New-York tribune., 1906-04-14
WOHEN OF THE EMPIRE
Oketches of Brilliant Members of the
Court of Napoleon III.

Paris. April 8.
NJ Frederic Loliee in his 'Femmes du Second
Empire published this week by Juven, has sue
ceeded In presenting series of sketches of the
"o"oeS odmcs of the court of the Tuileries
drawn from fresh letters and documarts ,,o.
available by Niel-Castel Nine Carette the Com
courts ldeVille, De Charnace, De Persigny and
other writer's who have devoted themselves 10
that attractive period of the eighteen years
regime Of Napoleon Ill The subject Of his
opening chapter is the Comtesse de Castiglione
an imperial Pompadour." the F1orentine beauty
and relative Of Cavour. who in her early
youth, exercised remarkable influence over Iouis
Napoleon. She passed the latter part of her days
as hermit behind closed blinds in her apart
ment in the entresoI Of the house on the north
east corner OF the Place Vendome, and died on
November 2S. 1899. at the Restaurant Voisin
A letter written by Cavour 20 Luigi Ci-
brario. Piedmontese charge daffaires. states
that a beautiful countess had been enrolled in
the service of Italian diplomacy, to win if pos
sible the affection of Napoleon III and keep the
court Of Turin fully informed of what was going
on at the Tuileries. The blond FIorentine sue
ceeded so admirably in her mission that she
wrote: Had not my mother been foolish enough
TO marry me 10 Count Castiglione. and had she
acted upon her inspiration to send me TO Paris
a few years sooner, IL would not have been a
Spaniard but Italian who would have be-
come the French Empress The Comtesse de
Castiglione, may readily be imagined was
by no means a favorte Of the Empress Eugene
although she figured prominently at the court
balls and seldom missed being present at the
restricted circles Of the Monday receptions"
On the other hand. the Countess Castiglione was
a close friend OF the Princess Mathilde who in
vited her to almost all her dinners and soirees,
and had in her salon a full length portrait of
her by Giraud.
The fascinating Florentine was of a cold,
reserved disposition. Her intelligence was by
no means brilliant. although she readily
quired the Partisan faculty of Of quick and ap-
propriate repartee. In 1861 Prince Jerome Ma
poleon gave a reception at the Paais Royal in
honor of the Empress. Shortly after midnight
the Emperor and Empress were about TO take
their departure. and as they descended the stairs
they met the Comtesse de Casuglione, who was
rapidly mounting the steps enter the ball
room. You arrive rather late Madame la
Comtesse' gallantly observed the Emperor. "Ah!
1t is you, sire, who are leaving too soon," was
the pointed reply of Cavour's fair cousin. The
countess was exceedingly eccentric. She used
to delight in getting NJ Nieuwer1erke imperial
superintendent Of fine arts, TO walk with her
moonlight nights the roof OF the Tuileries
Palace and listen to the sonorous bells of the
church Of Saint Germain rAuxerrois. One day
she asked Paul Baudry, the artist, to paint her
in the posture and scant costume in which Goya
made the famous portrait of Castilian duchess
Baudry set to work and completed the picture
which was greatly admired by the Princess
Mathilde by Sainte-Beuve and especially by
Gerome who considered it the finest canvas
that Baudry ever painted. The countess was
delighted, but few weeks later she said This
portrait is more beautiful than the original. !
am jealous of it," and so saying. she had il
burned. In the living picture entertainments Of
the Austrian ambassi lress, Princess Pauline
Metternich, the plastic grace of the FIorentine
beauty keenly appreciated. After her death
a small casket, carefully sealed, was found at
the bank of Baron Alphonse de Rothschild. II
had been deposited there by the Comtesse de
Castiglione. and bore the inscription Not to
be opened in case Of my death Baron Roth
schild handed over the mysterious casket TO the
judicial authorities, and the president Of the
Civil Tribunal in the baron's presence, opened
the box which was found 10 contain several
hundred private letters from sovereigns and
statesmen. The president and the baron ex-
amined them, and appeared to be profoundly
impressed by the revelations contained in them.
After exchanging significant glances and shak-
ing each others hands. as If invoking confidence
and silence, the two men set 10 work and burned
all the letters and neither of them ever after
ward uttered a word disclosing their purport or
indicating who wrote them.
NJ Loliee brings new light TO bear upon the
life and surroundings Of that remarkable woman
Maria Studehlmine Letizia, granddaughter of
Lucien Bonaparte, who became Comtesse de
Soms. Nine. Urbain RattazzI, and afterward
Nine. de Rute. She a cousin Of Napoleon
III and devoted friend of the republican Cas-
telar. She woman OF the world, woman OF
letters and essentially artist. in turn French
Italian Spanish. in compliance with her sue
cessive matrimonial alliances. She was above
all cosmopolitan. She beautiful attractive
witty and excessively proud of her social. lit
erary and political triumphs. She left over fifty
volumes She dabbled in poetry. fiction, drama
narratives OF travel: but her personal notes
and souvenirs are the only works likely TO
have lasting interest. She wrote hastily and
without mature reflection. The promise that
Mime de Rute would be known the Nine, de
Stael of the Second Empire will never be real
lied.
The book contains edifying chapter con-
cerrliuy the Princess Mathilde who FOR thirty
ereignty in Paris. Shortly before her death. three
wears ago King oscar of Sweden. during a brief
stay in Paris called upon Princess Mathide
NAPOLEON at her house in the Rue de Berry. He
was received cordially. and as he kissed the
nrincess's extended hand remarked: II did not