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diff --git a/3881.txt b/3881.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..07fb38d --- /dev/null +++ b/3881.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3637 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Memoirs of Louis XV. and XVI., Volume 6 +by Madame du Hausset, and of an Unknown English Girl and the Princess Lamballe + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Memoirs of Louis XV. and XVI., Volume 6 + Being Secret Memoirs of Madame du Hausset, Lady's Maid to Madame de + Pompadour, and of an Unknown English Girl and The Princess Lamballe + + +Author: Madame du Hausset, and of an Unknown English Girl and the Princess Lamballe + +Release Date: December 3, 2004 [EBook #3881] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LOUIS XV. AND XVI. *** + + + + +Produced by David Widger + + + + + +MEMOIRS OF LOUIS XV. AND XVI. + +Being Secret Memoirs of Madame du Hausset, +Lady's Maid to Madame de Pompadour, +and of an unknown English Girl +and the Princess Lamballe + + + + +BOOK 6. + + + +SECTION IV. + + +"The dismissal of M. Necker irritated the people beyond description. They +looked upon themselves as insulted in their favourite. Mob succeeded +mob, each more mischievous and daring than the former. The Duc d'Orleans +continued busy in his work of secret destruction. In one of the popular +risings, a sabre struck his bust, and its head fell, severed from its +body. Many of the rioters (for the ignorant are always superstitious) +shrunk back at this omen of evil to their idol. His real friends +endeavoured to deduce a salutary warning to him from the circumstance. I +was by when the Duc de Penthievre told him, in the presence of his +daughter, that he might look upon this accident as prophetic of the fate +of his own head, as well as the ruin of his family, if he persisted. He +made no answer, but left the room. + +"On the 14th of July, and two or three days preceding, the commotions +took a definite object. The destruction of the Bastille was the point +proposed, and it was achieved. Arms were obtained from the old +pensioners at the Hotel des Invalides. Fifty thousand livres were +distributed among the chiefs of those who influenced the Invalides to +give up the arms. + +"The massacre of the Marquis de Launay, commandant of the place, and of +M. de Flesselles, and the fall of the citadel itself, were the +consequence. + +"Her Majesty was greatly affected when she heard of the murder of these +officers and the taking of the Bastille. She frequently told me that the +horrid circumstance originated in a diabolical Court intrigue, but never +explained the particulars of the intrigue. She declared that both the +officers and the citadel might have been saved had not the King's orders +for the march of the troops from Versailles, and the environs of Paris, +been disobeyed. She blamed the precipitation of De Launay in ordering up +the drawbridge and directing the few troops on it to fire upon the +people. 'There,' she added, 'the Marquis committed himself; as, in case +of not succeeding, he could have no retreat, which every commander should +take care to secure, before he allows the commencement of a general +attack. + +[Certainly, the French Revolution may date its epoch as far back as the +taking of the Bastille; from that moment the troubles progressively +continued, till the final extirpation of its illustrious victims. I was +just returning from a mission to England when the storms began to +threaten not only the most violent effects to France itself, but to all +the land which was not divided from it by the watery element. The spirit +of liberty, as the vine, which produces the most luxurious fruit, when +abused becomes the most pernicious poison, was stalking abroad and +revelling in blood and massacre. I myself was a witness to the +enthusiastic national ball given on the ruins of the Bastille, while it +was still stained and reeking with the hot blood of its late keeper, +whose head I saw carried in triumph. Such was the effect on me that the +Princesse de Lamballe asked me if I had known the Marquis de Launay. I +answered in the negative; but told her from the knowledge I had of the +English Revolution, I was fearful of a result similar to what followed +the fall of the heads of Buckingham and Stafford. The Princess +mentioning my observation to the Duc de Penthievre, they both burst into +tears.] + +The death of the Dauphin, the horrible Revolution of the 14th of July, +the troubles about Necker, the insults and threats offered to the Comte +d'Artois and herself,--overwhelmed the Queen with the most poignant +grief.] + +"She was most desirous of some understanding being established between +the government and the representatives of the people, which she urged +upon the King the expediency of personally attempting. + +"The King, therefore, at her reiterated remonstrances and requests, +presented himself, on the following day, with his brothers, to the +National Assembly, to assure them of his firm determination to support +the measures of the deputies, in everything conducive to the general good +of his subjects. As a proof of his intentions, he said he had commanded +the troops to leave Paris and Versailles. + +"The King left the Assembly, as he had gone thither, on foot, amid the +vociferations of 'Vive le roi!' and it was only through the enthusiasm of +the deputies, who thus hailed His Majesty, and followed him in crowds to +the palace, that the Comte d'Artois escaped the fury of an outrageous +mob. + +"The people filled every avenue of the palace, which vibrated with cries +for the King, the Queen, and the Dauphin to show themselves at the +balcony. + +"'Send for the Duchesse de Polignac to bring the royal children,' cried I +to Her Majesty. + +"'Not for the world!' exclaimed the Queen. 'She will be assassinated, +and my children too, if she make her appearance before this infuriate +mob. Let Madame and the Dauphin be brought unaccompanied.' + +"The Queen, on this occasion, imitated her Imperial mother, Maria +Theresa. She took the Dauphin in her arms, and Madame by her side, as +that Empress had done when she presented herself to the Hungarian +magnates; but the reception here was very different. It was not +'moriamur pro nostra regina'. Not that they were ill received; but the +furious party of the Duc d'Orleans often interrupted the cries of 'Vive +le roi! Vive la reine!' etc., with those of 'Vive la nation! Vive d' +Orleans!' and many severe remarks on the family of the De Polignacs, +which proved that the Queen's caution on this occasion was exceedingly +well-judged. + +"Not to wound the feelings of the Duchesse de Polignac, I kept myself at +a distance behind the Queen; but I was loudly called for by the mobility, +and, 'malgre moi', was obliged, at the King and Queen's request, to come +forward. + +"As I approached the balcony, I perceived one of the well-known agents of +the Duc d'Orleans, whom I had noticed some time before in the throng, +menacing me, the moment I made my appearance, with his upreared hand in +fury. I was greatly terrified, but suppressed my agitation, and saluted +the populace; but, fearful of exhibiting my weakness in sight of the +wretch who had alarmed me, withdrew instantly, and had no sooner +re-entered than I sunk motionless in the arms of one of the attendants. +Luckily, this did not take place till I left the balcony. Had it been +otherwise, the triumph to my declared enemies would have been too great. + +"Recovering, I found myself surrounded by the Royal Family, who were all +kindness and concern for my situation; but I could not subdue my tremor +and affright. The horrid image of that monster seemed, still to threaten +me. + +"'Come, come!' said the King, 'be not alarmed, I shall order a council of +all the Ministers and deputies to-morrow, who will soon put an end to +these riots!' + +"We were ere long joined by the Prince de Conde, the Duc de Bourbon, and +others, who implored the King not to part with the army, but to place +himself, with all the Princes of the blood, at its head, as the only +means to restore tranquillity to the country, and secure his own safety. + +"The Queen was decidedly of the same opinion; and added, that, if the +army were to depart, the King and his family ought to go with it; but the +King, on the contrary, said he would not decide upon any measures +whatever till he had heard the opinion of the Council. + +"The Queen, notwithstanding the King's indecision, was occupied, during +the rest of the day and the whole of the night, in preparing for her +intended; journey, as she hoped to persuade the King to follow the advice +of the Princes, and not wait the result of the next day's deliberation. +Nay, so desirous was she of this, that she threw herself on her knees to +the King, imploring him to leave Versailles and head the army, and +offering to accompany him herself, on horseback, in uniform; but it was +like speaking to a corpse he never answered. + +"The Duchesse de Polignac came to Her Majesty in a state of the greatest +agitation, in consequence of M. de Chinon having just apprised her that a +most malicious report had been secretly spread among the deputies at +Versailles that they were all to be blown up at their next meeting. + +"The Queen was as much surprised as the Duchess, and scarcely less +agitated. These wretched friends could only, in silence, compare notes +of their mutual cruel misfortunes. Both for a time remained speechless +at this new calamity. Surely this was not wanting to be added to those +by which the Queen was already so bitterly oppressed. + +"I was sent for by Her Majesty. Count Fersen accompanied me. He had +just communicated to me what the Duchess had already repeated from M. +Chinon to the Queen. + +"The rumour had been set afloat merely as a new pretext for the +continuation of the riots. + +"The communication of the report, so likely to produce a disastrous +effect, took place while the King was with his Ministers deliberating +whether he should go to Paris, or save himself and family by joining the +army. + +"His Majesty was called from the council to the Queen's apartment, and +was there made acquainted with the circumstance which had so awakened the +terror of the royal party. He calmly replied, 'It is some days since +this invention has been spread among the deputies; I was aware of it from +the first; but from its being utterly impossible to be listened to for a +moment by any one, I did not wish to afflict you by the mention of an +impotent fabrication, which I myself treated with the contempt it justly +merited. Nevertheless, I did not forget, yesterday, in the presence of +both my brothers, who accompanied me to the National Assembly, there to +exculpate myself from an imputation at which my nature revolts; and, from +the manner in which it was received, I flatter myself that every honest +Frenchman was fully satisfied that my religion will ever be an +insurmountable barrier against my harbouring sentiments allied in the +slightest degree to such actions. + +"The King embraced the Queen, begged she would tranquilise herself, +calmed the fears of the two ladies, thanked the gentlemen for the +interest they took in his favour, and returned to the council, who, in +his absence, had determined on his going to the Hotel de Ville at Paris, +suggesting at the same time the names of several persons likely to be +well received, if His Majesty thought proper to allow their accompanying +him. + +"During this interval, the Queen, still flattering herself that she +should pursue her wished-for journey, ordered the carriages to be +prepared and sent off to Rambouillet, where she said she should sleep; +but this Her Majesty only stated for the purpose of distracting the +attention of her pages and others about her from her real purpose. As it +was well known that M. de St. Priest had pointed out Rambouillet as a fit +asylum for the mob, she fancied that an understanding on the part of her +suite that they were to halt there, and prepare for her reception, would +protect her project of proceeding much farther. + +"When the council had broken up and the King returned, he said to the +Queen, 'It is decided.' + +"'To go, I hope?' said Her Majesty. + +"'No'--(though in appearance calm, the words remained on the lips of the +King, and he stood for some moments incapable of utterance; but, +recovering, added)--'To Paris!' + +"The Queen, at the word Paris, became frantic. She flung herself wildly +into the arms of her friends. + +"'Nous sommes perdus! nous sommes perdus!' cried she, in a passion of +tears. But her dread was not for herself. She felt only for the danger +to which the King was now going to expose himself; and she flew to him, +and hung on his neck. + +"'And what,' exclaimed she, 'is to become of all our faithful friends and +attendants!' + +"'I advise them all,' answered His Majesty, 'to make the best of their +way out of France; and that as soon as possible.' + +"By this time, the apartments of the Queen were filled with the +attendants and the royal children, anxiously expecting every moment to +receive the Queen's command to proceed on their journey, but they were +all ordered to retire to whence they came. + +"The scene was that of a real tragedy. Nothing broke the silence but +groans of the deepest affliction. Our consternation at the counter order +cast all into a state of stupefied insensibility. + +"The Queen was the only one whose fortitude bore her up proudly under +this weight of misfortunes. Recovering from the frenzy of the first +impression, she adjured her friends, by the love and obedience they had +ever shown her and the King, to prepare immediately to fulfil his mandate +and make themselves ready for the cruel separation! + +"The Duchesse de Polignac and myself were, for some hours, in a state of +agony and delirium. + +"When the Queen saw the body-guards drawn up to accompany the King's +departure, she ran to the window, threw apart the sash, and was going to +speak to them, to recommend the King to their care; but the Count Fersen +prevented it. + +"'For God's sake, Madame,'--exclaimed he, 'do not commit yourself to the +suspicion of having any doubts of the people!' + +"When the King entered to take leave of her, and of all his most faithful +attendants, he could only articulate, 'Adieu!' But when the Queen saw him +accompanied by the Comte d'Estaing and others, whom, from their new +principles, she knew to be popular favourites, she had command enough of +herself not to shed a tear in their presence. + +"No sooner, however, had the King left the room than it was as much as +the Count Fersen, Princesse Elizabeth, and all of us could do to recover +her from the most violent convulsions. At last, coming to herself, she +retired with the Princess, the Duchess, and myself to await the King's +return; at the same time requesting the Count Fersen to follow His +Majesty to the Hotel de Ville. Again and again she implored the Count, +as she went, in case the King should be detained, to interest himself +with all the foreign Ministers to interpose for his liberation. + +"Versailles, when the King was gone, seemed like a city deserted in +consequence of the plague. The palace was completely abandoned. All the +attendants were dispersed. No one was seen in the streets. Terror +prevailed. It was universally believed that the King would be detained +in Paris. The high road from Versailles to Paris was crowded with all +ranks of people, as if to catch a last look of their Sovereign. + +"The Count Fersen set off instantly, pursuant to the Queen's desire. He +saw all that passed, and on his return related to me the history of that +horrid day. + +"He arrived at Paris just in time to see His Majesty take the national +cockade from M. Bailly and place it in his hat. He, felt the Hotel de +Ville shake with the long-continued cries of 'Vive le roi!' in +consequence, which so affected the King that, for some moments, he was +unable to express himself. 'I myself,' added the Count, 'was so moved at +the effect on His Majesty, in being thus warmly received by his Parisian +subjects, which portrayed the paternal emotions of his long-lacerated +heart, that every other feeling was paralysed for a moment, in exultation +at the apparent unanimity between the Sovereign and his people. But it +did not,' continued the Ambassador, 'paralyse the artful tongue of +Bailly, the Mayor of Paris. I could have kicked the fellow for his +malignant impudence; for, even in the cunning compliment he framed, he +studied to humble the afflicted Monarch by telling the people it was to +them he owed the sovereign authority. + +"'But,' pursued the Count, 'considering the situation of Louis XVI. and +that of his family, agonised as they must have been during his absence, +from the Queen's impression that the Parisians would never again allow +him to see Versailles, how great was our rapture when we saw him safely +replaced in his carriage, and returning to those who were still lamenting +him as lost! + +"'When I left Her Majesty in the morning, she was nearly in a state of +mental aberration. When I saw her again in the evening, the King by her +side, surrounded by her family, the Princesse Eizabeth, and yourself, +madame' said the kind Count, 'she appeared to me like a person risen from +the dead and restored to life. Her excess of joy at the first moment was +beyond description!' + +"Count Fersen might well say the first moment, for the pleasure of the +Queen was of short duration. Her heart was doomed to bleed afresh, when +the thrill of delight, at what she considered the escape of her husband, +was past, for she had already seen her chosen friend, the Duchesse de +Polignac, for the last time. + +"Her Majesty was but just recovered from the effects of the morning's +agitation, when the Duchess, the Duke, his sister, and all his family set +off. It was impossible for her to take leave of her friend. The hour +was late--about midnight. At the same time departed the Comte d'Artois +and his family, the Prince de Conde and his, the Prince of Hesse +d'Armstadt, and all those who were likely to be suspected by the people. + +"Her Majesty desired the Count Fersen to see the Duchess in her name. +When the King heard the request, he exclaimed: + +"'What a cruel state for Sovereigns, my dear Count! To be compelled to +separate ourselves from our most faithful attendants, and not be allowed, +for fear of compromising others or our own lives, to take a last +farewell!' + +"'Ah!' said the Queen, 'I fear so too. I fear it is a last farewell to +all our friends!' + +"The Count saw the Duchess a few moments before she left Versailles. +Pisani, the Venetian Ambassador, and Count Fersen, helped her on the +coachbox, where she rode disguised. + +"What must have been most poignantly mortifying to the fallen favourite +was, that, in the course of her journey, she met with her greatest enemy, +(Necker) who was returning, triumphant, to Paris, called by the voice of +that very nation by whom she and her family were now forced from its +territory,--Necker, who himself conceived that she, who now went by him +into exile, while he himself returned to the greatest of victories, had +thwarted all his former plans of operation, and, from her influence over +the Queen, had caused his dismission and temporary banishment. + +"For my own part, I cannot but consider this sudden desertion of France +by those nearest the throne as ill-judged. Had all the Royal Family, +remained, is it likely that the King and Queen would have been watched +with such despotic vigilance? Would not confidence have created +confidence, and the breach have been less wide between the King and his +people? + +"When the father and his family will now be thoroughly reconciled, Heaven +alone can tell!" + + + + +SECTION V. + + +"Barnave often lamented his having been betrayed, by a love of notoriety, +into many schemes, of which his impetuosity blinded him to the +consequences. With tears in his eyes, he implored me to impress the +Queen's mind with the sad truths he inculcated. He said his motives had +been uniformly the same, however he might have erred in carrying them +into action; but now he relied on my friendship for my royal mistress to +give efficacy to his earnest desire to atone for those faults, of which +he had become convinced by dear-bought experience. He gave me a list of +names for Her Majesty, in which were specified all the Jacobins who had +emissaries throughout France, for the purpose of creating on the same +day, and at the same hour, an alarm of something like the 'Vesparo +Siciliano' (a general insurrection to murder all the nobility and burn +their palaces, which, in fact, took place in many parts of France), the +object of which was to give the Assembly, by whom all the regular troops +were disbanded, a pretext for arming the people as a national guard, thus +creating a perpetual national faction. + +"The hordes of every faubourg now paraded in this new democratic livery. +Even some of them, who were in the actual service of the Court, made no +scruple of decorating themselves thus, in the very face of their +Sovereign. The King complained, but the answer made to him was that the +nation commanded. + +"The very first time Their Majesties went to the royal chapel, after the +embodying of the troops with the national guards, all the persons +belonging to it were accoutred in the national uniform. The Queen was +highly incensed, and deeply affected at this insult offered to the King's +authority by the persons employed in the sacred occupations of the +Church. 