Anecdotes oj modern Diplomacy — Raj L al Tilsit. [Feb. J, 



and the writer of this had a true copy 

 taken from the ori^jiiial. The copy 

 was sent, in an official despatch, to the 

 EmperorAlcxander at St. Fetersburgh, 

 in the tirst days of July, ISIO. 



the Emperor Napoleon met her near 

 Compiegne, and, in the open road, 

 entered her travelling coach. 



In the niontli of June, 1810, Count 

 Joseph Metternich, brother to the 

 Austrian prinie-miiiister, and one of 

 the chamberlains that accompanied 

 the princess to Paris, returned to 

 Vienna, and, with other dispatciies for 

 the imperial family, was charged by 

 the Empress Maria Louisa with an 

 autograph letter, in German, for the 

 old Count Ediing, her quondam go- 

 vernor. The following is a translation 

 of, and extract from, the same : — 



My dear Count Ediing, 



I have receirtd from you so many testi- 

 monies of your kind care and affection, tliat 

 I feel an ardent desire to inform you, by 

 Count Joseph Metternich, of the particu- 

 lars of my present situation. When I left 

 you, and all my friends in Vienna, I saw 

 the good people plunged in deep sorrow, 

 from the persuasion that I was going as a 

 sacrifice to my new destination. 1 now 

 feel it an agreeable duty to assure you, 

 that, during three months' residence at this 

 court, I have been, and am, the happiest 

 woman in the world. From the first mo- 

 ment I saw, and met the Emperor Napo- 

 leon, my beloved husband, he has shewn 

 me on every occasion surh respectful 

 attentions, with every token of preventing 

 kindness and sincere friendship, that I 

 should be unjust and ungrateful not to 

 acknowledge his noble behaviour. 



Believe not, my dear Count, that this is 

 ■written by any order from my husband ; 

 these sentiments aie dictated from my 

 heart : nor has any one so much as read 

 the letter. 



The emperor, wlio is at this moment by 

 me, but will not know the contents, has 

 desired me to send you, in his name, the 

 insignia of the order of the Legion of 

 Honour. This he had promised you, as a 

 mark of his high esteem for you. 



Respecting your wish to visit me at Pa- 

 ris, my husband and I will be very glad to 

 see and receive you, in the month of Sep- 

 tember, at the Tuilleries; we shall then 

 have returned from a little tour. You 

 will then be a witness of my satisfaction, 

 which I cannot describe to you in tliis 

 letter. 



Adieu, my dear and good Count Ediing, 

 remember me to all my beloved family and 

 friends; tell them that I am happy, and 

 that I thank God for this felicity. God bless 

 and preserve you, my dear Count ; and be- 

 lieve me that I remain, for ever, your 

 aflfectionate Maria Louisa. 



Paris ; June 16, 1810. 



This letter was communicated, with 

 the consent of the Emperor Francis, 

 to some friends of Count Ediing ; 



INTERVIEW OF THE SOVEREIGNS ON THE 

 RAFT AT TILSIT. 



After the battle of Friedland in 

 1807, when war had done its utmost to 

 annoy the respective antagonists, and 

 the merits, of the question of peace 

 were to be decided, an interview was 

 agreed upon between the Emperors 

 Alexander and Napoleon, and the 

 King of Prussia. The conference was 

 to-be held on a raft, in the middle of 

 the river at Tilsit. To avoid the for- 

 malities which etiquette has accumu- 

 lated, on points that bear a relation to 

 ceremony, it had been decided that, 

 at a signal given, the sovereigns should 

 start in their boats from their respec- 

 tive positions on the banks, and arrive 

 in the same instant at the raft, that 

 one might have no occasion of waiting 

 for another. 



It so happened, whether from chance 

 or design does not appear, that the 

 Emperor Napoleon and his suite ar- 

 rived the first ; it was some minutes 

 beforethe two other sovereigns arrived. 

 In discussing this courtly subject, it is 

 but a fair statement 1o observe, that 

 Napoleon accosted them in courtly 

 language, that is, with a polite address 

 and a profusion of compliments. The 

 Emperor Alexander, seeing Napoleon 

 a little vexed at the delay, was anxi- 

 ous to bring it forward, with an apolo- 

 gising notice for the want of punctua- 

 lity, adding, with his usual gentleness 

 of manner, that nothing could have 

 been more gratifying to his feelings, 

 ■ — more interesting to his curiosity, 

 than such an opportunity of testifying 

 his esteem for the French emperor's 

 person and eminent character. 



Alexander proceeded to present his 

 friend, the King of Prussia, to Napo- 

 leon ; it was allowed, however, by 

 those present, — as it might, indeed, 

 almost have been expected from the 

 exigencies of the times, that the Prus- 

 sian monarch did not dwell so long on 

 general compliments, and received 

 Napoleon's rather coldly. The latter 

 was dissatisfied with this manner, and 

 observed to the marshals of his suite, 

 with greattartness of language, '■^Voyez 

 vous, comment il me traite ?" 



During the residence of the parties 

 at Tilsit, Napoleon often intimated a 



wish, 



