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diff --git a/old/files/relative.htm b/old/files/relative.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..94e8195 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/files/relative.htm @@ -0,0 +1,17843 @@ +<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1"?> + +<!DOCTYPE html + PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd" > + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> + <head> + <title> + MARIE ANTOINETTE, By Campan + </title> + <style type="text/css"> + <!-- + body { margin:5%; background:#faebd0; text-align:justify} + P { text-indent: 1em; margin-top: .25em; margin-bottom: .25em; } + H1,H2,H3,H4,H5,H6 { text-align: center; margin-left: 15%; margin-right: 15%; } + hr { width: 50%; text-align: center;} + .foot { margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%; text-align: justify; text-indent: -3em; font-size: 90%; } + blockquote {font-size: 97%; font-style: italic; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%;} + .mynote {background-color: #DDE; color: #000; padding: .5em; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 95%;} + .toc { margin-left: 10%; margin-bottom: .75em;} + .toc2 { margin-left: 20%;} + .indent5 { margin-left: 5%;} + .indent10 { margin-left: 10%;} + .indent15 { margin-left: 15%;} + .indent20 { margin-left: 20%;} + .indent30 { margin-left: 30%;} + div.fig { display:block; margin:0 auto; text-align:center; } + div.middle { margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%; text-align: justify; } + .figleft {float: left; margin-left: 0%; margin-right: 1%;} + .figright {float: right; margin-right: 0%; margin-left: 1%;} + .pagenum {display:inline; font-size: 100%; font-style:normal; + margin: 0; padding: 0; position: absolute; right: 1%; + text-align: right;} + .side { float: left; font-size: 75%; width: 25%; padding-left: 0.8em; + border-left: dashed thin; text-align: left; + text-indent: 0; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; + font-weight: bold; color: black; background: #eeeeee; border: solid 1px;} + p.pfirst, p.noindent {text-indent: 0} + span.dropcap { float: left; margin: 0 0.1em 0 0; line-height: 1 } + pre { font-style: italic; font-size: 90%; margin-left: 10%;} + --> +</style> + </head> + <body> + <h2> + MEMOIRS OF MARIE ANTOINETTE, By Campan + </h2> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Memoirs Of The Court Of Marie Antoinette, +Queen Of France, Complete, by Madame Campan + +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.net + + +Title: Memoirs Of The Court Of Marie Antoinette, Queen Of France, Complete + Being the Historic Memoirs of Madam Campan, First Lady in Waiting + to the Queen + +Author: Madame Campan + + +Release Date: October 2, 2006 [EBook #3891] +Last Updated: April 3, 2013 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MEMOIRS MADAM CAMPAN *** + + + + +Produced by David Widger + + + + + +</pre> + <p> + <br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> + </p> + <h1> + MEMOIRS OF THE COURT OF <br /><br />MARIE ANTOINETTE, <br /><br />QUEEN OF + FRANCE + </h1> + <p> + <br /><br /><br /> + </p> + <h3> + Being the Historic Memoirs of Madam Campan,<br /> First Lady in Waiting to + the Queen. + </h3> + <p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </p> + <div class="fig" style="width:80%;"> + <img alt="cover.jpg (143K)" src="images/cover.jpg" width="100%" /><br /> + </div> + <p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </p> + <div class="fig" style="width:80%;"> + <img alt="titlepage.jpg (58K)" src="images/titlepage.jpg" width="100%" /><br /> + </div> + <p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </p> + <h2> + CONTENTS + </h2> + <table summary=""> + <tr> + <td> + <h3> + <a href="#book1">Book I.</a> + </h3> + <h3> + <a href="#book2">Book II.</a> + </h3> + </td> + </tr> + </table> + <p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </p> + <blockquote> + <h2> + LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS + </h2> + <p> + <a href="#dubarry">Duchesse du Barry</a><br /><br /> <a href="#p188">Princesse + de Lamballe</a><br /><br /> <a href="#p204">The Parisian Bonne</a><br /><br /> + <a href="#p254">Louis XVI. and Marie Antoinette</a><br /><br /> <a + href="#p308">Beaumarchais</a><br /><br /> <a href="#p340">The Reveille</a><br /><br /> + <a href="#adelaide">Madame Adelaide as Diana</a><br /><br /> <a + href="#pb080">The Bastille</a><br /><br /> <a href="#pb144">Opening of The + States General</a><br /><br /> <a href="#pb242">Louis XVI.</a><br /><br /> + <a href="#pb286">Marie Antoinette on the way to the Guillotine</a><br /><br /> + <a href="#pb310">Madame Campan</a><br /><br /> + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> + </p> + <h2> + PREFACE BY THE AUTHOR. + </h2> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <p> + Louis XVI. possessed an immense crowd of confidants, advisers, and guides; + he selected them even from among the factions which attacked him. Never, + perhaps, did he make a full disclosure to any one of them, and certainly + he spoke with sincerity, to but very few. He invariably kept the reins of + all secret intrigues in his own hand; and thence, doubtless, arose the + want of cooperation and the weakness which were so conspicuous in his + measures. From these causes considerable chasms will be found in the + detailed history of the Revolution. + </p> + <p> + In order to become thoroughly acquainted with the latter years of the + reign of Louis XV., memoirs written by the Duc de Choiseul, the Duc + d'Aiguillon, the Marechal de Richelieu, and the Duc de La Vauguyon, should + be before us. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [I heard Le Marechal de Richelieu desire M. Campan, who was librarian to + the Queen, not to buy the Memoirs which would certainly be attributed to + him after his death, declaring them false by anticipation; and adding + that he was ignorant of orthography, and had never amused himself with + writing. Shortly after the death of the Marshal, one Soulavie put forth + Memoirs of the Marechal de Richelieu.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + To give us a faithful portrait of the unfortunate reign of Louis XVI., the + Marechal du Muy, M. de Maurepas, M. de Vergennes, M. de Malesherbes, the + Duc d'Orleans, M. de La Fayette, the Abby de Vermond, the Abbe + Montesquiou, Mirabeau, the Duchesse de Polignac, and the Duchesse de + Luynes should have noted faithfully in writing all the transactions in + which they took decided parts. The secret political history of a later + period has been disseminated among a much greater number of persons; there + are Ministers who have published memoirs, but only when they had their own + measures to justify, and then they confined themselves to the vindication + of their own characters, without which powerful motive they probably would + have written nothing. In general, those nearest to the Sovereign, either + by birth or by office, have left no memoirs; and in absolute monarchies + the mainsprings of great events will be found in particulars which the + most exalted persons alone could know. Those who have had but little under + their charge find no subject in it for a book; and those who have long + borne the burden of public business conceive themselves to be forbidden by + duty, or by respect for authority, to disclose all they know. Others, + again, preserve notes, with the intention of reducing them to order when + they shall have reached the period of a happy leisure; vain illusion of + the ambitious, which they cherish, for the most part, but as a veil to + conceal from their sight the hateful image of their inevitable downfall! + and when it does at length take place, despair or chagrin deprives them of + fortitude to dwell upon the dazzling period which they never cease to + regret. + </p> + <p> + Louis XVI. meant to write his own memoirs; the manner in which his private + papers were arranged indicated this design. The Queen also had the same + intention; she long preserved a large correspondence, and a great number + of minute reports, made in the spirit and upon the event of the moment. + But after the 20th of June, 1792, she was obliged to burn the larger + portion of what she had so collected, and the remainder were conveyed out + of France. + </p> + <p> + Considering the rank and situations of the persons I have named as capable + of elucidating by their writings the history of our political storms, it + will not be imagined that I aim at placing myself on a level with them; + but I have spent half my life either with the daughters of Louis XV. or + with Marie Antoinette. I knew the characters of those Princesses; I became + privy to some extraordinary facts, the publication of which may be + interesting, and the truth of the details will form the merit of my work. + </p> + <p> + I was very young when I was placed about the Princesses, the daughters of + Louis XV., in the capacity of reader. I was acquainted with the Court of + Versailles before the time of the marriage of Louis XVI. with the + Archduchess Marie Antoinette. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> <a name="pb310" id="pb310"></a> + </p> + <div class="fig" style="width:80%;"> + <img alt="pb310.jpg (95K)" src="images/pb310.jpg" width="100%" /><br /> + </div> + <p> + <br /> Madame Campan <br /><br /><br /> + </p> + <p> + My father, who was employed in the department of Foreign Affairs, enjoyed + the reputation due to his talents and to his useful labours. He had + travelled much. Frenchmen, on their return home from foreign countries, + bring with them a love for their own, increased in warmth; and no man was + more penetrated with this feeling, which ought to be the first virtue of + every placeman, than my father. Men of high title, academicians, and + learned men, both natives and foreigners, sought my father's acquaintance, + and were gratified by being admitted into his house. + </p> + <p> + Twenty years before the Revolution I often heard it remarked that the + imposing character of the power of Louis XIV. was no longer to be found in + the Palace of Versailles; that the institutions of the ancient monarchy + were rapidly sinking; and that the people, crushed beneath the weight of + taxes, were miserable, though silent; but that they began to give ear to + the bold speeches of the philosophers, who loudly proclaimed their + sufferings and their rights; and, in short, that the age would not pass + away without the occurrence of some great outburst, which would unsettle + France, and change the course of its progress. + </p> + <p> + Those who thus spoke were almost all partisans of M. Turgot's system of + administration: they were Mirabeau the father, Doctor Quesnay, Abbe + Bandeau, and Abbe Nicoli, charge d'affaires to Leopold, Grand Duke of + Tuscany, and as enthusiastic an admirer of the maxims of the innovators as + his Sovereign. + </p> + <p> + My father sincerely respected the purity of intention of these + politicians. With them he acknowledged many abuses in the Government; but + he did not give these political sectarians credit for the talent necessary + for conducting a judicious reform. He told them frankly that in the art of + moving the great machine of Government, the wisest of them was inferior to + a good magistrate; and that if ever the helm of affairs should be put into + their hands, they would be speedily checked in the execution of their + schemes by the immeasurable difference existing between the most brilliant + theories and the simplest practice of administration. + </p> + <p> + Destiny having formerly placed me near crowned heads, I now amuse my + solitude when in retirement with collecting a variety of facts which may + prove interesting to my family when I shall be no more. The idea of + collecting all the interesting materials which my memory affords occurred + to me from reading the work entitled "Paris, Versailles, and the Provinces + in the Eighteenth Century." That work, composed by a man accustomed to the + best society, is full of piquant anecdotes, nearly all of which have been + recognised as true by the contemporaries of the author. I have put + together all that concerned the domestic life of an unfortunate Princess, + whose reputation is not yet cleared of the stains it received from the + attacks of calumny, and who justly merited a different lot in life, a + different place in the opinion of mankind after her fall. These memoirs, + which were finished ten years ago, have met with the approbation of some + persons; and my son may, perhaps, think proper to print them after my + decease. + </p> + <p> + J. L. H. C. + </p> + <p> + —When Madame Campan wrote these lines, she did not anticipate that + the death of her son would precede her own. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> <a name="p254" id="p254"></a> + </p> + <div class="fig" style="width:80%;"> + <img alt="p254.jpg (79K)" src="images/p254.jpg" width="100%" /><br /> + </div> + <p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> <br /><br /> <a name="book1" id="book1"></a> <br /><br /> + </p> + <h1> + HISTORIC COURT MEMOIRS. + </h1> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <h1> + MARIE ANTOINETTE. + </h1> + <p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </p> + <h2> + MEMOIR OF MADAME CAMPAN. + </h2> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <p> + JEANNE LOUISE HENRIETTE GENET was born in Paris on the 6th of October, + 1752. M. Genet, her father, had obtained, through his own merit and the + influence of the Duc de Choiseul, the place of first clerk in the Foreign + Office. + </p> + <p> + Literature, which he had cultivated in his youth, was often the solace of + his leisure hours. Surrounded by a numerous family, he made the + instruction of his children his chief recreation, and omitted nothing + which was necessary to render them highly accomplished. His clever and + precocious daughter Henriette was very early accustomed to enter society, + and to take an intelligent interest in current topics and public events. + Accordingly, many of her relations being connected with the Court or + holding official positions, she amassed a fund of interesting + recollections and characteristic anecdotes, some gathered from personal + experience, others handed down by old friends of the family. + </p> + <p> + "The first event which made any impression on me in my childhood," she + says in her reminiscences, "was the attempt of Damiens to assassinate + Louis XV. This occurrence struck me so forcibly that the most minute + details relating to the confusion and grief which prevailed at Versailles + on that day seem as present to my imagination as the most recent events. I + had dined with my father and mother, in company with one of their friends. + The drawing-room was lighted up with a number of candles, and four + card-tables were already occupied, when a friend of the gentleman of the + house came in, with a pale and terrified countenance, and said, in a voice + scarcely audible, 'I bring you terrible news. The King has been + assassinated!' Two ladies in the company fainted; a brigadier of the Body + Guards threw down his cards and cried out, 'I do not wonder at it; it is + those rascally Jesuits.'—'What are you saying, brother?' cried a + lady, flying to him; 'would you get yourself arrested?'—'Arrested! + For what? For unmasking those wretches who want a bigot for a King?' My + father came in; he recommended circumspection, saying that the blow was + not mortal, and that all meetings ought to be suspended at so critical a + moment. He had brought the chaise for my mother, who placed me on her + knees. We lived in the Avenue de Paris, and throughout our drive I heard + incessant cries and sobs from the footpaths. + </p> + <p> + "At last I saw a man arrested; he was an usher of the King's chamber, who + had gone mad, and was crying out, 'Yes, I know them; the wretches! the + villains!' Our chaise was stopped by this bustle. My mother recognised the + unfortunate man who had been seized; she gave his name to the trooper who + had stopped him. The poor usher was therefore merely conducted to the gens + d'armes' guardroom, which was then in the avenue. + </p> + <p> + "I have often heard M. de Landsmath, equerry and master of the hounds, who + used to come frequently to my father's, say that on the news of the + attempt on the King's life he instantly repaired to his Majesty. I cannot + repeat the coarse expressions he made use of to encourage his Majesty; but + his account of the affair, long afterwards, amused the parties in which he + was prevailed on to relate it, when all apprehensions respecting the + consequences of the event had subsided. This M. de Landsmath was an old + soldier, who had given proofs of extraordinary valour; nothing had been + able to soften his manners or subdue his excessive bluntness to the + respectful customs of the Court. The King was very fond of him. He + possessed prodigious strength, and had often contended with Marechal Saxe, + renowned for his great bodily power, in trying the strength of their + respective wrists. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [One day when the King was hunting in the forest of St. Germain, + Landemath, riding before him, wanted a cart, filled with the slime of a + pond that had just been cleansed, to draw up out of the way. The carter + resisted, and even answered with impertinence. Landsmath, without + dismounting, seized him by the breast of his coat, lifted him up, and + threw him into his cart.—MADAME CAMPAN.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + "M. de Landsmath had a thundering voice. When he came into the King's + apartment he found the Dauphin and Mesdames, his Majesty's daughters, + there; the Princesses, in tears, surrounded the King's bed. Send out all + these weeping women, Sire,' said the old equerry; 'I want to speak to you + alone: The King made a sign to the Princesses to withdraw. 'Come,' said + Landsmath, 'your wound is nothing; you had plenty of waistcoats and + flannels on.' Then uncovering his breast, 'Look here,' said he, showing + four or five great scars, 'these are something like wounds; I received + them thirty years ago; now cough as loud as you can.' The King did so. + ''Tis nothing at all,' said Landsmath; 'you must laugh at it; we shall + hunt a stag together in four days.'—'But suppose the blade was + poisoned,' said the King. 'Old grandams' tales,' replied Landsmath; 'if it + had been so, the waistcoats and flannels would have rubbed the poison + off.' The King was pacified, and passed a very good night. + </p> + <p> + "His Majesty one day asked M. de Landsmath how old he was. He was aged, + and by no means fond of thinking of his age; he evaded the question. A + fortnight later, Louis XV. took a paper out of his pocket and read aloud: + 'On such a day in the month of one thousand six hundred and eighty, was + baptised by me, rector of ———, the son of the high and + mighty lord,' etc. 'What's that?' said Landsmath, angrily; 'has your + Majesty been procuring the certificate of my baptism?'—'There it is, + you see, Landsmath,' said the King. 'Well, Sire, hide it as fast as you + can; a prince entrusted with the happiness of twenty-five millions of + people ought not wilfully to hurt the feelings of a single individual.' + </p> + <p> + "The King learned that Landsmath had lost his confessor, a missionary + priest of the parish of Notre-Dame. It was the custom of the Lazarists to + expose their dead with the face uncovered. Louis XV. wished to try his + equerry's firmness. 'You have lost your confessor, I hear,' said the King. + 'Yes, Sire.'—'He will be exposed with his face bare?'—'Such is + the custom.'—'I command you to go and see him.'—'Sire, my + confessor was my friend; it would be very painful to me.'—'No + matter; I command you.'—'Are you really in earnest, Sire?'—'Quite + so.'—'It would be the first time in my life that I had disobeyed my + sovereign's order. I will go.' The next day the King at his levee, as soon + as he perceived Landsmath, said, 'Have you done as I desired you, + Landsmath?'—'Undoubtedly, Sire.'—'Well, what did you see?'—'Faith, + I saw that your Majesty and I are no great shakes!' + </p> + <p> + "At the death of Queen Maria Leczinska, M. Campan,—[Her + father-in-law, afterwards secretary to Marie Antoinette.]—then an + officer of the chamber, having performed several confidential duties, the + King asked Madame Adelaide how he should reward him. She requested him to + create an office in his household of master of the wardrobe, with a salary + of a thousand crowns. 'I will do so,' said the King; 'it will be an + honourable title; but tell Campan not to add a single crown to his + expenses, for you will see they will never pay him.' + </p> + <p> + "Louis XV., by his dignified carriage, and the amiable yet majestic + expression of his features, was worthy to succeed to Louis the Great. But + he too frequently indulged in secret pleasures, which at last were sure to + become known. During several winters, he was passionately fond of + 'candles' end balls', as he called those parties amongst the very lowest + classes of society. He got intelligence of the picnics given by the + tradesmen, milliners, and sempstresses of Versailles, whither he repaired + in a black domino, and masked, accompanied by the captain of his Guards, + masked like himself. His great delight was to go 'en brouette'—[In a + kind of sedan-chair, running on two wheels, and drawn by a chairman.]—Care + was always taken to give notice to five or six officers of the King's or + Queen's chamber to be there, in order that his Majesty might be surrounded + by people on whom he could depend, without finding it troublesome. + Probably the captain of the Guards also took other precautions of this + description on his part. My father-in-law, when the King and he were both + young, has often made one amongst the servants desired to attend masked at + these parties, assembled in some garret, or parlour of a public-house. In + those times, during the carnival, masked companies had a right to join the + citizens' balls; it was sufficient that one of the party should unmask and + name himself. + </p> + <p> + "These secret excursions, and his too habitual intercourse with ladies + more distinguished for their personal charms than for the advantages of + education, were no doubt the means by which the King acquired many vulgar + expressions which otherwise would never have reached his ears. + </p> + <p> + "Yet amidst the most shameful excesses the King sometimes suddenly resumed + the dignity of his rank in a very noble manner. The familiar courtiers of + Louis XV. had one day abandoned themselves to the unrestrained gaiety, of + a supper, after returning from the chase. Each boasted of and described + the beauty of his mistress. Some of them amused themselves with giving a + particular account of their wives' personal defects. An imprudent word, + addressed to Louis XV., and applicable only to the Queen, instantly + dispelled all the mirth of the entertainment. The King assumed his regal + air, and knocking with his knife on the table twice or thrice, 'Gentlemen; + said he, 'here is the King!' + </p> + <p> + "Those men who are most completely abandoned to dissolute manners are not, + on that account, insensible to virtue in women. The Comtesse de Perigord + was as beautiful as virtuous. During some excursions she made to Choisy, + whither she had been invited, she perceived that the King took great + notice of her. Her demeanour of chilling respect, her cautious + perseverance in shunning all serious conversation with the monarch, were + insufficient to extinguish this rising flame, and he at length addressed a + letter to her, worded in the most passionate terms. This excellent woman + instantly formed her resolution: honour forbade her returning the King's + passion, whilst her profound respect for the sovereign made her unwilling + to disturb his tranquillity. She therefore voluntarily banished herself to + an estate she possessed called Chalais, near Barbezieux, the mansion of + which had been uninhabited nearly a century; the porter's lodge was the + only place in a condition to receive her. From this seat she wrote to his + Majesty, explaining her motives for leaving Court; and she remained there + several years without visiting Paris. Louis XV. was speedily attracted by + other objects, and regained the composure to which Madame de Perigord had + thought it her duty to sacrifice so much. Some years after, Mesdames' lady + of honour died. Many great families solicited the place. The King, without + answering any of their applications, wrote to the Comtesse de Perigord: + 'My daughters have just lost their lady of honour; this place, madame, is + your due, as much on account of your personal qualities as of the + illustrious name of your family.' + </p> + <p> + "Three young men of the college of St. Germain, who had just completed + their course of studies, knowing no person about the Court, and having + heard that strangers were always well treated there, resolved to dress + themselves completely in the Armenian costume, and, thus clad, to present + themselves to see the grand ceremony of the reception of several knights + of the Order of the Holy Ghost. Their stratagem met with all the success + with which they had flattered themselves. While the procession was passing + through the long mirror gallery, the Swiss of the apartments placed them + in the first row of spectators, recommending every one to pay all possible + attention to the strangers. The latter, however, were imprudent enough to + enter the 'oeil-de-boeuf' chamber, where, were Messieurs Cardonne and + Ruffin, interpreters of Oriental languages, and the first clerk of the + consul's department, whose business it was to attend to everything which + related to the natives of the East who were in France. The three scholars + were immediately surrounded and questioned by these gentlemen, at first in + modern Greek. Without being disconcerted, they made signs that they did + not understand it. They were then addressed in Turkish and Arabic; at + length one of the interpreters, losing all patience, exclaimed, + 'Gentlemen, you certainly must understand some of the languages in which + you have been addressed. What country can you possibly come from then?'—'From + St. Germain-en-Laye, sir,' replied the boldest among them; 'this is the + first time you have put the question to us in French.' They then confessed + the motive of their disguise; the eldest of them was not more than + eighteen years of age. Louis XV. was informed of the affair. He laughed + heartily, ordered them a few hours' confinement and a good admonition, + after which they were to be set at liberty. + </p> + <p> + "Louis XV. liked to talk about death, though he was extremely apprehensive + of it; but his excellent health and his royal dignity probably made him + imagine himself invulnerable. He often said to people who had very bad + colds, 'You've a churchyard cough there.' Hunting one day in the forest of + Senard, in a year in which bread was extremely dear, he met a man on + horseback carrying a coffin. 'Whither are you carrying that coffin?'—'To + the village of ———,' answered the peasant. 'Is it for a + man or a woman?'—'For a man.'—'What did he die of?'—'Of + hunger,' bluntly replied the villager. The King spurred on his horse, and + asked no more questions. + </p> + <p> + "Weak as Louis XV. was, the Parliaments would never have obtained his + consent to the convocation of the States General. I heard an anecdote on + this subject from two officers attached to that Prince's household. It was + at the period when the remonstrances of the Parliaments, and the refusals + to register the decrees for levying taxes, produced alarm with respect to + the state of the finances. This became the subject of conversation one + evening at the coucher of Louis XV. 'You will see, Sire,' said a courtier, + whose office placed him in close communication with the King, 'that all + this will make it absolutely necessary to assemble the States General!' + </p> + <p> + "The King, roused by this speech from the habitual apathy of his + character, seized the courtier by the arm, and said to him, in a passion, + 'Never repeat, these words. I am not sanguinary; but had I a brother, and + were he to dare to give me such advice, I would sacrifice him, within + twenty-four hours, to the duration of the monarchy and the tranquillity of + the kingdom.' + </p> + <p> + "Several years prior to his death the Dauphin, the father of Louis XVI., + had confluent smallpox, which endangered his life; and after his + convalescence he was long troubled with a malignant ulcer under the nose. + He was injudiciously advised to get rid of it by the use of extract of + lead, which proved effectual; but from that time the Dauphin, who was + corpulent, insensibly grew thin, and a short, dry cough evinced that the + humour, driven in, had fallen on the lungs. Some persons also suspected + him of having taken acids in too great a quantity for the purpose of + reducing his bulk. The state of his health was not, however, such as to + excite alarm. At the camp at Compiegne, in July, 1764, the Dauphin + reviewed the troops, and evinced much activity in the performance of his + duties; it was even observed that he was seeking to gain the attachment of + the army. He presented the Dauphiness to the soldiers, saying, with a + simplicity which at that time made a great sensation, 'Mes enfans, here is + my wife.' Returning late on horseback to Compiegne, he found he had taken + a chill; the heat of the day had been excessive; the Prince's clothes had + been wet with perspiration. An illness followed, in which the Prince began + to spit blood. His principal physician wished to have him bled; the + consulting physicians insisted on purgation, and their advice was + followed. The pleurisy, being ill cured, assumed and retained all the + symptoms of consumption; the Dauphin languished from that period until + December, 1765, and died at Fontainebleau, where the Court, on account of + his condition, had prolonged its stay, which usually ended on the 2d of + November. + </p> + <p> + "The Dauphiness, his widow, was deeply afflicted; but the immoderate + despair which characterised her grief induced many to suspect that the + loss of the crown was an important part of the calamity she lamented. She + long refused to eat enough to support life; she encouraged her tears to + flow by placing portraits of the Dauphin in every retired part of her + apartments. She had him represented pale, and ready to expire, in a + picture placed at the foot of her bed, under draperies of gray cloth, with + which the chambers of the Princesses were always hung in court mournings. + Their grand cabinet was hung with black cloth, with an alcove, a canopy, + and a throne, on which they received compliments of condolence after the + first period of the deep mourning. The Dauphiness, some months before the + end of her career, regretted her conduct in abridging it; but it was too + late; the fatal blow had been struck. It may also be presumed that living + with a consumptive, man had contributed to her complaint. This Princess + had no opportunity of displaying her qualities; living in a Court in which + she was eclipsed by the King and Queen, the only characteristics that + could be remarked in her were her extreme attachment to her husband, and + her great piety. + </p> + <p> + "The Dauphin was little known, and his character has been much mistaken. + He himself, as he confessed to his intimate friends, sought to disguise + it. He one day asked one of his most familiar servants, 'What do they say + in Paris of that great fool of a Dauphin?' The person interrogated seeming + confused, the Dauphin urged him to express himself sincerely, saying, + 'Speak freely; that is positively the idea which I wish people to form of + me.' + </p> + <p> + "As he died of a disease which allows the last moment to be anticipated + long beforehand, he wrote much, and transmitted his affections and his + prejudices to his son by secret notes. + </p> + <p> + "Madame de Pompadour's brother received Letters of Nobility from his + Majesty, and was appointed superintendent of the buildings and gardens. He + often presented to her Majesty, through the medium of his sister, the + rarest flowers, pineapples, and early vegetables from the gardens of + Trianon and Choisy. One day, when the Marquise came into the Queen's + apartments, carrying a large basket of flowers, which she held in her two + beautiful arms, without gloves, as a mark of respect, the Queen loudly + declared her admiration of her beauty; and seemed as if she wished to + defend the King's choice, by praising her various charms in detail, in a + manner that would have been as suitable to a production of the fine arts + as to a living being. After applauding the complexion, eyes, and fine arms + of the favourite, with that haughty condescension which renders + approbation more offensive than flattering, the Queen at length requested + her to sing, in the attitude in which she stood, being desirous of hearing + the voice and musical talent by which the King's Court had been charmed in + the performances of the private apartments, and thus combining the + gratification of the ears with that of the eyes. The Marquise, who still + held her enormous basket, was perfectly sensible of something offensive in + this request, and tried to excuse herself from singing. The Queen at last + commanded her; she then exerted her fine voice in the solo of Armida—'At + length he is in my power.' The change in her Majesty's countenance was so + obvious that the ladies present at this scene had the greatest difficulty + to keep theirs. + </p> + <p> + "The Queen was affable and modest; but the more she was thankful in her + heart to Heaven for having placed her on the first throne in Europe, the + more unwilling she was to be reminded of her elevation. This sentiment + induced her to insist on the observation of all the forms of respect due + to royal birth; whereas in other princes the consciousness of that birth + often induces them to disdain the ceremonies of etiquette, and to prefer + habits of ease and simplicity. There was a striking contrast in this + respect between Maria Leczinska and Marie Antoinette, as has been justly + and generally observed. The latter unfortunate Queen, perhaps, carried her + disregard of everything belonging to the strict forms of etiquette too + far. One day, when the Marechale de Mouchy was teasing her with questions + relative to the extent to which she would allow the ladies the option of + taking off or wearing their cloaks, and of pinning up the lappets of their + caps, or letting them hang down, the Queen replied to her, in my presence: + 'Arrange all those matters, madame, just as you please; but do not imagine + that a queen, born Archduchess of Austria, can attach that importance to + them which might be felt by a Polish princess who had become Queen of + France.' + </p> + <p> + "The virtues and information of the great are always evinced by their + conduct; their accomplishments, coming within the scope of flattery, are + difficult to be ascertained by any authentic proofs, and those who have + lived near them may be excused for some degree of scepticism with regard + to their attainments of this kind. If they draw or paint, there is always + an able artist present, who, if he does not absolutely guide the pencil + with his own hand, directs it by his advice. If a princess attempt a piece + of embroidery in colours, of that description which ranks amongst the + productions of the arts, a skilful embroideress is employed to undo and + repair whatever has been spoilt. If the princess be a musician, there are + no ears that will discover when she is out of tune; at least there is no + tongue that will tell her so. This imperfection in the accomplishments of + the great is but a slight misfortune. It is sufficiently meritorious in + them to engage in such pursuits, even with indifferent success, because + this taste and the protection it extends produce abundance of talent on + every side. Maria Leczinska delighted in the art of painting, and imagined + she herself could draw and paint. She had a drawing-master, who passed all + his time in her cabinet. She undertook to paint four large Chinese + pictures, with which she wished to ornament her private drawing-room, + which was richly furnished with rare porcelain and the finest marbles. + This painter was entrusted with the landscape and background of the + pictures; he drew the figures with a pencil; the faces and arms were also + left by the Queen to his execution; she reserved to herself nothing but + the draperies, and the least important accessories. The Queen every + morning filled up the outline marked out for her, with a little red, blue, + or green colour, which the master prepared on the palette, and even filled + her brush with, constantly repeating, 'Higher up, Madame—lower down, + Madame—a little to the right—more to the left.' After an + hour's work, the time for hearing mass, or some other family or pious + duty, would interrupt her Majesty; and the painter, putting the shadows + into the draperies she had painted, softening off the colour where she had + laid too much, etc., finished the small figures. When the work was + completed the private drawing-room was decorated with her Majesty's work; + and the firm persuasion of this good Queen that she had painted it herself + was so entire that she left this cabinet, with all its furniture and + paintings, to the Comtesse de Noailles, her lady of honour. She added to + the bequest: 'The pictures in my cabinet being my own work, I hope the + Comtesse de Noailles will preserve them for my sake.' Madame de Noailles, + afterwards Marechale de Mouchy, had a new pavilion constructed in her + hotel in the Faubourg St. Germain, in order to form a suitable receptacle + for the Queen's legacy; and had the following inscription placed over the + door, in letters of gold: 'The innocent falsehood of a good princess.' + </p> + <p> + "Maria Leczinska could never look with cordiality on the Princess of + Saxony, who married the Dauphin; but the attentive behaviour of the + Dauphiness at length made her Majesty forget that the Princess was the + daughter of a king who wore her father's crown. Nevertheless, although the + Queen now saw in the Princess of Saxony only a wife beloved by her son, + she never could forget that Augustus wore the crown of Stanislaus. One day + an officer of her chamber having undertaken to ask a private audience of + her for the Saxon minister, and the Queen being unwilling to grant it, he + ventured to add that he should not have presumed to ask this favour of the + Queen had not the minister been the ambassador of a member of the family. + 'Say of an enemy of the family,' replied the Queen, angrily; 'and let him + come in.' + </p> + <p> + "Comte de Tesse, father of the last Count of that name, who left no + children, was first equerry to Queen Maria Leczinska. She esteemed his + virtues, but often diverted herself at the expense of his simplicity. One + day, when the conversation turned on the noble military, actions by which + the French nobility was distinguished, the Queen said to the Count: 'And + your family, M. de Tesse, has been famous, too, in the field.'—'Ah, + Madame, we have all been killed in our masters' service!'—'How + rejoiced I am,' replied the Queen, 'that you have revived to tell me of + it.' The son of this worthy M. de Tesse was married to the amiable and + highly gifted daughter of the Duc d'Ayen, afterwards Marechale de + Noailles. He was exceedingly fond of his daughter-in-law, and never could + speak of her without emotion. The Queen, to please him, often talked to + him about the young Countess, and one day asked him which of her good + qualities seemed to him most conspicuous. 'Her gentleness, Madame, her + gentleness,' said he, with tears in his eyes; 'she is so mild, so soft,—as + soft as a good carriage.'—'Well,' said her Majesty, 'that's an + excellent comparison for a first equerry.' + </p> + <p> + "In 1730 Queen Maria Leczinska, going to mass, met old Marechal Villars, + leaning on a wooden crutch not worth fifteen pence. She rallied him about + it, and the Marshal told her that he had used it ever since he had + received a wound which obliged him to add this article to the equipments + of the army. Her Majesty, smiling, said she thought this crutch so + unworthy of him that she hoped to induce him to give it up. On returning + home she despatched M. Campan to Paris with orders to purchase at the + celebrated Germain's the handsomest cane, with a gold enamelled crutch, + that he could find, and carry it without delay to Marechal Villars's + hotel, and present it to him from her. He was announced accordingly, and + fulfilled his commission. The Marshal, in attending him to the door, + requested him to express his gratitude to the Queen, and said that he had + nothing fit to offer to an officer who had the honour to belong to her + Majesty; but he begged him to accept of his old stick, saying that his + grandchildren would probably some day be glad to possess the cane with + which he had commanded at Marchiennes and Denain. The known frugality of + Marechal Villars appears in this anecdote; but he was not mistaken with + respect to the estimation in which his stick would be held. It was + thenceforth kept with veneration by M. Campan's family. On the 10th of + August, 1792, a house which I occupied on the Carrousel, at the entrance + of the Court of the Tuileries, was pillaged and nearly burnt down. The + cane of Marechal Villars was thrown into the Carrousel as of no value, and + picked up by my servant. Had its old master been living at that period we + should not have witnessed such a deplorable day. + </p> + <p> + "Before the Revolution there were customs and words in use at Versailles + with which few people were acquainted. The King's dinner was called 'The + King's meat.' Two of the Body Guard accompanied the attendants who carried + the dinner; every one rose as they passed through the halls, saying, + 'There is the King's meat.' All precautionary duties were distinguished by + the words 'in case.' One of the guards might be heard to say, 'I am in + case in the forest of St. Germain.' In the evening they always brought the + Queen a large bowl of broth, a cold roast fowl, one bottle of wine, one of + orgeat, one of lemonade, and some other articles, which were called the + 'in case' for the night. An old medical gentleman, who had been physician + in ordinary to Louis XIV., and was still living at the time of the + marriage of Louis XV., told M. Campan's father an anecdote which seems too + remarkable to have remained unknown; nevertheless he was a man of honour, + incapable of inventing this story. His name was Lafosse. He said that + Louis XIV. was informed that the officers of his table evinced, in the + most disdainful and offensive manner, the mortification they felt at being + obliged to eat at the table of the comptroller of the kitchen along with + Moliere, valet de chambre to his Majesty, because Moliere had performed on + the stage; and that this celebrated author consequently declined appearing + at that table. Louis XIV., determined to put an end to insults which ought + never to have been offered to one of the greatest geniuses of the age, + said to him one morning at the hour of his private levee, 'They say you + live very poorly here, Moliere; and that the officers of my chamber do not + find you good enough to eat with them. Perhaps you are hungry; for my part + I awoke with a very good appetite this morning: sit down at this table. + Serve up my 'in case' for the night there.' The King, then cutting up his + fowl, and ordering Moliere to sit down, helped him to a wing, at the same + time taking one for himself, and ordered the persons entitled to familiar + entrance, that is to say the most distinguished and favourite people at + Court, to be admitted. 'You see me,' said the King to them, 'engaged in + entertaining Moliere, whom my valets de chambre do not consider + sufficiently good company for them.' From that time Moliere never had + occasion to appear at the valets' table; the whole Court was forward + enough to send him invitations. + </p> + <p> + "M. de Lafosse used also to relate that a brigade-major of the Body Guard, + being ordered to place the company in the little theatre at Versailles, + very roughly turned out one of the King's comptrollers who had taken his + seat on one of the benches, a place to which his newly acquired office + entitled him. In vain he insisted on his quality and his right. The + altercation was ended by the brigade-major in these words: 'Gentlemen Body + Guards, do your duty.' In this case their duty was to turn the offender + out at the door. This comptroller, who had paid sixty or eighty thousand + francs for his appointment, was a man of a good family, and had had the + honour of serving his Majesty five and twenty years in one of his + regiments; thus ignominiously driven out of the hall, he placed himself in + the King's way in the great hall of the Guards, and, bowing to his + Majesty, requested him to vindicate the honour of an old soldier who had + wished to end his days in his Prince's civil employment, now that age had + obliged him to relinquish his military service. The King stopped, heard + his story, and then ordered him to follow him. His Majesty attended the + representation in a sort of amphitheatre, in which his armchair was + placed; behind him was a row of stools for the captain of the Guards, the + first gentleman of the chamber, and other great officers. The + brigade-major was entitled to one of these places; the King stopped + opposite the seat which ought to have been occupied by that officer and + said to the comptroller, 'Take, monsieur, for this evening, the place near + my person of him who has offended you, and let the expression of my + displeasure at this unjust affront satisfy you instead of any other + reparation: + </p> + <p> + "During the latter years of the reign of Louis XIV. he never went out but + in a chair carried by porters, and he showed a great regard for a man + named D'Aigremont, one of those porters who always went in front and + opened the door of the chair. The slightest preference shown by + sovereigns, even to the meanest of their servants, never fails to excite + observation. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [People of the very first rank did not disdain to descend to the level + of D'Aigremont. "Lauzun," said the Duchesse d'Orleans in her "Memoirs," + "sometimes affects stupidity in order to show people their own with + impunity, for he is very malicious. In order to make Marechal de Tease + feel the impropriety of his familiarity with people of the common sort, + he called out, in the drawing-room at Marly, 'Marechal, give me a pinch + of snuff; some of your best, such as you take in the morning with + Monsieur d'Aigremont, the chairman.'"—NOTE BY THE EDITOR.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + The King had done something for this man's numerous family, and frequently + talked to him. An abbe belonging to the chapel thought proper to request + D'Aigremont to present a memorial to the King, in which he requested his + Majesty to grant him a benefice. Louis XIV. did not approve of the liberty + thus taken by his chairman, and said to him, in a very angry tone, + 'D'Aigremont, you have been made to do a very unbecoming act, and I am + sure there must be simony in the case.'—'No, Sire, there is not the + least ceremony in the case, I assure you,' answered the poor man, in great + consternation; 'the abbe only said he would give me a hundred Louis.'—'D'Aigremont,' + said the King, 'I forgive you on account of your ignorance and candour. I + will give you the hundred Louis out of my privy purse; but I will + discharge you the very next time you venture to present a memorial to me.' + </p> + <p> + "Louis XIV. was very kind to those of his servants who were nearest his + person; but the moment he assumed his royal deportment, those who were + most accustomed to see him in his domestic character were as much + intimidated as if they were appearing in his presence for the first time + in their lives. Some of the members of his Majesty's civil household, then + called 'commensalite', enjoying the title of equerry, and the privileges + attached to officers of the King's household, had occasion to claim some + prerogatives, the exercise of which the municipal body of St. Germain, + where they resided, disputed with them. Being assembled in considerable + numbers in that town, they obtained the consent of the minister of the + household to allow them to send a deputation to the King; and for that + purpose chose from amongst them two of his Majesty's valets de chambre + named Bazire and Soulaigre. The King's levee being over, the deputation of + the inhabitants of the town of St. Germain was called in. They entered + with confidence; the King looked at them, and assumed his imposing + attitude. Bazire, one of these valets de chambre, was about to speak, but + Louis the Great was looking on him. He no longer saw the Prince he was + accustomed to attend at home; he was intimidated, and could not find + words; he recovered, however, and began as usual with the word Sire. But + timidity again overpowered him, and finding himself unable to recollect + the slightest particle of what he came to say, he repeated the word Sire + several times, and at length concluded by paying, 'Sire, here is + Soulaigre.' Soulaigre, who was very angry with Bazire, and expected to + acquit himself much better, then began to speak; but he also, after + repeating 'Sire' several times, found his embarrassment increasing upon + him, until his confusion equalled that of his colleague; he therefore + ended with 'Sire, here is Bazire.' The King smiled, and answered, + 'Gentlemen, I have been informed of the business upon which you have been + deputed to wait on me, and I will take care that what is right shall be + done. I am highly satisfied with the manner in which you have fulfilled + your functions as deputies.'" + </p> + <p> + Mademoiselle Genet's education was the object of her father's particular + attention. Her progress in the study of music and of foreign languages was + surprising; Albaneze instructed her in singing, and Goldoni taught her + Italian. Tasso, Milton, Dante, and even Shakespeare, soon became familiar + to her. But her studies were particularly directed to the acquisition of a + correct and elegant style of reading. Rochon de Chabannes, Duclos, Barthe, + Marmontel, and Thomas took pleasure in hearing her recite the finest + scenes of Racine. Her memory and genius at the age of fourteen charmed + them; they talked of her talents in society, and perhaps applauded them + too highly. + </p> + <p> + She was soon spoken of at Court. Some ladies of high rank, who took an + interest in the welfare of her family, obtained for her the place of + Reader to the Princesses. Her presentation, and the circumstances which + preceded it, left a strong impression on her mind. "I was then fifteen," + she says; "my father felt some regret at yielding me up at so early an age + to the jealousies of the Court. The day on which I first put on my Court + dress, and went to embrace him in his study, tears filled his eyes, and + mingled with the expression of his pleasure. I possessed some agreeable + talents, in addition to the instruction which it had been his delight to + bestow on me. He enumerated all my little accomplishments, to convince me + of the vexations they would not fail to draw upon me." + </p> + <p> + Mademoiselle Genet, at fifteen, was naturally less of a philosopher than + her father was at forty. Her eyes were dazzled by the splendour which + glittered at Versailles. "The Queen, Maria Leczinska, the wife of Louis + XV., died," she says, "just before I was presented at Court. The grand + apartments hung with black, the great chairs of state, raised on several + steps, and surmounted by a canopy adorned with Plumes; the caparisoned + horses, the immense retinue in Court mourning, the enormous + shoulder-knots, embroidered with gold and silver spangles, which decorated + the coats of the pages and footmen,—all this magnificence had such + an effect on my senses that I could scarcely support myself when + introduced to the Princesses. The first day of my reading in the inner + apartment of Madame Victoire I found it impossible to pronounce more than + two sentences; my heart palpitated, my voice faltered, and my sight + failed. How well understood was the potent magic of the grandeur and + dignity which ought to surround sovereigns! Marie Antoinette, dressed in + white, with a plain straw hat, and a little switch in her hand, walking on + foot, followed by a single servant, through the walks leading to the Petit + Trianon, would never have thus disconcerted me; and I believe this extreme + simplicity was the first and only real mistake of all those with which she + is reproached." + </p> + <p> + When once her awe and confusion had subsided, Mademoiselle Genet was + enabled to form a more accurate judgment of her situation. It was by no + means attractive; the Court of the Princesses, far removed from the revels + to which Louie XV. was addicted, was grave, methodical, and dull. Madame + Adelaide, the eldest of the Princesses, lived secluded in the interior of + her apartments; Madame Sophie was haughty; Madame Louise a devotee. + Mademoiselle Genet never quitted the Princesses' apartments; but she + attached herself most particularly to Madame Victoire. This Princess had + possessed beauty; her countenance bore an expression of benevolence, and + her conversation was kind, free, and unaffected. The young reader excited + in her that feeling which a woman in years, of an affectionate + disposition, readily extends to young people who are growing up in her + sight, and who possess some useful talents. Whole days were passed in + reading to the Princess, as she sat at work in her apartment. Mademoiselle + Genet frequently saw there Louis XV., of whom she has related the + following anecdote: + </p> + <p> + "One day, at the Chateau of Compiegne, the King came in whilst I was + reading to Madame. I rose and went into another room. Alone, in an + apartment from which there was no outlet, with no book but a Massillon, + which I had been reading to the Princess, happy in all the lightness and + gaiety of fifteen, I amused myself with turning swiftly round, with my + court hoop, and suddenly kneeling down to see my rose-coloured silk + petticoat swelled around me by the wind. In the midst of this grave + employment enters his Majesty, followed by one of the Princesses. I + attempt to rise; my feet stumble, and down I fall in the midst of my + robes, puffed out by the wind. 