The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-02-08
MEMOIRS OF
TALLEYRAND.
A Number Of Extracts From the Article
in the February Century.
Napoleon's Chief Flatterers-ReIations Of the
Little Corporal" With the French
Aristocracy = The Kings.

In the February number of the Century
Magazine" is continued the interesting
memoirs of Talleyrand. and from this the
following extracts are taken:
NAPoLEoN's CHIEF FLATrERERs.
The nature of Napoleon's reception at En-
furt is thus described by Talleyrand:
The Emperor entered Erfurt on the 9th of
September, 1903, at 10 O'clock in the morn
| ing. An immense crowd had filled the
avenues leading to his palace since the day
| before. Every one wanted to see, to come
near the man who dispensed everything
thrones, misery, fears and hopes. The three
men on whom most praise has been law
| ished on this earth are: Augustus, Louis
XIV and Napoleon. Different epochs and
different talents have varied the wording of
these eulogies, but, intrinsically, tits always
the same thing. My post as Grand Cham
| berlain enabling Inc to have closer view of
the homages, be they forced, feigned or
even sincere, which were paid to Napoleon,
| gave them in my eyes what | might call
! onstrous proportions. Seryility never dis
played SO much invention; it suggested the
| idea of giving hunt on the very
ground where the Emperor had won
the famous battle of Jena. A butchery
OF boars and wild game was prepared there
| TO recall to the eyes of the victor the eX-
|
upon me that the more people had cause to
| VOW vengeance against the Emperor the
| more they smiled at his good fortune and
applauded that high destiny which they
said was the gift of Heaven.
L am inclined to belieye-aud the idea
| came to my mind at Erfurt-that there are
| secrets of fattery that are known to none
| but those princes who, without leaving their
| thrones, have submitted to an ever-menacing
| pr0tectorate; and they know how to make
| a gE Of &c Hxhap
| they happen to be near the power that dom
mates them and that is capable of crushing
| them.
| NAPoLEoN's ATTITUDE TOWARD KINGS.
| Napoleon was on his way to the Erfurt
| Conference, and directed ali the details of
| from Napoleon's conversation with NJ. de
| Remusat.
sit strikes me-" he said, "wehave no very
great names; Unjust have some; the truth is,
| that they alone can make good figure at
| court In justice to the French nobility, We
| must allGw that it is admirable for that"
Sire, you have NJ. de Montesquieu."
| "Goodp'
prince Sapieha."
Not badp'
Il think two will be sufficient; The Jour
| ney being a short one, your Majesty can
| always have them in attendance"
Quite so. And now, Remusat, I must
have one performance every day. Send for
DazincOurt; he is the manager, is he not"
He is, Sire"
Il want to astonish Germany with my
magnifcence.
ut is. no doubt. your Majesty's intention
| to invite few great personages to Erfurt
| and time presses
Is One of Eugene's aids-de-camp starts
this, very day." said the Emperor. I'VE
might let him know the proper thing to hint
to bis father-in-law 1.-THE King of Bavarial;
| and if one of the Kings comes they will ali
| want to come. Then again" he added,
" no, we must not make use of Eugene for
that; Eugene is not clever enough.
| He is the man to carry out exactly
what | want, but he is no good at limiting.
| Ialleyrand is better; the more SO and
| here he laughed" he Will pose as my
critic, and declare that shall feel gratifed
| by the Kings coming. 1t will pe my bust
| ness afterward, to show that l was abso-
lutely Indifferent in the matter, and that
they were really more in my way than otn-
| erWise."
| RELATIONS WITH THE ARIsToCRACY.
[falleyrand was with Bonaparte at Aus
teslltz. The dspatch-bag came from Paris,
! and Ialleyrand tells (See February Century,
how Napoleon turned fIom the glories Of
| AusterlitZ to fret over the indifference
| toward himself of the Fauoourg st. Ger
| main.
A somewhat piquant incident occurred
then, which depicts Napoleon's character
and opinions too well to allow of its being
omitted here.
The Emperor, who at this time was in
very conhaenual relations with me, desired
| me to read his correspondence to him. We
began with deciphered letters from foreign
| ambassadors in Paris; they were of little
interest to him, since all the news of the
| globe was really being enacted round about
| him. Then we came to the police reports :;
several letters spoke of the embarrassed
condition of the bank, due to certain bad
| measures OF the Minister Of Finances, NJ. de
Marbols: The report he took greatest
~ Two hat 81 a. o.
| was long, and written entirely in her own
| hand. She spoke OF the spirit that ami
| mated Paris, and quoted some offensive re-
| marks made. she said, in the houses consti-
Intirg what was then called the Faubourg
ST. German; she named five or. six
| families which never would, she added,
| rally to the government of the Emperor
| Certain rather biting expressions related by
Mime. de Genlis threw Napoleon into state
OF lnconcelyable rage; he swore aud
stormed against the Faubourg st. German.
| "Ab, indeed, they think themselves stronger
than l., he would say, 1.-THE gentlemen of
the Faubourg st. German do! We shall
see; we shall See!'
And when was this I'VE shall see" thun-
dered forth? A few hours after decisive
victory over the Russians and the Aus
! TRANS; so impressed was he with the force
and power OF public opinion, and especially
OF the opinion OF few nobies whose sole
| offense consisted merely in keeping away
| from him! Hence it was that on his return
ing to Paris later on he looked upon himself
| as having made fresh conquest when Nine.
| de M0ntmOTency, Mime. de Montemart and
Nine. de Chevreuse came to the palace as
| notwithstanding of the Empress and she'd
| the luster of their nobility on Nine. de
| Bassano, who had been appointed along
| with them
NAPOLEON ACCUSED OF CHEATING.
7 he Emperor had long felt hurt by the
| opinion l had expressed as to his Spanish
| enterprise; besides, he had considered that
| the arrangements l had made at the time
when the princes arrived at Yalencay had
| too much regard for their safety. And so,
| from the first time we met again at Nantes,
| our conversatons-our discussions, l might
call them-were of an irritating nature. On
| one occasion among others, assuming an air
OF banter, rubbing his hands, and pacing up
and down the room. he said to me with
sneering look: g Well, you see how YOUR
| predictions have turned out about the diff
| culties | should meet in settling the affairs
| OF Spain according to my own views.
have got the better of those people, after all
| they were all caught in the nets | spread for
them, and am master of the situation in
| Spain, rs in the rest of Europe!'
Driven out OF patience by this boast
| which in my mind was so little justified
| and above all by the shameful means he had
! employed to reach his aim, replied to him,
| though calmly, that | did not see things
| from the same point of view as he did, and
| that l believed he had lost more than he
nae gained Dy the Bayonne events. What
do you, mean by that?" he inquired.
WELL" / answered, ''the thing is very
plain, and / Will show it to you by an ex-
ample. Let man of the world behave
| foolshly, let him be faithless husband,
let him even commit grievous faults agains ST
| his friends, no will be blamed no doubt:
but if he be wealthy, powerful, clever,
| society may be somewhat indulgent to him.
Let that same man cheat at the gambling
table, he is forthwith banished from good
ha
| The Emperor grew pale and embarrassed.
| and said not another word to me that day.
may date from this particular conversation
our more or less evident rupture.