The Three Sovereigns.The following anecdote was often told by the late emperor Alexander, and is amongst the traditions of the Russian court:In 1814, during the period that the allies were masters of Paris, the Czar, who resided in the hotel of M. de Talleyrand, was in the daily habit of taking a walk, (in strictincognito,) every morning, in the garden of the Tuilleries, and thence to the Palais Royale. He one day met two other sovereigns, and the three were returning arm-in-arm to breakfast in the RueSt.Florentin, when, on their way thither, they encountered a provincial, evidently freshly imported to Paris, and who had lost his way.“Gentlemen,” said he, “can you tell me which is the Tuilleries?”“Yes,” replied Alexander; “follow us; we are going that way, and will show you.”Thanks on the part of the countryman led them soon into conversation. A few minutes sufficed to arrive at the palace; and as here their routes lay in opposite directions, they bade each other reciprocally adieu.“Parbleu!” cried the provincial, “I should be glad to know the names of persons so amiable and complaisant as you are.”“My name?” said the first—“Oh, certainly; you have, perhaps, heard of me; I am the emperor Alexander.”“A capital joke,” exclaimed the Gascon—“An emperor! And you?” addressing the second individual,—“Who may you be?”“I?” replied he; “why, probably, I am not wholly unknown to you, at least by name; I am the king of Prussia!”“Better and better,” said the man. “And you, what are you, then?” looking at the third person.“I am the emperor of Austria!”“Perfect, perfect!” exclaimed the provincial, laughing with all his might.“But you, monsieur,” said the emperor Alexander, “surely you will also let us know whom we have the honor to speak to?”“To be sure,” replied the man, quitting them with an important strut, “I am the Great Mogul.”
The following anecdote was often told by the late emperor Alexander, and is amongst the traditions of the Russian court:
In 1814, during the period that the allies were masters of Paris, the Czar, who resided in the hotel of M. de Talleyrand, was in the daily habit of taking a walk, (in strictincognito,) every morning, in the garden of the Tuilleries, and thence to the Palais Royale. He one day met two other sovereigns, and the three were returning arm-in-arm to breakfast in the RueSt.Florentin, when, on their way thither, they encountered a provincial, evidently freshly imported to Paris, and who had lost his way.
“Gentlemen,” said he, “can you tell me which is the Tuilleries?”
“Yes,” replied Alexander; “follow us; we are going that way, and will show you.”
Thanks on the part of the countryman led them soon into conversation. A few minutes sufficed to arrive at the palace; and as here their routes lay in opposite directions, they bade each other reciprocally adieu.
“Parbleu!” cried the provincial, “I should be glad to know the names of persons so amiable and complaisant as you are.”
“My name?” said the first—“Oh, certainly; you have, perhaps, heard of me; I am the emperor Alexander.”
“A capital joke,” exclaimed the Gascon—“An emperor! And you?” addressing the second individual,—“Who may you be?”
“I?” replied he; “why, probably, I am not wholly unknown to you, at least by name; I am the king of Prussia!”
“Better and better,” said the man. “And you, what are you, then?” looking at the third person.
“I am the emperor of Austria!”
“Perfect, perfect!” exclaimed the provincial, laughing with all his might.
“But you, monsieur,” said the emperor Alexander, “surely you will also let us know whom we have the honor to speak to?”
“To be sure,” replied the man, quitting them with an important strut, “I am the Great Mogul.”