New-York tribune., 1908-09-26
Friend Of Marie Antoinette,
Napoleon and Washington.
Paris. Septenber 1S.

f. Years War. and died shortly after the
lo,,+ion Of July. Count de Segur one of
T. .,ost picturesque and characteristic men of
T. eventful period. He was colonel of
Is.0eoons under Louis XIV. Ambassador to Rus
H., under Louis XVI, Ambassador Extraordi-
= r3do- the Directory, Counsellor Of State
= the Consulate, Senator and Grand Master
T. ceremonies under Napoleon 1. and peer of
lT--once during the Restoration He trav-
nor noet historian. dramatist and member of
sc Academy. He lived on terms Of familiar
t,,n,acv with Louis XIV. Louis XVI. Marie An
I,-.tfe George Washington. Frederick the
lc-oa+ Empress Catherine IL and Napoleon.
vi.bout mentioning scores of satellites that
erayitated around these stars. He was the man
- all others who might have written most in
.erestinC memoirs His Souvenirs and Anec-
does. are universally known and highly rel
isbed but they came TO an abrupt end with the
outbreak of the Revolution. His publisher
offered him fabulous sums if he would continue
them. He shook his head Obstinately and said:
~Nothing can induce me to write anything dis
managing against Louis XVI Marie Antoinette
or against Napoleon. L owe too much TO the
truth and too much to their kindness toward
mo so between the two conflicting sentiments /
must remain silent" Last year the publisher of
o forthcoming edition of the Souvenirs and
Anecdotes applied TO the Marquis de Segur-
ereat-grandson of Louis Philippe de Segur-and
requested him TO fill the lacune by supplying
tracts from the letters, diaries and correspond
ence that exist in the family archives. The
marquis seems still in doubt about the expedi-
| encv of complying with this request, but was
nrevailed upon to furnish a rough pen and ink
| sketch Of his fascinating and overscrupulous
ancestor.
One Of the earlier anecdotes recounted by
4 ,7a 10
supper given to the King in the tent OF
Marechal de Segur, Minister Of War and COM
nsnder in chief at Compiegne. who was Louis
Philippe de Segur's father. Young Segur. when
fourteen years old, was already captain of cav
| airy and aide-de-camp 10 his father According
10 etiquette. the young aide-de-camp waited
upon the King. who was interested by his
surightliness and chatted familarly with
him. AT the close OF the repast,'' the story
runs "the King asked me what time ii was. 1
replied that did not know, because 1 had no
watch. The King turned TO my father and said:
'segur. give your watch TO your son at once l
thought It would have been more natural had
the King given me his own watch In the
spring Of 1777 the young officer married the
granddaughter Of the famous Chancellor. Marie
dAguesseau, whose beautiful features may be
seen in a portrait painted by Nine. Vigee-Le-
brun In 1872 he was at his own request made
colonel Of a regiment serving in America, and
Immediately sailed in the Aigle for the mouth
Of the Delaware River in company with the Prince
de Rroglie and the Due de Lauzun. They had
frightful weather and narrowly escaped being
captured by a British frigate The Aigle ran
ashore on the Delaware coast. and, after varied
experiences, Segur met Washington, who made a
lasting impression upon him Upon his return
TO France after the war, Segur became favor
army for diplomacy. and. after being ambassa-
dor to Frederick the Great. was sent in q similar
capacity 10 Russia. establishing such friendly re-
lations there that he made a commercial treaty
between France and Russia-the first agreement
Of the kind ever concluded between the two coun-
tries-and which. singuiarly enough, Segur drew
up with pen borrowed from Fitzherbert. the
British Ambassador, who had been doing all in
his power TO prevent such a treaty from being
made. Highly amusing the descriptions OF
his daily life at the Court Of Catherine II, Of the
means he employed u win the sympathy Of the
Empress and OF her favCrite, Potemiin. and also
Of The singular artifice that he employed 10 elude
The overzealous manifestations Of personal af-
fiction Of the ''Semiramis of the North"
Soon after Napoleon had become Emperor the
French Academy appointed twelve of its men,
hers to examine the address to be presented by
Chateaubriand upon his admission to their as !
sembly In his panegyric upon Joseph Chenier
lChateaubriand's predecessor) Chateaubriand
praised the man Of letters, bat severely crfti-
csed the Jacobn and the regicide. Segur, who
was Grand Master of Ceremonies, besides being
member Of the Academy. one of six who
approved Chateaubriand's discourse it stood
Next day at Saint-Cloud, in the presence Of the
whole court, Napoleon walked straight toward
Segur and said: Monsieur. the men of letters
want 10 set France on fire! How does the Acad-
emy dare TO speak Of regicides when I, who am
crowned, and who ought to hate them more than
the Academicians do. have them to dinner? 1
often SIT at table next TO Canbaceres. Why, you
and Montaine deserve TO be imprisoned at Vim
cennest' Sire" replied Segur, 81 cannot be-
leve you capable of such injustice. It seems
but natural 10 blame the death Of Louis XVI
without censuring the government that has just
erected expiatory affairs at Saint Denis" AT
these words the Emperor burst into a passion.
and. stamping his foot. said: Il know what I
ought TO do, and I also know how and when
should do it, It is not for you to Judge. don't
ask for advice. You are the president
Of the second class of the Institute. I
command you to tell your colleagues
that I will not permit them to meddle with poll
tics. Execute my order. Go at once Bear in
mind that if the Academy disobeys my COM
mand, shall smash it in pieces as If it were a
seditious cub.' Napoleon swept out of the
room, and every one present carefully avoided
Segur.
The next day after the levee Segur re-
mained alone with the Emperor He explained
calmly the reasons for his vote, represented the
Inconvenience of imposing too weighty chains
upon literature" and appealed to the equity
and practical sense" Of the sovereign Napoleon
listened in silence. At ,ast, with a kind glance
and pleasant manner he said: 81 have no I'll
feeling against you This attitude simply indi-
Gates my policy. l told you yesterday what l