the bold plan of making the duke adopt the | August, 1829, commenced unknown to Duc d'Aumale, son of Louis Philippe, as me, and somewhat lightly by Madame de his heir. The proof of this is in the follow- Feuchères, is infinitely painful to me as ing letter from the Duchess of Orleans to you may have observed;' and he entreated the Baroness de Feuchères. the duc to interfere and cause Madame to relinquish her projects, promising at the same time a certain public testimony of his affection for the Duc d'Aumale. The Duc d'Orleans went to Madame, and in presence of a witness whom he had taken care to have called, he begged her to discontinue her project. She was inflexible. without at all compromising the prospect of his son, the Duc d'Orleans had all the credit of an honorable and disinterested attempt.

"I am very much touched, madame, by your solicitude in endeavoring to bring about this result, which you regard as fulfilling the desires of M. Le duc de Bourbon; and be assured that if I have the happiness of seeing my son become his adopted child, you will find in us at all times and in all circumstances, both for you and yours, that protection which you demand, and of which a mother's gratitude will be your guarantee."

So that

It must have cost the pious rigid duchess some pangs thus to associate her maternal hopes with such very equivocal advocacy. This situation was too violent not to exThe Duc d'Orleans, on the second of May, plode in some terrible manner. On the 1829, learned from Madame de Feuchères 29th of August, 1829, the Duc de Bourbon that she had in an urgent and passionate was at Paris; and in the billiard-room of letter proposed to her lover to adopt the the palace, M. de Surval, who was in the Duc d'Aumale; on this information he ad- passage, heard loud cries for help; he dressed himself directly to the Duc de rushed in and beheld the prince in a frightBourbon. He gave him to understand how ful passion. Only see in what a passion sensible he was of the kind solicitude of monseigneur puts himself,' said Madame de Madame de Feuchères, and how proud he Feuchères, and without cause! Try to should be to see one of his sons bearing calm him.' 'Yes, Madame,' exclaimed the the glorious name of Condé. At this un-prince, it is horrible, atrocious, thus to expected blow the Duc de Bourbon was place a knife to my throat, in order to overwhelmed with anxiety, He had never liked the Duc d'Orleans. He had stood godfather to the Duc d'Aumale, but never thought of him as his heir. Yet how could he without insult now refuse that which they assumed him to be so anxious to be stow? Above all, how resist the violence and the caresses of Madame de Feuchères ? Harassed and terrified, the Duc de Bourbon consented to an interview with the Duc d'Orleans. Nothing positive was concluded, but the Duc d'Orleans believed his hopes so well founded, that he ordered M. Dupin to propose a will in favor of the Duc d'Aumale.

make me consent to a deed you know I have so much repugnance for;' and seizing her hand, he added with a significant gesture: well then, plunge the knife here at once

plunge it. The next day the prince signed the deed which made the Duc d'Aumale his heir, and assured the baroness a legacy of ten millions of francs (£40,000).

The revolution of July burst forth; the Duc d'Orleans became Louis Philippe. The Prince de Condé grew more and more melancholy; his manners to Madame de Feuchères were altered; her name pronounced before him sometimes darkened his countenance; his tenderness for her, though always prodigal and anticipating her smallest wishes, yet seemed mixed with terror. He made M. de Chourlot, and Manoury his valet, the confidants of a pro

The baroness became more and more urgent. The prince allowed his anger to escape in bitter reproaches. He had had no rest since this fatal plan had been proposed to him; he could not sleep at night. Vio-ject of a long voyage: of which the strictlent quarrels embittered the day. More est secrecy was to be preserved, especially than once indiscreet confidences betrayed with regard to la baronne: at the same the agitation of his mind. 'My death is all time dark rumors circulated about the they have in view,' he exclaimed one day chateau. On the morning of the 11th of in a fit of despair. Another time he so far August they found the prince with his eye forgot himself as to tell M. Surval, Once bleeding. He hastened to explain it to let them obtain what they desire, and my Manoury, as having been caused by the days are numbered.' At last, in a desperate table. Manoury replied that that was attempt to escape from Madame de Feu- scarcely possible: the table was not high. chères, he invoked the generosity of the enough: the prince was silent, embarrassDuc d'Orleans himself. The affair which ed. The affair which ed. I am not a good storyteller,' said now occupies us,' he wrote on the 20th of he, shortly after, 'I said that I hurt my