'Such persons,' said Her Majesty, 'would, I had hoped, have been +the last to interfere with politics.' She was about to order all those +who preferred their uniforms to their employments to be discharged from +the King's service; but my advice, coupled with that of Barnave, +dissuaded her from executing so dangerous a threat. On being assured +that those, perhaps, who might be selected to replace the offenders might +refuse the service, if not allowed the same ridiculous prerogatives, and +thus expose Their Royal Majesties to double mortification, the Queen +seemed satisfied, and no more was said upon the subject, except to an +Italian soprano, to whom the King signified his displeasure at his +singing a 'salva regina' in the dress of a grenadier of the new faction. + +"The singer took the hint and never again intruded his uniform into the +chapel. + +"Necker, notwithstanding the enthusiasm his return produced upon the +people, felt mortified in having lost the confidence of the King. He +came to me, exclaiming that, unless Their Majesties distinguished him by +some mark of their royal favour, his influence must be lost with the +National Assembly. He perceived, he said, that the councils of the King +were more governed by the advice of the Queen's favourite, the Abbe +Vermond, than by his (Necker's). He begged I would assure Her Majesty +that Vermond was quite as obnoxious to the people as the Duchesse de +Polignac had ever been; for it was generally known that Her Majesty was +completely guided by him, and, therefore, for her own safety and the +tranquillity of national affairs, he humbly suggested the prudence of +sending him from the Court, at least for a time. + +"I was petrified at hearing a Minister dare presume thus to dictate the +line of conduct which the Queen of France, his Sovereign, should pursue +with respect to her most private servants. Such was my indignation at +this cruel wish to dismiss every object of her choice, especially one +from whom, owing to long habits of intimacy since her childhood, a +separation would be rendered, by her present situation, peculiarly cruel, +that nothing but the circumstances in which the Court then stood could +have given me patience to listen to him. + +"I made no answer. Upon my silence, Necker subjoined, 'You must +perceive, Princess, that I am actuated for the general good of the +nation.' + +"'And I hope, monsieur, for the prerogatives of the monarchy also,' +replied I. + +"'Certainly,' said Necker. 'But if Their Majesties continue to be guided +by others, and will not follow my advice, I cannot answer for the +consequences.' + +"I assured the Minister that I would be the faithful bearer of his +commission, however unpleasant. + +"Knowing the character of the Queen, in not much relishing being dictated +to with respect to her conduct in relation to the persons of her +household, especially the Abbe Vermond, and aware, at the same time, of +her dislike to Necker, who thus undertook to be her director, I felt +rather awkward in being the medium of the Minister's suggestions. But +what was my surprise, on finding her prepared, and totally indifferent as +to the privation. + +"'I foresaw,' replied Her Majesty, 'that Vermond would become odious to +the present order of things, merely because he had been a faithful +servant, and long attached to my interest; but you may tell M. Necker +that the Abbe leaves Versailles this very night, by my express order, for +Vienna.' + +"If the proposal of Necker astonished me, the Queen's reception of it +astonished me still more. What a lesson is this for royal favourites! +The man who had been her tutor, and who, almost from her childhood, never +left her, the constant confidant for fifteen or sixteen years, was now +sent off without a seeming regret. + +"I doubt not, however, that the Queen had some very powerful secret +motive for the sudden change in her conduct towards the Abbe, for she was +ever just in all her concerns, even to her avowed enemies; but I was +happy that she seemed to express no particular regret at the Minister's +suggested policy. I presume, from the result, that I myself had +overrated the influence of the Abbe over the mind of his royal pupil; +that he had by no means the sway imputed to him; and that Marie +Antoinette merely considered him as the necessary instrument of her +private correspondence, which he had wholly managed. + +[The truth is, Her Majesty had already taken leave of the Abbe, in the +presence of the King, unknown to the Princess; or, more properly, the +Abbe had taken an affectionate leave of them.] + +"But a circumstance presently occurred which aroused Her Majesty from +this calmness and indifference. The King came in to inform her that La +Fayette, during the night, had caused the guards to desert from the +palace of Versailles. + +"The effect on her of this intelligence was like the lightning which +precedes a loud clap of thunder. + +"Everything that followed was perfectly in character, and shook every +nerve of the royal authority. + +"'Thus,' exclaimed Marie Antoinette, 'thus, Sire, have you humiliated +yourself, in condescending to go to Paris, without having accomplished +the object. You have not regained the confidence of your subjects. Oh, +how bitterly do I deplore the loss of that confidence! It exists no +longer. Alas! when will it be restored!' + +"The French guards, indeed, had been in open insurrection through the +months of June and July, and all that could be done was to preserve one +single company of grenadiers, by means of their commander, the Baron de +Leval, faithful to their colours. This company had now been influenced +by General La Fayette to desert and join their companions, who had +enrolled themselves in the Paris national guard. + +"Messieurs de Bouille and de Luxembourg being interrogated by the Queen +respecting the spirit of the troops under their immediate command, M. de +Bouille answered, Madame, I should be very sorry to be compelled to +undertake any internal operation with men who have been seduced from +their allegiance, and are daily paid by a faction which aims at the +overthrow of its legitimate Sovereign. I would not answer for a man that +has been in the neighbourhood of the seditious national troops, or that +has read the inflammatory discussions of the National Assembly. If Your +Majesty and the King wish well to the nation--I am sorry to say it--its +happiness depends on your quitting immediately the scenes of riot and +placing yourselves in a situation to treat with the National Assembly on +equal terms, whereby the King may be unbiassed and unfettered by a +compulsive, overbearing mob; and this can only be achieved by your flying +to a place of safety. That you may find such a place, I will answer with +my life!' + +"'Yes,' said M. de Luxembourg, 'I think we may both safely answer that, +in such a case, you will find a few Frenchmen ready to risk a little to +save all!' And both concurred that there was no hope of salvation for +the King or country but through the resolution they advised. + +"'This,' said the Queen, 'will be a very difficult task. His Majesty, I +fear, will never consent to leave France.' + +"'Then, Madame,' replied they, 'we can only regret that we have nothing +to offer but our own perseverance in the love and service of our King and +his oppressed family, to whom we deplore we can now be useful only with +our feeble wishes.' + +"'Well, gentlemen,' answered Her Majesty, 'you must not despair of better +prospects. I will take an early opportunity of communicating your loyal +sentiments to the King, and will hear his opinion on the subject before I +give you a definite answer. I thank you, in the name of His Majesty, as +well as on my own account, for your good intentions towards us.' + +"Scarcely had these gentlemen left the palace, when a report prevailed +that the King, his family, and Ministers, were about to withdraw to some +fortified situation. It was also industriously rumoured that, as soon as +they were in safety, the National Assembly would be forcibly dismissed, +as the Parliament had been by Louis XIV. The reports gained universal +belief when it became known that the King had ordered the Flanders +regiment to Versailles. + +"The National Assembly now daily watched the royal power more and more +assiduously. New sacrifices of the prerogatives of the nobles were +incessantly proposed by them to the King. + +"When His Majesty told the Queen that he had been advised by Necker to +sanction the abolition of the privileged nobility, and that all +distinctions, except the order of the Holy Ghost to himself and the +Dauphin, were also annihilated by the Assembly, even to the order of +Maria Theresa, which she could no longer wear, 'These, Sire,' answered +she, in extreme anguish, 'are trifles, so far as they regard myself. I do +not think I have twice worn the order of Maria Theresa since my arrival +in this once happy country. I need it not. The immortal memory of her +who gave me being is engraven on my heart; that I shall wear forever, +none can wrest it from me. But what grieves me to the soul is your +having sanctioned these decrees of the National Assembly upon the mere +'ipse dixit' of M. Necker.' + +"'I have only, given my sanction to such as I thought most necessary to +tranquilise the minds of those who doubted my sincerity; but I have +withheld it from others, which, for the good of my, people, require +maturer consideration. On these, in a full Council, and in your +presence, I shall again deliberate.' + +"'Oh, said the Queen, with tears in her eyes, could but the people hear +you, and know, once for all, how to appreciate the goodness of your +heart, as I do now, they would cast themselves at your feet, and +supplicate your forgiveness for having shown such ingratitude to your +paternal interest for their welfare!' + +"But this unfortunate refusal to sanction all the decrees sent by the +National Assembly, though it proceeded from the best motives, produced +the worst effects. Duport, De Lameth, and Barnave well knew the troubles +such a course must create. Of this they forewarned His Majesty, before +any measure was laid before him for approval. They cautioned him not to +trifle with the deputies. They assured him that half measures would only +rouse suspicion. They enforced the necessity of uniform assentation, in +order to lull the Mirabeau party, who were canvassing for a majority to +set up D'ORLEANS, to whose interest Mirabeau and his myrmidons were then +devoted. The scheme of Duport, De Lameth, and Barnave was to thwart and +weaken the Mirabeau and Orleans faction, by gradually persuading them, in +consequence of the King's compliance with whatever the Assembly exacted, +that they could do no better than to let him into a share of the +executive power; for now nothing was left to His Majesty but +responsibility, while the privileges of grace and justice had become +merely nominal, with the one dangerous exception of the veto, to which he +could never have recourse without imminent peril to his cause and to +himself. + +"Unfortunately for His Majesty's interest, he was too scrupulous to act, +even through momentary policy, distinctly against his conscience. When +he gave way, it was with reluctance, and often with an avowal, more or +less express, that he only complied with necessity against conviction. +His very sincerity made him appear the reverse. His adherents +consequently dwindled, while the Orleans faction became immeasurably +augmented. + +"In the midst of these perplexities, an Austrian courier was stopped with +despatches from Prince Kaunitz. These, though unsought for on the part +of Her Majesty, though they contained a friendly advice to her to submit +to the circumstances of the times, and though, luckily, they were couched +in terms favourable to the Constitution, showed the mob that there was a +correspondence with Vienna, carried on by the Queen, and neither Austria +nor the Queen were deemed the friends either of the people or of the +Constitution. To have received the letters was enough for the faction. + +"Affairs were now ripening gradually into something like a crisis, when +the Flanders regiment arrived. The note of preparation had been sounded. +'Let us go to Versailles, and bring the King away from his evil +counsellors,' was already in the mouths of the Parisians. + +"In the meantime, Dumourier, who had been leagued with the Orleans +faction, became disgusted with it. He knew the deep schemes of treason +which were in train against the Royal Family, and, in disguise, sought +the Queen at Versailles, and had an interview with Her Majesty in my +presence. He assured her that an abominable insurrection was ripe for +explosion among the mobs of the faubourgs; gave her the names of the +leaders, who had received money to promote its organisation; and warned +her that the massacre of the Royal Family was the object of the +manoeuvre, for the purpose of declaring the Duke of Orleans the +constitutional King; that he was to be proclaimed by Mirabeau, who had +already received a considerable sum in advance, for distribution among +the populace, to ensure their support; and that Mirabeau, in return for +his co-operation, was to be created a Duke, with the office of Prime +Minister and Secretary of State, and to have the framing of the +Constitution, which was to be modelled from that of Great Britain. It +was farther concerted that D'ORLEANS was to show himself in the midst of +the confusion, and the crown to be conferred upon him by public +acclamation. + +"On his knees Dumourier implored Her Majesty to regard his voluntary +discovery of this infamous and diabolical plot as a proof of his sincere +repentance. He declared he came disinterestedly to offer himself as a +sacrifice to save her, the King, and her family from the horrors then +threatening their lives, from the violence of an outrageous mob of +regicides; he called God to witness that he was actuated by no other wish +than to atone for his error, and die in their defence; he looked for no +reward beyond the King's forgiveness of his having joined the Orleans +faction; he never had any view in joining that faction but that of aiding +the Duke, for the good of his country, in the reform of ministerial +abuses, and strengthening the royal authority by the salutary laws of the +National Assembly; but he no sooner discovered that impure schemes of +personal aggrandisement gave the real impulse to these pretended +reformers than he forsook their unholy course. He supplicated Her +Majesty to lose no time, but to allow him to save her from the +destruction to which she would inevitably be exposed; that he was ready +to throw himself at the King's feet, to implore his forgiveness also, and +to assure him of his profound penitence, and his determination to +renounce forever the factious Orleans party. + +"As Her Majesty would not see any of those who offered themselves, except +in my presence, I availed myself, in this instance, of the opportunity it +gave me by enforcing the arguments of Dumourier. But all I could say, +all the earnest representations to be deduced from this critical crisis, +could not prevail with her, even so far as to persuade her to temporise +with Dumourier, as she had done with many others on similar occasions. +She was deaf and inexorable. She treated all he had said as the effusion +of an overheated imagination, and told him she had no faith in traitors. +Dumourier remained upon his knees while she was replying, as if +stupefied; but at the word traitor he started and roused himself; and +then, in a state almost of madness, seized the Queen's dress, exclaiming, +'Allow yourself to be persuaded before it is too late! Let not your +misguided prejudice against me hurry you to your own and your children's +destruction; let it not get the better, Madame, of your good sense and +reason; the fatal moment is near; it is at hand!' Upon this, turning, he +addressed himself to me. + +"'Oh, Princess,' he cried, 'be her guardian angel, as you have hitherto +been her only friend, and use your never-failing influence. I take God +once more to witness, that I am sincere in all I have said; that all I +have disclosed is true. This will be the last time I shall have it in my +power to be of any essential service to you, Madame, and my Sovereign. +The National Assembly will put it out of my power for the future, without +becoming a traitor to my country.' + +"'Rise, monsieur,' said the Queen, 'and serve your country better than +you have served your King!' + +"'Madame, I obey.' + +"When he was about to leave the room, I again, with tears, besought Her +Majesty not to let him depart thus, but to give him some hope, that, +after reflection, she might perhaps endeavour to soothe the King's anger. +But in vain. He withdrew very much affected. I even ventured, after his +departure, to intercede for his recall. + +"'He has pledged himself,' said I, 'to save you, Madame!' + +"'My dear Princess,' replied the Queen, 'the goodness of your own heart +will not allow you to have sinister ideas of others. This man is like +all of the same stamp. They are all traitors; and will only hurry us the +sooner, if we suffer ourselves to be deceived by them, to an ignominious +death! I seek no safety for myself.' + +"'But he offered to serve the King also, Madame.' + +"'I am not,' answered Her Majesty, 'Henrietta of France. I will never +stoop to ask a pension of the murderers of my husband; nor will I leave +the King, my son, or my adopted country, or even meanly owe my existence +to wretches who have destroyed the dignity of the Crown and trampled +under foot the most ancient monarchy in Europe! Under its ruins they +will bury their King and myself. To owe our safety to them would be more +hateful than any death they can prepare for us' + +"While the Queen was in this state of agitation, a note was presented to +me with a list of the names of the officers of the Flanders regiment, +requesting the honour of an audience of the Queen. + +"The very idea of seeing the Flanders officers flushed Her Majesty's +countenance with an ecstasy of joy. She said she would retire to compose +herself, and receive them in two hours. + +"The Queen saw the officers in her private cabinet, and in my presence. +They were presented to her by me. They told Her Majesty that, though +they had changed their paymaster, they had not changed their allegiance +to their Sovereign or herself, but were ready to defend both with their +lives. They placed one hand on the hilt of their swords, and, solemnly +lifting the other up to Heaven, swore that the weapons should never be +wielded but for the defence of the King and Queen, against all foes, +whether foreign or domestic. + +"This unexpected loyalty burst on us like the beauteous rainbow, after a +tempest, by the dawn of which we are taught to believe the world is saved +from a second deluge. + +"The countenance of Her Majesty brightened over the gloom which had +oppressed her, like the heavenly sun dispersing threatening clouds, and +making the heart of the poor mariner bound with joy. Her eyes spoke her +secret rapture. It was evident she felt even unusual dignity in the +presence of these noble-hearted warriors, when comparing them with him +whom she had just dismissed. She graciously condescended to speak to +every one of them, and one and all were enchanted with her affability. + +"She said she was no longer the Queen who could compensate loyalty and +valour; but the brave soldier found his reward in the fidelity of his +service, which formed the glory of his immortality. She assured them she +had ever been attached to the army, and would make it her study to +recommend every individual, meriting attention, to the King. + +"Loud bursts of repeated acclamations and shouts of 'Vive la reine!' +instantly followed her remarks. She thanked the officers most +graciously; and, fearing to commit herself, by saying more, took her +leave, attended by me; but immediately sent me back, to thank them again +in her name. + +"They departed, shouting as they went, 'Vive la reine! Vive la Princesse! +Vive le roi, le Dauphin, et toute la famille royale!' + +"When the National Assembly saw the officers going to and coming from the +King's palace with such demonstrations of enthusiasm, they took alarm, +and the regicide faction hastened on the crisis for which it had been +longing. It was by no means unusual for the chiefs of regiments, +destined to form part of the garrison of a royal residence, to be +received by the Sovereign on their arrival, and certainly only natural +that they should be so; but in times of excitement trifling events have +powerful effects. + +"But if the National Assembly began to tremble for their own safety, and +had already taken secret, measures to secure it, by conspiring to put an +instantaneous end to the King's power, against which they had so long +been plotting, when the Flanders regiment arrived, it may be readily +conceived what must have been their emotions on the fraternisation of +this regiment with the body-guard, and on the scene to which the dinner, +given to the former troops by the latter, so unpremeditatedly led. + +"On the day of this fatal dinner I remarked to the Queen, 'What a +beautiful sight it must be to behold, in these troublesome times, the +happy union of such a meeting!' + +"'It must indeed!' replied the King; 'and the pleasure I feel in knowing +it would be redoubled had I the privilege of entertaining the Flanders +regiment, as the body-guards are doing.' + +"'Heaven forbid!' cried Her Majesty; 'Heaven forbid that you should think +of such a thing! The Assembly would never forgive us!' + +"After we had dined, the Queen sent to the Marquise de Tourzel for the +Dauphin. When he came, the Queen told him about her having seen the +brave officers on their arrival; and how gaily those good officers had +left the palace, declaring they would die rather than suffer any harm to +come to him, or his papa and mamma; and that at that very time they were +all dining at the theatre. + +"'Dining in the theatre, mamma?' said the young, Prince. 