Volume 21, Number 10 · June 13, 1974
Talleyrand's Cut
By A.J.P. Taylor
Talleyrand: The Art of Survival
by Jean Orieux, translated by Patricia Wolf
Knopf, 676 pp., $12.95
Talleyrand once asked a lady friend: 'What do you think posterity's opinion of me will be?' She replied: 'That you set out to stir up controversy about yourself.' Staring at her in amazement, he said: 'You are right, you are absolutely right. I want people to go on for centuries debating what I was like, what I believed, what I stood for.' This only shows that a man will go to any lengths in order to impress the woman he happens to be pursuing. For there is no mystery about Talleyrand except that created by writers who wish to turn an honest penny. He liked women; he liked money; he liked an easy comfortable life. To his misfortune he was caught in the storm of the French Revolution. He waited for it to blow over and sometimes tried to help on the process. He said many things that were esteemed witty at the time. His career was unusual even in a revolutionary epoch. But a great man? A statesman? It is hard to believe it.
Review, 1810 words
To read the full text of this piece, please choose one of the following options:
|
If you are already a subscriber to the Review's electronic edition, please sign in: |
To subscribe to the electronic edition, please press the button below. |
To purchase access to this article for $3, please press the button below. |