'Daughter,' said Louis XV., laughing + heartily, 'I advise you to send back to school a reader who makes + cheeses.'" The railleries of Louis XV. were often much more cutting, as + Mademoiselle Genet experienced on another occasion, which, thirty years + afterwards, she could not relate without an emotion of fear. "Louis XV.," + she said, "had the most imposing presence. His eyes remained fixed upon + you all the time he was speaking; and, notwithstanding the beauty of his + features, he inspired a sort of fear. I was very young, it is true, when + he first spoke to me; you shall judge whether it was in a very gracious + manner. I was fifteen. The King was going out to hunt, and a numerous + retinue followed him. As he stopped opposite me he said, 'Mademoiselle + Genet, I am assured you are very learned, and understand four or five + foreign languages.'—'I know only two, Sire,' I answered, trembling. + 'Which are they?' English and Italian.'—'Do you speak them + fluently?' Yes, Sire, very fluently.' 'That is quite enough to drive a + husband mad.' After this pretty compliment the King went on; the retinue + saluted me, laughing; and, for my part, I remained for some moments + motionless with surprise and confusion." + </p> + <p> + At the time when the French alliance was proposed by the Duc de Choiseul + there was at Vienna a doctor named Gassner,—[Jean Joseph Gassner, a + pretender to miraculous powers.]—who had fled thither to seek an + asylum against the persecutions of his sovereign, one of the + ecclesiastical electors. Gassner, gifted with an extraordinary warmth of + imagination, imagined that he received inspirations. The Empress protected + him, saw him occasionally, rallied him on his visions, and, nevertheless, + heard them with a sort of interest. "Tell me,"—said she to him one + day, "whether my Antoinette will be happy." Gassner turned pale, and + remained silent. Being still pressed by the Empress, and wishing to give a + general expression to the idea with which he seemed deeply occupied, + "Madame," he replied, "there are crosses for all shoulders." + </p> + <p> + The occurrences at the Place Louis XV. on the marriage festivities at + Paris are generally known. The conflagration of the scaffolds intended for + the fireworks, the want of foresight of the authorities, the avidity of + robbers, the murderous career of the coaches, brought about and aggravated + the disasters of that day; and the young Dauphiness, coming from + Versailles, by the Cours la Reine, elated with joy, brilliantly decorated, + and eager to witness the rejoicings of the whole people, fled, struck with + consternation and drowned in tears, from the dreadful scene. This tragic + opening of the young Princess's life in France seemed to bear out + Gassner's hint of disaster, and to be ominous of the terrible future which + awaited her. + </p> + <p> + In the same year in which Marie Antoinette was married to the Dauphin, + Henriette Genet married a son of M. Campan, already mentioned as holding + an office at the Court; and when the household of the Dauphiness was + formed, Madame Campan was appointed her reader, and received from Marie + Antoinette a consistent kindness and confidence to which by her loyal + service she was fully entitled. Madame Campan's intelligence and vivacity + made her much more sympathetic to a young princess, gay and affectionate + in disposition, and reared in the simplicity of a German Court, than her + lady of honour, the Comtesse de Noailles. This respectable lady, who was + placed near her as a minister of the laws of etiquette, instead of + alleviating their weight, rendered their yoke intolerable to her. + </p> + <p> + "Madame de Noailles," says Madame Campan, "abounded in virtues. Her piety, + charity, and irreproachable morals rendered her worthy of praise; but + etiquette was to her a sort of atmosphere; at the slightest derangement of + the consecrated order, one would have thought the principles of life would + forsake her frame. + </p> + <p> + "One day I unintentionally threw this poor lady into a terrible agony. The + Queen was receiving I know not whom,—some persons just presented, I + believe; the lady of honour, the Queen's tirewoman, and the ladies of the + bedchamber, were behind the Queen. I was near the throne, with the two + women on duty. All was right,—at least I thought so. Suddenly I + perceived the eyes of Madame de Noailles fixed on mine. She made a sign + with her head, and then raised her eyebrows to the top of her forehead, + lowered them, raised them again, then began to make little signs with her + hand. From all this pantomime, I could easily perceive that something was + not as it should be; and as I looked about on all sides to find out what + it was, the agitation of the Countess kept increasing. The Queen, who + perceived all this, looked at me with a smile; I found means to approach + her Majesty, who said to me in a whisper, 'Let down your lappets, or the + Countess will expire.' All this bustle arose from two unlucky pins which + fastened up my lappets, whilst the etiquette of costume said 'Lappets + hanging down.'" + </p> + <p> + Her contempt of the vanities of etiquette became the pretext for the first + reproaches levelled at the Queen. What misconduct might not be dreaded + from a princess who could absolutely go out without a hoop! and who, in + the salons of Trianon, instead of discussing the important rights to + chairs and stools, good-naturedly invited everybody to be seated. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [M. de Fresne Forget, being one day in company with the Queen + Marguerite, told her he was astonished how men and women with such great + ruffs could eat soup without spoiling them; and still more how the + ladies could be gallant with their great fardingales. The Queen made no + answer at that time, but a few days after, having a very large ruff on, + and some 'bouili' to eat, she ordered a very long spoon to be brought, + and ate her 'bouili' with it, without soiling her ruff. Upon which, + addressing herself to M. de Fresne, she said, laughing, "There now, you + see, with a little ingenuity one may manage anything."—"Yes, + faith, madame," said the good man, "as far as regards the soup I am + satisfied."—LAPLACE's "Collection," vol. ii., p. 350.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + The anti-Austrian party, discontented and vindictive, became spies upon + her conduct, exaggerated her slightest errors, and calumniated her most + innocent proceedings. "What seems unaccountable at the first glance," says + Montjoie, "is that the first attack on the reputation of the Queen + proceeded from the bosom of the Court. What interest could the courtiers + have in seeking her destruction, which involved that of the King? Was it + not drying up the source of all the advantages they enjoyed, or could hope + for?" + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [Madame Campan relates the following among many anecdotes illustrative + of the Queen's kindness of heart: "A petition was addressed to the Queen + by a corporation in the neighbourhood of Paris, praying for the + destruction of the game which destroyed their crops. I was the bearer of + this petition to her Majesty, who said, 'I will undertake to have these + good people relieved from so great an annoyance.' She gave the document + to M. de Vermond in my presence, saying, 'I desire that immediate + justice be done to this petition.' An assurance was given that her order + should be attended to, but six weeks afterwards a second petition was + sent up, for the nuisance had not been abated after all. If the second + petition had reached the Queen, M. de Vermond would have received a + sharp reprimand. She was always so happy when it was in her power to do + good." + </p> + <p> + The quick repartee, which was another of the Queen's characteristics, + was less likely to promote her popularity. "M. Brunier," says Madame + Campan, "was physician to the royal children. During his visits to the + palace, if the death of any of his patients was alluded to, he never + failed to say, 'Ah! there I lost one of my best friends! 'Well,' said + the Queen, 'if he loses all his patients who are his friends, what will + become of those who are not?'"] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + When the terrible Danton exclaimed, "The kings of Europe menace us; it + behooves us to defy them; let us throw down to them the head of a king as + our gage!" these detestable words, followed by so cruel a result, formed, + however, a formidable stroke of policy. But the Queen! What urgent reasons + of state could Danton, Collot d'Herbois, and Robespierre allege against + her? What savage greatness did they discover in stirring up a whole nation + to avenge their quarrel on a woman? What remained of her former power? She + was a captive, a widow, trembling for her children! In those judges, who + at once outraged modesty and nature; in that people whose vilest scoffs + pursued her to the scaffold, who could have recognised the generous people + of France? Of all the crimes which disgraced the Revolution, none was more + calculated to show how the spirit of party can degrade the character of a + nation. + </p> + <p> + The news of this dreadful event reached Madame Campan in an obscure + retreat which she had chosen. She had not succeeded in her endeavours to + share the Queen's captivity, and she expected every moment a similar fate. + After escaping, almost miraculously, from the murderous fury of the + Marseillais; after being denounced and pursued by Robespierre, and + entrusted, through the confidence of the King and Queen, with papers of + the utmost importance, Madame Campan went to Coubertin, in the valley of + Chevreuse. Madame Auguid, her sister, had just committed suicide, at the + very moment of her arrest. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [Maternal affection prevailed over her religious sentiments; she wished + to preserve the wreck of her fortune for her children. Had she deferred + this fatal act for one day she would have been saved; the cart which + conveyed Robespierre to execution stopped her funeral procession!] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + The scaffold awaited Madame Campan, when the 9th of Thermidor restored her + to life; but did not restore to her the most constant object of her + thoughts, her zeal, and her devotion. + </p> + <p> + A new career now opened to Madame Campan. At Coubertin, surrounded by her + nieces, she was fond of directing their studies. This occupation caused + her ideas to revert to the subject of education, and awakened once more + the inclinations of her youth. At the age of twelve years she could never + meet a school of young ladies passing through the streets without feeling + ambitious of the situation and authority of their mistress. Her abode at + Court had diverted but not altered her inclinations. "A month after the + fall of Robespierre," she says, "I considered as to the means of providing + for myself, for a mother seventy years of age, my sick husband, my child + nine years old, and part of my ruined family. I now possessed nothing in + the world but an assignat of five hundred francs. I had become responsible + for my husband's debts, to the amount of thirty thousand francs. I chose + St. Germain to set up a boarding-school, for that town did not remind me, + as Versailles did, both of happy times and of the misfortunes of France. I + took with me a nun of l'Enfant-Jesus, to give an unquestionable pledge of + my religious principles. The school of St. Germain was the first in which + the opening of an oratory was ventured on. The Directory was displeased at + it, and ordered it to be immediately shut up; and some time after + commissioners were sent to desire that the reading of the Scriptures + should be suppressed in my school. I inquired what books were to be + substituted in their stead. After some minutes' conversation, they + observed: 'Citizeness, you are arguing after the old fashion; no + reflections. The nation commands; we must have obedience, and no + reasoning.' Not having the means of printing my prospectus, I wrote a + hundred copies of it, and sent them to the persons of my acquaintance who + had survived the dreadful commotions. At the year's end I had sixty + pupils; soon afterwards a hundred. I bought furniture and paid my debts." + </p> + <p> + The rapid success of the establishment at St. Germain was undoubtedly + owing to the talents, experience, and excellent principles of Madame + Campan, seconded by public opinion. All property had changed hands; all + ranks found themselves confusedly jumbled by the shock of the Revolution: + the grand seigneur dined at the table of the opulent contractor; and the + witty and elegant marquise was present at the ball by the side of the + clumsy peasant lately grown rich. In the absence of the ancient + distinctions, elegant manners and polished language now formed a kind of + aristocracy. The house of St. Germain, conducted by a lady who possessed + the deportment and the habits of the best society, was not only a school + of knowledge, but a school of the world. + </p> + <p> + "A friend of Madame de Beauharnais," continues Madame Campan, "brought me + her daughter Hortense de Beauharnais, and her niece Emilie de Beauharnais. + Six months afterwards she came to inform me of her marriage with a + Corsican gentleman, who had been brought up in the military school, and + was then a general. I was requested to communicate this information to her + daughter, who long lamented her mother's change of name. I was also + desired to watch over the education of little Eugene de Beauharnais, who + was placed at St. Germain, in the same school with my son. + </p> + <p> + "A great intimacy sprang up between my nieces and these young people. + Madame de Beauharnaias set out for Italy, and left her children with me. + On her return, after the conquests of Bonaparte, that general, much + pleased with the improvement of his stepdaughter, invited me to dine at + Malmaison, and attended two representations of 'Esther' at my school." + </p> + <p> + He also showed his appreciation of her talents by sending his sister + Caroline to St. Germain. Shortly before Caroline's marriage to Murat, and + while she was yet at St. Germain, Napoleon observed to Madame Campan: "I + do not like those love matches between young people whose brains are + excited by the flames of the imagination. I had other views for my sister. + Who knows what high alliance I might have procured for her! She is + thoughtless, and does not form a just notion of my situation. The time + will come when, perhaps, sovereigns might dispute for her hand. She is + about to marry a brave man; but in my situation that is not enough. Fate + should be left to fulfil her decrees." + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [Madame Murat one day said to Madame Campan: "I am astonished that you + are not more awed in our presence; you speak to us with as much + familiarity as when we were your pupils!"—"The best thing you can + do," replied Madame Campan, "is to forget your titles when you are with + me, for I can never be afraid of queens whom I have held under the rod."] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + Madame Campan dined at the Tuileries in company with the Pope's nuncio, at + the period when the Concordat was in agitation. During dinner the First + Consul astonished her by the able manner in which he conversed on the + subject under discussion. She said he argued so logically that his talent + quite amazed her. During the consulate Napoleon one day said to her, "If + ever I establish a republic of women, I shall make you First Consul." + </p> + <p> + Napoleon's views as to "woman's mission" are now well known. Madame Campan + said that she heard from him that when he founded the convent of the + Sisters of la Charite he was urgently solicited to permit perpetual vows. + He, however, refused to do so, on the ground that tastes may change, and + that he did not see the necessity of excluding from the world women who + might some time or other return to it, and become useful members of + society. "Nunneries," he added, "assail the very roots of population. It + is impossible to calculate the loss which a nation sustains in having ten + thousand women shut up in cloisters. War does but little mischief; for the + number of males is at least one-twenty-fifth greater than that of females. + Women may, if they please, be allowed to make perpetual vows at fifty + years of age; for then their task is fulfilled." + </p> + <p> + Napoleon once said to Madame Campan, "The old systems of education were + good for nothing; what do young women stand in need of, to be well brought + up in France?"—"Of mothers," answered Madame Campan. "It is well + said," replied Napoleon. "Well, madame, let the French be indebted to you + for bringing up mothers for their children."—"Napoleon one day + interrupted Madame de Stael in the midst of a profound political argument + to ask her whether she had nursed her children." + </p> + <p> + Never had the establishment at St. Germain been in a more flourishing + condition than in 1802-3. What more could Madame Campan wish? For ten + years absolute in her own house, she seemed also safe from the caprice of + power. But the man who then disposed of the fate of France and Europe was + soon to determine otherwise. + </p> + <p> + After the battle of Austerlitz the State undertook to bring up, at the + public expense, the sisters, daughters, or nieces of those who were + decorated with the Cross of Honour. The children of the warriors killed or + wounded in glorious battle were to find paternal care in the ancient + abodes of the Montmorencys and the Condes. Accustomed to concentrate + around him all superior talents, fearless himself of superiority, Napoleon + sought for a person qualified by experience and abilities to conduct the + institution of Ecouen; he selected Madame Campan. + </p> + <p> + Comte de Lacepede, the pupil, friend, and rival of Buffon, then Grand + Chancellor of the Legion of Honour, assisted her with his enlightened + advice. Napoleon, who could descend with ease from the highest political + subjects to the examination of the most minute details; who was as much at + home in inspecting a boarding-school for young ladies as in reviewing the + grenadiers of his guard; whom it was impossible to deceive, and who was + not unwilling to find fault when he visited the establishment at Ecouen,—was + forced to say, "It is all right." + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [Napoleon wished to be informed of every particular of the furniture, + government, and order of the house, the instruction and education of the + pupils. The internal regulations were submitted to him. One of the + intended rules, drawn up by Madame Campan, proposed that the children + should hear mass on Sundays and Thursdays. Napoleon himself wrote on the + margin, "every day."] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + "In the summer of 1811," relates Madame Campan, "Napoleon, accompanied by + Marie Louise and several personages of distinction, visited the + establishment at Ecouen. After inspecting the chapel and the refectories, + Napoleon desired that the three principal pupils might be presented to + him. 'Sire,' said I, 'I cannot select three; I must present six.' He + turned on his heel and repaired to the platform, where, after seeing all + the classes assembled, he repeated his demand. 'Sire,' said I, 'I beg + leave to inform your Majesty that I should commit an injustice towards + several other pupils who are as far advanced as those whom I might have + the honour to present to you.' + </p> + <p> + "Berthier and others intimated to me, in a low tone of voice, that I + should get into disgrace by my noncompliance. Napoleon looked over the + whole of the house, entered into the most trivial details, and after + addressing questions to several of the pupils: 'Well, madame,' said he, 'I + am satisfied; show me your six best pupils.'" Madame Campan presented them + to him; and as he stepped into his carriage, he desired that their names + might be sent to Berthier. On addressing the list to the Prince de + Neufchatel, Madame Campan added to it the names of four other pupils, and + all the ten obtained a pension of 300 francs. During the three hours which + this visit occupied, Marie Louise did not utter a single word. + </p> + <p> + M. de Beaumont, chamberlain to the Empress Josephine, one day at Malmaison + was expressing his regret that M. D——-, one of Napoleon's + generals, who had recently been promoted, did not belong to a great + family. "You mistake, monsieur," observed Madame Campan, "he is of very + ancient descent; he is one of the nephews of Charlemagne. All the heroes + of our army sprang from the elder branch of that sovereign's family, who + never emigrated." + </p> + <p> + When Madame Campan related this circumstance she added: "After the 30th of + March, 1814, some officers of the army of Conde presumed to say to certain + French marshals that it was a pity they were not more nobly connected. In + answer to this, one of them said, 'True nobility, gentlemen, consists in + giving proofs of it. The field of honour has witnessed ours; but where are + we to look for yours? Your swords have rusted in their scabbards. Our + laurels may well excite envy; we have earned them nobly, and we owe them + solely to our valour. You have merely inherited a name. This is the + distinction between us." + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [When one of the princes of the smaller German States was showing + Marechal Lannes, with a contemptuous superiority of manner but ill + concealed, the portraits of his ancestors, and covertly alluding to the + absence of Lannes's, that general turned the tables on him by haughtily + remarking, "But I am an ancestor."] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + Napoleon used to observe that if he had had two such field-marshals as + Suchet in Spain he would have not only conquered but kept the Peninsula. + Suchet's sound judgment, his governing yet conciliating spirit, his + military tact, and his bravery, had procured him astonishing success. "It + is to be regretted," added he, "that a sovereign cannot improvise men of + his stamp." + </p> + <p> + On the 19th of March, 1815, a number of papers were left in the King's + closet. Napoleon ordered them to be examined, and among them was found the + letter written by Madame Campan to Louis XVIII., immediately after the + first restoration. In this letter she enumerated the contents of the + portfolio which Louis XVI. had placed under her care. When Napoleon read + this letter, he said, "Let it be sent to the office of Foreign Affairs; it + is an historical document." + </p> + <p> + Madame Campan thus described a visit from the Czar of Russia: "A few days + after the battle of Paris the Emperor Alexander came to Ecouen, and he did + me the honour to breakfast with me. After showing him over the + establishment I conducted him to the park, the most elevated point of + which overlooked the plain of St. Denis. 'Sire,' said I, 'from this point + I saw the battle of Paris'—'If,' replied the Emperor, 'that battle + had lasted two hours longer we should not have had a single cartridge at + our disposal. We feared that we had been betrayed; for on arriving so + precipitately before Paris all our plans were laid, and we did not expect + the firm resistance we experienced.' I next conducted the Emperor to the + chapel, and showed him the seats occupied by 'le connetable' (the + constable) of Montmorency, and 'la connetable' (the constable's lady), + when they went to hear mass. 'Barbarians like us,' observed the Emperor, + 'would say la connetable and le connetable.' + </p> + <p> + "The Czar inquired into the most minute particulars respecting the + establishment of Ecouen, and I felt great pleasure in answering his + questions. I recollect having dwelt on several points which appeared to me + to be very important, and which were in their spirit hostile to + aristocratic principles. For example, I informed his Majesty that the + daughters of distinguished and wealthy individuals and those of the humble + and obscure mingled indiscriminately in the establishment. 'If,' said I, + 'I were to observe the least pretension on account of the rank or fortune + of parents, I should immediately put an end to it. The most perfect + equality is preserved; distinction is awarded only to merit and industry. + The pupils are obliged to cut out and make all their own clothes. They are + taught to clean and mend lace; and two at a time, they by turns, three + times a week, cook and distribute food to the poor of the village. The + young girls who have been brought up at Ecouen, or in my boarding-school + at St. Germain, are thoroughly acquainted with everything relating to + household business, and they are grateful to me for having made that a + part of their education. In my conversations with them I have always + taught them that on domestic management depends the preservation or + dissipation of their fortunes.' + </p> + <p> + "The post-master of Ecouen was in the courtyard at the moment when the + Emperor, as he stepped into his carriage, told me he would send some + sweetmeats for the pupils. I immediately communicated to them the + intelligence, which was joyfully received; but the sweetmeats were looked + for in vain. When Alexander set out for England he changed horses at + Ecouen, and the post-master said to him: 'Sire, the pupils of Ecouen are + still expecting the sweetmeats which your Majesty promised them.' To which + the Emperor replied that he had directed Saken to send them. The Cossacks + had most likely devoured the sweetmeats, and the poor little girls, who + had been so highly flattered by the promise, never tasted them." + </p> + <p> + "A second house was formed at St. Denis, on the model of that of Ecouen. + Perhaps Madame Campan might have hoped for a title to which her long + labours gave her a right; perhaps the superintendence of the two houses + would have been but the fair recompense of her services; but her fortunate + years had passed her fate was now to depend on the most important events. + Napoleon had accumulated such a mass of power as no one but himself in + Europe could overturn. France, content with thirty years of victories, in + vain asked for peace and repose. The army which had triumphed in the sands + of Egypt, on the summits of the Alps, and in the marshes of Holland, was + to perish amidst the snows of Russia. Nations combined against a single + man. The territory of France was invaded. The orphans of Ecouen, from the + windows of the mansion which served as their asylum, saw in the distant + plain the fires of the Russian bivouacs, and once more wept the deaths of + their fathers. Paris capitulated. France hailed the return of the + descendants of Henri IV.; they reascended the throne so long filled by + their ancestors, which the wisdom of an enlightened prince established on + the empire of the laws. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [A lady, connected with the establishment of St. Denis, told Madame + Campan that Napoleon visited it during the Hundred Days, and that the + pupils were so delighted to see him that they crowded round him, + endeavouring to touch his clothes, and evincing the most extravagant + joy. The matron endeavoured to silence them; but Napoleon said, 'Let + them alone; let them alone. This may weaken the head, but it strengthens + the heart.']" + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + This moment, which diffused joy amongst the faithful servants of the royal + family, and brought them the rewards of their devotion, proved to Madame + Campan a period of bitter vexation. The hatred of her enemies had revived. + The suppression of the school at Ecouen had deprived her of her position; + the most absurd calumnies followed her into her retreat; her attachment to + the Queen was suspected; she was accused not only of ingratitude but of + perfidy. Slander has little effect on youth, but in the decline of life + its darts are envenomed with a mortal poison. The wounds which Madame + Campan had received were deep. Her sister, Madame Auguie, had destroyed + herself; M. Rousseau, her brother-in-law, had perished, a victim of the + reign of terror. In 1813 a dreadful accident had deprived her of her + niece, Madame de Broc, one of the most amiable and interesting beings that + ever adorned the earth. Madame Campan seemed destined to behold those whom + she loved go down to the grave before her. + </p> + <p> + Beyond the walls of the mansion of Ecouen, in the village which surrounds + it, Madame Campan had taken a small house where she loved to pass a few + hours in solitary retirement. There, at liberty to abandon herself to the + memory of the past, the superintendent of the imperial establishment + became, once more, for the moment, the first lady of the chamber to Marie + Antoinette. To the few friends whom she admitted into this retreat she + would show, with emotion, a plain muslin gown which the Queen had worn, + and which was made from a part of Tippoo Saib's present. A cup, out of + which Marie Antoinette had drunk; a writing-stand, which she had long + used, were, in her eyes, of inestimable value; and she has often been + discovered sitting, in tears, before the portrait of her royal mistress. + </p> + <p> + After so many troubles Madame Campan sought a peaceful retreat. Paris had + become odious to her. + </p> + <p> + She paid a visit to one of her most beloved pupils, Mademoiselle Crouzet, + who had married a physician at Mantes, a man of talent, distinguished for + his intelligence, frankness, and cordiality. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [M. Maigne, physician to the infirmaries at Mantes. Madame Campan found + in him a friend and comforter, of whose merit and affection she knew the + value.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + Mantes is a cheerful place of residence, and the idea of an abode there + pleased her. A few intimate friends formed a pleasant society, and she + enjoyed a little tranquillity after so many disturbances. The revisal of + her "Memoirs," the arrangement of the interesting anecdotes of which her + "Recollections" were to consist, alone diverted her mind from the one + powerful sentiment which attached her to life. She lived only for her son. + M. Campan deserved the tenderness of, his mother. No sacrifice had been + spared for his education. After having pursued that course of study which, + under the Imperial Government, produced men of such distinguished merit, + he was waiting till time and circumstances should afford him an + opportunity of devoting his services to his country. Although the state of + his health was far from good, it did not threaten any rapid or premature + decay; he was, however, after a few days' illness, suddenly taken from his + family. "I never witnessed so heartrending a scene," M. Maigne says, "as + that which took place when Marechal Ney's lady, her niece, and Madame + Pannelier, her sister, came to acquaint her with this misfortune.—[The + wife of Marechal Ney was a daughter of Madame Auguie, and had been an + intimate friend of Hortense Beauharnais.]—When they entered her + apartment she was in bed. All three at once uttered a piercing cry. The + two ladies threw themselves on their knees, and kissed her hands, which + they bedewed with tears. Before they could speak to her she read in their + faces that she no longer possessed a son. At that instant her large eyes, + opening wildly, seemed to wander. Her face grew pale, her features + changed, her lips lost their colour, she struggled to speak, but uttered + only inarticulate sounds, accompanied by piercing cries. Her gestures were + wild, her reason was suspended. Every part of her being was in agony. To + this state of anguish and despair no calm succeeded, until her tears began + to flow. Friendship and the tenderest cares succeeded for a moment in + calming her grief, but not in diminishing its power. + </p> + <p> + "This violent crisis had disturbed her whole organisation. A cruel + disorder, which required a still more cruel operation, soon manifested + itself. The presence of her family, a tour which she made in Switzerland, + a residence at Baden, and, above all, the sight, the tender and charming + conversation of a person by whom she was affectionately beloved, + occasionally diverted her mind, and in a slight degree relieved her + suffering." She underwent a serious operation, performed with + extraordinary promptitude and the most complete success. No unfavourable + symptoms appeared; Madame Campan was thought to be restored to her + friends; but the disorder was in the blood; it took another course: the + chest became affected. "From that moment," says M. Maigne, "I could never + look on Madame Campan as living; she herself felt that she belonged no + more to this world." + </p> + <p> + "My friend," she said to her physician the day before her death, "I am + attached to the simplicity of religion. I hate all that savours of + fanaticism." When her codicil was presented for her signature, her hand + trembled; "It would be a pity," she said, "to stop when so fairly on the + road." + </p> + <p> + Madame Campan died on the 16th of March, 1822. The cheerfulness she + displayed throughout her malady had nothing affected in it. Her character + was naturally powerful and elevated. At the approach of death she evinced + the soul of a sage, without abandoning for an instant her feminine + character. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> <br /><br /> + </p> + <h1> + MEMOIRS OF THE COURT OF MARIE ANTOINETTE, <br /><br />QUEEN OF FRANCE + </h1> + <h3> + Being the Historic Memoirs of Madam Campan, <br /><br /> First Lady in + Waiting to the Queen + </h3> + <p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </p> + <h2> + CHAPTER I. + </h2> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <p> + I was fifteen years of age when I was appointed reader to Mesdames. I will + begin by describing the Court at that period. + </p> + <p> + Maria Leczinska was just dead; the death of the Dauphin had preceded hers + by three years; the Jesuits were suppressed, and piety was to be found at + Court only in the apartments of Mesdames. The Duc de Choiseuil ruled. + </p> + <p> + Etiquette still existed at Court with all the forms it had acquired under + Louis XIV.; dignity alone was wanting. As to gaiety, there was none. + Versailles was not the place at which to seek for assemblies where French + spirit and grace were displayed. The focus of wit and intelligence was + Paris. + </p> + <p> + The King thought of nothing but the pleasures of the chase: it might have + been imagined that the courtiers indulged themselves in making epigrams by + hearing them say seriously, on those days when the King did not hunt, "The + King does nothing to-day."—[In sporting usance (see SOULAIRE, p. + 316).] + </p> + <p> + The arrangement beforehand of his movements was also a matter of great + importance with Louis XV. On the first day of the year he noted down in + his almanac the days of departure for Compiegne, Fontainebleau, Choisy, + etc. The weightiest matters, the most serious events, never deranged this + distribution of his time. + </p> + <p> + Since the death of the Marquise de Pompadour, the King had no titled + mistress; he contented himself with his seraglio in the Parc-aux-Cerfs. It + is well known that the monarch found the separation of Louis de Bourbon + from the King of France the most animating feature of his royal existence. + "They would have it so; they thought it for the best," was his way of + expressing himself when the measures of his ministers were unsuccessful. + The King delighted to manage the most disgraceful points of his private + expenses himself; he one day sold to a head clerk in the War Department a + house in which one of his mistresses had lodged; the contract ran in the + name of Louis de Bourbon, and the purchaser himself took in a bag the + price of the house in gold to the King in his private closet. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [Until recently little was known about the Parc-aux-Cerfs, and it was + believed that a great number of young women had been maintained there at + enormous expense. The investigations of M. J. A. Le Roi, given in his + interesting work, "Curiosites Historiques sur Louis XIII., Louis XIV., + Louis XV.," etc., Paris, Plon, 1864, have thrown fresh light upon the + matter. The result he arrives at (see page 229 of his work) is that the + house in question (No. 4 Rue St. Mederic, on the site of the + Parc-aux-Cerfs, or breeding-place for deer, of Louis XIII) was very + small, and could have held only one girl, the woman in charge of her, + and a servant. Most of the girls left it only when about to be confined, + and it sometimes stood vacant for five or six months. It may have been + rented before the date of purchase, and other houses seem sometimes to + have been used also; but in any case, it is evident that both the number + of girls and the expense incurred have been absurdly exaggerated. The + system flourished under Madame de Pompadour, but ceased as soon as + Madame du Barry obtained full power over the King, and the house was + then sold to M. J. B. Sevin for 16,000 livres, on 27th May, 1771, Louis + not acting under the name of Louis de Bourbon, but as King,—"Vente + par le Roi, notre Sire." In 1755 he had also been declared its purchaser + in a similar manner. Thus, Madame Campan is in error in saying that the + King made the contract as Louis de Bourbon.]—[And it also possible + that Madam Campan was correct and that the house she refers to as sold + for a "bag of gold" was another of the several of the seraglio + establishments of Louis XV. D.W.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> <a name="dubarry" id="dubarry"></a> + </p> + <div class="fig" style="width:80%;"> + <img alt="dubarry.jpg (129K)" src="images/dubarry.jpg" width="100%" /><br /> + </div> + <p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </p> + <p> + Louis XV. saw very little of his family. He came every morning by a + private staircase into the apartment of Madame Adelaide. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [Louis XV. seemed to feel for Madame Adelaide the tenderness he had had + for the Duchesse de Bourgogne, his mother, who perished so suddenly, + under the eyes and almost in the arms of Louis XIV. The birth of Madame + Adelaide, 23d March, 1732, was followed by that of Madame Victoire + Louise Marie Therese on the 11th May, 1733. Louis had, besides, six + daughters: Mesdames Sophie and Louise, who are mentioned in this + chapter; the Princesses Marie and Felicite, who died young; Madame + Henriette died at Versailles in 1752, aged twenty-four; and finally, + Madame the Duchess of Parma, who also died at the Court.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + He often brought and drank there coffee that he had made himself. Madame + Adelaide pulled a bell which apprised Madame Victoire of the King's visit; + Madame Victoire, on rising to go to her sister's apartment, rang for + Madame Sophie, who in her turn rang for Madame Louise. The apartments of + Mesdames were of very large dimensions. Madame Louise occupied the + farthest room. This latter lady was deformed and very short; the poor + Princess used to run with all her might to join the daily meeting, but, + having a number of rooms to cross, she frequently in spite of her haste, + had only just time to embrace her father before he set out for the chase. + </p> + <p> + Every evening, at six, Mesdames interrupted my reading to them to + accompany the princes to Louis XV.; this visit was called the King's + 'debotter',—[Debotter, meaning the time of unbooting.]—and was + marked by a kind of etiquette. Mesdames put on an enormous hoop, which set + out a petticoat ornamented with gold or embroidery; they fastened a long + train round their waists, and concealed the undress of the rest of their + clothing by a long cloak of black taffety which enveloped them up to the + chin. The chevaliers d'honneur, the ladies in waiting, the pages, the + equerries, and the ushers bearing large flambeaux, accompanied them to the + King. In a moment the whole palace, generally so still, was in motion; the + King kissed each Princess on the forehead, and the visit was so short that + the reading which it interrupted was frequently resumed at the end of a + quarter of an hour; Mesdames returned to their apartments, and untied the + strings of their petticoats and trains; they resumed their tapestry, and I + my book. + </p> + <p> + During the summer season the King sometimes came to the residence of + Mesdames before the hour of his 'debotter'. One day he found me alone in + Madame Victoire's closet, and asked me where 'Coche'[Piggy] was; I + started, and he repeated his question, but without being at all the more + understood. When the King was gone I asked Madame of whom he spoke. She + told me that it was herself, and very coolly explained to me, that, being + the fattest of his daughters, the King had given her the familiar name of + 'Coche'; that he called Madame Adelaide, 'Logue' [Tatters], Madame Sophie, + 'Graille'[Mite], and Madame Louise, 'Chiffie'[Rubbish]. The people of the + King's household observed that he knew a great number of such words; + possibly he had amused himself with picking them out from dictionaries. If + this style of speaking betrayed the habits and tastes of the King, his + manner savoured nothing of such vulgarity; his walk was easy and noble, he + had a dignified carriage of the head, and his aspect, with out being + severe, was imposing; he combined great politeness with a truly regal + demeanour, and gracefully saluted the humblest woman whom curiosity led + into his path. + </p> + <p> + He was very expert in a number of trifling matters which never occupy + attention but when there is a lack of something better to employ it; for + instance, he would knock off the top of an egg-shell at a single stroke of + his fork; he therefore always ate eggs when he dined in public, and the + Parisians who came on Sundays to see the King dine, returned home less + struck with his fine figure than with the dexterity with which he broke + his eggs. + </p> + <p> + Repartees of Louis XV., which marked the keenness of his wit and the + elevation of his sentiments, were quoted with pleasure in the assemblies + of Versailles. + </p> + <p> + This Prince was still beloved; it was wished that a style of life suitable + to his age and dignity should at length supersede the errors of the past, + and justify the love of his subjects. It was painful to judge him harshly. + If he had established avowed mistresses at Court, the uniform devotion of + the Queen was blamed for it. Mesdames were reproached for not seeking to + prevent the King's forming an intimacy with some new favourite. Madame + Henriette, twin sister of the Duchess of Parma, was much regretted, for + she had considerable influence over the King's mind, and it was remarked + that if she had lived she would have been assiduous in finding him + amusements in the bosom of his family, would have followed him in his + short excursions, and would have done the honours of the 'petits soupers' + which he was so fond of giving in his private apartments. + </p> + <p> + Mesdames too much neglected the means of pleasing the wing, but the cause + of that was obvious in the little attention he had paid them in their + youth. + </p> + <p> + In order to console the people under their sufferings, and to shut their + eyes to the real depredations on the treasury, the ministers occasionally + pressed the most extravagant measures of reform in the King's household, + and even in his personal expenses. + </p> + <p> + Cardinal Fleury, who in truth had the merit of reestablishing the + finances, carried this system of economy so far as to obtain from the King + the suppression of the household of the four younger Princesses. They were + brought up as mere boarders in a convent eighty leagues distant from the + Court. Saint Cyr would have been more suitable for the reception of the + King's daughters; but probably the Cardinal shared some of those + prejudices which will always attach to even the most useful institutions, + and which, since the death of Louis XIV., had been raised against the + noble establishment of Madame de Maintenon. Madame Louise often assured me + that at twelve years of age she was not mistress of the whole alphabet, + and never learnt to read fluently until after her return to Versailles. + </p> + <p> + Madame Victoire attributed certain paroxysms of terror, which she was + never able to conquer, to the violent alarms she experienced at the Abbey + of Fontevrault, whenever she was sent, by way of penance, to pray alone in + the vault where the sisters were interred. + </p> + <p> + A gardener belonging to the abbey died raving mad. His habitation, without + the walls, was near a chapel of the abbey, where Mesdames were taken to + repeat the prayers for those in the agonies of death. Their prayers were + more than once interrupted by the shrieks of the dying man. + </p> + <p> + When Mesdames, still very young, returned to Court, they enjoyed the + friendship of Monseigneur the Dauphin, and profited by his advice. They + devoted themselves ardently to study, and gave up almost the whole of + their time to it; they enabled themselves to write French correctly, and + acquired a good knowledge of history. Italian, English, the higher + branches of mathematics, turning and dialing, filled up in succession + their leisure moments. Madame Adelaide, in particular, had a most + insatiable desire to learn; she was taught to play upon all instruments, + from the horn (will it be believed!) to the Jew's-harp. + </p> + <p> + Madame Adelaide was graced for a short time with a charming figure; but + never did beauty so quickly vanish. Madame Victoire was handsome and very + graceful; her address, mien, and smile were in perfect accordance with the + goodness of her heart. Madame Sophie was remarkably ugly; never did I + behold a person with so unprepossessing an appearance; she walked with the + greatest rapidity; and, in order to recognise the people who placed + themselves along her path without looking at them, she acquired the habit + of leering on one side, like a hare. This Princess was so exceedingly + diffident that a person might be with her daily for years together without + hearing her utter a single word. It was asserted, however, that she + displayed talent, and even amiability, in the society of some favourite + ladies. She taught herself a great deal, but she studied alone; the + presence of a reader would have disconcerted her very much. There were, + however, occasions on which the Princess, generally so intractable, became + all at once affable and condescending, and manifested the most + communicative good-nature; this would happen during a storm; so great was + her alarm on such an occasion that she then approached the most humble, + and would ask them a thousand obliging questions; a flash of lightning + made her squeeze their hands; a peal of thunder would drive her to embrace + them, but with the return of the calm, the Princess resumed her stiffness, + her reserve, and her repellent air, and passed all by without taking the + slightest notice of any one, until a fresh storm restored to her at once + her dread and her affability. [Which reminds one of the elder (and + puritanic) Cato who said that he "embraced" his wife only when it + thundered, but added that he did enjoy a good thunderstorm. D.W.] + </p> + <p> + Mesdames found in a beloved brother, whose rare attainments are known to + all Frenchmen, a guide in everything wanting to their education. In their + august mother, Maria Leczinska, they possessed the noblest example of + every pious and social virtue; that Princess, by her eminent qualities and + her modest dignity, veiled the failings of the King, and while she lived + she preserved in the Court of Louis XV. that decorous and dignified tone + which alone secures the respect due to power. The Princesses, her + daughters, were worthy of her; and if a few degraded beings did aim the + shafts of calumny at them, these shafts dropped harmless, warded off by + the elevation of their sentiments and the purity of their conduct. + </p> + <p> + If Mesdames had not tasked themselves with numerous occupations, they + would have been much to be pitied. They loved walking, but could enjoy + nothing beyond the public gardens of Versailles; they would have + cultivated flowers, but could have no others than those in their windows. + </p> + <p> + The Marquise de Durfort, since Duchesse de Civrac, afforded to Madame + Victoire agreeable society. The Princess spent almost all her evenings + with that lady, and ended by fancying herself domiciled with her. + </p> + <p> + Madame de Narbonne had, in a similar way, taken pains to make her intimate + acquaintance pleasant to Madame Adelaide. + </p> + <p> + Madame Louise had for many years lived in great seclusion; I read to her + five hours a day. My voice frequently betrayed the exhaustion of my lungs; + the Princess would then prepare sugared water for me, place it by me, and + apologise for making me read so long, on the score of having prescribed a + course of reading for herself. + </p> + <p> + One evening, while I was reading, she was informed that M. Bertin, + 'ministre des parties casuelles', desired to speak with her; she went out + abruptly, returned, resumed her silks and embroidery, and made me resume + my book; when I retired she commanded me to be in her closet the next + morning at eleven o'clock. When I got there the Princess was gone out; I + learnt that she had gone at seven in the morning to the Convent of the + Carmelites of St. Denis, where she was desirous of taking the veil. I went + to Madame Victoire; there I heard that the King alone had been acquainted + with Madame Louise's project; that he had kept it faithfully secret, and + that, having long previously opposed her wish, he had only on the + preceding evening sent her his consent; that she had gone alone into the + convent, where she was expected; and that a few minutes afterwards she had + made her appearance at the grating, to show to the Princesse de Guistel, + who had accompanied her to the convent gate, and to her equerry, the + King's order to leave her in the monastery. + </p> + <p> + Upon receiving the intelligence of her sister's departure, Madame Adelaide + gave way to violent paroxysms of rage, and reproached the King bitterly + for the secret, which he had thought it his duty to preserve. Madame + Victoire missed the society of her favourite sister, but she shed tears in + silence only. The first time I saw this excellent Princess after Madame + Louise's departure, I threw myself at her feet, kissed her hand, and asked + her, with all the confidence of youth, whether she would quit us as Madame + Louise had done. She raised me, embraced me; and said, pointing to the + lounge upon which she was extended, "Make yourself easy, my dear; I shall + never have Louise's courage. I love the conveniences of life too well; + this lounge is my destruction." As soon as I obtained permission to do so, + I went to St. Denis to see my late mistress; she deigned to receive me + with her face uncovered, in her private parlour; she told me she had just + left the wash-house, and that it was her turn that day to attend to the + linen. "I much abused your youthful lungs for two years before the + execution of my project," added she. "I knew that here I could read none + but books tending to our salvation, and I wished to review all the + historians that had interested me." + </p> + <p> + She informed me that the King's consent for her to go to St. Denis had + been brought to her while I was reading; she prided herself, and with + reason, upon having returned to her closet without the slightest mark of + agitation, though she said she felt so keenly that she could scarcely + regain her chair. She added that moralists were right when they said that + happiness does not dwell in palaces; that she had proved it; and that, if + I desired to be happy, she advised me to come and enjoy a retreat in which + the liveliest imagination might find full exercise in the contemplation of + a better world. I had no palace, no earthly grandeur to sacrifice to God; + nothing but the bosom of a united family; and it is precisely there that + the moralists whom she cited have placed true happiness. I replied that, + in private life, the absence of a beloved and cherished daughter would be + too cruelly felt by her family. The Princess said no more on the subject. + </p> + <p> + The seclusion of Madame Louise was attributed to various motives; some + were unkind enough to suppose it to have been occasioned by her + mortification at being, in point of rank, the last of the Princesses. I + think I penetrated the true cause. Her aspirations were lofty; she loved + everything sublime; often while I was reading she would interrupt me to + exclaim, "That is beautiful! that is noble!" There was but one brilliant + action that she could perform,—to quit a palace for a cell, and rich + garments for a stuff gown. She achieved it! + </p> + <p> + I saw Madame Louise two or three times more at the grating. I was informed + of her death by Louis XVI. "My Aunt Louise," said he to me, "your old + mistress, is just dead at St. Denis. I have this moment received + intelligence of it. Her piety and resignation were admirable, and yet the + delirium of my good aunt recalled to her recollection that she was a + princess, for her last words were, 'To paradise, haste, haste, full + speed.' No doubt she thought she was again giving orders to her equerry." + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [The retirement of Madame Louise, and her removal from Court, had only + served to give her up entirely to the intrigues of the clergy. She + received incessant visits from bishops, archbishops, and ambitious + priests of every rank; she prevailed on the King, her father, to grant + many ecclesiastical preferments, and probably looked forward to playing + an important part when the King, weary of his licentious course of life, + should begin to think of religion. This, perhaps, might have been the + case had not a sudden and unexpected death put an end to his career. The + project of Madame Louise fell to the ground in consequence of this + event. She remained in her convent, whence she continued to solicit + favours, as I knew from the complaints of the Queen, who often said to + me, "Here is another letter from my Aunt Louise. She is certainly the + most intriguing little Carmelite in the kingdom." The Court went to + visit her about three times a year, and I recollect that the Queen, + intending to take her daughter there, ordered me to get a doll dressed + like a Carmelite for her, that the young Princess might be accustomed, + before she went into the convent, to the habit of her aunt, the nun.