New-York tribune., 1907-10-09
4 CAPTIVE DUCHESS.
,,,, Prisoner of State an the Castle
of VincenneS.

.ss Eugenie was as Regent of France in
ErnpI@-sitIe for the captivity of the last nota-
- -, Of state incarcerated IN the Chateau
be Eres which. according TO dispatches
oe 4-on, Paris is now 10 be abandoned as a
Co. o...-, stronghold and 20 be converted into
nlIN .,,,se1,ru The prisoner in question was the
ne's -,+cpess Of IItta. who played important a
Nt - ths bachelor life Of the late King Hum
roe - .,-.os. brought about the wreck of his do
"s = bsnniness soon after his marriage, and
.,,s hnslly ordered 10 travel abroad by old
- 1-;-4o- Emmanuel, who was very fond Of his
ss--ster-in-law and niece, Queen Marguerite. The
3s.tess came 20 Paris, was prominent figure at
=. Tugeries during the closing days Of the Sec
% % r,r,nre and may be said TO have supplanted
@ s.- o,1,-1,wonan the Contesse de Castiglione. in
=. ,rsctions OF Napoleon III. Empress Eugene
-. Intensely Jealous Of her and when on the
-tu-e Of Napoleon for the seat of war after
- outbreak OF the conflict with Germany she was
s,-ointed Regent. she caused the duchess 10 be
.rss.ed and imprisoned in the Castle OF Vincennes
- = charge Of furnishing information 10 Prince
rasr7s-ck and 10 the German authorities.
To what extent this accusation justified Il
f. impossible 10 say. and there is much in favor
q the presumption that il was merely trumped I'D
ear the purpose Of enabling Eugene 10 vent a bit
- feminine spite upon her rival IN the affections
n Napoleon For the empire was
cv.r,h-own. on September 4. the republic pro-
claimed ard Eugene compelled TO fee 10 England
che Duchess OF Ltta was at once released from
ylpcennes. which would certainly not have been
che case had there been any proof OF her having
scted as a German spy. Moreover, ii is diff
cult 10 understand what inducernent Prince Bis
rarck could have offered to persuade her TO adopt
any such role. she extremely rioh and be-
yund the reach Of any pecuniary temptation
After the death. some fifteen years ago. Of the
son whom she had borne TO King Hun1bert prior
70 her marriage. and whose funeral the King at
tended person Milan. the duchess sold all
her magnificent Jewels for lsrge sum- with which
shs founded a big orphan asylum and home for
crippled children near Milan. IN memory Of her
boy. snd az her death the greater part Of her con-
Siderable fortune went to further endow this inst-
tuton.
The Li:tas are well known family OF Northern
Ilsly One Of them. Duke Pompey Idtta 4 fire.
cuent visitor 10 the United States has come
prominently before the public in connection with
lis efforts 20 secure foreign naturalization in or
Ger 10 obtain a legal dissolution Of his marriage
diTorce being unknown in italian Law. Another
Duke Ltta- who has American wife, has rem
6ere5 himself unpleasantly conspicuous recently
by the proclamation Of socialist and even an
sHclist doctrines. and especially by the publica-
ton Of & novel containing particularly scurrilous
attack on the Roman Catholic clergy. This noble
man styles himself the Duke OF Litta. Vlscount
Aress ana may add that his American duchess
shares his views with regard 10 religion in gen
cate Of Tonan's rights and indorses all the senti-
ments which he expresses in his novel entitled
The Soul % 4 Priest and which Is published IN
English by Fisher Irwin Of London.
Other notable prisoners at Tincennes have been
that Bourbon prince, the Duke Of Enghien. who.
ster being kidnapped from Germany in violation
o. al The laws Of nations, was shot in the castle
moat IN 1sls by order of the First Napoleon After
the Restoration King Louis XVIII erected !n 1916
e beautiful memorial TO him in the castle chapel.
which begun by ST. Louis. only completed by
Henry II in 1552 The castle Itself was built by
King Philip Augustus and s.. Louis spent three
years there after his return from the Holy Land.
Philip the Bold and Philip Of Valois made their
homes in the Castle OF Vincennes. and so. TOO. did
Charles VI and also Charles VII. who spent his
days ther. with the fair Agnes Sorel while she
Maid Of Orleans was fighting the English. His
son. Lo.is XL avoided the place. but the Chateau
Of Fncsnnes the scene Of Henry lis romance
with the lovely Diane de Poitiers. Queen Marie de
medid MADE the castle her permanent residence.
and Cardinal Richelieu used its dungeons for his
enemies. who almost Invariably succumbed to n
peculiar 'ulslady Of the stomach" soon after their
Incarceration Cardinal Mazarin also spent much
a. his life there. and the castle grounds we're the
Of the first romantic meeting Of Louise de Ia
Tslhere and King Louis XIV. Its principal role
ss q stronghold was its heroic defence by General
Dsumesn, in 1874 against the forces OF the allied
armies. even after Paris had capitulated.
Perched II Is on the heights overlooking the
aver Msrne, surrounded b. forest which was
converted by Napoleon III into a public park IN
Imitation OF the Bois du Boulogne. identified with
al the drama. the chvalrv and tragedy Of the his
suries and connected with Paris. four miles dis
fant. by trsmvsys and railroads IT is peculiarly
fitted 70 become national museum.