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ANECDOTAL RECOLLECTIONS OF THE CONGRESS OF VIENNA
ANECDOTAL RECOLLECTIONS OF THE CONGRESS OF VIENNA
ANECDOTAL RECOLLECTIONS OF THE CONGRESS OF VIENNA BY THE COMTE A. DE LA GARDE-CHAMBONAS WITH INTRODUCTION AND NOTES BY THE COMTE FLEURY Translated BY THE AUTHOR OF ‘AN ENGLISHMAN IN PARIS’ WITH PORTRAITS LONDON CHAPMAN & HALL, LIMITED 1902 WITH PORTRAITS LONDON CHAPMAN & HALL, LIMITED 1902 Edinburgh: T. and A. Constable , (late) Printers to Her Majesty...
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BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE OF THE COMTE AUGUSTE DE LA GARDE-CHAMBONAS
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE OF THE COMTE AUGUSTE DE LA GARDE-CHAMBONAS
Auguste-Louis-Charles de La Garde, 1 a man of letters and a poet of some repute in his time, was born in Paris in 1783. The following is a copy of his certificate of baptism:— The child’s mother died in giving it birth. The father only survived the beloved young wife for a little while, and feeling his end to be near, confided the orphan to the head of his family, the Marquis de Chambonas (Scipion-Charles-Victor Auguste de La Garde), camp-marshal (equivalent to the present grade of general of br
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INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER
INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER
Introduction—A Glance at the Congress—Arrival of the Sovereigns—The First Night in Vienna. The Congress of Vienna, considered as a political gathering, has not lacked historians, but they were so intent upon recording its phases of high diplomacy as to have bestowed no thought upon its piquant and lighter social features. No doubt they feared that triviality of detail might impair the general effect of so imposing a picture, and they were satisfied with reproducing and judging results, without c
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CHAPTER I
CHAPTER I
The Prince de Ligne—His Wit and his Urbanity—Robinson Crusoe—The Masked Ball and Rout—Sovereigns in Dominos—The Emperor of Russia and the Prince Eugène—Kings and Princes—Zibin—General Tettenborn—A Glance at his Military Career—Grand Military Fête in Honour of Peace—The Footing of Intimacy of the Sovereigns at the Congress—The Imperial Palace—Death of Queen Maria Carolina of Naples—Emperor Alexander—Anecdotes—Sovereign Gifts—Politics and Diplomacy—The Grand Rout—The Waltz. Speaking of the Great W
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CHAPTER II
CHAPTER II
The Drawing-rooms of the Comtesse de Fuchs—The Prince Philip of Hesse-Homburg—George Sinclair—The Announcement of a Military Tournament—The Comtesse Edmond de Périgord—General Comte de Witt—Letters of Recommendation—The Princesse Pauline—The Poet-functionary and Fouché. Among the most distinguished women of Austrian society was the Comtesse Laure de Fuchs, of whom the numerous visitors to Vienna during the Congress have preserved the most delightful recollection. Graceful and witty, she conveyed
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CHAPTER III
CHAPTER III
Reception at M. de Talleyrand’s—His attitude at the Congress—The Duc de Dalberg—The Duc de Richelieu—Mme. Edmond de Périgord—M. Pozzo di Borgo—Parallel between the Prince de Ligne and M. de Talleyrand—A Monster Concert. Since my arrival in Vienna, I had given myself up so wholly to the pleasure of meeting with old friends that I had only been able to pay a ‘duty’ call at the French Legation. Although several friends, among others MM. Boigne de Faye and Achille Rouen, formed part of it in differe
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CHAPTER IV
CHAPTER IV
The Prince de Ligne’s Study—A Swimming Exploit—Travelling by Post—A Reminiscence of Mme. de Staël—Schönbrunn—The Son of Napoleon—His Portrait—Mme. de Montesquiou—Anecdotes—Isabey—The Manœuvring-Ground—The People’s Fête at Augarten. When I went to pay my daily visit to the prince, he was still in bed, and I made my way to his library, where they had placed his couch. The room in which a famous man spends the greater part of his time is always interesting. The signs of his particular tastes are ev
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CHAPTER V
CHAPTER V
The Prater—The Carriages—The Crowd and the Sovereigns—The Sovereigns’ Incognito—Alexander Ypsilanti—The Vienna Drawing-Rooms—Princesse Bagration—The Narischkine Family—A Lottery. I had promised to meet Alexander Ypsilanti in the grand avenue of the Prater, and at the appointed time I was there. To me the beautiful spot teemed with delightful recollections; each scene reminded me of a fête, of a love-tryst, or of a meeting with friends, of dreams, of hopes, of illusions, perhaps gone for ever. Du
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CHAPTER VI
CHAPTER VI
