The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-11-22

MADAME DE LAFAYETTE.

most brilliant of worlds, when the revolu
ton of 1889 broke ont. Her father-in- lay
and her husband emigrated, and she follow
ed them. The tableau of her life is onl.
the history of long sufferings, which sh'
endured with admirable courage. Thi
touching recital has just received compile
meDt still more interesting, in n life O.
Nine. de Lafayette, the sister of Mime. d.
Montagu, preceded by o memoir of theil
mother, the Duchesse d'Ayen. To increase
herself the memoir of her mother, and hel
own history has been written by her daugh-
ter, Nine. de Lasteyrie. Never was there
family SO fruitful in heroic women, sa-
credly devoted to their duties and tried by
the most terrible misfOrtunes. The dis
tinction conferred by rank and the lustre
of glory enhance these recollections, but if
it were not n question of such great names,
SO many graccs and virtues would suffice
to inspire astOnishment, respect, and ad /,
miratiOn. I
The life of the Duclcsse d'Ayen was for
n long time unmarked by n,auy events n he
birth of her five daughters, their etlucWion,
their first communion, thci: mari ~, the
birth of her grandchildren, the sic>ntss and
death of her neiglhors-,!,csc were ALL
She cared little for the world, and was not
very happy as :, wife. 'My father" said
delicately Nine: &c Lafayette, whose at
tachment showed itself cil every uccas ion
when he felt IA ANY 80 ,;,..cs ) &c: ,cr,
and whose just confidence, founded on mu-
tual esteem, was visible every time that
there was u question between them of any
great interests, especially of ours, lived.
however, little mt home! Perhaps my mo-
Their had in their early youth let a young
man (the Due d'Ayen1 Was younger th:n-his
wife) perceive too clearly Tic superiority
of her reason perhaps she had neg elected
too much the means of pleasing; at least
she reproachcd herself with having done so.
Her tenderness only concentrated itself with
the more vivacity on her children. The
eldest of her daughters married the Ficomte
de Noailles, her cousin the second, the
Marquis de Lafayette; the third, the vi
comte de Thesan; the fourth, the Marquis
de Montagu; and the last, the Marquis de
Grammont. She had had !; son, but she
had lost linn in the cradle. She had, be-
Nine. Thesan, who died in 1888. Her life
was full OF sadness, butit was also full of
joy, through her piety, her charity, the |
and solidity of her mind, the
attachment which her daughters
showed for her, and the strong affection
which united them.
Her last years were troubled by the po-
litical agitations which were to have for
her so horrible an end. Two Of her sons I
in-law, NM. De Lafayette and De Noailles,
had embraced the cause of the new ideas.
She saw them both fighting for the eman-
part in the acts of the constituent assem-
bly,. While Lafayette accepted the COM
mand of the National Guard, and proposed
the declaration of rights, the Vicomte de
Noailles was the principal promoter of the
celebrated acts of the night of the 18th Au-
gust. She first approved of their opinions
md their conduct, but she ended by be-
coming uneasy and afflicted at them. She
saw all the events of the revolution unroll
During the day of the 10th
August, she had to trcmblc for her hus-
Dand, who, in his quality of Captain of the I
md who escaped death by Il miracle She
saw al the members of her family fugitives
IT prisoners, and remained alone ut Paris
With her mothcr-in-la the Old MARKETABLE;
md her eldest ushtcr, the Vicontcsse de
Noaillcs, who had three young children
She was forced to sell her diamonds in or I
Ter to live. She saw the .iud gmcnt and the /;
Execution of the king, the queen, and the !
bloody Reign of Ter!Qr. She was arrested {
With her daughter and her mother in law {
n the month of May, 1894, and imprisoned ,
n the Luxembourg, where she found the {
)uchesse dOrlcans, the mother of Louis l
Philippe and grand daughter of the Comte {
lie Toulouse, who had married Il sister of {
he grandfather of the Due d'Ayen. She
ppeared before the revolutionary tribunal |
i've days only before the 9th Thermidor. {
This memoir terminates with the most {
dmlraple page when feilSlon has ever in
pired. We had already read by fragments; '
n the History of Mime. de Montagu, the &
ecital of the last moments of the Marechale e
e Noailles; of the Duchesse d'Ayen and of l
he ViComtesse dc Noailles, executed all Il
hree ON the same day. We have the reel q
al quite complete, and it well deserves that f
one of it should be lost. 1t was written
y priest of the Oratory, the Able Carri- ?
hon, the cOnfessor of the Duchesse d'Ayen q
nd of her daughter. One day that he was
his penitents to prepare for death,
c said To them: off you go to the guillo.iur, !.
nd if God gives me strength, will accom-
any you there" They took him at his t
ord, and cried out with vivacty, "Will Il
ou- promise usY eyes," he answered, II
and in order that you may recognize me. b
SNnl hive Il hlnn cont and II nd n.n.t