Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1872-07-10
TALLEYRAND AND ARNOLD.


There was q day when Talleyrand
arrived in Hayre, hot foot from Paris.
I 1t was the darkest hour of the French
4 Revolution. Pursued by the blood
Z hounds of the Reign of Terror.
stripped Of every vestige of power OF
] property, he secured 3 passage to
America in q ship about to sail. He
was going q wanderer to q strange
land, to earn bis bread by labor.
SIS there an. American staying at
your house ?'i he asked the landlord
/ OF the hotel. ~ am bound across the
water, and would like letter to q
person Of influence in the new world. ,
The landlord hesitated . moment
and then replied .Thefs is a gentle
man ND stairs who is eitheKan Amer
lean or an Englishman, but which I
cannot tell" ,,...5 s-..l .tn,r r. 5r.-lt
He pointed the way, and Talleyrand
who IN life was Bishop, Prince and
Prime Minister ascended the stairs.
A miserable suppiicant, he stood at
the strangers door-knocked and en-
teredl1auii-zllc Il4tl lGpe 9df '.ii-
In the far corner ofia dimly Lighted
room, sat man Of some fifty years,
his arms folded, and his head bowed
on his breast. From q window
directly opposite q food Of light
poured over his forehead. His ewes
gaEed in Talleyrandls face from be-
meath his deWneast brOWs with a
peculiar and searching expression.
His face was striking IN Its outline;
the mouth and chin indicative of an
iron viii; his form, vigorous even
with the SHOWS Of fifty winters, was
clad In rich and distinguished COS
tune. tr .--.u.as- r~- -gfr,.-I=llrl 81
Talleyrand advanced : confessed
that he was fugitive-and that, un-
der the impression that the gentle-
man before him was an American, he
solicited his kind and feeling offices.
He poured forth his history in elo-
quent French and broken English:
81 am a Wanderer-an exile. / am
forced to fiy to the New World, with
out a friend or hope. You are an
AmeFiean.a Give me, then, I beseech
you, q letter, thataI may be able to
earn my bread am willing to toll
IN any manner-the scenes in Paris
have filed me with such horror, that
q life of labor would be Paradise to
a career Of luxury N France. You
will give me 3 letter to one of your
friends. A gentleman like you has,
doubtless, many friends. .n,olf t1--1i l-i
The strange gentleman rose. With
a look that Talleyrand never forgot,
he retreated towards the door of the
next chamber, his head still downcast,
his eyes stiIf looking from behind his
darkened brow. BE spoke IS he re-
treated backwards, and his voice was
full OF meaning :--a .5ssrelT yiiEs-a bel
% ''I am the only man born in the
New World who can raise his hands
to God, and say:-'I have not
single friend, not one, in all Ameri-
ca. 40
TaIleyrand never forgot the over
Whelming sadness OF. the look which
accompanied these words ff
ui "Nho are yop2n he cried, IS the
strange man Tetreated towards the
next door "YOur nameR
my name,p said he, with q smile
which had more of mOckery than of
Joy in its eonvulsive expression, "my
name Is Benedict Arnold 20
He was gone. Telleyrand sank in
chair, gasping the words -
Arnold, the traitor q
Thus he wandered over the earth
another Cain, with amurdeTer's mark
upon bis brow. The last twenty years
of his life are covered with eloCd,
from whose darkness but few CLEANS
of light flash out upon the page Of
history. 81 .D' - --