New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-08-14
ST. CLOUD.
TIE HISTORIC PALACE TO BE DEMOLISHED
WITHIN FOUR MONTHS.

WITHIN FOUR MONTHS.
Paris. July %.
One of the most famous landmarks of French
history Is about to disappear The ruins Of the
palace Of St. Cloud. which was destroyed by the
German gun. during the siege of Paris IN 1871
have been sold at auction by the Government LOT
the ridiculously low sum of $500 TO an Aisatah
building contractor here. who is under oohds
to remove within the space Of four months every
vestiqc of this ancient palace. upon whlch c'uhV
less millions of dollars have been lavlshed
Although the fame Of St. Cloud as royal
residence dates from the Ministry OF Mazarin' inc
place was celebrated for its military importance
from very early days. II commanded very ancient
bridge over the river. and in the wars Oh the
Burgundians and the Armasnacs it was the scene
| of frequent combats. In 1855 the Town w"o
CAPTURED and burned by the English In the re-
| ligious strife Of later age ST oioud agar"
PLAYED considerable part. and IL was IN VIC
castle as it then stood that the lie OF jacques
Clement ended the life Of Henri ILL., Inc rare
natural beauty Of the scenery began 10 "'""0'
men Of wealth and taste as soon the fashion
Of rearing splendid country houses IT. the neleh-
borbood of the Court sprang up among the
,ulipg classes Catherine dc Medici sometimes
lived there. and the magnificent and aspiring
Fououct. the friend of Nine. de Sevignc and the
notron of La Fontaine. showed his usual GOOD
Indictment in building residence in this delight
mi snot Both the demense OF Catherine &c
Nedici and the demensc of FOuquet formed
mart Of the magnificent park which LOUIS Al'
acquired for his brother. CASTOR OF orleans. lie
trick by which the Great King is said 10 nave
obtained the property at an undervaiue Is well
known Hcrvard, the Controller OF Finances
had bought il ont of the immense gains OF MS
lucrative post Mazarin, according TO the story
asked him what it had cost him. The Con'roiier
was afraid TO tell the truth. for TO do so woulu
have involved an admission of the vast proh's
Of hi. place He named a rdculously INADEQUATE
sum. and the next day the royal notary ATTENDED
unon him with the intimation that his royal
master desired TO purchase st. Cloud at his own
valuation.
The new and royal owner of St Cloud lavished
upon il every ornament which the taste oil the
age could devise and a boundcss command OF
money could procure. The most famous arcn-
tccts. the most ingenious engineers. and the moS'
celebrated painters Of France in the bloom OF
the "Sicclc dc Louis XIV" did all that art could
do for the establishment OF the residence OF the
only brother Of the King. The beautiful gardens,
which were laid ont by lie No'r'. were adorned
with cascades and fountains designed by Mansart.
and inferior only TO those Of Versailles and Marty.
while the walls Of the principal apartments were
covered with the dainty work Of Mignard. Their
efforts in the Judgment Of contemporaries. were
crowned with success In all the ring Of splendid
ralaces grouped around Versailles 81. Cloud wac
the mobiles. and the most beautiful. II was. says
Saint Simon the home Of all delights.
To this home. Monsieur as the Kings brother
was styled in the jargon of the Court. took home
his charming bride. the fascinating and unhappy
Henrietta. daughter Of the decapitated King
Charles of England The fetcs which the
newly welded couple gave TO the King outshone
all the previous rcvelries Of that magnificent So
ciety Soon atterward the greatest OF french
pulrit orators delivering over Henrietta :
coffin perhaps the most memorable Of all his
dscourscs The sudden death Of " Madame" in the
flower Of her voutl. was the first Of the domestic
calamities which shroudel The close of the great
reign in gloom. Like those which followed. it
qave rise to dark ruinors Of poison which tho
mo.e sober Judgment OF postcrity rejects. Hen
rietta was succeeded by a princess Of very
different stamp but not less dear TO all students
of the Court life IN those days The widower
married the daug iter Of the Ecctor Paatine, and
became by her the fother OF the Regent OF
Orleans The anecdotes told Of Nadine do
nnvi,rc" as she was commonly called, are in
Vulnerable and her own vouminous correspond
enc with the Ge:nian relatives. 10 whom her
heart always turned. formed most amusing and
instructine, if not q very cdilying. picture OF
The men and women with whom she lived. Louis
XIV to his credit. always loved and honorcd
the sturdy German Independence Of his sister
m-law, and when at last Monsieur" fell down in
a fit and died after a stormy interview with the
King, Louis allowed her to continue 10 occupy
| ST. Cloud.
Data,
the Great when that extraordinary man was
startling western Europe by bis genius. his cx
travagancies, and his brutalities; and here. Louis
Philippe d'Oreans spent unheard-of sums In fes-
Invites before he sold the chateau and grounds
to the unhappy Marie Antoincttc. Under the
Empire ST. Cloud was the theatre OF many memoir
able scenes. 1t in the Orangerie. indeed. that
| Napoleon took the frs. decisive step in that
career which planted him upon the throne. when
Oh TIE 18th Brumaire his soldiers expelled the
| Five Hundred at the point OF the bayOnet. Here
too he signed the act proclaming himself En-
! peror; here, in the Galeric dApollon," he cclc-
brated his civil marriage with Marie Louise oil
| Austria. and here he seems TO have lived by pref
erence when in France. During the Restoration
St. Cloud was equally favored. 1t was in the
palace that Charles signed the ll-fated ordon
nances which led to his downfall and it was within
its walls that he spent the disastrous days Of
July. Tie third Napoleon seems to have Loved
St. Cloud as did his famous uncle. and it was
there that he bade farewell 10 the Empress on The
eve of his last campaign. 1t is the remains o
this princely dwelling. rich in historic memoric
and in historic lessons. that the rulers OF thu
Republic have sent TO the hammer
WHAT HIS LORDsHIP DOESN'T KNOW.
From The London Duly News.