Condessa de Lencastre
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Condessa de Lencastre
Para quem possa interessar, excerto livro My Recollections by The Countess of Cardigan:
"In the early part of 1873 I was staying in Paris, thoroughly enjoying a round of gaiety with my numerous friends in the French capital. I used to ride a great deal, and as I had my famous horse "Neoptolemus" in Paris, my mount and I were very much observed by the Parisians when I took my daily canter in the Bois de Boulogne.
I noticed one aristocratic-looking man in particular, who invariably waited to see me pass, and, on making inquiries, I found that he was Don Antonio Manuelo, Count de Lancaster, the nephew of acquaintances of mine, the Duke and Duchess de Saldanha.
I afterwards met the Count, and he told me how much he admired my horsemanship, and that he had always made a point of watching me riding in the Bois. I thought he was very pleasant and charming person, but I was greatly surprised when one morning the Duke and Duchess de Saldanha called on me on behalf of their nephew to ask if I would accept him as my husband.
When I recovered from the surprise which this declaration naturally caused me, I began to consider the matter seriously, for as a rich young widow my solitary position was not without its drawbacks, and therefore Inwas not disinclined to marry again.
The Count de Lancastre belonged to a very ancient and noble Portuguese family, who trace their descent from the Royal Plantagenets through John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancastre, whose daughter Philippa married, in 1387, John I., King of Portugal. Their son, the famous Prince Henry the Navigator, was the progenitor of the Counts de Lancastre, or Alencastre, as the name is sometimes called in Portugal, and he gave them the name of his mother's family.
After much anxious consideration I decided to accept the Count's proposal, and we were formally engaged. Lindemann (Graf) who was staying in Paris, was furious when I told him, and at first he was most rude to Lancastre, but they afterwards became the best of friends.
The Shah was then visiting Paris, and so tout Paris, myself included, lived in a whirl of social excitement; Lancastre was never happier than when he was escorting me to balls and parties, and I found him a delightful companion.
I returned to England in August 1873 to make preparations for my second marriage, which unfortunately did not please many of my friends. There is always a sort of insular prejudice against a foreigner, which was intensified in the case of the Count de Lancastre, as I had refused many good offers from my own countrymen since my widowhood.
On the evening of August 26 my old friend the Duke of Rutland came to see me at Rose Cottage, Cowes, and begged me to give up the idea of marring Lancastre. "Quiet useless, my dear Duke," I told him, "for I am going to marry him the day after to-morrow."
I became Countess de Lancastre on August 28, 1873. Our marriage took place at the Roman Catholic Chapel at King Street, Portman Square, and my dear uncle, Admiral Rous, gave me away. I wore a beautiful white satin gown covered with white Spanish lace, and I could not help remembering how curious it was that the mixture of blue and white in my first wedding-dress was that of the national colours of the country to which my second husband belonged.
The chapel was crowded, and the many uniforms and beautiful dresses worn made the scene a brilliant one.
The Count de Lancastre and I spend our honeymoon at Deene, where we entertained a large party of my husband's Portuguese friends for the shooting. I can only describe some of these gentlemen as being very dangerous shots, and I was obliged to put English guns behind the foreign sportsmen to kill what they missed! In some cases their cartridges were filled with bran, for I dislike shooting "accidents" and our friends required most careful watching.
After the shooting we went to Harrogate, and visited Kirkstall Abbey, which was then my property. A salute of fifteen guns was fired when we arrived in a carriage drawn by four horses, which some of my tenants took out and drew the carriage themselves to the Abbey, where I gave a great dinner to three hundred of my Yorkshire tenantry. We dined in the quadrangle, and it was a most enthusiastic gathering. I was called upon to make a speech, so I mounted a table in my smart blue satin gown, and from there responded to the good wishes and congratulations of the assembly.
Lancastre was very astonished at our reception, for he had not realized till then what a large estates I possessed, or how closely I was in touch with my tenants.
After Newmarket we decided to go by steamer to Lisbon. We encountered very rough weather en route, in fact we were nearly drowned, for the steamer was within an ace of foundering in the Bay of Biscay. "It is very remarkable", said Lancastre to me, when we had at last arrived safely at Lisbon, " I can never take a journey without meeting with some terrible danger, in fact I have been nearly killed several times".
I was rather startled at this confidence, for traveling under these conditions would never suit me, so I said to the Count, " Well, if that's the case, don't let's travel together again".
We spend a very enjoyable month together at Lisbon. I was introduced to all my husband's relations, and we had six very agreeable interviews with the King and Queen. I was charmed with Queen Maria Pia, who was very kind, and singled me out for a great deal of notice whenever I went to the Palace.
I always look back to my visit to Portugal as a most pleasant recollection, for what woman does not appreciate having a thoroughly good time? I remember the Portuguese ladies were very much astonished when I went out sailing by myself on the Tagus, for I could sail a boat as well as I could ride a horse, and nothing gave me greater pleasure than my sailing excursions on the majestic river which, at one place, is seven miles wide across.