—MADAME + CAMPAN] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + Madame Victoire, good, sweet-tempered, and affable, lived with the most + amiable simplicity in a society wherein she was much caressed; she was + adored by her household. Without quitting Versailles, without sacrificing + her easy chair, she fulfilled the duties of religion with punctuality, + gave to the poor all she possessed, and strictly observed Lent and the + fasts. The table of Mesdames acquired a reputation for dishes of + abstinence, spread abroad by the assiduous parasites at that of their + maitre d'hotel. Madame Victoire was not indifferent to good living, but + she had the most religious scruples respecting dishes of which it was + allowable to partake at penitential times. I saw her one day exceedingly + tormented by her doubts about a water-fowl, which was often served up to + her during Lent. The question to be determined was, whether it was + 'maigre' or 'gras'. She consulted a bishop, who happened to be of the + party: the prelate immediately assumed the grave attitude of a judge who + is about to pronounce sentence. He answered the Princess that, in a + similar case of doubt, it had been resolved that after dressing the bird + it should be pricked over a very cold silver dish; if the gravy of the + animal congealed within a quarter of an hour, the creature was to be + accounted flesh; but if the gravy remained in an oily state, it might be + eaten without scruple. Madame Victoire immediately made the experiment: + the gravy did not congeal; and this was a source of great joy to the + Princess, who was very partial to that sort of game. The abstinence which + so much occupied the attention of Madame Victoire was so disagreeable to + her, that she listened with impatience for the midnight hour of Holy + Saturday; and then she was immediately supplied with a good dish of fowl + and rice, and sundry other succulent viands. She confessed with such + amiable candour her taste for good cheer and the comforts of life, that it + would have been necessary to be as severe in principle as insensible to + the excellent qualities of the Princess, to consider it a crime in her. + </p> + <p> + Madame Adelaide had more mind than Madame Victoire; but she was altogether + deficient in that kindness which alone creates affection for the great, + abrupt manners, a harsh voice, and a short way of speaking, rendering her + more than imposing. She carried the idea of the prerogative of rank to a + high pitch. One of her chaplains was unlucky enough to say 'Dominus + vobiscum' with rather too easy an air; the Princess rated him soundly for + it after mass, and told him to remember that he was not a bishop, and not + again to think of officiating in the style of a prelate. + </p> + <p> + Mesdames lived quite separate from the King. Since the death of Madame de + Pompadour he had lived alone. The enemies of the Duc de Choiseul did not + know in what department, nor through what channel, they could prepare and + bring about the downfall of the man who stood in their way. The King was + connected only with women of so low a class that they could not be made + use of for any delicate intrigue; moreover, the Parc-aux-Cerfs was a + seraglio, the beauties of which were often replaced; it was desirable to + give the King a mistress who could form a circle, and in whose + drawing-room the long-standing attachment of the King for the Duc de + Choiseul might be overcome. It is true that Madame du Barry was selected + from a class sufficiently low. Her origin, her education, her habits, and + everything about her bore a character of vulgarity and shamelessness; but + by marrying her to a man whose pedigree dated from 1400, it was thought + scandal would be avoided. The conqueror of Mahon conducted this coarse + intrigue. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [It appeared at this period as if every feeling of dignity was lost. + "Few noblemen of the French Court," says a writer of the time, + "preserved themselves from the general corruption. The Marechal de + Brissac was one of the latter. He was bantered on the strictness of his + principles of honour and honesty; it was thought strange that he should + be offended by being thought, like so many others, exposed to hymeneal + disgrace. Louis XV., who was present, and laughed at his angry fit, said + to him: 'Come, M. de Brissac, don't be angry; 'tis but a trifling evil; + take courage.'—'Sire,' replied M. de Brissac, 'I possess all kinds + of courage, except that which can brave shame.'"—NOTE BY THE + EDITOR.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + Such a mistress was judiciously selected for the diversion of the latter + years of a man weary of grandeur, fatigued with pleasure, and cloyed with + voluptuousness. Neither the wit, the talents, the graces of the Marquise + de Pompadour, her beauty, nor even her love for the King, would have had + any further influence over that worn-out being. + </p> + <p> + He wanted a Roxalana of familiar gaiety, without any respect for the + dignity of the sovereign. Madame du Barry one day so far forgot propriety + as to desire to be present at a Council of State. The King was weak enough + to consent to it. There she remained ridiculously perched upon the arm of + his chair, playing all sorts of childish monkey tricks, calculated to + please an old sultan. + </p> + <p> + Another time she snatched a packet of sealed letters from the King's hand. + Among them she had observed one from Comte de Broglie. She told the King + that she knew that rascal Broglie spoke ill of her to him, and that for + once, at least, she would make sure he should read nothing respecting her. + The King wanted to get the packet again; she resisted, and made him run + two or three times round the table, which was in the middle of the + council-chamber, and then, on passing the fireplace, she threw the letters + into the grate, where they were consumed. The King became furious; he + seized his audacious mistress by the arm, and put her out of the door + without speaking to her. Madame du Barry thought herself utterly + disgraced; she returned home, and remained two hours, alone, abandoned to + the utmost distress. The King went to her; she threw herself at his feet, + in tears, and he pardoned her. + </p> + <p> + Madame la Marechale de Beauvau, the Duchesse de Choiseul, and the Duchesse + de Grammont had renounced the honour of the King's intimate acquaintance + rather than share it with Madame du Barry. But a few years after the death + of Louis XV., Madame la Marechale being alone at the Val, a house + belonging to M. de Beauvau, Mademoiselle de Dillon saw the Countess's + calash take shelter in the forest of St. Germain during a violent storm. + She invited her in, and the Countess herself related these particulars, + which I had from Madame de Beauvau. + </p> + <p> + The Comte du Barry, surnamed 'le roue' (the profligate), and Mademoiselle + du Barry advised, or rather prompted, Madame du Barry in furtherance of + the plans of the party of the Marechal de Richelieu and the Duc + d'Aiguillon. Sometimes they even set her to act in such a way as to have a + useful influence upon great political measures. Under pretence that the + page who accompanied Charles I. in his flight was a Du Barry or Barrymore, + they persuaded the Comtesse du Barry to buy in London that fine portrait + which we now have in the Museum. She had the picture placed in her + drawing-room, and when she saw the King hesitating upon the violent + measure of breaking up his Parliament, and forming that which was called + the Maupeou Parliament, she desired him to look at the portrait of a king + who had given way to his Parliament. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [The "Memoirs of General Dumouriez," vol. i., page 142, contain some + curious particulars about Madame Du Barry; and novel details respecting + her will be found at page 243 of "Curiosites Historiques," by J. A. Le + Rol (Paris, Plon, 1864). His investigations lead to the result that her + real name was Jean Becu, born, 19th August, 1743, at Vaucouleurs, the + natural daughter of Anne Becu, otherwise known as "Quantiny." Her mother + afterwards married Nicolas Rancon. Comte Jean du Barry met her among the + demi-monde, and succeeded, about 1767, and by the help of his friend + Label, the valet de chambre of Louis XV., in introducing her to the King + under the name of Mademoiselle l'Ange. To be formally mistress, a + husband had to be found. The Comte Jean du Barry, already married + himself, found no difficulty in getting his brother, Comte Guillaume, a + poor officer of the marine troops, to accept the post of husband. In the + marriage-contract, signed on 23d July, 1768, she was described as "the + daughter of Anne Becu and of an imaginary first husband, Sieur Jean + Jacques Gomard de Vaubernier," and three years were taken off her age. + The marriage-contract was so drawn as to leave Madame du Barry entirely + free from all control by her husband. The marriage was solemnised on 1st + September, 1768, after which the nominal husband returned to Toulouse. + Madame du Barry in later years provided for him; and in 1772, tired of + his applications, she obtained an act of separation from him. He married + later Jeanne Madeleine Lemoine, and died in 1811. Madame du Barry took + care of her mother, who figured as Madame de Montrable. In all, she + received from the King, M. Le Roi calculates, about twelve and a half + millions of livres. On the death of Louis XV. she had to retire first to + the Abbey of Pont-aux-Dames, near Meaux, then she was allowed to go to + her small house at St. Vrain, near Arpajon, and, finally, in 1775, to + her chateau at Louveciennes. Much to her credit be it said, she retained + many of her friends, and was on the most intimate terms till his death + with the Duc de Brissac (Louis Hercule Timoldon de Cosse-Brissac), who + was killed at Versailles in the massacre of the prisoners in September, + 1792, leaving at his death a large legacy to her. Even the Emperor + Joseph visited her. In 1791 many of her jewels were stolen and taken to + England. This caused her to make several visits to that country, where + she gained her suit. But these visits, though she took every precaution + to legalise them, ruined her. Betrayed by her servants, among them by + Zamor, the negro page, she was brought before the Revolutionary + tribunal, and was guillotined on 8th December, 1793, in a frenzy of + terror, calling for mercy and for delay up to the moment when her head + fell.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + The men of ambition who were labouring to overthrow the Duc de Choiseul + strengthened themselves by their concentration at the house of the + favourite, and succeeded in their project. The bigots, who never forgave + that minister the suppression of the Jesuits, and who had always been + hostile to a treaty of alliance with Austria, influenced the minds of + Mesdames. The Duc de La Vauguyon, the young Dauphin's governor, infected + them with the same prejudices. + </p> + <p> + Such was the state of the public mind when the young Archduchess Marie + Antoinette arrived at the Court of Versailles, just at the moment when the + party which brought her there was about to be overthrown. + </p> + <p> + Madame Adelaide openly avowed her dislike to a princess of the House of + Austria; and when M. Campan, my father-in-law, went to receive his orders, + at the moment of setting off with the household of the Dauphiness, to go + and receive the Archduchess upon the frontiers, she said she disapproved + of the marriage of her nephew with an archduchess; and that, if she had + the direction of the matter, she would not send for an Austrian. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </p> + <h2> + CHAPTER II. + </h2> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <p> + MARIE ANTOINETTE JOSEPHE JEANNE DE LORRAINE, Archduchess of Austria, + daughter of Francois de Lorraine and of Maria Theresa, was born on the 2d + of November, 1755, the day of the earthquake at Lisbon; and this + catastrophe, which appeared to stamp the era of her birth with a fatal + mark, without forming a motive for superstitious fear with the Princess, + nevertheless made an impression upon her mind. As the Empress already had + a great number of daughters, she ardently desired to have another son, and + playfully wagered against her wish with the Duc de Tarouka, who had + insisted that she would give birth to an archduke. He lost by the birth of + the Princess, and had executed in porcelain a figure with one knee bent on + the earth, and presenting tablets, upon which the following lines by + Metastasio were engraved: + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + I lose by your fair daughter's birth <br /> Who prophesied a son; <br /> + But if she share her mother's worth, <br /> Why, all the world has won! + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + The Queen was fond of talking of the first years of her youth. Her father, + the Emperor Francis, had made a deep impression upon her heart; she lost + him when she was scarcely seven years old. One of those circumstances + which fix themselves strongly in the memories of children frequently + recalled his last caresses to her. The Emperor was setting out for + Innspruck; he had already left his palace, when he ordered a gentleman to + fetch the Archduchess Marie Antoinette, and bring her to his carriage. + When she came, he stretched out his arms to receive her, and said, after + having pressed her to his bosom, "I wanted to embrace this child once + more." The Emperor died suddenly during the journey, and never saw his + beloved daughter again. + </p> + <p> + The Queen often spoke of her mother, and with profound respect, but she + based all her schemes for the education of her children on the essentials + which had been neglected in her own. Maria Theresa, who inspired awe by + her great qualities, taught the Archduchesses to fear and respect rather + than to love her; at least I observed this in the Queen's feelings towards + her august mother. She therefore never desired to place between her own + children and herself that distance which had existed in the imperial + family. She cited a fatal consequence of it, which had made such a + powerful impression upon her that time had never been able to efface it. + </p> + <p> + The wife of the Emperor Joseph II. was taken from him in a few days by an + attack of smallpox of the most virulent kind. Her coffin had recently been + deposited in the vault of the imperial family. The Archduchess Josepha, + who had been betrothed to the King of Naples, at the instant she was + quitting Vienna received an order from the Empress not to set off without + having offered up a prayer in the vault of her forefathers. The + Archduchess, persuaded that she should take the disorder to which her + sister-in-law had just fallen a victim, looked upon this order as her + death-warrant. She loved the young Archduchess Marie Antoinette tenderly; + she took her upon her knees, embraced her with tears, and told her she was + about to leave her, not for Naples, but never to see her again; that she + was going down then to the tomb of her ancestors, and that she should + shortly go again there to remain. Her anticipation was realised; confluent + smallpox carried her off in a very few days, and her youngest sister + ascended the throne of Naples in her place. + </p> + <p> + The Empress was too much taken up with high political interests to have it + in her power to devote herself to maternal attentions. The celebrated + Wansvietten, her physician, went daily, to visit the young imperial + family, and afterwards to Maria Theresa, and gave the most minute details + respecting the health of the Archdukes and Archduchesses, whom she herself + sometimes did not see for eight or ten days at a time. As soon as the + arrival of a stranger of rank at Vienna was made known, the Empress + brought her family about her, admitted them to her table, and by this + concerted meeting induced a belief that she herself presided over the + education of her children. + </p> + <p> + The chief governesses, being under no fear of inspection from Maria + Theresa, aimed at making themselves beloved by their pupils by the common + and blamable practice of indulgence, so fatal to the future progress and + happiness of children. Marie Antoinette was the cause of her governess + being dismissed, through a confession that all her copies and all her + letters were invariably first traced out with pencil; the Comtesse de + Brandes was appointed to succeed her, and fulfilled her duties with great + exactness and talent. The Queen looked upon having been confided to her + care so late as a misfortune, and always continued upon terms of + friendship with that lady. The education of Marie Antoinette was certainly + very much neglected. With the exception of the Italian language, all that + related to belles lettres, and particularly to history, even that of her + own country, was almost entirely unknown to her. This was soon found out + at the Court of France, and thence arose the generally received opinion + that she was deficient in sense. It will be seen in the course of these + "Memoirs" whether that opinion was well or ill founded. The public prints, + however, teemed with assertions of the superior talents of Maria Theresa's + children. They often noticed the answers which the young Princesses gave + in Latin to the harangues addressed to them; they uttered them, it is + true, but without understanding them; they knew not a single word of that + language. + </p> + <p> + Mention was one day made to the Queen of a drawing made by her, and + presented by the Empress to M. Gerard, chief clerk of Foreign Affairs, on + the occasion of his going to Vienna to draw up the articles for her + marriage-contract. "I should blush," said she, "if that proof of the + quackery of my education were shown to me. I do not believe that I ever + put a pencil to that drawing." However, what had been taught her she knew + perfectly well. Her facility of learning was inconceivable, and if all her + teachers had been as well informed and as faithful to their duty as the + Abbe Metastasio, who taught her Italian, she would have attained as great + a superiority in the other branches of her education. The Queen spoke that + language with grace and ease, and translated the most difficult poets. She + did not write French correctly, but she spoke it with the greatest + fluency, and even affected to say that she had lost German. In fact she + attempted in 1787 to learn her mother-tongue, and took lessons assiduously + for six weeks; she was obliged to relinquish them, finding all the + difficulties which a Frenchwoman, who should take up the study too late, + would have to encounter. In the same manner she gave up English, which I + had taught her for some time, and in which she had made rapid progress. + Music was the accomplishment in which the Queen most delighted. She did + not play well on any instrument, but she had become able to read at sight + like a first-rate professor. She attained this degree of perfection in + France, this branch of her education having been neglected at Vienna as + much as the rest. A few days after her arrival at Versailles, she was + introduced to her singing-master, La Garde, author of the opera of "Egle." + She made a distant appointment with him, needing, as she said, rest after + the fatigues of the journey and the numerous fetes which had taken place + at Versailles; but her motive was her desire to conceal how ignorant she + was of the rudiments of music. She asked M. Campan whether his son, who + was a good musician, could give her lessons secretly for three months. + "The Dauphiness," added she, smiling, "must be careful of the reputation + of the Archduchess." The lessons were given privately, and at the end of + three months of constant application she sent for M. la Garde, and + surprised him by her skill. + </p> + <p> + The desire to perfect Marie Antoinette in the study of the French language + was probably the motive which determined Maria Theresa to provide for her + as teachers two French actors: Aufresne, for pronunciation and + declamation, and Sainville, for taste in French singing; the latter had + been an officer in France, and bore a bad character. The choice gave just + umbrage to our Court. The Marquis de Durfort, at that time ambassador at + Vienna, was ordered to make a representation to the Empress upon her + selection. The two actors were dismissed, and the Princess required that + an ecclesiastic should be sent to her. Several eminent ecclesiastics + declined taking upon themselves so delicate an office; others who were + pointed out by Maria Theresa (among the rest the Abbe Grisel) belonged to + parties which sufficed to exclude them. + </p> + <p> + The Archbishop of Toulouse one day went to the Duc de Choiseul at the + moment when he was much embarrassed upon the subject of this nomination; + he proposed to him the Abby de Vermond, librarian of the College des + Quatre Nations. The eulogistic manner in which he spoke of his protege + procured the appointment for the latter on that very day; and the + gratitude of the Abbe de Vermond towards the prelate was very fatal to + France, inasmuch as after seventeen years of persevering attempts to bring + him into the ministry, he succeeded at last in getting him named + Comptroller-General and President of the Council.—[Comte de Brienne, + later Archbishop of Sens.] + </p> + <p> + This Abbe de Vermond directed almost all the Queen's actions. He + established his influence over her at an age when impressions are most + durable; and it was easy to see that he had taken pains only to render + himself beloved by his pupil, and had troubled himself very little with + the care of instructing her. He might have even been accused of having, by + a sharp-sighted though culpable policy, purposely left her in ignorance. + Marie Antoinette spoke the French language with much grace, but wrote it + less perfectly. The Abbe de Vermond revised all the letters which she sent + to Vienna. The insupportable folly with which he boasted of it displayed + the character of a man more flattered at being admitted into her intimate + secrets than anxious to fulfil worthily the high office of her preceptor. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [The Abbe de Vermond encouraged the impatience of etiquette shown by + Marie Antoinette while she was Dauphiness. When she became Queen he + endeavoured openly to induce her to shake off the restraints she still + respected. If he chanced to enter her apartment at the time she was + preparing to go out, "For whom," he would say, in a tone of raillery, + "is this detachment of warriors which I found in the court? Is it some + general going to inspect his army? Does all this military display become + a young Queen adored by her subjects?" He would call to her mind the + simplicity with which Maria Theresa lived; the visits she made without + guards, or even attendants, to the Prince d'Esterhazy, to the Comte de + Palfi, passing whole days far from the fatiguing ceremonies of the + Court. The Abbe thus artfully flattered the inclinations of Marie + Antoinette, and showed her how she might disguise, even from herself, + her aversion for the ceremonies observed by the descendants of Louis + XIV.-MADAME CAMPAN.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + His pride received its birth at Vienna, where Maria Theresa, as much to + give him authority with the Archduchess as to make herself acquainted with + his character, permitted him to mix every evening with the private circle + of her family, into which the future Dauphiness had been admitted for some + time. Joseph II., the elder Archduchess, and a few noblemen honoured by + the confidence of Maria Theresa, composed the party; and reflections on + the world, on courts, and the duties of princes were the usual topics of + conversation. The Abbe de Vermond, in relating these particulars, + confessed the means which he had made use of to gain admission into this + private circle. The Empress, meeting him at the Archduchess's, asked him + if he had formed any connections in Vienna. "None, Madame," replied he; + "the apartment of the Archduchess and the hotel of the ambassador of + France are the only places which the man honoured with the care of the + Princess's education should frequent." A month afterwards Maria Theresa, + through a habit common enough among sovereigns, asked him the same + question, and received precisely the same answer. The next day he received + an order to join the imperial family every evening. + </p> + <p> + It is extremely probable, from the constant and well-known intercourse + between this man and Comte de Mercy, ambassador of the Empire during the + whole reign of Louis XVI., that he was useful to the Court of Vienna, and + that he often caused the Queen to decide on measures, the consequences of + which she did not consider. Not of high birth, imbued with all the + principles of the modern philosophy, and yet holding to the hierarchy of + the Church more tenaciously than any other ecclesiastic; vain, talkative, + and at the same time cunning and abrupt; very ugly and affecting + singularity; treating the most exalted persons as his equals, sometimes + even as his inferiors, the Abbe de Vermond received ministers and bishops + when in his bath; but said at the same time that Cardinal Dubois was a + fool; that a man such as he, having obtained power, ought to make + cardinals, and refuse to be one himself. + </p> + <p> + Intoxicated with the reception he had met with at the Court of Vienna, and + having till then seen nothing of high life, the Abbe de Vermond admired no + other customs than those of the imperial family; he ridiculed the + etiquette of the House of Bourbon incessantly; the young Dauphiness was + constantly incited by his sarcasms to get rid of it, and it was he who + first induced her to suppress an infinity of practices of which he could + discern neither the prudence nor the political aim. Such is the faithful + portrait of that man whom the evil star of Marie Antoinette had reserved + to guide her first steps upon a stage so conspicuous and so full of danger + as that of the Court of Versailles. + </p> + <p> + It will be thought, perhaps, that I draw the character of the Abbe de + Vermond too unfavourably; but how can I view with any complacency one who, + after having arrogated to himself the office of confidant and sole + counsellor of the Queen, guided her with so little prudence, and gave us + the mortification of seeing that Princess blend, with qualities which + charmed all that surrounded her, errors alike injurious to her glory and + her happiness? + </p> + <p> + While M. de Choiseul, satisfied with the person whom M. de Brienne had + presented, despatched him to Vienna with every eulogium calculated to + inspire unbounded confidence, the Marquis de Durfort sent off a + hairdresser and a few French fashions; and then it was thought sufficient + pains had been taken to form the character of a princess destined to share + the throne of France. + </p> + <p> + The marriage of Monseigneur the Dauphin with the Archduchess was + determined upon during the administration of the Duc de Choiseul. The + Marquis de Durfort, who was to succeed the Baron de Breteuil in the + embassy to Vienna, was appointed proxy for the marriage ceremony; but six + months after the Dauphin's marriage the Duc de Choiseul was disgraced, and + Madame de Marsan and Madame de Guemenee, who grew more powerful through + the Duke's disgrace, conferred that embassy, upon Prince Louis de Rohan, + afterwards cardinal and grand almoner. + </p> + <p> + Hence it will be seen that the Gazette de France is a sufficient answer to + those libellers who dared to assert that the young Archduchess was + acquainted with the Cardinal de Rohan before the period of her marriage. A + worse selection in itself, or one more disagreeable to Maria Theresa, than + that which sent to her, in quality, of ambassador, a man so frivolous and + so immoral as Prince Louis de Rohan, could not have been made. He + possessed but superficial knowledge upon any subject, and was totally + ignorant of diplomatic affairs. His reputation had gone before him to + Vienna, and his mission opened under the most unfavourable auspices. In + want of money, and the House of Rohan being unable to make him any + considerable advances, he obtained from his Court a patent which + authorised him to borrow the sum of 600,000 livres upon his benefices, ran + in debt above a million, and thought to dazzle the city and Court of + Vienna by the most indecent and ill-judged extravagance. He formed a suite + of eight or ten gentlemen, of names sufficiently high-sounding; twelve + pages equally well born, a crowd of officers and servants, a company of + chamber musicians, etc. But this idle pomp did not last; embarrassment and + distress soon showed themselves; his people, no longer receiving pay, in + order to make money, abused the privileges of ambassadors, and smuggled + with so much effrontery that Maria Theresa, to put a stop to it without + offending the Court of France, was compelled to suppress the privileges in + this respect of all the diplomatic bodies, a step which rendered the + person and conduct of Prince Louis odious in every foreign Court. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [I have often heard the Queen say that, at Vienna, in the office of the + secretary of the Prince de Rohan, there were sold in one year more silk + stockings than at Lyons and Paris together.—MADAME CAMPAN.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + He seldom obtained private audiences from the Empress, who did not esteem + him, and who expressed herself without reserve upon his conduct both as a + bishop and as an ambassador. He thought to obtain favour by assisting to + effect the marriage of the Archduchess Elizabeth, the elder sister of + Marie Antoinette, with Louis XV., an affair which was awkwardly + undertaken, and of which Madame du Barry had no difficulty in causing the + failure. I have deemed it my duty to omit no particular of the moral and + political character of a man whose existence was subsequently so injurious + to the reputation of Marie Antoinette. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </p> + <h2> + CHAPTER III. + </h2> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <p> + A superb pavilion had been prepared upon the frontier near Kehl. It + consisted of a vast salon, connected with two apartments, one of which was + assigned to the lords and ladies of the Court of Vienna, and the other to + the suite of the Dauphiness, composed of the Comtesse de Noailles, her + lady of honour; the Duchesse de Cosse, her dame d'atours; four ladies of + the palace; the Comte de Saulx-Tavannes, chevalier d'honneur; the Comte de + Tesse, first equerry; the Bishop of Chartres, first almoner; the officers + of the Body Guard, and the equerries. + </p> + <p> + When the Dauphiness had been entirely undressed, in order that she might + retain nothing belonging to a foreign Court (an etiquette always observed + on such an occasion), the doors were opened; the young Princess came + forward, looking round for the Comtesse de Noailles; then, rushing into + her arms, she implored her, with tears in her eyes, and with heartfelt + sincerity, to be her guide and support. + </p> + <p> + While doing justice to the virtues of the Comtesse de Noailles, those + sincerely attached to the Queen have always considered it as one of her + earliest misfortunes not to have found, in the person of her adviser, a + woman indulgent, enlightened, and administering good advice with that + amiability which disposes young persons to follow it. The Comtesse de + Noailles had nothing agreeable in her appearance; her demeanour was stiff + and her mien severe. She was perfect mistress of etiquette; but she + wearied the young Princess with it, without making her sensible of its + importance. It would have been sufficient to represent to the Dauphiness + that in France her dignity depended much upon customs not necessary at + Vienna to secure the respect and love of the good and submissive Austrians + for the imperial family; but the Dauphiness was perpetually tormented by + the remonstrances of the Comtesse de Noailles, and at the same time was + led by the Abbe de Vermond to ridicule both the lessons upon etiquette and + her who gave them. She preferred raillery to argument, and nicknamed the + Comtesse de Noailles Madame l'Etiquette. + </p> + <p> + The fetes which were given at Versailles on the marriage of the Dauphin + were very splendid. The Dauphiness arrived there at the hour for her + toilet, having slept at La Muette, where Louis XV. had been to receive + her; and where that Prince, blinded by a feeling unworthy of a sovereign + and the father of a family, caused the young Princess, the royal family, + and the ladies of the Court, to sit down to supper with Madame du Barry. + </p> + <p> + The Dauphiness was hurt at this conduct; she spoke of it openly enough to + those with whom she was intimate, but she knew how to conceal her + dissatisfaction in public, and her behaviour showed no signs of it. + </p> + <p> + She was received at Versailles in an apartment on the ground floor, under + that of the late Queen, which was not ready for her until six months after + her marriage. + </p> + <p> + The Dauphiness, then fifteen years of age, beaming with freshness, + appeared to all eyes more than beautiful. Her walk partook at once of the + dignity of the Princesses of her house, and of the grace of the French; + her eyes were mild, her smile amiable. When she went to chapel, as soon as + she had taken the first few steps in the long gallery, she discerned, all + the way to its extremity, those persons whom she ought to salute with the + consideration due to their rank; those on whom she should bestow an + inclination of the head; and lastly, those who were to be satisfied with a + smile, calculated to console them for not being entitled to greater + honours. + </p> + <p> + Louis XV. was enchanted with the young Dauphiness; all his conversation + was about her graces, her vivacity, and the aptness of her repartees. She + was yet more successful with the royal family when they beheld her shorn + of the splendour of the diamonds with which she had been adorned during + the first days of her marriage. When clothed in a light dress of gauze or + taffety she was compared to the Venus dei Medici, and the Atalanta of the + Marly Gardens. Poets sang her charms; painters attempted to copy her + features. One artist's fancy led him to place the portrait of Marie + Antoinette in the heart of a full-blown rose. His ingenious idea was + rewarded by Louis XV. + </p> + <p> + The King continued to talk only of the Dauphiness; and Madame du Barry + ill-naturedly endeavoured to damp his enthusiasm. Whenever Marie + Antoinette was the topic, she pointed out the irregularity of her + features, criticised the 'bons mots' quoted as hers, and rallied the King + upon his prepossession in her favour. Madame du Barry was affronted at not + receiving from the Dauphiness those attentions to which she thought + herself entitled; she did not conceal her vexation from the King; she was + afraid that the grace and cheerfulness of the young Princess would make + the domestic circle of the royal family more agreeable to the old + sovereign, and that he would escape her chains; at the same time, hatred + to the Choiseul party contributed powerfully to excite the enmity of the + favourite. + </p> + <p> + The fall of that minister took place in November, 1770, six months after + his long influence in the Council had brought about the alliance with the + House of Austria and the arrival of Marie Antoinette at the Court of + France. The Princess, young, frank, volatile, and inexperienced, found + herself without any other guide than the Abbe de Vermond, in a Court ruled + by the enemy of the minister who had brought her there, and in the midst + of people who hated Austria, and detested any alliance with the imperial + house. + </p> + <p> + The Duc d'Aiguillon, the Duc de La Vauguyon, the Marechal de Richelieu, + the Rohans, and other considerable families, who had made use of Madame du + Barry to overthrow the Duke, could not flatter themselves, notwithstanding + their powerful intrigues, with a hope of being able to break off an + alliance solemnly announced, and involving such high political interests. + They therefore changed their mode of attack, and it will be seen how the + conduct of the Dauphin served as a basis for their hopes. + </p> + <p> + The Dauphiness continually gave proofs of both sense and feeling. + Sometimes she even suffered herself to be carried away by those transports + of compassionate kindness which are not to be controlled by the customs + which rank establishes. + </p> + <p> + In consequence of the fire in the Place Louis XV., which occurred at the + time of the nuptial entertainments, the Dauphin and Dauphiness sent their, + whole income for the year to the relief of the unfortunate families who + lost their relatives on that disastrous day. + </p> + <p> + This was one of those ostentatious acts of generosity which are dictated + by the policy of princes, at least as much as by their compassion; but the + grief of Marie Antoinette was profound, and lasted several days; nothing + could console her for the loss of so many innocent victims; she spoke of + it, weeping, to her ladies, one of whom, thinking, no doubt, to divert her + mind, told her that a great number of thieves had been found among the + bodies, and that their pockets were filled with watches and other + valuables. "They have at least been well punished," added the person who + related these particulars. "Oh, no, no, madame!" replied the Dauphiness; + "they died by the side of honest people." + </p> + <p> + The Dauphiness had brought from Vienna a considerable number of white + diamonds; the King added to them the gift of the diamonds and pearls of + the late Dauphiness, and also put into her hands a collar of pearls, of a + single row, the smallest of which was as large as a filbert, and which had + been brought into France by Anne of Austria, and appropriated by that + Princess to the use of the Queens and Dauphinesses of France. + </p> + <p> + The three Princesses, daughters of Louis XV., joined in making her + magnificent presents. Madame Adelaide at the same time gave the young + Princess a key to the private corridors of the Chateau, by means of which, + without any suite, and without being perceived, she could get to the + apartments of her aunts, and see them in private. The Dauphiness, on + receiving the key, told them, with infinite grace, that if they had meant + to make her appreciate the superb presents they were kind enough to bestow + upon her, they should not at the same time have offered her one of such + inestimable value; since to that key she should be indebted for an + intimacy and advice unspeakably precious at her age. She did, indeed, make + use of it very frequently; but Madame Victoire alone permitted her, so + long as she continued Dauphiness, to visit her familiarly. Madame Adelaide + could not overcome her prejudices against Austrian princesses, and was + wearied with the somewhat petulant gaiety of the Dauphiness. Madame + Victoire was concerned at this, feeling that their society and counsel + would have been highly useful to a young person otherwise likely to meet + with none but sycophants. She endeavoured, therefore, to induce her to + take pleasure in the society of the Marquise de Durfort, her lady of + honour and favourite. Several agreeable entertainments took place at the + house of this lady, but the Comtesse de Noailles and the Abbe de Vermond + soon opposed these meetings. + </p> + <p> + A circumstance which happened in hunting, near the village of Acheres, in + the forest of Fontainebleau, afforded the young Princess an opportunity of + displaying her respect for old age, and her compassion for misfortune. An + aged peasant was wounded by the stag; the Dauphiness jumped out of her + calash, placed the peasant, with his wife and children, in it, had the + family taken back to their cottage, and bestowed upon them every attention + and every necessary assistance. Her heart was always open to the feelings + of compassion, and the recollection of her rank never restrained her + sensibility. Several persons in her service entered her room one evening, + expecting to find nobody there but the officer in waiting; they perceived + the young Princess seated by the side of this man, who was advanced in + years; she had placed near him a bowl full of water, was stanching the + blood which issued from a wound he had received in his hand with her + handkerchief, which she had torn up to bind it, and was fulfilling towards + him all the duties of a pious sister of charity. The old man, affected + even to tears, out of respect allowed his august mistress to act as she + thought proper. He had hurt himself in endeavouring to move a rather heavy + piece of furniture at the Princess's request. + </p> + <p> + In the month of July, 1770, an unfortunate occurrence that took place in a + family which the Dauphiness honoured with her favour contributed again to + show not only her sensibility but also the benevolence of her disposition. + One of her women in waiting had a son who was an officer in the gens + d'armes of the guard; this young man thought himself affronted by a clerk + in the War Department, and imprudently sent him a challenge; he killed his + adversary in the forest of Compiegne. The family of the young man who was + killed, being in possession of the challenge, demanded justice. The King, + distressed on account of several duels which had recently taken place, had + unfortunately declared that he would show no mercy on the first event of + that kind which could be proved; the culprit was therefore arrested. His + mother, in the deepest grief, hastened to throw herself at the feet of the + Dauphiness, the Dauphin, and the young Princesses. After an hour's + supplication they obtained from the King the favour so much desired. On + the next day a lady of rank, while congratulating the Dauphiness, had the + malice to add that the mother had neglected no means of success on the + occasion, having solicited not only the royal family, but even Madame du + Barry. The Dauphiness replied that the fact justified the favourable + opinion she had formed of the worthy woman; that the heart of a mother + should hesitate at nothing for the salvation of her son; and that in her + place, if she had thought it would be serviceable, she would have thrown + herself at the feet of Zamor. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [A little Indian who carried the Comtesse du Barry's train. Louis XV. + often amused himself with the little marmoset, and jestingly made him + Governor of Louveciennes; he received an annual income of 3,000 francs.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + Some time after the marriage entertainments the Dauphiness made her entry + into Paris, and was received with transports of joy. After dining in the + King's apartment at the Tuileries, she was forced, by the reiterated + shouts of the multitude, with whom the garden was filled, to present + herself upon the balcony fronting the principal walk. On seeing such a + crowd of heads with their eyes fixed upon her, she exclaimed, "Grand-Dieu! + what a concourse!"—"Madame," said the old Duc de Brissac, the + Governor of Paris, "I may tell you, without fear of offending the Dauphin, + that they are so many lovers." 2 The Dauphin took no umbrage at either + acclamations or marks of homage of which the Dauphiness was the object. + The most mortifying indifference, a coldness which frequently degenerated + into rudeness, were the sole feelings which the young Prince then + manifested towards her. Not all her charms could gain even upon his + senses. This estrangement, which lasted a long time, was said to be the + work of the Duc de La Vauguyon. + </p> + <p> + The Dauphiness, in fact, had no sincere friends at Court except the Duc de + Choiseul and his party. Will it be credited that the plans laid against + Marie Antoinette went so far as divorce? I have been assured of it by + persons holding high situations at Court, and many circumstances tend to + confirm the opinion. On the journey to Fontainebleau, in the year of the + marriage, the inspectors of public buildings were gained over to manage so + that the apartment intended for the Dauphin, communicating with that of + the Dauphiness, should not be finished, and a room at the extremity of the + building was temporarily assigned to him. The Dauphiness, aware that this + was the result of intrigue, had the courage to complain of it to Louis + XV., who, after severe reprimands, gave orders so positive that within the + week the apartment was ready. Every method was tried to continue or + augment the indifference which the Dauphin long manifested towards his + youthful spouse. She was deeply hurt at it, but she never suffered herself + to utter the slightest complaint on the subject. Inattention to, even + contempt for, the charms which she heard extolled on all sides, nothing + induced her to break silence; and some tears, which would involuntarily + burst from her eyes, were the sole symptoms of her inward sufferings + discoverable by those in her service. + </p> + <p> + Once only, when tired out with the misplaced remonstrances of an old lady + attached to her person, who wished to dissuade her from riding on + horseback, under the impression that it would prevent her producing heirs + to the crown, "Mademoiselle," said she, "in God's name, leave me in peace; + be assured that I can put no heir in danger." + </p> + <p> + The Dauphiness found at the Court of Louis XV., besides the three + Princesses, the King's daughters, the Princes also, brothers of the + Dauphin, who were receiving their education, and Clotilde and Elisabeth, + still in the care of Madame de Marsan, governess of the children of + France. The elder of the two latter Princesses, in 1777, married the + Prince of Piedmont, afterwards King of Sardinia. This Princess was in her + infancy, so extremely large that the people nicknamed her 'gros Madame.' + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [Madame Clotilde of France, a sister of the King, was extraordinarily + fat for her height and age. One of her playfellows, having been + indiscreet enough even in her presence to make use of the nickname given + to her, received a severe reprimand from the Comtesse de Marsan, who + hinted to her that she would do well in not making her appearance again + before the Princess. Madame Clotilde sent for her the next day: "My + governess," said she, "has done her duty, and I will do mine; come and + see me as usual, and think no more of a piece of inadvertence, which I + myself have forgotten." This Princess, so heavy in body, possessed the + most agreeable and playful wit. Her affability and grace rendered her + dear to all who came near her.