The Castle of Laxemburg—Heron-Hawking—The Empress of Austria—A Royal Hunt—Fête at the Ritterburg—A Recollection of Christina of Sweden—Constance and Theodore, or the Blind Husband—Poland—Scheme for her Independence—The Comte Arthur Potocki—The Prince de Ligne and Isabey—The Prince de Ligne’s House on the Kalemberg—Confidential Chats and Recollections—The Empress Catherine II. —Queen Marie-Antoinette—Mme. de Staël—Casanova. ‘These sovereigns on their holidays,’ as the Prince de Ligne called them,
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CHAPTER VII
CHAPTER VII
A Court Function—The Empress of Austria—The Troubadours—Amateur Theatricals—The Empress of Russia—The Prince Leopold of Saxe-Cobourg—Tableaux-Vivants—Queen Hortense’s Songs—The Moustaches of the Comte de Wurbna—Songs in Action—The Orphan of the Prisons—Diplomacy and Dancing—A Ball and a Supper at Court. The fêtes succeeded each other uninterruptedly; the time not given to pleasure was looked upon as wasted. Every week there was a grand reception and ball at the Court. Taking their cue from highe
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CHAPTER VIII
CHAPTER VIII
Prince Eugène de Beauharnais—Recollections of the Prince de Ligne—The Theatre of the ‘Ermitage’ and of Trianon—The Baron Ompteda—some Portraits—The Imperial Carrousel —The Four-and-twenty Paladins—Reminiscences of Mediæval Tournaments—The Prowess of the Champion—Fête and Supper at the Imperial Palace—The Table of the Sovereigns. One morning, a few days after the last-described event, I called upon Prince Eugène de Beauharnais. Our acquaintance dated from my youth, and whenever circumstances brou
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CHAPTER IX
CHAPTER IX
Recollections of the Military Tournament of Stockholm in 1800—The Comte de Fersen—King Gustavus IV. —The Challenge of the Unknown Knight—The Games on the Bridge at Pisa. During the next four days the whole of Vienna seemed engrossed with the accounts of the magnificence of the carrousel . Every particular was eagerly caught up, the names of the knights and their dames were on everybody’s lips. There were frequent allusions to the accident to Prince Lichtenstein, whose life had for some time been
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CHAPTER X
CHAPTER X
The Prince de Ligne’s Song of the Congress—Life on the Graben—The Chronicle of the Congress—Echoes of the Congress—A Companion Story to the Death of Vatel—Brie, the King of Cheese—Fête at Arnstein the Banker’s—The Fête at Prince Razumowski’s—The Prince Royal of Würtemberg—Russian Dances—Retrospection. The smaller ball-room usually reserved for the masked routs was filled to overflowing. That gathering, like all those that had preceded it, was the living image of a society devoted to pleasure, to
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CHAPTER XI
CHAPTER XI
The Last Love-Tryst of the Prince de Ligne—A Glance at the Past—Z——or the Consequences of Gaming—Gambling in Poland and in Russia—The Biter Bit—Masked Ball—The Prince de Ligne and a Domino—More Living Pictures—The Pasha of Surêne—Two Masked Ladies—Recollections of the Prince de Talleyrand. I had spent the evening at the theatre of the Carinthian Gate, and was returning home by way of the ramparts, confident of meeting no one whom I knew; for on that night, in spite of the many strangers in Vienn
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CHAPTER XII
CHAPTER XII
Illness of the Prince de Ligne—The Comte de Witt—Ambassador Golowkin—Doctor Malfati—The Prince gets worse—Last Sallies of the Moribund—General Grief—Portrait of the Prince de Ligne—His Funeral. One of the most painful events of my life, namely, the death of the Prince de Ligne, also damped the gaieties of the Congress. The event affected me so deeply, and it was so unexpected by me, that, after many years, I still vividly remember the particulars. I was on my way to pay my quasi-daily visit when
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CHAPTER XIII
CHAPTER XIII
The Fire at the Razumowski Palace—The Prince’s Great Wealth—The Vicissitudes of Court Favour in Russia—Prince Koslowski—A Reminiscence of the Duc d’Orléans—A Remark of Talleyrand—Fête at the Comtesse Zichy’s—Emperor Alexander and his Ardent Wishes for Peace—New Year’s Day, 1815—Grand Ball and Rout—Sir Sidney Smith’s Dinner-Party at the Augarten—His Chequered Life, his Missions and his Projects at the Congress—The King of Bavaria without Money—Departure and Anger of the King of Würtemberg—The Que
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CHAPTER XIV
CHAPTER XIV
Some Original Types at the Congress—M. Aïdé—A Witticism of the Prince de Ligne—Mme. Pratazoff—Mr. Foneron—The Old Jew—His Noblesse and his Moral Code—Mr. Raily—His Dinners and his Companions—The Two Dukes—The End of a Gambler—The Sovereigns’ Incognito—Mr. O’Bearn—Ball at the Apollo—Zibin and the King of Prussia—Charles de Rechberg and the King of Bavaria—The Minuet—The King of Denmark—Story of the Bombardment of Copenhagen—The German Lesson. This unique scene of the Congress seemed a composition
