The times., 1899-05-21
AN AMERICAN At
HHE ITALIAN COURT
Curious Way in Which She
Got There.
One Method of Getting Even
With King.
Victor Emanuel Snubbcd Her and
She Married His Prime ..Iin-
lister for Spite.

Times whirligig never brought in a
| revenge neater or eompleter than it al
lotted to my old friend, Madame de
Solms," said veteran diplomat, who had
| fallen into a reminiscent mood. Perhaps
you do not know of her She was the
Madame de Stael of the third empire,
Republican, and a Red of the Reds, al
| though she was close kin TO the Emperor.
Her mother was a daughter of Lucien
Bonaparte, born, 1 think, while that gem
tleman had residence in Bordertown, n.
J. Her father was certain Sir Henry
Wise, British minister to the kingdom of
Greece. The girl grew up so full of
whims and fancies her natural guardians
heaved a sigh of relief when they had her
safely married at seventeen to De Solms,
a German princeling, who had precious
little beside his sixteen quarterings.
Madame, his wife, was cut out for
anything else than an obscure German
husfrau, miscalled princess. After she
had borne a son, there was an amicable
separation. She left her princelet. and her
title and went back to Paris-Paris just
| then palpably republican, yet OF the edge
of the coup d'etat. When it came she
'oined with her chosen friends. Victor
Hugo. Lamartine Mazzini. and Alphonse
Karr, in denouncing it, and its author.
Perhaps she relied on her Bonaparte
blood to protect her. More likely she COW
eted the picturesque martyrdom of Danish
ment. Whatever the fact, she was ban
ished to Aix-le-Bains. Her menage there
was fair rival to the de Stael establish
ment at Copppet.
In those days Nice was Italian, United
Italy a dream mentioned only below the
breath, the Pope sovereign in Rome, and
Victor Emanuel simply the king of Sar-
dinia. II re galantuomo had an eye for
pretty woman. He made friends in hearty
fashion with Madame de Solms. Not so
his court officials. They could not be per-
suaded to overlook her foibles. 1t was her
radcalism, her friendships, her magazine.
and her habit of writing things, which
those staid officials resented.
THE magazine in especial. Its title was
Matinee d'AiX. ] venture to say no
other publication with only the capital of
beauty behind it, ever showed such list
OF contributors. Theophile Guatier wrote
for it regularly-Victor Hugo pretty often.
So did Eugene Sue, who had written a life
of madame. Ponsard appeared twice or
thrice in each number. Madame was most
fascinating creature, then about twenty
five, and in the early ripeness OF full-col-
ored beauty. She was often in Turin and
Hdli the lIdllau WOrlu crowded into ner
salon at AK. Plenty of Americans went
down before her. One of them who held
high official position came near fighting a
duel on her account. 1t was Alphonse
Karr, who had fallen out of love for
madame. He was then publishing in the
safe harborage of Nice his SO famous
Wasp which stung impartialIy all it
touched. The American was not used TO
such things as seeing a woman stung and
hatN1 AI b1r Inf, na., 49,
affair was arranged, l believe by madame's
own intervention, and an international
complication avoided.
"One favorite diversion with madame de
Solms was TO write plays, and have them
acted by herself and friends in the theatre
of her chateau. They were clever-clever
enough to win, in several cases, great fa-
yor when professionally produced on the
boards of Turin. Indeed, their writer came
very near to genius. The poems and essays
she wrote for her own magazine were much
beyond the amateur level. Yet she was
fond of outdoor sport-rode and shot like
a man, went deer stalking sometimes,
and climbed mountains when she had a
mind. She danced, of course, sang fairly,
and played on several instruments. though
think her favorite was the violin.
Yet she could not go to court. Even
the kings friendship did not avail. And
she wanted to go to court very, very bad
ly, particularly when her mothers and
the Emperors cousin. 'Plon Plon," Off
cially Prince jerome Napoleon Bonaparte
came there to marry Victor Emanuel's
daughter. Clotilde. OF course, that meant
court ball-an especially splendid func-
tion, in honor Of thus cementing the ali
ance with France that meant so much TO
Italy. Madame de Solms was wild to go TO
it. She besought the king, and actually
wrung from him a half promise. but the
| day drew on and no invitation came. Then
| in desperation she appealed to the Ameri-
can minister, claiming to be an American
| citizen. No, it was not because of her
| mother and Bordentown. II is just a
! charming European habit this of claiming
American citizenship without ever seeing
our shores. l have lived abroad twenty
years, and in half of continental Europe
| Everywhere l have CHANGED upon some in
dividual who gravely asserted American
| citizenship, and claimed that it had been
! conferred special by Congress" OF
! course no such claim went down with the
| American legation, hut as the head of it
was kindly fellow. he went TO Count Ca
YOUR. asking an invitation for Madame de
Soms.
| "Cavour temporized. He would see
what he could see Next day came a
| beautifully diplomatic document regret
| ting the difficulties in the way. 1t would
| give His Majesty's government the great
| est pleasure to please so good a friend as
the minister-but court regulations were
| like the laws of the Medes and Persians.
| immovabe, and as madame did not appear
| there. it would be impossible to include
| her among the guests at the ball. That
| ought to have settled it, but did not.
| Madame actually went to the palace The
| evening of the ball, and was turned away
| by the lackeys
This was in SO. Now for her revenge
| About 1870, / spent some years in Rome.
| One day. driving along just outside the
| Vatican gardens, ! saw magnificent
! equipage, with four horses, postilions, and
outriders, in liveries little less than royal.
A woman sat back in the open carriage.
| The front seat was given up to small boy
| and his bonne. Madame de Solms was
taking the air-only she was no longer
Madame de Solms, but Madame la Mar
quise de Rattazzi, wife OF King Humbert's
! Prime Minister. and thus entitled to walk
| at court, very near the Queen.
''She did not look very happy, for all
| her splendors. Later heard that though
| she was everywhere received and hidden
| to the highest functions, her social crown
had plentiful lining of thorns Still she
| was undeniably where she might. If she
chose. set her foot on the necks OF those
who had tried to crush her, and that no
| doubt, made up for a great deal She out
lived Rattazzi's fall. and Rattazzi him
| self She went back TO Paris under the
| republic, and married as third husband
| Spanish deputy. 1t is not SO long since
she died.
Home Socinbilfty.
Fewer wives would sit lonesomely and
lat nt wb bair