The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-03-26

One Of the most striking portraits in the
memoirs is that Of the Due dc Lauzun. whose
first wife was La Grando MIdenlois.lle. the
daughter of CASTOR. Due d'OrlCans. and. there
fore. thu first cousin al Louis XIV. His second
wife was IA daughter ii the Due de LorGes, and.
consequently. IA sister OF Nine. de Saint-Simon.
From the twenty pages devoted to Lauzun in
these memoirs We make two or three extracts.
II will be remembered that Lauzun was one Of
the most successful adventurcrs that ever
lived. when, as n youth. he came 10 court
from Gascony. he was entirely without recu-
MARY resources. and had nobody to help him
except the Marcchal d" Grammont. who was
his fathers cousin: yet he lived to be made n
duke and to marry tho greatest heiress in
France. He is thus depicted in these me-
moirs: THE Due tie Lauzun was a small.
fairfsh. man. well made In figure. naughty
In .countenance. which was full Of
Intelligence, and imposing. though the face
was not agreeable in youth. as I have been told
by the men Of his time: full OF ambition,
caprices and oddities: jealous of everybody
always wishing to get beyond the goal: con-
tent with nothing: not lettered: without any
adornment or charm OF mind: naturally sour.
solitary. savage; much OF a noble In all his
habits: malicious and malignant by nature.
even more than from jealousy and ambition
a good frienl when he was a friend. which was
rare. and n good relation a ready enemy, even
70 those who did not concern him cruel to de-
fleets and in finding and applying rldicule: ex-
tremely brave, anil, at the same time. danger
ouslV foolhardy: a %courtier. equally insolent,
sarcastic and case to servility; full Of all re-
sources, intrigue and villainy toobtain his ends
and. with all that. dangerous to the Ministers.
dreaded by all at court. and full OF cruel shafts
and Wit In 1871 Lauzun became obnoxious
20 Louvnis. Secretary for War. and to Nine. de
Montesran. who caused him to be committed
60 the BaStille, whore he was detained over four
years, Here ne found means to communicate
with the prisoners confined above anu below
him. and, ultimataly,a hole was excavated n the
wall, whereby he managed to pay them visits.
Among the prisoners with whom Lauzun was
thus brought in contact was Fouquet. who had
besu made Superintendent Of the Finances af-
ter the death of MaZarin. and who had been i'm
INJURED in the Bastillo since December, 1854.
We are told that 'tho unhappy lSu'intendant
opened his eyes and ears very wide on hearing
from this youth Of Gascony. once only too
happy 10 ne received and sheltered by
the Mar6chal de Grammont. that he
had been General Of Dragons and Cap
tain OF thu Guards. with the patent and func-
lions Of the General Chief Of the army
FouTIet did not know what to make OF Il, but
supposed I.auzun was crazy and was telling
him deiustons when ho related how he had
missed becoming Grand Master of the Artil-
lerS and all that had happened after that; hut
he'uo longer doubted that his madness had
reached a crisis when hctold how the King had
consented to his marriage with Mademoiselle
why II had been broken of and all the immense
rrorerty'with which She had endowed him. This
COOLED their intercourse on FouTuot's side.
who, believing Lau2un's brain entirely upset.
took the things that he told him had happened
in the world. between the IMPRISONMENT Of the
one and IN" Imprisonment q! the other, as so
many nctions,'
1t Is well known that Mademoiselle secured
the release OF Lauzun by agreeing to bestow, at
her death. the greater part OF her possessions
on one OF tho Kings children by Nine. de Mon
tespar' That. subsequently. she was privately
married 70 Lauzun there seems to be no