The Sun.
London, England, 1866-03-22 00:00:00

"HIS EXCELLENCY PRINCE TALLEYRAND

Presently there slowly entered the saloon a stout old
man, with long white hair, walking with a perceptible halt
in his gait, while his broad chest, his massive chin half-
buried in the folds of an enormous neck-cloth, and his
wide shoulders indicated the extraordinary physical
strength that must have once characterised his stooping,
shambling, ungainly figure.
It was natural that decay should show itself in his
bodily powers. It was between fifty and sixty years since
he had attended the coronation of Louis XVI. as the Abb6
de Perigord ; it was 52 years since he had held the ec3lesi-
astical rank of Bishop of Autan ; it was nearly 40 years
since he had ceased to be a prel9te, and became an ambas-
sador to the Court of England, since he had saved the head
his mitre had placed in jeopardy during the horrors of the
French Revolution, and visited England for the second
time. It was more than thirty years since he had been
nominated Foreign Minister under the Directory, and sub-
sequently gaining the favour of Buonaparte, had become
his principal diplomatist and adviser in questions of foreign
policy. It was twenty-three years since he had been raised
by Napoleon to the dignity of Prince of Benevento ; it
was sixteen years since ho had represented the reduced
authority of Louis XVIII. at the Congress of Vienna ; and

now this marvellous old -man at three score and sixteen

possessed power enough to settle another branch of
the Bourbons on the throne of France, and had come
to represent his august master " the King of the Barri..
cades" at the Court of the most friendly and the most
dreaded of his allies.

Looking at his mild, stolid physiognomy, as ho slowly
approached his hostess in an unassuming ordinary morn-
ing costume, hat in one hand and stick in the other,
bending as if through courtesy rather than infirmity,
who could believe that he had survived two sanguinary
revolutions, and had been an influential agent in both
—had been the friend of Mirabeau and the colleague of
Fouchol, and the principal supporter of the Republic, the
the Empire, the restored Monarchy—of a second Republic
and of a second restoration, with a new sovereign " elected
by the people ?'
I shall spare the reader a description of the greetings

that passed between Lady B. and her illustrious visitor.
He will be so good as to imagine them seated in the
fauteuils opposite each other, the gentleman leaning on his
stick, and turning his peering eyes, that lay half concealed
under a pair of shaggy white eyebrows, listlessly here and
there, repeating the ordinary small courtesies no well-
bred Frenchman omits when coming into the presence
of a lady ; apparently giving no attention to anything
whatever, yet taking in at a glance the glass room in
which ho had found himself, and the purpose for which
it must have been erected. Involuntarily he drew the
thick lips of his large mouth closer together, sunk his big
chin into his capacious cravat, and looked with an air of
intense simplicity into the fair face of his elaborately got-
up hostess.
Lady B. had paused in the delivery of her civil nothings.
In fancy, perhaps, she was dealing out the cards for the
interesting game she was bent on playing. If so, this was
soon accomplished. She presently placed her hands on
her lap, in a way that disclosed to view the beauties of her
taper fingers. Her companion did not take any notice—at
least, did not seem to do so Lady B. cleared her throat ;
she was evidently going to speak—that is, to play—and
Isotaokkeed, like Her
ecompanion,ie
one aboutwhom I my
to comm commence playing for a great
e as
well call her ad-
versary, seemed to divine that something was coming. On
the shrivelled parchment that did duty for his face, a set
of wrinkles followed each other from. the top of his forehead
to the roots of his shaggy eyebrows, and a fitful smile
came out of the corners of his twinkling eyes, and played
about the curve of his heavy mouth.
" Prince," said Lady B. in a stage whisper, "now do
tell me what you think of the Balance of Power ?"
ltywlaosokaod perplexed,
question that
reqteiresdudcdoennsl
though only in a slight degree.
"The Balance of Power," he repeated deliberately, as
yt d
el
roaotki
ee
ad. t h
no ueg hptrfeu:o;ll
though to himself—" what should I think about it ? Par-
don ! I do not take the interest in such things I did
when I was more fond of amusement."
Lady B. opened her blue eyes very wide.
" The stage is a delightful gratification," continued her
companion iu the same tone, and with the same manner,
"especially with your Shakspeare and your Sheridan."
" Shakspeare and Sheridan !" exclaimed her ladyship in
amazement.
" Ah! I know Monsieur Sheridan When I was here with
Chauvelin, and since," observed Ole old man.
The lady looked at him attentively, but the face be-
' fore her was not much more expressive than that of a
• large cod-fish. " What can your Excellency mean ?" she
' inquired.
" Pardon ! the Balance of Power. Did you not ask my
opinion?" he demanded in his turn.
' " Certainly, Prince."
" Then, my lady, I say I see your favourite comedian