New-York tribune., 1908-09-02
PATR1c1AN OF FRANCES NOBILITY.

Although old Sosthenes de la Rochefoucauld' Due
de DoudeauviiIe who died last Friday, was NOT
the head of the historic house OF De Ia FSocheiou
csDjd but merely of the second branch there"I'
vet he was the recognized chief of the French
aristocracy and to such an extent was TINS ac-
pnoU-ledged that everywhere he was accorded the
pas by all of his fellow mobiles no matter Whd'
+beir age or the seniority OF their titles Thus
e+rictIv speaking Francis de la Rochefoucauld'
,,.bo is +be Due de la Rochefoucauld. Due d An
vile Due de Liancourt and Prince de Marciliac,
and married to Miss Matte Mitchell. daugnter OF
senator Mitchell is the chief OF the De la Roche
4o,,ca,Id family while the Due dues Is ny virtue
- soriori+,- or the creation OF his dukedom. the
nren1ier duke and peer of France But ooth al
wavs gave way 10 the old Due de DouoeauFIiie'
,bo was moreover, president of the Jockey Club
and of any number OF ciupS anu 09' -
analogous order.
The late duke. fact. was considered in the hgh'
If the patriarch of the Gallo arstocracy, ana 'lis
-; ms stfu further confirmed by the remarkable
ric+r,re painted by Jean Beraud, which was the
- 80 .ha Paris Salon OF five years ago. show
tn- him as the centre of huge family group, COM
nosed of about threescore figures, comprising MS
eons the late Due d dEstrees and the Due de Blsac-
cia. his son-in-law and daughter the Due and
DnchAsse de Harcourt; his grandchildren. the Due
AZ 7 ,,,,pes with the duchesse and the Due anu
Duchesse de Noailles; his daugher the DoWager
Duchesse de Luynes, besides many other bearers OF
tba srandesr titles and most historic names OF
France at least twenty out Of the sixty being dukes
- a,obesses or princes and princesses. The scene
,os laid in the great salon of the stately home OF
the De La Rochefoucaulds, in the Rue de Narenhe
which is Justly regarded the finest OF the many
n,agniAcent mansions of the Faubourg st. Germain
II stands "entre ct jardn Is TO say, IN
Tho fron+ there is huge courtyard, ffanked by
stahIing for half hundred horses. while at the
hack and the sides are oeantllui gardens Ialu
ont nv LIE Notre who designed the gardens OF YER
ssfles and which, shaded by superb big trees hun
dreds of years old, convey the impression when
etroIIins through the grounds that one is at some
country seat in the provinces instead OF In the
very heart Of the metropolis 1he mansions on
either side of almost equal grandeur, belonged 10
the late duke and lent by him 70 his children
rd .randchildreu SO that the grounds. of which he
was able to dispose whenever he gave a garden
1srtv were very extensive. forming quite large
mark The Hotel de 10 Rochefoucauld as his home
was called is stocked from cellar to garret with
rea sures of art and OF historical character ana
o,a of ts oldest features the wheelless body OF
an eighteenth century stage coach arustlcauy
carved painted and gilded. in one corner OF the
great hall and which has been adapted TO serve as
an elevator to convey persons 10 the moor ahoFe-
G .Ievar1v Is the affair arranged that no mechan-
fcaI contrivances 70 be seem The women are
harded into the caring on the ground moor take
their seats and without sound ana without n jar
are gently and almost mperceptioly raised to the
floor above
Although the old duke was regarded twenty
wears ago as something of fop. owing TO his hav-
ing retained many OF the mannerisms, the dandihed
stvle OF dress and the punctilious poteness which
were in vogue In his younger days, yet he was far
from, being a mere ornamental figure Thus, the
aukedom Of Bisaccia was bestowed upon him
aftv or sixty years ago by the King OF Naples In
recognition of valuable services He had Inherit
., from his mother, who daughter OF the
5,,oat house Of Montmorercy, extensive estates in
the Kingdom of Naples. In ls45 she intrusted the
administration thereof him. he being then TWEEN
" Finding that they were non productive, and
that everything had been allowed to go to rack
d r,,in during the two centuries that they had
heen in the possession of the prneeiy house of
g,irnaaeilI he work TO reorganize, repair and
sevelop everything with much success that
What had beer abe Idoned pasture land destitute
villages and mort und towns was In the course
~ q decade tran formed Of the busiest
ard most prosperous districts Vi Southern Italy