The Sun.
London, England, 1848-09-12 00:00:00

TUESDA Y

LITERAT URE.
REMINISCENCES OF PRINCE TALLE Y-
RAND. 2 Vols. Ey M. Colmache.
Very recently we noticed the publication of a bio-
graphical work on the Moloch of the Revolution.—
Honore Gabriel, the Count de Mirabeau. We have
now to comment upon the appearance of a biogra-
phical work upon the Belial of that same Revolution
—Charles Maurice, the Prince Talleyrand. Other-
wise than that both productions are printed in two
volumes octavo, and that they illustrate the modern
history of France by the memorials of two extra-
ordinary men, no books could scarcely exhibit more
striking dissimilarities. One was as repulsive in
manner as the other is fascinating; one was a record
of debaucheries, the other is a collection of witticisms;
one breathed of the dungeon and the brothel, the
other is redolent of the boudoir and the drawing-
room. It is true that in some particulars there was
a resemblance between the incongruous character of
Mirabeau and Talleyrand. They were both of
ancient blood and noble families, they were
both tutored by the infidel philosophy of
Voltaire, and both intoxicated in some measure
by the seductive aspirations of Rousseau—that Rous-
,,eau who has been christened by Lamartine, " the
philosopher of love and the poet of politics." They
were colaborateurs with the Abbe Cerutti in the con-
duct of the Feuille Villageoise. They were both
treated with unnatural brutality by their parents—
Mirabeau by his father, because of his ugliness ; Tal-
leyrand by his mother, because of his lameness. They
were each of them nicknamed by an opprobrious
soubriquet Mirabeau was the Monster, Talley-
rand was the Diable Boiteux. The career of the one
was marked by an astonishing variation of titles—
one while it was Peter Buffiere, another
Count Beaumont, another St. Mathieu, another
M. Gabriel, another Count Mirabeau. The career
of the other was in like manner rendered re-
markable—now it was M. de Perigord, now the
young Abbe, now the Bishop of Autun, now Citizen
Talleyrand, now the Prince de Beneventum, now
again Prince Talleyrand. Both occupied a conspi-
cuous position in the events which made
France the wonder of the nations and the
scourge of Europe ; and both died upon
their beds after receiving from their respective sove-
reigns tokens of an almost reverential solicitude.
Louis XVI. caused messengers to carry intelligence
of the progress of Mirabeau's disease -from the resi-
dence of the dying orator to the palace of the
Tuileries, while Louis Philippe in person proceeded
from the Tuileries to the Hotel Talleyrand for the
purpose of paying a last homage to the veteran diplo-
matist. Here the superficial congruity terminates,
and the antithesis begins. Mirabeau was one of the
greatest orators who ever moved the hearts of millions
with the sound of a human voice. Talleyrand, on the
contrary, had no pretensions to eloquence, and even
in the ordinary powers of debating scarcely rose
above mediocrity. Mirabeau was all impetuosity,
Talleyrand all premeditation. Mirabeau was enthu-
siasm itself, Talleyrand the very incarnation of phleg-
matic frigidity. Mirabeau bad a daring greater than
that of Denton and St. Just combined,
whereas the guile of Talleyrand surpassed
the craft of 011ivier and the calculation
of Machiavelli. If any more powerful token could be
desired as to the actual oppositeness of their intellects
and their dispositions, it might be found in the bare
outline of the facts which form the basis of their
biographies. Mirabeau was all candour, all openness,
all courage, all generosity—his mind never dreamt of
conciliating by flattery, his patriotism never dwindled
into selfishness, his valour never admitted of decep-
tion, his whole nature revolted from time-serving, his
genius was altogether too splendid to be blackened by
ingratitude. Such was not Talleyrand. With him
everything was deceit, reservation, cunning, mean-
ness, and egotism ; expediency became the watchword
of his life; self-aggrandizement was the beacon of his
fortunes ; and before the one indomitable idol SELF
everything—friendship, old affections, loyalty,
oaths sworn upon the Gospel and ratified by
the kiss of an anointed hand—were deemed
as little worthier than a heap of barley-husks, to be
blown away by the breath of his nostrils, or trodden
into the dust under his ignoble feet. In this respect
he has no parallel, if we except a man now living,
who, with a plastic allegiance, has successively de-
livered in the assurances of his homage and fealty to
the bloody Triumvirate of Terror, to the Directory,
to the Consulate, to the Emperor Napoleon, to
Louis XVIII , to Charles X., to Louis Philippe, to
the moderate Republicans of February, and as he
would infallibly do to-morrow towards the Red Re-
volutionists, supposing Ledru Rollin were raised to
the Presidentship, and the guillotine again erected on
the Place de Greve. Is it very difficult to conjecture
the man we allude to as a worthy companion of the
time-serving Talleyrand ? Is it impossible to
detect under our insinuation the old Marshal-
General of France, Citizen Soult, once the Duke of
Dalmatia ? To speak, however, directly as to the
present contribution towards the future biography of
Prince Talleyrand. We are informed on the title-
page that the work consists of " Reminiscences,"
edited from the papers of the late M. Colmache,
private Secretary to the Prince, by Madame Col
mache. Having read the two volumes throughout,
and having already perused very many works relat-
ing to Talleyrand, not to speak of a distinct and
laborious " Life" of the diplomatist, in four big
volumes—we may be permitted to say that the pro-
duction, edited by Madame Colmache, is rather
amusing as a romance than instructive as a history.
If we except, indeed, an appendix comprising
" Prince Talleyrand's Maxims for Seasoning Con-
versation," a fragrrientifrom his autobiography giving
his " Opinion of Fox," and selections from several
of his letters and speeches—we might describe the
work as a brilliant compilation of exceedingly im-
probable but delightful and entertaining anecdotes.
We know no book recently published that has
charmed us so thoroughly, not only in the elegant
and florid style of its composition, but also
_x
in its continuous and --sustained interest, its
vivid evidences of imagination, its humour, its grace,
its sentiment, and its pervading piquancy. The
tendency of every chapter is, of course, to elevate the
statesman in our estimation—a feat which, in our re-
spect, is as entirely hopeless as the restoration of
Humpty-Dumpty to the garden wall in the nursga
song. Of the licentious youth of the Prince nbra
word is whispered; of his heartless prevarications of
policy nothing ; of his ingratitude nothing ; of his
pliant flattery nothing. We only see Talleyrand
through the medium of these " Reminiscences" as
the wit, as the aristocratic revolutionist, as the cour-
tier, as the statesman. We will give a few examples
of the colouring of the work, and our first quotation
is the more amusing, inasmuch as it is the first re-
partee ever uttered in society by Talleyrand when
simply the Abbe de Perigord. It is his first repartee
and his only pun. We must observe, by way of pre-
liminary explanation, that the incident occur-
red at a brilliant assembly in the salons of Ma-
dame de Boissiere. Talleyrand, with the slyness
of a young collegian, had retired with Philidor, the
celebrated chess-player, to a secluded corner of the
principal drawing-room to watch the celebrities who
were present without being himself observed—when
two officers of the regiment of Royal Cravatte ap-
proached with the determination of frightening the
novices from their chairs, simply to suit their own

