Dino Dorothée - Memoirs of the Duchesse De Dino (Afterwards Duchesse de Talleyrand et de Sagan), 1841-1850

Günthersdorf, August 31, 1841. – Yesterday after dinner I set out with my nephew Biron and we went to Grünberg to await their Majesties at the house of the Queen's chief lady, who had gone in advance of her. A prodigious number of triumphal arches, deputations, addresses and cavalcades made their Majesties so late, that they did not reach their resting-place until half-past ten at night, though this hour was very suitable for the illuminations and fireworks at our chief centre. Many of the principal landowners in the district were there. The King and Queen first received me alone and then the rest of the company was admitted. Their Majesties wished to keep me to supper, but as I still have a great deal to arrange here, I asked permission to withdraw and reached home at half-past one in the morning. Fortunately it was a beautiful moonlight night.

I found General de Rumigny at Grünberg. He is following the King to the manœuvres and will arrive here this morning. The weather is magnificent and I should like to kneel down and send up a prayer of thanks to the sun for his kindness.

, September 1, 1841. – Yesterday passed off very well. Their Majesties were in excellent spirits and most kind. The weather was perfect, flowers were abundant and there was a good lunch suitably served; the population in holiday attire came in large numbers and behaved excellently. I drove after the King with my nephew to the first village where horses were changed. This village is on my estate and His Majesty was again greeted with a triumphal arch by my keepers and with country receptions of every kind. The King, who did not know that I was following, as I had not told him, was quite surprised to see me. He got down from his carriage and made me take his place as the Queen wished to embrace me once more. In short they seem to have been quite satisfied, which is a great pleasure to me.

General de Rumigny started immediately after the King, M. Bresson after dinner and the Birons after tea. My niece, Hohenthal, went away last night and so I am here alone.

Günthersdorf, September 2, 1841. – I have decided to start this evening and before I go I am designing a new addition to the garden, which will make it truly magnificent, and I have commissioned the architect to replace the heavy rotten roof with gables and a flat roof.

Berlin, September 3, 1841. – I reached here after covering fifty-four French leagues in seventeen hours. In this country where one cannot arrange for relays, this is excellent travelling.

M. Bresson told me that no one could be more surly or disagreeable than Madame Thiers: she has been ill, or pretended to be ill, and declared that she would die if she stayed any longer in Germany, which seemed to her like Siberia.

Berlin, September 5, 1841. – Yesterday I went to the Werthers who are soon to exchange their diplomatic post for one at Court. Werther himself, like a good courtier, suggested this change at the proper time and has thus spared himself possible mortification and obtained an excellent post. Frau von Werther and Josephine regret the change.

Berlin, September 6, 1841. – I am going to entrust myself to the railway as far as Potsdam. At Potsdam I shall dress and dine with Princess Charles of Prussia at Klein Glienicke at the gates of the town. I shall then resume my journey and spend the night in my carriage in order to reach Leipzig to-morrow morning. There I shall find the Hohenthals who are bringing my niece Fanny Biron, whom I have promised to take with me to France. A winter in Saxony is thought to be too much for her health, which is delicate.

Leipzig, September 6, 1841. – I left my Berlin hotel yesterday morning. I had chocolate with Madame de Perponcher and learnt from her the sad news of the sudden death of my young and charming neighbour, Princess Adelaide Carolath, who was married under the most dramatic circumstances a year ago to her cousin and died in a few hours of an attack of suppressed measles. She was quite an ideal character and I have been deeply affected by this sudden death.

From Berlin to Potsdam I travelled with Baron von Arnim, master of the ceremonies, who was also dining at Glienicke. The Princess drove me round the park in her pony-chaise. After dinner I went for a walk and then said good-bye.

Weimar, September 9, 1841. – We parted from the Hohenthals at Leipzig yesterday morning. The two sisters were much depressed at their separation; however, the open air and the pretty country through which we have been travelling enabled Fanny to recover her spirits.

Here I found a letter from the Princess of Prussia who is staying at Kreuznach on the Rhine and asks me to go and see her while I am at Johannisberg. I shall certainly do so, though it will prolong my journey by an additional day.

Frankfort-on-Main, September 11, 1841. – I arrived here this morning in fine weather. My niece proposes to spend a few days with her former governess at Bonn, to see her brother who is in garrison there and is now ill. We shall meet again at Mayence on the 15th. I am starting for Johannisberg to-morrow.

Frankfort, September 12, 1841. – Yesterday at tea-time Count Maltzan came in. He is taking the baths at Kreuznach and came over to see his niece Fanny. He is very pleased with his position as Minister of Foreign Affairs. I doubt if he will suit the King of Prussia in the long run, for he is vehement, irascible and impetuous, and though the King is angelically good he is very quick tempered. However, it is no business of mine. The Count is a kind and pleasant drawing-room talker, and when he has got rid of his habit of gossiping, which he contracted at Vienna, he will be a pleasant person, except for those who have to transact business with him.

Johannisberg, September 13, 1841. – I arrived here yesterday at two o'clock, the weather being extremely hot. I had known this place in past years and few changes have been made. There is an extensive and beautiful view, though I prefer the view from Rochecotte, which is similar, because of the forest which crowns my house, and also because of the vegetation along the Loire and the hillsides opposite me, which make the valley grander and more beautiful. Here the vines cover everything. The house is very large and the rooms spacious but somewhat poorly furnished. I was most kindly received, not only by the master and mistress of the house but by many other acquaintances: my cousin, Paul Medem, who would as soon go back to Stuttgart as Minister as to Vienna to the post of Chargé d'Affaires; Tatitscheff, who is almost entirely blind, and Neumann who is returning to London to-morrow.

I have no news; Prince Metternich says there is none. He is very pleased to hear of the Whig downfall in England and very well disposed to M. Guizot; he is sorry that the Duc de Montebello is not to be sent to him at Vienna. He has very humble letters from M. de Flahaut, and begins to think that a minister who writes confidential platitudes beforehand should be easier to manage than any other. However, nothing is as yet officially known concerning the movements of the French diplomatic body. Apponyi and his family are expected to-day on their way from Paris. They are to stay here before proceeding to Hungary on leave. Let us hope that they will bring some positive news concerning the nomination of the French Ambassador to Vienna.

Johannisberg, September 14, 1841. – I have accomplished my excursion to Kreuznach, which occupied the whole of yesterday: I did not return till half-past eight in the evening and was obliged to cross the Rhine in the darkness, which I did not find particularly pleasant, in spite of the beauty of the scene; the lights of the steamboats from the banks reflected in the river, and the masses of the rocks increased by the darkness of the night made an imposing scene which I only half enjoyed as I was somewhat afraid. At Kreuznach I spent several hours with the Princess of Prussia who was as kind as ever. I was sorry to find her considerably changed, uneasy concerning her health, and tired by taking the waters, from which so far she had experienced no other result. I dined with her, and Count Maltzan was present.