—NOTE BY THE EDITOR] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + The second Princess was the pious Elisabeth, the victim of her respect and + tender attachment for the King, her brother. She was still scarcely out of + her leading-strings at the period of the Dauphin's marriage. The + Dauphiness showed her marked preference. The governess, who sought to + advance the Princess to whom nature had been least favourable, was + offended at the Dauphiness's partiality for Madame Elisabeth, and by her + injudicious complaints weakened the friendship which yet subsisted between + Madame Clotilde and Marie Antoinette. There even arose some degree of + rivalry on the subject of education; and that which the Empress Maria + Theresa bestowed on her daughters was talked of openly and unfavourably + enough. The Abbe de Vermond thought himself affronted, took a part in the + quarrel, and added his complaints and jokes to those of the Dauphiness on + the criticisms of the governess; he even indulged himself in his turn in + reflections on the tuition of Madame Clotilde. Everything becomes known at + Court. Madame de Marsan was informed of all that had been said in the + Dauphiness's circle, and was very angry with her on account of it. + </p> + <p> + From that moment a centre of intrigue, or rather gossip, against Marie + Antoinette was established round Madame de Marsan's fireside; her most + trifling actions were there construed ill; her gaiety, and the harmless + amusements in which she sometimes indulged in her own apartments with the + more youthful ladies of her train, and even with the women in her service, + were stigmatised as criminal. Prince Louis de Rohan, sent through the + influence of this clique ambassador to Vienna, was the echo there of these + unmerited comments, and threw himself into a series of culpable + accusations which he proffered under the guise of zeal. He ceaselessly + represented the young Dauphiness as alienating all hearts by levities + unsuitable to the dignity of the French Court. The Princess frequently + received from the Court of Vienna remonstrances, of the origin of which + she could not long remain in ignorance. From this period must be dated + that aversion which she never ceased to manifest for the Prince de Rohan. + </p> + <p> + About the same time the Dauphiness received information of a letter + written by Prince Louis to the Duc d'Aiguillon, in which the ambassador + expressed himself in very free language respecting the intentions of Maria + Theresa with relation to the partition of Poland. This letter of Prince + Louis had been read at the Comtesse du Barry's; the levity of the + ambassador's correspondence wounded the feelings and the dignity of the + Dauphiness at Versailles, while at Vienna the representations which he + made to Maria Theresa against the young Princess terminated in rendering + the motives of his incessant complaints suspected by the Empress. + </p> + <p> + Maria Theresa at length determined on sending her private secretary, Baron + de Neni, to Versailles, with directions to observe the conduct of the + Dauphiness with attention, and form a just estimate of the opinion of the + Court and of Paris with regard to that Princess. The Baron de Neni, after + having devoted sufficient time and intelligence to the subject, undeceived + his sovereign as to the exaggerations of the French ambassador; and the + Empress had no difficulty in detecting, among the calumnies which he had + conveyed to her under the specious excuse of anxiety for her august + daughter, proofs of the enmity of a, party which had never approved of the + alliance of the House of Bourbon with her own. + </p> + <p> + At this period the Dauphiness, though unable to obtain any influence over + the heart of her husband, dreading Louis XV., and justly mistrusting + everything connected with Madame du Barry and the Duc d'Aiguillon, had not + deserved the slightest reproach for that sort of levity which hatred and + her misfortunes afterwards construed into crime. The Empress, convinced of + the innocence of Marie Antoinette, directed the Baron de Neni to solicit + the recall of the Prince de Rohan, and to inform the Minister for Foreign + Affairs of all the motives which made her require it; but the House of + Rohan interposed between its protege and the Austrian envoy, and an + evasive answer merely was given. + </p> + <p> + It was not until two months after the death of Louis XV. that the Court of + Vienna obtained his recall. The avowed grounds for requiring it were, + first, the public gallantries of Prince Louis with some ladies of the + Court and others; secondly, his surliness and haughtiness towards other + foreign ministers, which would have had more serious consequences, + especially with the ministers of England and Denmark, if the Empress + herself had not interfered; thirdly, his contempt for religion in a + country where it was particularly necessary to show respect for it. He had + been seen frequently to dress himself in clothes of different colours, + assuming the hunting uniforms of various noblemen whom he visited, with so + much audacity that one day in particular, during the Fete-Dieu, he and all + his legation, in green uniforms laced with gold, broke through a + procession which impeded them, in order to make their way to a hunting + party at the Prince de Paar's; and fourthly, the immense debts contracted + by him and his people, which were tardily and only in part discharged. + </p> + <p> + The succeeding marriages of the Comte de Provence and the Comte d'Artois + with two daughters of the King of Sardinia procured society for the + Dauphiness more suitable to her age, and altered her mode of life. + </p> + <p> + A pair of tolerably fine eyes drew forth, in favour of the Comtesse de + Provence, upon her arrival at Versailles, the only praises which could + reasonably be bestowed upon her. The Comtesse d'Artois, though not + deformed, was very small; she had a fine complexion; her face, tolerably + pleasing, was not remarkable for anything except the extreme length of the + nose. But being good and generous, she was beloved by those about her, and + even possessed some influence so long as she was the only Princess who had + produced heirs to the crown. + </p> + <p> + From this time the closest intimacy subsisted between the three young + families. They took their meals together, except on those days when they + dined in public. This manner of living en famille continued until the + Queen sometimes indulged herself in going to dine with the Duchesse de + Polignac, when she was governess; but the evening meetings at supper were + never interrupted; they took place at the house of the Comtesse de + Provence. Madame Elisabeth made one of the party when she had finished her + education, and sometimes Mesdames, the King's aunts, were invited. The + custom, which had no precedent at Court, was the work of Marie Antoinette, + and she maintained it with the utmost perseverance. + </p> + <p> + The Court of Versailles saw no change in point of etiquette during the + reign of Louis XV. Play took place at the house of the Dauphiness, as + being the first lady of the State. It had, from the death of Queen Maria + Leczinska to the marriage of the Dauphin, been held at the abode of Madame + Adelade. This removal, the result of an order of precedence not to be + violated, was not the less displeasing to Madame Adelaide, who established + a separate party for play in her apartments, and scarcely ever went to + that which not only the Court in general, but also the royal family, were + expected to attend. The full-dress visits to the King on his 'debotter' + were continued. High mass was attended daily. The airings of the + Princesses were nothing more than rapid races in berlins, during which + they were accompanied by Body Guards, equerries, and pages on horseback. + They galloped for some leagues from Versailles. Calashes were used only in + hunting. + </p> + <p> + The young Princesses were desirous to infuse animation into their circle + of associates by something useful as well as pleasant. They adopted the + plan of learning and performing all the best plays of the French theatre. + The Dauphin was the only spectator. The three Princesses, the two brothers + of the King, and Messieurs Campan, father and son, were the sole + performers, but they endeavoured to keep this amusement as secret as an + affair of State; they dreaded the censure of Mesdames, and they had no + doubt that Louis XV. would forbid such pastimes if he knew of them. They + selected for their performance a cabinet in the entresol which nobody had + occasion to enter. + </p> + <p> + A kind of proscenium, which could be taken down and shut up in a closet, + formed the whole theatre. The Comte de Provence always knew his part with + imperturbable accuracy; the Comte d'Artois knew his tolerably well, and + recited elegantly; the Princesses acted badly. The Dauphiness acquitted + herself in some characters with discrimination and feeling. The chief + pleasure of this amusement consisted in all the costumes being elegant and + accurate. The Dauphin entered into the spirit of these diversions, and + laughed heartily at the comic characters as they came on the scene; from + these amusements may be dated his discontinuance of the timid manner of + his youth, and his taking pleasure in the society of the Dauphiness. + </p> + <p> + It was not till a long time afterwards that I learnt these particulars, M. + Campan having kept the secret; but an unforeseen event had well-nigh + exposed the whole mystery. One day the Queen desired M. Campan to go down + into her closet to fetch something that she had forgotten; he was dressed + for the character of Crispin, and was rouged. A private staircase led + direct to the entresol through the dressing-room. M. Campan fancied he + heard some noise, and remained still, behind the door, which was shut. A + servant belonging to the wardrobe, who was, in fact, on the staircase, had + also heard some noise, and, either from fear or curiosity, he suddenly + opened the door; the figure of Crispin frightened him so that he fell down + backwards, shouting with his might, "Help! help!" My father-in-law raised + him up, made him recognise his voice, and laid upon him an injunction of + silence as to what he had seen. He felt himself, however, bound to inform + the Dauphiness of what had happened, and she was afraid that a similar + occurrence might betray their amusements. They were therefore + discontinued. + </p> + <p> + The Princess occupied her time in her own apartment in the study of music + and the parts in plays which she had to learn; the latter exercise, at + least, produced the beneficial effect of strengthening her memory and + familiarising her with the French language. + </p> + <p> + While Louis XV. reigned, the enemies of Marie Antoinette made no attempt + to change public opinion with regard to her. She was always popular with + the French people in general, and particularly with the inhabitants of + Paris, who went on every opportunity to Versailles, the majority of them + attracted solely by the pleasure of seeing her. The courtiers did not + fully enter into the popular enthusiasm which the Dauphiness had inspired; + the disgrace of the Duc de Choiseul had removed her real support from her; + and the party which had the ascendency at Court since the exile of that + minister was, politically, as much opposed to her family as to herself. + The Dauphiness was therefore surrounded by enemies at Versailles. + </p> + <p> + Nevertheless everybody appeared outwardly desirous to please her; for the + age of Louis XV., and the apathetic character of the Dauphin, sufficiently + warned courtiers of the important part reserved for the Princess during + the following reign, in case the Dauphin should become attached to her. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </p> + <h2> + CHAPTER IV. + </h2> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <p> + About the beginning of May, 1774, Louis XV., the strength of whose + constitution had promised a long enough life, was attacked by confluent + smallpox of the worst kind. Mesdames at this juncture inspired the + Dauphiness with a feeling of respect and attachment, of which she gave + them repeated proofs when she ascended the throne. In fact, nothing was + more admirable nor more affecting than the courage with which they braved + that most horrible disease. The air of the palace was infected; more than + fifty persons took the smallpox, in consequence of having merely loitered + in the galleries of Versailles, and ten died of it. + </p> + <p> + The end of the monarch was approaching. His reign, peaceful in general, + had inherited strength from the power of his predecessor; on the other + hand, his own weakness had been preparing misfortune for whoever should + reign after him. The scene was about to change; hope, ambition, joy, + grief, and all those feelings which variously affected the hearts of the + courtiers, sought in vain to disguise themselves under a calm exterior. It + was easy to detect the different motives which induced them every moment + to repeat to every one the question: "How is the King?" At length, on the + 10th of May, 1774, the mortal career of Louis XV. terminated. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [Christopher de Beaumont, Archbishop of Paris, the ardent apostle of + frequent communion, arrived at Paris with the intention of soliciting, + in public, the administration of the sacrament to the King, and secretly + retarding it as much as possible. The ceremony could not take place + without the previous and public expulsion of the, concubine, according + to the canons of the Church and the Jesuitical party, of which + Christopher was the leader. This party, which had made use of Madame du + Barry to suppress the Parliaments, to support the Duc d'Aiguillon, and + ruin the Choiseul faction, could not willingly consent to disgrace her + canonically. The Archbishop went into the King's bedchamber, and found + there Madame Adelaide, the Duc d'Aumont, the Bishop of Senlis, and + Richelieu, in whose presence he resolved not to say one word about + confession for that day. This reticence so encouraged Louis XV. that, on + the Archbishop withdrawing, he had Madame du Barry called in, and kissed + her beautiful hands again with his wonted affection. On the 2d of May + the King found himself a little better. Madame du Barry had brought him + two confidential physicians, Lorry and Borden, who were enjoined to + conceal the nature of his sickness from him in order to keep off the + priests and save her from a humiliating dismissal. The King's + improvement allowed Madame du Barry to divert him by her usual + playfulness and conversation. But La Martiniere, who was of the Choiseul + party, and to whom they durst not refuse his right of entry, did not + conceal from the King either the nature or the danger of his sickness. + The King then sent for Madame du Barry, and said to her: "My love, I + have got the smallpox, and my illness is very dangerous on account of my + age and other disorders. I ought not to forget that I am the most + Christian King, and the eldest son of the Church. I am sixty-four; the + time is perhaps approaching when we must separate. I wish to prevent a + scene like that of Metz." (when, in 1744, he had dismissed the Duchesse + de Chateauroux.) "Apprise the Duc d'Aiguillon of what I say, that he may + arrange with you if my sickness grows worse; so that we may part without + any publicity." The Jansenists and the Duc de Choiseurs party publicly + said that M. d'Aiguillon and the Archbishop had resolved to let the King + die without receiving the sacrament rather than disturb Madame du Barry. + Annoyed by their remarks, Beaumont determined to go and reside at the + Lazaristes, his house at Versailles, to avail himself of the King's last + moments, and sacrifice Madame du Barry when the monarch's condition + should become desperate. He arrived on the 3d of May, but did not see + the King. Under existing circumstances, his object was to humble the + enemies of his party and to support the favourite who had assisted to + overcome them. + </p> + <p> + A contrary zeal animated the Bishop of Carcassonne, who urged that "the + King ought to receive the sacrament; and by expelling the concubine to + give an example of repentance to France and Christian Europe, which he + had scandalised."—"By what right," said Cardinal de la + Roche-Aymon, a complaisant courtier with whom the Bishop was at daggers + drawn, "do you instruct me?"—"There is my authority," replied the + Bishop, holding up his pectoral cross. "Learn, monseigneur, to respect + it, and do not suffer your King to die without the sacraments of the + Church, of which he is the eldest son." The Duc d'Aiguillon and the + Archbishop, who witnessed the discussion, put an end to it by asking for + the King's orders relative to Madame du Barry. "She must be taken + quietly to your seat at Ruelle," said the King; "I shall be grateful for + the care Madame d'Aiguillon may take of her." + </p> + <p> + Madame du Barry saw the King again for a moment on the evening of the + 4th, and promised to return to Court upon his recovery. She was scarcely + gone when the King asked for her. "She is gone," was the answer. From + that moment the disorder gained ground; he thought himself a dead man, + without the possibility of recovery. The 5th and 6th passed without a + word of confession, viaticum, or extreme unction. The Duc de Fronsac + threatened to throw the Cure of Versailles out of the window if he dared + to mention them, but on the 7th, at three in the morning, the King + imperatively called for the Abbe Maudous. Confession lasted seventeen + minutes. The Ducs de la Vrillilere and d'Aiguillon wished to delay the + viaticum; but La Martiniere said to the King: "Sire, I have seen your + Majesty in very trying circumstances; but never admired you as I have + done to-day. No doubt your Majesty will immediately finish what you have + so well begun." The King had his confessor Maudoua called back; this was + a poor priest who had been placed about him for some years before + because he was old and blind. He gave him absolution. + </p> + <p> + The formal renunciation desired by the Choiseul party, in order to + humble and annihilate Madame du Barry with solemnity, was no more + mentioned. The grand almoner, in concert with the Archbishop, composed + this formula, pronounced in presence of the viaticum: "Although the King + owes an account of his conduct to none but God, he declares his + repentance at having scandalised his subjects, and is desirous to live + solely for the maintenance of religion and the happiness of his people." + </p> + <p> + On the 8th and 9th the disorder grew worse; and the King beheld the + whole surface of his body coming off piecemeal and corrupted. Deserted + by his friends and by that crowd of courtiers which had so long cringed + before him, his only consolation was the piety of his daughters.—SOULAVIE, + "Historical and Political Memoirs," vol. i.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + The Comtesse du Barry had, a few days previously, withdrawn to Ruelle, to + the Duc d'Aiguillon's. Twelve or fifteen persons belonging to the Court + thought it their duty to visit her there; their liveries were observed, + and these visits were for a long time grounds for disfavour. More than six + years after the King's death one of these persons being spoken of in the + circle of the royal family, I heard it remarked, "That was one of the + fifteen Ruelle carriages." + </p> + <p> + The whole Court went to the Chateau; the oiel-de boeuf was filled with + courtiers, and the palace with the inquisitive. The Dauphin had settled + that he would depart with the royal family the moment the King should + breathe his last sigh. But on such an occasion decency forbade that + positive orders for departure should be passed from mouth to mouth. The + heads of the stables, therefore, agreed with the people who were in the + King's room, that the latter should place a lighted taper near a window, + and that at the instant of the King's decease one of them should + extinguish it. + </p> + <p> + The taper was extinguished. On this signal the Body Guards, pages, and + equerries mounted on horseback, and all was ready for setting off. The + Dauphin was with the Dauphiness. They were expecting together the + intelligence of the death of Louis XV. A dreadful noise, absolutely like + thunder, was heard in the outer apartment; it was the crowd of courtiers + who were deserting the dead sovereign's antechamber, to come and do homage + to the new power of Louis XVI. This extraordinary tumult informed Marie + Antoinette and her husband that they were called to the throne; and, by a + spontaneous movement, which deeply affected those around them, they threw + themselves on their knees; both, pouring forth a flood of tears, + exclaimed: "O God! guide us, protect us; we are too young to reign." + </p> + <p> + The Comtesse de Noailles entered, and was the first to salute Marie + Antoinette as Queen of France. She requested their Majesties to condescend + to quit the inner apartments for the grand salon, to receive the Princes + and all the great officers, who were desirous to do homage to their new + sovereigns. Marie Antoinette received these first visits leaning upon her + husband, with her handkerchief held to her eyes; the carriages drove up, + the guards and equerries were on horseback. The Chateau was deserted; + every one hastened to fly from contagion, which there was no longer any + inducement to brave. + </p> + <p> + On leaving the chamber of Louis XV., the Duc de Villequier, first + gentleman of the bedchamber for the year, ordered M. Andouille, the King's + chief surgeon, to open the body and embalm it. The chief surgeon would + inevitably have died in consequence. "I am ready," replied Andouille; "but + while I operate you shall hold the head; your office imposes this duty + upon you." The Duke went off without saying a word, and the corpse was + neither opened nor embalmed. A few under-servants and workmen continued + with the pestiferous remains, and paid the last duty to their master; the + surgeons directed that spirits of wine should be poured into the coffin. + </p> + <p> + The entire Court set off for Choisy at four o'clock; Mesdames the King's + aunts in their private carriage, and the Princesses under tuition with the + Comtesse de Marsan and the under-governesses. The King, the Queen, + Monsieur, the King's brother, Madame, and the Comte and Comtesse d'Artois + went in the same carriage. The solemn scene that had just passed before + their eyes, the multiplied ideas offered to their imaginations by that + which was just opening, had naturally inclined them to grief and + reflection; but, by the Queen's own confession, this inclination, little + suited to their age, wholly left them before they had gone half their + journey; a word, drolly mangled by the Comtesse d'Artois, occasioned a + general burst of laughter; and from that moment they dried their tears. + </p> + <p> + The communication between Choisy and Paris was incessant; never was a + Court seen in greater agitation. What influence will the royal aunts have,—and + the Queen? What fate is reserved for the Comtesse du Barry? Whom will the + young King choose for his ministers? All these questions were answered in + a few days. It was determined that the King's youth required a + confidential person near him; and that there should be a prime minister. + All eyes were turned upon De Machault and De Maurepas, both of them much + advanced in years. The first had retired to his estate near Paris; and the + second to Pont Chartrain, to which place he had long been exiled. The + letter recalling M. de Machault was written, when Madame Adelaide obtained + the preference of that important appointment for M. de Maurepas. The page + to whose care the first letter had been actually consigned was recalled. + </p> + <p> + The Duc d'Aiguillon had been too openly known as the private friend of the + King's mistress; he was dismissed. M. de Vergennes, at that time + ambassador of France at Stockholm, was appointed Minister for Foreign + Affairs; Comte du Muy, the intimate friend of the Dauphin, the father of + Louis XVI.[?? D.W.], obtained the War Department. The Abbe Terray in vain + said, and wrote, that he had boldly done all possible injury to the + creditors of the State during the reign of the late King; that order was + restored in the finances; that nothing but what was beneficial to all + parties remained to be done; and that the new Court was about to enjoy the + advantages of the regenerating part of his plan of finance; all these + reasons, set forth in five or six memorials, which he sent in succession + to the King and Queen, did not avail to keep him in office. His talents + were admitted, but the odium which his operations had necessarily brought + upon his character, combined with the immorality of his private life, + forbade his further stay at Court; he was succeeded by M. de Clugny. De + Maupeou, the chancellor, was exiled; this caused universal joy. Lastly, + the reassembling of the Parliaments produced the strongest sensation; + Paris was in a delirium of joy, and not more than one person in a hundred + foresaw that the spirit of the ancient magistracy would be still the same; + and that in a short time it would make new attempts upon the royal + authority. Madame du Barry had been exiled to Pont-aux-Dames. This was a + measure rather of necessity than of severity; a short period of compulsory + retreat was requisite in order completely to break off her connections + with State affairs. The possession of Louveciennes and a considerable + pension were continued to her. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [The Comtesse du Barry never forgot the mild treatment she experienced + from the Court of Louis XVI.; during the most violent convulsions of the + Revolution she signified to the Queen that there was no one in France + more grieved at the sufferings of her sovereign than herself; that the + honour she had for years enjoyed, of living near the throne, and the + unbounded kindness of the King and Queen, had so sincerely attached her + to the cause of royalty that she entreated the Queen to honour her by + disposing of all she possessed. Though they did not accept her offer, + their Majesties were affected at her gratitude. The Comtesse du Barry + was, as is well known, one of the victims of the Revolution. She + betrayed at the last great weakness, and the most ardent desire to live. + She was the only woman who wept upon the scaffold and implored for + mercy. Her beauty and tears made an impression on the populace, and the + execution was hurried to a conclusion.—MADAME CAMPAN.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + Everybody expected the recall of M. de Choiseul; the regret occasioned by + his absence among the numerous friends whom he had left at Court, the + attachment of the young Princess who was indebted to him for her elevation + to the throne of France, and all concurring circumstances, seemed to + foretell his return; the Queen earnestly entreated it of the King, but she + met with an insurmountable and unforeseen obstacle. The King, it is said, + had imbibed the strongest prejudices against that minister, from secret + memoranda penned by his father, and which had been committed to the care + of the Duc de La Vauguyon, with an injunction to place them in his hands + as soon as he should be old enough to study the art of reigning. It was by + these memoranda that the esteem which he had conceived for the Marechal du + Muy was inspired, and we may add that Madame Adelaide, who at this early + period powerfully influenced the decisions of the young monarch, confirmed + the impressions they had made. + </p> + <p> + The Queen conversed with M. Campan on the regret she felt at having been + unable to procure the recall of M. de Choiseul, and disclosed the cause of + it to him. The Abbe de Vermond, who, down to the time of the death of + Louis XV., had been on terms of the strictest friendship with M. Campan, + called upon him on the second day after the arrival of the Court at + Choisy, and, assuming a serious air, said, "Monsieur, the Queen was + indiscreet enough yesterday to speak to you of a minister to whom she must + of course be attached, and whom his friends ardently desire to have near + her; you are aware that we must give up all expectation of seeing the Duke + at Court; you know the reasons why; but you do not know that the young + Queen, having mentioned the conversation in question to me, it was my + duty, both as her preceptor and her friend, to remonstrate severely with + her on her indiscretion in communicating to you those particulars of which + you are in possession. I am now come to tell you that if you continue to + avail yourself of the good nature of your mistress to initiate yourself in + secrets of State, you will have me for your most inveterate enemy. The + Queen should find here no other confidant than myself respecting things + that ought to remain secret." M. Campan answered that he did not covet the + important and dangerous character at the new Court which the Abbe wished + to appropriate; and that he should confine himself to the duties of his + office, being sufficiently satisfied with the continued kindness with + which the Queen honoured him. Notwithstanding this, however, he informed + the Queen, on the very same evening, of the injunction he had received. + She owned that she had mentioned their conversation to the Abbe; that he + had indeed seriously scolded her, in order to make her feel the necessity + of being secret in concerns of State; and she added, "The Abbe cannot like + you, my dear Campan; he did not expect that I should, on my arrival in + France, find in my household a man who would suit me so exactly as you + have done. I know that he has taken umbrage at it; that is enough. I know, + too, that you are incapable of attempting anything to injure him in my + esteem; an attempt which would besides be vain, for I have been too long + attached to him. As to yourself, be easy on the score of the Abbe's + hostility, which shall not in any way hurt you." + </p> + <p> + The Abbe de Vermond having made himself master of the office of sole + confidant to the Queen, was nevertheless agitated whenever he saw the + young King; he could not be ignorant that the Abbe had been promoted by + the Duc de Choiseul, and was believed to favour the Encyclopedists, + against whom Louis XVI. entertained a secret prejudice, although he + suffered them to gain so great an ascendency during his reign. The Abbe + had, moreover, observed that the King had never, while Dauphin, addressed + a single word to him; and that he very frequently only answered him with a + shrug of the shoulders. He therefore determined on writing to Louis XVI., + and intimating that he owed his situation at Court solely to the + confidence with which the late King had honoured him; and that as habits + contracted during the Queen's education placed him continually in the + closest intimacy with her, he could not enjoy the honour of remaining near + her Majesty without the King's consent. Louis XVI. sent back his letter, + after writing upon it these words: "I approve the Abbe de Vermond + continuing in his office about the Queen." + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </p> + <h2> + CHAPTER V. + </h2> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <p> + At the period of his grandfather's death, Louis XVI. began to be + exceedingly attached to the Queen. The first period of so deep a mourning + not admitting of indulgence in the diversion of hunting, he proposed to + her walks in the gardens of Choisy; they went out like husband and wife, + the young King giving his arm to the Queen, and accompanied by a very + small suite. The influence of this example had such an effect upon the + courtiers that the next day several couples, who had long, and for good + reasons, been disunited, were seen walking upon the terrace with the same + apparent conjugal intimacy. Thus they spent whole hours, braving the + intolerable wearisomeness of their protracted tete-a-tetes, out of mere + obsequious imitation. + </p> + <p> + The devotion of Mesdames to the King their father throughout his dreadful + malady had produced that effect upon their health which was generally + apprehended. On the fourth day after their arrival at Choisy they were + attacked by pains in the head and chest, which left no doubt as to the + danger of their situation. It became necessary instantly to send away the + young royal family; and the Chateau de la Muette, in the Bois de Boulogne, + was selected for their reception. Their arrival at that residence, which + was very near Paris, drew so great a concourse of people into its + neighbourhood, that even at daybreak the crowd had begun to assemble round + the gates. Shouts of "Vive le Roi!" were scarcely interrupted for a moment + between six o'clock in the morning and sunset. The unpopularity the late + King, had drawn upon himself during his latter years, and the hopes to + which a new reign gives birth, occasioned these transports of joy. + </p> + <p> + A fashionable jeweller made a fortune by the sale of mourning snuff-boxes, + whereon the portrait of the young Queen, in a black frame of shagreen, + gave rise to the pun: "Consolation in chagrin." All the fashions, and + every article of dress, received names expressing the spirit of the + moment. Symbols of abundance were everywhere represented, and the + head-dresses of the ladies were surrounded by ears of wheat. Poets sang of + the new monarch; all hearts, or rather all heads, in France were filled + with enthusiasm. Never did the commencement of any reign excite more + unanimous testimonials of love and attachment. It must be observed, + however, that, amidst all this intoxication, the anti-Austrian party never + lost sight of the young Queen, but kept on the watch, with the malicious + desire to injure her through such errors as might arise from her youth and + inexperience. + </p> + <p> + Their Majesties had to receive at La Muette the condolences of the ladies + who had been presented at Court, who all felt themselves called on to pay + homage to the new sovereigns. Old and young hastened to present themselves + on the day of general reception; little black bonnets with great wings, + shaking heads, low curtsies, keeping time with the motions of the head, + made, it must be admitted, a few venerable dowagers appear somewhat + ridiculous; but the Queen, who possessed a great deal of dignity, and a + high respect for decorum, was not guilty of the grave fault of losing the + state she was bound to preserve. An indiscreet piece of drollery of one of + the ladies of the palace, however, procured her the imputation of doing + so. The Marquise de Clermont-Tonnerre, whose office required that she + should continue standing behind the Queen, fatigued by the length of the + ceremony, seated herself on the floor, concealed behind the fence formed + by the hoops of the Queen and the ladies of the palace. Thus seated, and + wishing to attract attention and to appear lively, she twitched the + dresses of those ladies, and played a thousand other tricks. The contrast + of these childish pranks with the solemnity which reigned over the rest of + the Queen's chamber disconcerted her Majesty: she several times placed her + fan before her face to hide an involuntary smile, and the severe old + ladies pronounced that the young Queen had decided all those respectable + persons who were pressing forward to pay their homage to her; that she + liked none but the young; that she was deficient in decorum; and that not + one of them would attend her Court again. The epithet 'moqueuse' was + applied to her; and there is no epithet less favourably received in the + world. + </p> + <p> + The next day a very ill-natured song was circulated; the stamp of the + party to which it was attributable might easily be seen upon it. I + remember only the following chorus: + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + "Little Queen, you must not be <br /> So saucy, with your twenty years; + <br /> Your ill-used courtiers soon will see <br /> You pass, once more, + the barriers. <br /> Fal lal lal, fal lal la." + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + The errors of the great, or those which ill-nature chooses to impute to + them, circulate in the world with the greatest rapidity, and become + historical traditions, which every one delights to repeat. + </p> + <p> + More than fifteen years after this occurrence I heard some old ladies in + the most retired part of Auvergne relating all the particulars of the day + of public condolence for the late King, on which, as they said, the Queen + had laughed in the faces of the sexagenarian duchesses and princesses who + had thought it their duty to appear on the occasion. + </p> + <p> + The King and the Princes, his brothers, determined to avail themselves of + the advantages held out by inoculation, as a safeguard against the illness + under which their grandfather had just fallen; but the utility of this new + discovery not being then generally acknowledged in France, many persons + were greatly alarmed at the step; those who blamed it openly threw all the + responsibility of it upon the Queen, who alone, they said, could have + ventured to give such rash advice, inoculation being at this time + established in the Northern Courts. The operation upon the King and his + brothers, performed by Doctor Jauberthou, was fortunately quite + successful. + </p> + <p> + When the convalescence of the Princes was perfectly established, the + excursions to Marly became cheerful enough. Parties on horseback and in + calashes were formed continually. The Queen was desirous to afford herself + one very innocent gratification; she had never seen the day break; and + having now no other consent than that of the King to seek, she intimated + her wish to him. He agreed that she should go, at three o'clock in the + morning, to the eminences of the gardens of Marly; and, unfortunately, + little disposed to partake in her amusements, he himself went to bed. + Foreseeing some inconveniences possible in this nocturnal party, the Queen + determined on having a number of people with her; and even ordered her + waiting women to accompany her. All precautions were ineffectual to + prevent the effects of calumny, which thenceforward sought to diminish the + general attachment that she had inspired. A few days afterwards, the most + wicked libel that appeared during the earlier years of her reign was + circulated in Paris. The blackest colours were employed to paint an + enjoyment so harmless that there is scarcely a young woman living in the + country who has not endeavoured to procure it for herself. The verses + which appeared on this occasion were entitled "Sunrise." + </p> + <p> + The Duc d'Orleans, then Duc de Chartres, was among those who accompanied + the young Queen in her nocturnal ramble: he appeared very attentive to her + at this epoch; but it was the only moment of his life in which there was + any advance towards intimacy between the Queen and himself. The King + disliked the character of the Duc de Chartres, and the Queen always + excluded him from her private society. It is therefore without the + slightest foundation that some writers have attributed to feelings of + jealousy or wounded self-love the hatred which he displayed towards the + Queen during the latter years of their existence. + </p> + <p> + It was on this first journey to Marly that Boehmer, the jeweller, appeared + at Court,—a man whose stupidity and avarice afterwards fatally + affected the happiness and reputation of Marie Antoinette. This person + had, at great expense, collected six pear-formed diamonds of a prodigious + size; they were perfectly matched and of the finest water. The earrings + which they composed had, before the death of Louis XV., been destined for + the Comtesse du Barry. + </p> + <p> + Boehmer; by the recommendation of several persons about the Court, came to + offer these jewels to the Queen. He asked four hundred thousand francs for + them. The young Princess could not withstand her wish to purchase them; + and the King having just raised the Queen's income, which, under the + former reign, had been but two hundred thousand livres, to one hundred + thousand crowns a year, she wished to make the purchase out of her own + purse, and not burthen the royal treasury with the payment. She proposed + to Boehmer to take off the two buttons which formed the tops of the + clusters, as they could be replaced by two of her own diamonds. He + consented, and then reduced the price of the earrings to three hundred and + sixty thousand francs; the payment for which was to be made by + instalments, and was discharged in the course of four or five years by the + Queen's first femme de chambre, deputed to manage the funds of her privy + purse. I have omitted no details as to the manner in which the Queen first + became possessed of these jewels, deeming them very needful to place in + its true light the too famous circumstance of the necklace, which happened + near the end of her reign. + </p> + <p> + It was also on this first journey to Marly that the Duchesse de Chartres, + afterwards Duchesse d'Orleans, introduced into the Queen's household + Mademoiselle Bertin, a milliner who became celebrated at that time for the + total change she effected in the dress of the French ladies. + </p> + <p> + It may be said that the mere admission of a milliner into the house of the + Queen was followed by evil consequences to her Majesty. The skill of the + milliner, who was received into the household, in spite of the custom + which kept persons of her description out of it, afforded her the + opportunity of introducing some new fashion every day. Up to this time the + Queen had shown very plain taste in dress; she now began to make it a + principal occupation; and she was of course imitated by other women. + </p> + <p> + All wished instantly to have the same dress as the Queen, and to wear the + feathers and flowers to which her beauty, then in its brilliancy, lent an + indescribable charm. The expenditure of the younger ladies was necessarily + much increased; mothers and husbands murmured at it; some few giddy women + contracted debts; unpleasant domestic scenes occurred; in many families + coldness or quarrels arose; and the general report was,—that the + Queen would be the ruin of all the French ladies. + </p> + <p> + Fashion continued its fluctuating progress; and head-dresses, with their + superstructures of gauze, flowers, and feathers, became so lofty that the + women could not find carriages high enough to admit them; and they were + often seen either stooping, or holding their heads out of the windows. + Others knelt down in order to manage these elevated objects of ridicule + with less danger. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [If the use of these extravagant feathers and head-dresses had + continued, say the memoirs of that period very seriously, it would have + effected a revolution in architecture. It would have been found + necessary to raise the doors and ceilings of the boxes at the theatre, + and particularly the bodies of carriages. It was not without + mortification that the King observed the Queen's adoption of this style + of dress: she was never so lovely in his eyes as when unadorned by art. + One day Carlin, performing at Court as harlequin, stuck in his hat, + instead of the rabbit's tail, its prescribed ornament, a peacock's + feather of excessive length. This new appendage, which repeatedly got + entangled among the scenery, gave him an opportunity for a great deal of + buffoonery. There was some inclination to punish him; but it was + presumed that he had not assumed the feather without authority.-NOTE BY + THE EDITOR.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + Innumerable caricatures, exhibited in all directions, and some of which + artfully gave the features of the Queen, attacked the extravagance of + fashion, but with very little effect. It changed only, as is always the + case, through the influence of inconstancy and time. + </p> + <p> + The Queen's toilet was a masterpiece of etiquette; everything was done in + a prescribed form. Both the dame d'honneur and the dame d'atours usually + attended and officiated, assisted by the first femme de chambre and two + ordinary women. The dame d'atours put on the petticoat, and handed the + gown to the Queen. The dame d'honneur poured out the water for her hands + and put on her linen. When a princess of the royal family happened to be + present while the Queen was dressing, the dame d'honneur yielded to her + the latter act of office, but still did not yield it directly to the + Princesses of the blood; in such a case the dame d'honneur was accustomed + to present the linen to the first femme de chambre, who, in her turn, + handed it to the Princess of the blood. Each of these ladies observed + these rules scrupulously as affecting her rights. One winter's day it + happened that the Queen, who was entirely undressed, was just going to put + on her shift; I held it ready unfolded for her; the dame d'honneur came + in, slipped off her gloves, and took it. A scratching was heard at the + door; it was opened, and in came the Duchesse d'Orleans: her gloves were + taken off, and she came forward to take the garment; but as it would have + been wrong in the dame d'honneur to hand it to her she gave it to me, and + I handed it to the Princess. More scratching it was Madame la Comtesse de + Provence; the Duchesse d'Orleans handed her the linen. All this while the + Queen kept her arms crossed upon her bosom, and appeared to feel cold; + Madame observed her uncomfortable situation, and, merely laying down her + handkerchief without taking off her gloves, she put on the linen, and in + doing so knocked the Queen's cap off. The Queen laughed to conceal her + impatience, but not until she had muttered several times, "How + disagreeable! how tiresome!" + </p> + <p> + All this etiquette, however inconvenient, was suitable to the royal + dignity, which expects to find servants in all classes of persons, + beginning even with the brothers and sisters of the monarch. + </p> + <p> + Speaking here of etiquette, I do not allude to majestic state, appointed + for days of ceremony in all Courts. I mean those minute ceremonies that + were pursued towards our Kings in their inmost privacies, in their hours + of pleasure, in those of pain, and even during the most revolting of human + infirmities. + </p> + <p> + These servile rules were drawn up into a kind of code; they offered to a + Richelieu, a La Rochefoucauld and a Duras, in the exercise of their + domestic functions, opportunities of intimacy useful to their interests; + and their vanity was flattered by customs which converted the right to + give a glass of water, to put on a dress, and to remove a basin, into + honourable prerogatives. + </p> + <p> + Princes thus accustomed to be treated as divinities naturally ended by + believing that they were of a distinct nature, of a purer essence than the + rest of mankind. + </p> + <p> + This sort of etiquette, which led our Princes to be treated in private as + idols, made them in public martyrs to decorum. Marie Antoinette found in + the Chateau of Versailles a multitude of established customs which + appeared to her insupportable. + </p> + <p> + The ladies-in-waiting, who were all obliged to be sworn, and to wear full + Court dresses, were alone entitled to remain in the room, and to attend in + conjunction with the dame d'honneur and the tirewoman. The Queen abolished + all this formality. When her head was dressed, she curtsied to all the + ladies who were in her chamber, and, followed only by her own women, went + into her closet, where Mademoiselle Bertin, who could not be admitted into + the chamber, used to await her. It was in this inner closet that she + produced her new and numerous dresses. The Queen was also desirous of + being served by the most fashionable hairdresser in Paris. Now the custom + which forbade all persons in inferior offices, employed by royalty, to + exert their talents for the public, was no doubt intended to cut off all + communication between the privacy of princes and society at large; the + latter being always extremely curious respecting the most trifling + particulars relative to the private life of the former. The Queen, fearing + that the taste of the hairdresser would suffer if he should discontinue + the general practice of his art, ordered him to attend as usual certain + ladies of the Court and of Paris; and this multiplied the opportunities of + learning details respecting the household, and very often of + misrepresenting them. + </p> + <p> + One of the customs most disagreeable to the Queen was that of dining every + day in public. Maria Leczinska had always submitted to this wearisome + practice; Marie Antoinette followed it as long as she was Dauphiness. The + Dauphin dined with her, and each branch of the family had its public + dinner daily. The ushers suffered all decently dressed people to enter; + the sight was the delight of persons from the country. At the dinner-hour + there were none to be met upon the stairs but honest folks, who, after + having seen the Dauphiness take her soup, went to see the Princes eat + their 'bouilli', and then ran themselves out of breath to behold Mesdames + at their dessert. + </p> + <p> + Very ancient usage, too, required that the Queens of France should appear + in public surrounded only by women; even at meal-times no persons of the + other sex attended to serve at table; and although the King ate publicly + with the Queen, yet he himself was served by women with everything which + was presented to him directly at table. The dame d'honneur, kneeling, for + her own accommodation, upon a low stool, with a napkin upon her arm, and + four women in full dress, presented the plates to the King and Queen. The + dame d'honneur handed them drink. This service had formerly been the right + of the maids of honour. The Queen, upon her accession to the throne, + abolished the usage altogether. She also freed herself from the necessity + of being followed in the Palace of Versailles by two of her women in Court + dresses, during those hours of the day when the ladies-in-waiting were not + with her. From that time she was accompanied only by a single valet de + chambre and two footmen. All the changes made by Marie Antoinette were of + the same description; a disposition gradually to substitute the simple + customs of Vienna for those of Versailles was more injurious to her than + she could possibly have imagined. + </p> + <p> + When the King slept in the Queen's apartment he always rose before her; + the exact hour was communicated to the head femme de chambre, who entered, + preceded by a servant of the bedchamber bearing a taper; she crossed the + room and unbolted the door which separated the Queen's apartment from that + of the King. She there found the first valet de chambre for the quarter, + and a servant of the chamber. They entered, opened the bed curtains on the + King's side, and presented him slippers generally, as well as the + dressing-gown, which he put on, of gold or silver stuff. The first valet + de chambre took down a short sword which was always laid within the + railing on the King's side. When the King slept with the Queen, this sword + was brought upon the armchair appropriated to the King, and which was + placed near the Queen's bed, within the gilt railing which surrounded the + bed. The first femme de chambre conducted the King to the door, bolted it + again, and, leaving the Queen's chamber, did not return until the hour + appointed by her Majesty the evening before. At night the Queen went to + bed before the King; the first femme de chambre remained seated at the + foot of her bed until the arrival of his Majesty, in order, as in the + morning, to see the King's attendants out and bolt the door after them. + The Queen awoke habitually at eight o'clock, and breakfasted at nine, + frequently in bed, and sometimes after she had risen, at a table placed + opposite her couch. + </p> + <p> + In order to describe the Queen's private service intelligibly, it must be + recollected that service of every kind was honour, and had not any other + denomination. To do the honours of the service was to present the service + to a person of superior rank, who happened to arrive at the moment it was + about to be performed. Thus, supposing the Queen asked for a glass of + water, the servant of the chamber handed to the first woman a silver gilt + waiter, upon which were placed a covered goblet and a small decanter; but + should the lady of honour come in, the first woman was obliged to present + the waiter to her, and if Madame or the Comtesse d'Artois came in at the + moment, the waiter went again from the lady of honour into the hands of + the Princess before it reached the Queen. It must be observed, however, + that if a princess of the blood instead of a princess of the family + entered, the service went directly from the first woman to the princess of + the blood, the lady of honour being excused from transferring to any but + princesses of the royal family. Nothing was presented directly to the + Queen; her handkerchief or her gloves were placed upon a long salver of + gold or silver gilt, which was placed as a piece of furniture of ceremony + upon a side-table, and was called a gantiere. The first woman presented to + her in this manner all that she asked for, unless the tirewoman, the lady + of honour, or a princess were present, and then the gradation pointed out + in the instance of the glass of water was always observed. + </p> + <p> + Whether the Queen breakfasted in bed or up, those entitled to the petites + entrees were equally admitted; this privilege belonged of right to her + chief physician, chief surgeon, physician in ordinary, reader, closet + secretary, the King's four first valets de chambre and their reversioners, + and the King's chief physicians and surgeons. There were frequently from + ten to twelve persons at this first entree. The lady of honour or the + superintendent, if present, placed the breakfast equipage upon the bed; + the Princesse de Lamballe frequently performed that office. