dered as having just occurred, and from which he had | publicly with disgrace all who should fail to pay their no idea that he was separated by the long years of his just debts. madness.

The physical faculties of the Emperor Alexander were already considerably weakened in 1814; he comprehended with difficulty; his moral faculties also grew daily feebler and feebler. Alexander was not a bad man; like his father, he admired the genius of Bonaparte; it was in good faith that he swore friendship to him at Tilsett. In 1815, at Vienna, he signed, in good faith, the treaty which guaranteed a quasi-political existence to Poland. He was not without generosity; but he was weak, undecided, incapable of resolution. The fate of his father alarmed him. He did not know how to wish the happiness of his country. Paralyzed by the difficulties and regrets of a long political aberration, Alexander fell, two years before his death, into marasmus and insanity.

Like all madmen, he had the lucid interval I have mentioned, in which the last flash of reason is the most brilliant that the dying lamp emits. In this lucid moment he exclaimed, "What an atrocious action!" To what did he apply these words? Alexander had committed two great crimes; he suffered his father to be killed, and he suffered Napoleon to be slowly assassi nated, though he duly appreciated that great man.

THE ACTOR FROGERES.

Frogeres, an actor of the French Theatre at St. Petersburgh, was one of the favorites of Paul First. This

Paul First was very fond of the French. Although he would from time to time fly into passion at the course of our revolution, he received travellers from France and the old emigrants equally well. Frogeres, a man of wit and gaiety, enjoyed a degree of favor of which the most powerful nobles, and even the ministers themselves, were jealous. Frogeres loved money, not to horde, (for he died poor,) but to spend; he was daily forced to resort to all sorts of expedients, and some of the means which he used were by no means of the most delicate nature. But he was at bottom a brave man, and often made use of his influence with the emperor to prevent acts of rigor, and to repair those of injustice. Frogeres entered the emperor's cabinet at all hours, and without even causing himself to be announced; and when the latter walked in the gardens of his palace, he was accustomed to take the arm of Frogeres, and to converse whole hours with him, leaving his ministers ten steps behind.

One day Paul saw the favorite actor enter his cabinet with a countenance of unusual sadness. "What is the matter, Frogeres? You look troubled." "It is true, sire."

"Have you the same cause of trouble that affects you almost daily? Is it still an affair of money?" "No, sire; it is of a more serious character." "Can I do any thing?"

Perhaps so."

"Then say what it is."

"I am willing."

"The Count R..... is about to be exiled to Siberia. If I use my influence to ask his pardon, and if your majesty will exercise your power to grant it, our good act will be completed."

"Sire, your majesty has some power, and I have much prince, who has been described as a mad and cruel bar-influence; I think that between us we can do a good act.” barian, was intelligent and well educated. He had studied French literature, and took great pleasure in the representations of the best pieces of our stage. Paul First was hated by the Russian nobility; he had to suffer from their insults and contempt before he mounted the throne. As emperor, he showed himself grateful to those who had rendered him any service in his youth; vindictive and harsh to those of whom he had had cause to complain. The early days of his reign were marked by numerous sentences of exile, and he rarely let any opportunity escape of humiliating the Russian noblesse.

A French goldsmith, established at St. Petersburgh, and who, I think, called himself Duval, had executed for the Emperor Paul various pieces of work of great value. Ordering that he should be paid, the emperor sent for him, and said:

"M. Duval, I am extremely well satisfied with you; you have acted towards me as an honest man. I have paid what you demanded; now I desire to confer some favor on you. What will you have?—speak.”

"Your Majesty can render me a very great service." "In what way? I am disposed to do any thing." "By making the nobles of your court pay me their debts."

"Do they owe you much?"

Paul laughed heartily, and signed the pardon. Certainly this was not a bad man!

Frogeres often mystified the great Russian nobles, even the grand dukes themselves, in a way that afforded much amusement to the emperor, without being always as agreeable to those who were his victims. The Grand Duke Constantine, wishing one day to revenge himself in the same manner, feigned, after some pleasantry of the actor's, to be greatly enraged; summoning four of his attendants, he ordered them, in a severe tone, to throw Frogeres out of the window. The order was instantly executed, and Frogeres fell on an enormous pile of mattresses!

