New-York tribune., 1908-06-06
Literary Neevs and Critics m.
cp< Romantic Story of the First
Duchesse de Dino.
Paris. May IS.

,-snddaugfter Comtesse Jean de Cas-
e. :" .itb q ureface by NJ. Etienne Iamy OF
ie''', ,,-,,ch Academy. and eubellished by two
'ne :o,le portraits, have just been published
-,-,ann-I,evy. They deal with the early
:, ~ that essentially cosmopolitan "grande
s'u'- -ben. as Princess Dorothea Of Courland.
oan' ,ns ,,f the wealthiest heiresses of
&c whose marriage was the object Of i'm
buiOt nd roval intrigue. The memoirs ter
--,h her wedding at Frankfort on April
ni'-rg st the age Of sixteen. to Comte Edmond
- -,t-scord. nephew Of Talleyrand. This mar
-ss the result Of strenuous personal ef-
iioe SO hv Emperor Alexander l. who wished
: o,ser q substantial favor upon Talleyrand.
: Ao.-+ had been set upon the union. II
that the narrative breaks off so alb
The CorEesse Jean de Castellane
-. q, IN introduction that the letters. diaries.
and correspondence Of the first Duchess
= T,ro were haqueathed 10 her by her father.
,.-e Duo de Talleyrand. de Sagan and de
-,,,c.v Il was his wish that his mothers
...a-vs-ions pertaining 10 persons whom she
Known and relating 10 events in which she
,otsn a leading part at Berlin. at the mem
Is. vienna Congress. at the London Embassy.
So during the reign Of Louis Philippe and
: -.--,,arv in 1850. should he disclosed, in the
.-.,-os+ Of historical accuracy and truth. when
+he Corntesse Jean de Castellane might
80 A. The moment has now been deemed
,o--r,ne for the appearance Of those portions
= .,e memoirs that bring Us down TO the spring
a ,sno hut which were written by the Duchess
1,-o from her OWN notes and from memory
= 1929 Social susceqtibilities. conventional
- - - scandal feminine heartburns and
n,e-o,s in ancestral cupboards may have had
.-.,,ht in postponing the opening up of the rich
and Snrig1rlV
.oaotes iotted down by this woman of brilliant
''-,.-+z and keen observation. She not only
= t,,-o-ite niece Of Talleyrand. but his conf
-. .,6 +ra mistress Of his heart and house
"a and she thus enjoyed unrivalled oppor-
.,-itiss for knowing at first hand the true
b,s1orv Of her period
= r,be -r-asent memoirs read in connection with
.be letters written by the Duchess de Dino to
her trusted friend. the Baron de Barante, and
,ub1isbed in the latters biography, clearly indi-
-. che exceptional faculties Of perception and
5escrir+ion she possessed and her literary
.isve-ness The brilliant but spiteful sayings OF
-.e Cou1tesse de Boigne. who described her as
..-,5ieio,,sIx replete with wit" but added that
,s- sole object in life was personal intrigue.
--oul5 doubtless have been answered in the same
s,zde bv the alert duchess. who once indeed re-
6s-rad 10 her acidulous contemporary as "a
,,,ef,,i little pest We look in vain in the
T,nchess de Dino's memoirs for historical revela-
-io,s concerning Talleyrand and the men and
,,ornsn of his time. but compensation IS offered
N 1he shape Of graceful and witty pictures of
Russian and German society a hundred years
sro The book is fascinating in its familiar
zniso5es tts impressions of girlhood and its
rnsj5enlv confessions Of the authors love for
Prince Adam Czartoryski, against whom the
F-npsror Alexander, Ta1leyrand and her own
1ln11la IA ted n
thHs-t the marriage hoped for by the semi
bet-othed couple.
The funste vein Of fervid sentiment and vent
u-eser1e romance which has been characteristic
Of the ducal family of Biron-Courland~ found
fitting expression in the first Duchess OF Dino
Evidence Of this hereditary temperament IN our
ogn time may be found in the career of the
present Due de Dino, Maurice de Talleyrand-
Persord who. as already stated in The Tribune
euiovs the distinction of having been divorced
br 4vo American women in succession, his first
wife having been Miss Bessie Curtis and ms
second wife the former Mrs. Frederick William
livingston. nee Sampson, both OF New York Il
fash of the Ouixotic family tradition also ap-
1asrs in the temperament Of Bosom de Talley-
rand pa-jgord Due de Talencay, divorced IN
1908 from his wife who was Miss Helen Nor
ton and again in the person OF bosom S eloef
brother. Hehe de Talleyrand- -Perigord, Prince oe
saean who figures a suitor for the hand OF
Nine Anna Gould, divorced from her husband
Conte Boni de Castellane, a cousin or Prince
Heie and consequently also possessed of strain
of the impulsive Biron-Courland blood Indeed,
this illustrious family would never have been
heard Of. had it not been for its inherent quah-
ties of romantic adventure. The founder Of the
house was q handsome. attractive peasant
tgrandfather Of the first Duchess Of Dino. who
succeeded in winning the affections Of his SOW
eregn. Anna. Duchess of Courland. niece O.
Peter the Great who became Empress of Rus
sia in 1880 and created her favor1te Duke OF
Courland IN spite Of the opposition OF the Cour-
land MOBILES. The Empress Anna upon heI
deathbed signed will appointing the Duke u
Courland Regent Of Russia. with absolute power
during the minority Of the young Emperor, Peter
III, then in his cradle The Regent soon after
ward became the victim Of court conspiracy anu
was banished 10 Siberia. He was recalled 4rom
exile by the Empress Catherine. who restored
hin 10 the Duchy Of Courland. In 1903 ne
abdcated in favor Of his Peter, who in turn
'medatized" his Duchy of Courland, which be
came an integral part of Russia, and for this
he received from the Empress Catherine two
million ruhles outright, besides a princely pen
Sen and liberal perQusites. The Duke Peter
retained his duchy until the birth. in 1193- OF
his youngest daughter, the Princess Dorothea'
who is the subject Of the present memoirs
TIE early life Of the Princess Dorothea was
oy no means happy She was neglected by her
mother, was buIIied by her tutor, the Abbe
hattol. and was severely fogged upon the
slightest pretext by her stern English soverhess-
her mother occasionally manifested fits OF al
'scton- but most Of the time was ABSORBED III
ac Own affairs. The absurd system OF eou-
onon 10 which was subjected made me III ana
Hardened. instead Of forming and developing my
chaTacter." writes the little Princess Dorouiea
sne passed most of the time at the Immense