Polynesian., 1857-02-21
EXTRAORDINARY DELUsIoN.

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We copy the following story from the London
Court JourHal:
"The utmost interest has been experienced IN
the fashionable circles all over the Continent by
the publication of the brochure of the Princess de
D. which, printed at first in small numbers
and Tor private circulation only, has gradually
spread itself throughout the aristocratc and rcl-
gous eoter7es of Europe. 1t is now exactly a year
since the young Princess Eleanore de s. in
the prime of her youth and beauty young wife,
adored by her husband and much beloved by her
family, died suddenly at the Hotel De $, in
Paris, and was buried with great pomp at Pere La
Chaise, where a splendid monument, by Lechene
recording her age, her lineage and virtues, has Just
been put up by her disconsolate husband In spite
OF the high position held by the Princess and from
her great wealth and beauty having become the
observed OF all observers, there has ALWAYS existed
an extraordinary feeling of mystery in the public
mind with regard to the circumstances of her DEATH
The sudden determination, taken immediately after
the event, by her mother-in-law, of retiring to
convent, greatly increased the doubt and wonder
spread around the whole affair; and now this PAM
phlet ISSUED to the world with the sanction of one
of the greatest names of any country, from one OH
the eve of taking the black veil, and who expresses
the same of this position as that of her death
bed, and appeals thererom for belief in the strange
statements made in the work. comes to fill US with
deeper ainaZement tnhn we can W.tll Dear. lhP
pamphlet is printed in German, the native language
of the writer, who, mother-n-law of the heroine
of the wondrous story it contains declares it to be
IN fulhllmeHt Of the VOW made TO her sons wife
that ii is now made public. The whole life of the
young Princess is here set forth. A child of i'm
mrnse ina ginalon and power, left at an early age
orphan with the consciousness of beatty and the
command Of boundleSs wealth, finding herself sud-
denly transported to her guardians old castle in
IL III. tIa.o
happiness; and here her temper and disposition grew
SO wild and untractable, that after repeated efforts
at home education, it was deemed advisable to
send her TO be trained into rule and discipline by
seclusIon in convent Just then her guardian
being appointed ambassador to Paris from the Court
of W, 1t was thought the best opportunity
for placing the child beneath the surveillance Of
the superior Of the Sacre Ceur, in the Rue de Va
rcnnes, where she could be better trained to habits
of obedience than elseu here. But, alas this first
experiment proved totally abortive. Three unsuc-
cessfu efforts at escape were followed by decided
attempt to set fire TO the furniture of her room
where she was confined; and the governess fear
ful of the effect Of such example on other pupils,
and weary of the task of tanning this Wild vehe-
ment spirit, reluctantly restored the young lady to
the care of her guardian. The position Of the lat
ter had now become most difficult To have her
in the house was impossible, as Prince Leon de
s., hs only son, youth scarcely older than
the refractory Eleanore, resided with him, and 10
throw the pair together at that early age would
have been considered by continental decorum quite
out of the question. So a oonsoif de fqDliLle was
held, and it was resolved to send the culprit, now
no longer mere child, but a fine, high-spriled
girl of fifteen, To England to complete her educa-
ton, with the hope that the conviction of being
thus alone in foreign country, dependent on her
good behavior to the kindness of those about
her, might have the desired effect The young
lady was accordingly placed at --, at Ham
mersmith, and for time the hoped for change
seemed to have taken place in her temper But
after while it appears that The bursts of violence
to which she gave way, and the fits of depression
which succeeded, became so alarming as to cause
serious fears for her health. Letter after letter
despatched to her guardian from the young lady
herself, begging to be taken into favor, declaring
that the climate of England was weighing her to
the earth, and the discipline of HlmInersmith
breaking her heart. For some time the guardian,
acting with the prudence he judged necessary, suf
fered those complaints and supplications to 20 on
but at length moved by one of the letters more
heart-rendng than the others, he allowed his anger
to be melted, and determined on fetching his ward
from the place where she declared in the strong
language she was wont TO use she was DANA ging |
both soul and body, and hurying both to eVerlast
ing perdiIion.' The Prince de s. arrived al /
Hammersmith one Sunday morning. He had re-
his ward, and she was therefore not aware of his /
intention of arriving. The lady commissioned to /
be the bearer of the news, reported TO have found
her on her knees alone in her own room praying, /
with most fearful expression of countenance, and (
on being informed of her guardians arrival, she |
had uttered a most unearthly shrek, and rushed
down stairs like one possessed. The guardian was
much pleased with her progress and Improvement,
and brought her back to Paris triumphantly, as a
specimen of the good training of the ladies' Of
There was, indeed, no token of
the old indomitable spirit left within her, She
silent and subdued, submissive to all, and only ur
gent in her supplications never to be left alone or
in the dark. She to whom religion had hitherto
been subject of derision, changed suddenly to
practices of the most exaggerated plety but always
persisted in maintaining that it was useless TO lay
any plans for her welfare for that she should die
before she was twenty-one! 'All mother could
do, says the Princess, in the extraordinary bro
chure which disclOses the story, was done by me
to eradicate this idea from the mind of our beloved
Eleanore, but the answers she always made were
Il al-Sa Ill