The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1873-02-27
Earlv Life Of Talleyrand.

Charles Maurice de Tallsyrand- Peri
CORD, eldest son of the comte de Talley-
rand, was born in Paris in the year 1854.
The comics de Talleyrand were de-
scended from a younger branch of the
sovereign counts of Perigord, one of
the most ancient and iIlustrious fam
lies of France. The father of Charles
Maurice was soldier, his mother
lady-in-waiting at court. In the very
hour of his birth the infant was con-
signed to the care of nurse, who re-
moved him at once to her home in a
distant part of the country, where he
was reared very little differently to her
own peasant children. This was the
fashionable way of disposing of the
infantine encumbrances in those days;
their advent was a disagreeable acct
dent. which condemned the fine ladies
to months seclusion but with that
the trouble ended, the accident was
given into the hands of some peasant
nurse, and was thought of no more until
it was of an age to be trained for
soldier, or a priest, or a courtier, as the
case might be. When scarcely a twelve
month old, he was famed for life by
fall. Eleven years passed away, during
which time the fond mother had not
only never seen her offspring, but was
even ignorant Of the accident that had
befallen him. About this period his
uncle, the bailli de Talleyrand, naval
captain, returned to France after an
absence of many years. Being DESTROYS
of seeing his nephew, he made journey
to the remote village TO which the boy
had been exiled. 1t was in the depth
Of winter that he undertook this ex-
petition, and the snow lay thick upon
the ground. AS he neared the place he
met upon the road a blue-eyed, fair
haired boy, dressed like a peasant, to
whom he offered some silver to guide
him to Mother Regaut's (the nurses
n, me was Regaut.) Delighted at the
thought of the promised reward, the
boy eagerly undertook the service, but
he was very lame, and could not keep
pace with the horse, so the good-na-
tured bailli lifted him into the saddle.
His wonder and CONSERVATION may be
imagined when, upon arriving at the
cottage. he was informed that in his
poor little lame guide he saw the
nephew he had come TO seek. Not
another hour did Charles Maurice re,
main beneath that roof the bailli tool
the boy back with him to Paris. Such
was the childhood's days of the future
great European diplomatist, who was
destined thereafter to hold the destinies
Of France within his grasp.
From the village he was transplanted
60 the College D'Harcourt, where al
IGNORANT as he was when he entered it.
| he soon carried away the first prizes
and became ultimately one of its most
distinguished scholars. His mother
now paid him an occasional visit, but as
she was always accompanied by a sur
peon. who pulled and cauterized, an6
tortured the boys leg, her visits were
more terrible than pleasing. But al
the pulling and cauterizing, and to-
turing effected no good-the lamenesi
was incurable. The head of the hous,
of Talleyrand must be soIdier-sucl
was the tradition of the family, and i
had never yet been departed from.
cripple could not be soldier. 1t wa
announced to him that his birthrigh
would be transferred to his younge
brother.
"Why SOP" asked the boy.
Because you are a cripple" was tn,
cruel answer
Whatever of good might have existe'
in his original nature those word
crushed ont the flavor of their bitter
ness fingered in his heart unto the las
DAYS of his life. From the hour il
which they were spoken his disposition
gradually changed he became taciturn
callous, aud calculating; eynic,
heartless debauchee, sparing neithe
man nor woman that stood in the pat
of his interest or his pleasure. He ma,
not been spared, why should he spar
others? 1t was not for nothing he earn
cd thereafter the title of lie diabl
, hoiteux