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> <a name="p188" id="p188"></a> + </p> + <div class="fig" style="width:80%;"> + <img alt="p188.jpg (113K)" src="images/p188.jpg" width="100%" /><br /> + </div> + <p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </p> + <p> + As soon as the Queen rose, the wardrobe woman was admitted to take away + the pillows and prepare the bed to be made by some of the valets de + chambre. She undrew the curtains, and the bed was not generally made until + the Queen was gone to mass. Generally, excepting at St. Cloud, where the + Queen bathed in an apartment below her own, a slipper bath was rolled into + her room, and her bathers brought everything that was necessary for the + bath. The Queen bathed in a large gown of English flannel buttoned down to + the bottom; its sleeves throughout, as well as the collar, were lined with + linen. When she came out of the bath the first woman held up a cloth to + conceal her entirely from the sight of her women, and then threw it over + her shoulders. The bathers wrapped her in it and dried her completely. She + then put on a long and wide open chemise, entirely trimmed with lace, and + afterwards a white taffety bed-gown. The wardrobe woman warmed the bed; + the slippers were of dimity, trimmed with lace. Thus dressed, the Queen + went to bed again, and the bathers and servants of the chamber took away + the bathing apparatus. The Queen, replaced in bed, took a book or her + tapestry work. On her bathing mornings she breakfasted in the bath. The + tray was placed on the cover of the bath. These minute details are given + here only to do justice to the Queen's scrupulous modesty. Her temperance + was equally remarkable; she breakfasted on coffee or chocolate; at dinner + ate nothing but white meat, drank water only, and supped on broth, a wing + of a fowl, and small biscuits, which she soaked in a glass of water. + </p> + <p> + The tirewoman had under her order a principal under-tirewoman, charged + with the care and preservation of all the Queen's dresses; two women to + fold and press such articles as required it; two valets, and a porter of + the wardrobe. The latter brought every morning into the Queen's apartments + baskets covered with taffety, containing all that she was to wear during + the day, and large cloths of green taffety covering the robes and the full + dresses. The valet of the wardrobe on duty presented every morning a large + book to the first femme de chambre, containing patterns of the gowns, full + dresses, undresses, etc. Every pattern was marked, to show to which sort + it belonged. The first femme de chambre presented this book to the Queen + on her awaking, with a pincushion; her Majesty stuck pins in those + articles which she chose for the day,—one for the dress, one for the + afternoon-undress, and one for the full evening dress for card or supper + parties in the private apartments. The book was then taken back to the + wardrobe, and all that was wanted for the day was soon after brought in in + large taffety wrappers. The wardrobe woman, who had the care of the linen, + in her turn brought in a covered basket containing two or three chemises + and handkerchiefs. The morning basket was called pret du jour. In the + evening she brought in one containing the nightgown and nightcap, and the + stockings for the next morning; this basket was called pret de la nuit. + They were in the department of the lady of honour, the tirewoman having + nothing to do with the linen. Nothing was put in order or taken care of by + the Queen's women. As soon as the toilet was over, the valets and porter + belonging to the wardrobe were called in, and they carried all away in a + heap, in the taffety wrappers, to the tirewoman's wardrobe, where all were + folded up again, hung up, examined, and cleaned with so much regularity + and care that even the cast-off clothes scarcely looked as if they had + been worn. The tirewoman's wardrobe consisted of three large rooms + surrounded with closets, some furnished with drawers and others with + shelves; there were also large tables in each of these rooms, on which the + gowns and dresses were spread out and folded up. + </p> + <p> + For the winter the Queen had generally twelve full dresses, twelve + undresses called fancy dresses, and twelve rich hoop petticoats for the + card and supper parties in the smaller apartments. + </p> + <p> + She had as many for the summer; those for the spring served likewise for + the autumn. All these dresses were discarded at the end of each season, + unless, indeed, she retained some that she particularly liked. I am not + speaking of muslin or cambric gowns, or others of the same kind—they + were lately introduced; but such as these were not renewed at each + returning season, they were kept several years. The chief women were + charged with the care and examination of the diamonds; this important duty + was formerly confided to the tirewoman, but for many years had been + included in the business of the first femmes de chambre. + </p> + <p> + The public toilet took place at noon. The toilet-table was drawn forward + into the middle of the room. This piece of furniture was generally the + richest and most ornamented of all in the apartment of the Princesses. The + Queen used it in the same manner and place for undressing herself in the + evening. She went to bed in corsets trimmed with ribbon, and sleeves + trimmed with lace, and wore a large neck handkerchief. The Queen's combing + cloth was presented by her first woman if she was alone at the + commencement of the toilet; or, as well as the other articles, by the + ladies of honour if they were come. At noon the women who had been in + attendance four and twenty hours were relieved by two women in full dress; + the first woman went also to dress herself. The grandee entrees were + admitted during the toilet; sofas were placed in circles for the + superintendent, the ladies of honour, and tirewomen, and the governess of + the children of France when she came there; the duties of the ladies of + the bedchamber, having nothing to do with any kind of domestic or private + functions, did not begin until the hour of going out to mass; they waited + in the great closet, and entered when the toilet was over. The Princes of + the blood, captains of the Guards, and all great officers having the entry + paid their court at the hour of the toilet. The Queen saluted by nodding + her head or bending her body, or leaning upon her toilet-table as if + moving to rise; the last mode of salutation was for the Princes of the + blood. The King's brothers also came very generally to pay their respects + to her Majesty while her hair was being dressed. In the earlier years of + the reign the first part of the dressing was performed in the bedchamber + and according to the laws of etiquette; that is to say, the lady of honour + put on the chemise and poured out the water for the hands, the tirewoman + put on the skirt of the gown or full dress, adjusted the handkerchief, and + tied on the necklace. But when the young Queen became more seriously + devoted to fashion, and the head-dress attained so extravagant a height + that it became necessary to put on the chemise from below,—when, in + short, she determined to have her milliner, Mademoiselle Benin, with her + whilst she was dressing, whom the ladies would have refused to admit to + any share in the honour of attending on the Queen, the dressing in the + bedchamber was discontinued, and the Queen, leaving her toilet, withdrew + into her closet to dress. + </p> + <p> + On returning into her chamber, the Queen, standing about the middle of it, + surrounded by the superintendent, the ladies of honour and tirewomen, her + ladies of the palace, the chevalier d'honneur, the chief equerry, her + clergy ready to attend her to mass, and the Princesses of the royal family + who happened to come, accompanied by all their chief attendants and + ladies, passed in order into the gallery as in going to mass. The Queen's + signatures were generally given at the moment of entry into the chamber. + The secretary for orders presented the pen. Presentations of colonels on + taking leave were usually made at this time. Those of ladies, and, such as + had a right to the tabouret, or sitting in the royal presence, were made + on Sunday evenings before card-playing began, on their coming in from + paying their respects. Ambassadors were introduced to the Queen on Tuesday + mornings, accompanied by the introducer of ambassadors on duty, and by M. + de Sequeville, the secretary for the ambassadors. The introducer in + waiting usually came to the Queen at her toilet to apprise her of the + presentations of foreigners which would be made. The usher of the chamber, + stationed at the entrance, opened the folding doors to none but the + Princes and Princesses of the royal family, and announced them aloud. + Quitting his post, he came forward to name to the lady of honour the + persons who came to be presented, or who came to take leave; that lady + again named them to the Queen at the moment they saluted her; if she and + the tirewoman were absent, the first woman took the place and did that + duty. The ladies of the bedchamber, chosen solely as companions for the + Queen, had no domestic duties to fulfil, however opinion might dignify + such offices. The King's letter in appointing them, among other + instructions of etiquette, ran thus: "having chosen you to bear the Queen + company." There were hardly any emoluments accruing from this place. + </p> + <p> + The Queen heard mass with the King in the tribune, facing the grand altar + and the choir, with the exception of the days of high ceremony, when their + chairs were placed below upon velvet carpets fringed with gold. These days + were marked by the name of grand chapel day. + </p> + <p> + The Queen named the collector beforehand, and informed her of it through + her lady of honour, who was besides desired to send the purse to her. The + collectors were almost always chosen from among those who had been + recently presented. After returning from mass the Queen dined every Sunday + with the King only, in public in the cabinet of the nobility, a room + leading to her chamber. Titled ladies having the honours sat during the + dinner upon folding-chairs placed on each side of the table. Ladies + without titles stood round the table; the captain of the Guards and the + first gentleman of the chamber were behind the King's chair; behind that + of the Queen were her first maitre d'hotel, her chevalier d'honneur, and + the chief equerry. The Queen's maitre d'hotel was furnished with a large + staff, six or seven feet in length, ornamented with golden fleurs-de-lis, + and surmounted by fleurs-de-lis in the form of a crown. He entered the + room with this badge of his office to announce that the Queen was served. + The comptroller put into his hands the card of the dinner; in the absence + of the maitre d'hotel he presented it to the Queen himself, otherwise he + only did him the honours of the service. The maitre d'hotel did not leave + his place, he merely gave the orders for serving up and removing; the + comptroller and gentlemen serving placed the various dishes upon the + table, receiving them from the inferior servants. + </p> + <p> + The Prince nearest to the crown presented water to wash the King's hands + at the moment he placed himself at table, and a princess did the same + service to the Queen. + </p> + <p> + The table service was formerly performed for the Queen by the lady of + honour and four women in full dress; this part of the women's service was + transferred to them on the suppression of the office of maids of honour. + The Queen put an end to this etiquette in the first year of her reign. + When the dinner was over the Queen returned without the King to her + apartment with her women, and took off her hoop and train. + </p> + <p> + This unfortunate Princess, against whom the opinions of the French people + were at length so much excited, possessed qualities which deserved to + obtain the greatest popularity. None could doubt this who, like myself, + had heard her with delight describe the patriarchal manners of the House + of Lorraine. She was accustomed to say that, by transplanting their + manners into Austria, the Princes of that house had laid the foundation of + the unassailable popularity enjoyed by the imperial family. She frequently + related to me the interesting manner in which the Ducs de Lorraine levied + the taxes. "The sovereign Prince," said she, "went to church; after the + sermon he rose, waved his hat in the air, to show that he was about to + speak, and then mentioned the sum whereof he stood in need. Such was the + zeal of the good Lorrainers that men have been known to take away linen or + household utensils without the knowledge of their wives, and sell them to + add the value to their contribution. It sometimes happened, too, that the + Prince received more money than he had asked for, in which case he + restored the surplus." + </p> + <p> + All who were acquainted with the Queen's private qualities knew that she + equally deserved attachment and esteem. Kind and patient to excess in her + relations with her household, she indulgently considered all around her, + and interested herself in their fortunes and in their pleasures., She had, + among her women, young girls from the Maison de St. Cyr, all well born; + the Queen forbade them the play when the performances were not suitable; + sometimes, when old plays were to be represented, if she found she could + not with certainty trust to her memory, she would take the trouble to read + them in the morning, to enable her to decide whether the girls should or + should not go to see them,—rightly considering herself bound to + watch over their morals and conduct. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </p> + <h2> + CHAPTER VI. + </h2> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <p> + During the first few months of his reign Louis XVI. dwelt at La Muette, + Marly, and Compiegne. When settled at Versailles he occupied himself with + a general examination of his grandfather's papers. He had promised the + Queen to communicate to her all that he might discover relative to the + history of the man with the iron mask, who, he thought, had become so + inexhaustible a source of conjecture only in consequence of the interest + which the pen of a celebrated writer had excited respecting the detention + of a prisoner of State, who was merely a man of whimsical tastes and + habits. + </p> + <p> + I was with the Queen when the King, having finished his researches, + informed her that he had not found anything among the secret papers + elucidating the existence of this prisoner; that he had conversed on the + matter with M. de Maurepas, whose age made him contemporary with the epoch + during which the story must have been known to the ministers; and that M. + de Maurepas had assured him he was merely a prisoner of a very dangerous + character, in consequence of his disposition for intrigue. He was a + subject of the Duke of Mantua, and was enticed to the frontier, arrested + there, and kept prisoner, first at Pignerol, and afterwards in the + Bastille. This transfer took place in consequence of the appointment of + the governor of the former place to the government of the latter. It was + for fear the prisoner should profit by the inexperience of a new governor + that he was sent with the Governor of Pignerol to the Bastille. + </p> + <p> + Such was, in fact, the truth about the man on whom people have been + pleased to fix an iron mask. And thus was it related in writing, and + published by M. ——- twenty years ago. He had searched the + archives of the Foreign Office, and laid the real story before the public; + but the public, prepossessed in favour of a marvellous version, would not + acknowledge the authenticity of his account. Every man relied upon the + authority of Voltaire; and it was believed that a natural or a twin + brother of Louis XIV. lived many years in prison with a mask over his + face. The story of this mask, perhaps, had its origin in the old custom, + among both men and women in Italy, of wearing a velvet mask when they + exposed themselves to the sun. It is possible that the Italian captive may + have sometimes shown himself upon the terrace of his prison with his face + thus covered. As to the silver plate which this celebrated prisoner is + said to have thrown from his window, it is known that such a circumstance + did happen, but it happened at Valzin, in the time of Cardinal Richelieu. + This anecdote has been mixed up with the inventions respecting the + Piedmontese prisoner. + </p> + <p> + In this survey of the papers of Louis XV. by his grandson some very + curious particulars relative to his private treasury were found. Shares in + various financial companies afforded him a revenue, and had in course of + time produced him a capital of some amount, which he applied to his secret + expenses. The King collected his vouchers of title to these shares, and + made a present of them to M. Thierry de Ville d'Avray, his chief valet de + chambre. + </p> + <p> + The Queen was desirous to secure the comfort of Mesdames, the daughters of + Louis XV., who were held in the highest respect. About this period she + contributed to furnish them with a revenue sufficient to provide them an + easy, pleasant existence: The King gave them the Chateau of Bellevue; and + added to the produce of it, which was given up to them, the expenses of + their table and equipage, and payment of all the charges of their + household, the number of which was even increased. During the lifetime of + Louis XV., who was a very selfish prince, his daughters, although they had + attained forty years of age, had no other place of residence than their + apartments in the Chateau of Versailles; no other walks than such as they + could take in the large park of that palace; and no other means of + gratifying their taste for the cultivation of plants but by having boxes + and vases, filled with them, in their balconies or their closets. They + had, therefore, reason to be much pleased with the conduct of Marie + Antoinette, who had the greatest influence in the King's kindness towards + his aunts. + </p> + <p> + Paris did not cease, during the first years of the reign, to give proofs + of pleasure whenever the Queen appeared at any of the plays of the + capital. At the representation of "Iphigenia in Aulis," the actor who sang + the words, "Let us sing, let us celebrate our Queen!" which were repeated + by the chorus, directed by a respectful movement the eyes of the whole + assembly upon her Majesty. Reiterated cries of 'Bis'! and clapping of + hands, were followed by such a burst of enthusiasm that many of the + audience added their voices to those of the actors in order to celebrate, + it might too truly be said, another Iphigenia. The Queen, deeply affected, + covered her eyes with her handkerchief; and this proof of sensibility + raised the public enthusiasm to a still higher pitch. + </p> + <p> + The King gave Marie Antoinette Petit Trianon. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [The Chateau of Petit Trianon, which was built for Louis XV., was not + remarkably handsome as a building. The luxuriance of the hothouses + rendered the place agreeable to that Prince. He spent a few days there + several times in the year. It was when he was setting off from + Versailles for Petit Trianon that he was struck in the side by the knife + of Damiens, and it was there that he was attacked by the smallpox, of + which he died on the 10th of May, 1774.—MADAME CAMPAN.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + Henceforward she amused herself with improving the gardens, without + allowing any addition to the building, or any change in the furniture, + which was very shabby, and remained, in 1789, in the same state as during + the reign of Louis XV. Everything there, without exception, was preserved; + and the Queen slept in a faded bed, which had been used by the Comtesse du + Barry. The charge of extravagance, generally made against the Queen, is + the most unaccountable of all the popular errors respecting her character. + She had exactly the contrary failing; and I could prove that she often + carried her economy to a degree of parsimony actually blamable, especially + in a sovereign. She took a great liking for Trianon, and used to go there + alone, followed by a valet; but she found attendants ready to receive her,—a + concierge and his wife, who served her as femme de chambre, women of the + wardrobe, footmen, etc. + </p> + <p> + When she first took possession of Petit Trianon, it was reported that she + changed the name of the seat which the King had given her, and called it + Little Vienna, or Little Schoenbrunn. A person who belonged to the Court, + and was silly enough to give this report credit, wishing to visit Petit + Trianon with a party, wrote to M. Campan, requesting the Queen's + permission to do so. In his note he called Trianon Little Vienna. Similar + requests were usually laid before the Queen just as they were made: she + chose to give the permissions to see her gardens herself, liking to grant + these little favours. When she came to the words I have quoted she was + very, much offended, and exclaimed, angrily, that there were too many, + fools ready, to aid the malicious; that she had been told of the report + circulated, which pretended that she had thought of nothing but her own + country, and that she kept an Austrian heart, while the interests of + France alone ought to engage her. She refused the request so awkwardly + made, and desired M. Campan to reply, that Trianon was not to be seen for + some time, and that the Queen was astonished that any man in good society + should believe she would do so ill-judged a thing as to change the French + names of her palaces to foreign ones. + </p> + <p> + Before the Emperor Joseph II's first visit to France the Queen received a + visit from the Archduke Maximilian in 1775. A stupid act of the + ambassador, seconded on the part of the Queen by the Abbe de Vermond, gave + rise at that period to a discussion which offended the Princes of the + blood and the chief nobility of the kingdom. Travelling incognito, the + young Prince claimed that the first visit was not due from him to the + Princes of the blood; and the Queen supported his pretension. + </p> + <p> + From the time of the Regency, and on account of the residence of the + family of Orleans in the bosom of the capital, Paris had preserved a + remarkable degree of attachment and respect for that branch of the royal + house; and although the crown was becoming more and more remote from the + Princes of the House of Orleans, they had the advantage (a great one with + the Parisians) of being the descendants of Henri IV. An affront to that + popular family was a serious ground of dislike to the Queen. It was at + this period that the circles of the city, and even of the Court, expressed + themselves bitterly about her levity, and her partiality for the House of + Austria. The Prince for whom the Queen had embarked in an important family + quarrel—and a quarrel involving national prerogatives—was, + besides, little calculated to inspire interest. Still young, uninformed, + and deficient in natural talent, he was always making blunders. + </p> + <p> + He went to the Jardin du Roi; M. de Buffon, who received him there, + offered him a copy of his works; the Prince declined accepting the book, + saying to M. de Buffon, in the most polite manner possible, "I should be + very sorry to deprive you of it." + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [Joseph II, on his visit to France, also went to see M. de Buffon, and + said to that celebrated man, "I am come to fetch the copy of your works + which my brother forgot."—NOTE BY THE EDITOR.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + It may be supposed that the Parisians were much entertained with this + answer. + </p> + <p> + The Queen was exceedingly mortified at the mistakes made by her brother; + but what hurt her most was being accused of preserving an Austrian heart. + Marie Antoinette had more than once to endure that imputation during the + long course of her misfortunes. Habit did not stop the tears such + injustice caused; but the first time she was suspected of not loving + France, she gave way to her indignation. All that she could say on the + subject was useless; by seconding the pretensions of the Archduke she had + put arms into her enemies' hands; they were labouring to deprive her of + the love of the people, and endeavoured, by all possible means, to spread + a belief that the Queen sighed for Germany, and preferred that country to + France. + </p> + <p> + Marie Antoinette had none but herself to rely on for preserving the fickle + smiles of the Court and the public. The King, too indifferent to serve her + as a guide, as yet had conceived no love for her, notwithstanding the + intimacy that grew between them at Choisy. In his closet Louis XVI. was + immersed in deep study. At the Council he was busied with the welfare of + his people; hunting and mechanical occupations engrossed his leisure + moments, and he never thought on the subject of an heir. + </p> + <p> + The coronation took place at Rheims, with all the accustomed pomp. At this + period the people's love for Louis XVI. burst forth in transports not to + be mistaken for party demonstrations or idle curiosity. He replied to this + enthusiasm by marks of confidence, worthy of a people happy in being + governed by a good King; he took a pleasure in repeatedly walking without + guards, in the midst of the crowd which pressed around him, and called + down blessings on his head. I remarked the impression made at this time by + an observation of Louis XVI. On the day of his coronation he put his hand + up to his head, at the moment of the crown being placed upon it, and said, + "It pinches me." Henri III. had exclaimed, "It pricks me." Those who were + near the King were struck with the similarity between these two + exclamations, though not of a class likely to be blinded by the + superstitious fears of ignorance. + </p> + <p> + While the Queen, neglected as she was, could not even hope for the + happiness of being a mother, she had the mortification of seeing the + Comtesse d'Artois give birth to the Duc d'Angouleme. + </p> + <p> + Custom required that the royal family and the whole Court should be + present at the accouchement of the Princesses; the Queen was therefore + obliged to stay a whole day in her sister-in-law's chamber. The moment the + Comtesse d'Artois was informed a prince was born, she put her hand to her + forehead and exclaimed with energy, "My God, how happy I am!" The Queen + felt very differently at this involuntary and natural exclamation. + Nevertheless, her behaviour was perfect. She bestowed all possible marks + of tenderness upon the young mother, and would not leave her until she was + again put into bed; she afterwards passed along the staircase, and through + the hall of the guards, with a calm demeanour, in the midst of an immense + crowd. The poissardes, who had assumed a right of speaking to sovereigns + in their own vulgar language, followed her to the very doors of her + apartments, calling out to her with gross expressions, that she ought to + produce heirs. The Queen reached her inner room, hurried and agitated; he + shut herself up to weep with me alone, not from jealousy of her + sister-in-law's happiness,—of that he was incapable,—but from + sorrow at her own situation. + </p> + <p> + Deprived of the happiness of giving an heir to the crown, the Queen + endeavoured to interest herself in the children of the people of her + household. She had long been desirous to bring up one of them herself, and + to make it the constant object of her care. A little village boy, four or + five years old, full of health, with a pleasing countenance, remarkably + large blue eyes, and fine light hair, got under the feet of the Queen's + horses, when she was taking an airing in a calash, through the hamlet of + St. Michel, near Louveciennes. The coachman and postilions stopped the + horses, and the child was rescued without the slightest injury. Its + grandmother rushed out of the door of her cottage to take it; but the + Queen, standing up in her calash and extending her arms, called out that + the child was hers, and that destiny had given it to her, to console her, + no doubt, until she should have the happiness of having one herself. "Is + his mother alive?" asked the Queen. "No, Madame; my daughter died last + winter, and left five small children upon my hands." "I will take this + one, and provide for all the rest; do you consent?" "Ah, Madame, they are + too fortunate," replied the cottager; "but Jacques is a bad boy. I hope he + will stay with you!" The Queen, taking little Jacques upon her knee, said + that she would make him used to her, and gave orders to proceed. It was + necessary, however, to shorten the drive, so violently did Jacques scream, + and kick the Queen and her ladies. + </p> + <p> + The arrival of her Majesty at her apartments at Versailles, holding the + little rustic by the hand, astonished the whole household; he cried out + with intolerable shrillness that he wanted his grandmother, his brother + Louis, and his sister Marianne; nothing could calm him. He was taken away + by the wife of a servant, who was appointed to attend him as nurse. The + other children were put to school. Little Jacques, whose family name was + Armand, came back to the Queen two days afterwards; a white frock trimmed + with lace, a rose-coloured sash with silver fringe, and a hat decorated + with feathers, were now substituted for the woollen cap, the little red + frock, and the wooden shoes. The child was really very beautiful. The + Queen was enchanted with him; he was brought to her every morning at nine + o'clock; he breakfasted and dined with her, and often even with the King. + She liked to call him my child, and lavished caresses upon him, still + maintaining a deep silence respecting the regrets which constantly + occupied her heart. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [This little unfortunate was nearly twenty in 1792; the fury of the + people and the fear of being thought a favourite of the Queen's had made + him the most sanguinary terrorist of Versailles. He was killed at the + battle of Jemappes.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + This child remained with the Queen until the time when Madame was old + enough to come home to her august mother, who had particularly taken upon + herself the care of her education. + </p> + <p> + The Queen talked incessantly of the qualities which she admired in Louis + XVI., and gladly attributed to herself the slightest favourable change in + his manner; perhaps she displayed too unreservedly the joy she felt, and + the share she appropriated in the improvement. One day Louis XVI. saluted + her ladies with more kindness than usual, and the Queen laughingly said to + them, "Now confess, ladies, that for one so badly taught as a child, the + King has saluted you with very good grace!" + </p> + <p> + The Queen hated M. de La Vauguyon; she accused him alone of those points + in the habits, and even the sentiments, of the King which hurt her. A + former first woman of the bedchamber to Queen Maria Leczinska had + continued in office near the young Queen. She was one of those people who + are fortunate enough to spend their lives in the service of kings without + knowing anything of what is passing at Court. She was a great devotee; the + Abbe Grisel, an ex-Jesuit, was her director. Being rich from her savings + and an income of 50,000 livres, she kept a very good table; in her + apartment, at the Grand Commun, the most distinguished persons who still + adhered to the Order of Jesuits often assembled. The Duc de La Vauguyon + was intimate with her; their chairs at the Eglise des Reollets were placed + near each other; at high mass and at vespers they sang the "Gloria in + Excelsis" and the "Magnificat" together; and the pious virgin, seeing in + him only one of God's elect, little imagined him to be the declared enemy + of a Princess whom she served and revered. On the day of his death she ran + in tears to relate to the Queen the piety, humility, and repentance of the + last moments of the Duc de La Vauguyon. He had called his people together, + she said, to ask their pardon. "For what?" replied the Queen, sharply; "he + has placed and pensioned off all his servants; it was of the King and his + brothers that the holy man you bewail should have asked pardon, for having + paid so little attention to the education of princes on whom the fate and + happiness of twenty-five millions of men depend. Luckily," added she, "the + King and his brothers, still young, have incessantly laboured to repair + the errors of their preceptor." + </p> + <p> + The progress of time, and the confidence with which the King and the + Princes, his brothers, were inspired by the change in their situation + since the death of Louis XV., had developed their characters. I will + endeavour to depict them. + </p> + <p> + The features of Louis XVI. were noble enough, though somewhat melancholy + in expression; his walk was heavy and unmajestic; his person greatly + neglected; his hair, whatever might be the skill of his hairdresser, was + soon in disorder. His voice, without being harsh, was not agreeable; if he + grew animated in speaking he often got above his natural pitch, and became + shrill. The Abbe de Radonvilliers, his preceptor, one of the Forty of the + French Academy, a learned and amiable man, had given him and Monsieur a + taste for study. The King had continued to instruct himself; he knew the + English language perfectly; I have often heard him translate some of the + most difficult passages in Milton's poems. He was a skilful geographer, + and was fond of drawing and colouring maps; he was well versed in history, + but had not perhaps sufficiently studied the spirit of it. He appreciated + dramatic beauties, and judged them accurately. At Choisy, one day, several + ladies expressed their dissatisfaction because the French actors were + going to perform one of Moliere's pieces. The King inquired why they + disapproved of the choice. One of them answered that everybody must admit + that Moliere had very bad taste; the King replied that many things might + be found in Moliere contrary to fashion, but that it appeared to him + difficult to point out any in bad taste? + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [The King, having purchased the Chateau of Rambouillet from the Duc de + Penthievre, amused himself with embellishing it. I have seen a register + entirely in his own handwriting, which proves that he possessed a great + variety of information on the minutiae of various branches of knowledge. + In his accounts he would not omit an outlay of a franc. His figures and + letters, when he wished to write legibly, were small and very neat, but + in general he wrote very ill. He was so sparing of paper that he divided + a sheet into eight, six, or four pieces, according to the length of what + he had to write. Towards the close of the page he compressed the + letters, and avoided interlineations. The last words were close to the + edge of the paper; he seemed to regret being obliged to begin another + page. He was methodical and analytical; he divided what he wrote into + chapters and sections. He had extracted from the works of Nicole and + Fenelon, his favourite authors, three or four hundred concise and + sententious phrases; these he had classed according to subject, and + formed a work of them in the style of Montesquieu. To this treatise he + had given the following general title: "Of Moderate Monarchy" (De la + Monarchie temperee), with chapters entitled, "Of the Person of the + Prince;" "Of the Authority of Bodies in the State;" "Of the Character of + the Executive Functions of the Monarchy." Had he been able to carry into + effect all the grand precepts he had observed in Fenelon, Louis XVI. + would have been an accomplished monarch, and France a powerful kingdom. + The King used to accept the speeches his ministers presented to him to + deliver on important occasions; but he corrected and modified them; + struck out some parts, and added others; and sometimes consulted the + Queen on the subject. The phrase of the minister erased by the King was + frequently unsuitable, and dictated by the minister's private feelings; + but the King's was always the natural expression. He himself composed, + three times or oftener, his famous answers to the Parliament which he + banished. But in his letters he was negligent, and always incorrect. + Simplicity was the characteristic of the King's style; the figurative + style of M. Necker did not please him; the sarcasms of Maurepas were + disagreeable to him. Unfortunate Prince! he would predict, in his + observations, that if such a calamity should happen, the monarchy would + be ruined; and the next day he would consent in Council to the very + measure which he had condemned the day before, and which brought him + nearer the brink of the precipice.—SOULAVIE, "Historical and + Political Memoirs of the Reign of Louis XVI.," vol. ii.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + This Prince combined with his attainments the attributes of a good + husband, a tender father, and an indulgent master. + </p> + <p> + Unfortunately he showed too much predilection for the mechanical arts; + masonry and lock-making so delighted him that he admitted into his private + apartment a common locksmith, with whom he made keys and locks; and his + hands, blackened by that sort of work, were often, in my presence, the + subject of remonstrances and even sharp reproaches from the Queen, who + would have chosen other amusements for her husband. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [Louis XVI. saw that the art of lock-making was capable of application + to a higher study, He was an excellent geographer. The most valuable and + complete instrument for the study of that science was begun by his + orders and under his direction. It was an immense globe of copper, which + was long preserved, though unfinished, in the Mazarine library. Louis + XVI. invented and had executed under his own eyes the ingenious + mechanism required for this globe.—NOTE BY THE EDITOR.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + Austere and rigid with regard to himself alone, the King observed the laws + of the Church with scrupulous exactness. He fasted and abstained + throughout the whole of Lent. He thought it right that the queen should + not observe these customs with the same strictness. Though sincerely + pious, the spirit of the age had disposed his mind to toleration. Turgot, + Malesherbes, and Necker judged that this Prince, modest and simple in his + habits, would willingly sacrifice the royal prerogative to the solid + greatness of his people. His heart, in truth, disposed him towards + reforms; but his prejudices and fears, and the clamours of pious and + privileged persons, intimidated him, and made him abandon plans which his + love for the people had suggested. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [During his stay at Avignon, Monsieur, afterwards Louis XVIII, lodged + with the Duc de Crillon; he refused the town-guard which was offered + him, saying, "A son of France, under the roof of a Crillon, needs no + guard."—NOTE BY THE EDITOR.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + Monsieur had more dignity of demeanour than the King; but his corpulence + rendered his gait inelegant. He was fond of pageantry and magnificence. He + cultivated the belles lettres, and under assumed names often contributed + verses to the Mercury and other papers. + </p> + <p> + His wonderful memory was the handmaid of his wit, furnishing him with the + happiest quotations. He knew by heart a varied repertoire, from the finest + passages of the Latin classics to the Latin of all the prayers, from the + works of Racine to the vaudeville of "Rose et Colas." + </p> + <p> + The Comte d'Artoisi had an agreeable countenance, was well made, skilful + in bodily exercises, lively, impetuous, fond of pleasure, and very + particular in his dress. Some happy observations made by him were repeated + with approval, and gave a favourable idea of his heart. The Parisians + liked the open and frank character of this Prince, which they considered + national, and showed real affection for him. + </p> + <p> + The dominion that the Queen gained over the King's mind, the charms of a + society in which Monsieur displayed his wit, and to which the Comte + d'Artois—[Afterwards Charles X.]—gave life by the vivacity of + youth, gradually softened that ruggedness of manner in Louis XVI. which a + better-conducted education might have prevented. Still, this defect often + showed itself, and, in spite of his extreme simplicity, the King inspired + those who had occasion to speak to him with diffidence. Courtiers, + submissive in the presence of their sovereign, are only the more ready to + caricature him; with little good breeding, they called those answers they + so much dreaded, Les coups de boutoir du Roi.—[The literal meaning + of the phrase "coup de boutoir," is a thrust from the snout of a boar.] + </p> + <p> + Methodical in all his habits, the King always went to bed at eleven + precisely. One evening the Queen was going with her usual circle to a + party, either at the Duc de Duras's or the Princesse de Glumenee's. The + hand of the clock was slily put forward to hasten the King's departure by + a few minutes; he thought bed-time was come, retired, and found none of + his attendants ready to wait on him. This joke became known in all the + drawing-rooms of Versailles, and was disapproved of there. Kings have no + privacy. Queens have no boudoirs. If those who are in immediate attendance + upon sovereigns be not themselves disposed to transmit their private + habits to posterity, the meanest valet will relate what he has seen or + heard; his gossip circulates rapidly, and forms public opinion, which at + length ascribes to the most august persons characters which, however + untrue they may be, are almost always indelible. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + NOTE. The only passion ever shown by Louis XVI. was for hunting. He was + so much occupied by it that when I went up into his private closets at + Versailles, after the 10th of August, I saw upon the staircase six + frames, in which were seen statements of all his hunts, when Dauphin and + when King. In them was detailed the number, kind, and quality of the + game he had killed at each hunting party during every month, every + season, and every year of his reign. + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + The interior of his private apartments was thus arranged: a salon, + ornamented with gilded mouldings, displayed the engravings which had been + dedicated to him, drawings of the canals he had dug, with the model of + that of Burgundy, and the plan of the cones and works of Cherbourg. The + upper hall contained his collection of geographical charts, spheres, + globes, and also his geographical cabinet. There were to be seen drawings + of maps which he had begun, and some that he had finished. He had a clever + method of washing them in. His geographical memory was prodigious. Over + the hall was the turning and joining room, furnished with ingenious + instruments for working in wood. He inherited some from Louis XV., and he + often busied himself, with Duret's assistance, in keeping them clean and + bright. Above was the library of books published during his reign. The + prayer books and manuscript books of Anne of Brittany, Francois I, the + later Valois, Louis XIV., Louis XV., and the Dauphin formed the great + hereditary library of the Chateau. Louis XVI. placed separately, in two + apartments communicating with each other, the works of his own time, + including a complete collection of Didot's editions, in vellum, every + volume enclosed in a morocco case. There were several English works, among + the rest the debates of the British Parliament, in a great number of + volumes in folio (this is the Moniteur of England, a complete collection + of which is so valuable and so scarce). By the side of this collection was + to be seen a manuscript history of all the schemes for a descent upon that + island, particularly that of Comte de Broglie. One of the presses of this + cabinet was full of cardboard boxes, containing papers relative to the + House of Austria, inscribed in the King's own hand: "Secret papers of my + family respecting the House of Austria; papers of my family respecting the + Houses of Stuart and Hanover." In an adjoining press were kept papers + relative to Russia. Satirical works against Catherine II. and against Paul + I. were sold in France under the name of histories; Louis XVIII. collected + and sealed up with his small seal the scandalous anecdotes against + Catherine II., as well as the works of Rhulieres, of which he had a copy, + to be certain that the secret life of that Princess, which attracted the + curiosity of her contemporaries, should not be made public by his means. + </p> + <p> + Above the King's private library were a forge, two anvils, and a vast + number of iron tools; various common locks, well made and perfect; some + secret locks, and locks ornamented with gilt copper. It was there that the + infamous Gamin, who afterwards accused the King of having tried to poison + him, and was rewarded for his calumny with a pension of twelve thousand + livres, taught him the art of lock-making. This Gamin, who became our + guide, by order of the department and municipality of Versailles, did not, + however, denounce the King on the 20th December, 1792. He had been made + the confidant of that Prince in an immense number of important + commissions; the King had sent him the "Red Book," from Paris, in a + parcel; and the part which was concealed during the Constituent Assembly + still remained so in 1793. Gamin hid it in a part of the Chateau + inaccessible to everybody, and took it from under the shelves of a secret + press before our eyes. This is a convincing proof that Louis XVI. hoped to + return to his Chiteau. When teaching Louis XVI. his trade Gamin took upon + himself the tone and authority of a master. "The King was good, + forbearing, timid, inquisitive, and addicted to sleep," said Gamin to me; + "he was fond to excess of lock-making, and he concealed himself from the + Queen and the Court to file and forge with me. In order to convey his + anvil and my own backwards and forwards we were obliged to use a thousand + stratagems, the history of which would: never end." Above the King's and + Gamin's forges and anvils was an, observatory, erected upon a platform + covered with lead. There, seated on an armchair, and assisted by a + telescope, the King observed all that was passing in the courtyards of + Versailles, the avenue of Paris, and the neighbouring gardens. He had + taken a liking to Duret, one of the indoor servants of the palace, who + sharpened his tools, cleaned his anvils, pasted his maps, and adjusted + eyeglasses to the King's sight, who was short-sighted. This good Duret, + and indeed all the indoor servants, spoke of their master with regret and + affection, and with tears in their eyes. + </p> + <p> + The King was born weak and delicate; but from the age of twenty-four he + possessed a robust constitution, inherited from his mother, who was of the + House of Saxe, celebrated for generations for its robustness. There were + two men in Louis XVI., the man of knowledge and the man of will. The King + knew the history of his own family and of the first houses of France + perfectly. He composed the instructions for M. de la Peyrouse's voyage + round the world, which the minister thought were drawn up by several + members of the Academy of Sciences. His memory retained an infinite number + of names and situations. He remembered quantities and numbers wonderfully. + One day an account was presented to him in which the minister had ranked + among the expenses an item inserted in the account of the preceding year. + "There is a double charge," said the King; "bring me last year's account, + and I will show it yet there." When the King was perfectly master of the + details of any matter, and saw injustice, he was obdurate even to + harshness. Then he would be obeyed instantly, in order to be sure that he + was obeyed. + </p> + <p> + But in important affairs of state the man of will was not to be found. + Louis XVI. was upon the throne exactly what those weak temperaments whom + nature has rendered incapable of an opinion are in society. In his + pusillanimity, he gave his confidence to a minister; and although amidst + various counsels he often knew which was the best, he never had the + resolution to say, "I prefer the opinion of such a one." Herein originated + the misfortunes of the State.—SOULAVIE'S "Historical and Political + Memoirs Of the Reign Of LOUIS XVI.," VOL ii. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </p> + <h2> + CHAPTER VII. + </h2> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <p> + The winter following the confinement of the Comtesse d'Artois was very + severe; the recollections of the pleasure which sleighing-parties had + given the Queen in her childhood made her wish to introduce similar ones + in France. This amusement had already been known in that Court, as was + proved by sleighs being found in the stables which had been used by the + Dauphin, the father of Louis XVI. Some were constructed for the Queen in a + more modern style. The Princes also ordered several; and in a few days + there was a tolerable number of these vehicles. They were driven by the + princes and noblemen of the Court. The noise of the bells and balls with + which the harness of the horses was furnished, the elegance and whiteness + of their plumes, the varied forms of the carriages, the gold with which + they were all ornamented, rendered these parties delightful to the eye. + The winter was very favourable to them, the snow remaining on the ground + nearly six weeks; the drives in the park afforded a pleasure shared by the + spectators. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [Louis XVI., touched with the wretched condition of the poor of + Versailles during the winter of 1776, had several cart-loads of wood + distributed among them. Seeing one day a file of those vehicles passing + by, while several noblemen were preparing to be drawn swiftly over the + ice, he uttered these memorable words: "Gentlemen, here are my sleighs!"—NOTE + BY THE EDITOR.