The emperor, also, attempted to mystify the great mystifier of his court, and adopted the following means: Walking in the gardens of the palace with Frogeres, he said to him:

"Let us see, Frogeres, what performance will you give me to-morrow? I forewarn you that I want to laugh.” "I propose to play before your majesty a part which you appear to like, that of the painter in the Intrigue

"Very large sums, and I am unable to get even a Epistolaire." rouble."

"I promise that you shall be paid."

The next morning the emperor abolished, by an ukase, the privilege enjoyed by the Russian nobility of exemption from prosecutions for debt; and threatened

"Still the play of that mad revolutionist Fabre D'Eglantine !"

"It is very amusing."

"Be it so; but I have told you that I want to laugh, and if I do not, I will send you to Siberia."

Frogeres saw nothing in this threat but a pleasantry The emperor, in compliance with the usual custom, such as the emperor was accustomed to indulge in. He visited Moscow for the purpose of being crowned. The determined, however, to exert himself to the utmost court was still in mourning for Paul First, and the theato redouble his humor, for the purpose of amusing him. tres continued closed. Many of the French actors had The next day, when the curtain rose, his eyes natu-gone to Moscow to witness the ceremonies of the conrally fell on the imperial box. Paul was there, but cold secration; Frogeres was of the number. Alexander and serious. The actor forced himself to be pleasant, walking alone and on foot in the streets of Moscow, but Paul exhibited no symptoms of cheerfulness; the perceived and called to him. whole piece was played without a smile escaping from the emperor. Frogeres could not comprehend what was the matter.

"Good day, Frogeres; how is it that you have not been to see me?"

"Sire, it was because I was ignorant of your majesty's

The emperor laughed heartily at this amusing answer, and replied:

"Indeed! well, you must inquire, and you will ascertain it without difficulty. I should have been delighted to converse with you. You have come to visit at Moscow; it is well; you will find it agreeable enough to gain your money in this way without doing anything in return?"

The next morning, at day-break, he is wakened sud-address." denly from his sleep; an officer of the emperor came to notify him to get himself ready, in a moment, to depart for Siberia. In the midst of his astonishment, Frogeres demanded explanations, which were not given to him; he begged that they would allow him to speak to the emperor another refusal: the order is explicit, and requires to be executed instantly. The actor, in despair, dresses himself, descends into the street, and finds at his door the kibick, the ordinary conveyance of those condemned to exile; he mounts with the officer, and the horses set off at a rapid pace.

After a whole day of travelling, they arrive at a city thirty-five leagues from St. Petersburgh. Frogeres is conducted to the house of the governor, who receives him politely, deplores the severity of his punishment, offers him his good offices, and invites him to supper; in the meantime, he leaves him alone in a large sombre hall, abandoned to the most melancholy reflections.

"Faith, sire, if the money that we gain by idleness does us no more injury than that which we earn by our labor, your majesty may be certain of keeping us long in good health.”

"How is that?"

"It is nearly a year since we have received a rouble of our salaries."

As soon as the emperor returned to his palace, he ordered all that was due to the actors to be paid in the course of the day. He then summoned M. de Nariskin, heaped upon him the most violent reproaches, announced his intention to drive him from his presence,

An hour passes away. Suddenly two immense doors are thrown open. Frogeres, for an instant dazzled by the brilliancy of the lights, believes that he is dream-to seize his property, and replace the sums he had so ng; quickly he recognizes the emperor at table, in the basely squandered. midst of fifty guests.

“Ah well, Frogeres,” cried Paul First, "what is your opinion is the trick a good one?"

The French actors in Russia enjoyed large salaries, but they were very irregularly paid. The Prince Nariskin, one of the chamberlains of the emperor, was entrusted with the supreme direction of the theatres; and the money destined for the actors, as well as the product of the daily receipts, passed generally from his hands into those of the bankers.

THE PERFUMER CARON.

No one could have attended the sittings of the Chamber of Deputies, under the Restoration, without observing two men, true pieces of legislative furniture, who, after escorting the President on his entry into the hall, regularly took their seats in front of the clerk's table, with their backs towards the ministers and the commissaries of the king, and there remained immoveable until the adjournment of the sitting. These two men were Messengers of State.

