CONTENTS
| CHAPTER I | PAGE |
|---|---|
| Paris, May 9—A crowded drawing-room—Eridge Castle—Troublein Paris—A Naval Spectacle. | [1] |
| CHAPTER II | |
| A Visit from the Duke of Wellington—Politics at Paris—TheKing's Birthday—The Princess Victoria—Europeancomplications. | [12] |
| CHAPTER III | |
| M. Thiers' Marriage—Talleyrand summoned to Paris—Returnto London—Lady Jersey and the Duc d'Orléans—Dinnerwith the King. | [19] |
| CHAPTER IV | |
| Warwick Castle—Queen Adelaide—The Duke of Wellington—Londonat its best—Woburn Abbey—M. deLieven's recall—A rift in the Cabinet—Lord Brougham—Dinnerwith Palmerston—Lord Grey's difficulties—Palmerston'smethods—Oxford and the Duke—Kingsin exile—A jovial monarch—Mirabeau—Talleyrand'sMemoirs—The King's health—Don Carlos andCourt—A Schism at Almack's—Resignation of LordGrey—Don Carlos escapes—Lord Melbourne's position—Revolutionarypolitics—European politics—Spanishaffairs—Palmerston's incivility—A scene at the levée—Lastdays in England—Talk with Louis-Philippe—GeorgeSand—English visitors—A royal visit—M. deTalleyrand resigns—Lord Brougham in Paris—A Statetrial—Talleyrand's successor. | [27] |
| CHAPTER V | |
| A Court at the Tuileries—Cabinet making—Triumph ofM. Guizot—Talleyrand and Church—Fieschi's crime—Englishpolitics—Thiers' difficulties—The King'scourage—General Sébastiani—A clever secretary—Marriageprojects—State prisoners—British affairs. | [224] |
| APPENDIX I | [287] |
| APPENDIX II | [288] |
| BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX | [291] |
MEMOIRS OF THE
DUCHESSE DE DINO
CHAPTER I
1831
Paris, May 9, 1831.—I am bewildered by the tumult of Paris. There is such a babel of words, such a crowd of faces, that I hardly recognise myself, and have the greatest difficulty in collecting my thoughts so as to discover where I am, where others are, whether the country is doing well or ill, whether the physicians are skilful enough, or whether the malady is beyond their art.
Twenty times I have stopped to think of Madeira; sometimes, too, my thoughts are of Valençay; but I can find no fixed resting-place, and it seems to me quite futile to prejudge anything before the great electoral crisis which preoccupies everybody. A propos of everything, people here say "after the elections," just as the gay world of London used to say "after Easter."
There was a little article in the Moniteur of yesterday; the attitude of the Ministry and that of the general public are both just and flattering to M. de Talleyrand, but reason is not the fashion nowadays, and less so in this country than elsewhere. In fact, if I were to let my thoughts wander over the thousand and one small complications which spoil and embarrass everything, the only conclusion I could arrive at would be that the country is very ill but that the doctor is excellent!...
London, September 10, 1831.—From Paris letters it appears that the indestructible Bailli de Ferette has at length taken his departure; likewise Madame Visconti, another extraordinary relic of the past.