New-York tribune., 1909-12-11
Il Highborn Ladg's Gossip Of
fhe Great World.

SeCUn f>+l-Nhaa. flAftttt VIII
notes and biographical index. by the
Princess RsGziwif tnee tasteilanel
with phof oErsVure fronftspiece. sFo,
I'D. rti, $50. Charles Scribners sons
Headers Of French memoirs-and sure
I, their number must be legion-wiil re-
soice in tho publication 81 an English
version % the Duchesse de Dino's fas-
oinsting 'Chreniq1e- the FIRST three VOL
urnes ~ which hsve already been sue
cessivcly traversed IN the letters 81 our
Paris correspondent The work thus
far printed in tho original carries the
record down 20 1859 Probably the re-
naming msss of material covering
period % some ten or twelve years. viii
require NJ least two more volumes. Five.
all told. ~fll not be too many. for this
witty niece ~ Talleyrand's had an un-
usual opportunity TO observe European
society from the inside in a richly in
teresfing period. she had a true gift for
snscdOte and she set down her impress
eions with iust the right touch The
success % the memoirs OF the Countess
de Boisne. which the Scribners recently
brought cut. viii doubtless be repeated
In the case Of the present work. Al any
t--ff - - ~ - -tAAfNA AAA<AA NAAN iAAAAo-aNAc
viii he 80 encouraged as to give us every
line written by the Duchesse de Dino.
She has comparatively little 10 say
about herself IN the opening volume of
her memoirs. but IL is not difficult 10 re
slize her personality at the time which
is here described. the time OF Talley-
rsnc's embassy in London. A charming
miniature. which serves as fTontispiece.
shows graceful and vividly intelligent
features Between the lines Of her can
cio and ciscursive notes one may discern
the go0o breeding, the tact. the unfOrced
cleverness. which made her indispen-
sable in the household Of her uncle.
Late in this volume she has occasion 10
speak OF the anxiety by which she was
confronted when. settled once more at
Nalcncsy. she heard that the Princesse
ds T&lleyrand was nearing her end. The
III health OF the lady's husband made
her fearful OF shocking him by the news
she took prOdigious pains about telling
him. but her first remarks were received
In silence. and then he changed the sub
JecL she adds
Nexf dsy, however. he returned 10 H. but
only 70 refer 10 the embarrassment Il would
bs 20 be IN mourning IL she did die. Of the
funeral, 6no OF the CARDS that would be sent
OUT. IL the Princess did die he said ne
p'oulc 90 out Of Paris for d week or a fort
night ano AL this he said not only without
any trace OF grief but even IN a tone Of
obvious relief lie Immediately proceeded
~ enter on the financial questions OF i'm
I'ortsnce which are involved in his wffe's
0.ssh. which WOULD repossess him not oniv
~ her annuity. buf also Of other moneys IN
Which sile has only life interest. All the
rest 81 the DAY n. DE- Talleyrand showed q
sino of serenity snd gayety which J have
not seen IN him for long time. and which
struck me- 50 much thar when 7 heard him
positively humming tune could not help
asking HIM 'if Il Was the fact that he was
soon ~ be Nidower that put him In such
spirits He made face "a me like a mis-
enieNous chud ana went on taking about
81 there would be 20 do y the Princess
were 20 die.
The Duchesse saw nothing callous in
the great mans behavior. Doubtless
she shared his relief in tie prospect 4
seeing q bond snapped (which Was the
greatest scandal OF his life because il
was the only one which was irremedia-
hle." Toward him. indeed. she was low
atty itself and II is. perhaps. useless %
look 20 her for anything like a well bal
anced portrait of Tallcyrand. She was
either oblivious 20 the sinister side -
Atto iAcAAlF Ni ltllHiLcAtle allArAFA IL 10
her sffectionste conception OF him. ar
ranging the dubious events in his career
Ia perspective fixed 10 suit herself.
Net she was = creature Of too keen a
fnsntsiity. a spectator cf life too frank
and too humorous. 70 turn any man Z
chsrsctcr. even her uncle into plaster
image None Of his bio-ra pliers has
painted him more humanity than has
the p'uchssse Dc Dino, as witness this
EmuEing snocdote-
n d. Tsueyrsud told me yesterday that
when he got nd ~ his priests orders he
feit an extra ordinary desire TO night = duel
Hs spent TWO whole months diligently
locking for quarrel, and fixed ON The Duo
40 Castries. who Was both narrow minded
sud h0t-tcr1pered. as she man most likely
~ tie r'lrr, de Echecs ana one cav when
fhey were both There NJ. De Castries be-
Esu - read aloud = pamphlet against the
minority n Tho mobility. n. Do Taneyrand
! thought 10 saw ms chance. and requested
Il NJ. 90 1sstries 10 stop reading what Was
l.~rsonsllv offensive 90 him Al Dc castries
replied thar ~ a club every BODY might read
~ % what iie pleased Very well. Saic
~. % Tslleyraud, and placing himself al
fric-frsc table near n de Castr1es. he
scattered the pieces living on i vita 50
-1uch noise as 10 drown entirely Nh" voice
~ rhe reader. A quarrel seemed inevitable.
rnd Al 10 Tallevraud vas delighted. but
n % Csstries only flushed snd frowned.
~rithed his reading ana }eff the club with
oiif saving anything. Probably for him y.
a. Tailevraud could not cea9e 10 - a
pre-
Tho devotion ~ The Duchesse 10 Tai
les-rsnd is Al times almost touching in
fts srtless sincerity Obviously he was
80 her pretty nearly the greatest man in
fhe world. and certainly the dearest. on
every passage IA his public life she dwells
with the most engaging solicitudo. II
g. for example. delightful 10 observe her
appreciation % those incidents in London
which suggest 10 her desire IA high
quarters 20 keep him AZ the English
court But the Duchesse de Dino was
never the woman TO labor a subject. She
does not risk becoming bore by talking
too much about her hero. In fact. the
crest merit of her memoirs resides in
their variety. ln the touch-and go man
nor she adopts On the treatment 81 that
brilliant life in which she carried herself
so well
ln 4 fash she makes us see her inter
csffng c0nfempOraries. she shows us the
sloerly Thers. a little embarrassed. but
very happy. I'm his marriage 10 a girl OF
sixteen She shows us the Duke Of Wei
lington. exercising the honest common
sense" Tor which she appears chiefly 10
admire him. and along with her numer-