เ

self while sleeping: the fact is, that in château. At eight the next morning Le. opening the door, I fell down and struck comte knocked at the prince's door. It my temple against the corner. It is worthy was bolted; the prince made no reply. of remark that the prince afterwards wish- Lecomte retired and returned afterwards ed Manoury to sleep by the door of his with M. Bonnie: both knocked without rebedchamber; and that Manoury having ob- ceiving a reply. Alarmed, they descended served that this would look strange, and to Madame de Fouchères. I will come at that it was more natural for Lecomte, his once,' said she ; 'when he hears my voice * valet de chambre de service,' to do this, he will answer. Half-dressed she rushed the prince replied, “Oh, no, leave him from her room, and reaching that of the alone. Lecomte was introduced into the prince, knocked, and exclaimed, Open! chateau by Madame de Feuchères. open! monseigneur, it is s.' No answer.

The preparations for the voyage were The alarm spread. Manoury, Leclere, nearly completed. For three days the l'abbé Briant, Méry-Lafontaine, ran thither. prince had resumed his usual pleasures. The room was burst open. The shutters After a gay dinner, at which M. de Cossé. were shut, and the room dark. A single Brissac was present, they played at whist. wax light was burning on the mantel-piece, The prince played with the baroness, M. but behind a screen which sent the light Lavillegontier, and M. de Prejean. The upwards towards the ceiling. By this feeprince was gayer than ordinary; lost some ble light the head of the prince was seen, money and abstained from paying it; say- close to the shutter of the north window. ing, 'to-morrow.' He rose and crossed It seemed like a man steadfastly listening. the room to proceed to his bedchamber; The east window being opened by Manoury, in passing he made a friendly gesture to shed light upon the horrible spectacle. his attendants, which seemed like an adieu. The Duc de Bourbon was hanged, or rather Was this one of those adieus in which the hooked, on to the fastening of the window thought of approaching death shows itself ? sash! Madame de Feuchères sank groanOr was it the indication of his project of ing and shuddering on a fauteuil in the voyage, of exile ?1

cabinet de toilette, and the cry, MonseignHe ordered that they should call him at eur is dead,' resounded throughout the eight o'clock next morning; and they left château. him for the night. It is necessary dis- The duc was attached to the fastening tinctly to understand the situation of the by means of two handkerchiefs, passed one prince's chamber. It was joined by a small within the other. The one which pressed passage to a salon d'attente. This salon open- his neck was not tied with a slip-knot: ed on the one side into a cabinet de toilette, moreover it did not press upon the trachial touching the grand corridor; on the other artery-it left the nape of the neck un. it opened upon a back staircase, ending at covered—and was found so loose, that the landing-place where were the apart. several of the assistants passed their fin. ments of Madame de Feuchères, and Ma- gers between it and the neck. Circumstan. dame de Flassans her niece. The back ces suspicious. Further, the head dropped staircase led from this landing-place to the upon the breast, the face was pale; the vestibule ; and by a higher landing it com- tongue was not thrust out of the mouth, municated with a second corridor, in which it only pushed up the lips; the hands were were the chambers of l'abbé Briant, closed; the knees bent; and at their exof Lachassine, the femme de chambre of tremities, the feet touched the carpet. So the baroness, and of the Duprés, husband that, in the acute sufferings which accomand wife, attached to her service. The pany the last efforts of life, the prince room of the latter was immediately under would only have had to stand upright upon that of the prince, so that they could hear his feet to have escaped death! This diswhen there was talking above their heads. position of the body, together with the ap

This night the gardes-chasse went their pearances which the body itself presented, accustomed rounds. Lecomte had closed powerfully combated the idea of suicide. the door of the cabinet de toilette and taken Most of the assistants were surprised by away the key. Why was this precaution them. taken? The prince constantly left the door The authorities arrived; the state and of his room unbolted. Madame de Flas- disposition of the corpse were noted down; sans sat up till two in the morning, occu- an inquest was held, in which it was conpied with writing. No noise disturbed her. cluded that the duc had strangled himself. The Duprés heard nothing. All the night | Indeed, the room, bolted from within, a profound calm reigned throughout the seemed to render assassination impossible.