'I never heard +of people dining in a theatre!' + +"'No, my dear child,' replied Her Majesty, 'it is not generally allowed; +but they are doing so, because the body-guards are giving a dinner to +this good Flanders regiment; and the Flanders regiment are so brave that +the guards chose the finest place they could think of to entertain them +in, to show how much they like them; that is the reason why they are +dining in the gay, painted theatre.' + +"'Oh, mamma!' exclaimed the Dauphin, whom the Queen adored, 'Oh, papa!' +cried he, looking at the King, 'how I should like to see them!' + +"'Let us go and satisfy the child!' said the King, instantly starting up +from his seat. + +"The Queen took the Dauphin by the hand, and they proceeded to the +theatre. It was all done in a moment. There was no premeditation on the +part of the King or Queen; no invitation on the part of the officers. Had +I been asked, I should certainly have followed the Queen; but just as the +King rose, I left the room. The Prince being eager to see the festival, +they set off immediately, and when I returned to the apartment they were +gone. Not being very well, I remained where I was; but most of the +household had already followed Their Majesties. + +"On the Royal Family making their appearance, they were received with the +most unequivocal shouts of general enthusiasm by the troops. Intoxicated +with the pleasure of seeing Their Majesties among them, and overheated +with the juice of the grape, they gave themselves up to every excess of +joy, which the circumstances and the situation of Their Majesties were so +well calculated to inspire. 'Oh! Richard! oh, mon roi!' was sung, as +well as many other loyal songs. The healths of the King, Queen, and +Dauphin were drunk, till the regiments were really inebriated with the +mingled influence of wine and shouting vivas! + +"When the royal party retired, they were followed by all the military to +the very palace doors, where they sung, danced, embraced each other, and +gave way to all the frantic demonstrations of devotedness to the royal +cause which the excitement of the scene and the table could produce. +Throngs, of course, collected to get near the Royal Family. Many persons +in the rush were trampled on, and one or two men, it was said, crushed to +death. The Dauphin and King were delighted; but the Queen, in giving the +Princesse Elizabeth and myself an account of the festival, foresaw the +fatal result which would ensue; and deeply deplored the marked enthusiasm +with which they had been greeted and followed by the military. + +"There was one more military spectacle, a public breakfast which took +place on the second of October. Though none of the Royal Family appeared +at it, it was no less injurious to their interests than the former. The +enemies of the Crown spread reports all over Paris, that the King and +Queen had manoeuvred to pervert the minds of the troops so far as to make +them declare against the measures of the National Assembly. It is not +likely that the Assembly, or politics, were even spoken of at the +breakfast; but the report did as much mischief as the reality would have +done. This was quite sufficient to encourage the D'ORLEANS and Mirabeau +faction in the Assembly to the immediate execution of their +long-meditated scheme, of overthrowing the monarchy. + +"On the very day following, Duport, De Lameth, and Barnave sent their +confidential agent to apprise the Queen that certain deputies had already +fully matured a plot to remove the King, nay, to confine Her Majesty from +him in a distant part of France, that her influence over his mind might +no farther thwart their premeditated establishment of a Constitution. + +"But others of this body, and the more powerful and subtle portion, had a +deeper object, so depraved, that, even when forewarned, the Queen could +not deem it possible; but of which she was soon convinced by their +infernal acts. + +"The riotous faction, for the purpose of accelerating this denouement, +had contrived, by buying up all the corn and sending it out of the +country, to reduce the populace to famine, and then to make it appear +that the King and Queen had been the monopolisers, and the extravagance +of Marie Antoinette and her largesses to Austria and her favourites, the +cause. The plot was so deeply laid that the wretches who, undertook to +effect the diabolical scheme were metamorphosed in the Queen's livery, so +that all the odium might fall on her unfortunate Majesty. At the head of +the commission of monopolisers was Luckner, who had taken a violent +dislike to the Queen, in consequence of his having been refused some +preferment, which he attributed to her influence. Mirabeau, who was +still in the background, and longing to take a more prominent part, +helped it on as much as possible. Pinet, who had been a confidential +agent of the Duc d'Orleans, himself told the Duc de Penthievre that +D'ORLEANS had monopolised all the corn. This communication, and the +activity of the Count Fersen, saved France, and Paris in particular, from +perishing for the want of bread. Even at the moment of the abominable +masquerade, in which Her Majesty's agents were made to appear the enemies +who were starving the French people, out of revenge for the checks +imposed by them on the royal authority, it was well known to all the +Court that both Her Majesty and the King were grieved to the soul at +their piteous want, and distributed immense sums for the relief of the +poor sufferers, as did the Duc de Penthievre, the Duchesse d'Orleans, the +Prince de Conde, the Duc and Duchesse de Bourbon, and others; but these +acts were done privately, while he who had created the necessity took to +himself the exclusive credit of the relief, and employed thousands daily +to propagate reports of his generosity. Mirabeau, then the factotum +agent of the operations of the Palais Royal and its demagogues, greatly +added to the support of this impression. Indeed, till undeceived +afterwards, he believed it to be really the Duc d'Orleans who had +succoured the people. + +"I dispensed two hundred and twenty thousand livres merely to discover +the names of the agents who had been employed to carry on this nefarious +plot to exasperate the people against the throne by starvation imputed to +the Sovereign. Though money achieved the discovery in time to clear the +characters of my royal mistress and the King, the detection only followed +the mischief of the crime. But even the rage thus wickedly excited was +not enough to carry through the plot. In the faubourgs of Paris, where +the women became furies, two hundred thousand livres were distributed ere +the horror could be completely exposed. + +"But it is time for me to enter upon the scenes to which all the +intrigues I have detailed were intended to lead--the removal of the Royal +Family from Versailles. + +"My heart sickens when I retrace these moments of anguish. The point to +which they are to conduct us yet remains one of the mysteries of fate." + + + + +SECTION VI. + + +"Her Majesty had been so thoroughly lulled into security by the +enthusiasm of the regiments at Versailles that she treated all the +reports from Paris with contempt. Nothing was apprehended from that +quarter, and no preparations were consequently made for resistance or +protection. She was at Little Trianon when the news of the approach of +the desolating torrent arrived. The King was hunting. I presented to +her the commandant of the troops at Versailles, who assured Her Majesty +that a murderous faction, too powerful, perhaps, for resistance, was +marching principally against her royal person, with La Fayette at their +head, and implored her to put herself and valuables in immediate safety; +particularly all her correspondence with the Princes, emigrants, and +foreign Courts, if she had no means of destroying them. + +"Though the Queen was somewhat awakened to the truth by this earnest +appeal, yet she still considered the extent of the danger as exaggerated, +and looked upon the representation as partaking, in a considerable +degree, of the nature of all reports in times of popular commotion. + +"Presently, however, a more startling omen appeared, in a much milder but +ambiguous communication from General La Fayette. He stated that he was +on his march from Paris with the national guard, and part of the people, +coming to make remonstrances; but he begged Her Majesty to rest assured +that no disorder would take place, and that he himself would vouch that +there should be none. + +"The King was instantly sent for to the heights of Meudon, while the +Queen set off from Little Trianon, with me, for Versailles. + +"The first movements were commenced by a few women, or men in women's +clothes, at the palace gates of Versailles. The guards refused them +entrance, from an order they had received to that effect from La Fayette. +The consternation produced by their resentment was a mere prelude to the +horrid tragedy that succeeded. + +"The information now pouring in from different quarters increased Her +Majesty's alarm every moment. The order of La Fayette, not to let the +women be admitted, convinced her that there was something in agitation, +which his unexplained letter made her sensible was more to be feared than +if he had signified the real situation and danger to which she was +exposed. + +"A messenger was forthwith despatched for M. La Fayette, and another, by +order of the Queen, for M. de St. Priest, to prepare a retreat for the +Royal Family, as the Parisian mob's advance could no longer be doubted. +Everything necessary was accordingly got ready. + +"La Fayette now arrived at Versailles in obedience to the message, and, +in the presence of all the Court and Ministers, assured the King that he +could answer for the Paris army, at the head of which he intended to +march, to prevent disorders; and advised the admission of the women into +the palace, who, he said, had nothing to propose but a simple memorial +relative to the scarcity of bread. + +"The Queen said to him, 'Remember, monsieur, you have pledged your honour +for the King's safety.' + +"'And I hope, Madame, to be able to redeem it.' + +"He then left Versailles to return to his post with the army. + +"A limited number of the women were at length admitted; and so completely +did they seem satisfied with the reception they met with from the King, +as, in all appearance, to have quieted their riotous companions. The +language of menace and remonstrance had changed into shouts of 'Vive le +roi!' The apprehensions of Their Majesties were subdued; and the whole +system of operation, which had been previously adopted for the Royal +Family's quitting Versailles, was, in consequence, unfortunately changed. + +"But the troops, that had been hitherto under arms for the preservation +of order, in going back to their hotel, were assailed and fired at by the +mob. + +"The return of the body-guards, thus insulted in going to and coming from +the palace, caused the Queen and the Court to resume the resolution of +instantly retiring from Versailles; but it was now too late. They were +stopped by the municipality and the mob of the city, who were animated to +excess against the Queen by one of the bass singers of the French +opera.--[La Haise] + +"Every hope of tranquillity was now shaken by the hideous howlings which +arose from all quarters. Intended flight had become impracticable. +Atrocious expressions were levelled against the Queen, too shocking for +repetition. I shudder when I reflect to what a degree of outrage the +'poissardes' of Paris were excited, to express their abominable designs +on the life of that most adored of Sovereigns. + +"Early in the evening Her Majesty came to my apartment, in company with +one of her female attendants. She was greatly agitated. She brought all +her jewels and a considerable quantity of papers, which she had begun to +collect together immediately on her arrival from Trianon, as the +commandant had recommended. + +[Neither Her Majesty nor the Princess ever returned to Versailles after +the sixth of that fatal October! Part of the papers, brought by the +Queen to the apartment of the Princess, were tacked by me on two of my +petticoats; the under one three fold, one on the other, and outside; and +the upper one, three or four fold double on the inside; and thus I left +the room with this paper undergarment, which put me to no inconvenience. +Returning to the Princess, I was ordered to go to Lisle, there take the +papers from their hiding-place, and deliver them, with others, to the +same person who received the box, of which mention will be found in +another part of this work. I was not to take any letters, and was to +come back immediately. + +As I was leaving the apartment Her Majesty said something to Her Highness +which I did not hear. The Princess turned round very quickly, and +kissing me on the forehead, said in Italian, "My dear little +Englishwoman, for Heaven's sake be careful of yourself, for I should +never forgive myself if any misfortune were to befall you." "Nor I," said +Her Majesty.] + +"Notwithstanding the fatigue and agitation which the Queen must have +suffered during the day, and the continued threats, horrible howlings, +and discharge of firearms during the night, she had courage enough to +visit the bedchambers of her children and then to retire to rest in her +own. + +"But her rest was soon fearfully interrupted. Horrid cries at her +chamber door of 'Save the Queen! Save the Queen! or she will be +assassinated!' aroused her. The faithful guardian who gave the alarm was +never heard more. He was murdered in her defence! Her Majesty herself +only escaped the poignards of immediate death by flying to the King's +apartment, almost in the same state as she lay in bed, not having had +time to screen herself with any covering but what was casually thrown +over her by the women who assisted her in her flight; while one well +acquainted with the palace is said to have been seen busily engaged in +encouraging the regicides who thus sought her for midnight murder. The +faithful guards who defended the entrance to the room of the intended +victim of these desperadoes took shelter in the room itself upon her +leaving it, and were alike threatened with instant death by the grenadier +assassins for having defeated them in their fiend-like purpose; they +were, however, saved by the generous interposition and courage of two +gentlemen, who, offering themselves as victims in their place, thus +brought about a temporary accommodation between the regular troops and +the national guard. + +"All this time General La Fayette never once appeared. It is presumed +that he himself had been deceived as to the horrid designs of the mob, +and did not choose to show himself, finding it impossible to check the +impetuosity of the horde he had himself brought to action, in concurring +to countenance their first movements from Paris. Posterity will decide +how far he was justified in pledging himself for the safety of the Royal +Family, while he was heading a riotous mob, whose atrocities were +guaranteed from punishment or check by the sanction of his presence and +the faith reposed in his assurance. Was he ignorant, or did he only +pretend to be so, of the incalculable mischief inevitable from giving +power and a reliance on impunity to such an unreasoning mass? By any +military operation, as commander-in-chief, he might have turned the tide. +And why did he not avail himself of that authority with which he had been +invested by the National Assembly, as the delegates of the nation, for +the general safety and guardianship of the people? for the people, of +whom he was the avowed protector, were themselves in peril: it was only +the humanity (or rather, in such a crisis, the imbecility) of Louis XVI. +that prevented them from being fired on; and they would inevitably have +been sacrificed, and that through the want of policy in their leader, had +not this mistaken mercy of the King prevented his guards from offering +resistance to the murderers of his brave defenders! + +"The cry of 'Queen! Queen!' now resounded from the lips of the cannibals +stained with the blood of her faithful guards. She appeared, shielded by +filial affection, between her two innocent children, the threatened +orphans! But the sight of so much innocence and heroic courage paralysed +the hands uplifted for their massacre! + +"A tiger voice cried out, 'No children!' The infants were hurried away +from the maternal side, only to witness the author of their being +offering up herself, eagerly and instantly, to the sacrifice, an ardent +and delighted victim to the hoped-for preservation of those, perhaps, +orphans, dearer to her far than life! Her resignation and firm step in +facing the savage cry that was thundering against her, disarmed the +ferocious beasts that were hungering and roaring for their prey! + +"Mirabeau, whose immense head and gross figure could not be mistaken, is +said to have been the first among the mob to have sonorously chanted, 'To +Paris!' His myrmidons echoed and re-echoed the cry upon the signal. He +then hastened to the Assembly to contravene any measures the King might +ask in opposition. The riots increasing, the Queen said to His Majesty: + +"'Oh, Sire! why am I not animated with the courage of Maria Theresa? Let +me go with my children to the National Assembly, as she did to the +Hungarian Senate, with my Imperial brother, Joseph, in her arms and +Leopold in her womb, when Charles the Seventh of Bavaria had deprived her +of all her German dominions, and she had already written to the Duchesse +de Lorraine to prepare her an asylum, not knowing where she should be +delivered of the precious charge she was then bearing; but I, like the +mother of the Gracchi, like Cornelia, more esteemed for my birth than for +my marriage, am the wife of the King of France, and I see we shall be +murdered in our beds for the want of our own exertions!' + +"The King remained as if paralysed and stupefied, and made no answer. The +Princesse Elizabeth then threw herself at the Queen's feet, imploring her +to consent to go to Paris. + + + + + +"'To Paris!' exclaimed Her Majesty. + +"'Yes, Madame,' said the King. 'I will put an end to these horrors; and +tell the people so.' + +"On this, without waiting for the Queen's answer, he opened the balcony, +and told the populace he was ready to depart with his family. + +"This sudden change caused a change equally sudden in the rabble mob. All +shouted, 'Vive le roi! Vive la nation!' + +"Re-entering the room from the window, the King said, 'It is done. This +affair will soon be terminated.' + +"'And with it,' said the Queen, 'the monarchy!' + +"'Better that, Madame, than running the risk, as I did some hours since, +of seeing you and my children sacrificed!' + +"'That, Sire, will be the consequence of our not having left Versailles. +Whatever you determine, it is my duty to obey. As to myself, I am +resigned to my fate.' On this she burst into a flood of tears. 'I only +feel for your humiliated state, and for the safety of our children.' + +"The Royal Family departed without having consulted any of the Ministers, +military or civil, or the National Assembly, by whom they were followed. + +"Scarcely had they arrived at Paris when the Queen recollected that she +had taken with her no change of dress, either for herself or her +children, and they were obliged to ask permission of the National +Assembly to allow them to send for their different wardrobes. + +"What a situation for an absolute King and Queen, which, but a few hours +previous, they had been! + +"I now took up my residence with Their Majesties at the Tuileries,--that +odious Tuileries, which I can not name but with horror, where the +malignant spirit of rebellion has, perhaps, dragged us to an untimely +death! + +"Monsieur and Madame had another residence. Bailly, the Mayor of Paris, +and La Fayette became the royal jailers. + +"The Princesse Elizabeth and myself could not but deeply deplore, when we +saw the predictions of Dumourier so dreadfully confirmed by the result, +that Her Majesty should have so slighted his timely information, and +scorned his penitence. But delicacy bade us lament in silence; and, +while we grieved over her present sufferings, we could not but mourn the +loss of a barrier against future aggression, in the rejection of this +general's proffered services. + +"It will be remembered, that Dumourier in his disclosure declared that +the object of this commotion was to place the Duc d'Orleans upon the +throne, and that Mirabeau, who was a prime mover, was to share in the +profits of the usurpation. + +[But the heart of the traitor Duke failed him at the important crisis. +Though he was said to have been recognised through a vulgar disguise, +stimulating the assassins to the attempted murder of Her Majesty, yet, +when the moment to show himself had arrived, he was nowhere to be found. +The most propitious moment for the execution of the foul crime was lost, +and with it the confidence of his party. Mirabeau was disgusted. So far +from wishing longer to offer him the crown, he struck it forever from his +head, and turned against him. He openly protested he would no longer set +up traitors who were cowards.] + +"Soon after this event, Her Majesty, in tears, came to tell me that the +King, having had positive proof of the agency of the Duc d'Orleans in the +riots of Versailles, had commenced some proceedings, which had given the +Duke the alarm, and exiled him to Villers-Cotterets. The Queen added +that the King's only object had been to assure the general tranquillity, +and especially her own security, against whose life the conspiracy seemed +most distinctly levelled. + +"'Oh, Princess!' continued Her Majesty, in a flood of tears, 'the King's +love for me, and his wish to restore order to his people, have been our +ruin! He should have struck off the head of D'ORLEANS, or overlooked his +crime! Why did he not consult me before he took a step so important? I +have lost a friend also in his wife! For, however criminal he may be, +she loves him.' + +"I assured Her Majesty that I could not think the Duchesse d'Orleans +would be so inconsiderate as to withdraw her affection on that account. + +"'She certainly will,' replied Marie Antoinette. 