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + No one imagined that any blame could attach to so innocent an amusement. + But the party were tempted to extend their drives as far as the Champs + Elysees; a few sleighs even crossed the boulevards; the ladies being + masked, the Queen's enemies took the opportunity of saying that she had + traversed the streets of Paris in a sleigh. + </p> + <p> + This became a matter of moment. The public discovered in it a predilection + for the habits of Vienna; but all that Marie Antoinette did was + criticised. + </p> + <p> + Sleigh-driving, savouring of the Northern Courts, had no favour among the + Parisians. The Queen was informed of this; and although all the sleighs + were preserved, and several subsequent winters lent themselves to the + amusement, she would not resume it. + </p> + <p> + It was at the time of the sleighing-parties that the Queen became + intimately acquainted with the Princesse de Lamballe, who made her + appearance in them wrapped in fur, with all the brilliancy and freshness + of the age of twenty,—the emblem of spring, peeping from under sable + and ermine. Her situation, moreover, rendered her peculiarly interesting; + married, when she was scarcely past childhood, to a young prince, who + ruined himself by the contagious example of the Duc d'Orleans, she had had + nothing to do from the time of her arrival in France but to weep. A widow + at eighteen, and childless, she lived with the Duc de Penthievre as an + adopted daughter. She had the tenderest respect and attachment for that + venerable Prince; but the Queen, though doing justice to his virtues, saw + that the Duc de Penthievre's way of life, whether at Paris or at his + country-seat, could neither afford his young daughter-in-law the + amusements suited to her time of life, nor ensure her in the future an + establishment such as she was deprived of by her widowhood. She + determined, therefore, to establish her at Versailles; and for her sake + revived the office of superintendent, which had been discontinued at Court + since the death of Mademoiselle de Clermont. It is said that Maria + Leczinska had decided that this place should continue vacant, the + superintendent having so extensive a power in the houses of queens as to + be frequently a restraint upon their inclinations. Differences which soon + took place between Marie Antoinette and the Princesse de Lamballe + respecting the official prerogatives of the latter, proved that the wife + of Louis XV. had acted judiciously in abolishing the office; but a kind of + treaty made between the Queen and the Princess smoothed all difficulties. + The blame for too strong an assertion of claims fell upon a secretary of + the superintendent, who had been her adviser; and everything was so + arranged that a firm friendship existed between these two Princesses down + to the disastrous period which terminated their career. + </p> + <p> + Notwithstanding the enthusiasm which the splendour, grace, and kindness of + the Queen generally inspired, secret intrigues continued in operation + against her. A short time after the ascension of Louis XVI. to the throne, + the minister of the King's household was informed that a most offensive + libel against the Queen was about to appear. The lieutenant of police + deputed a man named Goupil, a police inspector, to trace this libel; he + came soon after to say that he had found out the place where the work was + being printed, and that it was at a country house near Yverdun. He had + already got possession of two sheets, which contained the most atrocious + calumnies, conveyed with a degree of art which might make them very + dangerous to the Queen's reputation. Goupil said that he could obtain the + rest, but that he should want a considerable sum for that purpose. Three + thousand Louis were given him, and very soon afterwards he brought the + whole manuscript and all that had been printed to the lieutenant of + police. He received a thousand louis more as a reward for his address and + zeal; and a much more important office was about to be given him, when + another spy, envious of Goupil's good fortune, gave information that + Goupil himself was the author of the libel; that, ten years before, he had + been put into the Bicetre for swindling; and that Madame Goupil had been + only three years out of the Salpetriere, where she had been placed under + another name. This Madame Goupil was very pretty and very intriguing; she + had found means to form an intimacy with Cardinal de Rohan, whom she led, + it is said, to hope for a reconciliation with the Queen. All this affair + was hushed up; but it shows that it was the Queen's fate to be incessantly + attacked by the meanest and most odious machinations. + </p> + <p> + Another woman, named Cahouette de Millers, whose husband held an office in + the Treasury, being very irregular in conduct, and of a scheming turn of + mind, had a mania for appearing in the eyes of her friends at Paris as a + person in favour at Court, to which she was not entitled by either birth + or office. During the latter years of the life of Louis XV. she had made + many dupes, and picked up considerable sums by passing herself off as the + King's mistress. The fear of irritating Madame du Barry was, according to + her, the only thing which prevented her enjoying that title openly. She + came regularly to Versailles, kept herself concealed in a furnished + lodging, and her dupes imagined she was secretly summoned to Court. + </p> + <p> + This woman formed the scheme of getting admission, if possible, to the + presence of the Queen, or at least causing it to be believed that she had + done so. She adopted as her lover Gabriel de Saint Charles, intendant of + her Majesty's finances,—an office, the privileges of which were + confined to the right of entering the Queen's apartment on Sunday. Madame + de Villers came every Saturday to Versailles with M. de Saint Charles, and + lodged in his apartment. M. Campan was there several times. She painted + tolerably well, and she requested him to do her the favour to present to + the Queen a portrait of her Majesty which she had just copied. M. Campan + knew the woman's character, and refused her. A few days after, he saw on + her Majesty's couch the portrait which he had declined to present to her; + the Queen thought it badly painted, and gave orders that it should be + carried back to the Princesse de Lamballe, who had sent it to her. The ill + success of the portrait did not deter the manoeuvrer from following up her + designs; she easily procured through M. de Saint Charles patents and + orders signed by the Queen; she then set about imitating her writing, and + composed a great number of notes and letters, as if written by her + Majesty, in the tenderest and most familiar style. For many months she + showed them as great secrets to several of her particular friends. + Afterwards, she made the Queen appear to write to her, to procure various + fancy articles. Under the pretext of wishing to execute her Majesty's + commissions accurately, she gave these letters to the tradesmen to read, + and succeeded in having it said, in many houses, that the Queen had a + particular regard for her. She then enlarged her scheme, and represented + the Queen as desiring to borrow 200,000 francs which she had need of, but + which she did not wish to ask of the King from his private funds. This + letter, being shown to M. Beranger, 'fermier general' of the finances, + took effect; he thought himself fortunate in being able to render this + assistance to his sovereign, and lost no time in sending the 200,000 + francs to Madame de Villers. This first step was followed by some doubts, + which he communicated to people better informed than himself of what was + passing at Court; they added to his uneasiness; he then went to M. de + Sartine, who unravelled the whole plot. The woman was sent to St. Pelagie; + and the unfortunate husband was ruined, by replacing the sum borrowed, and + by paying for the jewels fraudulently purchased in the Queen's name. The + forged letters were sent to her Majesty; I compared them in her presence + with her own handwriting, and the only distinguishable difference was a + little more regularity in the letters. + </p> + <p> + This trick, discovered and punished with prudence and without passion, + produced no more sensation out of doors than that of the Inspector Goupil. + </p> + <p> + A year after the nomination of Madame de Lamballe to the post of + superintendent of the Queen's household, balls and quadrilles gave rise to + the intimacy of her Majesty with the Comtesse Jules de Polignac. This lady + really interested Marie Antoinette. She was not rich, and generally lived + upon her estate at Claye. The Queen was astonished at not having seen her + at Court earlier. The confession that her want of fortune had even + prevented her appearance at the celebration of the marriages of the + Princes added to the interest which she had inspired. + </p> + <p> + The Queen was full of consideration, and took delight in counteracting the + injustice of fortune. The Countess was induced to come to Court by her + husband's sister, Madame Diane de Polignac, who had been appointed lady of + honour to the Comtesse d'Artois. The Comtesse Jules was really fond of a + tranquil life; the impression she made at Court affected her but little; + she felt only the attachment manifested for her by the Queen. I had + occasion to see her from the commencement of her favour at Court; she + often passed whole hours with me, while waiting for the Queen. She + conversed with me freely and ingenuously about the honour, and at the same + time the danger, she saw in the kindness of which she was the object. The + Queen sought for the sweets of friendship; but can this gratification, so + rare in any rank, exist between a Queen and a subject, when they are + surrounded, moreover, by snares laid by the artifice of courtiers? This + pardonable error was fatal to the happiness of Marie Antoinette. + </p> + <p> + The retiring character of the Comtesse Jules, afterwards Duchesse de + Polignac, cannot be spoken of too favourably; but if her heart was + incapable of forming ambitious projects, her family and friends in her + fortune beheld their own, and endeavoured to secure the favour of the + Queen. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [The Comtesse, afterwards Duchesse de Polignac, nee Polastron, Married + the Comte (in 1780 the Duc) Jules de Polignac, the father of the Prince + de Polignac of Napoleon's and of Charles X.'s time. She emigrated in + 1789, and died in Vienna in 1793.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + The Comtesse de Diane, sister of M. de Polignac, and the Baron de Besenval + and M. de Vaudreuil, particular friends of the Polignac family, made use + of means, the success of which was infallible. One of my friends (Comte de + Moustier), who was in their secret, came to tell me that Madame de + Polignac was about to quit Versailles suddenly; that she would take leave + of the Queen only in writing; that the Comtesse Diane and M. de Vaudreuil + had dictated her letter, and the whole affair was arranged for the purpose + of stimulating the attachment of Marie Antoinette. The next day, when I + went up to the palace, I found the Queen with a letter in her hand, which + she was reading with much emotion; it was the letter from the Comtesse + Jules; the Queen showed it to me. The Countess expressed in it her grief + at leaving a princess who had loaded her with kindness. The narrowness of + her fortune compelled her to do so; but she was much more strongly + impelled by the fear that the Queen's friendship, after having raised up + dangerous enemies against her, might abandon her to their hatred, and to + the regret of having lost the august favour of which she was the object. + </p> + <p> + This step produced the full effect that had been expected from it. A young + and sensitive queen cannot long bear the idea of contradiction. She busied + herself in settling the Comtesse Jules near her, by making such a + provision for her as should place her beyond anxiety. Her character suited + the Queen; she had merely natural talents, no pedantry, no affectation of + knowledge. She was of middle size; her complexion very fair, her eyebrows + and hair dark brown, her teeth superb, her smile enchanting, and her whole + person graceful. She was seen almost always in a demi-toilet, remarkable + only for neatness and good taste. I do not think I ever once saw diamonds + about her, even at the climax of her fortune, when she had the rank of + Duchess at Court. + </p> + <p> + I have always believed that her sincere attachment for the Queen, as much + as her love of simplicity, induced her to avoid everything that might + cause her to be thought a wealthy favourite. She had not one of the + failings which usually accompany that position. She loved the persons who + shared the Queen's affections, and was entirely free from jealousy. Marie + Antoinette flattered herself that the Comtesse Jules and the Princesse de + Lamballe would be her especial friends, and that she should possess a + society formed according to her own taste. "I will receive them in my + closet, or at Trianon," said she; "I will enjoy the comforts of private + life, which exist not for us, unless we have the good sense to secure them + for ourselves." The happiness the Queen thought to secure was destined to + turn to vexation. All those courtiers who were not admitted to this + intimacy became so many jealous and vindictive enemies. + </p> + <p> + It was necessary to make a suitable provision for the Countess. The place + of first equerry, in reversion after the Comte de Tesse, given to Comte + Jules unknown to the titular holder, displeased the family of Noailles. + This family had just sustained another mortification, the appointment of + the Princesse de Lamballe having in some degree rendered necessary the + resignation of the Comtesse de Noailles, whose husband was thereupon made + a marshal of France. The Princesse de Lamballe, although she did not + quarrel with the Queen, was alarmed at the establishment of the Comtesse + Jules at Court, and did not form, as her Majesty had hoped, a part of that + intimate society, which was in turn composed of Mesdames Jules and Diane + de Polignac, d'Andlau and de Chalon, and Messieurs de Guignes, de Coigny, + d'Adhemar, de Besenval, lieutenant-colonel of the Swiss, de Polignac, de + Vaudreuil, and de Guiche; the Prince de Ligne and the Duke of Dorset, the + English ambassador, were also admitted. + </p> + <p> + It was a long time before the Comtesse Jules maintained any great state at + Court. The Queen contented herself with giving her very fine apartments at + the top of the marble staircase. The salary of first equerry, the trifling + emoluments derived from M. de Polignac's regiment, added to their slender + patrimony, and perhaps some small pension, at that time formed the whole + fortune of the favourite. I never saw the Queen make her a present of + value; I was even astonished one day at hearing her Majesty mention, with + pleasure, that the Countess had gained ten thousand francs in the lottery. + "She was in great want of it," added the Queen. + </p> + <p> + Thus the Polignacs were not settled at Court in any degree of splendour + which could justify complaints from others, and the substantial favours + bestowed upon that family were less envied than the intimacy between them + and their proteges and the Queen. Those who had no hope of entering the + circle of the Comtesse Jules were made jealous by the opportunities of + advancement it afforded. + </p> + <p> + However, at the time I speak of, the society around the Comtesse Jules was + fully engaged in gratifying the young Queen. Of this the Marquis de + Vaudreuil was a conspicuous member; he was a brilliant man, the friend and + protector of men of letters and celebrated artists. + </p> + <p> + The Baron de Besenval added to the bluntness of the Swiss all the + adroitness of a French courtier. His fifty years and gray hairs made him + enjoy among women the confidence inspired by mature age, although he had + not given up the thought of love affairs. He talked of his native + mountains with enthusiasm. He would at any time sing the "Ranz des Vaches" + with tears in his eyes, and was the best story-teller in the Comtesse + Jules's circle. The last new song or 'bon mot' and the gossip of the day + were the sole topics of conversation in the Queen's parties. Wit was + banished from them. The Comtesse Diane, more inclined to literary pursuits + than her sister-in-law, one day, recommended her to read the "Iliad" and + "Odyssey." The latter replied, laughing, that she was perfectly acquainted + with the Greek poet, and said to prove it: + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + "Homere etait aveugle et jouait du hautbois." + </p> + <p> + <br /> + </p> + <p> + (Homer was blind and played on the hautboy.) + </p> + <p> + [This lively repartee of the Duchesse de Polignac is a droll imitation + of a line in the "Mercure Galant." In the quarrel scene one of the + lawyers says to his brother quill: 'Ton pere etait aveugle et jouait du + hautbois.'] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + The Queen found this sort of humour very much to her taste, and said that + no pedant should ever be her friend. + </p> + <p> + Before the Queen fixed her assemblies at Madame de Polignac's, she + occasionally passed the evening at the house of the Duc and Duchesse de + Duras, where a brilliant party of young persons met together. They + introduced a taste for trifling games, such as question and answer, + 'guerre panpan', blind man's buff, and especially a game called + 'descampativos'. The people of Paris, always criticising, but always + imitating the customs of the Court, were infected with the mania for these + childish sports. Madame de Genlis, sketching the follies of the day in one + of her plays, speaks of these famous 'descampativos'; and also of the rage + for making a friend, called the 'inseparable', until a whim or the + slightest difference might occasion a total rupture. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </p> + <h2> + CHAPTER VIII. + </h2> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <p> + The Duc de Choiseul had reappeared at Court on the ceremony of the King's + coronation for the first time after his disgrace under Louis XV. in 1770. + The state of public feeling on the subject gave his friends hope of seeing + him again in administration, or in the Council of State; but the opposite + party was too firmly seated at Versailles, and the young Queen's influence + was outweighed, in the mind of the King, by long-standing prejudices; she + therefore gave up for ever her attempt to reinstate the Duke. Thus this + Princess, who has been described as so ambitious, and so strenuously + supporting the interest of the House of Austria, failed twice in the only + scheme which could forward the views constantly attributed to her; and + spent the whole of her reign surrounded by enemies of herself and her + house. + </p> + <p> + Marie Antoinette took little pains to promote literature and the fine + arts. She had been annoyed in consequence of having ordered a performance + of the "Connstable de Bourbon," on the celebration of the marriage of + Madame Clotilde with the Prince of Piedmont. The Court and the people of + Paris censured as indecorous the naming characters in the piece after the + reigning family, and that with which the new alliance was formed. The + reading of this piece by the Comte de Guibert in the Queen's closet had + produced in her Majesty's circle that sort of enthusiasm which obscures + the judgment. She promised herself she would have no more readings. Yet, + at the request of M. de Cubieres, the King's equerry, the Queen agreed to + hear the reading of a comedy written by his brother. She collected her + intimate circle, Messieurs de Coigny, de Vaudreuil, de Besenval, Mesdames + de Polignac, de Chalon, etc., and to increase the number of judges, she + admitted the two Parnys, the Chevalier de Bertin, my father-in-law, and + myself. + </p> + <p> + Mold read for the author. I never could satisfy myself by what magic the + skilful reader gained our unanimous approbation of a ridiculous work. + Surely the delightful voice of Mold, by awakening our recollection of the + dramatic beauties of the French stage, prevented the wretched lines of + Dorat Cubieres from striking on our ears. I can assert that the + exclamation Charming! charming! repeatedly interrupted the reader. The + piece was admitted for performance at Fontainebleau; and for the first + time the King had the curtain dropped before the end of the play. It was + called the "Dramomane" or "Dramaturge." All the characters died of eating + poison in a pie. The Queen, highly disconcerted at having recommended this + absurd production, announced that she would never hear another reading; + and this time she kept her word. + </p> + <p> + The tragedy of "Mustapha and Mangir," by M. de Chamfort, was highly + successful at the Court theatre at Fontainebleau. The Queen procured the + author a pension of 1,200 francs, but his play failed on being performed + at Paris. + </p> + <p> + The spirit of opposition which prevailed in that city delighted in + reversing the verdicts of the Court. The Queen determined never again to + give any marked countenance to new dramatic works. She reserved her + patronage for musical composers, and in a few years their art arrived at a + perfection it had never before attained in France. + </p> + <p> + It was solely to gratify the Queen that the manager of the Opera brought + the first company of comic actors to Paris. Gluck, Piccini, and Sacchini + were attracted there in succession. These eminent composers were treated + with great distinction at Court. Immediately on his arrival in France, + Gluck was admitted to the Queen's toilet, and she talked to him all the + time he remained with her. She asked him one day whether he had nearly + brought his grand opera of "Armide" to a conclusion, and whether it + pleased him. Gluck replied very coolly, in his German accent, "Madame, it + will soon be finished, and really it will be superb." There was a great + outcry against the confidence with which the composer had spoken of one of + his own productions. The Queen defended him warmly; she insisted that he + could not be ignorant of the merit of his works; that he well knew they + were generally admired, and that no doubt he was afraid lest a modesty, + merely dictated by politeness, should look like affectation in him. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [Gluck often had to deal with self-sufficiency equal to his own. He was + very reluctant to introduce long ballets into "Iphigenia." Vestris + deeply regretted that the opera was not terminated by a piece they + called a chaconne, in which he displayed all his power. He complained to + Gluck about it. Gluck, who treated his art with all the dignity it + merits, replied that in so interesting a subject dancing would be + misplaced. Being pressed another time by Vestris on the same subject, "A + chaconne! A chaconne!" roared out the enraged musician; "we must + describe the Greeks; and had the Greeks chaconnes?" "They had not?" + returned the astonished dancer; "why, then, so much the worse for them!"—NOTE + BY THE EDITOR.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> <a name="p204" id="p204"></a> + </p> + <div class="fig" style="width:80%;"> + <img alt="p204.jpg (64K)" src="images/p204.jpg" width="100%" /><br /> + </div> + <p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </p> + <p> + The Queen did not confine her admiration to the lofty style of the French + and Italian operas; she greatly valued Gretry's music, so well adapted to + the spirit and feeling of the words. A great deal of the poetry set to + music by Gretry is by Marmontel. The day after the first performance of + "Zemira and Azor," Marmontel and Gretry were presented to the Queen as she + was passing through the gallery of Fontainebleau to go to mass. The Queen + congratulated Gretry on the success of the new opera, and told him that + she had dreamed of the enchanting effect of the trio by Zemira's father + and sisters behind the magic mirror. Gretry, in a transport of joy, took + Marmontel in his arms, "Ah! my friend," cried he, "excellent music may be + made of this."—"And execrable words," coolly observed Marmontel, to + whom her Majesty had not addressed a single compliment. + </p> + <p> + The most indifferent artists were permitted to have the honour of painting + the Queen. A full-length portrait, representing her in all the pomp of + royalty, was exhibited in the gallery of Versailles. This picture, which + was intended for the Court of Vienna, was executed by a man who does not + deserve even to be named, and disgusted all people of taste. It seemed as + if this art had, in France, retrograded several centuries. + </p> + <p> + The Queen had not that enlightened judgment, or even that mere taste, + which enables princes to foster and protect great talents. She confessed + frankly that she saw no merit in any portrait beyond the likeness. When + she went to the Louvre, she would run hastily over all the little "genre" + pictures, and come out, as she acknowledged, without having once raised + her eyes to the grand compositions. + </p> + <p> + There is no good portrait of the Queen, save that by Werthmuller, chief + painter to the King of Sweden, which was sent to Stockholm, and that by + Madame Lebrun, which was saved from the revolutionary fury by the + commissioners for the care of the furniture at Versailles. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [A sketch of very great interest made when the Queen was in the Temple + and discovered many years afterwards there, recently reproduced in the + memoirs of the Marquise de Tourzel (Paris, Plon), is the last authentic + portrait of the unhappy Queen. See also the catalogue of portraits made + by Lord Ronald Gower.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + The composition of the latter picture resembles that of Henriette of + France, the wife of the unfortunate Charles I., painted by Vandyke. Like + Marie Antoinette, she is seated, surrounded by her children, and that + resemblance adds to the melancholy interest raised by this beautiful + production. + </p> + <p> + While admitting that the Queen gave no direct encouragement to any art but + that of music, I should be wrong to pass over in silence the patronage + conferred by her and the Princes, brothers of the King, on the art of + printing. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [In 1790 the King gave a proof of his particular good-will to the + bookselling trade. A company consisting of the first Parisian + booksellers, being on the eve of stopping payment, succeeded in laying + before the King a statement of their distressed situation. The monarch + was affected by it; he took from the civil list the sum of which the + society stood in immediate need, and became security for the repayment + of the remainder of the 1,200,000 livres, which they wanted to borrow, + and for the repayment of which he fixed no particular time.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + To Marie Antoinette we are indebted for a splendid quarto edition of the + works of Metastasio; to Monsieur, the King's brother, for a quarto Tasso, + embellished with engravings after Cochin; and to the Comte d'Artois for a + small collection of select works, which is considered one of the chef + d'oeuvres of the press of the celebrated Didot. + </p> + <p> + In 1775, on the death of the Marechal du Muy, the ascendency obtained by + the sect of innovators occasioned M. de Saint-Germain to be recalled to + Court and made Minister of War. His first care was the destruction of the + King's military household establishment, an imposing and effectual rampart + round the sovereign power. + </p> + <p> + When Chancellor Maupeou obtained from Louis XV. the destruction of the + Parliament and the exile of all the ancient magistrates, the Mousquetaires + were charged with the execution of the commission for this purpose; and at + the stroke of midnight, the presidents and members were all arrested, each + by two Mousquetaires. In the spring of 1775 a popular insurrection had + taken place in consequence of the high price of bread. M. Turgot's new + regulation, which permitted unlimited trade in corn, was either its cause + or the pretext for it; and the King's household troops again rendered the + greatest services to public tranquillity. + </p> + <p> + I have never be enable to discover the true cause of the support given to + M. de Saint-Germain's policy by the Queen, unless in the marked favour + shown to the captains and officers of the Body Guards, who by this + reduction became the only soldiers of their rank entrusted with the safety + of the sovereign; or else in the Queen's strong prejudice against the Duc + d'Aiguillon, then commander of the light-horse. M. de Saint-Germain, + however, retained fifty gens d'armes and fifty light-horse to form a royal + escort on state occasions; but in 1787 the King reduced both these + military bodies. The Queen then said with satisfaction that at last she + should see no more red coats in the gallery of Versailles. + </p> + <p> + From 1775 to 1781 were the gayest years of the Queen's life. In the little + journeys to Choisy, performances frequently took place at the theatre + twice in one day: grand opera and French or Italian comedy at the usual + hour; and at eleven at night they returned to the theatre for parodies in + which the best actors of the Opera presented themselves in whimsical parts + and costumes. The celebrated dancer Guimard always took the leading + characters in the latter performance; she danced better than she acted; + her extreme leanness, and her weak, hoarse voice added to the burlesque in + the parodied characters of Ernelinde and Iphigenie. + </p> + <p> + The most magnificent fete ever given to the Queen was one prepared for her + by Monsieur, the King's brother, at Brunoy. That Prince did me the honour + to admit me, and I followed her Majesty into the gardens, where she found + in the first copse knights in full armour asleep at the foot of trees, on + which hung their spears and shields. The absence of the beauties who had + incited the nephews of Charlemagne and the gallants of that period to + lofty deeds was supposed to occasion this lethargic slumber. But when the + Queen appeared at the entrance of the copse they were on foot in an + instant, and melodious voices announced their eagerness to display their + valour. They then hastened into a vast arena, magnificently decorated in + the exact style of the ancient tournaments. Fifty dancers dressed as pages + presented to the knights twenty-five superb black horses, and twenty-five + of a dazzling whiteness, all most richly caparisoned. The party led by + Augustus Vestris wore the Queen's colours. Picq, balletmaster at the + Russian Court, commanded the opposing band. There was running at the + negro's head, tilting, and, lastly, combats 'a outrance', perfectly well + imitated. Although the spectators were aware that the Queen's colours + could not but be victorious, they did not the less enjoy the apparent + uncertainty. + </p> + <p> + Nearly all the agreeable women of Paris were ranged upon the steps which + surrounded the area of the tourney. The Queen, surrounded by the royal + family and the whole Court, was placed beneath an elevated canopy. A play, + followed by a ballet-pantomime and a ball, terminated the fete. Fireworks + and illuminations were not spared. Finally, from a prodigiously high + scaffold, placed on a rising ground, the words 'Vive Louis! Vive Marie + Antoinette!' were shown in the air in the midst of a very dark but calm + night. + </p> + <p> + Pleasure was the sole pursuit of every one of this young family, with the + exception of the King. Their love of it was perpetually encouraged by a + crowd of those officious people who, by anticipating the desires and even + the passions of princes, find means of showing their zeal, and hope to + gain or maintain favour for themselves. + </p> + <p> + Who would have dared to check the amusements of a queen, young, lively, + and handsome? A mother or a husband alone would have had the right to do + it; and the King threw no impediment in the way of Marie Antoinette's + inclinations. His long indifference had been followed by admiration and + love. He was a slave to all the wishes of the Queen, who, delighted with + the happy change in the heart and habits of the King, did not sufficiently + conceal the ascendency she was gaining over him. + </p> + <p> + The King went to bed every night at eleven precisely; he was very + methodical, and nothing was allowed to interfere with his rules. The noise + which the Queen unavoidably made when she returned very late from the + evenings which she spent with the Princesse de Gugmenee or the Duc de + Duras, at last annoyed the King, and it was amicably agreed that the Queen + should apprise him when she intended to sit up late. He then began to + sleep in his own apartment, which had never before happened from the time + of their marriage. + </p> + <p> + During the winter the Queen attended the Opera balls with a single lady of + the palace, and always found there Monsieur and the Comte d'Artois. Her + people concealed their liveries under gray cloth greatcoats. She never + thought she was recognized, while all the time she was known to the whole + assembly, from the first moment she entered the theatre; they pretended, + however, not to recognise her, and some masquerade manoeuvre was always + adopted to give her the pleasure of fancying herself incognito. + </p> + <p> + Louis XVI. determined once to accompany the Queen to a masked ball; it was + agreed that the King should hold not only the grand but the petit coucher, + as if actually going to bed. The Queen went to his apartment through the + inner corridors of the palace, followed by one of her women with a black + domino; she assisted him to put it on, and they went alone to the chapel + court, where a carriage waited for them, with the captain of the Guard of + the quarter, and a lady of the palace. The King was but little amused, + spoke only to two or three persons, who knew him immediately, and found + nothing to admire at the masquerade but Punches and Harlequins, which + served as a joke against him for the royal family, who often amused + themselves with laughing at him about it. + </p> + <p> + An event, simple in itself, brought dire suspicion upon the Queen. She was + going out one evening with the Duchesse de Lupnes, lady of the palace, + when her carriage broke down at the entrance into Paris; she was obliged + to alight; the Duchess led her into a shop, while a footman called a + 'fiacre'. As they were masked, if they had but known how to keep silence, + the event would never have been known; but to ride in a fiacre is so + unusual an adventure for a queen that she had hardly entered the + Opera-house when she could not help saying to some persons whom she met + there: "That I should be in a fiacre! Is it not droll?" + </p> + <p> + From that moment all Paris was informed of the adventure of the fiacre. It + was said that everything connected with it was mysterious; that the Queen + had kept an assignation in a private house with the Duc de Coigny. He was + indeed very well received at Court, but equally so by the King and Queen. + These accusations of gallantry once set afloat, there were no longer any + bounds to the calumnies circulated at Paris. If, during the chase or at + cards, the Queen spoke to Lord Edward Dillon, De Lambertye, or others, + they were so many favoured lovers. The people of Paris did not know that + none of those young persons were admitted into the Queen's private circle + of friends; the Queen went about Paris in disguise, and had made use of a + fiacre; and a single instance of levity gives room for the suspicion of + others. + </p> + <p> + Conscious of innocence, and well knowing that all about her must do + justice to her private life, the Queen spoke of these reports with + contempt, contenting herself with the supposition that some folly in the + young men mentioned had given rise to them. She therefore left off + speaking to them or even looking at them. Their vanity took alarm at this, + and revenge induced them either to say, or to leave others to think, that + they were unfortunate enough to please no longer. Other young coxcombs, + placing themselves near the private box which the Queen occupied incognito + when she attended the public theatre at Versailles, had the presumption to + imagine that they were noticed by her; and I have known such notions + entertained merely on account of the Queen's requesting one of those + gentlemen to inquire behind the scenes whether it would be long before the + commencement of the second piece. + </p> + <p> + The list of persons received into the Queen's closet which I gave in the + preceding chapter was placed in the hands of the ushers of the chamber by + the Princesse de Lamballe; and the persons there enumerated could present + themselves to enjoy the distinction only on those days when the Queen + chose to be with her intimates in a private manner; and this was only when + she was slightly indisposed. People of the first rank at Court sometimes + requested special audiences of her; the Queen then received them in a room + within that called the closet of the women on duty, and these women + announced them in her Majesty's apartment. + </p> + <p> + The Duc de Lauzun had a good deal of wit, and chivalrous manners. The + Queen was accustomed to see him at the King's suppers, and at the house of + the Princesse de Guemenee, and always showed him attention. One day he + made his appearance at Madame de Guemenee's in uniform, and with the most + magnificent plume of white heron's feathers that it was possible to + behold. The Queen admired the plume, and he offered it to her through the + Princesse de Guemenee. As he had worn it the Queen had not imagined that + he could think of giving it to her; much embarrassed with the present + which she had, as it were, drawn upon herself, she did not like to refuse + it, nor did she know whether she ought to make one in return; afraid, if + she did give anything, of giving either too much or too little, she + contented herself with once letting M. de Lauzun see her adorned with the + plume. In his secret "Memoirs" the Duke attaches an importance to his + present, which proves him utterly unworthy of an honour accorded only to + his name and rank. + </p> + <p> + A short time afterwards he solicited an audience; the Queen granted it, as + she would have done to any other courtier of equal rank. I was in the room + adjoining that in which he was received; a few minutes after his arrival + the Queen reopened the door, and said aloud, and in an angry tone of + voice, "Go, monsieur." M. de Lauzun bowed low, and withdrew. The Queen was + much agitated. She said to me: "That man shall never again come within my + doors." A few years before the Revolution of 1789 the Marechal de Biron + died. The Duc de Lauzun, heir to his name, aspired to the important post + of colonel of the regiment of French guards. The Queen, however, procured + it for the Duc du Chaatelet. The Duc de Biron espoused the cause of the + Duc d'Orleans, and became one of the most violent enemies of Marie + Antoinette. + </p> + <p> + It is with reluctance that I enter minutely on a defence of the Queen + against two infamous accusations with which libellers have dared to swell + their envenomed volumes. I mean the unworthy suspicions of too strong an + attachment for the Comte d'Artois, and of the motives for the tender + friendship which subsisted between the Queen, the Princesse de Lamballe, + and the Duchesse de Polignac. I do not believe that the Comte d'Artois + was, during his own youth and that of the Queen, so much smitten as has + been said with the loveliness of his sister-in-law; I can affirm that I + always saw that Prince maintain the most respectful demeanour towards the + Queen; that she always spoke of his good-nature and cheerfulness with that + freedom which attends only the purest sentiments; and that none of those + about the Queen ever saw in the affection she manifested towards the Comte + d'Artois more than that of a kind and tender sister for her youngest + brother. As to the intimate connection between Marie Antoinette and the + ladies I have named, it never had, nor could have, any other motive than + the very innocent wish to secure herself two friends in the midst of a + numerous Court; and notwithstanding this intimacy, that tone of respect + observed by persons of the most exalted rank towards majesty never ceased + to be maintained. + </p> + <p> + The Queen, much occupied with the society of Madame de Polignac, and an + unbroken series of amusements, found less time for the Abbe de Vermond; he + therefore resolved to retire from Court. The world did him the honour to + believe that he had hazarded remonstrances upon his august pupil's + frivolous employment of her time, and that he considered himself, both as + an ecclesiastic and as instructor, now out of place at Court. But the + world was deceived his dissatisfaction arose purely from the favour shown + to the Comtesse Jules. After a fortnight's absence we saw him at + Versailles again, resuming his usual functions. + </p> + <p> + The Queen could express herself with winning graciousness to persons who + merited her praise. When M. Loustonneau was appointed to the reversion of + the post of first surgeon to the King, he came to make his + acknowledgments. He was much beloved by the poor, to whom he had chiefly + devoted his talents, spending nearly thirty thousand francs a year on + indigent sufferers. The Queen replied to his thanks by saying: "You are + satisfied, Monsieur; but I am far from being so with the inhabitants of + Versailles. On the news of your appointment the town should have been + illuminated."—"How so, Madame?" asked the astonished surgeon, who + was very modest. "Why," replied the Queen, "if the poor whom you have + succoured for the past twenty years had each placed a single candle in + their windows it would have been the most beautiful illumination ever + witnessed." + </p> + <p> + The Queen did not limit her kindness to friendly words. There was + frequently seen in the apartments of Versailles a veteran captain of the + grenadiers of France, called the Chevalier d'Orville, who for four years + had been soliciting from the Minister of War the post of major, or of + King's lieutenant. He was known to be very poor; but he supported his lot + without complaining of this vexatious delay in rewarding his honourable + services. He regularly attended the Marechal de Segur, at the hour + appointed for receiving the numerous solicitations in his department. One + day the Marshal said to him: "You are still at Versailles, M. d'Orville?"—"Monsieur," + he replied, "you may observe that by this board of the flooring where I + regularly place myself; it is already worn down several lines by the + weight of my body." The Queen frequently stood at the window of her + bedchamber to observe with her glass the people walking in the park. + Sometimes she inquired the names of those who were unknown to her. One day + she saw the Chevalier d'Orville passing, and asked me the name of that + knight of Saint Louis, whom she had seen everywhere for a long time past. + I knew who he was, and related his history. "That must be put an end to," + said the Queen, with some vivacity. "Such an example of indifference is + calculated to discourage our soldiers." Next day, in crossing the gallery + to go to mass, the Queen perceived the Chevalier d'Orville; she went + directly towards him. The poor man fell back in the recess of a window, + looking to the right and left to discover the person whom the Queen was + seeking, when she thus addressed him: "M. d'Orville, you have been several + years at Versailles, soliciting a majority or a King's lieutenancy. You + must have very powerless patrons."—"I have none, Madame," replied + the Chevalier, in great confusion. "Well! I will take you under my + protection. To-morrow at the same hour be here with a petition, and a + memorial of your services." A fortnight after, M. d'Orville was appointed + King's lieutenant, either at La Rochelle or at Rochefort. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [Louis XVI. vied with his Queen in benevolent actions of this kind. An + old officer had in vain solicited a pension during the administration of + the Duc de Choiseul. He returned to the charge in the times of the + Marquis de Montesnard and the Duc d'Aiguillon. He urged his claims, to + Comte du Muy, who made a note of them. Tired of so many fruitless + efforts, he at last appeared at the King's supper, and, having placed + himself so as to be seen and heard, cried out at a moment when silence + prevailed, "Sire." The people near him said, "What are you about? This + is not the way to speak to the King."—"I fear nothing," said he, + and raising his voice, repeated, "Sire." The King, much surprised, + looked at him and said, "What do you want, monsieur."—"Sire," + answered he, "I am seventy years of age; I have served your Majesty more + than fifty years, and I am dying for want."—"Have you a memorial?" + replied the King. "Yes, Sire, I have."—"Give it to me;" and his + Majesty took it without saying anything more. Next morning he was sent + for by the, King, who said, "Monsieur, I grant you an annuity of 1,500 + livres out of my privy purse, and you may go and receive the first + year's payment, which is now due." ("Secret Correspondence of the Court: + Reign of Louis XVI.") The King preferred to spend money in charity + rather than in luxury or magnificence. Once during his absence, M. + d'Augivillers caused an unused room in the King's apartment to be + repaired at a cost of 30,000 francs. On his return the King made + Versailles resound with complaints against M. d'Augivillers: "With that + sum I could have made thirty families happy," he said.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </p> + <h2> + CHAPTER IX. + </h2> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <p> + From the time of Louis XVI.'s accession to the throne, the Queen had been + expecting a visit from her brother, the Emperor Joseph II. That Prince was + the constant theme of her discourse. She boasted of his intelligence, his + love of occupation, his military knowledge, and the perfect simplicity of + his manners. Those about her Majesty ardently wished to see at Versailles + a prince so worthy of his rank. At length the coming of Joseph II., under + the title of Count Falkenstein, was announced, and the very day on which + he would be at Versailles was mentioned. The first embraces between the + Queen and her august brother took place in the presence of all the Queen's + household. The sight of their emotion was extremely affecting. + </p> + <p> + The Emperor was at first generally admired in France; learned men, + well-informed officers, and celebrated artists appreciated the extent of + his information. He made less impression at Court, and very little in the + private circle of the King and Queen. His eccentric manners, his + frankness, often degenerating into rudeness, and his evidently affected + simplicity,—all these characteristics caused him to be looked upon + as a prince rather singular than admirable. The Queen spoke to him about + the apartment she had prepared for him in the Chateau; the Emperor + answered that he would not accept it, and that while travelling he always + lodged at a cabaret (that was his very expression); the Queen insisted, + and assured him that he should be at perfect liberty, and placed out of + the reach of noise. He replied that he knew the Chateau of Versailles was + very large, and that so many scoundrels lived there that he could well + find a place; but that his valet de chambre had made up his camp-bed in a + lodging-house, and there he would stay. + </p> + <p> + He dined with the King and Queen, and supped with the whole family. He + appeared to take an interest in the young Princesse Elisabeth, then just + past childhood, and blooming in all the freshness of that age. An intended + marriage between him and this young sister of the King was reported at the + time, but I believe it had no foundation in truth. + </p> + <p> + The table was still served by women only, when the Queen dined in private + with the King, the royal family, or crowned heads. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [The custom was, even supposing dinner to have commenced, if a princess + of the blood arrived, and she was asked to sit down at the Queen's + table, the comptrollers and gentlemen-in-waiting came immediately to + attend, and the Queen's women withdrew. These had succeeded the maids of + honour in several parts of their service, and had preserved some of + their privileges. One day the Duchesse d'Orleans arrived at + Fontainebleau, at the Queen's dinner-hour. The Queen invited her to the + table, and herself motioned to her women to leave the room, and let the + men take their places. Her Majesty said she was resolved to continue a + privilege which kept places of that description most honourable, and + render them suitable for ladies of nobility without fortune. Madame de + Misery, Baronne de Biache, the Queen's first lady of the chamber, to + whom I was made reversioner, was a daughter of M. le Comte de Chemant, + and her grandmother was a Montmorency. M. le Prince de Tingry, in the + presence of the Queen, used to call her cousin. The ancient household of + the Kings of France had prerogatives acknowledged in the state. Many of + the offices were tenable only by those of noble blood, and were sold at + from 40,000 to 300,000 franca. A collection of edicts of the Kings in + favour of the prerogatives and right of precedence of the persons + holding office in the royal household is still in existence.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + I was present at the Queen's dinner almost every day. The Emperor would + talk much and fluently; he expressed himself in French with facility, and + the singularity, of his expressions added a zest to his conversation. I + have often heard him say that he liked spectaculous objects, when he meant + to express such things as formed a show, or a scene worthy of interest. He + disguised none of his prejudices against the etiquette and customs of the + Court of France; and even in the presence of the King made them the + subject of his sarcasms. The King smiled, but never made any answer; the + Queen appeared pained. The Emperor frequently terminated his observations + upon the objects in Paris which he had admired by reproaching the King for + suffering himself to remain in ignorance of them. He could not conceive + how such a wealth of pictures should remain shut up in the dust of immense + stores; and told him one day that but for the practice of placing some of + them in the apartments of Versailles he would not know even the principal + chef d'oeuvres that he possessed. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [The Emperor loudly censured the existing practice of allowing + shopkeepers to erect shops near the outward walls of all the palaces, + and even to establish something like a fair in the galleries of + Versailles and Fontainebleau, and even upon the landings of the + staircases.