With the commencement of constitutional government in France and the internal struggles connected with it Tallevrand's principal career was properly concluded. In the first years of the Restoration he often appeared at the palace and gave good counsel, of which the reigning party made no use. In the house of peers he often voted with the opposition, defended the freedom of the press, and condemned the Span ish campaign of 1823 When he saw the rocks on which the Resto ration would be wrecked he retired to Valen cay, keeping open house, and giving a welcome reception to all who had distinguished them selves either by literary or political service. In his social intercourse Talleyrand always ex hibited the grandee of olden times. Naturally indolent he worked as little as possible, but he was well acquainted with the art of turning others to account and getting them to work for him. In ordinary business he managed with ease, and skilfully skimmed the surface of things, but he did not possess the talent, of speaking on the spur of the moment on im portant emergencies. Probably this defect led him to the adoption of one of his fundamental axioms, never to explain one's self at the mo ment. He was accustomed to say, what how' ever had been often said long before him, that language had been given to man to en able him to conceal his thoughts. On the occa sion of the July Revolution of 1830 he at first kept entirely aloof. Louis Philippe, however, before accepting the throne, asked. his advice, and received the short answer that he should talce it When, by the revolutions in Belgium and Poland, in connection with other circum stances, the July throne became endangered, Talleyrand at last came forward, and finally abandoning the old dynasty and his own work united with Louis PhiUippe for the maintenance of the peace of Europe. In September 1830 he
went as Ambassador to London, and made all kinds of exertions calculated to show off the peaceable intentions of the July dynasty. To him mainly was it owing that Austria and Prus sia joined the conferences of the three powers which had. decided the fate of Greece, and that after endless protocols the powers united in their views with regard to Belgium. After these results he turned to what had long been his favorite idea, the formation of a combina tion of France, Britain and Austria against Russia. The plan was partly successful when in 1834 he subscribed the quadruple alliance (the parties to which were France, England, Spain and Portugal), which was intended above all to guard the constitutional principle in West ern Europe. He returned from London in 1835, and repeatedly made his appearance at the court of the citizen-king, where he was re ceived with great distinction, and revered by the ladies as an oracle. It is said that before his death he was reccmciled with the Church. The principal part of his immense property, esti mated at about 18,000,000 francs, he left to his niece, the Duchess of Dino. He left memoirs in manuscript which were to remain unpublished till 30 years after his death. They have proved of little value. Consult (Correspondence Be tween Talleyrand and Louis XVIII' (1x1) ; Latnartine, (Memoires Politiques' ; Blanc, (His toire de Dix Ans) ; Guizot, (Memoires' , and Blennerhasset, (Talleyrand) (1894) ; McCabe, Jos., (Talleyrand) (London 1906).