convenience
They advanced straight to where Philidor and his
companion were seated, and, with an insolence which
can hardly be understood in our day, but which it ap-
pears was quite the mark of high birth and fashion at
that time, began to annoy, by their loud talking and rude
behaviour, the occupants of the two seats which they
coveted. Poor Philidor, whose meekness and patience
were proverbial, soon became alarmed, and sounded a
retreat at once without parley. He rose, with a fright-
ened look at the abb6, and, remarking that the room was
so insupportably hot that he was stifled, walked away on
tiptoe, not even daring to cast a glance behind. The
Chevalier de Boufflers, one of the garnemens, immediately
seized the vacated chair, and sat upon it soldier-fashion,
astride upon the seat, with his chin resting on the back,
staring with effrontery at the young able, who, nothing
daunted, remained quietly in the same position that he
had maintained during the whole evening. He had over-
heard every word of the conversation which h ad passe
was
d
between the two friends as they approached, and
determined not to move an inch. The Royal Cravatte
stood beside the hussar, and the able was thus com-
pletely hemmed in, save on the side next the door,
through which it was the evident intention of the two
friends to make him soon vanish. Finding, however,
their intention completely defeated by the cool manner
with which it was received, the Royal Cravatte lost pa-
tience, and asked the able, with a sneer, if the heat of
the place did not incommode him, at the same time ad-
friesisnhginhgimco, owhii
et hs s
o of
th the condescending
second skindness thoi
as eferki e thhde
hraed-
already done at theira
peculiarpproac h. But
with a blandto t
his the
mannerabte
evenanswered
politeness then,
thanking the officer for his attention, but assuring him
that, being of a rather chilly nature, he preferred re •
maining in the warmer apartment. Royal Cravatte
rem awasnd y a,
and Cadet
had d e
notM o3n.
etti ginoya-t,
tnhoet r
leounpgo narrived
afrom
y
his miserable Norman drawl.
" Dites donc, mon cher abbe,' said he. Perhaps' as
you are just born, you may not yet have been to school;
you have yet to learn many things, Monsieur l'Able,
among which'— 'Pardon me,' interrupted the able,
starting up, with heightened colour and with
flashing eye,
and mimicking the lengthened nasal twang of the officer, cer,
I have been to school, and have learnt my letters,
and
know that an abbe (A B) is not made to ceder (C D),
and 'tis not your epee (E P) that can make me 6ter
(0 ,T).,
" The loud voice and insolent gesture of the officer had
caused a little knot of the assembled guests to gather
round, and this sally was received with roars of laughter.
Boufflers, who never could resist pleasantry, seemed
more diverted than any one present; and, while the dis-
comfited Royal Cravatte slunk away among the com-
pany, unable to bear the mockery VI hich the witty retort
of the able had brought upon him, Boufflers shook him
heartily by the hand, and applauded the jest with right
good will.
By way of contrast here is the description of the re-