New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-26
A SWINDLING PRINCE.
crJcENIES SHALLOW LETTERS-FESTlVITlE
AT THE ELYSEE.

t,hil;rns do Bourbop is now under severe Sell
tence by default for swindlins so tha' nc 10 ="
lust the same legal situation a. 'ho runaway
MARQUIS dAndlau Prince Philippe deserves W
belong to O theatrical company oi INC "y-'y-
night sort And yet in point OF BIRTH nc stands
81. o., ton rung Of the social ladder, his father
heinz DIXIE Of Aquila son OF Francis IL OF Naples,
and brother Of the late Queen Christina Of Spain,
md ~ the Empress Of Brazil; and his mother,
the Princess Januaria, sister OF the Emperor OF
Brazil and of the Princess de Joinviile Philippe
IA therefore cousin-g german to Queen Isabella and
To the Duchesse de Chartres, and stood in that re-
lation 70 the late Duchcsse dAumaie. lie was
brought up in Paris, the greater part Of his youth
having been spent In the beautiful mansion, in the
Avenue de Bois de Doulogne, where the widow OF
Rattazz the Italian statesman. lived like modern
Cleopatra, before she took for her third regular
husband Senior de Rute, of the Spanish CorteS
Prince Philippe has been, ever since he reached
mans estate an assiduous heiress-hu But
there was a skeleton in the cupboard In the person
of lady, said to be his mOrganatio wlic, out
Wrongly since the Catholic Church does not allow
half marriages. Were. however, the Kingdom OF
Naples still in existence, she would not DC his
lawful spouse there. because the custom OF that
country demanded the Kings formal consent 10
the marriage of any member OF the Neapoltah
Royal family A brother Of the Duke OF AQuiia.
the beautiful Penelope Smith, who was recognized
by society" all over Europe Is bis wife, unless
I'm Naples The Duke OF Aquila is one OF the best
tempered jovial fellows in existence. His wlie
is singulary plain. lie has long since run through
his own fortune, and O good part OF hers ana
would be utterly pennilcss, were IL not ZOE
the salary he draws an Admiral OF the Brazilian
Navy and the pension the King Of Italy allows
him as a retired Admiral Of Naples and collateral
IL H. q q hot Iii nndn ~
only resigned all his rights In favor of King Hum
bert but attends his levees when in Rome as
subject"
Prince Philippe has often had to hide away
in holes IN tho country from creditors Last year
he went TO rusticate in the mountains of Ardiche
near tho Walls mineral springs. and was
received with distinction" by the Able dc
Lacoste, the parish priest, as a son of 3D. Louis
and descendant of Louis Quatorze and oil inc
Rings of Spain and Naples. This eccIesiastio had
several works OF devotional KIND Ia hahd' ana
no means of obtaining money unless through a
lottery. The Royal acquaintance, or rather
guest, for no was visitor al his parsonage,
learning this. went and gave a cue to Jeweller
with whom he was acquainted. 1t was for him TO
90 TO Father dc LAcoste and say: Look here
You need money badly for your piOus enterprises.
I am willing TO give you on credit 5000 francs
worth of Jewels which you sell to Prince
Oh your profits lie being grandly connected
is as good the bank, and is he Is deeply re-
lgious he won't look too close at the PRICE AS
said, so done Prince Philippe, on being offered
the Jewels by the priest at first declined TO Jake
them, because he had no ready money. But on
being told that that did not matter, he signed
fifteen bills for thousand francs each disappeared
with the jewels, and has never reappeared. More
over he abscOndcd with some small articles be-
hO,, venerable
lady of antl-Republican principles. Her father
was the valet Of Comte de Mote, Minister of
Louis Philippe, and left her, among other relics OF
his master, "a letter which the Emlr Add I'll RAIDER
addressed to the Citizen King. The housekeeper
valued this autograph at COO francs. But an eA-
pert said it was not worth the sixth part OF that
sum Prince Philippe is condemned TO pay tho
real value Of the jewels, a fine of 1000 francs.
and to thirteen months imprisonment
Talking Of autograph letters, interesting
ones were this week brought to the hammer.
There were two in the lot from the Empress
Eugene and both 0mOrous. One was evidently
an intercepted billet-doux, and probably TO lTnce
Napoleon, when he was Ambassador TO Madrid,
and she and he were carrying on a fast Irritation
The style of the Emprcsss letters is generally
pasty. No idea is clearly brought out and she
shows in them ignorance of all rules Of punctua-
IlOn anu iIOopcf hcl'HcS hHON e1iO |
poverty of her style and rs kind of father
dictated those she wrote to the Emperor before
he made her offer OF marriage. The second
love letter sold at the Sale Sylvestre was TO
Martinez RosaS and dated October g. 847. She
had from Brighton to Blyonne with her
mother and thus writes: Everything looks sad
because you not with If it is so now,
what will il be later? Formerly i would have
sent you lot Of kisses. Now send you this"
III. Il, lnlr |
The world is 80 evil-minded that it has always
something TO say" The expression, The world
is SO evil-minded" eto. is even more commonplace
in French than in any possible English transla
ton. Perhaps it might be rendered. " So i'll
natured that it will talk" ,
What is remarkable in the letters is an incapacity
70 bring out logical sequence Poor Eugene had
tetc dc linotte, truly. And to think that it was
her policy which was in the name of the French
Nation TO be pitted against Prince BismarlX's.
Although Merimee took paternal interest in her
and was not fond Of pedantiC women, he used TO {
sigh at her branessness and regret that she was
not more blue-stocking and less of belle (
after she was exalted TO the most brilliant posi-
ton in the world.
note from Madame de Maintenon to the Due
Of Savoy. about his youthful daughter the Duchess
Of Burgundy, whom he had at the age of eleven
TO be brought up at the French Court fetched 81
francs. The little brde-elect went arriving at
Versailles, through a form of marriage. The cere-
mony over, her husband sent back TO his
governor and she was placed under governcss.
She brought life and gladness to the stiff and
stately Grand Monarque who was old and gloomy,
and the most artful little diplomatis that ever
lived, under her air Of childish levity. She was
for the rest Of her short life death carried her off
at twenty-two devoted to her fathers interests
and used to send private reports to him when he
allied with the enemies of France as to how
things stood at the Court OF Versailles. She
q granddaughter Of the charming Henrietta Of