The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-06-02
Prince Talleyrand.
A chequsred career---A Great DIptoHa-
.tIst---SpseInaUns of his Wit.


.tIst---Spseinsns of his Wit.
1t has been TRULY said that next
! Napoleon Bonaparte, by far the mos
: extraordinary man OF the French ReyC
: luton was Talleyrand. He was Dor
In january, 1854, and died in Mo!
1888, in his eighty-ffth year. He WI
the Oldest son OF noble family, bt
/ meeting with M accident, when he va
q boy, which lamed him for life, he "
thereby rendered unfit for military ~ h;
vice, and was obliged to renoFotIet,
. birthright in favor Of his nea I'D get
and, at once to get rid oidelned to
, him out Of the way, wa'
, become n clergyman. air. years OLD
> When only tweoirted Bisnop Oh
Talleyrand was IonI Of Parisan So
' Autun. but. bottom visit his diocese,
ciety aid n.fed and sixty miles dis
oyer one ] the Revolution broke out,
/, tant U took part with tho move
+ in 17Grty, because lie saw 1t vas the
metest, became IN active member Of
. National Assembly, resigned his
,Jishopric, and at last, some tliontlis be.
fore Louis XVI was guillotined, retired
to England for q year or TIVE, and finally
reached the United States; what little
money in his possession being obtained
from the sale Of his library. This was
n poor lookout for m ambitious man,
fond Of luxurious living and gay so.
ciety, and only fOrty.two years old. He
chiefly resided in Philadelphia. In
some eighteen months, after tho fall OF
Robespierre and the close OF the Reign
OF Terror, he returned to PariS-in
From that time Talleyrand filled tho
highest stations, at homo or abroad, in
the service Of his country, except dur.
the reign Of the restored Bourbons,
who seem to have dreaded the ability
OF this astute diplomAtist. His holding
Office under so many changes and chiefs
has been charged against his political
character. II was said that, on taking
the oath OF allegiance TO Louis
Philippe, in 1880, he was heard tomut'
ter: "This Is the thirteenth Of these
oaths that I have swora." The JacI
was true, but Talleyrand, Of oil men,
was the least likely 70 speak Of II.
It was Talleyrand, and none other,
who, in 1880, on thei accession OF tho
Duke OF Orleans TO the crown Of France,
negotiated that treaty Of amity 1.-THE
enfonto cordiate) between France and
England which has subsistel, amid
various changes, to the present day.
TO Talleyrand has been attributed
the well.known saying that "Languagt
was given to man to enable him to ccn
ceal his thoughts" But before Talley
rand was born, Doctor Edward Young
had written this couplet:
"whcre NaturO's end OF Language is declined
Aud men talk only to conceal tho mind
And the germ of this thought is to b,
found in the writings OF Bishop Jerem!
Taylor and Lloyd, Smith, Butler ant
Goldsmith also used it.
Among other sayings oil TallCyrand'
is: at Is the beginning Of tho end /;
bnt this occurs in Shakespeare's "Mid
summer Nights Dream" where VI
hnd:
"ro show our simple skill
That Is the true beginning Of the end"
Like Byron, who was an avowe
picker.up Of unconsiderel triaes, when
ever Talteyrand found good though
or a happy expression, he lidnot scrupl
to adopt and use it, mostly MproVin
II.
Talleyrand's brother wrote memo
randum for Mr.. Fournier, to the etfeC
that tho only book he used, in the fort
years after his return from Americf
was "L'Improvisateur Francais,"
compilation Of anecdotes and ton-n'ot'
in twenty.one pocket volumes.
Nevertheless, Talleyrand was gent
inc wit-keen, ready and inventive
Here are few specimens OF his rapi
utterances in this line: Rutllieres, u
celebrated author OF work on Il
Polish Revolution once said:
"I never did but one misehieyo'
+ thing in my life.
"And when will it end?' was Tale
rand's reply.
j
; said person, in great agony, who
, life had been somewhat OF the loose
, "Alreadv2" was the suggestive
, quiry OF the wit. =,
, To him, 70 doubt, It came original
but the Cardinal de Retz's physician
recorded rs having made similar
/ clamation on like occasion.
} "Isn't Geneva dullP" asked o frier
! "Especially when they amuse the
i selyes,h said Talleyrand, which v
! initiated not long since by the late
. George Cornwall Lewis, when he wrt
: that "life would be very tolerable, IL
I were not for its amusements.
! When Madame de Stael published
/ novel entitled "Delphine," she was
/ ported to haye painted herself in 7
!. person Of the heroine, and NJ. Tall
/. rand US that OF mn elderly lady, who
0 one Of the principal characters.
!. "They tell me-" he said, tho n,
z time he met her, "that both Of us
8 in your novel, in the disguise
THAT remark, however, might HI
been elaborated beforehand. Anotl
"she isinsupportable /" he said, "
marked emphasis; but as II he i
o gone too far, and to take of somethi
!. Of what he had laid on, lie added;
E Is her only defect"
Asked whether certain authore
|, whom he had known long since,
Q who belonged TO the last age, was no
o "littlo tiresome 7" he answered:
i. "Not at all; she was perfectly ii
j. some" U.
o A gentleman in company was one I
!. making somewhat jealous eulogy
y his mothers beauty, dwelling upon