M. de Nariskin was powerful; the actors dared not complain. Onc only, the dancer Duport, had the courage to resist the prince, and refused to dance until a large sum due on account of his salary should be paid. These pieces of furniture of the national representaDuport was to appear, on one occasion, in a ballet at tion, true matters of luxury, were only set in motion in the court theatre. He suffered seven or eight thousand the very rare event of a communication from the Chamroubles to become due on account of his pay. Finding ber of Deputies to the Chamber of Peers. Under the the amount sufficiently large, he informed M. de Naris- Restoration the members of the two chambers did not kin that he would not dance until he was paid. Alarm- enjoy the right of originating any law, and used very ed at a resolution which might betray his mismanage-sparingly that of making propositions; so that the duty ments to the emperor, M. de Nariskin was obliged to pawn his chamberlain's key, set with diamonds, in order to pay Duport, and obtain his consent to dance.

The other actors, not having the same energy, being well received in the best houses of St. Petersburgh, and loaded with presents, suffered in silence.

Paul First died at last, and Frogeres did not enjoy, under Alexander, the same favor that he had obtained from his father. It was to Alexander, however, that the comrades of Frogeres were indebted for relief from their difficulties.

of the Messengers of State was confined, leaving out that of introducing the President, to going, once a year, to announce to the Chamber of Peers that the Chamber of Deputies was organized.

Under the Restoration, the Messengers of State were muffled up in a coat a la française, with a large white scarf; there was also attached to their sides a sword, which appeared to add not a little to their embarrassment.

One of these two men wore a profusion of white powder, the other had his head covered with a peruke, twin brother to that of the late Count Lanjuinais.

Even after the discovery of the conspiracy of 1804, Caron continued to be useful to the conspirators; his house served as a momentary asylum for many of them; and notwithstanding the law which punished with death all who afforded any protection to persons proscribed The emperor had just improvised his aristocracy; he under the name of murderers, a law which was never had created dukes, counts, and barons. According to executed, Caron was neither prosecuted, nor imprison-usage, the lists of nomination were sent from the office ed, nor in any way disturbed.

When interrogated by one of the councillors of state, The imperial censor of the Gazette de France united charged with the preliminary examinations, he and his to the not very arduous duties of that place, that of chief concubine both obstinately denied any participation, or sub-chief of the administration of the consolidated even indirectly, in the conspiracy. The poor little duties. On that day, having been probably fatigued at niece, to whom a part had been dictated, had not the his office in the rue Sainte-Aroye, he went to his office courage to perform it; pressed with questions, she con- in the rue Christine (that of the Gazette de France) and, fessed every thing, but with a naïveté full of originality. by way of amusement, had the proofs of the number Here are the words in which she answered: for the next morning brought to him-it was the num"By whose influence were your relations led to re-ber which was to contain the nomenclature of the imceive at their house the persons who met together for the purposes of the conspiracy?"

"But, sir, when one does not say anything, he is understood to give consent; that my relations under-known as the lois Fieschi; since which time the journals of

municated to him, was exceedingly alarmed. The error was too serious, in fact, to expect that it could be considered an involuntary one.

MADEM. BOURGOIN AT ST. PETERSBURGH.

"Better and better."

The Duke de Vicence could hardly contain himself. "Mademoiselle Bourgoin, your stay here will be shorter than you imagine; your leave of absence is finished; get ready to set off to-morrow. Go!"

Mademoiselle Bourgoin was a long time without knowing how to explain her adventure, which she did not dare to relate to any one. The Emperor of Russia found her again in 1814; perhaps he may have solved

After the peace of Tilsitt, M. de Caulaincourt, duke of Vicence, was sent as ambassador near the court of Russia. The emperor, who neglected no means, judged the enigma for her. fit for the purpose of strengthening his embassy, to give Mademoiselle Bourgoin, the most beautiful of the actresses at the Comédie Française, leave of absence to pass a year at St. Petersburgh, at the French theatre founded by the Emperor Paul.

Mademoiselle Bourgoin set off with strong recommendations to many great Russian nobles, and a very particular one to the French ambassador.

THE GLOVES.

During the short period that intervened between the peace of Amiens and the resumption of hostilities, an officer of the French army, called to England by some family affairs, tried to turn his journey to account, and thus diminish the expense to which it subjected him. He was advised, and he accepted the advice, to carry over a quantity of French gloves, which were then, as at the present time, much sought after on the other side of the channel, and sold at a very high price.

