CHAPTER VI

CITIZEN TALLEYRAND

TALLEYRAND explains in the Memoirs that, after resigning his bishopric, he "put himself at the disposal of events." "Provided I remained a Frenchman" he says, "I was prepared for anything." The outlook must have been blank and perplexing. His ecclesiastical income was entirely stopped, and he was prevented by the vote of the Assembly from accepting a place in the Ministry, or any paid office under Government, for two years. He had, however, been appointed member of the newlyformed and important Department of Paris on January 18th. He retained this municipal office for eighteen months, and there and on the Assembly did some good work during the course of the year 1791. Sieyes and Mirabeau were elected with him: Danton followed on January 31st. Within six months two events of great importance occurred the death of Mirabeau and the flight of the King. Each event left the outlook darker for constitutionalists like Talleyrand.

Mirabeau had realised at length that France was travelling downwards, and had secretly rallied to the Court. Talleyrand was accused later of having done the same; but he denied it, and there was no solid

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proof, as we shall see. It is by no means unlikely that Mirabeau would tell the King of Talleyrand's disposition as a monarchist and constitutionalist. On the extreme left in the Assembly a menacing group was forming, and was gaining favour in Paris and the provinces. It was also dominating the club at the Jacobins and extending its influence over France through the affiliated clubs. Mirabeau roared down the violent suggestions of these Marats and Robespierres for a time, but his constitution was shattered by excess and work. He died on April 2nd, taking with him, he said, "the doom of monarchy." Talleyrand was with him for a couple of hours before he died, and the interview is generally described as the bequeathing of Mirabeau's plans to him. Lamartine says he left Talleyrand "all his grand views in his grand speech;" another writer says he left him his idea of an alliance between England and France. Talleyrand read Mirabeau's last words at the Assembly. The notion of a bequeathing and inheriting of views is exaggerated. Talleyrand had been friendly with Mirabeau in the intervals of their numerous quarrels, but he was not likely to be influenced by him-if by anybody. Mirabeau's violence and intemperance imposed restraint on him. Their views largely coincided, and, just as Talleyrand's few and wise proposals in the Assembly had almost always had Mirabeau's support, so, now that Mirabeau

* The legendary suggestion that Talleyrand poisoned him is absolutely frivolous, yet Sainte-Beuve professes to have a "terrible doubt" in the

matter.

was gone, Talleyrand seemed to be continuing his views in the Assembly. The idea of drawing towards England had been expressed by him twelve months before, in his letter to Sir J. R. Miller. As Talleyrand was nominated to the place left vacant by Mirabeau on the diplomatic committee he would naturally begin to give greater prominence to this idea.

A week later Talleyrand gave a proof of the moderation and splendid balance of his character. At Paris the priests who would not take the oath according to the new civil constitution of the clergy were being roughly handled by the "patriots." Talleyrand induced the Department to pass a measure for their protection. Six weeks earlier his life had been threatened by these "Nonconformists," as he called them. Now he endangered his popularity in securing for them complete liberty to follow their cult in their own way, in churches specially assigned to them. It is not scholarship, but partisanship, to ignore the traits of character-the unchanging concern for justice, humanity and moderation-which inspire these interventions on behalf of his bitter enemies, and in antagonism to the dominant feeling, and then pronounce Talleyrand a "sphinx." A little later (May 7th) he repeated his plea to the Assembly. He had to report the discussion of the constitution-committee on a decree of the Department of Paris in reference to deserted religious edifices. He upheld the right of the municipality to dispose of these, and went on to plead