the Salon d'Apollon.
Palm-trees formed an avenue before its entrance, and the back of the
theatre opened upon the garden, where a statue of Diana surrounded by
waterfalls stood in the background. Amongst the improvements in the
gardens first introduced by this Prince was a "_Hameau_," which was
erected long before that in the Petit Trianon at Versailles.
From the time of Henri IV Chantilly, as we have seen, had been a
favourite pleasure-resort for Royal personages. Louis XV used to combine
excursions thither with his visits to Versailles. The King of Denmark,
the hereditary Prince of Prussia, and Gustavus III, King of Sweden, were
all entertained at the Château; and the latter presented to the Prince
de Condé the magnificent cabinet containing many strange and curious
minerals now at the Musée Condé.
In 1782 the Comte du Nord, afterwards the Emperor Paul of Russia, with
his wife, Dorothea of Wurtemberg, paid a long visit to Chantilly. One
of the Russian ladies-in-waiting, the Baroness Oberkirch, gives the
following description of their stay: "We joined the Prince at eleven
o'clock, which was the dinner-hour. This dinner, which opened the fêtes
of the day--we were a hundred and fifty at table--was splendid, and
quite in accordance with the traditions of this princely house, so
famous for its magnificent hospitality. When we left the dining-hall we
found carriages waiting for us. The Prince and the Duke, his son,
themselves drove us along the avenues, where a thousand surprises were
prepared for us. The trees were hung with flags and decorated with the
Russian colours. After the drive we went to the theatre. They played
_The Friend of the House_, _The Supposed Poet_, and _The
Fifteen-year-old Lover_. The latter piece told the love-story of the Duc
and Duchesse de Bourbon and had been played on the eve of their wedding.
It ended with a fine ballet. On coming out we found the gardens
illuminated and fireworks blazing all round, while the façade of the
Château was decorated with the heraldic bearings of the Emperor and
Empress. Supper was served on the _Isle d'Amour_ and then followed a
ball which was so gay and full of merriment that it seemed to us a quite
exceptional thing, since this is not usually the case amongst princes.
The next morning a hunting-party was arranged, a diversion of which the
Condé princes and princesses are particularly fond. A stag was hunted
for three hours, and when at last he went into the water he was followed
by the whole pack of hounds. The sight was really superb."
A picture representing this famous hunting-party was painted by Le Paon
and presented to the Russian Emperor. It still hangs in one of the
Imperial Palaces in St. Petersburg; but a copy was offered to the Duc
d'Aumale by the Grand Duke Wladimir, which is now in the Musée Condé.
Another day the magnificent stables were visited and dinner was served
in the central hall beneath the cupola. Much admiration was expressed
for the gorgeous hangings which divided this part of the building from
the rest. When the Royal party left the table these hangings were lifted
on both sides, so as to exhibit the two hundred and forty horses stabled
in either wing.
At that time two bronze horses stood beside the great fountain, which
was completed in 1782. But they disappeared during the Revolution.
The hostess upon this occasion was the Princesse Louise de Condé, for
the Duchesse de Bourbon, after but a few years of married life,
separated herself from her gay young husband. This Princess inherited
her father's great qualities. She had been educated in the same convent
where a relation of hers, Henriette de Bourbon Condé, was Abbess under
the name of Madame de Vermandois--a lady of whom it was rumoured that
she had refused to marry Louis XV and had preferred the life of a
convent to that of Queen of France! Over the young Princesse de Condé
she exercised great influence and Princesse Louise tells us that she
looked upon her as a mother, since she had never known her own. Of her
father she saw very little; but in her childhood he used to send the
Surveyor of the Province to her every Sunday to ask whether she wanted
anything. At the age of twelve she left this peaceful life for Paris,
where she attached herself to her cousin Princesse Bathilde d'Orléans,
who presently became her sister-in-law.
These two Princesses had each a royal household of their own, with
maids-of-honour and attendants; and they were permitted to receive the
visits of relations and certain selected friends. The Duc de Bourbon,
whose attachment to his sister was the one redeeming point in his
otherwise unsatisfactory character, often came to see her, and it was
during one of these visits that he first met his wife.