a

a

In spite of many contradictions, it was be- who made the bed, to push it to the bottom Jieved that the duc had committed suicide of the alcove; their custom had not been Nevertheless, this belief became weaker departed from on the 26th. Who then had and weaker. It was proved that the bolt moved the bed a foot and a half beyond its was very easily moved backwards and for usual place? There were two wax-lights wards from outside. The age of the prince, extinguished, but not consumed. By whom his want of energy, his well-known reli- could they have been extinguished ? By gious sentiments, the horror he had always the prince? To make such complicated testified at death, his known opinion of preparations for his own death, had he vol. suicide as cowardly, the serenity of his untarily placed himself in darkness? latter days, and his project of Aight: these Madame de Feuchères supported the all tended to throw a doubt on his suicide. idea of suicide. She pretended that His watch was found upon the mantel- the accident on the 11th of Angust, was piece, wound up, as usual; and a handker. but an abortive attempt. She trembled chief, with a knot in it; his custom when when they spoke of the duc's projects of be wished to remind himself of any thing voyage, and hearing Manoury talking free. on the morrow. Besides, the body was ly of them, she interrupted him : " Take not in a state of suspension. The valet de care ! such language may seriously compied, Romanzo, who had travelled in Tur- promise you with the king." But it seemkey and Egypt, and his companion, Fife, ed strange to all the attendants of the an Irishman, had both seen many people prince, that upon the point of accomplishhanged. They declared that the faces of ing so awful a deed, he had left no written the hanged were blackish, and not of a dull indication of his design, no mark of affecwhite ; that their eyes were open and blood- tion for those to whom he had always been shot; and the tongue lolling from the so kind, and whose zeal he had always remouth. These signs were all contradicted cognized and recompensed. This was a by the appearance of the prince. When moral suicide, less explicable than the other. they detached the body, Romanzo undid A discovery crowned these uncertainties. the knot of the handkerchief fastened to Towards the evening of the 27th, M. the window-sash ; and he succeeded only Guillaume, secretary to the king, perceive after the greatest difficulty ; it was so cleved, in passing by the chimney, some frag. erly made, and tightened with such force. ments of paper which lay scattered on the Now, amongst the servants of the prince, dark ground of the grate. He took up no one was ignorant of his extreme mala- some of them from underneath the cinders dresse. He could not even tie the strings of some burnt paper, and read the words of his shoes. He made, indeed, the bow Roi ... Vincennes . infortuné fils. The of his cravat for himself, but never without procureur-général, M. Bernard, having ar. his valet bringing both ends round in front rived at St. Leu, these fragments, together of him. Moreover, he had received a with all that could be found, were handed sabre cut in the right hand, and had his to him. “Truth is there,” he exclaimed, left clavicle broken: so that he could not and succeeded in recomposing the order of lift his left hand above his head, and he sense (according to the size of the pieces) could only mount the stairs with the dou- of two different letters, of which the fola ble assistance of his cane and the banis. lowing remained : ters. Certain other suspicious circumstances Philippe

“Saint Leu appartient au roi began to be commented on. The slippers ne pillés, ni ne brulés which the prince rarely used, were always le château ni le village. at the foot of the chair in which he was ne faite de mal à personne undressed: was it by his hand that they ni à mes amis, ni à mes were that night ranged at the foot of the gens. On vous a égarés

, bed? the ordinary place for slippers, but Sur mon compte, je n'ai.

urir en aiant not for his. The prince could only get

ceur le peuple out of bed in turning, as it were, upon him

et l'espoir du self; and he was so accustomed to lean on

bonheur de ma patrie. the side of the bed in sleeping, that they

Saint Leu et ses dépend were obliged to double the covering four appartiennent à votre roi times to prevent his falling out. How was

Philippe; ne pillés ni ne brulés
le

le village it that they found the middle of the bed

mal à personne pressed down, and the sides on the contra ni

es amis, ni à mes gens. ry raised up? It was the custom of those | On vous a égarés sur mon compte, je n'ai que

ne

mourir en souhaitant bonheur et prospérite au he had confided, on the 26th, to the care of peuple français et à ma patrie. Adieu, pour Manoury, for fear of not being able to actoujours.