She appeared at the court theatre; her beautiful figure attracted the attention of the Emperor Alexander, who already knew her by reputation; this was exactly what was desired. She was ordered to the palace; that also was expected. But before she went, Mademoiselle Bourgoin had a conference with the French Ambassa- He purchased about 12,000 francs worth of gloves, dor, who gave her his instructions; but it is very rare had them carefully packed, and set off on his journey. that instructions given to a beautiful woman about to On arriving at Dover, the officers of the customs have an interview with a prince, can embrace any thing asked him if he had any thing to declare; he acknownecessary: what follows will prove that the duc de Vi-ledged that he had among his baggage a supply of cence had not anticipated every event.

gloves, and offered to pay the duties. When question

After some words of gallantry, the emperor gave the ed as to the value of his merchandize, wishing to make conversation a more serious turn.

the best bargain possible, he replied 6,000 francs, and

"Is the Emperor Napoleon," said he, "much beloved signed his declaration. in France?"

"Yes, very much; one thing, however, has done him a good deal of injury, and alienated many persons-the assassination of the Duke d'Enghien."

The word assassination always produced a bad effect on the Emperor Alexander. Mademoiselle Bourgoin observed that his color changed and that his brows knit; wishing to repair her blunder, she rejoined:

"But it was not his fault; it was that of a knot of guilty persons who surrounded him at the time, and whom he is exerting himself every day to throw off”

The officers examined the baggage, and perceiving that the real value of the gloves was at least double that which he had declared, took advantage of the privilege given them by law, and seized the goods, paying the proprietor 6,000 francs, and 10 per cent. premium for the privilege.

The poor officer thus found himself almost ruined; he was in despair; however, after mature reflection and a profound study of the English custom-house laws and usages, he flattered himself that he had discovered the means of revenging his wrongs on the English custom-house officers, and of securing his money with interest.

Here the discontent of the emperor knew no bounds, and his ill-humor showed itself so plainly that Mademoiselle Bourgoin had no other alternative but to take Deferring his business to a subsequent period, he imleave and quit the room. The Duke de Vicence had pre-mediately repassed the channel and returned to Calais. scribed to her to come to the hotel of the embassy immedi- Without losing a moment, he wrote to Grenoble, to a ately after her visit to the emperor. She repaired thither. lady with whom he had formerly been on very affec"How has the Emperor Alexander received you?" tionate terms, confiding to her his newly conceived "Very well at first, afterwards very badly." project. This lady, who was the head of a large glove "Ah! ah! what have you said to him?” manufactory, finding the project which he submitted

"He asked me if the Emperor Napoleon was beloved very practicable, hastened to despatch to him a quanin France."

"You replied in the affirmative?"

"Yes; I told him that they loved the emperor very much, but that the assassination of the Duke d'Enghien had alienated many persons from him.”

"You told him that?"

tity of well assorted gloves, to the amount of 40,000 francs.

Our traveller knew that the custom-house regulations caused all goods seized in the different ports of Great Britain, to be sold at auction on the same day, and on the same hour throughout the kingdom; this was the

"And I saw him instantly change color; but I ar- important point in his speculation. ranged it all."

"And how?"

"I told him that it was not the emperor's fault, but that of a knot of murderers and guilty persons who surrounded him at the time."

Dividing his gloves into two parcels, perfectly equal in size, he confided one to a friend who was to enter them at Brighton, and kept the other himself, which he proposed to introduce through Dover.

The two friends embarked. Each arrived at the custom

house, and declared himself the bearer of gloves; their | which he did as a politician. This would have been value was asked; they replied 10,000 francs. As on the the case, because M. de Polignac, who neither wants first occasion, after examining them, they seized the two education nor intelligence, is entirely deficient in judgparcels, paying 10,000 francs and 10 per cent. premium. ment. A generous idea strikes him, he seizes on it with The day arrived when the merchandize which had avidity, and his mind is so unfortunately disposed to been seized was to be sold at auction. Our two friends illusion, that the greatest obstacles vanish from his eyes. repaired to the bureaux of the customs, the one to that What he dreams seems to him immediately practicable; at Dover, the other to the bureau at Brighton. Pre- he sees the thing which remains to be done, already senting themselves, they examined with an air of in- executed. difference, the objects exposed for sale; the gloves appeared handsome and in good condition. Suddenly, they manifested great surprise: at Dover, all the gloves were for the right hand; at Brighton, all belonged to the left. The two custom-house officers acted separately at thirty leagues from each other; not having examined the packages before hand with sufficient attention, they were taken by surprise. The auction is begun; the gloves must be sold, and sold immediately. At an extremely low price, and in the midst of the jokes of the assistants, our two Frenchmen are declared the highest bidders.