The Princesse Louise de Condé at this time was presented at Court, where
her beauty and grace created a great sensation; and she then received
the title of "Mademoiselle." The Duc d'Artois, third son of the Grand
Dauphin, was greatly attracted by her, and a marriage between them was
much discussed in Court circles. It was even said that it was desired by
the people; but Louis XV, wishing to revenge himself upon Louis Joseph
for having opposed the "_pacte de famine_,"[14] insisted on his
grandson marrying Marie Thérèse of Savoy. This bitter disappointment,
coming to her in yet tender years, made a deep impression upon the
Princess, and from thenceforth she preferred solitude to worldly
pleasure. She continued to reside in the Convent, refusing all other
proposals of marriage, and devoting herself to literature. Later on in
life she indulged in a platonic friendship with the Marquis de
Gervaisais, who is said to have collaborated with her in the drama of
_Friendman_. They often made excursions together from the watering-place
of Bourbon d'Archambault, where the Princess had gone for her health, to
visit the old Château de Bourbon; and it was during these excursions,
amid ruins clad with ivy "as with a Royal mantle," that the young poet
wrote this drama (subsequently acted at Bourbon d'Archambault), wherein
he hymned the praises of his adored Princess. "_L'âme n'a pas d'âge,
comme elle n'a pas de sexe_" wrote her admirer.
But Louise de Condé, who at first had given herself up entirely to the
joy of meeting with a kindred soul, recoiled suddenly on finding that
this friendship was on both sides fast approaching passionate love. At a
period of history when princely personages rarely denied themselves
anything that attracted their fancy, it is remarkable to find a Princess
who held such a high moral standard, and this also at a time when Madame
du Barry was the supreme ruler of the Kingdom of France. The Princess
went so far as to force herself to give up this friendship, because she
became aware that her sentiments towards the poet were after all not
wholly platonic, and that she, as a Princess of the Blood, could not
marry him.
It is characteristic of the customs of the period that Louis Joseph
looked very indulgently upon his daughter's friendship, and even
proposed to secure for the Marquis de Gervaisais means for leaving his
regiment at Saumur in order to come to Paris and thus be able to meet
the Princess more freely. It was the lady herself who could not be
induced to do aught that might bring a stain upon her name; and she
wrote a most touching letter of farewell to Gervaisais, imploring him
not to answer it, nor to try to meet her again, requests which his
unbounded love for her induced him to accede to.
The festivities given in honour of the Russian Grand Duke were the last
of the entertainments held at Chantilly; for, although the Princesse
Louise in the absence of the Duchesse de Bourbon made a charming
hostess, the separation of her brother from his wife, who had returned
to her own family, cast an inevitable gloom over Chantilly. The young
heir, the Duc d'Enghien, however, became warmly attached to his aunt,
who acted as a mother to him. He was highly gifted and very proud of his
famous ancestor, the Grand Condé. On taking his seat in the Parlement at
the early age of sixteen he made a most able speech; whereupon the
President remarked that never before had three members of the Condé
family honoured the House of Peers at the same time. This, alas! was
not for long; for we now approach that fateful year 1789, and the
horrors of the French Revolution.
In July of that year, late in the evening, an adjutant of the Prince de
Condé arrived breathless at the Château, bringing tidings of the
terrible events which had just occurred in Paris. He told how a bullet
aimed at the Royal carriage had killed a woman standing near; and how
the King had been applauded when he appeared on the balcony bearing a
"_cocarde tricolore_." On hearing this, the three Princes de Condé
accompanied by Princess Louise departed next day for Versailles. Their
advice to Louis XVI was "not to yield"--advice which the King was loth
to follow. The three Condés, seeing that they could not prevail upon him
to remain firm, determined to quit France so as to be able themselves to
remain true to their Royalist principles. In taking leave of the King,
Louis Joseph said that he would endeavour to serve the Monarchy abroad,
since he could no longer serve it in France.
[Illustration: PLATE XVII.
LOUIS JOSEPH DE BOURBON, PRINCE DE CONDE.
_Musée Condé._
Madame de Tott.]
The three Princes returned to Chantilly for one day only, and then left
France for Germany. The youngest, the Duc d'Enghien, was destined never
to see his ancestral home again. It must have been a touching spectacle
to see the old Prince de Condé, accompanied by his daughter, his son the
Duc de Bourbon, and his grandson the Duc d'Enghien, leaving the
sumptuous abode of their ancestors, so full of glorious memories. The
Comte d'Artois--afterwards Charles X--followed their example; and
numerous French officers volunteered to make common cause with Prince
Louis Joseph de Condé, whose name was associated so closely with the
glories of France.
There still exists a history of Condé's army written by Bittard des
Portes, wherein is related in detail the courage and fortitude with
which these French _emigrés_ endured their great privations. The
Austrian General Würsmer, we are told, was deeply moved at the sight of
Condé's regiment, which he styled "_la vielle France militaire_"; and
Napoleon, in his _Memoirs_, when speaking of the Condés and their army
abroad, wrote: "_La France donna la mort à leur action, mais des larmes
à leur courage. Tout dévoûment est héroïque_."