(To TII1 EDITOR Of TIM "SPROUTOILl SIR, — Many years ago, while
paying one among many visits to Monsieur Guizot at Val Richer, his country house in Normandy, the conversation turned upon "links with the past," and he related to us the following, which I copy from he memorandum I made of it at the time, nearly thirty-five years ago :—" Monsieur Guizot once told me that his mother in-law, Madame de Meultux, had been told by her mother, Madame de St. Chamand, that in her extreme youth she had seen the Duchess° d'Angoulerne, a daughter-in-law of
Charles IX., who was at that time in her extreme old age, having married in her extreme youth the Duc d'Angouleme, illegitimate son of Charles IX. by Marie Touchet, and he was extremely old when he married her." In December, 1885, I showed this to Monsieur Guizot's (still surviving) daughter, Madame de Witt and I have her signature at the foot of the written anecdote, as attesting the accuracy of the conversation with her father as recorded by me. The Due d'Angouleme was, I believe, born in 1573 and died in 1640. Monsieur Guizot's first wife was born in 1773. The Due d'Angouleme married very old, say seventy-five. He died at seventy-seven. His wife might have married him at sixteen, which would make her birth, say, 1624. That leaves, therefore, about one hundred and fifty years to be accounted for between the three ladies, Madame de Meula.n, Madame de St. Chamand, and the Duchesse d'Angouleme.—I am, Sir, &c., ,dthenwitin Club. WILLIAM WARREN VERNON.
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