New-York tribune., 1908-10-05
together once a year in Paris on washington's
Birthday.

Birthday
LEADER OF THE FACBOUR1T ST GERMAN.
The widow OF the duke that is to say. the
duchess dowager. is Of the most respected
leaders of the old nobesse Of France and her
saioEs in Paris are accounted extremely exclusive
being remorseiessiy closed to the new rich. She
declined absolutely TO meet the Russian-He-
brew wife OF her husbands brother the Marquis
de Noailles. who for many years represented
France as envoy at Washington. afterward serving
as ambassador both at Constantiuople and at
Berlin where he acquired in Z very marked degree
the confidence and the good will of the Kaiser.
Moreover, It was only with the utmost difficulty
that the old duchess dowager was persuaded 10
give her consent 10 her sons Helie de Noailles,
marriage with Corisande de Gramont, owing the
latters mother. the late Duchesse de Gramont.
having been one Of the Rothschilds
The prejudices of the dowager duchess against
the Jewish race extremely pronounced and I
can recall the memorable reproof which she gave
70 the late Due dAumale when the latter. AT
grand dejeuner given by him al ChantilIy.
r1itted the soeCism Of placing her his left at
the table and according the his right 10 the
Baroness Alphonse Rothschild. whose husband he
was anxious 70 propi-iate- The old duchess in TAX
ing her seat. remarked 70 him in a of voice
loud enough 70 be heard by all present, II thank
YOUR royal highness for treating me near rela-
tive instead Of as an invited guest"
Where the De Noailies seen at their best * Al
their country seat at Maintenou, in the Department
XIV 10 his morganatic wife, Nine. de Maintenou.
who in turn gave it 10 her niece. wife Of member
Of the De NoaHles family The castle built dur
ing the reign Of Louis XII. and the towers and
chapel Of that epoch standing to this day Nine
de Maintenon built the right and left wings The
picture gallery Of the left wing is adorned with
traits Of the De Noaes from the CrUssdes down
70 the present time. among them being four field
n1arshals, six ambassadors, some forty generals
couple Of cardinals and grand admiral of France.
-= - = FFr-e~- -Sr--- har-z
The De NoaiIIes can trace back their ancestry. BY
means Of official records. in unbroken line TO
Pierre de Noailles the Crusader, who flourished at
the beginning Of the thirteenth century. His son.
Hughes de NoaiIles, on sailing for the Holy Land
in the Crusade OF St Louis in 124s signed deed.
still in existence. according which his lands and
name were always TO descend exclusively in the
male line The dUkedom of NoailIes was created
in 1853 and = year later the title OF Due dAyen
likewise bestowed upon the head Of the family,
and is now always borne by his eldest son and
heir. Among rhe other honors Of the house are
those Of Due &c Mouchv. and Of Prince and Duke
Of Polk, these titles being borne by the Due d.
Ncailess cousin and by The Iatters eighteen-year-
cid grandson
That Countess Matthew De NoaiIles's marriage
should have resulted in shipvreck astonishes no
one. for in the first place the blood in her veins
Inherited from her Runanian father and her Levan-
tine mother Is not conducive 70 dornesticity and
placid subordiration n the requirements Of West
errl couventionalftv- Then. too genius, and also
pseudo genius always rebell;ous 70 the laws,
both written and Unwrit-en that govern society.
Genius is generally selfish, by reason Of its self
consciousness and lack Of n1odes-y. Il IS exaCtiug
IN its demands for edrniraon and adulation Jealous
everything that alienates, even nonentarty, in
from itself and prtdes itself being su-
pe-ior 70 the law taking the ground that in order
70 flourish Il should be free from any cran1r1els
OF the kind That is why genius is rarely for-u-
na-e IN is domestic arrangements.
NARQTISE DE FONTENOT.