complish it himself; his mute adieu to his L. H. J. de Bourbon, Prince de Condé. Ps. Je demande a être enterré a Vincennes, attendants; the state of the body, which prés de mon infortuné fils.

presented no traces of violence, except

some excoriations quite compatible with In these strange recommendations, many suicide ; the condition of his clothes on thought they saw a proof of suicide. Others which no soil had been observed; the bolt more suspicious, could not conceive that closed from within ; the material difficulthese were the adieus of a prince about to ties of the assassination ; and the impossiquit life.

The fear of a pillage of St. Leubility of laying the finger on the assassin. seemed incompatible with that disgust for Against these presumptions, the defendall things which precedes suicide. It was, ers of his memory replied by words and moreover, little likely that the prince should acts of powerful effect. One of them, M. bave experienced such a fear on the night Méry Lafontaine, suspended himself at the of the 26th, the night after the fête of St. fatal window-sash in precisely the same Louis, wherein he had received such filato condition as that in which they found the tering testimonies of affection. It was also prince: and this was perfectly harmless! inexplicable how the prince could attribute Another endeavored, by means of a small St. Leu to Louis Philippe, to whom he ribbon, to move the bolt from outside : and knew it did not belong. There was great this with complete success. It was said surprise, that having seized the pen in the that Lecomte, when in the chapel where midst of preparations for a suicide, he had the body was exposed, vanquished by his said nothing respecting his design, and thus emotion, exclaimed, " I have a weight upon saved his faithful servants from a frightful my heart.” M. Bonnie, contradicting the suspicion. The very mode, in which the formal assertions of Lecomte, affirmed that papers were discovered, was inconceivable. on the morning of the 27th, the bolt of the How came it that these papers, so easily per- back staircase was not closed; and that in ceived on the evening of the 27th, escaped the order to hide this fatal circumstance, Mad. diligent search of Romanzo, choulot, and ame de Feuchères, instead of taking the Manoury, and all those who that day visited shorter route, when hurrying to the chamevery corner of the room, chimney included ? ber of the prince, took the route of the Was it not very likely that they were grand staircase! thrown there by some hand interested in On the 4th of September, the heart of the belief of suicide? These things led the prince was carried to Chantilly: L'Ab. some to conjecture that the document was bé Pélier, almoner to the prince, directed of some anterior date, and that it was no the funeral service. He appeared, bearing more than a proclamation of the prince the heart of the victim in a silver box, and during the first days of the month of Au. ready to pronounce the last adieu. A somgust, when the revolutionary storm was bre silence reigned throughout; every one still muttering. This hypothesis was was in suspense. The impression was prostrengthened by some who remembered found, immense, when the orator with a that ihe prince had indeed conceived the solemn voice let fall these words: 'The idea of a proclamation. For our own parts, prince is innocent of his death before God!' we incline to look upon it as a forgery. It | Thus ended the great race of Condé. could hardly have been a proclamation, Madame de Feuchères precipitately quitfrom the very form of it ; and the same ted Saint Leu, and went to the Palais Bourobjection before advanced of the prince's bon. For a fortnight she made l'abbé Briattributing St. Leu to the king, when in ant sleep in her library, and madame Flasreality it belonged to the prince, applies sans in her room, as if dreading to be alone. also to this. Besides, a critical inspection Soon mastering her emotion, she showed of the words remaining, and of their ar herself confident and resolute. She resumrangement, leads to a suspicion of forgery: ed her speculations at La Bourse ; gained they are too consecutive for a burned let. considerable sums, and laughed at her en. ter.