'She is the +affectionate mother of his children, and cannot but hate those who have +been the cause of his exile. I know it will be laid to my charge, and +added to the hatred the husband has so long borne me; I shall now become +the object of the wife's resentment' + +"In the midst of one of the paroxysms of Her Majesty's agonising +agitation after leaving Versailles, for the past, the present, and the +future state of the Royal Family, when the Princesse Elizabeth and myself +were in vain endeavouring to calm her, a deputation was announced from +the National Assembly and the City of Paris, requesting the honour of the +appearance of the King and herself at the theatre. + +"'Is it possible, my dear Princess,' cried she, on the announcement, +'that I can enjoy any public amusement while I am still chilled with +horror at the blood these people have spilled, the blood of the faithful +defenders of our lives? I can forgive them, but I cannot so easily +forget it.' + +"Count Fersen and the Austrian Ambassador now entered, both anxious to +know Her Majesty's intentions with regard to visiting the theatre, in +order to make a party to ensure her a good reception; but all their +persuasions were unavailing. She thanked the deputation for their +friendship; but at the same time told them that her mind was still too +much agitated from recent scenes to receive any pleasure but in the +domestic cares of her family, and that, for a time, she must decline +every other amusement. + +"At this moment the Spanish and English Ambassadors came to pay their +respects to Her Majesty on the same subject as the others. As they +entered, Count Fersen observed to the Queen, looking around: + +"'Courage, Madame! We are as many nations as persons in this +room--English, German, Spanish, Italian, Swedish, and French; and all +equally ready to form a rampart around you against aggression. All these +nations will, I believe, admit that the French (bowing to the Princesse +Elizabeth) are the most volatile of the six; and Your Majesty may rely on +it that they will love you, now that you are more closely among them, +more tenderly than ever.' + +"'Let me live to be convinced of that, monsieur, and my happiness will be +concentrated in its demonstration.' + +"'Indeed, gentlemen,' said the Princesse Elizabeth, the Queen has yet had +but little reason to love the French.' + +"'Where is our Ambassador,' said I, 'and the Neapolitan?' + +"'I have had the pleasure of seeing them early this morning,' replied the +Queen; 'but I told them, also, that indisposition prevented my going into +public. They will be at our card-party in your apartment this evening, +where I hope to see these gentlemen. The only parties,' continued Her +Majesty, addressing herself to the Princesse Elizabeth and the +Ambassadors, 'the only parties I shall visit in future will be those of +the Princesse de Lamballe, my superintendent; as, in so doing, I shall +have no occasion to go out of the palace, which, from what has happened, +seems to me the only prudent course.' + +"'Come, come, Madame,' exclaimed the Ambassadors; I do not give way to +gloomy ideas. All will yet be well.' + +"'I hope so,' answered Her Majesty; 'but till that hope is realized, the +wounds I have suffered will make existence a burden to me!' + +"The Duchesse de Luynes, like many others, had been a zealous partisan of +the new order of things, and had expressed herself with great +indiscretion in the presence of the Queen. But the Duchess was brought +to her senses when she saw herself, and all the mad, democratical +nobility, under the overpowering weight of Jacobinism, deprived of every +privileged prerogative and levelled and stripped of hereditary +distinction. + +"She came to me one day, weeping, to beg I would make use of my good +offices in her favour with the Queen, whom she was grieved that she had +so grossly offended by an unguarded speech. + +"'On my knees,' continued the Duchess, I am I ready to supplicate the +pardon of Her Majesty. I cannot live without her forgiveness. One of my +servants has opened my eyes, by telling me that the Revolution can make a +Duchess a beggar, but cannot make a beggar a Duchess.' + +"'Unfortunately,' said I, 'if some of these faithful servants had been +listened to, they would still be such, and not now our masters; but I can +assure you, Duchess, that the Queen has long since forgiven you. See! +Her Majesty comes to tell you so herself.' + +"The Duchess fell upon her knees. The Queen, with her usual goodness of +heart, clasped her in her arms, and, with tears in her eyes, said: + +"'We have all of us need of forgiveness. Our errors and misfortunes are +general. Think no more of the past; but let us unite in not sinning for +the future: + +"'Heaven knows how many sins I have to atone for,' replied the Duchess, +'from the follies of youth; but now, at an age of discretion and in +adversity, oh, how bitterly do I reproach myself for my past levities! +But,' continued she, 'has Your Majesty really forgiven me?' + +"'As I hope to be forgiven!' exclaimed Marie Antoinette. 'No penitent in +the sight of God is more acceptable than the one who makes a voluntary +sacrifice by confessing error. Forget and forgive is the language of our +Blessed Redeemer. I have adopted it in regard to my enemies, and surely +my friends have a right to claim it. Come, Duchess, I will conduct you +to the King and Elizabeth, who will rejoice in the recovery of one of our +lost sheep; for we sorely feel the diminution of the flock that once +surrounded us!' + +"At this token of kindness, the Duchess was so much overcome that she +fell at the Queen's feet motionless, and it was some time before she +recovered. + +"From the moment of Her Majesty's arrival at Paris from Versailles, she +solely occupied herself with the education of her children,-excepting +when she resorted to my parties, the only ones, as she had at first +determined, which she ever honoured with her attendance. In order to +discover, as far as possible, the sentiments of certain persons, I gave +almost general invitations, whereby, from her amiable manners and +gracious condescension, she became very popular. By these means I hoped +to replace Her Majesty in the good estimation of her numerous visitors; +but, notwithstanding every exertion, she could not succeed in dispelling +the gloom with which the Revolution had overcast all her former gaiety. +Though treated with ceremonious respect, she missed the cordiality to +which she had been so long accustomed, and which she so much prized. From +the great emigration of the higher classes of the nobility, the societies +themselves were no longer what they had been. Madame Necker and Madame +de Stael were pretty regular visitors. But the most agreeable company +had lost its zest for Marie Antoinette; and she was really become afraid +of large assemblies, and scarcely ever saw a group of persons collected +together without fearing some plot against the King. + +"Indeed, it is a peculiarity which has from the first marked, and still +continues to distinguish, the whole conduct and distrust of my royal +mistress, that it never operates to create any fears for herself, but +invariably refers to the safety of His Majesty. + +"I had enlarged my circle and made my parties extensive, solely to +relieve the oppressed spirits of the Queen; but the very circumstance +which induced me to make them so general soon rendered them intolerable +to her; for the conversations at last became solely confined to the +topics of the Revolution, a subject frequently the more distressing from +the presence of the sons of the Duc d'Orleans. Though I loved my +sister-in-law and my nephews, I could not see them without fear, nor +could my royal mistress be at ease with them, or in the midst of such +distressing indications as perpetually intruded upon her, even beneath my +roof, of the spirit which animated the great body of the people for the +propagation of anti-monarchical principles. + +"My parties were, consequently, broken up; and the Queen ceased to be +seen in society. Then commenced the unconquerable power over her of +those forebodings which have clung to her with such pertinacity ever +since. + +"I observed that Her Majesty would often indulge in the most melancholy +predictions long before the fatal discussion took place in the Assembly +respecting the King's abdication. The daily insolence with which she saw +His Majesty's authority deprived forever of the power of accomplishing +what he had most at heart for the good of his people gave her more +anguish than the outrages so frequently heaped upon herself; but her +misery was wrought up to a pitch altogether unutterable, whenever she saw +those around her suffer for their attachment to her in her misfortunes. + +"The Princesse Elizabeth has been from the beginning an unwavering +comforter. She still flatters Marie Antoinette that Heaven will spare +her for better times to reward our fidelity and her own agonies. The +pious consolations of Her Highness have never failed to make the most +serious impression on our wretched situation. Indeed, each of us strives +to pour the balm of comfort into the wounded hearts of the others, while +not one of us, in reality, dares to flatter herself with what we all so +ardently wish for in regard to our fellow-sufferers. Delusions, even +sustained by facts, have long since been exhausted. Our only hope on +this side of the grave is in our all-merciful Redeemer!" + + + + +SECTION VII. + + +Editors Commentary: + +The reader will not, I trust, be dissatisfied at reposing for a moment +from the sad story of the Princesse de Lamballe to hear some ridiculous +circumstances which occurred to me individually; and which, though they +form no part of the history, are sufficiently illustrative of the temper +of the times. + +I had been sent to England to put some letters into the postoffice for +the Prince de Conde, and had just returned. The fashion then in England +was a black dress, Spanish hat, and yellow satin lining, with three +ostrich feathers forming the Prince of Wales's crest, and bearing his +inscription, 'Ich dien,' ("I serve.") I also brought with me a white +satin cloak, trimmed with white fur. This crest and motto date as far +back, I believe, as the time of Edward, the Black Prince. + +In this dress, I went to the French opera. Scarcely was I seated in the +bog, when I heard shouts of, "En bas les couleurs de d'empereur! En +bas!" + +I was very busy talking to a person in the box, and, having been +accustomed to hear and see partial riots in the pit, I paid no attention; +never dreaming that my poor hat and feathers, and cloak, were the cause +of the commotion, till an officer in the national guard very politely +knocked at the door of the box, and told me I must either take them off +or leave the theatre. + +There is nothing I more dislike than the being thought particular, or +disposed to attract attention by dress. The moment, therefore, I found +myself thus unintentionally the object of a whole theatre's disturbance, +in the first impulse of indignation, I impetuously caught off the cloak +and hat, and flung them into the pit, at the very faces of the rioters. + +The theatre instantly rang with applause. The obnoxious articles were +carefully folded up and taken to the officer of the guard, who, when I +left the box, at the end of the opera, brought them to me and offered to +assist me in putting them on; but I refused them with true cavalier-like +loftiness, and entered my carriage without either hat or cloak. + +There were many of the audience collected round the carriage at the time, +who, witnessing my rejection of the insulted colours, again loudly +cheered me; but insisted on the officer's placing the hat and cloak in +the carriage, which drove off amidst the most violent acclamations. + +Another day, as I was going to walk in the Tuileries (which I generally +did after riding on horseback), the guards crossed their bayonets at the +gate and forbade my entering. I asked them why. They told me no one was +allowed to walk there without the national ribbon. + +Now, I always had one of these national ribbons about me, from the time +they were first worn; but I kept it in the inside of my riding-habit; and +on that day, in particular, my supply was unusually ample, for I had on a +new riding-habit, the petticoat of which was so very long and heavy that +I bought a large quantity to tie round my waist, and fasten up the dress, +to prevent it from falling about my feet. + +However, I was determined to plague the guards for their impudence. My +English beau, who was as pale as death, and knew I had the ribbon, kept +pinching my arm, and whispering, "Show it, show it; zounds, madame, show +it! We shall be sent to prison! show it! show it!" But I took care to +keep my interrupters in parley till a sufficient mob was collected, and +then I produced my colours. + +The soldiers were consequently most gloriously hissed, and would have +been maltreated by the mob, and sent to the guard-house by their officer, +but for my intercession; on which I was again applauded all through the +gardens as La Brave Anglaise. But my, beau declared he would never go +out with me again: unless I wore the ribbon on the outside of my hat, +which I never did and never would do. + +At that time the Queen used to occupy herself much in fancy needle-works. +Knowing, from arrangements, that I was every day in a certain part of the +Tuileries, Her Majesty, when she heard the shout of La Brave Anglaise! +immediately called the Princesse de Lamballe to know if she had sent me +on any message. Being answered in the negative, one of the pages was +despatched to ascertain the meaning of the cry. The Royal Family lived +in so continual a state of alarm that it was apprehended I had got into +some scrape; but I had left the Tuileries before the messenger arrived, +and was already with the Princesse de Lamballe, relating the +circumstances. The Princess told Her Majesty, who graciously observed, +"I am very happy that she got off so well; but caution her to be more +prudent for the future. A cause, however bad, is rather aided than +weakened by unreasonable displays of contempt for it. These unnecessary +excitements of the popular jealousy do us no good." + +I was, of course, severely reprimanded by the Princess for my frolic, +though she enjoyed it of all things, and afterwards laughed most +heartily. + +The Princess told me, a few days after these circumstances of the +national ribbon and the Austrian colours had taken place at the theatre, +that some one belonging to the private correspondence at the palace had +been at the French opera on the night the disturbance took place there, +and, without knowing the person to whom it related, had told the whole +story to the King. + +The Queen and the Princesses Elizabeth and de Lamballe being present, +laughed very heartily. The two latter knew it already from myself, the +fountain head, but the Princesse Elizabeth said: + +"Poor lady! what a fright she must have been in, to have had her things +taken away from her at the theatre" + +"No fright at all," said the King; "for a young woman who could act thus +firmly under such an insolent outrage will always triumph over cowards, +unmanly enough to abuse their advantages by insulting her. She was not a +Frenchwoman, I'll answer for it." + +"Oh, no, Sire. She is an Englishwoman," said the Princesse de Lamballe. + +"I am glad of it," exclaimed the King; "for when she returns to England +this will be a good personal specimen for the information of some of her +countrymen, who have rejoiced at what they call the regeneration of the +French nation; a nation once considered the most polished in Europe, but +now become the most uncivil, and I wish I may never have occasion to add, +the most barbarous! An insult offered, wantonly, to either sex, at any +time, is the result of insubordination; but when offered to a woman, it +is a direct violation of civilised hospitality, and an abuse of power +which never before tarnished that government now so much the topic of +abuse by the enemies of order and legitimate authority. The French +Princes, it is true, have been absolute; still I never governed +despotically, but always by the advice of my counsellors and Cabinet +Ministers. If they have erred, my conscience is void of reproach. I +wish the National Assembly may govern for the future with equal prudence, +equity, and justice; but they have given a poor earnest in pulling down +one fabric before they have laid the solid foundation of another. I am +very happy that their agents, who, though they call themselves the +guardians of public order have hitherto destroyed its course, have, in +the courage of this English lady, met with some resistance to their +insolence, in foolishly occupying themselves with petty matters, while +those of vital import are totally neglected." + +It is almost superfluous to mention that, at the epoch of which I am +speaking in the Revolution, the Royal Family were in so much distrust of +every one about them, and very necessarily and justly so, that none were +ever confided in for affairs, however trifling, without first having +their fidelity repeatedly put to the test. I was myself under this +probation long before I knew that such had ever been imposed. + +With the private correspondence I had already been for some time +entrusted; and it was only previous to employing me on secret missions of +any consequence that I was subject to the severer scrutiny. Even before +I was sent abroad, great art was necessary to elude the vigilance of +prying eyes in the royal circle; and, in order to render my activity +available to important purposes, my connection with the Court was long +kept secret. Many stratagems were devised to mislead the Arguses of the +police. To this end, after the disorders of the Revolution began, I +never entered the palaces but on an understood signal, for which I have +been often obliged to attend many hours in the gardens of Versailles, as +I had subsequently done in that of the Tuileries. + +To pass the time unnoticed, I used generally to take a book, and seat +myself, occupied in reading, sometimes in one spot, sometimes in another; +but with my man and maid servant always within call, though never where +they could be seen. + +On one of these occasions, a person, though not totally masked yet +sufficiently disguised to prevent my recognising his features, came +behind my seat, and said he wished to speak to me. I turned round and +asked his business. + +"That's coming to the point!" he answered. "Walk a little way with me, +and I will tell you." + +Not to excite suspicion, I walked into a more retired part of the garden, +after a secret signal to my man servant, who followed me unperceived by +the stranger. + +"I am commissioned," said my mysterious companion, "to make you a very +handsome present, if you will tell me what you are waiting for." + +I laughed, and was turning from him, saying, "Is this all your business?" + +"No," he replied. + +"Then keep it to yourself. I am not waiting here for any one or +anything; but am merely occupied in reading and killing time to the best +advantage." + +"Are you a poetess?" + +"No." + +"And scarcely a woman; for your answers are very short." + +"Very likely." + +"But I have something of importance to communicate-----" + +"That is impossible." + +"But listen to me-----" + +"You are mistaken in your person." + +"But surely you will not be so unreasonable as not to hear what I have to +say?" + +"I am a stranger in this country, and can have nothing of importance with +one I do not know." + +"You have quarrelled with your lover and are in an ill-humour. + +"Perhaps so. Well! come! I believe you have guessed the cause." + +"Ah! it is the fate of us all to get into scrapes! But you will soon +make it up; and now let me entreat your attention to what I have to +offer." + +I became impatient, and called my servant. + +"Madame," resumed the stranger, "I am a gentleman, and mean no harm. But +I assure you, you stand in your own light. I know more about you than +you think I do." + +"Indeed!" + +"Yes, madame, you are waiting here for an august personage." + +At this last sentence, my lips laughed, while my heart trembled. + +"I wish to caution you," continued he, "how you embark in plans of this +sort." + +"Monsieur, I repeat, you have taken me for some other person. I will no +longer listen to one who is either a maniac or an officious intruder." + +Upon this, the stranger bowed and left me; but I could perceive that he +was not displeased with my answers, though I was not a little agitated, +and longed to see Her Highness to relate to her this curious adventure. + +In a few hours I did so. The Princess was perfectly satisfied with my +manner of proceeding, only she thought it singular, she said, that the +stranger should suspect I was there in attendance for some person of +rank; and she repeated, three or four times, "I am heartily glad that you +did not commit yourself by any decided answer. What sort of a man was +he?" + +"Very much of the gentleman; above the middle stature; and, from what I +could see of his countenance, rather handsome than otherwise." + +"Was he a Frenchman?" + +"No. I think he spoke good French and English, with an Irish accent." + +"Then I know who it is," exclaimed she. "It is Dillon: I know it from +some doubts which arose between Her Majesty, Dillon, and myself, +respecting sending you upon a confidential mission. Oh, come hither! +come hither!" continued Her Highness, overwhelming me with kisses. "How +glad, how very glad I am, that the Queen will be convinced I was not +deceived in what I told Her Majesty respecting you. Take no notice of +what I am telling you; but he was sent from the Queen, to tempt you into +some imprudence, or to be convinced, by your not falling into the snare, +that she might rely on your fidelity." + +"What! doubt my fidelity?" said I. + +"Oh, my dear, you must excuse Her Majesty. We live in critical times. +You will be the more rewarded, and much more esteemed, for this proof of +your firmness. Do you think you should know him, if you were to see him +again?" + +"Certainly, I should, if he were in the same disguise. + +"That, I fear, will be rather difficult to accomplish. However, you +shall go in your carriage and wait at the door of his sister, the +Marquise of Desmond; where I will send for him to come to me at four +o'clock to-morrow. In this way, you will have an opportunity of seeing +him on horseback, as he always pays his morning visits riding." + +I would willingly have taken a sleeping draught, and never did I wait +more anxiously than for the hour of four. + +I left the Princess, and, in crossing from the Carrousel to go to the +Place Vendome, it rained very fast, and there glanced by me, on +horseback, the same military cloak in which the stranger had been +wrapped. My carriage was driving so fast that I