Quotes
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Charles Talleyrand : Well, Marquis, how is this little mission of ours going? We've prepared the ground successfully, I hope?
Marquis de Caulaincourt : Well, I've been preparing balls, concerts, banquets, hunting parties, firework displays... The Emperor wants to dazzle the Czar with a display of his power. His Majesty says nothing helps negotiations more, especially with a man as civilized as Alexander.
Charles Talleyrand : Yes, well, the sovereign of Russia may very well be civilized, but his people are not. In France, of course, it's the other way round.
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Marquis de Caulaincourt : When one is defeated, sire, one has the choice of covering oneself with ashes or furbelows. He has chosen furbelows.
