New-York tribune., 1902-01-19
MEMOIRS OF, AN EMPRESS
EUGENE HAS BEEN PREPARING HERS
FOR SEVERAL YEARS
Paris. January s.

PariS, January ".
on rainy afternoon. about fortnight ago.
two women dressed in black presented them
selves at the National Library in the Rue de
Richelieu and asked to be admitted 10 the de-
partment of the archives in order 10 consult
documents relating to the latter part of the
Second Empire, and to take note of the letters
and memoranda found at the Tuileries palace In
September 1870 at the downfall of Napoleon
III. after the Empress had left Paris. The re-
quest was refused by the librarian, who learned
a few DAYS afterward that the visitors were the
Empress Eugene and her companion. VINO were
passing week at the capital on their way to
the Villa Cyrnos. near Mentone. where the ex-
Empress always passes the winter For some
wears past the Empress Eugene has. with the
assistance of four secretaries, been preparing
her memoirs which she intends at her death 70
bequeath to some public institution. either the
National Library the French Academy,
where. after a brief interval the work. which
is taking the form of diary. will be at the dls-
posaI Of any one who may desire to consult 1t.
The Empress Eugenie has keen and reten-
tive memory, and several years ago II was my
privilege TO have passed a few days at the coun-
try seat of the late Due d'Aumale, in Sicily at
the same time that the Empress Eugene was
staying there The Due dAumale and his
nephew the Due dOrleans. who was also "A
guest at Zucco. were much impressed with the
memory of the Empress and with the charm
Of her conversation. She related in bright
graphic way her impressions Of the attempted
assassinat ton of the Emperor by the explosion
OF the Orsni bombs on January H. lSoS
recollcCt the dramatic way in which the En-
press said: The Emperor always had a loaded
revolver placed in his carriage beside the cushion
near his right hand. Sinsularly enough. on the
evening of the Orsini attempt against his life,
the revolver was for the first time missing.
thereby showing that. in all probability, the as
sasslns had accomplces among our servants
Her majesty recounted several episodes of the
life at the Tuileries COmpieGne and Biarritz
She alluded to the occasion when Count Bis
marcx was presented to her. and she spoke or
the massive. determined jaw and resolute
mouth of this Wendish giant" If the memoirs
are as interesting her conversation. they VIII
hold high place in French contemporary Htera-
ture The memoirs will also have great his
torical value because the Empress has care
fully kept all letters addressed 10 her since her
marriage in January 1873. Her private papers
we're regularly sent at the end of each year
from the Tuileries TO London. and deposited at
a we'll known bankers. Consequently. when
the imperial correspondence at the TuileTtes was
seized on September 6, 1870. by the Government
of National Defence few letters or memoranda
OF the Empress were found
Among the Empress's letters retained in the
National Library, and which will appear in the
memoirs is one written 10 the Emperor in
Egypt after the ceremony OF opening the Suez
Canal 1t is addressed 10 the Emperor and
contains several faults in spelling and grammar
for it must be remembered that the Empress
was the daughter OF a Spanish grandee, the
Count de MOntijo. uncle of the Spanish naval
officer whose fleet thirty years later was de
stroyed by Admiral Dewey in Manila Bay. and
- aria r;rI-r riCE de
was of Scotch descent and, having been edu-
Gated in Spain and England, never quite mas
tered the intricacies of the French language.
The letter gives insight into the Empress's
real character. The following is literal trans
Iation;
ON the Nile. In the imperatrice. oct q, 1863
way to Assouan on the Nile. II / Mere 10 say that
we cool IL would not be absolutely uuo. out the
heat is very bearable, for there is wind. but
sun IL is otherwise. For the matter OF that. keep
mosphere. have news about YOU anu Louis every
day by wire. ii is marvellous anu very soothing
friendly shore ana keeps me IN touch with all my
agecu1HS sbnnd m ike 10 describe IL To- o SSt
other more able and more interesting writer's than
my poor self will undertake this work it seems
to me that IL will be better keep myself in the
shaoe OF silent admiration | was very much har-
rassed about yesterday event, and also to know
/ hat you We're in Parls without me. Everyth
ntch When one sees other nations one can better
Judge and gauge the injustice of ours. think that
You must walk in the way that you have opened.
Good faith In the concessions gwen. as, in fact
peonle think and say. is a fine thing. and | hope
that your speech will be in that sense The more
one will have need of strength later on the more
necessary II is 10 prove TO the country that YOU
have ideas. and not expedients. | am very far
away, and very ignorant of things since nv de-
parture. to speak thus but am firmly persuaded
that continuity in ideas is the real strength / do
not like side strokes. and am convinced that one
cannot make two coups detat in the same reign.
But am speaking to convert, who knows much
more about the matter than l do must. how
ever. say something IL only prove what YOU
know-that my heart is both OF you. and Ii in
days of calm my wandering spirit likes TO soar
through space, u is the two OF that like
10 be In time of trouble and unrest. Far from
and measures breathes a calmness which does
good. and by effort Of ina gination fancy that
all goes we'll because do not know anything
Amuse yourself. for II is indispensable do so;