New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-03-23
THE COMTESSE DE BOIGNE
Her Memories of the ReUOIutiOn, the
Em pire and the Restoration.
Paris. March u.

Paris. March Il.
The memoirs Of the Comtesse de Bogne,
nee desmond. Just published by Plon. open
new mine OF anecdotes, episodes, witticisms and
character sketches extending from 1871 to 1914.
The souvenirs of the versatile dowaGer cast
more searching sidelights upon the men, women.
manners and life of that period than are to be
found in any work that has appeared for many
years. Adele Desmond Comtesse de Bogne.
died in 1866. in the eighty fifth year OF her age.
She belonged to one of the oldest and most
spectacle families Of the ancien regime. Her
father. the Marquis desmond colonel of
the Regiment de Barrios and &fterward entered
the diplomatic service. Her mother was a de-
scendant of the eminent Irish family Of Dillon,
OF Roscommon. and lady of honor and inti-
mate companion of Madame Adelaide. daughter
of Louis XIV. She took part in the momentous
events CT the Revolution. of the First Empire and
OF the Bourbon Restoration. When she accom-
panied her parents, who were emigres. to Eng
land. where she completed her education she
married wealthy military, adventurer of hum
bic extraction, who was native of Chambery.
and who during his career at the head of the
army of the Princes of Scnde. I'm India, accu-
INFLATED fortune of several millions OF francs.
Her husband was afterward created Comte de
Boigne by the King OF Sardinia, and was made
a marechal-d camp and chevalier de Saint
Louis and OF the Legion of Honor by Louis XVIII.
He was man OF vulgar tastes, OF irritable. ex-
asperating temper. and was an inveterate con
sumner Of opium. The marriage was Of purely
material interests on both sides. the wife bring
ing position and influence and the husband sup
plying the money. There was not a pinch OF
love, sentiment or even friendship In this social
contract. which. singularly enough. proved sat
sfactory to both parties. perhaps because they
cd al limo al ha de-
died in 1880 His statue may stiI be at
Chambery. where Il perpetuRtes his munihcence
TO his birthplace. After the death OF her only
child. the spirituelle dowager Countess selected
her granddaughter. the Marquis desmond, who
was ten years old at the time OF her death. as
her residuary legatee and literary executor. The
Marquis desmond recently died and. the fam
lily becoming extinct. his close companion. NJ
Charles Nicoullaud, became tho possessor OF the
journals and manuscripts left by the Comtesse
From these is taken the remarkable narrative
contained in the present volume.s the first az n
series. II covers the period from ISL 10 1914
The Comtesse de Boigne. who a woman
Of great wit and OF rare literary talents. was a
connecting link between the old and the new
regimes. She was keen observer an admirable
descriptive writer. and all her impressions are
noted with minute accuracy Of detail and with
delicious sense Of humor She IS a model
chronicler rather than profound historian.
Whatever she heard is set down with
taste. vivacity of expression and epigrammatic
perspicuity. Her memors-her "Recits dune
Tante' can Aunt's Narrative'O as she called
them-are Of historic value fully equal 10 the
memoirs OF the Chancellor Pasquier the Tai
leyrand Papers" the letters and diaries OF
Nine. Recamer The liason Of the Queen with
the COmte de Fersen the flight Of the royal
family from Versailles 70 Narennes: the amusing
descriptions Of the ceremony Of the "coucher
du roy" or the method Of undressing the King
in presence of the court and putting him to bed;
the details OF the assassination OF the Due
d'Enghien; the career of two adventures who
passing themselves Off as relatives of the Sultan
Of Turkey, succeeded In living for three years
at the French court in grand style by means Of
funds royalty supplied by Louis XVI;-ail these
things form highly divertlng passages, related
without chronological sequence. i'm this vivid
panorama OF events. The latter half of the
book brstles with racy episodes concerning
Nine Recamier. Mime. de StaGl, Benjamin Con-
slant, Chateauhrand, Prince Taleyrand, Ma
poleon. de Nesselrode Pozzo III Borgo. Louis
XVIII. the Printe de Condo. the Duchesse dor
leans. the eccentric Prncesse &c Talleyrand, the
Comte and Corntesse de Segur the Duchesse de
Chatilon, Lady Hamilton. the Emperor Alex
ander and hosts Of other personages who come
and so in these memoirs like ombres chinoises
or professions Of dissolving views.
The late Due d'Audiffret- Pasquier received
copy OF the memoirs OF the Countess lie
Bogne with authorization to publish them if he
deemed it advisable. He showed them to Tame.
who alluded to them discrecty IN Les Origines
de la France Contemporaries" for the Due dAu-
diffret-Pasquier decided that the revelations Of
the COmtesse de Boigne in them would be most
i'll timed and would reopen personal animosities'
disclose household skeletons and cause untoh
mischief among the best regulated families OF
France. Things have since changed. and the
present memoirs are welcomed intensely di-
verting piquant ana instructive chronicles of
one the fascinating periods of French
history. I. l. b.