Star.
London, England, 1829-11-13 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARY FREAKS OF A CONDE.

FROM AN UNPUBLISHED PORTION OF THE MEMOIRES
DE RICHELIEU.
When the Prince de Conde went to preside at the As- •
sembly of the States of Burgundy, he took it into his head that he
was transformed into a hare ; and orders were issued to prohibit
the tinging of bells, because on hearing them, his Royal Highness
•could scarcely be prevented from running into the woods. At one
time he fancied himself a plant, and having stationed himself in
the little garden of the Hotel de Conde, he directed one of his
. pages, bl. de Plainville, to water bim! kl. de Plainville, however,
thinking it advisable to evade this singular ceder, laid down the
two watering pots, which he had filled, and Bed to hide himself
in the Hotel. At this time the Prince was furiously enraged; but •
after a little time the whim sway, and he forgot the trick
that his page bad him. :Iceixt extraordinary fancy, wa to
think himself dead. He then said be had no need of food ; and
he would probably have died of starvation, had not the fal-
lowing plan been devised to induce him to eat. Girard, one
of his valets de cbambre, whose son afterwards became the Dyke 's
secretary, and Rickard, another confidential servant, dressed them-
selves in clothes'Used for the dead, and.presented theniseives to the
Prince, one pretending to be 'the late Marshal. de Latiembourg,
and the other bit grandfather. After %lone conversation on the
realms of death,whence they pretended to have just arrived,
Mbegged the Prince would accompany 'them to dlite with
arshal Tvretine.' He was surprised at the iwopeeltion, and
replied that he wai"not 'aware thle dead ever eat dinners. But
Wing been assured of the contrary, be accompanied his supposed
*Wore to one of ibp.vaulta of the Hotel de Conde, where he found
atieflecf. of hikservactsida .witiding sheet, Peisonating MAMA ru-
mp!. "Tie wh:di part); table'and ;ate a 'very,. hearty
dinner; "ce ..01.1 served be' dotiesticit all tubbed. in the
livery of the vatic: While' this hailicination continued, the
Prince regularly took. his meal; itr.the vault, and as regularly
.received imitations Irene all' 'the, illustrious.‘'deteased of
his acquaintance. 'AV 'titer* often 'imagined himuelf—turn-
ed to a 'hat; and. When this fit wan upon him be weed to retire
to *cabinet, which he had ;completely hung with cloth through the
hpr that if be.tepiamed lq.bis chamber, he 'should strike his heed
...sabot fhq walls or Ceiling. Shortly after this he gradually wasted
away. and it 'etias tcrafillsollt him that he. could not long
' surviie. The' 'Print-Ali; whois very de(rnut,requested that M. de LI
Chetardie, the Cqre of St. Solpice, wopid contrive some mans of
...larlogipg him tqConfitedon; she air directed Mademoiselle &Man-
ilpgrier del..ingetop; one maid. tirtagar.,'wbo bid' great
jpgitetice over the tirtiti 'Pride*: til 'peek ttalduireiwtke Nib-
lick. All thil seethed to mike's great impeession whim. -.About
I* o'clock nolovimer afternoen,he ordered one of the yalerts;to
got joge,ikfaafrf. ytas jeer:ail told' that he had kairlageself Isis
rifniedib male use twat, int' the servant sea Obliged
inlets hito which he he steppe& tathereilibblip eleriseds in
•'a large surtout. He seciitl, 'forbade Nal of 'hie rviots 114isitIold
him, especially Chiron, who was much attacked to. 114., the