TALLEYRAND
Silk stocking filled with mud was Talleyrand.
With the future of France held in his hand,
He played kibitzer-informed cards with skill,
Maneuvering a Congress to his will.
There once was a Marquis named Talleyrand,
Who loved ladies and a fine sarabande
Smarts from ladies gained as a teen
Helped him escape the guillotine,
Surviving four regimes as he had planned.
Vested in priestly garb this backslidden Bishop
Chose diplomacy over baptism and hyssop.
Though Talleyrand walked with congenital limp,
He was never known as a diplomatic wimp.
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