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + He also reproached him for not having visited the Hotel des Invalides nor + the Ecole Militaire; and even went so far as to tell him before us that he + ought not only to know what Paris contained, but to travel in France, and + reside a few days in each of his large towns. + </p> + <p> + At last the Queen was really hurt at the Emperor's remarks, and gave him a + few lectures upon the freedom with which he allowed himself to lecture + others. One day she was busied in signing warrants and orders for payment + for her household, and was conversing with M. Augeard, her secretary for + such matters, who presented the papers one after another to be signed, and + replaced them in his portfolio. While this was going forward, the Emperor + walked about the room; all at once he stood still, to reproach the Queen + rather severely for signing all those papers without reading them, or, at + least, without running her eye over them; and he spoke most judiciously to + her upon the danger of signing her name inconsiderately. The Queen + answered that very wise principles might be very ill applied; that her + secretary, who deserved her implicit confidence, was at that moment laying + before her nothing but orders for payment of the quarter's expenses of her + household, registered in the Chamber of Accounts; and that she ran no risk + of incautiously giving her signature. + </p> + <p> + The Queen's toilet was likewise a never-failing subject for animadversion + with the Emperor. He blamed her for having introduced too many new + fashions; and teased her about her use of rouge. One day, while she was + laying on more of it than usual, before going to the play, he pointed out + a lady who was in the room, and who was, in truth, highly painted. "A + little more under the eyes," said the Emperor to the Queen; "lay on the + rouge like a fury, as that lady does." The Queen entreated her brother to + refrain from his jokes, or at all events to address them, when they were + so outspoken, to her alone. + </p> + <p> + The Queen had made an appointment to meet her brother at the Italian + theatre; she changed her mind, and went to the French theatre, sending a + page to the Italian theatre to request the Emperor to come to her there. + He left his box, lighted by the comedian Clairval, and attended by M. de + la Ferte, comptroller of the Queen's privy purse, who was much hurt at + hearing his Imperial Majesty, after kindly expressing his regret at not + being present during the Italian performance, say to Clairval, "Your young + Queen is very giddy; but, luckily, you Frenchmen have no great objection + to that." + </p> + <p> + I was with my father-in-law in one of the Queen's apartments when the + Emperor came to wait for her there, and, knowing that M. Campan was + librarian, he conversed with him about such books as would of course be + found in the Queen's library. After talking of our most celebrated + authors, he casually said, "There are doubtless no works on finance or on + administration here?" + </p> + <p> + These words were followed by his opinion on all that had been written on + those topics, and the different systems of our two famous ministers, Sully + and Colbert; on errors which were daily committed in France, in points + essential to the prosperity of the Empire; and on the reform he himself + would make at Vienna. Holding M. Campan by the button, he spent more than + an hour, talking vehemently, and without the slightest reserve, about the + French Government. My father-in-law and myself maintained profound + silence, as much from astonishment as from respect; and when we were alone + we agreed not to speak of this interview. + </p> + <p> + The Emperor was fond of describing the Italian Courts that he had visited. + The jealous quarrels between the King and Queen of Naples amused him + highly; he described to the life the manner and speech of that sovereign, + and the simplicity with which he used to go and solicit the first + chamberlain to obtain permission to return to the nuptial bed, when the + angry Queen had banished him from it. The time which he was made to wait + for this reconciliation was calculated between the Queen and her + chamberlain, and always proportioned to the gravity of the offence. He + also related several very amusing stories relative to the Court of Parma, + of which he spoke with no little contempt. If what this Prince said of + those Courts, and even of Vienna, had been written down, the whole would + have formed an interesting collection. The Emperor told the King that the + Grand Duke of Tuscany and the King of Naples being together, the former + said a great deal about the changes he had effected in his State. The + Grand Duke had issued a mass of new edicts, in order to carry the precepts + of the economists into execution, and trusted that in so doing he was + labouring for the welfare of his people. The King of Naples suffered him + to go on speaking for a long time, and then casually asked how many + Neapolitan families there were in Tuscany. The Duke soon reckoned them up, + as they were but few. "Well, brother," replied the King of Naples, "I do + not understand the indifference of your people towards your great reforms; + for I have four times the number of Tuscan families settled in my States + that you have of Neapolitan families in yours." + </p> + <p> + The Queen being at the Opera with the Emperor, the latter did not wish to + show himself; but she took him by the hand, and gently drew him to the + front of the box. This kind of presentation to the public was most warmly + received. The performance was "Iphigenia in Aulis," and for the second + time the chorus, "Chantons, celebrons notre Reine!" was called for with + universal plaudits. + </p> + <p> + A fete of a novel description was given at Petit Trianon. The art with + which the English garden was not illuminated, but lighted, produced a + charming effect. Earthen lamps, concealed by boards painted green, threw + light upon the beds of shrubs and flowers, and brought out their varied + tints. Several hundred burning fagots in the moat behind the Temple of + Love made a blaze of light, which rendered that spot the most brilliant in + the garden. After all, this evening's entertainment had nothing remarkable + about it but the good taste of the artists, yet it was much talked of. The + situation did not allow the admission of a great part of the Court; those + who were uninvited were dissatisfied; and the people, who never forgive + any fetes but those they share in, so exaggerated the cost of this little + fete as to make it appear that the fagots burnt in the moat had required + the destruction of a whole forest. The Queen being informed of these + reports, was determined to know exactly how much wood had been consumed; + and she found that fifteen hundred fagots had sufficed to keep up the fire + until four o'clock in the morning. + </p> + <p> + After staying a few months the Emperor left France, promising his sister + to come and see her again. All the officers of the Queen's chamber had + many opportunities of serving him during his stay, and expected that he + would make them presents before his departure. Their oath of office + positively forbade them to receive a gift from any foreign prince; they + had therefore agreed to refuse the Emperor's presents at first, but to ask + the time necessary for obtaining permission to accept them. The Emperor, + probably informed of this custom, relieved the good people from their + difficulty by setting off without making a single present. + </p> + <p> + About the latter end of 1777 the Queen, being alone in her closet, sent + for my father-in-law and myself, and, giving us her hand to kiss; told us + that, looking upon us both as persons deeply interested in her happiness, + she wished to receive our congratulations,—that at length she was + the Queen of France, and that she hoped soon to have children; that till + now she had concealed her grief, but that she had shed many tears in + secret. + </p> + <p> + Dating from this happy but long-delayed moment, the King's attachment to + the Queen assumed every characteristic of love. The good Lassone, first + physician to the King and Queen, frequently spoke to me of the uneasiness + that the King's indifference, the cause of which he had been so long in + overcoming, had given him, and appeared to me at that time to entertain no + anxiety except of a very different description. + </p> + <p> + In the winter of 1778 the King's permission for the return of Voltaire; + after an absence of twenty-seven years, was obtained. A few strict persons + considered this concession on the part of the Court very injudicious. The + Emperor, on leaving France, passed by the Chateau of Ferney without + stopping there. He had advised the Queen not to suffer Voltaire to be + presented to her. A lady belonging to the Court learned the Emperor's + opinion on that point, and reproached him with his want of enthusiasm + towards the greatest genius of the age. He replied that for the good of + the people he should always endeavour to profit by the knowledge of the + philosophers; but that his own business of sovereign would always prevent + his ranking himself amongst that sect. The clergy also took steps to + hinder Voltaire's appearance at Court. Paris, however, carried to the + highest pitch the honours and enthusiasm shown to the great poet. + </p> + <p> + It was very unwise to let Paris pronounce with such transport an opinion + so opposite to that of the Court. This was pointed out to the Queen, and + she was told that, without conferring on Voltaire the honour of a + presentation, she might see him in the State apartments. She was not + averse to following this advice, and appeared embarrassed solely about + what she should say to him. She was recommended to talk about nothing but + the "Henriade," "Merope," and "Zaira." The Queen replied that she would + still consult a few other persons in whom she had great confidence. The + next day she announced that it was irrevocably decided Voltaire should not + see any member of the royal family,—his writings being too + antagonistic to religion and morals. "It is, however, strange," said the + Queen, "that while we refuse to admit Voltaire into our presence as the + leader of philosophical writers, the Marechale de Mouchy should have + presented to me some years ago Madame Geoffrin, who owed her celebrity to + the title of foster-mother of the philosophers." + </p> + <p> + On the occasion of the duel of the Comte d'Artois with the Prince de + Bourbon the Queen determined privately to see the Baron de Besenval, who + was to be one of the witnesses, in order to communicate the King's + intentions. I have read with infinite pain the manner in which that simple + fact is perverted in the first volume of M. de Besenval's "Memoirs." He is + right in saying that M. Campan led him through the upper corridors of the + Chateau, and introduced him into an apartment unknown to him; but the air + of romance given to the interview is equally culpable and ridiculous. M. + de Besenval says that he found himself, without knowing how he came there, + in an apartment unadorned, but very conveniently furnished, of the + existence of which he was till then utterly ignorant. He was astonished, + he adds, not that the Queen should have so many facilities, but that she + should have ventured to procure them. Ten printed sheets of the woman + Lamotte's libels contain nothing so injurious to the character of Marie + Antoinette as these lines, written by a man whom she honoured by + undeserved kindness. He could not have had any opportunity of knowing the + existence of the apartments, which consisted of a very small antechamber, + a bedchamber, and a closet. Ever since the Queen had occupied her own + apartment, these had been appropriated to her Majesty's lady of honour in + cases of illness, and were actually so used when the Queen was confined. + It was so important that it should not be known the Queen had spoken to + the Baron before the duel that she had determined to go through her inner + room into this little apartment, to which M. Campan was to conduct him. + When men write of recent times they should be scrupulously exact, and not + indulge in exaggerations or inventions. + </p> + <p> + The Baron de Besenval appears mightily surprised at the Queen's sudden + coolness, and refers it to the fickleness of her disposition. I can + explain the reason for the change by repeating what her Majesty said to me + at the time; and I will not alter one of her expressions. Speaking of the + strange presumption of men, and the reserve with which women ought always + to treat them, the Queen added that age did not deprive them of the hope + of pleasing, if they retained any agreeable qualities; that she had + treated the Baron de Besenval as a brave Swiss, agreeable, polished, and + witty, whose gray hairs had induced her to look upon him as a man whom she + might see without harm; but that she had been much deceived. Her Majesty, + after having enjoined me to the strictest secrecy, told me that, finding + herself alone with the Baron, he began to address her with so much + gallantry that she was thrown into the utmost astonishment, and that he + was mad enough to fall upon his knees, and make her a declaration in form. + The Queen added that she said to him: "Rise, monsieur; the King shall be + ignorant of an offence which would disgrace you for ever;" that the Baron + grew pale and stammered apologies; that she left her closet without saying + another word, and that since that time she hardly ever spoke to him. "It + is delightful to have friends," said the Queen; "but in a situation like + mine it is sometimes difficult for the friends of our friends to suit us." + </p> + <p> + In the beginning of the year 1778 Mademoiselle d'Eon obtained permission + to return to France, on condition that she should appear there in female + dress. The Comte de Vergennes entreated my father, M. Genet, chief clerk + of Foreign Affairs, who had long known the Chevalier d'Eon, to receive + that strange personage at his house, to guide and restrain, if possible, + her ardent disposition. The Queen, on learning her arrival at Versailles, + sent a footman to desire my father to bring her into her presence; my + father thought it his duty first to inform the Minister of her Majesty's + wish. The Comte de Vergennes expressed himself pleased with my father's + prudence, and desired that he would accompany him to the Queen. The + Minister had a few minutes' audience; her Majesty came out of her closet + with him, and condescended to express to my father the regret she felt at + having troubled him to no purpose; and added, smiling, that a few words + from M. de Vergennes had for ever cured her of her curiosity. The + discovery in London of the true sex of this pretended woman makes it + probable that the few words uttered by the Minister contained a solution + of the enigma. + </p> + <p> + The Chevalier d'Eon had been useful in Russia as a spy of Louis XV. while + very young he had found means to introduce himself at the Court of the + Empress Elizabeth, and served that sovereign in the capacity of reader. + Resuming afterwards his military dress, he served with honour and was + wounded. Appointed chief secretary of legation, and afterwards minister + plenipotentiary at London, he unpardonably insulted Comte de Guerchy, the + ambassador. The official order for the Chevalier's return to France was + actually delivered to the King's Council; but Louis XV. delayed the + departure of the courier who was to be its bearer, and sent off another + courier privately, who gave the Chevalier d'Eon a letter in his own + writing, in which he said, "I know that you have served me as effectually + in the dress of a woman as in that which you now wear. Resume it + instantly; withdraw into the city; I warn you that the King yesterday + signed an order for your return to France; you are not safe in your hotel, + and you would here find too powerful enemies." I heard the Chevalier d'Eon + repeat the contents of this letter, in which Louis XV. thus separated + himself from the King of France, several times at my father's. The + Chevalier, or rather the Chevalaere d'Eon had preserved all the King's + letters. Messieurs de Maurepas and de Vergennes wished to get them out of + his hands, as they were afraid he would print them. This eccentric being + had long solicited permission to return to France; but it was necessary to + find a way of sparing the family he had offended the insult they would see + in his return; he was therefore made to resume the costume of that sex to + which in France everything is pardoned. The desire to see his native land + once more determined him to submit to the condition, but he revenged + himself by combining the long train of his gown and the three deep ruffles + on his sleeves with the attitude and conversation of a grenadier, which + made him very disagreeable company. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [The account given by Madame Campan of the Chevalier d'Eon is now known + to be incorrect in many particulars. Enough details for most readers + will be found in the Duc de Broglie's "Secret of the King," vol. ii., + chaps. vi. and g., and at p. 89, vol. ii. of that work, where the Duke + refers to the letter of most dubious authenticity spoken of by Madame + Campan. The following details will be sufficient for these memoirs: The + Chevalier Charles d'Eon de Beaumont (who was born in 1728) was an + ex-captain of dragoons, employed in both the open and secret diplomacy + of Louis XV. When at the embassy in London he quarrelled with the + ambassador, his superior, the Comte de Guerchy (Marquis do Nangis), and + used his possession of papers concerning the secret diplomacy to shield + himself. It was when hiding in London, in 1765, on account of this + business, that he seems first to have assumed woman's dress, which he + retained apparently chiefly from love of notoriety. In 1775 a formal + agreement with the French Court, made by the instrumentality of + Beaumarchais, of all people in the world, permitted him to return to + France, retaining the dress of a woman. He went back to France, but + again came to England, and died there, at his residence in Millman + Street, near the Foundling Hospital, May 22, 1710. He had been a brave + and distinguished officer, but his form and a certain coldness of + temperament always remarked in him assisted him in his assumption of + another sex. There appears to be no truth in the story of his + proceedings at the Russian Court, and his appearing in female attire was + a surprise to those who must have known of any earlier affair of the + sort.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + At last, the event so long desired by the Queen, and by all those who + wished her well, took place; her Majesty became enceinte. The King was in + ecstasies. Never was there a more united or happier couple. The + disposition of Louis XVI. entirely altered, and became prepossessing and + conciliatory; and the Queen was amply compensated for the uneasiness which + the King's indifference during the early part of their union had caused + her. + </p> + <p> + The summer of 1778 was extremely hot. July and August passed, but the air + was not cooled by a single storm. The Queen spent whole days in close + rooms, and could not sleep until she had breathed the fresh night air, + walking with the Princesses and her brothers upon the terrace under her + apartments. These promenades at first gave rise to no remark; but it + occurred to some of the party to enjoy the music of wind instruments + during these fine summer nights. The musicians belonging to the chapel + were ordered to perform pieces suited to instruments of that description, + upon steps constructed in the middle of the garden. The Queen, seated on + one of the terrace benches, enjoyed the effect of this music, surrounded + by all the royal family with the exception of the King, who joined them + but, twice, disliking to change his hour of going to bed. + </p> + <p> + Nothing could be more innocent than these parties; yet Paris, France, nay, + all Europe, were soon canvassing them in a manner most disadvantageous to + the reputation of Marie Antoinette. It is true that all the inhabitants of + Versailles enjoyed these serenades, and that there was a crowd near the + spot from eleven at night until two or three in the morning. The windows + of the ground floor occupied by Monsieur and Madame—[The wife of + Monsieur, the Comte de Provence.]—were kept open, and the terrace + was perfectly well lighted by the numerous wax candles burning in the two + apartments. Lamps were likewise placed in the garden, and the lights of + the orchestra illuminated the rest of the place. + </p> + <p> + I do not know whether a few incautious women might not have ventured + farther, and wandered to the bottom of the park; it may have been so; but + the Queen, Madame, and the Comtesse d'Artois were always arm-in-arm, and + never left the terrace. The Princesses were not remarkable when seated on + the benches, being dressed in cambric muslin gowns, with large straw hats + and muslin veils, a costume universally adopted by women at that time; but + when standing up their different figures always distinguished them; and + the persons present stood on one side to let them pass. It is true that + when they seated themselves upon the benches private individuals would + sometimes, to their great amusement, sit down by their side. + </p> + <p> + A young clerk in the War Department, either not knowing or pretending not + to know the Queen, spoke to her of the beauty of the night, and the + delightful effect of the music. The Queen, fancying she was not + recognised, amused herself by keeping up the incognito, and they talked of + several private families of Versailles, consisting of persons belonging to + the King's household or her own. After a few minutes the Queen and + Princesses rose to walk, and on leaving the bench curtsied to the clerk. + The young man knowing, or having subsequently discovered, that he had been + conversing with the Queen, boasted of it in his office. He was merely, + desired to hold his tongue; and so little attention did he excite that the + Revolution found him still only a clerk. + </p> + <p> + Another evening one of Monsieur's body-guard seated himself near the + Princesses, and, knowing them, left the place where he was sitting, and + placed himself before the Queen, to tell her that he was very fortunate in + being able to seize an opportunity of imploring the kindness of his + sovereign; that he was "soliciting at Court"—at the word soliciting + the Queen and Princesses rose hastily and withdrew into Madame's + apartment.—[Soulavie has most criminally perverted these two facts.—MADAME + CAMPAN.]—I was at the Queen's residence that day. She talked of this + little occurrence all the time of her 'coucher'; though she only + complained that one of Monsieur's guards should have had the effrontery to + speak to her. Her Majesty added that he ought to have respected her + incognito; and that that was not the place where he should have ventured + to make a request. Madame had recognised him, and talked of making a + complaint to his captain; the Queen opposed it, attributing his error to + his ignorance and provincial origin. + </p> + <p> + The most scandalous libels were based on these two insignificant + occurrences, which I have related with scrupulous exactness. Nothing could + be more false than those calumnies. It must be confessed, however, that + such meetings were liable to ill consequences. I ventured to say as much + to the Queen, and informed her that one evening, when her Majesty beckoned + to me to go and speak to her, I thought I recognised on the bench on which + she was sitting two women deeply veiled, and keeping profound silence; + that those women were the Comtesse du Barry and her sister-in-law; and + that my suspicions were confirmed, when, at a few paces from the seat, and + nearer to her Majesty, I met a tall footman belonging to Madame du Barry, + whom I had seen in her service all the time she resided at Court. + </p> + <p> + My advice was disregarded. Misled by the pleasure she found in these + promenades, and secure in the consciousness of blameless conduct, the + Queen would not see the lamentable results which must necessarily follow. + This was very unfortunate; for besides the mortifications they brought + upon her, it is highly probable that they prompted the vile plot which + gave rise to the Cardinal de Rohan's fatal error. + </p> + <p> + Having enjoyed these evening promenades about a month, the Queen ordered a + private concert within the colonnade which contained the group of Pluto + and Proserpine. Sentinels were placed at all the entrances, and ordered to + admit within the colonnade only such persons as should produce tickets + signed by my father-in-law. A fine concert was performed there by the + musicians of the chapel and the female musicians belonging to the. Queen's + chamber. The Queen went with Mesdames de Polignac, de Chalon, and + d'Andlau, and Messieurs de Polignac, de Coigny, de Besenval, and de + Vaudreuil; there were also a few equerries present. Her Majesty gave me + permission to attend the concert with some of my female relations. There + was no music upon the terrace. The crowd of inquisitive people, whom the + sentinels kept at a distance from the enclosure of the colonnade, went + away highly discontented; the small number of persons admitted no doubt + occasioned jealousy, and gave rise to offensive comments which were caught + up by the public with avidity. I do not pretend to apologise for the kind + of amusements with which the Queen indulged herself during this and the + following summer; the consequences were so lamentable that the error was + no doubt very great; but what I have said respecting the character of + these promenades may be relied on as true. + </p> + <p> + When the season for evening walks was at an end, odious couplets were + circulated in Paris; the 'Queen was treated in them in the most insulting + manner; her situation ranked among her enemies persons attached to the + only prince who for several years had appeared likely to give heirs to the + crown. People uttered the most inconsiderate language; and those improper + conversations took place in societies wherein the imminent danger of + violating to so criminal an extent both truth and the respect due to + sovereigns ought to have been better understood. A few days before the + Queen's confinement a whole volume of manuscript songs, concerning her and + all the ladies about her remarkable for rank or station was, thrown down + in the oiel-de-boeuf.—[A large room at Versailles lighted by a + bull's-eye window, and used as a waiting-room.]—This manuscript was + immediately put into the hands of the King, who was highly incensed at it, + and said that he had himself been at those promenades; that he had seen + nothing connected with them but what was perfectly harmless; that such + songs would disturb the harmony of twenty families in the Court and city; + that it was a capital crime to have made any against the Queen herself; + and that he wished the author of the infamous libels to be discovered and + punished. A fortnight afterwards it was known publicly that the verses + were by M. Champcenetz de Riquebourg, who was not even reprimanded. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [The author of a great many songs, some of which are very well written. + Lively and satirical by nature, he did not lose either his cheerfulness + or his carelessness before the revolutionary tribunal. After hearing his + own sentence read, he asked his judges if he might not be allowed to + find a substitute.—MADAME CAMPAN.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + I knew for a certainty that the King spoke to M. de Maurepas, before two + of his most confidential servants, respecting the risk which he saw the + Queen ran from these night walks upon the terrace of Versailles, which the + public ventured to censure thus openly, and that the old minister had the + cruelty to advise that she should be suffered to go on; she possessed + talent; her friends were very ambitious, and longed to see her take a part + in public affairs; and to let her acquire the reputation of levity would + do no harm. M. de Vergennes was as hostile to the Queen's influence as M. + de Maurepas. It may therefore be fairly presumed, since the Prime Minister + durst point out to his King an advantage to be gained by the Queen's + discrediting herself, that he and M. de Vergennes employed all means + within the reach of powerful ministers in order to ruin her in the opinion + of the public. + </p> + <p> + The Queen's accouchement approached; Te Deums were sung and prayers + offered up in all the cathedrals. On the 11th of December, 1778, the royal + family, the Princes of the blood, and the great officers of State passed + the night in the rooms adjoining the Queen's bedchamber. Madame, the + King's daughter, came into the world before mid-day on the 19th of + December.—[Marie Therese Charlotte (1778-1861), Madame Royale; + married in 1799 Louis, Duc d'Angouleme, eldest son of the Comte d'Artois.]—The + etiquette of allowing all persons indiscriminately to enter at the moment + of the delivery of a queen was observed with such exaggeration that when + the accoucheur said aloud, "La Reine va s'accoucher," the persons who + poured into the chamber were so numerous that the rush nearly destroyed + the Queen. During the night the King had taken the precaution to have the + enormous tapestry screens which surrounded her Majesty's bed secured with + cords; but for this they certainly would have been thrown down upon her. + It was impossible to move about the chamber, which was filled with so + motley a crowd that one might have fancied himself in some place of public + amusement. Two Savoyards got upon the furniture for a better sight of the + Queen, who was placed opposite the fireplace. + </p> + <p> + The noise and the sex of the infant, with which the Queen was made + acquainted by a signal previously agreed on, as it is said, with the + Princesse do Lamballe, or some error of the accoucheur, brought on + symptoms which threatened fatal consequences; the accoucheur exclaimed, + "Give her air—warm water—she must be bled in the foot!" The + windows were stopped up; the King opened them with a strength which his + affection for the Queen gave him at the moment. They were of great height, + and pasted over with strips of paper all round. The basin of hot water not + being brought quickly enough, the accoucheur desired the chief surgeon to + use his lancet without waiting for it. He did so; the blood streamed out + freely, and the Queen opened her eyes. The Princesse de Lamballe was + carried through the crowd in a state of insensibility. The valets de + chambre and pages dragged out by the collar such inconsiderate persons as + would not leave the room. This cruel custom was abolished afterwards. The + Princes of the family, the Princes of the blood, the chancellor, and the + ministers are surely sufficient to attest the legitimacy of an hereditary + prince. The Queen was snatched from the very jaws of death; she was not + conscious of having been bled, and on being replaced in bed asked why she + had a linen bandage upon her foot. + </p> + <p> + The delight which succeeded the moment of fear was equally lively and + sincere. We were all embracing each other, and shedding tears of joy. The + Comte d'Esterhazy and the Prince de Poix, to whom I was the first to + announce that the Queen was restored to life, embraced me in the midst of + the cabinet of nobles. We little imagined, in our happiness at her escape + from death, for how much more terrible a fate our beloved Princess was + reserved. + </p> + <p> + NOTE. The two following specimens of the Emperor Joseph's correspondence + forcibly demonstrate the vigour, shrewdness, and originality of his mind, + and complete the portrait left of him by Madame Campan. + </p> + <p> + Few sovereigns have given their reasons for refusing appointments with the + fullness and point of the following letter: + </p> + <p> + To a Lady. + </p> + <p> + MADAM.—I do not think that it is amongst the duties of a monarch to + grant places to one of his subjects merely because he is a gentleman. + That, however, is the inference from the request you have made to me. Your + late husband was, you say, a distinguished general, a gentleman of good + family, and thence you conclude that my kindness to your family can do no + less than give a company of foot to your second son, lately returned from + his travels. + </p> + <p> + Madam, a man may be the son of a general and yet have no talent for + command. A man may be of a good family and yet possess no other merit than + that which he owes to chance,—the name of gentleman. + </p> + <p> + I know your son, and I know what makes the soldier; and this twofold + knowledge convinces me that your son has not the disposition of a warrior, + and that he is too full of his birth to leave the country a hope of his + ever rendering it any important service. + </p> + <p> + What you are to be pitied for, madam, is, that your son is not fit either + for an officer, a statesman or a priest; in a word, that he is nothing + more than a gentleman in the most extended acceptation of the word. + </p> + <p> + You may be thankful to that destiny, which, in refusing talents to your + son, has taken care to put him in possession of great wealth, which will + sufficiently compensate him for other deficiencies, and enable him at the + same time to dispense with any favour from me. + </p> + <p> + I hope you will be impartial enough to see the reasons which prompt me to + refuse your request. It may be disagreeable to you, but I consider it + necessary. Farewell, madam.—Your sincere well-wisher, JOSEPH + LACHSENBURG, 4th August, 1787. + </p> + <p> + The application of another anxious and somewhat covetous mother was + answered with still more decision and irony: + </p> + <p> + To a Lady. + </p> + <p> + MADAM.—You know my disposition; you are not ignorant that the + society of the ladies is to me a mere recreation, and that I have never + sacrificed my principles to the fair sex. I pay but little attention to + recommendations, and I only take them into consideration when the person + in whose behalf I may be solicited possesses real merit. + </p> + <p> + Two of your sons are already loaded with favours. The eldest, who is not + yet twenty, is chief of a squadron in my army, and the younger has + obtained a canonry at Cologne, from the Elector, my brother. What would + you have more? Would you have the first a general and the second a bishop? + </p> + <p> + In France you may see colonels in leading-strings, and in Spain the royal + princes command armies even at eighteen; hence Prince Stahremberg forced + them to retreat so often that they were never able all the rest of their + lives to comprehend any other manoeuvre. + </p> + <p> + It is necessary to be sincere at Court, and severe in the field, stoical + without obduracy, magnanimous without weakness, and to gain the esteem of + our enemies by the justice of our actions; and this, madam, is what I aim + at. JOSEPH VIENNA, September, 1787. + </p> + <p> + (From the inedited Letters of Joseph IL, published at Paris, by Persan, + 1822.) + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </p> + <h2> + CHAPTER X. + </h2> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <p> + During the alarm for the life of the Queen, regret at not possessing an + heir to the throne was not even thought of. The King himself was wholly + occupied with the care of preserving an adored wife. The young Princess + was presented to her mother. "Poor little one," said the Queen, "you were + not wished for, but you are not on that account less dear to me. A son + would have been rather the property of the State. You shall be mine; you + shall have my undivided care, shall share all my happiness, and console me + in all my troubles." + </p> + <p> + The King despatched a courier to Paris, and wrote letters himself to + Vienna, by the Queen's bedside; and part of the rejoicings ordered took + place in the capital. + </p> + <p> + A great number of attendants watched near the Queen during the first + nights of her confinement. This custom distressed her; she knew how to + feel for others, and ordered large armchairs for her women, the backs of + which were capable of being let down by springs, and which served + perfectly well instead of beds. + </p> + <p> + M. de Lassone, the chief physician, the chief surgeon, the chief + apothecary, the principal officers of the buttery, etc., were likewise + nine nights without going to bed. The royal children were watched for a + long time, and one of the women on duty remained, nightly, up and dressed, + during the first three years from their birth. + </p> + <p> + The Queen made her entry into Paris for the churching. One hundred maidens + were portioned and married at Notre-Dame. There were few popular + acclamations, but her Majesty was perfectly well received at the Opera. + </p> + <p> + A few days after the Queen's recovery from her confinement, the Cure of + the Magdelaine de la City at Paris wrote to M. Campan and requested a + private interview with him; it was to desire he would deliver into the + hands of the Queen a little box containing her wedding ring, with this + note written by the Cure: "I have received under the seal of confession + the ring which I send to your Majesty; with an avowal that it was stolen + from you in 1771, in order to be used in sorceries, to prevent your having + any children." On seeing her ring again the Queen said that she had in + fact lost it about seven years before, while washing her hands, and that + she had resolved to use no endeavour to discover the superstitious woman + who had done her the injury. + </p> + <p> + The Queen's attachment to the Comtesse Jules increased every day; she went + frequently to her house at Paris, and even took up her own abode at the + Chateau de la Muette to be nearer during her confinement. She married + Mademoiselle de Polignac, when scarcely thirteen years of age, to M. de + Grammont, who, on account of this marriage, was made Duc de Guiche, and + captain of the King's Guards, in reversion after the Duc de Villeroi. The + Duchesse de Civrac, Madame Victoire's dame d'honneur, had been promised + the place for the Duc de Lorges, her son. The number of discontented + families at Court increased. + </p> + <p> + The title of favourite was too openly given to the Comtesse Jules by her + friends. The lot of the favourite of a queen is not, in France, a happy + one; the favourites of kings are treated, out of gallantry, with much + greater indulgence. + </p> + <p> + A short time after the birth of Madame the Queen became again enceinte; + she had mentioned it only to the King, to her physician, and to a few + persons honoured with her intimate confidence, when, having overexerted + her strength in pulling lip one of the glasses of her carriage, she felt + that she had hurt herself, and eight days afterwards she miscarried. The + King spent the whole morning at her bedside, consoling her, and + manifesting the tenderest concern for her. The Queen wept exceedingly; the + King took her affectionately in his arms, and mingled his tears with hers. + The King enjoined silence among the small number of persons who were + informed of this unfortunate occurrence; and it remained generally + unknown. These particulars furnish an accurate idea of the manner in which + this august couple lived together. + </p> + <p> + The Empress Maria Theresa did not enjoy the happiness of seeing her + daughter give an heir to the crown of France. That illustrious Princess + died at the close of 1780, after having proved by her example that, as in + the instance of Queen Blanche, the talents of a sovereign might be blended + with the virtues of a pious princess. The King was deeply affected at the + death of the Empress; and on the arrival of the courier from Vienna said + that he could not bring himself to afflict the Queen by informing her of + an event which grieved even him so much. His Majesty thought the Abbe de + Vermond, who had possessed the confidence of Maria Theresa during his stay + at Vienna, the most proper person to discharge this painful duty. He sent + his first valet de chambre, M. de Chamilly, to the Abbe on the evening of + the day he received the despatches from Vienna, to order him to come the + next day to the Queen before her breakfast hour, to acquit himself + discreetly of the afflicting commission with which he was charged, and to + let his Majesty know the moment of his entering the Queen's chamber. It + was the King's intention to be there precisely a quarter of an hour after + him, and he was punctual to his time; he was announced; the Abbe came out; + and his Majesty said to him, as he drew up at the door to let him pass, "I + thank you, Monsieur l'Abbe, for the service you have just done me." This + was the only time during nineteen years that the King spoke to him. + </p> + <p> + Within an hour after learning the event the Queen put on temporary + mourning, while waiting until her Court mourning should be ready; she kept + herself shut up in her apartments for several days; went out only to mass; + saw none but the royal family; and received none but the Princesse de + Lamballe and the Duchesse de Polignac. She talked incessantly of the + courage, the misfortunes, the successes, and the virtues of her mother. + The shroud and dress in which Maria Theresa was to be buried, made + entirely by her own hands, were found ready prepared in one of her + closets. She often regretted that the numerous duties of her august mother + had prevented her from watching in person over the education of her + daughters; and modestly said that she herself would have been more worthy + if she had had the good fortune to receive lessons directly from a + sovereign so enlightened and so deserving of admiration. + </p> + <p> + The Queen told me one day that her mother was left a widow at an age when + her beauty was yet striking; that she was secretly informed of a plot laid + by her three principal ministers to make themselves agreeable to her; of a + compact made between them, that the losers should not feel any jealousy + towards him who should be fortunate enough to gain his sovereign's heart; + and that they had sworn that the successful one should be always the + friend of the other two. The Empress being assured of this scheme, one day + after the breaking up of the council over which she had presided, turned + the conversation upon the subject of female sovereigns, and the duties of + their sex and rank; and then applying her general reflections to herself + in particular, told them that she hoped to guard herself all her life + against weaknesses of the heart; but that if ever an irresistible feeling + should make her alter her resolution, it should be only in favour of a man + proof against ambition, not engaged in State affairs, but attached only to + a private life and its calm enjoyments,—in a word, if her heart + should betray her so far as to lead her to love a man invested with any + important office, from the moment he should discover her sentiments he + would forfeit his place and his influence with the public. This was + sufficient; the three ministers, more ambitious than amorous, gave up + their projects for ever. + </p> + <p> + On the 22d of October, 1781, the Queen gave birth to a Dauphin.—[The + first Dauphin, Louis, born 1781, died 1789.]—So deep a silence + prevailed in the room that the Queen thought her child was a daughter; but + after the Keeper of the Seals had declared the sex of the infant, the King + went up to the Queen's bed, and said to her, "Madame, you have fulfilled + my wishes and those of France: you are the mother of a Dauphin." The + King's joy was boundless; tears streamed from his eyes; he gave his hand + to every one present; and his happiness carried away his habitual reserve. + Cheerful and affable, he was incessantly taking occasion to introduce the + words, "my son," or "the Dauphin." As soon as the Queen was in bed, she + wished to see the long-looked-for infant. The Princesse de Guemenee + brought him to her. The Queen said there was no need for commending him to + the Princess, but in order to enable her to attend to him more freely, she + would herself share the care of the education of her daughter. When the + Dauphin was settled in his apartment, he received the customary homages + and visits. The Duc d'Angouleme, meeting his father at the entrance of the + Dauphin's apartment, said to him, "Oh, papa! how little my cousin is!"—"The + day will come when you will think him great enough, my dear," answered the + Prince, almost involuntarily.—[Eldest son of the Comte d'Artois, and + till the birth of the Dauphin with near prospects of the succession.] + </p> + <p> + The birth of the Dauphin appeared to give joy to all classes. Men stopped + one another in the streets, spoke without being acquainted, and those who + were acquainted embraced each other. In the birth of a legitimate heir to + the sovereign every man beholds a pledge of prosperity and tranquillity. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [M. Merard de Saint Just made a quatrain on the birth of the Dauphin to + the following effect: + </p> + <p> + "This infant Prince our hopes are centred in, will doubtless make us + happy, rich, and free; And since with somebody he must begin, My fervent + prayer is—that it may be me!" + </p> + <p> + —NOTE BY THE EDITOR.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + The rejoicings were splendid and ingenious. The artificers and tradesmen + of Paris spent considerable sums in order to go to Versailles in a body, + with their various insignia. Almost every troop had music with it. When + they arrived at the court of the palace, they there arranged themselves so + as to present a most interesting living picture. Chimney-sweepers, quite + as well dressed as those that appear upon the stage, carried an ornamented + chimney, at the top of which was perched one of the smallest of their + fraternity. The chairmen carried a sedan highly gilt, in which were to be + seen a handsome nurse and a little Dauphin. The butchers made their + appearance with their fat ox. Cooks, masons, blacksmiths, all trades were + on the alert. The smiths hammered away upon an anvil, the shoemakers + finished off a little pair of boots for the Dauphin, and the tailors a + little suit of the uniform of his regiment. The King remained a long time + upon a balcony to enjoy the sight. The whole Court was delighted with it. + So general was the enthusiasm that (the police not having carefully + examined the procession) the grave-diggers had the imprudence to send + their deputation also, with the emblematic devices of their ill-omened + occupation. They were met by the Princesse Sophie, the King's aunt, who + was thrilled with horror at the sight, and entreated the King to have the + audacious, fellows driven out of the procession, which was then drawing up + on the terrace. + </p> + <p> + The 'dames de la halle' came to congratulate the Queen, and were received + with the suitable ceremonies. + </p> + <p> + Fifty of them appeared dressed in black silk gowns, the established full + dress of their order, and almost all wore diamonds. The Princesse de + Chimay went to the door of the Queen's bedroom to receive three of these + ladies, who were led up to the Queen's bed. One of them addressed her + Majesty in a speech written by M. de la Harpe. It was set down on the + inside of a fan, to which the speaker repeatedly referred, but without any + embarrassment. She was handsome, and had a remarkably fine voice. The + Queen was affected by the address, and answered it with great affability,—wishing + a distinction to be made between these women and the poissardes, who + always left a disagreeable impression on her mind. + </p> + <p> + The King ordered a substantial repast for all these women. One of his + Majesty's maitres d'hotel, wearing his hat, sat as president and did the + honours of the table. The public were admitted, and numbers of people had + the curiosity to go. + </p> + <p> + The Garden-du-Corps obtained the King's permission to give the Queen a + dress ball in the great hall of the Opera at Versailles. Her Majesty + opened the ball in a minuet with a private selected by the corps, to whom + the King granted the baton of an exempt. The fete was most splendid. All + then was joy, happiness, and peace. + </p> + <p> + The Dauphin was a year old when the Prince de Guemenee's bankruptcy + compelled the Princess, his wife, who was governess to the children of + France, to resign her situation. + </p> + <p> + The Queen was at La Muette for the inoculation of her daughter. She sent + for me, and condescended to say she wished to converse with me about a + scheme which delighted her, but in the execution of which she foresaw some + inconveniences. Her plan was to appoint the Duchesse de Polignac to the + office lately held by the Princesse de Guemenee. She saw with extreme + pleasure the facilities which this appointment would give her for + superintending the education of her children, without running any risk of + hurting the pride of the governess; and that it would bring together the + objects of her warmest affections, her children and her friend. "The + friends of the Duchesse de Polignac," continued the Queen, "will be + gratified by the splendour and importance conferred by the employment. As + to the Duchess, I know her; the place by no means suits her simple and + quiet habits, nor the sort of indolence of her disposition. She will give + me the greatest possible proof of her devotion if she yields to my wish." + The Queen also spoke of the Princesse de Chimay and the Duchesse de Duras, + whom the public pointed out as fit for the post; but she thought the + Princesse de Chimay's piety too rigid; and as to the Duchesse de Duras, + her wit and learning quite frightened her. What the Queen dreaded as the + consequence of her selection of the Duchesse de Polignac was principally + the jealousy of the courtiers; but she showed so lively a desire to see + her scheme executed that I had no doubt she would soon set at naught all + the obstacles she discovered. I was not mistaken; a few days afterwards + the Duchess was appointed governess. + </p> + <p> + The Queen's object in sending for me was no doubt to furnish me with the + means of explaining the feelings which induced her to prefer a governess + disposed by friendship to suffer her to enjoy all the privileges of a + mother. Her Majesty knew that I saw a great deal of company. + </p> + <p> + The Queen frequently dined with the Duchess after having been present at + the King's private dinner. Sixty-one thousand francs were therefore added + to the salary of the governess as a compensation for this increase of + expense. + </p> + <p> + The Queen was tired of the excursions to Marly, and had no great + difficulty in setting the King against them. He did not like the expense + of them, for everybody was entertained there gratis. Louis XIV. had + established a kind of parade upon these excursions, differing from that of + Versailles, but still more annoying. Card and supper parties occurred + every day, and required much dress. On Sundays and holidays the fountains + played, the people were admitted into the gardens, and there was as great + a crowd as at the fetes of St. Cloud. + </p> + <p> + Every age has its peculiar colouring; Marly showed that of Louis XIV. even + more than Versailles. Everything in the former place appeared to have been + produced by the magic power of a fairy's wand. Not the slightest trace of + all this splendour remains; the revolutionary spoilers even tore up the + pipes which served to supply the fountains. Perhaps a brief description of + this palace and the usages established there by Louis XIV. may be + acceptable. + </p> + <p> + The very extensive gardens of Marly ascended almost imperceptibly to the + Pavilion of the Sun., which was occupied only by the King and his family. + The pavilions of the twelve zodiacal signs bounded the two sides of the + lawn. They were connected by bowers impervious to the rays of the sun. The + pavilions nearest to that of the sun were reserved for the Princes of the + blood and the ministers; the rest were occupied by persons holding + superior offices at Court, or invited to stay at Marly. Each pavilion was + named after fresco paintings, which covered its walls, and which had been + executed by the most celebrated artists of the age of Louis XIV. On a line + with the upper pavilion there was on the left a chapel; on the right a + pavilion called La Perspective, which concealed along suite of offices, + containing a hundred lodging-rooms intended for the persons belonging to + the service of the Court, kitchens, and spacious dining-rooms, in which + more than thirty tables were splendidly laid out. + </p> + <p> + During half of Louis XV.'s reign the ladies still wore the habit de cour + de Marly, so named by Louis XIV., and which differed little from, that + devised for Versailles. The French gown, gathered in the back, and with + great hoops, replaced this dress, and continued to be worn till the end of + the reign of Louis XVI. The diamonds, feathers, rouge, and embroidered + stuffs spangled with gold, effaced all trace of a rural residence; but the + people loved to see the splendour of their sovereign and a brilliant Court + glittering in the shades of the woods. + </p> + <p> + After dinner, and before the hour for cards, the Queen, the Princesses, + and their ladies, paraded among the clumps of trees, in little carriages, + beneath canopies richly embroidered with gold, drawn by men in the King's + livery. The trees planted by Louis XIV. were of prodigious height, which, + however, was surpassed in several of the groups by fountains of the + clearest water; while, among others, cascades over white marble, the + waters of which, met by the sunbeams, looked like draperies of silver + gauze, formed a contrast to the solemn darkness of the groves. + </p> + <p> + In the evening nothing more was necessary for any well-dressed man to + procure admission to the Queen's card parties than to be named and + presented, by some officer of the Court, to the gentleman usher of the + card-room. This room, which was very, large, and of octagonal shape, rose + to the top of the Italian roof, and terminated in a cupola furnished with + balconies, in which ladies who had not been presented easily obtained + leave to place themselves, and enjoy, the sight of the brilliant + assemblage. + </p> + <p> + Though not of the number of persons belonging to the Court, gentlemen + admitted into this salon might request one of the ladies seated with the + Queen at lansquenet or faro to bet upon her cards with such gold or notes + as they presented to her. Rich people and the gamblers of Paris did not + miss one of the evenings at the Marly salon, and there were always + considerable sums won and lost. Louis XVI. hated high play, and very often + showed displeasure when the loss of large sums was mentioned. The fashion + of wearing a black coat without being in mourning had not then been + introduced, and the King gave a few of his 'coups de boutoir' to certain + chevaliers de St. Louis, dressed in this manner, who came to venture two + or three louis, in the hope that fortune would favour the handsome + duchesses who deigned to place them on their cards. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [Bachaumont in his "Memoirs," (tome xii., p. 189), which are often + satirical; and always somewhat questionable, speaks of the singular + precautions taken at play at Court. "The bankers at the Queen's table," + says he, "in order to prevent the mistakes [I soften the harshness of + his expression] which daily happen, have obtained permission from her + Majesty that before beginning to play the table shall be bordered by a + ribbon entirely round it, and that no other money than that upon the + cards beyond the ribbon shall be considered as staked."—NOTE By + THE EDITOR.