New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-02-12


of omen and unrestrained flattery When Voltaire
came to Paris to die, he received Madame with the
utmost politeness, but he appeared detected ana
broken down.
When the Duke of Orleans died, the Duke OF
Chartres reigned in his stead and with his iitIe'
Nothing else changed, and Madame went on Win
her pupils rs usual and with the writing OF many
books now forgotten. There is in this part OF the
work one of the liveliest accounts which have
ever seen of the monks of La Trappe. The best
which she says of them is that they were revered
ana beloved by the neighboring peasantry. An
other curiors fact is that there was mol single
looking glass at La Tr3ppe many OF the brethren
had forgotten their own faces. | wonder II the
same thing could be truly said of any nunnery
which ever existed.
But we must be getting on little faster.
Madame viewed with inexprcss bic satisfaction the
destruction of the Bastile. not precisely seeing
what was TO come of il. She took her royal pupils
Louis Philippe among the rest to the club OF the
Cordeliers not seeing any better what was to como
of that either. She made also the acquaintance OF
Madame Necker and of her daughter, DE Stael.
The former was a calm. reserved person. without
any fancy" Mademoiselle was not pretty but
animated, and though she spoke n great deal 100
much, she spoke clevcrly.' NJ. Necker had short,
stout vulgar face, ostentatious, pretentions ana
vain.
During her stay in England, of which so much
has been written that it hardly necessary to write
much more Madame de Genlis saw all the distin-
guished people. She bears testimony to the con-
versational powers of Wilkes and Miss Wilkes. his
daughter who was very plain, very clever, and
spoke many languages" But Madame glad
enough to get back to Paris, and away from the
English drama, which she found indecent. Horace
WalpOle gave her a breakfast, and one WI uld have
liked to listen to the talk, possibly about old
Madame du Defiant.
| am obliged to pass over so much of this work as
relates to the French Revolution and the part taken
in II by the Orleans family. So, too. i must omit
the story of Pamela. but 1t is pretty well knowD.
After nine years If expatriaton, Madame de Genlls
returned to France in 1892. She does not attempt
to paint the emotions which she experienced IN
again passing the frontier fer which am much
obliged to her. At Paris everything seemed new to
her. The names of hotel and palace lad been sup
pressed Upon the walls were still written: Lib
erty Fraternity or Death" The cOntscated car
rages of her old friends running in the streets
as hackney coaches On the bookstalls were vol
umes which bore their sides the coats-ofarmS of
many persons OF her acquaintance and in the shops
their portraits exhibited for SALE the originals
having long ago been guillotined In society
women hated all kinds of witty interesting con-
talk. The old manners gone; all was vulgar
and inspid Even the language was changed and
many very bad forms of speech had been intro
duced. Madame, like true schOolmistress. laments
over this, giving various frightful examples,
through many pages. SupDers had gone out OF
fashion: and sedan chairs had been suppressed. 1t
was by means the Paris from which Madame de
Gens so long ago had fled. No wonder she betook
herself to the consolation of publishing book after
book with the greatest fecundty. Napoleon. then
First Consul, treated her with consideration, in
accordance with his policy of cOnciliating the
ancien regime He was always fond of receiving
reports it a part of the spy system which he
loved so we'll She sent him letters once fort
night on politics. finances, literature and morals
as well rs on any other subjects that might occur to
her" Talleyrand told Madame de Genlls that the
First Consul esteemed her letters highly; | am not
sure that he read them through, or read some of
them at all. Poor woman! She says: " 1t is not
my fault if the First Consul did not become re-
ligious." But he not of the stuff OF which con-
verts are made: and the specimens of her letters
which she gives do not encourage the hope that
they much softened the great mans heart She
does not say So but have no doubt he stopped the
supply of these epstes as he did those OF Barcre.
The BourbODs were restored; Madame en-
prac ed once more her old pupils; the short JOY
soon over; the Hundred Days ensued; and Madame
during that period seems to have regarded the En-
Deror with much complacency. He did not how
ever, restore her pension.
In 1920 Madame de Gens informs that she
was very much in fashion" Perhaps that is why
the memoirs grow duller and duller. The new
books are manufactured and published at fragment
intervals, and Madame gives altogether too
many of her reflections on matters and things in
general 1t is a satisfaction to learn that many of
the learned lady's manuscripts were lost, and we
by no means share in her great sorrOw over the
fact. The eight volumes of the Memoirs might
otherwise have been sixteen, for there never was
such mistress of the art of padding. There is even
an ANALYSIS of Buffers Analogy" Madame dc Genlis
tells US that when she put ont the prospectus of her
Memoirs it received the unanimous appreciation of
the French public, the alert for fresh con-
fdences. Lovers of scandal must have been disap-
pointed for there is surprisingly little malice in the
book But there is story of a certain Countess
Amelie de Boullers who had formerly lived in great
grandure. At the age of seyenty-six she was resid
ing in little wretcned room the fifth floor of
house opposite her former splendid mansion. She
asked assistance from one though she had only
an income of fifteen hundred francs for the support
of herself and two old servants who still ~ ng to
her fortunes, though she pressed them to leave her,
saying: " i very well die by myself" so she
starved and languished and finally died. She was
a fit representative OF the French arstOcTacy,
which Jokes, intrlgucs, quarrels all through this
book. Where is that arlStocracy now! All gone,
If not to'Pere la Chase with Countess Amelle de
Bouiliers, at least to the place prepared for it,
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THE 4TTHOR or 'LORN1 DOONE.p