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CHAPTER XV
CHAPTER XV
Religious Ceremony for the Anniversary of the Death of Louis XVI. —Reception at Talleyrand’s—Discussion on the Subject of Saxony and Poland—The Order of the Day of the Grand-Duke Constantine—A Factum of Pozzo di Borgo—A Sleighing-Party—Entertainment and Fête at Schönbrunn—Prince Eugène—Recollections of Queen Hortense—The Empress Marie-Louise at the Valley of St. Helena—Second Sleighing-Party—A Funeral. An important ceremony put a stop to all these entertainments. Twenty-two years had gone by sin
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CHAPTER XVI
CHAPTER XVI
Reception at Madame de Fuchs’s—Prince Philippe d’Hesse-Hombourg—The Journalists and Newsmongers of Vienna—The French Village in Germany—Prince Eugène—Recollection of the Consulate—Tribulations of M. Denville—Mme. Récamier—The Return of the Émigré —Childhood’s Friend, or the Magic of a Name—Ball at Lord Stewart’s—Alexander proclaimed King of Poland—The Prince Czartoryski—Confidence of the Poles—Count Arthur Potocki—The Revolutions of Poland—Slavery—Vandar—Ivan, or the Polish Serf. At one of the s
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CHAPTER XVII
CHAPTER XVII
The Emperor Alexander, the King of Prussia, and the Naval Officer—Surprise to the Empress of Russia—More Fêtes—A Ball at M. de Stackelberg’s—Paul Kisseleff—Brozin—Fête offered by M. de Metternich—The Ball-room Catches Fire—Fêtes and Banquet at the Court—Ompteda—Chronicle of the Congress—The Tell-tale Perfume—Recollection of Empress Josephine and Madame de Tallien—A Romantic Court Story. One morning the Comte de Witt burst into my rooms holding his sides with laughter. He scarcely waited for me t
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CHAPTER XVIII
CHAPTER XVIII
The Comte de Rechberg’s Work on the Governments of the Russian Empire—The King of Bavaria—Polish Poem of Sophiowka—Madame Potocka, or the Handsome Fanariote—Her Infancy—Particulars of her Life—A Glance at the Park of Sophiowka—Subscription of the Sovereigns—Actual State of Sophiowka. The Comte Charles de Rechberg had written an interesting work on the fifty-two governments of the Russian Empire. The book, both historical and picturesque, deals with the ethnology of the peoples from the Great Wal
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CHAPTER XIX
CHAPTER XIX
A Luncheon at M. de Talleyrand’s on his Birthday—M. de Talleyrand and the MS.—The Princesse-Maréchale Lubomirska—The New Arrivals—Chaos of Claims—The Indemnities of the King of Denmark—Rumours of the Congress—Arrival of Wellington at Vienna—The Carnival—Fête of the Emperor of Austria—A Masked Rout—The Diadem, or Vanity Punished—A Million—Gambling and Slavery: a Russian Anecdote. Among the memories of the Congress which I recall with the utmost gratitude is that of a very familiar—I might almost
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CHAPTER XX
CHAPTER XX
Isabey’s Study—His Picture of the Plenipotentiaries at the Congress of Vienna—The Imperial Sepulchre at the Capuchins—Recollections of the Tombs of Cracow—Preacher Werner—St. Stephen’s Cathedral—Children’s Ball at Princesse Marie Esterhazy’s—The Empress Elizabeth of Russia—The Picture-Gallery of the Duc de Saxe-Teschen—Emperor Alexander and Prince Eugène—The Pictures of the Belvedere—The King of Bavaria—Anecdotes. One of the memorabilia of the Congress of Vienna which had the advantage of unitin
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CHAPTER XXI
CHAPTER XXI
Ypsilanti—Promenade on the Prater—First Rumour of the Escape of Napoleon—Projects for the Deliverance of Greece—Comte Capo d’Istria—The Hétairites—Meeting with Ypsilanti in 1820—His Projects and Reverses. I had missed Ypsilanti from his usual haunts for a considerable time, and on the rare occasions that I caught a glimpse of him, melancholy seemed to have taken him for its prey. I attributed this to a more than usually serious love affair, but I had no idea that his projects for the deliverance
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CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
Napoleon has left Elba—Aspect of Vienna—Theatricals at the Court—Mme. Edmond de Périgord and the Rehearsal—Napoleon’s Landing at Cannes—The Interrupted Dance—Able Conduct of M. de Talleyrand—Declaration of the 13th March—Fauche Borel—The Congress is Dissolved. My task is nearly at an end. Five-and-twenty years have gone by since the occurrence of the magic scenes part of which I have endeavoured to reproduce. There only remains to sketch the last one. Prince Koslowski, to whom I went after Ypsil
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