After leaving Lisbon, Lancastre and I went to Paris, and came to England in January 1874. The Count hunted with the Quorn, and his sight was not very good, I told him to always follow Bee Coventry wherever he rode, and not to trust to his own judgment. Bee Coventry was a very daring rider, but as Lancastre was a fine jumper and horseman he followed his leader in splendid fashion, and he took all the fences, and generally distinguished himself in the hunting-field.
We did not stay long in the country but returned to Paris, where we had a very gay time. The Marquis de Penafiel was then Ambassador, and as we knew him and the charming Marquise very well we were generally at the Embassy three times a week to dances, dinners and receptions.
I was also a frequent visitor to the Palais de Castille (Avenue du Roi de Rome, now the Kléber) where Queen Isabella of Spain lived. The Queen was one of the most striking Royal personages who have played their part in the Drama of History...The Count's health was not robust and he could not stand the English climate, especially the fogs and inclemencies of the winter. His chronic bronchitis was very troublesome, and as he was essentially a town man, he hated English country life, which bored him. Father Black had been very desagreeable about attending Deene Church, and even threatened him with excommunication, so Lancastre was obliged to go to the Roman Catholic Church at Oundle whenever we were at Deene, and although I always accompanied him, I think the religious bickering got on his nerves And he was heartily glad to get to his beloved Paris.
The Count was a great friend of the Empress Eugénie and he was the first person to whom she confided the news of her engagement to Napoleon III. After the Franco-Prussian war, when the Emperor and Empress visited Cowes as the Count and Countess de Pierrefonds, we called on them, and I offered them my house at Cowes, which seemed to please them very much, although they did not accept it owing to arrangements about a residence having been previously made.
In 1879, after the Billesden Coplow Races, I took my horse "Dandy" over to Paris and entered him for the Grand Prix, which he very nearly won. About this time I began to realize that it was imperative for me to live in England. The care of my estates demanded it, and I considered it my duty to return. I naturally regretted leaving my husband in Paris, but I had no alternative, and although I constantly went over to visit him, he never again made his home in England. Lancastre's health gradually declined, although he tried many cures and was often at Mont Dore taking waters, which are supposed to be wonderfully efficacious for chest complaints. He was very fascinating man, and nearly all the smart Parisiennes were in love with him, much to my amusement, for it was no use being jealous of him.
Poor Lancastre! An attack of bronchitis killed him in 1898. He died quiet suddenly in Paris, and I did not even know he was hill! His cousin, the Marquis de Soveral, most kindly saw to everything for me, and the Count was buried in the great cemetery of Père Lachaise.
I grieved sincerely for him, for we had been very happy together, and I think of him most affectionately as a chivalrous and kind husband who was devoted to me.
Some years ago, when I was at a séance, I received what purported to be a communication from him. When I read it I thought at once that the Lancastre in the Spirit World was as charming and courtier-like as the Lancastre I knew, for the message was " Chère amie, je t'aime toujours." "
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Condessa de Lencastre
Very, very nice ! Obrigada.
Hà no texto oferecido, de grande simplicidade de escrita, um perfume dos anos dos fins do XIX ème.
Traduzido por outras palavras, é-nos dado respirar o ar de " a Cidade e as Serras". E o Paris do Eça, os passeios no Bois de Boulogne ...E o Paris do Proust, com o Marcel espreitando a saida, para o passeio ao Bois da Oriane de Guermantes... A evocação dessa sociedade, nessa época, pela Mme de Cardigan, é de "morrer de rir" quando se compara ao que sugere no dia de hoje um passeio nocturno no Bois de Boulogne. Cumprimentos da Natércia
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Condessa de Lencastre
Não percebo o interesse deste texto. Mais parece um testamento. Uma seca, nem o acabei de ler para mais nunca ouvi falar em conde de Lencastre nenhum
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Condessa de Lencastre
Bom dia. O confrade tem todo o direito de detestar este texto. Estou de acordo que não é uma obra-prima do ponto de vista literàrio, mas para mim tem o interesse de restituir um "mundo", uma sociedade desaparecida, com os seus codigos, interesses, etc. Esta condessa de Cardigan vai viver separada de fait do seu marido, doente, e que prefere Paris. Ela volta à Inglaterra, mergulhar na sua "gentry" para tratar melhor dos seus interesses patrimoniais.
Quanto ao vizconde e conde de Lencastre, no wikipédia, tem logo a resposta. Foram titulos vitalicios criados por D. Luis I de Portugal, em 11/09/1873.
E a iniciativa generosa do confrade Palmsprings tem pelo menos o mérito de nos fazer ler um pouco de inglês. Sem obrigação para ninguém. Cps Natércia
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Condessa de Lencastre
Boa tarde,
Peço desculpa ter criado algum mal estar ao confrade Tiago5, não foi de todo a minha intenção. Ao longo das minhas leituras (maioritariamente em livros ingleses do final século XIX princípio do século XX) vou encontrando referência a Portugal ou a portugueses que por algum motivo, possa ser de interesse a outra pessoa aqui no fórum e vou colocando esses mesmo excertos.
Espero que não sejam de incomodo a demais pessoas.
Com os melhores cumprimentos
Palmsprings
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