Smyrna times., 1857-12-10
Interesting Sketch.
ROMANTIC BREACH OF PROMISE.

In Io3S, when France happened to be at
peace, and nothing was talked Of at Court.
say the memoir writers, but festivals, tourna-
Iaents, carnlvals, masquerades, and so forth,
cne incident occurred to supply the town-folks
with talk This WAS no other than the action
Tor breach OF promise Of marriage, broug by
the Marquis Jehan- Logs of Saluces, against
Madame Ph!lippes de Montespedon, widow of
Marshal Montc-Jan, who had been governing
Piedmont. Some Of the details of this case
are singular enough TO deserve narrative on
'helr own account; others are amusing, chiefly
because OF their odd similarity with sentimental
passages IN the lives of our own country-folks.
from time 10 time revealed to US in courts of
law.
Marshal Monte Jan died in Piedmont leay-
ing no children. Ills wife was instantly be.
sleged with offers of marriage by various great
lords OF that state-a circumstance at which
we are requested by the chroniclcrs "not to
marvel For, Madame Phlippes was very
respectable and virtuous lady, adorned with
great beauty, and in the flower of her youth:
she possessed, moreover, in addition to all these
projections, sixty thousand livres of revenue in
her own right, besides considerable expecta-
Tons. First among the suitors, who followed
SO closely on the funeral, was the aboye-men-
toned Marquis Of Saluces, who seems to have
been foolish fellow, and who was certainly
most scandalously treated. The narrator was
on the lady's side, but he naively states yery
damaging facts. Madame Phillippes feigned to
accept the Marquiss service, because it would
De convenient to make use of his escort on
Inc way back to France, whittier he was going |
Oy express order of the king. Despite of her
riches, the fair widow seems to have been acc- /
dentally without ready cash. She allowed her
suItor to pay her expenses all the way from
Turin to Paris; and these expenses were by no
means light. All the household of her late
husband, besides her own, accompanied her.
The marquis thought he had the game in his
own hands, and assumed the tone of a master
by pation-intimated that the gentlemen,
servants, and officers of the deceased, should
be dismissed, item half those of the lady her.
self, especially the women-for she had besides
danes and demoiselles, femmes de chambre,
and others for different kinds of work, as many
as fifteen or sixteen. But Madame Phlippes
was so prudent that she never it is alleged, al
lowed word to escape that would bind her
and yet so clever that she obtained all the as
sistance she wanted. r
The marquis, as soon as they got upon
French ground, had ordered Ntalian that he
was) all his people TO be on the watch to pre-
vent any communication being brought from a
rival; for, he did not doubt that such rare
pearl would be eagerly sought after. Yet, in
spite Of all precautions, soon the party ar
rived at Lyons, courier came from Nj. de
Vieilleville, a, relative of the lady, and deliv-
cred his letters so secretly that no one ever
suspected their existence. These letters con.
tanned the information that the court had heard
of the proposed marriage with the Marquis of
Sauces, and believed the couple were coming
60 Paris for tbe wedding. The news had much
pleased the king, because he had always heard
that love bound man to country more than
apythiags aud thought that the marquis, having
become a Frenchman by this alliance, would be
more faithful ever afterwards. This was a
seutinentality not TO have been expected from
Francis the First. However, said the cores.
pondenf, /" think you are going to marry more
for the good of your own country than your
own good-if what hear be true; but can
not yet belieyeit; forit is not likely that you
would, after, having been 50 happy 10 yourr6rsl
marriage, enter on another SO hurriedly with
out even warnieg your friends" asr8 1aIA I.
Madame de Monte,Jan inreply, wrote very
CHARACTERISTIC letter. Among other things. she
said :'iHI would rather die than do anything
na8t. .3si5,ila. -f..3saas a.ae.0 -.e