New-York tribune., 1908-07-18
rbe Portrait of "a Queen of tho
Emigration.


Paris. July 10.
- ..conte de Reiset is well known the
., his erandfather's diary. the Memories
-.,:~sl vIcora.e de 7ciset." q book dealing
n,s,l,antiy with inner court life from the
'o, ~,e,nert of the Empire to the abdication OF
He has also published a curfously
el.-,.,tea study of the children of the III fated
a. Berry Just now he has brought out
wv ,..rest,ng monograph on the famous and
.,s,sul Anne de Caumont-la Force. Comtesse
oh, one Of the queens If the Emigration"
" y sxcertionei knowledge of that interlude in
h' .,.,o-v of the French monarchy. during
fe she Com.e de Provence (afterward Louis
w., ana the Comfe d'Artois tafterward
y,. both brothers OF Louis XVI, went
,vi,, q large portion OF the aristocracy to
Oh. .errors of the Revolution. is in part
-, rroyn the possession OF masses OF unpub-
socunents and correspondence 1t pecu-
I7 e.s hin, TO undertake the portrait Of the
l...,;rg woman who for so long held undis-
sway over the heart and brain of the
- ,,re.ender to the Bourbon throne.
~, fpntesse de Balbi. lady-in-waiting to
-or,.esse de Provence before the Revolution
-, was the Acknowledged mistress OF the
,-,,-e de Provence. the lax morals OF the time
-~,,,.,nr this without the creation OF any par
f..-.- scandal. Mime. de Balbi retaining her po-
.,,- Of court. The extent Of her influence Is
..~n bv the words Of the Comte de Provence
~n., ha was shown that HIS favorite had been
..,e,hfu to him. and that reconciliation was
,-uoxsisls Whatever may happen now" he
.,,,,.d TO Cornte d'Avaray, who had brought
a. rhst purported TO be the proofs OF her
-sccndrct 'the habits and the charm OF nay
20. have been destroyed This rupture, how
.e- took place only after the comtesse had
-,r,ed for several years at Coblentz. where the
..rsnt The Comte de Provence. held his court.
. ., r,ohallenged queen OF the Emigration
ue-s is an interesting figure for the further
.oson that she personif1ed with extraordinary
.,.. .he French aristocrat OF the old regime,
nb,ch was to disappear In the Revolution.
,s,s- .-agically on the scaffold or by the fnf1u-
-. ~ social evolution and new environment
chs Vas one of the giddiest actresses upon the
,,asv scene Of the Trianon, under the mirthful
a.,hs-s,s crook Of Marie Antoinette. She be-
,,,,sa in masquerade. 10 the world OF Vatican
g.. rad that ineffable distinction and charm
,ch give such attractive Quality-and their
-,oeless modern value-to the works OF Natter
r,,ars and Largilliere Her portrait was
,o,n,ed by Fragonard. The explosion OF the
ro,cazo cid net stop her from dancing she
-,nbled and talked witty scandal and reigned
. sooial queen to the end Of her days, whlch
5s mi come till well in the middle OF the nine
,asnth century but we see her line extinguished
,r ber son. who dies, when his mother is sew
o-.v- -so,r as simple Mr.. John Balbi, wealthy
s-,e-,cau citizen of New York He leaves all
,,s property to his housekeeper. his aristocratic
o,5 mother is forgotten, and there is little doubt
,ss. -be Witnesses to John Balbfs will were
wholly Ignorant of the fact that the well-to-do
merchant who had requested this service from
them was the nephew of French duke and
fn great grandson of the Doge Of Genoa.
There IS something of a coincidence between
fhsse facts and the career of the Comtesse de
RsbTs nephew-the son, born out of Wedlock.
n her sister. the Comtesse de Mesnard. Here.
again zhe Revolution with the consequent emil
e-srjon abroad OF the French nobility, plays a
dre-rininr role in changing the destnies OF
families josephine de Caumont-la Force Was
ss blond and gentle as her sister Anne was
dark and tmrulsiye Her husband. the Comte
de- Mesnard was a bold and brilliant soldier
sH5 fine specimen of manhood, In marked
contrast with Anne's husband. the hapless
cOnte d. Rabi who was fated to spend the
greater portion Of his life in lunatic asylum
after having received a serious wound in fight
Ing the Revolutionary forces In Brittany, the
Cum;e de Mesnard undertook the dangerous
mission of returning to Paris in disguise for
The purpose Of sounding the Revolutionary
leader Barras as To his willingness to assist in
restoring the monarchy He was denounced by
fhe surgeon who attended him. and in spite of
al his devoted wife's efforts 20 save him was
condemned TO death by a military tribunal and |
shot ar the Plane &c Grenelle. bragely refusing |
70 allow his eyes to be bandaged. AT this tragic |
moment Nine de Nesnard was a refugee in |
London where she came under the notice of the |
Prince Of Wales afterward George " He ap-
pears 70 have fallen in love with her blond
beauty and delicate French grace. and 1T is GER
TAN that after some months of widowhood
soa was born who was named Francois Louis
Ao1rar 6e Caumcnt-la Force with the title OF
oen'e de Castelnau. II is related that when
MS Legitimate scion Of the royal house of Eng
an1 ras On the point OF leaving school his /
nesser. who had brought him up with the Ut
nus tenderness and care, without revealing
nef relationship. declared her intention OF di-
F1sfng the secret Of his birth and presenting
II 10 her family her son The boy replied
~sl ne loved her too dearly 10 consent TO be a
N'ce q embarrassment 10 her and was there
y" resolved 20 take orders Rather than that
tN Should become a priest" answered Nine de
N7aard- i viii stand in the middle OF the
-lGs XVI bridge and shout to all the passersby
-1I have q natural son whose name is Comfe
lsstelnau." The generous lad finally gave
~ 10 MS mothers wishes. entered diplomacy.
xe extensive travels in South America-where
SID 10 have discovered the sources OF the
Als1m Rver-and died after the war OF 1870 /
1ifeach Consul General at Melbourne. the in
''snls Of which town were probably unaware
~ NE worthy representative Of the French
s"snment in their midst was son or
ErnIv.
-saOoes q this kind illustrate with singular
hess low epoch making the French Revo-