New-York tribune., 1908-04-25
rl, Latest Biography of the EN-
press Fugfnie.
Paris. April Il.

s-Nn
sp'',s glory. stopping at the Hotel Continen-
II -4,i-b IS in the immediate vicinity OF the
t. .,5 Of the site where once stood the
Lew - the Tuilerfes- Accompanied by her
p~,, attendant NJ Pietri, the son of the
is'--. ,,ief Of the imperial detective police she
U.S. through the popular gardens which
lion the place of the palace from which
ss'S -a,ad after Sedan. and which the Com
81 = s,,aseduently burned TO the ground
Iss,,l, she may he seen to point with her
i-,.rs 10 certain spots now overgrown with
a. flowers and il is understood that these
-l.cas which she recognizes as being init
associated with the memory OF the
- - T,7verial: il was here that he loved to
r. ,rer a little boy in short frocks.
% r,-sskr1c I.oiIee. author OF The Women of
socond Empire" and The Imperial Fate,"
y -, .,,nleted his study of the Second Empire
,-,lu,ne devoted exclusively to the Empress
80 entitled La Vie dune Imperatrice."
-. be admitted that the subject Of his book
al the women OF the Second Empire the
80 cbs-acteristic. and the most astonishing
= he 1,ont Of view both Of her beauty and
-, sDIendor OF her life, while the i'm
III 49, certainly owed most Of its anirna-
SIS exrravagance to her passionate love
--u---e and movement II is perhaps too
- .,,sre What the Empress Eugenies in
-. ,r-as upon politics and how far she was
sble I a. all. for the collapse OF her
,.s,s throne as corollary 10 the disaster
-. r--srco-CerTuan War. which the Empress
: accused. though not upon proved evidence
ing urged forward. and TO have passion
=, ses~-=h.,d as my war" Her love OF state
-.,,isI and g never ceasing round Of court
-.s can have given her very little time
, z-rs,irg political problems or for intriguing
NC the numberless influences OF all sorts
- were brought TO bear upon the En-
- decisions That she thought herself fully
-,s,s-r 70 take upon her shoulders the bur
: ~ Government is we'll known but the EN-
- seems rather TO have humored this idea
:, ..s light Of q feminine caprice than ever TO
r,rs given any serious practical issue TO it. and
-,s- the defeas Of the French army at Sedan
= .sLar mace and the Emperor was a pris-
--s- r, the hands Of the Germans. though rhe
r---sss became regent, with supreme powers.
r~-s---1g France in the name OF her son, it
:, -bsr 100 late 70 save the imperial regime.
-. r-,r7ess Eugene is chiefly interesting by
80, a the Intensely dramatic contrast be-
+vss7 The excessive splendour and gayety Of her
.-,r ,.a-s-fro-l the date OF her marriage TO
r,-,le7r III. in 1858 until the "debacle" Of
7s-a-and TIE lonely tragedy Of her bereaFed
Ef50vhoo5.
as cloud a. Biarritz, at the Tuileries, at
r7--ai,ebleau. the Empress had created for
herself z kind OF artificial Paradise, in which
ss4 Vss enrhroned as the Goddess OF Pleasure
surrounded by personages OF both sexes drawn
f-7- nearly every class OF society, who filled
n he- satisfaction the heroic and semi-divine
-7ss which she dreamed for them. Not even In
ne tine Of Marie Antoinette had the French
,,r- lived 50 exclusively in the realms OF
Imagination But s. was al Compiegne that the
E---ess gave the freest rein 10 her mania for
amusement and show. NJ Loliee describes in
6san rh4 entertainments which followed the
s-tvaI n autumn OF the imperial couple at
C5-ulegne where the court established Itself
u-tI he beginning Of winter. The Empress
uwed - her Spanish blood and education
passion for deer hunting, the sanguinary details
Z. V1ich in no way affected d nature hardened
10 The horrors Of the bull ring For the hrst
week O he~ stay she devoted herself entirely to
ms sport When she had satiated herself with
r mutations were Issued for weekly and fort
--shtlv visits 20 the chateau. and these were
eagerly sought Tor by all the leaders OF Partisan
s51err save and except the members Of the cid
French aristocracy-the Faubourg ST. Germain-
q. whom only TWO OF three had consented to
tseuen- The imperial court The Empresss IN
v1stor l.s- was eclectic. and included men OF
ls-ters and musicians such as Octave Feuiliet,
Gounol and Paul De Musset; the journalist most
Il vogue-ss Tor instance. Alberto Second-on
condition. - course. that he belonged 10 the I'M
Te-ai party IN politics: financiers. Jews, and IL
nus be admitted a certain number OF vague
;reigners Hith titles and shady cosmopolitan
aaTentu-ers. AL the invited met at the North
e. RAILWAY station, and were conveyed by
Eye-isl tram 70 Compiegne where gorgeous
teaks driven by postillions In powdered wigs
were waiting TO drive them To the castle. The
E1ls tCwn u C0mpiegne was gayly oenasseH-
-ae guests rlvaIled one another In ostentatlon-
II entire railway van was needed Tor lie
Princess Nerrernicil's trunks One lady SAID
ias- u2 receiving an invitation 10 Complesne
sle had promptly sold a mill on her ancestral
estate and the Inevitable court witticism Went
irg16 that she had retained sufficient quantity
q four tor her face The luncheons consisted
t'Eerty-tour covers. the dinners Of rarely fewer
ts1 Z hundred. The time between meals was
sSen, II shooting hunting, dancing. theatrical
Entertainments and anusements Of all kinds,
s-as q them trivial and others which gave rise
r certain amount Of scandalous gossip The
III Vas -ee-avart' frightening in its inte'l-
ffvI, vas moi" attributed 10 Comtesse Ste
flzne oe Il Pagerle The graver among the
glests had generally had enough OF Il al 'ne
G1 Of TIE week and fhcy greeted with JOY 'he
'@t occasions when sitting CT the courcH
STATE obliged ;heir imperial hosts TO aoanooh
zen tor z few hours 70 their own oeFlces'
AsrnAe IN z private letter dated from me
cas'eau % C0mpiegne. hints at the reiief winch
nay re Fl prospect owing TO the death Oh INC
Ahg q Denmark. which will deprive US FOR
lae q The fne dresses and the waltzing OF the
kses
The Empress was indefatigable, and she SET
~ pace which all her guests we're forced ps
s-3uette 70 keep Up with She was perIecuy
--ll1erenr 70 the weather, and would drive out
- Pouring rain 10 Visit the reconstruction "oThs