Talleyrand Mémoires for publication, and had almost
finished the task of making a complete copy when death
overtook him on April 22, 1865.

According to a Will left by Monsieur de Bacourt, the
Mémoires were not to be published until 1888--a period
of fifty years after Talleyrand's death: until that time the
Mémoires were to remain in the hands of two Trustees--
MessieursChatelin and Paul Audral. Of these two gentle-
men, Monsieur Chatelin died first, his place as Trustee being
taken by his son, Monsieur Chatelin, Jr., while Monsieur
Audral, having died in 1889, left the publication of the
Mémoires to his co-Trustee Monsieur Chatelin, Jr., and to
the Duc de Broglie.

The Duc de Broglie further states that the edition which
he presents to the public has been printed from the copy
written by Monsieur de Bacourt, and in his handwriting;
the First Book of the Mémoires was certified as being authen-
tic by the Duchesse de Dino and by M. de Bacourt. The
Second and Third Books were also certified to be veracious
copies of the original by Monsieur de Bacourt. As he died
before the Fourth Book was fully completed, this latter
Book bears no testimony.

In spite of the above assertions that the copies made of
Talleyrand's memoirs were exact copies of the original
documents, the more famous historians and critics are of
the unanimous opinion that the memoirs (or papers) left
by Talleyrand have been greatly modified, that certain
pages have been omitted, and many statements changed.

ANNA BOWMAN DODD.

PARIS, 1927.

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