still remained in doubt +as to the wearer's person. + +Next day, however, as appointed, I repaired to the place of rendezvous; +and I could almost have sworn, from the height of the person who alighted +from his horse, that he was my mysterious questioner. + +Still, I was not thoroughly certain. I watched the Princess coming out, +and followed her carriage to the Champs Elysees and told her what I +thought. + +"Well," replied she, "we must think no more about it; nor must it ever be +mentioned to him, should you by any chance meet him." + +I said I should certainly obey Her Highness. + +A guilty conscience needs no accuser. A few days after I was riding on +horseback in the Bois de Boulogne, when Lord Edward Fitzgerald came up to +speak to me. Dillon was passing at the time, and, seeing Lord Edward, +stopped, took off his hat, and observed, "A very pleasant day for riding, +madame!" Then, looking me full in the face, he added, "I beg your +pardon, madame, I mistook you for another lady with whom Lord Edward is +often in company." + +I said there was no offence; but the moment I heard him speak I was no +longer in doubt of his being the identical person. + +When I had learnt the ciphering and deciphering, and was to be sent to +Italy, the Queen acknowledged to the Princesse de Lamballe that she was +fully persuaded I might be trusted, as she had good reason to know that +my fidelity was not to be doubted or shaken. + +Dear, hapless Princess! She said to me, in one of her confidential +conversations on these matters, "The Queen has been so cruelly deceived +and so much watched that she almost fears her own shadow; but it gives me +great pleasure that Her Majesty had been herself confirmed by one of her +own emissaries in what I never for a moment doubted. + +"But do not fancy," continued the Princess, laughing, "that you have had +only this spy to encounter. Many others have watched your motions and +your conversations, and all concur in saying you are the devil, and they +could make nothing of you. But that, 'mia cara piccola diavolina', is +just what we want!" + + + + +SECTION VIII. + +Editor in continuation. + + +I am compelled, with reluctance, to continue personally upon the stage, +and must do so for the three ensuing chapters, in order to put my readers +in possession of circumstances explanatory of the next portion of the +Journal of the Princesse de Lamballe. + +Even the particulars I am about to mention can give but a very faint idea +of the state of alarm in which the Royal Family lived, and the perpetual +watchfulness and strange and involved expedients that were found +necessary for their protection. Their most trifling communications were +scrutinized with so much jealousy that when any of importance were to be +made it required a dexterity almost miraculous to screen them from the +ever-watchful eye of espionage. + +I was often made instrumental in evading the curiosity of others, without +ever receiving any clue to the gratification of my own, even had I been +troubled with such impertinence. The anecdote I am about to mention will +show how cautious a game it was thought necessary to play; and the result +of my half-information will evince that over-caution may produce evils +almost equal to total carelessness. + +Some time previous to the flight of the Royal Family from Paris, the +Princesse de Lamballe told me she wanted some repairs made to the locks +of certain dressing and writing-desks; but she would prefer having them +done at my apartments, and by a locksmith who lived at a distance from +the palace. + +When the boxes were repaired, I was sent with one of them to Lisle, where +another person took charge of it for the Archduchess at Brussels. + +There was something which strongly marked the kind-heartedness of the +Princesse de Lamballe in a part of this transaction. I had left Paris +without a passport, and Her Highness, fearing it might expose me to +inconvenience, sent an express after me. The express arrived three hours +before I did, and the person to whom I have alluded came out of Brussels +in his carriage to meet me and receive the box. At the same time, he +gave me a sealed letter, without any address. I asked him from whom he +received it, and to whom it was to be delivered. He said he was only +instructed to deliver it to the lady with the box, and he showed me the +Queen's cipher. I took the letter, and, after partaking of some +refreshments, returned with it, according to my orders. + +On my arrival at Paris, the Princesse de Lamballe told me her motive for +sending the express, who, she said, informed her, on his return, that I +had a letter for the Queen. I said it was more than I knew. "Oh, I +suppose that is because the letter bears no address," replied she; "but +you were shown the cipher, and that is all which is necessary." + +She did not take the letter, and I could not help remarking how far, in +this instance, the rigour of etiquette was kept up, even between these +close friends. The Princess, not having herself received the letter, +could not take it from my hands to deliver without Her Majesty's express +command. This being obtained, she asked me for it, and gave it to Her +Majesty. The circumstance convinced me that the Princess exercised much +less influence over the Queen, and was much more directed by Her +Majesty's authority, than has been imagined. + +Two or three days after my arrival at Paris, my servant lost the key of +my writing-desk, and, to remedy the evil, he brought me the same +locksmith I had employed on the repairs just mentioned. As it was +necessary I should be present to remove my papers when the lock was taken +off, of course I saw the man. While I was busy clearing the desk, with +an air of great familiarity he said, "I have had jobs to do here before +now, my girl, as your sweetheart there well knows." + +I humoured his mistake in taking me for my own maid and my servant's +sweetheart, and I pertly answered, "Very likely." + +"Oh, yes, I have," said he; "it was I who repaired the Queen's boxes in +this very room." + +Knowing I had never received anything of the sort from Her Majesty, and +utterly unaware that the boxes the Princess sent to my apartments had +been the Queen's, I was greatly surprised. Seeing my confusion, he said, +"I know the boxes as well as I know myself. I am the King's locksmith, +my dear, and I and the King worked together many years. Why, I know +every creek and corner of the palace, aye, and I know everything that's +going on in them, too--queer doings! Lord, my pretty damsel, I made a +secret place in the palace to hide the King's papers, where the devil +himself would never find them out, if I or the King didn't tell!" + +Though I wished him at the devil every moment he detained me from +disclosing his information at the palace, yet I played off the soubrette +upon him till he became so interested I thought he never would have gone. +At last, however, he took his departure, and the moment he disappeared, +out of the house I flew. + +The agitation and surprise of the Princess at what I related were +extreme. "Wait," cried she; "I must go and inform the Queen instantly." +In going out of the room, "Great God, what a discovery!" exclaimed Her +Highness. + +It was not long before she returned. Luckily, I was dressed for dinner. +She took me by the hand and, unable to speak, led me to the private +closet of the Queen. + +Her Majesty graciously condescended to thank me for the letter I had +taken charge of. She told me that for the future all letters to her +would be without any superscription; and desired me, if any should be +given to me by persons I had not before seen, and the cipher were shown +at the same time, to receive and deliver them myself into her hands, as +the production of the cipher would be a sufficient pledge of their +authenticity. + +Being desired to repeat the conversation with Gamin, "There, Princess!" +exclaimed Her Majesty, "Am I not the crow of evil forebodings? I trust +the King will never again be credulous enough to employ this man. I have +long had an extreme aversion to His Majesty's familiarity with him; but +he shall hear his impudence himself from your own lips, my good little +Englishwoman; and then he will not think it is prepossession or +prejudice." + +A few evenings elapsed, and I thought no more of the subject, till one +night I was ordered to the palace by the Princess, which never happened +but on very particular occasions, as she was fearful of exciting +suspicion by any appearance of close intimacy with one so much about +Paris upon the secret embassies of the Court. + +When I entered the apartment, the King, the Queen, and the Princesse +Elizabeth were, as if by accident, in an adjoining room; but, from what +followed, I am certain they all came purposely to hear my deposition. I +was presently commanded to present myself to the august party. + +The King was in deep conversation with the Princesse Elizabeth. I must +confess I felt rather embarrassed. I could not form an idea why I was +thus honoured. The Princesse de Lamballe graciously took me by the hand. + +"Now tell His Majesty, yourself, what Gamin said to you." + +I began to revive, perceiving now wherefore I was summoned. I accordingly +related, in the presence of the royal guests assembled, as I had done +before Her Majesty and the Princesse de Lamballe, the scene as it +occurred. + +When I came to that part where he said, "where the devil himself could +never find them out," His Majesty approached from the balcony, at which +he had been talking with the Princesse Elizabeth, and said, "Well! he is +very right--but neither he nor the devil shall find them out, for they +shall be removed this very night." + +[Which was done; and these are, therefore, no doubt, the papers and +portfolio of which Madame Campan speaks, vol. ii., p. 142, as having +been entrusted to her care after being taken from their hiding-place by +the King himself.] + +The King, the Queen, and the Princesse Elizabeth most graciously said, +"Nous sommes bien obligis, ma petite anglaise!" and Her Majesty added, +"Now, my dear, tell me all the rest about this man, whom I have long +suspected for his wickedness." + +I said he had been guilty of no hostile indications, and that the chief +fault I had to find with him was his exceeding familiarity in mentioning +himself before the King, saying, "I and the King." + +"Go on," said Her Majesty; "give us the whole as it occurred, and let us +form our own conclusions." + +"Yes," cried the Princess, "parlate sciolto."--"Si Si," rejoined the +Queen, "parlate tutto--yes, yes, speak out and tell us all." + +I then related the remainder of the conversation, which very much alarmed +the royal party, and it was agreed that, to avoid suspicion, I should +next day send for the locksmith and desire him, as an excuse, to look at +the locks of my trunks and travelling carriage, and set off in his +presence to take up my pretended mistress on the road to Calais, that he +might not suspect I had any connection with any one about the Court. I +was strictly enjoined by Her Majesty to tell him that the man servant had +had the boxes from some one to get them repaired, without either my +knowledge or that of my mistress, and, by her pretended orders, to give +him a discharge upon the spot for having dared to use her apartments as a +workshop for the business of other people. + +"Now," said the Princesse de Lamballe, "now play the comic part you acted +between your servant and Gamin:" which I did, as well as I could +recollect it, and the royal audience were so much amused, that I had the +honour to remain in the room and see them play at cards. At length, +however, there came three gentle taps at the outer door. "Ora a tempo +perche vene andata," exclaimed Her Highness at the sound, having ordered +a person to call with this signal to see me out of the palace to the Rue +Nicaise, where my carriage was in waiting to conduct me home. + +It is not possible for me to describe the gracious condescension of the +Queen and the Princesse Elizabeth, in expressing their sentiments for the +accidental discovery I had made. Amid their assurances of tender +interest and concern, they both reproved me mildly for my imprudence in +having, when I went to Brussels, hurried from Paris without my passport. +They gave me prudential cautions with regard to my future conduct and +residence at Paris; and it was principally owing to the united +persuasions and remonstrances of these three angels in human form that I +took six or seven different lodgings, where the Princesse de Lamballe +used to meet me by turns; because had I gone often to the palace, as many +others did, or waited for Her Highness regularly in any one spot, I +should, infallibly, have been discovered. + +"Gracious God!" exclaimed Her Majesty in the course of this +conversation, "am I born to be the misfortune of every one who shows an +interest in serving me? Tell my sister, when you return to Brussels +again--and do not forget to say I desired you to tell her--our cruel +situation! She does not believe that we are surrounded by enemies, even +in our most private seclusions! in our prison! that we are even thrown +exclusively upon foreigners in our most confidential affairs; that in +France there is scarcely an individual to whom we can look! They betray +us for their own safety, which is endangered by any exertions in our +favour. Tell her this," repeated the Queen three or four times. + +The next day I punctually obeyed my orders. Gamin was sent for to look +at the locks, and received six francs for his opinion. The man servant +was reproved by me on behalf of my supposed mistress, and, in the +presence of Gamin, discharged for having brought suspicious things into +the house. + +The man being tutored in his part, begged Gamin to plead for my +intercession with our mistress. I remained inexorable, as he knew I +should. While Gamin was still by I discharged the bill at the house, got +into my carriage, and took the road towards Calais. + +At Saint Denis, however, I feigned to be taken ill, and in two days +returned to Paris. + +Even this simple act required management. I contrived it in the +following manner. I walked out on the high road leading to the capital +for the purpose of meeting my servant at a place which had been fixed for +the meeting before I left Paris. I found him on horseback at his post, +with a carriage prepared for my return. As soon as I was out of sight he +made the best of his way forward, went to the inn with a note from me, +and returned with my carriage and baggage I had to lodgings at Passy. + +The joy of the Princess on seeing me safe again brought tears into her +eyes; and, when I related the scene I played off before Gamin against my +servant, she laughed most heavily. "But surely," said she, "you have not +really discharged the poor man?"--"Oh, no," replied I; "he acted his part +so well before the locksmith, that I should be very sorry to lose such an +apt scholar." + +"You must perform this 'buffa scena'," observed Her Highness, "to the +Queen. She has been very anxious to know the result; but her spirits are +so depressed that I fear she will not come to my party this evening. +However, if she do not, I will see her to-morrow, and you shall make her +laugh. It would be a charity, for she has not done so from the heart for +many a day!" + + + + +SECTION IX. + +Editor in continuation: + + +Every one who has read at all is familiar with the immortal panegyric of +the great Edmund Burke upon Marie Antoinette. It is known that this +illustrious man was not mean enough to flatter; yet his eloquent praises +of her as a Princess, a woman, and a beauty, inspiring something beyond +what any other woman could excite, have been called flattery by those who +never knew her; those who did, must feel them to be, if possible, even +below the truth. But the admiration of Mr. Burke was set down even to a +baser motive, and, like everything else, converted into a source of +slander for political purposes, long before that worthy palladium of +British liberty had even thought of interesting himself for the welfare +of France, which his prophetic eye saw plainly was the common cause of +all Europe. + +But, keenly as that great statesman looked into futurity, little did he +think, when he visited the Queen in all her splendour at Trianon, and +spoke so warmly of the cordial reception he had met with at Versailles +from the Duc and Duchesse de Polignac, that he should have so soon to +deplore their tragic fate! + +Could his suggestions to Her Majesty, when he was in France, have been +put in force, there is scarcely a doubt that the Revolution might have +been averted, or crushed. But he did not limit his friendship to +personal advice. It is not generally known that the Queen carried on, +through the medium of the Princesse de Lamballe, a very extensive +correspondence with Mr. Burke. He recommended wise and vast plans; and +these, if possible, would have been adopted. The substance of some of +the leading ones I can recall from the journal of Her Highness and +letters which I have myself frequently deciphered. I shall endeavour, +succinctly, to detail such of them as I remember. + +Mr. Burke recommended the suppression of all superfluous religious +institutions, which had not public seminaries to support. Their lands, +he advised, should be divided, without regard to any distinction but that +of merit, among such members of the army and other useful classes of +society, as, after having served the specified time, should have risen, +through their good conduct, to either civil or military preferment. By +calculations upon the landed interest, it appeared that every individual +under the operation of this bounty would, in the course of twenty years, +possess a yearly income of from five to seven hundred francs. + +Another of the schemes suggested by Mr. Burke was to purge the kingdom of +all the troops which had been corrupted from their allegiance by the +intrigues growing out of the first meeting of the Notables. He proposed +that they should sail at the same time, or nearly so, to be colonized in +the different French islands and Madagascar; and, in their place, a new +national guard created, who should be bound to the interest of the +legitimate Government by receiving the waste crown lands to be shared +among them, from the common soldier to its generals and Field-marshals. +Thus would the whole mass of rebellious blood have been reformed. To +ensure an effectual change, Mr. Burke advised the enrolment, in rotation, +of sixty thousand Irish troops, twenty thousand always to remain in +France, and forty thousand in reversion for the same service. The +lynx-eyed statesman saw clearly, from the murders of the Marquis de +Launay and M. Flesselles, and from the destruction of the Bastille, and +of the ramparts of Paris, that party had not armed itself against Louis, +but against the throne. It was therefore necessary to produce a +permanent revolution in the army. + +[Mr. Burke was too great a statesman not to be the friend of his +country's interest. He also saw that, from the destruction of the +monarchy in France, England had more to fear than to gain. He well knew +that the French Revolution was not, like that of the Americans, founded +on grievances and urged in support of a great and disinterested +principle. He was aware that so restless a people, when they had +overthrown the monarchy, would not limit the overthrow to their own +country. After Mr. Burke's death, Mr. Fox was applied to, and was +decidedly of the same opinion. Mr. Sheridan was interrogated, and, at +the request of the Princesse de Lamballe, he presented, for the Queen's +inspection, plans nearly equal to those of the above two great statesmen; +and what is most singular and scarcely credible is that one and all of +the opposition party in England strenuously exerted themselves for the +upholding of the monarchy in France. Many circumstances which came to my +knowledge before and after the death of Louis XVI. prove that Mr. Pitt +himself was averse to the republican principles being organized so near a +constitutional monarchy as France was to Great Britain. Though the +conduct of the Duc d'Orleans was generally reprobated, I firmly believe +that if he had possessed sufficient courage to have usurped the crown and +re-established the monarchy, he would have been treated with in +preference to the republicans. I am the more confirmed in this opinion +by a conversation between the Princesse de Lamballe and Mirabeau, in +which he said a republic in France would never thrive.] + +There was another suggestion to secure troops around the throne of a more +loyal temper. It was planned to incorporate all the French soldiers, who +had not voluntarily deserted the royal standard, with two-thirds of +Swiss, German, and Low Country forces, among whom were to be divided, +after ten years' service, certain portions of the crown lands, which were +to be held by presenting every year a flag of acknowledgment to the King +and Queen; with the preference of serving in the civil or military +departments, according to the merit or capacity of the respective +individuals. Messieurs de Broglie, de Bouille, de Luxembourg, and +others, were to have been commanders. But this plan, like many others, +was foiled in its birth, and, it is said, through the intrigues of +Mirabeau. + +However, all concurred in the necessity of ridding France, upon the most +plausible pretexts, of the fomenters of its ruin. Now arose a fresh +difficulty. Transports were wanted, and in considerable numbers. + +A navy agent in England was applied to for the supply of these +transports. So great was the number required, and so peculiar the +circumstances, that the agent declined interfering without the sanction +of his Government. + +A new dilemma succeeded. Might not the King of England place improper +constructions on this extensive shipment of troops from the different +ports of France for her West India possessions? Might it not be fancied +that it involved secret designs on the British settlements in that +quarter? + +All these circumstances required that some communication should be opened +with the Court of St. James; and the critical posture of