The Sunday herald., 1881-03-13
NEW PUBLICATIONS,
METTERSICH's MEMOIRS.

The third and fourth volumes of the
Memoirs of Prince Meternch are nearly ready by
Charles Scrihners Sons. They areqntc as Interesting
as the first two, and the only embarrassment 10 the
Journalist is To know whore to stop quoting. In
some commentaries jotted down by him upon o. Niea
RAJ book, in August, 1871, not long after the news Of
Napoleon death reached Europe, Prince Metternch
says:
Napoleon was of all men In the world the one who
most profoundly despised the human race. He had u
marvellous insight into the weaker sides of human
nature ana , i our "ss%Ms ] are e''n'r i''s lies In@ h,n
habit of telling me the most Tremendous whoppers.
always let him gn To the end and cOntented myself
when he got through with saying, "'rhat Is not So ~
lie would look steadily at me, burst out laughing, and
turn oil, saying, Sono b"9ie per F"rigini'
| are bans for the parsians.
| All may lie said in two words Napoleon very
small man OF imposing character. lie was ignorant,
AS bllruenant generally is aremaikable instinct
| supplied IN" Lack oi khowlrige. From MS mean
| opinion of men he never had any anxiety lest he
| thereby an immense step toward success. Throwing
himself upon prodgi0ls arena, heauiazed the world
and made himself master of IT, while others cannot
even get 50 far ns being masters Of their own hearth
Then he went Oh and on until he broke his neck lie
ended as he must have ended, and was Judged ns all
| those are Judged who hnd means 10 suhue the COM
| mon herd. As legitimate ruler of a small state he
would never have been heard of, except rs an arO-
| trary monarch. AS military commander In any
| country whatever, rs administrator wherever the
| storm of revolution ragged lie would always have
out strongly. In the situation in whichhe was,
he lnllst nave IlhNtu part anu Whl'l
no man of better principles could have Nentnred to
undertake.
| OF the celebrated Madame de stall, who has iusi
now been brought freshly before tile literary world by
Mr. steyens's biography, Metern'h says;
lam now reading Madame de stayls work, ".Ls'
dir JnnteS d'6rH;n II Is ful of thought, very fan
ciful but intoerablc In style, like all that this re
| markable woman writes.
How is II that woman, who says and feels all this 81
truly never for a moment doubts whether this sam,
people uhe French Is really nj for liberty fraternity
and equality? Madame de Stat resembles all par
tisans gifted with imaginaton she loves u cause, bu
not Its consequences As often she the he,
Of politics on government, or touches on any man
deeds she Is Ike person who asserts that there /
nothing more wholesome than arsenic, and who ye
gives In every page of her book most clever and exac
descriptions OF the nnspeakaDle suffering which l
before approaching death. With such one II 1
dnicult 10 argue. Napoleon has often spoken to m
OF her shedid, indeed once beg me TO obtain 10
perorate In the salons OF Paris. My head, however
does not seem 10 he so easily turned, Tor was able
withstand her without dhculty.
Ills views ab0ut novel reading given with frank
ness;
| ] have the bad habit of not going TO sleep wlthou
reading for an hour Or half an hour. generally
however read nothing which connected with my husl
ness, busy myself with scientific literature, dlscOv
cries travels, and simple narratives. Novels neve
read, unless they have become classics and thus hav
some literary value The common novel does not in
terest me; always Nnl them far beneath what con
cciye; impressive situations come before me always tO
strongly and cannot prevent myself from looking a
ihe last page-wheIe people are married or klled-l
the same time tie tite page Then nothing Is lef
but 10 say amen, and theroance for me Is lost
II the heroes OF the romance are To De admired lhey ar
no better than am myself; " they are not they an
indeed worth but little. have no need 10 learn HOY
peope express their feelings ! have always bee
AFRAID Of meeting WIN empty phrase where %de,, ny hear
"oulu nor hlu hulu, ny hcult pn'ois
entirely to me; my head does not u Is concerned I
the affairs of the world, which were never SO ia,
pnrtant for me as happiness,
| nf ola
him an opportunity of showing how much Is write
that Is supcrhuous'
In writing II very often happens that eaye on
many q verb or nOgn--a very bad habit. In m
private ohice l lave secretary Whose duty II Is I
iol Ten years he knows my thoughts but sometime
he does not succeed In guessing and then he asks
Generally take the pen out Of MS hand aud strik
useful form business one always says rather too muc
I than too little
, lie shows that Napoleon did not always throug
his adyersaIes designs, and how, when he was medI
tating universal dominion Metternlch and other me
of less brilliant but safer judgment were slowly pre-
, pairing his ultimate downfall;
4 TITS Is tho day Of the great accursed II he weI
stil ON the throne, aud he were alone IN the world,
should lie happy,
This day Twelve years ago was at one Of Napo
eOns ceFcics; lie had the notion of placing hlmseif
the head Of the army in spain, we ON our side WEI
making preparation for the war of the year In 1sOs
was openly and sharply questioned by him with rC
gard to these preparations and had the satsfaco
OF telling him several truths In the presence OF the
sembled plenipoteniaIies OF Europe. lie expected
do good stroke of business, aud II turned out that
was done by me. In the evening lie sent the Minist,
of Foreign Affairs To TO assure me of his friendsh
y and perfect satisfaction. Nothing spoils trick
n much as the bold utteTance OF truth. | would eel
talny as soon be cunning as stupid, but should pr
fer to he neither OF the twO and II God does not fO
sake me- the world VIII not have to Teproach me vii
= either one OF the other,
I OF the characteristics OF eonyersatonalIsts n
4 Prince shrewdly observes
u In my whole life have only known teu or twei
u persons With whom IL was pleasant 10 speak, G.
Who keep 10 the subject do not repeat nselyes al