The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-02
THE COURT or FREDERICK.
a. DE GuInes, Who Furnished Inspiration
FOR harry Lyndon"

PANS, March 70. -Dieudonne Ihiebauh In
his Memories, printed In Paris Ia 1903.
tells Of the foreign Ministers accredited
20 tho Prussian Court during his twenty
ears az Berlin, The most striking per-
sonallty among them was NJ do Guines the
French envoy. In 1910 he visited Prussl a
IN a military capacity 70 attend the annual
military manPuvres directed by Frederick.
The King was 30 impressed by his appear
Iuoe. accomplishments and onversAtion that
Louis XIV thought Il advisable 70 send him
70 Prussia as his Minister PlenipotentiaTy.
" de Guines had served with distinction
during the Seven Years War a. Colonel Of
French grenadiers. With the coming OF peace
mo French army was In a condition Of DOM.
rloia lack Of discipline. VI. de ChoIseul in
ordor To rectlfy the prevailing demorali-
7auon. selected men Of known hrmness TO
restore the morale OF the troops.
Among those chosen vas N de Gulnes
who was sent 20 command the regiment Of
Navarro. Soon after he had reported for
duty. he Nas Informed that two ofloers Of
his corps had fought several times on 40
count OF blows exchanged between them
Their wounds on each occasion had been
slight VI. de Guines made up HE mind that
an insult Of that kind demanded the dea N
NJ Que or both Of the principals. that the
reputation Of the regiment was lowered by
repeated duels between officers when only
ght wounds we're inflicted In oonse-
quence so soon a. the two captains
had recovered from the Insignificant in
'gries Of their last encounter. he ordered
them TO appear before all OF their fellow
officers. who were arranged In a circle Of
which they occupied the centre. He then
told the two oombatants that neither should
leave the field until one or the other had
hean killed. Each vas wounded: but their
colonel forced them 70 ocrtinrs until one
vas dead During This TSGio scans the Of
rrars Of the regiment GroIped about the
duelists made no protast and mainta med
Discreet silence. which 10 Guines broke with
these words 'MessiSlra. you should all
10 friends. but n by chance quGTTels should
occur between you. shall lnsst for tho
honor and reputation Of The regiment that
they shall end as the present one has tsrni-
rated The result OF this episode was the
complete cessation OF personal oombstS in
the regiment OF Navarro and prompt res
toration OF the high morale and discipline
for which at one time II had been famous
Az NAV he ina g'ned a man OF this type
was destined. IN an oficial capacity TO cause
tAe Grent Frederick many bod quarter
hours The King. as il known. was e1-
rremcly pars!monious. he distilled e1tTayR-
-ancs Of all kinds 81 de GuintA bad not
been long At his post when no provoked
criticism for the ostentation with which he
conducted his household-brllliant coaches.
a superb residence luxuriously furnished.
great number Of uvened servants and n
mighty decorated chapel. In vivid contrast
10 the plain Lutheran churches Of Berlin.
VI de Guines presided over u all with a di e
nifty and grace rejecting upon the boorish
manners then prevailing at Frsdsricks court
Al his dinners OF thirty covers each guest
was served by a special servant in livery.
While two gorgeous hussarS waited upon
VI d. Guines In addition six buffers IN
embroidered uniforms supervised the ser
vics Of the table THIS sort Of thing was
entirely new 10 Berlin and aroused against
q q French Minister the Jealousy Of the court
AID Of the other torelgl ENJOYS. They, felt
PAL icularly Inundated. and buhed them
selves in devising some way In which ndioule
selected was not a complete success.
4 ii.s5.an Ambassador at one OF the courts
NJ Europe, after year OF marEiase, vas on the
way with his bride 70 ST, Petersburg. As
this newly married couple vac obliged 70
nuzcr Tor a time at Berlin, Prince DolRorouh
aud introduced them into society, diplomatic
and general The Prince gave the couple a
great dinner az WHICH 81, de quines vac
by bis enemies. wore upon her nnger beauti-
oh ring which contained a olcealed syringe
a. he bent 70 examine It, spring was touched
and a small jet Of water was thrown Into his
10 more about il, In the meantime the lady
had reoharged the ring and making an e1-
cIse for De GuInes to bend again toward her
she threw second Jet into his face The
French Minister, whose reception Of the
lndignity was being closely watched by those
10 the secret. exhibited no sign Of annoyance:
hut assuming the tone Of one who iG giving
advice he said to tho lady, Madame. this
sort Of trick the trst time IL is played by
amusing sErit1ierie: second time as pardon
able thOughtlessnA~s: but the third time
shall respond 1y throwing this goblet Of water
IN your face. The lady did not think the
french Minister would dare make good the
threat. She again filled the ring with water
while he with his hand on the goblet said
warningy, lie careful. madame Al that
moment she touched the spring and again
sNut the water into De Guinness face. tie re-
Of every one az the table. Ins husband Of
the woman pursued the most sensible course
and 'S sssuTed he French Minister that be con-
Lin FOR the lesson he had taught his Eifo
The proceeding Of the Russian was prudent
one had he treated the incident seriously
and demanded satisfaction his proposed
Quincy 10 81. Petersburg would have been cut
short then and there, for De Guines vas rated
one Of the best sWordsmen Of his time.
In Thackersy's, Luck Of Barry Lyndon,
y will be recalled that Barry was crlwped
hero's experiences leading UP 20 this, and his
subsequent escape from the Prussian service
through the help Of his notorious uncle the
Chevaler de Balbari. ThaCkeray il indebted
70 Thi-bault The similarity Of the method
employed by De Guines 20 aid former French
soldiers to desert from the Prlssian army,
IN which they had been forcibly enlisted,
and that used by the ChrvAlier dc BalbArl
10 FREQ his nephew will suggest tho source Of
Ita0keray's inspiration
VI de Cholscul COncei we'd the idea that the
best way 70 prevent French soldiers from
do-erting-tempted by the promise Of Prus-
san recruiters and Of being CrWped into
tno army.of! Frederick, would be to aid them
To escape and allow them 20 return to their
own regiments 'and relate the sunerlngs
hey had undergone IN the Prusslan service
To this end he requested NJ. de Gulues TO use
every means that would not actually com
promise him 20 effect the evasion Of French
soldiers iu' the Prussian army aud Consign
Them TO French enNoYa Oh the lulue under
me condition that those rescued rhu Id serve
Two years in any French regiment TO which
hey might be assigned
To carry out his purpose the French Min
ISter instructed those OF hts domp-tiCs whom
ue could trust TO make the Acquaintance OF
FORMER a'rench sold iers IN the pTuSsiHn ser
vice, win'their confidence aud when Il wa
gained instruct them how they were 20 pro-
Ceed 10 secure their liberty. This Vas ef-
iectel by clothing them in the livery Of the
French Minister and sendinG them out OF the
gates on his horses as N they we're his ser
wants taking them out for exercise. When
they had passed the last sentinel the horses
we're put 70 the gallOp until they had got
beyond tho sound Of the alarm guns always
deseTton Of a soldier. When this peril vas
escaped they we're given money and other
clothing 90 make their way to the Rhine a.
hest they could The horses were brought