affairs exacted +that such communication should be less diplomatic than confidential. + +It will be recollected that, at the very commencement of the reign of +Louis XVI., there were troubles in Britanny, which the severe +governorship of the Duc d'Aiguillon augmented. The Bretons took +privileges with them, when they became blended with the kingdom of +France, by the marriage of Anne of Brittany with Charles VIII., beyond +those of any other of its provinces. These privileges they seemed rather +disposed to extend than relinquish, and were by no means reserved in the +expression of their resolution. It was considered expedient to place a +firm, but conciliatory, Governor over them, and the Duc de Penthievre was +appointed to this difficult trust. The Duke was accompanied to his +vice-royalty by his daughter-in-law, the Princesse de Lamballe, who, by +her extremely judicious management of the female part of the province, +did more for the restoration of order than could have been achieved by +armies. The remembrance of this circumstance induced the Queen to regard +Her Highness as a fit person to send secretly to England at this very +important crisis; and the purpose was greatly encouraged by a wish to +remove her from a scene of such daily increasing peril. + +For privacy, it was deemed expedient that Her Highness should withdraw to +Aumale, under the plea of ill-health, and thence proceed to England; and +it was also by way of Aumale that she as secretly returned, after the +fatal disaster of the stoppage, to discourage the impression of her ever +having been out of France. + +The mission was even unknown to the French Minister at the Court of St. +James. + +The Princess was ordered by Her Majesty to cultivate the acquaintance of +the late Duchess of Gordon, who was supposed to possess more influence +than any woman in England--in order to learn the sentiments of Mr. Pitt +relative to the revolutionary troubles. The Duchess, however, was too +much of an Englishwoman, and Mr. Pitt too much interested in the ruin of +France, to give her the least clue to the truth. + +In order to fathom the sentiments of the opposition party, the Princess +cultivated the society also of the late Duchess of Devonshire, but with +as little success. The opposition party foresaw too much risk in +bringing anything before the house to alarm the prejudices of the nation. + +The French Ambassador, too, jealous of the unexplained purpose of the +Princess, did all he could to render her expedition fruitless. + +Nevertheless, though disappointed in some of her main objects with regard +to influence and information, she became so great a favourite at the +British Court that she obtained full permission of the King and Queen of +England to signify to her royal mistress and friend that the specific +request she came to make would be complied with. + +[The Princess visited Bath, Windsor, Brighton, and many other parts of +England, and associated with all parties. She managed her conduct so +judiciously that the real object of her visit was never suspected. In +all these excursions I had the honour to attend her confidentially. I +was the only person entrusted with papers from Her Highness to Her +Majesty. I had many things to copy, of which the originals went to +France. Twice during the term of Her Highness's residence in England I +was sent by Her Majesty with papers communicating the result of the +secret mission to the Queen of Naples. On the second of these two trips, +being obliged to travel night and day, I could only keep my eyes open by +means of the strongest coffee. When I reached my destination I was +immediately compelled to decipher the despatches with the Queen of Naples +in the office of the Secretary of State. That done, General Acton +ordered some one, I know not whom, to conduct me, I know not where, but +it was to a place where, after a sound sleep of twenty-four hours, I +awoke thoroughly refreshed, and without a vestige of fatigue either of +mind or body. On waking, lest anything should transpire, I was desired +to quit Naples instantly, without seeing the British Minister. To make +assurance doubly sure, General Acton sent a person from his office to +accompany me out of the city on horseback; and, to screen me from the +attack of robbers, this person went on with me as far as the Roman +frontier.] + +In the meantime, however, the troubles in France were so rapidly +increasing from hour to hour, that it became impossible for the +Government to carry any of their plans into effect. This particular one, +on the very eve of its accomplishment, was marred, as it was imagined, by +the secret intervention of the friends of Mirabeau. The Government +became more and more infirm and wavering in its purposes; the Princess +was left without instructions, and under such circumstances as to expose +her to the supposition of having trifled with the good-will of Their +Majesties of England. + +In this dilemma I was sent off from England to the Queen of France. I +left Her Highness at Bath, but when I returned she had quitted Bath for +Brighton. I am unacquainted with the nature of all the papers she +received, but I well remember the agony they seemed to inflict on her. +She sent off a packet by express that very night to Windsor. + +The Princess immediately began the preparations for her return. Her own +journal is explicit on this point of her history, and therefore I shall +leave her to speak for herself. I must not, however, omit to mention the +remark she made to me upon the subject of her reception in Great Britain. +With these, let me dismiss the present chapter. + +"The general cordiality with which I have been received in your country," +said Her Highness, "has made a lasting impression upon my heart. In +particular, never shall I forget the kindness of the Queen of England, +the Duchess of Devonshire, and her truly virtuous mother, Lady Spencer. +It gave me a cruel pang to be obliged to undervalue the obligations with +which they overwhelmed me by leaving England as I did, without giving +them an opportunity of carrying their good intentions, which, I had +myself solicited, into effect. But we cannot command fate. Now that the +King has determined to accept the Constitution (and you know my +sentiments upon the article respecting ecclesiastics), I conceive it my +duty to follow Their Majesties' example in submitting to the laws of the +nation. Be assured, 'Inglesina', it will be my ambition to bring about +one of the happiest ages of French history. I shall endeavour to create +that confidence so necessary for the restoration to their native land of +the Princes of the blood, and all the emigrants who abandoned the King, +their families, and their country, while doubtful whether His Majesty +would or would not concede this new charter; but now that the doubt +exists no longer, I trust we shall all meet again, the happier for the +privation to which we have been doomed from absence. As the limitation +of the monarchy removes every kind of responsibility from the monarch, +the Queen will again taste the blissful sweets she once enjoyed during +the reign of Louis XV. in the domestic tranquillity of her home at +Trianon. Often has she wept those times in which she will again rejoice. +Oh, how I long for their return! I fly to greet the coming period of +future happiness to us all!" + + + + +POSTSCRIPT: + + +Although I am not making myself the historian of France, yet it may not +be amiss to mention that it was during this absence of Her Highness that +Necker finally retired from power and from France. + +The return of this Minister had been very much against the consent of Her +Majesty and the King. They both feared what actually happened soon +afterwards. They foresaw that he would be swept away by the current of +popularity from his deference to the royal authority. It was to preserve +the favour of the mob that he allowed them to commit the shocking murders +of M. de Foulon (who had succeeded him on his first dismission as +Minister of Louis XVI.) and of Berthier, his son-in-law. The union of +Necker with D'ORLEANS, on this occasion, added to the cold indifference +with which Barnave in one of his speeches expressed himself concerning +the shedding of human blood, certainly animated the factious assassins to +methodical murder, and frustrated all the efforts of La Fayette to save +these victims from the enraged populace, to whom both unfortunately fell +a sacrifice. + +Necker, like La Fayette, when too late, felt the absurdity of relying +upon the idolatry of the populace. The one fancied he could command the +Parisian 'poissardes' as easily as his own battalions; and the other +persuaded himself that the mob, which had been hired to carry about his +bust, would as readily promulgate his theories. + +But he forgot that the people in their greatest independence are only the +puppets of demagogues; and he lost himself by not gaining over that class +which, of all others, possesses most power over the million, I mean the +men of the bar, who, arguing more logically than the rest of the world, +felt that from the new Constitution the long robe was playing a losing +game, and therefore discouraged a system which offered nothing to their +personal ambition or private emolument. Lawyers, like priests, are never +over-ripe for any changes or innovations, except such as tend to their +personal interest. The more perplexed the, state of public and private +affairs, the better for them. Therefore, in revolutions, as a body, they +remain neuter, unless it is made for their benefit to act. Individually, +they are a set of necessary evils; and, for the sake of the bar, the +bench, and the gibbet, require to be humoured. But any legislator who +attempts to render laws clear, concise, and explanatory, and to divest +them of the quibbles whereby these expounders--or confounders--of codes +fatten on the credulity of States and the miseries of unfortunate +millions, will necessarily encounter opposition, direct or indirect, in +every measure at all likely to reduce the influence of this most +abominable horde of human depredators. It was Necker's error to have +gone so directly to the point with the lawyers that they at once saw his +scope; and thus he himself defeated his hopes of their support, the want +of which utterly baffled all his speculations. + +[The great Frederick of Prussia, on being told of the numbers of lawyers +there were in England, said he wished he had them in his country. "Why?" +some one enquired. "To do the greatest benefit in my power to +society."--"How so?"--"Why to hang one-half as an example to the other!"] + +When Necker undertook to re-establish the finances, and to reform +generally the abuses in the Government, he was the most popular Minister +(Lord Chatham, when the great Pitt, excepted) in Europe. Yet his errors +were innumerable, though possessing such sound knowledge and judgment, +such a superabundance of political contrivance, diplomatic coolness, and +mathematical calculation, the result of deep thought aided by great +practical experience. + +But how futile he made all these appear when he declared the national +bankruptcy. Could anything be more absurd than the assumption, by the +individual, of a personal instead of a national guarantee of part of a +national debt?--an undertaking too hazardous and by far too ambiguous, +even for a monarch who is not backed by his kingdom--flow doubly frantic, +then, for a subject! Necker imagined that the above declaration and his +own Quixotic generosity would have opened the coffers of the great body +of rich proprietors, and brought them forward to aid the national crisis. +But he was mistaken. The nation then had no interest in his financial +system. The effect it produced was the very reverse of what was +expected. Every proprietor began to fear the ambition of the Minister, +who undertook impossibilities. The being bound for the debts of an +individual, and justifying bail in a court of law in commercial matters, +affords no criterion for judging of, or regulating, the pecuniary +difficulties of a nation. Necker's conduct in this case was, in my +humble opinion, as impolitic as that of a man who, after telling his +friends that he is ruined past redemption, asks for a loan of money. The +conclusion is, if he obtains the loan, that "the fool and his money are +soon parted." + +It was during the same interval of Her Highness's stay in England, that +the discontent ran so high between the people and the clergy. + +I have frequently heard the Princesse de Lamballe ascribe the King's not +sanctioning the decrees against the clergy to the influence of his aunt, +the Carmelite nun, Madame Louise. During the life of her father, Louis +XV., she nearly engrossed all the Church benefices by her intrigues. She +had her regular conclaves of all orders of the Church. From the Bishop +to the sexton, all depended on her for preferment; and, till the +Revolution, she maintained equal power over the mind of Louis XVI. upon +similar matters. The Queen would often express her disapprobation; but +the King was so scrupulous, whenever the discussion fell on the topic of +religion, that she made it a point not to contrast her opinion with his, +from a conviction that she was unequal to cope with him on that head, +upon which he was generally very animated. + +It is perfectly certain that the French clergy, by refusing to contribute +to the exigencies of the State, created some of the primary horrors of +the Revolution. They enjoyed one-third the national revenues, yet they +were the first to withhold their assistance from the national wants. I +have heard the Princesse de Lamballe say, "The Princesse Elizabeth and +myself used our utmost exertion to induce some of the higher orders of +the clergy to set the example and obtain for themselves the credit of +offering up a part of the revenues, the whole of which we knew must be +forfeited if they continued obstinate; but it was impossible to move +them." + +The characters of some of the leading dignitaries of the time +sufficiently explain their selfish and pernicious conduct; when churchmen +trifle with the altar, be their motives what they may, they destroy the +faith they possess, and give examples to the flock entrusted to their +care, of which no foresight can measure the baleful consequences. Who +that is false to his God can be expected to remain faithful to his +Sovereign? When a man, as a Catholic Bishop, marries, and, under the +mask of patriotism, becomes the declared tool of all work to every +faction, and is the weathercock, shifting to any quarter according to the +wind,--such a man can be of no real service to any party: and yet has a +man of this kind been by turns the primum mobile of them all, even to the +present times, and was one of those great Church fomenters of the +troubles of which we speak, who disgraced the virtuous reign of Louis +XVI. + + + + +SECTION X. + + +Amidst the perplexities of the Royal Family it was perfectly unavoidable +that repeated proposals should have been made at various times for them +to escape these dangers by flight. The Queen had been frequently and +most earnestly entreated to withdraw alone; and the King, the Princesse +Elizabeth, the Princesse de Lamballe, the royal children, with their +little hands uplifted, and all those attached to Marie Antoinette, after +the horrid business at Versailles, united to supplicate her to quit +France and shelter herself from the peril hanging over her existence. +Often and often have I heard the Princesse de Lamballe repeat the words +in which Her Majesty uniformly rejected the proposition. "I have no +wish," cried the Queen, "for myself. My life or death must be encircled +by the arms of my husband and my family. With them, and with them only, +will I live or die." + +It would have been impossible to have persuaded her to leave France +without her children. If any woman on earth could have been justified in +so doing, it would have been Marie Antoinette. But she was above such +unnatural selfishness, though she had so many examples to encourage her; +for, even amongst the members of her own family, self-preservation had +been considered paramount to every other consideration. + +I have heard the Princess say that Pope Pius VI. was the only one of all +the Sovereigns who offered the slightest condolence or assistance to +Louis XVI. and his family. "The Pope's letter," added she, "when shown +to me by the Queen, drew tears from my eyes. It really was in a style of +such Christian tenderness and princely feeling as could only be dictated +by a pious and illuminated head of the Christian Church. He implored not +only all the family of Louis XVI., but even extended his entreaties to me +[the Princesse de Lamballe] to leave Paris, and save themselves, by +taking refuge in his dominions, from the horrors which so cruelly +overwhelmed them. The King's aunts were the only ones who profited by +the invitation. Madame Elizabeth was to have been of the party, but +could not be persuaded to leave the King and Queen." + +As the clouds grew more threatening, it is scarcely to be credited how +many persons interested themselves for the same purpose, and what +numberless schemes were devised to break the fetters which had been +imposed on the Royal Family, by their jailers, the Assembly. + +A party, unknown to the King and Queen, was even forming under the +direction of the Princesse Elizabeth; but as soon as Their Majesties were +apprised of it, it was given up as dangerous to the interests of the +Royal Family, because it thwarted the plans of the Marquis de Bouille. +Indeed, Her Majesty could never be brought to determine on any plan for +her own or the King's safety until their royal aunts, the Princesses +Victoria and Adelaide, had left Paris. + +The first attempt to fly was made early in the year 1791, at St. Cloud, +where the horses had been in preparation nearly a fortnight; but the +scheme was abandoned in consequence of having been entrusted to too many +persons. This the Queen acknowledged. She had it often in her power to +escape alone with her son, but would not consent. + +The second attempt was made in the spring of the same year at Paris. The +guards shut the gates of the Tuileries, and would not allow the King's +carriage to pass. Even though a large sum of money had been expended to +form a party to overpower the mutineers, the treacherous mercenaries did +not appear. The expedition was, of course, obliged to be relinquished. + +Many of the royal household were very ill-treated, and some lives +unfortunately lost. + +At last, the deplorable journey did take place. The intention had been +communicated by Her Majesty to the Princesse de Lamballe before she went +abroad, and it was agreed that, whenever it was carried into effect, the +Queen should write to Her Highness from Montmedi, where the two friends +were once more to have been reunited. + +Soon after the departure of the Princess, the arrangements for the fatal +journey to Varennes were commenced, but with blamable and fatal +carelessness. + +Mirabeau was the first person who advised the King to withdraw; but he +recommended that it should be alone, or, at most, with the Dauphin only. +He was of opinion that the overthrow of the Constitution could not be +achieved while the Royal Family remained in Paris. His first idea was +that the King should go to the sea-coast, where he would have it in his +power instantly to escape to England, if the Assembly, through his +(Mirabeau's), means, did not comply with the royal propositions. Though +many of the King's advisers were for a distinct and open rejection of the +Constitution, it was the decided impression of Mirabeau that he ought to +stoop to conquer, and temporize by an instantaneous acceptance, through +which he might gain time to put himself in an attitude to make such terms +as would at once neutralize the act and the faction by which it was +forced upon him. Others imagined that His Majesty was too conscientious +to avail himself of any such subterfuge, and that, having once given his +sanction, he would adhere to it rigidly. This third party of the royal +counsellors were therefore for a cautious consideration of the document, +clause by clause, dreading the consequences of an 'ex abrupto' signature +in binding the Sovereign, not only against his policy, but his will. + +In the midst of all these distracting doubts, however, the departure was +resolved upon. Mirabeau had many interviews with the Count Fersen upon +the subject. It was his great object to prevent the flight from being +encumbered. But the King would not be persuaded to separate himself from +the Queen and the rest of the family, and entrusted the project to too +many advisers. Had he been guided by Fersen only, he would have +succeeded. + +The natural consequence of a secret being in so many hands was felt in +the result. Those whom it was most important to keep in ignorance were +the first on the alert. The weakness of the Queen in insisting upon +taking a remarkable dressing-case with her, and, to get it away +unobserved, ordering a facsimile to be made under the pretext of +intending it as a present to her sister at Brussels, awakened the +suspicion of a favourite, but false female attendant, then intriguing +with the aide-de-camp of La Fayette. The rest is easily to be conceived. +The Assembly were apprised of all the preparations for the departure a +week or more before it occurred. La Fayette, himself, it is believed, +knew and encouraged it, that he might have the glory of stopping the +fugitive himself; but he was overruled by the Assembly. + +When the secretary of the Austrian Ambassador came publicly, by +arrangement, to ask permission of the Queen to take the model of the +dressing-case in question, the very woman to whom I have alluded was in +attendance at Her Majesty's toilet. The paramour of the woman was with +her, watching the motions of the Royal Family on the night they passed +from their own apartments to those of the Duc de Villequier in order to +get into the carriage; and by this paramour was La Fayette instantly +informed of the departure. The traitress discovered that Her Majesty was +on the eve of setting off by seeing her diamonds packed up. All