The Life of La Fayette, the Knight of Liberty in Two Worlds and Two Centuries

by Lydia Hoyt Farmer

M. Cloquet in his quaint book of Recollections of La Fayette, gives a full and interesting description of La Fayette’s home at La Grange, of the grounds, château, La Fayette’s library, museum, and many curiosities gathered there. As Cloquet was his family surgeon and warm personal friend for years, as well as a frequent visitor to the La Fayette estate, and was also present at the death-bed of the illustrious general, his account may be deemed authentic. From his long and detailed description, covering more than one hundred pages, the following prominent features are here culled.

The estate of La Grange is situated thirteen leagues east of Paris. The château stands in the centre of a farm containing eight hundred French acres. The roads leading to the château cross the property, and are well laid out and carefully kept in order. The entrance into the park is through a wide, handsome avenue bordered with apple-trees. This avenue, turning to the left, passes by the farm and an old chapel, and crossing a plantation of chestnut-trees, extends for some distance through a grove of dark-green ornamental trees until it reaches the château. The drawbridge, which formerly existed over the moat, has been replaced by a stone bridge with parapets. The entrance is by a large door composed of two arches, the one having on the sides two deep excavations which received a portion of the woodwork and the chains of the old bridge, the other forming the real door. On either side of the door rises a substantial stone tower, in which narrow windows are pierced. The walls to the level of the tiled roof, by which they are surmounted, are covered with moss and tufted ivy, between the foliage of which may be seen the outline of the casement of the towers. The ivy was planted by the celebrated Charles Fox, during his stay at La Grange with General Fitzpatrick, after the Peace of Amiens. The court, through which is the entrance, has the form of an irregular square, and is light and spacious, and looks out upon the beautiful park on which it opens.

The following view of the château was furnished by General Carbonel, and represents part of the park, lawn, and residence. The château has two stories besides the ground floor. The walls are covered on the outside with ivy, Virginia jasmins, etc., and the entire dwelling is surrounded with fine trees and enormous weeping willows, which gracefully bend their branches towards the waters of the moat, which is from thirty to forty feet in breadth and seven feet in depth. The moat has been filled up on one side of the château, leaving a level passage to the lawn. The waters of the moat are clear and limpid, being fed by a stream that runs from one of the ponds of the farm, and fine fish are kept in it. On the outside it is surrounded with terraced slopes of green sward enamelled with brilliant flowers.

On the ground floor of the château, and communicating with the vestibule, are a small chapel, a large dining-room, and further on, the kitchens. A wide stone staircase, well lighted, leads to the two reception-rooms, to the La Fayette museum, and to the corridors which conduct to the other apartments of the family, and to those reserved for friends.

La Fayette’s apartments on the second floor consist of an ante-chamber, a bedroom, and a library, the windows of which look out upon the park, and command a view of the farm beyond. At the entrance of the vestibule are two small pieces of cannon, which the Parisians at the period of the Revolution of 1830 had mounted upon coach-wheels to attack the troops of Charles X. The conquerors afterwards presented them to La Fayette. Near the cannons a white cockatoo reposes on his perch. This fine bird was presented to the general by his friend Benjamin Constant because the cockatoo had always shown a marked preference for La Fayette, and welcomed his coming with joy, while to M. Constant’s other guests the bird was quite indifferent. The small chapel, opening on the vestibule, is now hung with black and devoted to the exclusive use of the family. The altar is adorned with an ivory crucifix and with silver candelabra. Two tablets on the wall contain Scripture quotations and passages from the Book of Tobias.

On the wall of the vestibule, facing the great door of the salon, may be seen a trophy of flags, artistically grouped, and recalling historical events. Amongst them are flags belonging to the old Paris National Guard of 1789, also tri-colored flags borne in the Revolution of 1830, together with several American and Polish flags. In one of the large reception-rooms are marble busts of Monroe and Quincy Adams, Presidents of the United States. Over the door is a painting representing the Port of Passage in Spain, where La Fayette first embarked for America. The Victory is shown just setting sail from the harbor. To the right and left of the door are two other fine paintings. One represents the French Federation in the Champ de Mars; the other, the storming of the Bastile. The latter painting was exhibited in the Louvre in 1790. La Fayette was examining it there with much enthusiasm, and exclaimed to his friend beside him, while gazing upon the stirring scene with ardent admiration, “Whoever becomes the possessor of that picture will be a happy man!” The artist, Robert, was at that moment standing behind La Fayette, and hearing the remark he advanced and said, “General, be happy; that picture is yours.”

On the wall to the right of this reception-room hang beautiful engravings of the American Declaration of Independence and the Farewell Address of President Washington.

One of the most interesting ornaments in this room is a marble bust of La Fayette, sculptured by the artist David, and placed on a small pedestal between the portraits of Washington and Franklin. The flag of the American frigate, the Brandywine, shades the portraits of these three friends, seemingly uniting their memories by its azure folds, while its silver stars float above their heads. Washington, La Fayette, and Franklin form an illustrious trio of immortal names. The second reception-room may be called the American Gallery. On one side stands a handsome bronze bust of Washington by the artist David. Above this bust hang the portraits of John Adams, and Quincy Adams, both Presidents of the United States. Upon the opposite wall are placed portraits of Presidents Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, and Jackson.