Meeting the next morning, they re-sort their gloves into pairs, and hasten to publish the adventure in the newspapers of the day. Forty-eight hours after, they disposed of all their merchandize at an immense profit.

THE EMPEROR A SMUGGLER.

When Mr. Fox came to Paris, at the period of the grand exhibition of the products of French industry, which took place in 1802, on the esplanade of the invalides, what most surprised him was the low price of certain objects of cutlery. He purchased twelve dozen razors of the manufacture of Thiers, near Clermont, at one franc a piece.

The emperor valued as highly the excellent quality of the English razors as Fox did the cheapness of the French. He who had pronounced such severe penal ties against smuggling; he who had undertaken to shut up the continent against English commerce, who every year caused to be burnt at immense cost, all the products of English manufacture taken at sea or seized by the officers of the customs, undertook himself to smuggle, for the purpose of procuring some English razors and English soap.

I have seen razors bought for the emperor at Birmingham, at two guineas a piece; at least they were charged to him at that price. We have in France at the present day handsomer ones, and at least as good, for six francs. Of six dozen pair purchased for the emperor he received four dozen; the rest being divided among the persons charged with the operation.

M. DE POLIGNAC,

AMBASSADOR OF THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON AT LONDON.

If I speak of M. de Polignac, now a prisoner in the chateau of Ham, far from me be the thought of insulting his misfortunes; I would rather excuse them.

M. de Polignac is an honest man in the fullest sense of the word; placed in any situation in life, he would have equally shown himself such, but he would have committed in another state of things, the same faults

Give such a minister to a king of the temper of Charles X, and you will easily understand the ordinances of July, and the absence of all precaution to secure their execution. Never were characters better matched than those of Charles X and M. de Polignac.

The opinion that I am about to record of the last president of the council under the Restoration, does not originate with me. I can cite its author with confidence-it is the emperor. Twenty-five years before hand, Napoleon saw in M. de Polignac, then a conspirator and prisoner, the man of July 1830.

M. de Polignac was, as well as his brother, an accomplice of Georges; he never thought of denying it. The criminal tribunal, severe against the elder brother, Count Armand, showed itself indulgent for the youth of Count Jules, and only condemned him to two years of imprisonment. The devotion which Jules de Polignac showed for his brother, in requesting to die in his place, so interested the first consul, that he commuted to perpetual imprisonment the penalty of death pronounced against

Count Armand.

Jules de Polignac was then confined with his brother. Both being treated with the greatest kindness, they saw, without difficulty, their family and friends.

One day, M. Thuriot, attorney general, received a letter, in which the Count Jules requested to be examined. The letter was sent to M. Real, who caused M. de Polignac to be carried to his house, and asked him, with much eagerness, if he had any complaints to make, or if he desired any favor compatible with his position.

"No, sir, I am perfectly well treated; I have no complaints to address to you against any one; on the contrary, I owe many thanks to the government and to yourself, for the humanity and kindness which have been extended to me. I desire to speak to you of a matter of much greater importance."

"Proceed, I will hear you."

"During the long days of my captivity I have had time to reflect much, and I have occupied myself with politics. I was taken, to express myself so, with arms in my hands. I have been tried and justly convicted; I had cause to fear much greater rigor. My crime consists in my fidelity to a family whose rights to the throne, I believe, legitimate, sacred, imperishable-to princes who honored my infancy with their affection, after having heaped favors on my parents-I could not help myself.

"But I have never forgotten that France is my country; that I owe it also devotion and affection. I did believe-I do perhaps still believe, the re-establishment of the Bourbons on the throne necessary to the welfare of France. This Restoration, in the hope of which I sacrificed myself, appears to me at the present day nearly impossible. The Bourbons themselves love France, and I shall serve them in serving our common country.