emies. But she could not stifle the mur. Two parties formed opposite opinions, murs which arose on all sides. The Prince and maintained them with equal warmth. de Rohan made every preparation both for Those who believed in his suicide, alleged a civil and a criminal procès. At Chantilly in favor of their opinion the inqnest; the and Leu there were few who believed melancholy of the prince since 1830; his in the suicide ; at Paris the boldest conroyalist terrors; the act of charity which jectures found vent; the highest names in

a

the kingdom were not spared. The name cide, he saw the proof of assassination. of an illustrions person was coupled with The younger M. Dupin replied with great that of Madame de Feuchères, and furnish- dexterity. But it was remarked and comed political enemies with a weapon they mented on at the time, that he replied to were not scrupulous in using. With a sav- precise facts and formal accusations with age sagacity they remarked that, from the vague recriminations and tortuous explan27th, the court had taken possession of the ations. He pretended that this action was theatre of the transaction; that the almon-nothing but a plot laid by the legitamistes; er of the prince, although on the spot, was an attempt at vengeance; which he called not invited to co-operate in the procès-ver. upon all friends of the revolution of 1830 baux ; and that the physician of the prince, to resent. The interest of the legitimistes M. Geurin, was not called in to the exam in the affair was evident; but to combat an ination of the body: the latter being con- imposing mass of testimony something fided to three physicians, two of whom, more than a vehement appeal to the recol. MM. Marc and Pasquier, were on the most lections of July was necessary. The Rointimate relations with the court. With hans lost their cause before the jury : but, the affected astonishment of raillery, they right or wrong, do not seem altogether to demanded why the Duc de Broglie had have lost it before the tribunal of public prevented the insertion, in the Moniteur,' opinion. of the oration of M. Pélier at Chantilly. The court soon ceased to feel any uneaTo stifle these rumors, the scandal of siness respecting the noise which the affair which reached even the throne, a decisive still kept up. Nevertheless one thing was and honorable means was in the power of extremely tormenting in it. There was, the king. To repudiate a succession so and had been for some time in the house clouded with mystery would have silenced of Condé, a secret of which two persons his enemies and done honor to himself. were always the depositaries. This secret But the head of the Orleans family had ear- had been confided by the Duc de Bourbon, ly shown that indifference to money was at the time of his stay in London, to Sir not the virtue he aspired to. On the eve William Gordon, equerry to the Prince Reof passing to a throne he hastily consigned gent, and to the Duc de Châtre. After his personal property to his children, in or- their deaths M. de Chourlot received the der that he might not unite it with the confidence of the prince, and having been state property, after the antique law of thrown from his horse and being consider. monarchy. Instead therefore of relinquished in danger, admitted Manoury also into ing his son's claim to the heritage of the his confidence. No one ever knew what Prince de Condé, he invited Madame de this secret was, except that it was most Feuchères to court, where she was gallant. important and most redoubtable. ly received. Paris was in a stupor. The Whatever may be the conclusion arrived violence of public opinion rendered an in- at by the reader respecting this mysterious quiry inevitable ; but no stone was left un- affair, there can be but one sentiment returned to stifle the affair. The conseil- specting part of the conduct of Louis Phil- . leur-rapporteur, M. de la Huproie, showing ippe. Decency would have suggested that himself resolved to get at the truth, was such a

as the Baronne de Feusuddenly shifted elsewhere, and the place chères should not be welcomed at court, of judge which he had long desired for his especially when such terrible suspicions son-in-law, was at once accorded him. were hanging over her. Decency would

At length, however, the action brought have suggested that the public should have by the family of the Rohans, to invalidate full and ample conviction of the sincerity the testament of the Duc de Bourbon in with which the causes of the prince's death favor of the Duc d'Aumale, was tried. were investigated. It does not seem to us Few trials excited more interest. The veil that Louis Philippe acted with his usual which covered the details of the event was tact in this case. For tact he has, and won. half drawn aside. M. Hennequin, in a derful ability, in spite of the sneers of M. speech full of striking facts and inferences, Louis Blanc. A man cannot rule France presented a picture of the violences and without courage, cleverness, and tact. Louartifices by which the old Duc de Bourbon is Philippe has abundantly shown to what was hurried into consent to the will. In the a great extent he possesses all three. He well known sentiments of the prince, M. uses his ministers and friends as tools, it is Hennequin saw the proof that the testament true; but it is no ordinary task to use such was not his real wish, but had been forced men as instruments for your own ends. from him ; and in the impossibility of sui- M. Louis Blanc, in common with most

VOL. III. No. IV. 34

woman