these +things were fully known to the Assembly, of which the Queen herself was +afterwards apprised by the Mayor of Paris. + +In the suite of the Count Fersen + +[Alvise de Pisani, the last venetian Ambassador to the King, who was my +husband's particular friend, and with whom I was myself long acquainted, +and have been ever since to this day, as well as with all his noble +family, during my many years' residence at Venice, told me this +circumstance while walking with him at his country-seat at Stra, which +was subsequently taken from him by Napoleon, and made the Imperial palace +of the viceroy, and is now that of the German reigning Prince.] + +there was a young Swede who had an intrigue purposely with one of the +Queen's women, from whom he obtained many important disclosures relative +to the times. The Swede mentioned this to his patron, who advised Her +Majesty to discharge a certain number of these women, among whom was the +one who afterwards proved her betrayer. It was suggested to dismiss a +number at once, that the guilty person might not suspect the exclusion to +be levelled against her in particular. Had the Queen allowed herself to +be directed in this affair by Fersen, the chain of communication would +have been broken, and the Royal Family would not have been stopped at +Varennes, but have got clear out of France, many hours before they could +have been perceived by the Assembly; but Her Majesty never could believe +that she had anything to fear from the quarter against which she was +warned. + +It is not generally known that a very considerable sum had been given to +the head recruiting sergeant, Mirabeau, to enlist such of the +constituents as could be won with gold to be ready with a majority in +favour of the royal fugitives. But the death of Mirabeau, previous to +this event, leaves it doubtful how far he distributed the bribes +conscientiously; indeed, it is rather to be questioned whether he did not +retain the money, or much of it, in his own hands, since the strongly +hoped for and dearly paid majority never gave proof of existence, either +before or after the journey to Varennes. Immense bribes were also given +to the Mayor of Paris, which proved equally ineffective. + +Had Mirabeau lived till the affair of Varennes, it is not impossible that +his genius might have given a different complexion to the result. He had +already treated with the Queen and the Princess for a reconciliation; and +in the apartments of Her Highness had frequent evening, and early +morning, audiences of the Queen. + +It is pretty certain, however, that the recantation of Mirabeau, from +avowed democracy to aristocracy and royalty, through the medium of +enriching himself by a 'salva regina', made his friends prepare for him +that just retribution, which ended in a 'de profundis'. At a period when +all his vices were called to aid one virtuous action, his thread of +vicious life was shortened, and he; no doubt, became the victim of his +insatiable avarice. That he was poisoned is not to be disproved; though +it was thought necessary to keep it from the knowledge of the people. + +I have often heard Her Highness say, "When I reflect on the precautions +which were taken to keep the interviews with Mirabeau profoundly secret +that he never conversed but with the King, the Queen, and myself--his +untimely death must be attributed to his own indiscreet enthusiasm, in +having confidentially entrusted the success with which he flattered +himself, from the ascendency he had gained over the Court, to some one +who betrayed him. His death, so very unexpectedly, and at that crisis, +made a deep impression on the mind of the Queen. She really believed him +capable of redressing the monarchy, and he certainly was the only one of +the turncoat constitutionalists in whom she placed any confidence. Would +to Heaven that she had had more in Barnave, and that she had listened to +Dumourier! These I would have trusted more, far more readily than the +mercenary Mirabeau!" + +I now return, once more, to the journal of the Princess. + + + + + +SECTION XI. + + +"In the midst of the perplexing debates upon the course most advisable +with regard to the Constitution after the unfortunate return from +Varennes, I sent off my little English amanuensis to Paris to bring me, +through the means of another trusty person I had placed about the Queen, +the earliest information concerning the situation of affairs. On her +return she brought me a ring, which Her Majesty had graciously, +condescended to send me, set with her own hair, which had whitened like +that of a person of eighty, from the anguish the Varennes affair had +wrought upon her mind; and bearing the inscription, 'Bleached by sorrow.' +This ring was accompanied by the following letter: + +"'MY DEAREST FRIEND,-- + +"'The King has made up his mind to the acceptance of the Constitution, +and it will ere long be proclaimed publicly. A few days ago I was +secretly waited upon and closeted in your apartment with many of our +faithful friends,--in particular, Alexandre de Lameth, Duport, Barnave, +Montmorin, Bertrand de Moleville, et cetera. The two latter opposed the +King's Council, the Ministers, and the numerous other advisers of an +immediate and unscrutinizing acceptance. They were a small minority, and +could not prevail with me to exercise my influence with His Majesty in +support of their opinion, when all the rest seemed so confident that a +contrary course must re-establish the tranquillity of the nation and our +own happiness, weaken the party of the Jacobins against us, and greatly +increase that of the nation in our favor. + +"'Your absence obliged me to call Elizabeth to my aid in managing the +coming and going of the deputies to and from the Pavilion of Flora, +unperceived by the spies of our enemies. She executed her charge so +adroitly, that the visitors were not seen by any of the household. Poor +Elizabeth! little did I look for such circumspection in one so +unacquainted with the intrigues of Court, or the dangers surrounding us, +which they would now fain persuade us no longer exist. God grant it may +be so! and that I may once more freely embrace and open my heart to the +only friend I have nearest to it. But though this is my most ardent +wish, yet, my dear, dearest Lamballe, I leave it to yourself to act as +your feelings dictate. Many about us profess to see the future as clear +as the sun at noon-day. But, I confess, my vision is still dim. I +cannot look into events with the security of others--who confound logic +with their wishes. The King, Elizabeth, and all of us, are anxious for +your return. But it would grieve us sorely for you to come back to such +scenes as you have already witnessed. Judge and act from your own +impressions. If we do not see you, send me the result of your interview +at the precipice.--[The name the Queen gave to Mr. Pitt]--'Vostra cara +picciolca Inglesina' will deliver you many letters. After looking over +the envelopes, you will either send her with them as soon as possible or +forward them as addressed, as you may think most advisable at the time +you receive them. + + "'Ever, ever, and forever, + + "'Your affectionate, + + "'MARIE ANTOINETTE! + +"There was another hurried and abrupt note from Her Majesty among these +papers, obviously written later than the first. It lamented the cruel +privations to which she was doomed at the Tuileries, in consequence of +the impeded flight, and declared that what the Royal Family were forced +to suffer, from being totally deprived of every individual of their +former friends and attendants to condole with, excepting the equally +oppressed and unhappy Princesse Elizabeth, was utterly insupportable. + +"On the receipt of these much esteemed epistles, I returned, as my duty +directed, to the best of Queens, and most sincere of friends. My arrival +at Paris, though so much wished for, was totally unexpected. + +"At our first meeting, the Queen was so agitated that she was utterly at +a loss to explain the satisfaction she felt in beholding me once more +near her royal person. Seeing the ring on my finger, which she had done +me the honour of sending me, she pointed to her hair, once so beautiful, +but now, like that of an old woman, not only gray, but deprived of all +its softness, quite stiff and dried up. + +"Madame Elizabeth, the King, and the rest of our little circle, lavished +on me the most endearing caresses. The dear Dauphin said to me, 'You +will not go away again, I hope, Princess? Oh, mamma has cried so since +you left us!' + +"I had wept enough before, but this dear little angel brought tears into +the eyes of us all." + +"When I mentioned to Her Majesty the affectionate sympathy expressed by +the King and Queen of England in her sufferings, and their regret at the +state of public affairs in France, 'It is most noble and praiseworthy in +them to feel thus,' exclaimed Marie Antoinette; 'and the more so +considering the illiberal part imputed to us against those Sovereigns in +the rebellion of their ultramarine subjects, to which, Heaven knows, I +never gave my approbation. Had I done so, how poignant would be my +remorse at the retribution of our own sufferings, and the pity of those I +had so injured! No. I was, perhaps, the only silent individual amongst +millions of infatuated enthusiasts at General La Fayette's return to +Paris, nor did I sanction any of the fetes given to Dr. Franklin, or the +American Ambassadors at the time. I could not conceive it prudent for +the Queen of an absolute monarchy to countenance any of their newfangled +philosophical experiments with my presence. Now, I feel the reward in my +own conscience. I exult in my freedom from a self-reproach, which would +have been altogether insupportable under the kindness of which you +speak.' + +"As soon as I was settled in my apartment, which was on the same floor +with that of the Queen, she condescended to relate to me every particular +of her unfortunate journey. I saw the pain it gave her to retrace the +scenes, and begged her to desist till time should have, in some degree, +assuaged the poignancy of her feelings. 'That,' cried she, embracing me, +I can never be! Never, never will that horrid circumstance of my life +lose its vividness in my recollection. What agony, to have seen those +faithful servants tied before us on the carriage, like common criminals! +All, all may be attributed to the King's goodness of heart, which +produces want of courage, nay, even timidity, in the most trying scenes. +As poor King Charles the First, when he was betrayed in the Isle of +Wight, would have saved himself, and perhaps thousands, had he permitted +the sacrifice of one traitor, so might Louis XVI. have averted calamities +so fearful that I dare not name, though I distinctly foresee them, had he +exerted his authority where he only called up his compassion.' + +"'For Heaven's sake,' replied I, 'do not torment yourself by these cruel +recollections!' + +"'These are gone by,' continued Her Majesty, and greater still than even +these. How can I describe my grief at what I endured in the Assembly, +from the studied humiliation to which the King and the royal authority +were there reduced in the face of the national representatives! from +seeing the King on his return choked with anguish at the mortifications +to which I was doomed to behold the majesty of a French Sovereign +humbled! These events bespeak clouds, which, like the horrid waterspout +at sea, nothing can dispel but cannon! The dignity of the Crown, the +sovereignty itself, is threatened; and this I shall write this very night +to the Emperor. I see no hope of internal tranquillity without the +powerful aid of foreign force. + +[The only difference of any moment which ever existed between the Queen +and the Princesse de Lamballe as to their sentiments on the Revolution +was on this subject. Her Highness wished Marie Antoinette to rely on the +many persons who had offered and promised to serve the cause of the +monarchy with their internal resources, and not depend on the Princes and +foreign armies. This salutary advice she never could enforce on the +Queen's mind, though she had to that effect been importuned by upwards of +two hundred persona, all zealous to show their penitence for former +errors by their present devotedness. + +"Whenever," observed Her Highness, "we came to that point, the Queen +(upon seriously reflecting that these persons had been active instruments +in promoting the first changes in the monarchy, for which she never +forgave them from her heart) would hesitate and doubt; and never could I +bring Her Majesty definitely to believe the profferers to be sincere. +Hence, they were trifled with, till one by one she either lost them, or +saw them sacrificed to an attachment, which her own distrust and +indecision rendered fruitless."] + +The King has allowed himself to be too much led to attempt to recover his +power through any sort of mediation. Still, the very idea of owing our +liberty to any foreign army distracts me for the consequences.' + +"My reinstatement in my apartments at the Pavilion of Flora seemed not +only to give universal satisfaction to every individual of the Royal +Family, but it was hailed with much enthusiasm by many deputies of the +constituent Assembly. I was honoured with the respective visits of all +who were in any degree well disposed to the royal cause. + +"One day, when Barnave and others were present with the Queen, 'Now,' +exclaimed one of the deputies, 'now that this good Princess is returned +to her adopted country, the active zeal of Her Highness, coupled with +Your Majesty's powerful influence over the mind of the King for the +welfare of his subjects, will give fresh vigour to the full execution of +the Constitution.' + +"My visitors were earnest in their invitations for me to go to the +Assembly to hear an interesting discussion, which was to be brought +forward upon the King's spontaneous acceptance of the Constitution. + +"I went; and amidst the plaudits for the good King's condescension, how +was my heart lacerated to hear Robespierre denounce three of the most +distinguished of the members, who had requested my attendance, as +traitors to their country! + +"This was the first and only Assembly discussion I ever attended; and how +dearly did I pay for my curiosity! I was accompanied by my 'cara +Inglesina', who, always on the alert, exclaimed, 'Let me entreat Your +Highness not to remain any longer in this place. You are too deeply +moved to dissemble.' + +"I took her judicious advice, and the moment I could leave the Assembly +unperceived, I hastened back to the Queen to beg her, for God's sake, to +be upon her guard; for, from what I had just heard at the Assembly, I +feared the Jacobins had discovered her plans with Barnave, De Lameth, +Duport, and others of the royal party. Her countenance, for some +minutes, seemed to be the only sensitive part of her. It was perpetually +shifting from a high florid colour to the paleness of death. When her +first emotions gave way to nature, she threw herself into my arms, and, +for some time, her feelings were so overcome by the dangers which +threatened these worthy men, that she could only in the bitterness of her +anguish exclaim, 'Oh! this is all on my account!' And I think she was +almost as much alarmed for the safety of these faithful men, as she had +been for that of the King on the 17th of July, when the Jacobins in the +Champ de Mars called out to have the King brought to trial--a day of +which the horrors were never effaced from her memory! + +"The King and Princesse Elizabeth fortunately came in at the moment; but +even our united efforts were unavailable. The grief of Her Majesty at +feeling herself the cause of the misfortunes of these faithful adherents, +now devoted victims of their earnestness in foiling the machinations +against the liberty and life of the King and herself, made her nearly +frantic. She too well knew that to be accused was to incur instant +death. That she retained her senses under the convulsion of her feelings +can only be ascribed to that wonderful strength of mind, which triumphed +over every bodily weakness, and still sustains her under every emergency. + +"The King and the Princesse Elizabeth, by whom Barnave had been much +esteemed ever since the journey from Varennes, were both inconsolable. I +really believe the Queen entirely owed her instantaneous recovery from +that deadly lethargic state, in which she had been thrown by her grief +for the destined sacrifice, to the exuberant goodness of the King's +heart, who instantly resolved to compromise his own existence, to save +those who had forfeited theirs for him and his family. + +"Seeing the emotion of the Queen, 'I will go myself to the Assembly,' +said Louis XVI., 'and declare their innocence.' + +"The Queen sprang forward, as if on the wings of an angel, and grasping +the King in her arms, cried, 'Will you hasten their deaths by confirming +the impression of your keeping up an understanding with them? Gracious +Heaven! Oh, that I could recall the acts of attachment they have shown +us, since to these they are now falling victims! I would save them,' +continued Her Majesty, 'with my own blood; but, Sire, it is useless. We +should only expose ourselves to the vindictive spirit of the Jacobins +without aiding the cause of our devoted friends.' + +"'Who,' asked she, I was the guilty wretch that accused our unfortunate +Barnave?' + +"'Robespierre.' + +"'Robespierre!' echoed Her Majesty. 'Oh, God! then he is numbered with +the dead! This fellow is too fond of blood to be tempted with money. But +you, Sire, must not interfere!' + +"Notwithstanding these doubts, however, I undertook, at the King's and +Queen's most earnest desire, to get some one to feel the pulse of +Robespierre, for the salvation of these our only palladium to the +constitutional monarchy. To the first application, though made through +the medium of one of his earliest college intimates, Carrier, the wretch +was utterly deaf and insensible. Of this failure I hastened to apprise +Her Majesty. 'Was any, sum,' asked she, 'named as a compensation for +suspending this trial?'--'None,' replied I. 'I had no commands to that +effect.'--'Then let the attempt be renewed, and back it with the argument +of a cheque for a hundred thousand livres on M. Laborde. He has saved my +life and the King's, and, as far as is in my power, I am determined to +save his. Barnave has exposed his life more than any of our unfortunate +friends, and if we can but succeed in saving him, he will speedily be +enabled to save his colleagues. Should the sum I name be insufficient, +my jewels shall be disposed of to make up a larger one. Fly to your +agent, dear Princess! Lose not a moment to intercede in behalf of these +our only true friends!' + +"I did so, and was fortunate enough to gain over to my personal +entreaties one who had the courage to propose the business; and a hundred +and fifty thousand livres procured them a suspension of accusation. All, +however, are still watched with such severity of scrutiny that I tremble, +even now, for the result. + +[And with reason; for all, eventually, were sacrificed upon the scaffold. +Carrier was the factotum in all the cool, deliberate, sanguinary +operations of Robespierre; when he saw the cheque, he said to the +Princesse de Lamballe: "Madame, though your personal charms and mental +virtues had completely influenced all the authority I could exercise in +favour of your protege, without this interesting argument I should not +have had courage to have renewed the business with the principal agent of +life and death."] + +"It was in the midst of such apprehensions, which struck terror into the +hearts of the King and Queen, that the Tuileries resounded with cries of +multitudes hired to renew those shouts of 'Vive le roi! vive la famille +royale!' which were once spontaneous. + +"In one of the moments of our deepest affliction, multitudes were +thronging the gardens and enjoying the celebration of the acceptance of +the Constitution. What a contrast to the feelings of the unhappy inmates +of the palace! We may well say, that many an aching heart rides in a +carriage, while the pedestrian is happy! + +"The fetes on this occasion were very brilliant. The King, the Queen, +and the Royal Family were invited to take part in this first national +festival. They did so, by appearing in their carriage through the +streets of Paris, and the Champs Elysees, escorted only by the Parisian +guard, there being no other at the time. The mob was so great that the +royal carriage could only keep pace with the foot-passengers. + +"Their Majesties were in general well received. The only exceptions were +a few of the Jacobin members of the Assembly, who, even on this occasion, +sought every means to afflict the hearts, and shock the ears, of Their +Majesties, by causing republican principles to be vociferated at the very +doors of their carriage. + +"The good sense of the King and Queen prevented them from taking any +notice of these insults while in public; but no sooner had they returned +to the castle, than the Queen gave way to her grief at the premeditated +humiliation she was continually witnessing to the majesty of the +constitutional monarchy,--an insult less to the King himself than to the +nation, which had acknowledged him their Sovereign. + +"When the royal party entered the apartment, they found M. de Montmorin +with me, who had come to talk over these matters, secure that at such a +moment we should not be surprised. + +"On hearing the Queen's observation, M. de Montmorin made no secret of +the necessity there was of Their Majesties dissembling their feelings; +the avowal of which, he said, would only tend to forward the triumph of +Jacobinism, 'which,' added he, 'I am sorry to see predominates in the +Assembly, and keeps in subordination all the public and private clubs.' + +"'What!' exclaimed the Princesse Elizabeth, can that be possible, after +the King has accepted the Constitution?' + +"'Yes,' said the Queen; these people, my dear Elizabeth, wish for a +Constitution which sanctions the overthrow of him by whom it has been +granted.' + +"'In this,' observed M. de Montmorin, 'as on some other