M. de Talleyrand (1754-1838) : Charles Maurice de

Talleyrand-Périgord, prince de Bénévent, Bishop of Autun, was the most inscrutable and selfish of politicians. In 1789 he proposed the measure for the confiscation of the landed property of the Church, and was président of the National Assembly in 1790. In 1791 he was excommunicated by the Pope and placed on the list of émigrés ; stayed in London 1792-1794 ; became minister of foreign afiTairs under the Directoire, the Cou.sulat and the Empire. During the first Restoration he played an important part at the Congress of Vienna, and after the second Restoration was for a short time prime minister. During the July révolution in 1830 he was Louis Philippe's chief adviser. He went to London as ambassador and retired in 1834. He was a diplomatist of niuch resource, skilful, but unscrupulous. " A man living in falsehood and on falsehood, yet not what you can call a false man," is Carlyle's view of him.

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12. 26. les Maniottes : the Mainotes, who live in the mountainous

district of Maina, in Laconia, never submitted altogetlier to the Turkish rule, and gi'eatly distinguished themselves in the Greek révolution.