points, I +perfectly agree with Your Majesty and the King, notwithstanding I have +been opposed by the whole Council and many other honest constituent +members, as well as the Cabinet of Vienna. And it is still, as it has +ever been, my firm opinion, that the King ought, previous to the +acceptance of the Constitution, to have been allowed, for the security of +its future organization, to have examined it maturely; which, not having +been the case, I foresee the dangerous situation in which His Majesty +stands, and I foresee, too, the non-promulgation of this charter. +Malouet, who is an honest man, is of my opinion. Duport, De Lameth, +Barnave, and even La Fayette are intimidated at the prevailing spirit of +the Jacobins. They were all with the best intentions for Your Majesty's +present safety, for the acceptance in toto, but without reflecting on the +consequences which must follow should the nation be deceived. But I, who +am, and ever shall be, attached to royalty, regret the step, though I am +clear in my impression as to the only course which ought to succeed it. +The throne can now only be made secure by the most unequivocal frankness +of proceeding on the part of the Crown. It is not enough to have +conceded, it is necessary also to show that the concession has some more +solid origin than mere expediency. It should be made with a good grace. +Every motive of prudence, as well as of necessity, requires that the +monarch himself, and all those most interested for his safety, should, +neither in looks, manners, or conversation, seem as if they felt a regret +for what has been lost, but rather appear satisfied with what has been +bestowed.' + +"'In that case,' said the Queen, 'we should lose all the support of the +royalists.' + +"'Every royalist, Madame,' replied he, 'who, at this critical crisis, +does not avow the sentiments of a constitutionalist, is a nail in the +King's untimely coffin.' + +"'Gracious God !' cried the Queen; 'that would destroy the only hope +which still flatters our drooping existence. Symptoms of moderation, or +any conciliatory measures we might be inclined to show, of our free will, +to the constitutionalists, would be immediately considered as a desertion +of our supporters, and treachery to ourselves, by the royalists.' + +"'It would be placed entirely out of my power, Madame,' replied M. de +Montmorin, 'to make my attachment to the persons of Your Majesties +available for the maintenance of your rights, did I permit the factious, +overbearing party which prevails to see into my real zeal for the +restoration of the royal authority, so necessary for their own future +honour, security, and happiness. Could they see this, I should be +accused as a national traitor, or even worse, and sent out of the world +by a sudden death of ignominy, merely to glut their hatred of monarchy; +and it is therefore I dissemble.' + +"'I perfectly agree with you,' answered the Queen. That cruel moment +when I witnessed the humiliating state to which royalty had been reduced +by the constituents, when they placed the President of their Assembly +upon a level with the King; gave a plebeian, exercising his functions pro +tempore, prerogatives in the face of the nation to trample down +hereditary monarchy and legislative authority--that cruel moment +discovered the fatal truth. In the anguish of my heart, I told His +Majesty that he had outlived his kingly authority: Here she burst into +tears, hiding her face in her handkerchief. + +"With the mildness of a saint, the angelic Princesse Elizabeth exclaimed, +turning to the King, 'Say something to the Queen, to calm her anguish!' + +"'It will be of no avail,' said the King; 'her grief adds to my +affliction. I have been the innocent cause of her participating in this +total ruin, and as it is only her fortitude which has hitherto supported +me, with the same philosophical and religious resignation we must await +what fate destines!' + +"'Yes,' observed M. de Montmorin; 'but Providence has also given us the +rational faculty of opposing imminent danger, and by activity and +exertion obviating its consequences.' + +"'In what manner, sir?' cried the Queen; 'tell me how this is to be +effected, and, with the King's sanction, I am ready to do anything to +avert the storm, which so loudly threatens the august head of the French +nation.' + +"'Vienna, Madame,' replied he; 'Vienna! Your Majesty's presence at +Vienna would do more for the King's safety, and the nation's future +tranquillity, than the most powerful army.' + +"'We have long since suggested,' said the Princesse Elizabeth, 'that Her +Majesty should fly from France and take refuge----' + +"'Pardon me, Princess,' interrupted M. de Montmorin, 'it is not for +refuge solely I would have Her Majesty go thither. It is to give +efficacy to the love she bears the King and his family, in being there +the powerful advocate to check the fallacious march of a foreign army to +invade us for the subjection of the French nation. All these external +attempts will prove abortive, and only tend to exasperate the French to +crime and madness. Here I coincide with my coadjutors, Barnave, Duport, +De Lameth, etc. The principle on which the re-establishment of the order +and tranquillity of France depends, can be effected only by the +non-interference of foreign powers. Let them leave the rational +resources of our own internal force to re-establish our real interests, +which every honest Frenchman will strive to secure, if not thwarted by +the threats and menaces of those who have no right to interfere. +Besides, Madame, they are too far from us to afford immediate relief from +the present dangers internally surrounding us. These are the points of +fearful import. It is not the threats and menaces of a foreign army +which can subdue a nation's internal factions. These only rouse them to +prolong disorders. National commotions can be quelled only by national +spirit, whose fury, once exhausted on those who have aroused it, leave it +free to look within, and work a reform upon itself.' + +"M. de Montmorin, after many other prudent exhortations and remarks, and +some advice with regard to the King and Queen's household, took his. +leave. He was no sooner gone than it was decided by the King that Marie +Antoinette, accompanied by myself and some other ladies, and the +gentlemen of the bedchamber, couriers, etc., should set out forthwith for +Vienna. + +[The Princease de Lamballe sent me directions that very evening, some +time after midnight, to be at our place of rendezvous early in the +morning. I was overjoyed at the style of the note. It was the least +mysterious I had ever received from Her Highness. I inferred that some +fortunate event had occurred, with which, knowing how deeply I was +interested in the fate of her on whom my own so much depended, she was, +eager to make me acquainted. + +But what was my surprise, on entering the church fixed on for the +meeting, to see the Queen's unknown confessor beckoning me to come to +him. I approached. He bade me wait till after Mass, when he had +something to communicate from the Princess. + +This confessor officiated in the place of the one whom Mirabeau had +seduced to take the constitutional oath. The Queen and Princess +confessed to him in the private apartment of Her Highness on the ground +floor; though it was never known where, or to whom they confessed, after +the treachery of the royal confessor. This faithful and worthy successor +was only known as "the known." I never heard who he was, or what was his +name. + +The Mass being over, I followed him into the sacristy. He told me that +the Princess, by Her Majesty's command, wished me to set off immediately +for Strasburg, and there await the arrival of Her Highness, to be in +readiness to follow her and Her Majesty for the copying of the cipher, as +they were going to Vienna. + +When everything, however, had been settled for their departure, which it +was agreed was to take place from the house of Count Fersen, the +resolution was suddenly changed; but I was desired to hold myself in +readiness for another journey.] + +"To say why this purpose was abandoned is unnecessary. The same +fatality, which renders every project unattainable, threw insuperable +impediments, in the way of this." + + + + +SECTION XII. + + +"The news of the death of the Emperor Leopold, in the midst of the other +distresses of Her Majesty, afflicted her very deeply; the more so because +she had every reason to think he fell a victim to the active part he took +in her favour. Externally, this monarch certainly demonstrated no very +great inclination to become a member of the coalition of Pilnitz. He +judged, very justly, that his brother Joseph had not only defeated his +own purposes by too openly and violently asserting the cause of their +unfortunate sister, but had destroyed himself, and, therefore, selected +what he deemed the safer and surer course of secret support. But all his +caution proved abortive. The Assembly knew his manoeuvres as well as he +himself did. He died an untimely death; and the Queen was assured, from +undoubted authority, that both Joseph and Leopold were poisoned in their +medicines. + +"During my short absence in England, the King's household had undergone a +complete change. When the emigration first commenced, a revolution in +the officers of the Court took place, but it was of a nature different +from this last; and, by destroying itself, left the field open to those +who now made the palace so intolerable. The first change to which I +refer arose as follows: + +"The greater part of the high offices being vacated by the secession of +the most distinguished nobility, many places fell to persons who had all +their lives occupied very subordinate situations. These, to retain their +offices, were indiscreet enough publicly to declare their dissent from +all the measures of the Assembly; an absurdity, which, at the +commencement, was encouraged by the Court, till the extreme danger of +encouraging it was discovered too late; and when once the error had been +tolerated, and rewarded, it was found impossible to check it, and stop +these fatal tongues. The Queen, who disliked the character of +capriciousness, for a long time allowed the injury to go on, by +continuing about her those who inflicted it. The error, which arose from +delicacy, was imputed to a very different and less honourable feeling, +till the clamour became so great, that she was obliged to yield to it, +and dismiss those who had acted with so much indiscretion. + +"The King and Queen did not dare now to express themselves on the subject +of the substitutes who were to succeed. Consequently they became +surrounded by persons placed by the Assembly as spies. The most +conspicuous situations were filled by the meanest persons--not, as in the +former case, by such as had risen, though by accident, still regularly to +their places--but by myrmidons of the prevailing power, to whom Their +Majesties were compelled to submit, because their rulers willed it. All +orders of nobility were abolished. All the Court ladies, not attached to +the King and Queen personally, abandoned the Court. No one would be seen +at the Queen's card-parties, once so crowded, and so much sought after. +We were entirely reduced to the family circle. The King, when weary of +playing with the Princesse Elizabeth and the Queen, would retire to his +apartments without uttering a word, not from sullenness, but overcome by +silent grief. + +"The Queen was occupied continually by the extensive correspondence she +had to carry on with the foreign Sovereigns, the Princes, and the +different parties. Her Majesty once gave me nearly thirty letters she +had written in the course of two days, which were forwarded by my cara +Inglesina--cara indeed! for she was of the greatest service. + +"Her Majesty slept very little. But her courage never slackened; and +neither her health, nor her general amiableness, was in the least +affected. Though few persons could be more sensible than herself to +poignant mortification at seeing her former splendour hourly decrease, +yet she never once complained. She was, in this respect, a real stoic. + +"The palace was now become, what it still remains, like a police office. +It was filled with spies and runners. Every member of the Assembly, by +some means or other, had his respective emissary. All the antechambers +were peopled by inveterate Jacobins, by those whose greatest pleasure was +to insult the ears and minds of all whom they considered above themselves +in birth, or rank, or virtue. So completely were the decencies of life +abolished, that common respect was withheld even from the Royal Family. + +"I was determined to persevere in my usual line of conduct, of which the +King and Queen very much approved. Without setting up for a person of +importance, I saw all who wished for public or private audiences of Their +Majesties. I carried on no intrigues, and only discharged the humble +duties of my situation to the best of my ability for the general good, +and to secure, as far as possible, the comfort of Their Majesties, who +really were to be pitied, utterly friendless and forsaken as they were. + +"M. Laporte, the head of the King's private police, came to me one day in +great consternation. He had discovered that schemes were on foot to +poison all the Royal Family, and that, in a private committee of the +Assembly, considerable pensions had been offered for the perpetration of +the crime. Its facility was increased, as far as regarded the Queen, by +the habit to which Her Majesty had accustomed herself of always keeping +powdered sugar at hand, which, without referring to her attendants, she +would herself mix with water and drink as a beverage whenever she was +thirsty. + +"I entreated M. Laporte not to disclose the conspiracy to the Queen till +I had myself had an opportunity of apprising her of his praiseworthy +zeal. He agreed, on condition that precautions should be immediately +adopted with respect to the persons who attended the kitchen. This, I +assured him, should be done on the instant. + +"At the period I mention, all sorts of etiquette had been abolished. The +custom which prevented my appearing before the Queen, except at stated +hours, had long since been discontinued; and, as all the other +individuals who came before or after the hours of service were eyed with +distrust, and I remained the only one whose access to Their Majesties was +free and unsuspected, though it was very early when M. Laporte called, I +thought it my duty to hasten immediately to my royal mistress. + +"I found her in bed. 'Has Your Majesty breakfasted?' said I. + +"'No,' replied she; 'will you breakfast with me?' + +"'Most certainly,' said I, 'if Your Majesty will insure me against being +poisoned.' + +"At the word poison Her Majesty started up and looked at me very +earnestly, and with a considerable degree of alarm. + +"'I am only joking,' continued I; 'I will breakfast with Your Majesty if +you will give me tea.' + +"Tea was presently brought. 'In this,' said I, 'there is no danger.' + +"'What do you mean?' asked Her Majesty. + +"'I am ordered,' replied I, taking up a lump of sugar, 'not to drink +chocolate, or coffee, or anything with powdered sugar. These are times +when caution alone can prevent our being sent out of the world with all +our sins upon our heads.' + +"'I am very glad to hear you say so; for you have reason to be +particular, after what you once so cruelly suffered from poison. But +what has brought that again into your mind just now?' + +"'Well, then, since Your Majesty approves of my circumspection, allow me +to say I think it advisable that we should, at a moment like this +especially, abstain from all sorts of food by which our existence may be +endangered. For my own part, I mean to give up all made dishes, and +confine myself to the simplest diet.' + +"'Come, come, Princess,' interrupted Her Majesty; 'there is more in this +than you wish me to understand. Fear not. I am prepared for anything +that may be perpetrated against my own life, but let me preserve from +peril my King, my husband, and my children!' + +"My feelings prevented me from continuing to dissemble. I candidly +repeated all I had heard from M. Laporte. + +"Her Majesty instantly rang for one of her confidential women. 'Go to +the King,' said Her Majesty to the attendant, 'and if you find him alone, +beg him to come to me at once; but, if there are any of the guards or +other persons within hearing, merely say that the Princesse de Lamballe +is with me and is desirous of the loan of a newspaper.' + +"The King's guard, and indeed most of those about him, were no better +than spies, and this caution in the Queen was necessary to prevent any +jealousy from being excited by the sudden message. + +"When the messenger left us by ourselves, I observed to Her Majesty that +it would be imprudent to give the least publicity to the circumstance, +for were it really mere suspicion in the head of the police, its +disclosure might only put this scheme into some miscreant's head, and +tempt him to realize it. The Queen said I was perfectly right, and it +should be kept secret. + +"Our ambassadress was fortunate enough to reach the King's apartment +unobserved, and to find him unattended, so he received the message +forthwith. On leaving the apartment, however, she was noticed and +watched. She immediately went out of the Tuileries as if sent to make +purchases, and some time afterwards returned with some trifling articles +in her hand. + +[This incident will give the reader an idea of the cruel situation in +which the first Sovereigns of Europe then stood; and how much they +appreciated the few subjects who devoted themselves to thwart and +mitigate the tyranny practised by the Assembly over these illustrious +victims. I can speak from my own experience on these matters. From the +time I last accompanied the Princesse de Lamballe to Paris till I left it +in 1792, what between milliners, dressmakers, flower girls, fancy toy +sellers, perfumers, hawkers of jewellery, purse and gaiter makers, etc., +I had myself assumed twenty different characters, besides that of a +drummer boy, sometimes blackening my face to enter the palace unnoticed, +and often holding conversations analogous to the sentiments of the +wretches who were piercing my heart with the remarks circumstances +compelled me to encourage. Indeed, I can safely say I was known, in some +shape or other, to almost everybody, but to no one in my real character, +except the Princess by whom I was so graciously employed.] + +"The moment the King appeared, 'Sire,' exclaimed Her Majesty, 'the +Assembly, tired of endeavouring to wear us to death by slow torment, have +devised an expedient to relieve their own anxiety and prevent us from +putting them to further inconvenience.' + +"'What do you mean?' said the King. I repeated my conversation with M. +Laporte. 'Bah! bah!' resumed His Majesty, 'They never will attempt it. +They have fixed on other methods of getting rid of us. They have not +policy enough to allow our deaths to be ascribed to accident. They are +too much initiated in great crimes already.' + +"'But,' asked the Queen, 'do you not think it highly necessary to make +use of every precaution, when we are morally sure of the probability of +such a plot?' + +"'Most certainly! otherwise we should be, in the eyes of God, almost +guilty of suicide. But how prevent it? surrounded as we are by persons +who, being seduced to believe that we are plotting against them, feel +justified in the commission of any crime under the false idea of +self-defence!' + +"'We may prevent it,' replied Her Majesty, 'by abstaining from everything +in our diet wherein poison can be introduced; and that we can manage +without making any stir by the least change either in the kitchen +arrangements or in our own, except, indeed, this one. Luckily, as we are +restricted in our attendants, we have a fair excuse for dumb waiters, +whereby it will be perfectly easy to choose or discard without exciting +suspicion.' + +"This, consequently, was the course agreed upon; and every possible +means, direct and indirect, was put into action to secure the future +safety of the Royal Family and prevent the accomplishment of the threat +of poison." + +[On my seeing the Princess next morning, Her Highness condescended to +inform me of the danger to which herself and the Royal Family were +exposed. She requested I would send my man servant to the persons who +served me, to fill a moderate-sized hamper with wine, salt, chocolate, +biscuits, and liquors, and take it to her apartment, at the Pavilion of +Flora, to be used as occasion required. All the fresh bread and butter +which was necessary I got made for nearly a fortnight by persons whom I +knew at a distance from the palace, whither I always conveyed it myself.] + + + + +ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS: + +And scarcely a woman; for your answers are very short +Can make a Duchess a beggar, but cannot make a beggar a Duchess +Canvassing for a majority to set up D'Orleans +Clergy enjoyed one-third the national revenues +Declaring the Duke of Orleans the constitutional King +Foolishly occupying themselves with petty matters +Many an aching heart rides in a carriage +Over-caution may produce evils almost equal to carelessness +Panegyric of the great Edmund Burke upon Marie Antoinette +People in independence are only the puppets of demagogues +Revolution not as the Americans, founded on grievances +Suppression of all superfluous religious institutions +The King remained as if paralysed and stupefied +These expounders--or confounders--of codes +To be accused was to incur instant death +Who confound logic with their wishes + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Memoirs of Louis XV. and XVI., +Volume 6, by Madame du Hausset, and of an Unknown English Girl and the Princess Lamballe + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LOUIS XV. AND XVI. *** + +***** This file should be named 3881.txt or 3881.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/8/8/3881/ + +Produced by David Widger + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. 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