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + Singular contrasts are often seen amidst the grandeur of courts. In order + to manage such high play at the Queen's faro table, it was necessary to + have a banker provided with large, sums of money; and this necessity + placed at the table, to which none but the highest titled persons were + admitted in general, not only M. de Chalabre, who was its banker, but also + a retired captain of foot, who officiated as his second. A word, trivial, + but perfectly appropriate to express the manner in which the Court was + attended there, was often heard. Gentlemen presented at Court, who had not + been invited to stay at Marly, came there notwithstanding, as they did to + Versailles, and returned again to Paris; under such circumstances, it was + said such a one had been to Marly only 'en polisson';—[A + contemptuous expression, meaning literally "as a scamp" or "rascal"]—and + it appeared odd to hear a captivating marquis, in answer to the inquiry + whether he was of the royal party at Marly, say, "No, I am only here 'en + polisson'," meaning simply "I am here on the footing of all those whose + nobility is of a later date than 1400." The Marly excursions were + exceedingly expensive to the King. Besides the superior tables, those of + the almoners, equerries, maitres d'hotel, etc., were all supplied with + such a degree of magnificence as to allow of inviting strangers to them; + and almost all the visitors from Paris were boarded at the expense of the + Court. + </p> + <p> + The personal frugality of the unfortunate Prince who sank beneath the + weight of the national debts thus favoured the Queen's predilection for + her Petit Trianon; and for five or six years preceding the Revolution the + Court very seldom visited Marly. + </p> + <p> + The King, always attentive to the comfort of his family, gave Mesdames, + his aunts, the use of the Chateau de Bellevue, and afterwards purchased + the Princesse de Guemenee's house, at the entrance to Paris, for + Elisabeth. The Comtesse de Provence bought a small house at Montreuil; + Monsieur already had Brunoy; the Comtesse d'Artois built Bagatelle; + Versailles became, in the estimation of all the royal family, the least + agreeable of residences. They only fancied themselves at home in the + plainest houses, surrounded by English gardens, where they better enjoyed + the beauties of nature. The taste for cascades and statues was entirely + past. + </p> + <p> + The Queen occasionally remained a whole month at Petit Trianon, and had + established there all the ways of life in a chateau. She entered the + sitting-room without driving the ladies from their pianoforte or + embroidery. The gentlemen continued their billiards or backgammon without + suffering her presence to interrupt them. There was but little room in the + small Chateau of Trianon. Madame Elisabeth accompanied the Queen there, + but the ladies of honour and ladies of the palace had no establishment at + Trianon. When invited by the Queen, they came from Versailles to dinner. + The King and Princes came regularly to sup. A white gown, a gauze + kerchief, and a straw hat were the uniform dress of the Princesses. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [The extreme simplicity of the Queen's toilet began to be strongly + censured, at first among the courtiers, and afterwards throughout the + kingdom; and through one of those inconsistencies more common in France + than elsewhere, while the Queen was blamed, she was blindly imitated. + There was not a woman but would have the same undress, the same cap, and + the same feathers as she had been seen to wear. They crowded to + Mademoiselle Bertin, her milliner; there was an absolute revolution in + the dress of our ladies, which gave importance to that woman. Long + trains, and all those fashions which confer a certain nobility on dress, + were discarded; and at last a duchess could not be distinguished from an + actress. The men caught the mania; the upper classes had long before + given up to their lackeys feathers, tufts of ribbon, and laced hats. + They now got rid of red heels and embroidery; and walked about our + streets in plain cloth, short thick shoes, and with knotty cudgels in + their hands. Many humiliating scrapes were the consequence of this + metamorphosis. Bearing no mark to distinguish them from the common herd, + some of the lowest classes got into quarrels with them, in which the + nobles had not always the best of it.—MONTJOIE, "History of Marie + Antoinette."] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + Examining all the manufactories of the hamlet, seeing the cows milked, and + fishing in the lake delighted the Queen; and every year she showed + increased aversion to the pompous excursions to Marly. + </p> + <p> + The idea of acting comedies, as was then done in almost all country + houses, followed on the Queen's wish to live at Trianon without ceremony. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [The Queen got through the characters she assumed indifferently enough; + she could hardly be ignorant of this, as her performances evidently + excited little pleasure. Indeed, one day while she was thus exhibiting, + somebody ventured to say, by no means inaudibly, "well, this is royally + ill played!" The lesson was thrown away upon her, for never did she + sacrifice to the opinion of another that which she thought permissible. + When she was told that her extreme plainness in dress, the nature of her + amusements, and her dislike to that splendour which ought always to + attend a Queen, had an appearance of levity, which was misinterpreted by + a portion of the public, she replied with Madame de Maintenon: "I am + upon the stage, and of course I shall be either hissed or applauded." + Louis XIV. had a similar taste; he danced upon the stage; but he had + shown by brilliant actions that he knew how to enforce respect; and + besides, he unhesitatingly gave up the amusement from the moment he + heard those beautiful lines in which Racine pointed out how very + unworthy of him such pastimes were.—MONTJOIE, "History of Marie + Antoinette."] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + It was agreed that no young man except the Comte d'Artois should be + admitted into the company of performers, and that the audience should + consist only of the King, Monsieur, and the Princesses, who did not play; + but in order to stimulate the actors a little, the first boxes were to be + occupied by the readers, the Queen's ladies, their sisters and daughters, + making altogether about forty persons. + </p> + <p> + The Queen laughed heartily at the voice of M. d'Adhemar, formerly a very + fine one, but latterly become rather tremulous. His shepherd's dress in + Colin, in the "Devin du Village," contrasted very ridiculously with his + time of life, and the Queen said it would be difficult for malevolence + itself to find anything to criticise in the choice of such a lover. The + King was highly amused with these plays, and was present at every + performance. Caillot, a celebrated actor, who had long quitted the stage, + and Dazincourt, both of acknowledged good character, were selected to give + lessons, the first in comic opera, of which the easier sorts were + preferred, and the second in comedy. The office of hearer of rehearsals, + prompter, and stage manager was given to my father-in-law. The Duc de + Fronsac, first gentleman of the chamber, was much hurt at this. He thought + himself called upon to make serious remonstrances upon the subject, and + wrote to the Queen, who made him the following answer: "You cannot be + first gentleman when we are the actors. Besides, I have already intimated + to you my determination respecting Trianon. I hold no court there, I live + like a private person, and M. Campan shall be always employed to execute + orders relative to the private fetes I choose to give there." This not + putting a stop to the Duke's remonstrances, the King was obliged to + interfere. The Duke continued obstinate, and insisted that he was entitled + to manage the private amusements as much as those which were public. It + became absolutely necessary to end the argument in a positive manner. + </p> + <p> + The diminutive Duc de Fronsac never failed, when he came to pay his + respects to the Queen at her toilet, to turn the conversation upon + Trianon, in order to make some ironical remarks on my father-in-law, of + whom, from the time of his appointment, he always spoke as "my colleague + Campan." The Queen would shrug her shoulders, and say, when he was gone, + "It is quite shocking to find so little a man in the son of the Marechal + de Richelieu." + </p> + <p> + So long as no strangers were admitted to the performances they were but + little censured; but the praise obtained by the performers made them look + for a larger circle of admirers. The company, for a private company, was + good enough, and the acting was applauded to the skies; nevertheless, as + the audience withdrew, adverse criticisms were occasionally heard. The + Queen permitted the officers of the Body Guards and the equerries of the + King and Princes to be present at the plays. Private boxes were provided + for some of the people belonging to the Court; a few more ladies were + invited; and claims arose on all sides for the favour of admission. The + Queen refused to admit the officers of the body guards of the Princes, the + officers of the King's Cent Suisses, and many other persons, who were + highly mortified at the refusal. + </p> + <p> + While delight at having given an heir to the throne of the Bourbons, and a + succession of fetes and amusements, filled up the happy days of Marie + Antoinette, the public was engrossed by the Anglo-American war. Two kings, + or rather their ministers, planted and propagated the love of liberty in + the new world; the King of England, by shutting his ears and his heart + against the continued and respectful representations of subjects at a + distance from their native land, who had become numerous, rich, and + powerful, through the resources of the soil they had fertilised; and the + King of France, by giving support to this people in rebellion against + their ancient sovereign. Many young soldiers, belonging to the first + families of the country, followed La Fayette's example, and forsook + luxury, amusement, and love, to go and tender their aid to the revolted + Americans. Beaumarchais, secretly seconded by Messieurs de Maurepas and de + Vergennes, obtained permission to send out supplies of arms and clothing. + Franklin appeared at Court in the dress of an American agriculturist. His + unpowdered hair, his round hat, his brown cloth coat formed a contrast to + the laced and embroidered coats and the powder and perfume of the + courtiers of Versailles. This novelty turned the light heads of the + Frenchwomen. Elegant entertainments were given to Doctor Franklin, who, to + the reputation of a man of science, added the patriotic virtues which + invested him with the character of an apostle of liberty. I was present at + one of these entertainments, when the most beautiful woman out of three + hundred was selected to place a crown of laurels upon the white head of + the American philosopher, and two kisses upon his cheeks. Even in the + palace of Versailles Franklin's medallion was sold under the King's eyes, + in the exhibition of Sevres porcelain. The legend of this medallion was: + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + "Eripuit coelo fulmen, sceptrumque tyrannis." + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + The King never declared his opinion upon an enthusiasm which his correct + judgment no doubt led him to blame. The Queen spoke out more plainly about + the part France was taking respecting the independence of the American + colonies, and constantly opposed it. Far was she from foreseeing that a + revolution at such a distance could excite one in which a misguided + populace would drag her from her palace to a death equally unjust and + cruel. She only saw something ungenerous in the method which France + adopted of checking the power of England. + </p> + <p> + However, as Queen of France, she enjoyed the sight of a whole people + rendering homage to the prudence, courage, and good qualities of a young + Frenchman; and she shared the enthusiasm inspired by the conduct and + military success of the Marquis de La Fayette. The Queen granted him + several audiences on his first return from America, and, until the 10th of + August, on which day my house was plundered, I preserved some lines from + Gaston and Bayard, in which the friends of M. de La Fayette saw the exact + outline of his character, written by her own hand: + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + "Why talk of youth, + When all the ripe experience of the old + Dwells with him? In his schemes profound and cool, + He acts with wise precaution, and reserves + For time of action his impetuous fire. + To guard the camp, to scale the leaguered wall, + Or dare the hottest of the fight, are toils + That suit th' impetuous bearing of his youth; + Yet like the gray-hair'd veteran he can shun + The field of peril. Still before my eyes + I place his bright example, for I love + His lofty courage, and his prudent thought. + Gifted like him, a warrior has no age." +</pre> + <blockquote> + <p> + [During the American war a general officer in the service of the United + States advanced with a score of men under the English batteries to + reconnoitre their position. His aide-de-camp, struck by a ball, fell at + his side. The officers and orderly dragoons fled precipitately. The + general, though under the fire of the cannon, approached the wounded man + to see whether any help could be afforded him. Finding the wound had + been mortal, he slowly rejoined the group which had got out of the reach + of the cannon. This instance of courage and humanity took place at the + battle of Monmouth. General Clinton, who commanded the English troops, + knew that the Marquis de La Fayette generally rode a white horse; it was + upon a white horse that the general officer who retired so slowly was + mounted; Clinton desired the gunners not to fire. This noble forbearance + probably saved M. de La Fayette's life, for he it was. At that time he + was but twenty-two years of age.—"Historical Anecdotes of the + Reign of Louis XVI."] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + These lines had been applauded and encored at the French theatre; + everybody's head was turned. There was no class of persons that did not + heartily approve of the support given openly by the French Government to + the cause of American independence. The constitution planned for the new + nation was digested at Paris, and while liberty, equality, and the rights + of man were commented upon by the Condorcets, Baillys, Mirabeaus, etc., + the minister Segur published the King's edict, which, by repealing that of + 1st November, 1750, declared all officers not noble by four generations + incapable of filling the rank of captain, and denied all military rank to + the roturiers, excepting sons of the chevaliers de St. Louis. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + ["M. de Segur," says Chamfort, "having published an ordinance which + prohibited the admission of any other than gentlemen into the artillery + corps, and, on the other hand, none but well-educated persons being + proper for admission, a curious scene took place: the Abbe Bossat, + examiner of the pupils, gave certificates only to plebeians, while + Cherin gave them only to gentlemen. Out of one hundred pupils, there + were not above four or five who were qualified in both respects."] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + The injustice and absurdity of this law was no doubt a secondary cause of + the Revolution. To understand the despair and rage with which this law + inspired the Tiers Etat one should have belonged to that honourable class. + The provinces were full of roturier families, who for ages had lived as + people of property upon their own domains, and paid the taxes. If these + persons had several sons, they would place one in the King's service, one + in the Church, another in the Order of Malta as a chevalier servant + d'armes, and one in the magistracy; while the eldest preserved the + paternal manor, and if he were situated in a country celebrated for wine, + he would, besides selling his own produce, add a kind of commission trade + in the wines of the canton. I have seen an individual of this justly + respected class, who had been long employed in diplomatic business, and + even honoured with the title of minister plenipotentiary, the son-in-law + and nephew of colonels and town mayors, and, on his mother's side, nephew + of a lieutenant-general with a cordon rouge, unable to introduce his sons + as sous-lieutenants into a regiment of foot. + </p> + <p> + Another decision of the Court, which could not be announced by an edict, + was that all ecclesiastical benefices, from the humblest priory up to the + richest abbey, should in future be appanages of the nobility. Being the + son of a village surgeon, the Abbe de Vermond, who had great influence in + the disposition of benefices, was particularly struck with the justice of + this decree. + </p> + <p> + During the absence of the Abbe in an excursion he made for his health, I + prevailed on the Queen to write a postscript to the petition of a cure, + one of my friends, who was soliciting a priory near his curacy, with the + intention of retiring to it. I obtained it for him. On the Abbe's return + he told me very harshly that I should act in a manner quite contrary to + the King's wishes if I again obtained such a favour; that the wealth of + the Church was for the future to be invariably devoted to the support of + the poorer nobility; that it was the interest of the State that it should + be so; and a plebeian priest, happy in a good curacy, had only to remain + curate. + </p> + <p> + Can we be astonished at the part shortly afterwards taken by the deputies + of the Third Estate, when called to the States General? + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </p> + <h2> + CHAPTER XI. + </h2> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <p> + About the close of the last century several of the Northern sovereigns + took a fancy for travelling. Christian III., King of Denmark, visited the + Court of France in 1763, during the reign of Louis XV. We have seen the + King of Sweden and Joseph II. at Versailles. The Grand Duke of Russia + (afterwards Paul I.), son of Catherine II., and the Princess of + Wurtemberg, his wife, likewise resolved to visit France. They travelled + under the titles of the Comte and Comtesse du Nord. They were presented on + the 20th of May, 1782. The Queen received them with grace and dignity. On + the day of their arrival at Versailles they dined in private with the King + and Queen. + </p> + <p> + The plain, unassuming appearance of Paul I. pleased Louis XVI. He spoke to + him with more confidence and cheerfulness than he had spoken to Joseph II. + The Comtesse du Nord was not at first so successful with the Queen. This + lady was of a fine height, very fat for her age, with all the German + stiffness, well informed, and perhaps displaying her acquirements with + rather too much confidence. When the Comte and Comtesse du Nord were + presented the Queen was exceedingly nervous. She withdrew into her closet + before she went into the room where she was to dine with the illustrious + travellers, and asked for a glass of water, confessing "she had just + experienced how much more difficult it was to play the part of a queen in + the presence of other sovereigns, or of princes born to become so, than + before courtiers." She soon recovered from her confusion, and reappeared + with ease and confidence. The dinner was tolerably cheerful, and the + conversation very animated. + </p> + <p> + Brilliant entertainments were given at Court in honour of the King of + Sweden and the Comte du Nord. They were received in private by the King + and Queen, but they were treated with much more ceremony than the Emperor, + and their Majesties always appeared to me to be very, cautious before + these personages. However, the King one day asked the Russian Grand Duke + if it were true that he could not rely on the fidelity of any one of those + who accompanied him. The Prince answered him without hesitation, and + before a considerable number of persons, that he should be very sorry to + have with him even a poodle that was much attached to him, because his + mother would take care to have it thrown into the Seine, with a stone + round its neck, before he should leave Paris. This reply, which I myself + heard, horrified me, whether it depicted the disposition of Catherine, or + only expressed the Prince's prejudice against her. + </p> + <p> + The Queen gave the Grand Duke a supper at Trianon, and had the gardens + illuminated as they had been for the Emperor. The Cardinal de Rohan very + indiscreetly ventured to introduce himself there without the Queen's + knowledge. Having been treated with the utmost coolness ever since his + return from Vienna, he had not dared to ask her himself for permission to + see the illumination; but he persuaded the porter of Trianon to admit him + as soon as the Queen should have set off for Versailles, and his Eminence + engaged to remain in the porter's lodge until all the carriages should + have left the chateau. He did not keep his word, and while the porter was + busy in the discharge of his duty, the Cardinal, who wore his red + stockings and had merely thrown on a greatcoat, went down into the garden, + and, with an air of mystery, drew up in two different places to see the + royal family and suite pass by. + </p> + <p> + Her Majesty was highly offended at this piece of boldness, and next day + ordered the porter to be discharged. There was a general feeling of + disgust at the Cardinal's conduct, and of commiseration towards the porter + for the loss of his place. Affected at the misfortune of the father of a + family, I obtained his forgiveness; and since that time I have often + regretted the feeling which induced me to interfere. The notoriety of the + discharge of the porter of Trianon, and the odium that circumstance would + have fixed upon the Cardinal, would have made the Queen's dislike to him + still more publicly known, and would probably have prevented the + scandalous and notorious intrigue of the necklace. + </p> + <p> + The Queen, who was much prejudiced against the King of Sweden, received + him very coldly. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [Gustavus III., King of Sweden, travelled in France under the title of + Comte d'Haga. Upon his accession to the throne, he managed the + revolution which prostrated the authority of the Senate with equal + skill, coolness, and courage. He was assassinated in 1792, at a masked + ball, by Auckarstrum.—NOTE BY THE EDITOR.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + All that was said of the private character of that sovereign, his + connection with the Comte de Vergennes, from the time of the Revolution of + Sweden, in 1772, the character of his favourite Armfeldt, and the + prejudices of the monarch himself against the Swedes who were well + received at the Court of Versailles, formed the grounds of this dislike. + He came one day uninvited and unexpected, and requested to dine with the + Queen. The Queen received him in the little closet, and desired me to send + for her clerk of the kitchen, that she might be informed whether there was + a proper dinner to set before Comte d'Haga, and add to it if necessary. + The King of Sweden assured her that there would be enough for him; and I + could not help smiling when I thought of the length of the menu of the + dinner of the King and Queen, not half of which would have made its + appearance had they dined in private. The Queen looked significantly at + me, and I withdrew. In the evening she asked me why I had seemed so + astonished when she ordered me to add to her dinner, saying that I ought + instantly to have seen that she was giving the King of Sweden a lesson for + his presumption. I owned to her that the scene had appeared to me so much + in the bourgeois style, that I involuntarily thought of the cutlets on the + gridiron, and the omelette, which in families in humble circumstances + serve to piece out short commons. She was highly diverted with my answer, + and repeated it to the King, who also laughed heartily at it. + </p> + <p> + The peace with England satisfied all classes of society interested in the + national honour. The departure of the English commissary from Dunkirk, who + had been fixed at that place ever since the shameful peace of 1763 as + inspector of our navy, occasioned an ecstasy of joy. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [By the Treaty of Utrecht (1713) it was stipulated that the + fortifications and port of Dunkirk should be destroyed. By the Treaty of + Paris (1763) a commissary was to reside at Dunkirk to see that no + attempt was made to break this treaty. This stipulation was revoked by + the Peace of Versailles, in 1783.—see DYER'S "Modern Europe," 1st + edition, vol. i., pp. 205-438 and 539.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + The Government communicated to the Englishman the order for his departure + before the treaty was made public. But for that precaution the populace + would have probably committed some excess or other, in order to make the + agent of English power feel the effects of the resentment which had + constantly increased during his stay at that port. Those engaged in trade + were the only persons dissatisfied with the treaty of 1783. That article + which provided for, the free admission of English goods annihilated at one + blow the trade of Rouen and the other manufacturing towns throughout the + kingdom. The English swarmed into Paris. A considerable number of them + were presented at Court. The Queen paid them marked attention; doubtless + she wished them to distinguish between the esteem she felt for their noble + nation and the political views of the Government in the support it had + afforded to the Americans. Discontent was, however, manifested at Court in + consequence of the favour bestowed by the Queen on the English noblemen; + these attentions were called infatuations. This was illiberal; and the + Queen justly complained of such absurd jealousy. + </p> + <p> + The journey to Fontainebleau and the winter at Paris and at Court were + extremely brilliant. The spring brought back those amusements which the + Queen began to prefer to the splendour of fetes. The most perfect harmony + subsisted between the King and Queen; I never saw but one cloud between + them. It was soon dispelled, and the cause of it is perfectly unknown to + me. + </p> + <p> + My father-in-law, whose penetration and experience I respected greatly, + recommended me, when he saw me placed in the service of a young queen, to + shun all kinds of confidence. "It procures," said he, "but a very + fleeting, and at the same time dangerous sort of favour; serve with zeal + to the best of your judgment, but never do more than obey. Instead of + setting your wits to work to discover why an order or a commission which + may appear of consequence is given to you, use them to prevent the + possibility of your knowing anything of the matter." I had occasion to act + on this wise advice. One morning at Trianon I went into the Queen's + chamber; there were letters lying upon the bed, and she was weeping + bitterly. Her tears and sobs were occasionally interrupted by exclamations + of "Ah! that I were dead!—wretches! monsters! What have I done to + them?" I offered her orange-flower water and ether. "Leave me," said she, + "if you love me; it would be better to kill me at once." At this moment + she threw her arm over my shoulder and began weeping afresh. I saw that + some weighty trouble oppressed her heart, and that she wanted a confidant. + I suggested sending for the Duchesse de Polignac; this she strongly + opposed. I renewed my arguments, and her opposition grew weaker. I + disengaged myself from her arms, and ran to the antechamber, where I knew + that an outrider always waited, ready to mount and start at a moment's + warning for Versailles. I ordered him to go full speed, and tell the + Duchesse de Polignac that the Queen was very uneasy, and desired to see + her instantly. The Duchess always had a carriage ready. In less than ten + minutes she was at the Queen's door. I was the only person there, having + been forbidden to send for the other women. Madame de Polignac came in; + the Queen held out her arms to her, the Duchess rushed towards her. I + heard her sobs renewed and withdrew. + </p> + <p> + A quarter of an hour afterwards the Queen, who had become calmer, rang to + be dressed. I sent her woman in; she put on her gown and retired to her + boudoir with the Duchess. Very soon afterwards the Comte d'Artois arrived + from Compiegne, where he had been with the King. He eagerly inquired where + the Queen was; remained half an hour with her and the Duchess; and on + coming out told me the Queen asked for me. I found her seated on the couch + by the side of her friend; her features had resumed their usual cheerful + and gracious appearance. She held out her hand to me, and said to the + Duchess, "I know I have made her so uncomfortable this morning that I must + set her poor heart at ease." She then added, "You must have seen, on some + fine summer's day, a black cloud suddenly appear and threaten to pour down + upon the country and lay it waste. The lightest wind drives it away, and + the blue sky and serene weather are restored. This is just the image of + what has happened to me this morning." She afterwards told me that the + King would return from Compiegne after hunting there, and sup with her; + that I must send for her purveyor, to select with him from his bills of + fare all such dishes as the King liked best; that she would have no others + served up in the evening at her table; and that this was a mark of + attention that she wished the King to notice. The Duchesse de Polignac + also took me by the hand, and told me how happy she was that she had been + with the Queen at a moment when she stood in need of a friend. I never + knew what could have created in the Queen so lively and so transient an + alarm; but I guessed from the particular care she took respecting the King + that attempts had been made to irritate him against her; that the malice + of her enemies had been promptly discovered and counteracted by the King's + penetration and attachment; and that the Comte d'Artois had hastened to + bring her intelligence of it. + </p> + <p> + It was, I think, in the summer of 1787, during one of the Trianon + excursions, that the Queen of Naples—[Caroline, sister of Marie + Antoinette.]—sent the Chevalier de Bressac to her Majesty on a + secret mission relative to a projected marriage between the Hereditary + Prince, her son, and Madame, the King's daughter; in the absence of the + lady of honour he addressed himself to me. Although he said a great deal + to me about the close confidence with which the Queen of Naples honoured + him, and about his letter of credit, I thought he had the air of an + adventurer.—[He afterwards spent several years shut up in the + Chateau de l'Oeuf.]—He had, indeed, private letters for the Queen, + and his mission was not feigned; he talked to me very rashly even before + his admission, and entreated me to do all that lay in my power to dispose + the Queen's mind in favour of his sovereign's wishes; I declined, assuring + him that it did not become me to meddle with State affairs. He + endeavoured, but in vain, to prove to me that the union contemplated by + the Queen of Naples ought not to be looked upon in that light. + </p> + <p> + I procured M. de Bressac the audience he desired, but without suffering + myself even to seem acquainted with the object of his mission. The Queen + told me what it was; she thought him a person ill-chosen for the occasion; + and yet she thought that the Queen, her sister, had done wisely in not + sending a man worthy to be avowed,—it being impossible that what she + solicited should take place. I had an opportunity on this occasion, as + indeed on many others, of judging to what extent the Queen valued and + loved France and the dignity of our Court. She then told me that Madame, + in marrying her cousin, the Duc d'Angouleme, would not lose her rank as + daughter of the Queen; and that her situation would be far preferable to + that of queen of any other country; and that there was nothing in Europe + to be compared to the Court of France; and that it would be necessary, in + order to avoid exposing a French Princess to feelings of deep regret, in + case she should be married to a foreign prince, to take her from the + palace of Versailles at seven years of age, and send her immediately to + the Court in which she was to dwell; and that at twelve would be too late; + for recollections and comparisons would ruin the happiness of all the rest + of her life. The Queen looked upon the destiny of her sisters as far + beneath her own; and frequently mentioned the mortifications inflicted by + the Court of Spain upon her sister, the Queen of Naples, and the necessity + she was under of imploring the mediation of the King of France. + </p> + <p> + She showed me several letters that she had received from the Queen of + Naples relative to her differences with the Court of Madrid respecting the + Minister Acton. She thought him useful to her people, inasmuch as he was a + man of considerable information and great activity. In these letters she + minutely acquainted her Majesty with the nature of the affronts she had + received, and represented Mr. Acton to her as a man whom malevolence + itself could not suppose capable of interesting her otherwise than by his + services. She had had to suffer the impertinences of a Spaniard named Las + Casas, who had been sent to her by the King, her father-in-law, to + persuade her to dismiss Mr. Acton from the business of the State, and from + her intimacy. She complained bitterly to the Queen, her sister, of the + insulting proceedings of this charge d'affaires, whom she told, in order + to convince him of the nature of the feelings which attached her to Mr. + Acton, that she would have portraits and busts of him executed by the most + eminent artists of Italy, and that she would then send them to the King of + Spain, to prove that nothing but the desire to retain a man of superior + capacity had induced her to bestow on him the favour he enjoyed. This Las + Casas dared to answer her that it would be useless trouble; that the + ugliness of a man did not always render him displeasing; and that the King + of Spain had too much experience not to know that there was no accounting + for the caprices of a woman. + </p> + <p> + This audacious reply filled the Queen of Naples with indignation, and her + emotion caused her to miscarry on the same day. In consequence of the + mediation of Louis XVI. the Queen of Naples obtained complete + satisfaction, and Mr. Acton continued Prime Minister. + </p> + <p> + Among the characteristics which denoted the goodness of the Queen, her + respect for personal liberty should have a place. I have seen her put up + with the most troublesome importunities from people whose minds were + deranged rather than have them arrested. Her patient kindness was put to a + very disagreeable trial by an ex-councillor of the Bordeaux Parliament, + named Castelnaux; this man declared himself the lover of the Queen, and + was generally known by that appellation. For ten successive years did he + follow the Court in all its excursions. Pale and wan, as people who are + out of their senses usually are, his sinister appearance occasioned the + most uncomfortable sensations. During the two hours that the Queen's + public card parties lasted, he would remain opposite her Majesty. He + placed himself in the same manner before her at chapel, and never failed + to be at the King's dinner or the dinner in public. At the theatre he + invariably seated himself as near the Queen's box as possible. He always + set off for Fontainebleau or St. Cloud the day before the Court, and when + her Majesty arrived at her various residences, the first person she met on + getting out of her carriage was this melancholy madman, who never spoke to + any one. When the Queen stayed at Petit Trianon the passion of this + unhappy man became still more annoying. He would hastily swallow a morsel + at some eating-house, and spend all the rest of the day, even when it + rained, in going round and round the garden, always walking at the edge of + the moat. The Queen frequently met him when she was either alone or with + her children; and yet she would not suffer any violence to be used to + relieve her from this intolerable annoyance. Having one day given M. de + Seze permission to enter Trianon, she sent to desire he would come to me, + and directed me to inform that celebrated advocate of M. de Castelnaux's + derangement, and then to send for him that M. de Seze might have some + conversation with him. He talked to him nearly an hour, and made + considerable impression upon his mind; and at last M. de Castelnaux + requested me to inform the Queen positively that, since his presence was + disagreeable to her, he would retire to his province. The Queen was very + much rejoiced, and desired me to express her full satisfaction to M. de + Seze. Half an hour after M. de Seze was gone the unhappy madman was + announced. He came to tell me that he withdrew his promise, that he had + not sufficient command of himself to give up seeing the Queen as often as + possible. This new determination: was a disagreeable message to take to + her Majesty but how was I affected at hearing her say, "Well, let him + annoy me! but do not let him be deprived of the blessing of freedom." + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [On the arrest of the King and Queen at Varennes, this unfortunate + Castelnaux attempted to starve himself to death. The people in whose + house he lived, becoming uneasy at his absence, had the door of his room + forced open, when he was found stretched senseless on the floor. I do + not know what became of him after the 10th of August.—MADAME + CAMPAN.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + The direct influence of the Queen on affairs during the earlier years of + the reign was shown only in her exertions to obtain from the King a + revision of the decrees in two celebrated causes. It was contrary to her + principles to interfere in matters of justice, and never did she avail + herself of her influence to bias the tribunals. The Duchesse de Praslin, + through a criminal caprice, carried her enmity to her husband so far as to + disinherit her children in favour of the family of M. de Guemenee. The + Duchesse de Choiseul, who, was warmly interested in this affair, one day + entreated the Queen, in my presence, at least to condescend to ask the + first president when the cause would be called on; the Queen replied that + she could not even do that, for it would manifest an interest which it was + her duty not to show. + </p> + <p> + If the King had not inspired the Queen with a lively feeling of love, it + is quite certain that she yielded him respect and affection for the + goodness of his disposition and the equity of which he gave so many proofs + throughout his reign. One evening she returned very late; she came out of + the King's closet, and said to M. de Misery and myself, drying her eyes, + which were filled with tears, "You see me weeping, but do not be uneasy at + it: these are the sweetest tears that a wife can shed; they are caused by + the impression which the justice and goodness of the King have made upon + me; he has just complied with my request for a revision of the proceedings + against Messieurs de Bellegarde and de Monthieu, victims of the Duc + d'Aiguillon's hatred to the Duc de Choiseul. He has been equally just to + the Duc de Guines in his affair with Tort. It is a happy thing for a queen + to be able to admire and esteem him who has admitted her to a + participation of his throne; and as to you, I congratulate you upon your + having to live under the sceptre of so virtuous a sovereign." + </p> + <p> + The Queen laid before the King all the memorials of the Duc de Guines, + who, during his embassy to England, was involved in difficulties by a + secretary, who speculated in the public funds in London on his own + account, but in such a manner as to throw a suspicion of it on the + ambassador. Messieurs de Vergennes and Turgot, bearing but little + good-will to the Duc de Guines, who was the friend of the Duc de Choiseul, + were not disposed to render the ambassador any service. The Queen + succeeded in fixing the King's particular attention on this affair, and + the innocence of the Duc de Guines triumphed through the equity of Louis + XVI. + </p> + <p> + An incessant underhand war was carried on between the friends and + partisans of M. de Choiseul, who were called the Austrians, and those who + sided with Messieurs d'Aiguillon, de Maurepas, and de Vergennes, who, for + the same reason, kept up the intrigues carried on at Court and in Paris + against the Queen. Marie Antoinette, on her part, supported those who had + suffered in this political quarrel, and it was this feeling which led her + to ask for a revision of the proceedings against Messieurs de Bellegarde + and de Monthieu. The first, a colonel and inspector of artillery, and the + second, proprietor of a foundry at St. Etienne, were, under the Ministry + of the Duc d'Aiguillon, condemned to imprisonment for twenty years and a + day for having withdrawn from the arsenals of France, by order of the Duc + de Choiseul, a vast number of muskets, as being of no value except as old + iron, while in point of fact the greater part of those muskets were + immediately embarked and sold to the Americans. It appears that the Duc de + Choiseul imparted to the Queen, as grounds of defence for the accused, the + political views which led him to authorise that reduction and sale in the + manner in which it had been executed. It rendered the case of Messieurs de + Bellegarde and de Monthieu more unfavourable that the artillery officer + who made the reduction in the capacity of inspector was, through a + clandestine marriage, brother-in-law of the owner of the foundry, the + purchaser of the rejected arms. The innocence of the two prisoners was, + nevertheless, made apparent; and they came to Versailles with their wives + and children to throw themselves at the feet of their benefactress. This + affecting scene took place in the grand gallery, at the entrance to the + Queen's apartment. She wished to restrain the women from kneeling, saying + that they had only had justice done them; and that she ought to be + congratulated upon the most substantial happiness attendant upon her + station, that of laying just appeals before the King. + </p> + <p> + On every occasion, when the Queen had to speak in public, she used the + most appropriate and elegant language, notwithstanding the difficulty a + foreigner might be expected to experience. She answered all addresses + herself, a custom which she learned at the Court of Maria Theresa. The + Princesses of the House of Bourbon had long ceased to take the trouble of + speaking in such cases. Madame Addlaide blamed the Queen for not doing as + they did, assuring her that it was quite sufficient to mutter a few words + that might sound like an answer, while the addressers, occupied with what + they had themselves been saying, would always take it for granted that a + proper answer had been returned. The Queen saw that idleness alone + dictated such a proceeding, and that as the practice even of muttering a + few words showed the necessity of answering in some way, it must be more + proper to reply simply but clearly, and in the best style possible. + Sometimes indeed, when apprised of the subject of the address, she would + write down her answer in the morning, not to learn it by heart, but in + order to settle the ideas or sentiments she wished to introduce. + </p> + <p> + The influence of the Comtesse de Polignac increased daily; and her friends + availed themselves of it to effect changes in the Ministry. The dismissal + of M. de Montbarrey, a man without talents or character, was generally + approved of. It was rightly attributed to the Queen. He had been placed in + administration by M. de Maurepas, and maintained by his aged wife; both, + of course, became more inveterate than ever against the Queen and the + Polignac circle. + </p> + <p> + The appointment of M. de Segur to the place of Minister of War, and of M. + de Castries to that of Minister of Marine, were wholly the work of that + circle. The Queen dreaded making ministers; her favourite often wept when + the men of her circle compelled her to interfere. Men blame women for + meddling in business, and yet in courts it is continually the men + themselves who make use of the influence of the women in matters with + which the latter ought to have nothing to do. + </p> + <p> + When M. de Segur was presented to the Queen on his new appointment, she + said to me, "You have just seen a minister of my making. I am very glad, + so far as regards the King's service, that he is appointed, for I think + the selection a very good one; but I almost regret the part I have taken + in it. I take a responsibility upon myself. I was fortunate in being free + from any; and in order to relieve myself from this as much as possible I + have just promised M. de Segur, and that upon my word of honour, not to + back any petition, nor to hinder any of his operations by solicitations on + behalf of my proteges." + </p> + <p> + During the first administration of M. Necker, whose ambition had not then + drawn him into schemes repugnant to his better judgment, and whose views + appeared to the Queen to be very judicious, she indulged in hopes of the + restoration of the finances. Knowing that M. de Maurepas wished to drive + M. Necker to resign, she urged him to have patience until the death of an + old man whom the King kept about him from a fondness for his first choice, + and out of respect for his advanced age. She even went so far as to tell + him that M. de Maurepas was always ill, and that his end could not be very + distant. M. Necker would not wait for that event. The Queen's prediction + was fulfilled. M. de Maurepas ended his days immediately after a journey + to Fontainebleau in 1781. + </p> + <p> + M. Necker had retired. He had been exasperated by a piece of treachery in + the old minister, for which he could not forgive him. I knew something of + this intrigue at the time; it has since been fully explained to me by + Madame la Marechale de Beauvau. M. Necker saw that his credit at Court was + declining, and fearing lest that circumstance should injure his financial + operations, he requested the King to grant him some favour which might + show the public that he had not lost the confidence of his sovereign. He + concluded his letter by pointing out five requests—such an office, + or such a mark of distinction, or such a badge of honour, and so on, and + handed it to M. de Maurepas. The or's were changed into and's; and the + King was displeased at M. Necker's ambition, and the assurance with which + he displayed it. Madame la Marechale de Beauvau assured me that the + Marechal de Castries saw the minute of M. Necker's letter, and that he + likewise saw the altered copy. + </p> + <p> + The interest which the Queen took in M. Necker died away during his + retirement, and at last changed into strong prejudice against him. He + wrote too much about the measures he would have pursued, and the benefits + that would have resulted to the State from them. The ministers who + succeeded him thought their operations embarrassed by the care that M. + Necker and his partisans incessantly took to occupy the public with his + plans; his friends were too ardent. The Queen discerned a party spirit in + these combinations, and sided wholly with his enemies. + </p> + <p> + After those inefficient comptrollers-general, Messieurs Joly de Fleury and + d'Ormesson, it became necessary to resort to a man of more acknowledged + talent, and the Queen's friends, at that time combining with the Comte + d'Artois and with M. de Vergennes, got M. de Calonne appointed. The Queen + was highly displeased, and her close intimacy with the Duchesse de + Polignac began to suffer for this. + </p> + <p> + Her Majesty, continuing to converse with me upon the difficulties she had + met with in private life, told me that ambitious men without merit + sometimes found means to gain their ends by dint of importunity, and that + she had to blame herself for having procured M. d'Adhemar's appointment to + the London embassy, merely because he teased her into it at the Duchess's + house. She added, however, that it was at a time of perfect peace with the + English; that the Ministry knew the inefficiency of M. d'Adhemar as well + as she did, and that he could do neither harm nor good. + </p> + <p> + Often in conversations of unreserved frankness the Queen owned that she + had purchased rather dearly a piece of experience which would make her + carefully watch over the conduct of her daughters-in-law, and that she + would be particularly scrupulous about the qualifications of the ladies + who might attend them; that no consideration of rank or favour should bias + her in so important a choice. She attributed several of her youthful + mistakes to a lady of great levity, whom she found in her palace on her + arrival in France. She also determined to forbid the Princesses coming + under her control the practice of singing with professors, and said, + candidly, and with as much severity as her slanderers could have done, "I + ought to have heard Garat sing, and never to have sung duets with him." + </p> + <p> + The indiscreet zeal of Monsieur Augeard contributed to the public belief + that the Queen disposed of all the offices of finance. He had, without any + authority for doing so, required the committee of fermiers-general to + inform him of all vacancies, assuring them that they would be meeting the + wishes of the Queen. The members complied, but not without murmuring. When + the Queen became aware of what her secretary had done, she highly + disapproved of it, caused her resentment to be made known to the + fermiers-general, and abstained from asking for appointments,—making + only one request of the kind, as a marriage portion for one of her + attendants, a young woman of good family. + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </p> + <h2> + CHAPTER XII. + </h2> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <p> + The Queen did not sufficiently conceal the dissatisfaction she felt at + having been unable to prevent the appointment of M. de Calonne; she even + one day went so far as to say at the Duchess's, in the midst of the + partisans and protectors of that minister, that the finances of France + passed alternately from the hands of an honest man without talent into + those of a skilful knave. M. de Calonne was thus far from acting in + concert with the Queen all the time that he continued in office; and, + while dull verses were circulated about Paris describing the Queen and her + favourite dipping at pleasure into the coffers of the comptroller-general, + the Queen was avoiding all communication with him. + </p> + <p> + During the long and severe winter of 1783-84 the King gave three millions + of livres for the relief of the indigent. M. de Calonne, who felt the + necessity of making advances to the Queen, caught at this opportunity of + showing her respect and devotion. He offered to place in her hands one + million of the three, to be distributed in her name and under her + direction. His proposal was rejected; the Queen answered that the charity + ought to be wholly distributed in the King's name, and that she would this + year debar herself of even the slightest enjoyments, in order to + contribute all her savings to the relief of the unfortunate. + </p> + <p> + The moment M. de Calonne left the closet the Queen sent for me: + "Congratulate me, my dear," said she; "I have just escaped a snare, or at + least a matter which eventually might have caused me much regret." She + related the conversation which had taken place word for word to me, + adding, "That man will complete the ruin of the national finances. It is + said that I placed him in his situation. The people are made to believe + that I am extravagant; yet I have refused to suffer a sum of money from + the royal treasury, although destined for the most laudable purpose, even + to pass through my hands." + </p> + <p> + The Queen, making monthly retrenchments from the expenditure of her privy + purse, and not having spent the gifts customary at the period of her + confinement, was in possession of from five to six hundred thousand + francs, her own savings. She made use of from two to three hundred + thousand francs of this, which her first women sent to M. Lenoir, to the + cures of Paris and Versailles, and to the Soeurs Hospitalieres, and so + distributed them among families in need. + </p> + <p> + Desirous to implant in the breast of her daughter not only a desire to + succour the unfortunate, but those qualities necessary for the due + discharge of that duty, the Queen incessantly talked to her, though she + was yet very young, about the sufferings of the poor during a season so + inclement. The Princess already had a sum of from eight to ten thousand + francs for charitable purposes, and the Queen made her distribute part of + it herself. + </p> + <p> + Wishing to give her children yet another lesson of beneficence, she + desired me on New Year's eve to get from Paris, as in other years, all the + fashionable playthings, and have them spread out in her closet. Then + taking her children by the hand, she showed them all the dolls and + mechanical toys which were ranged there, and told them that she had + intended to give them some handsome New Year's gifts, but that the cold + made the poor so wretched that all her money was spent in blankets and + clothes to protect them from the rigour of the season, and in supplying + them with bread; so that this year they would only have the pleasure of + looking at the new playthings. When she returned with her children into + her sitting-room, she said there was still an unavoidable expense to be + incurred; that assuredly many mothers would at that season think as she + did,—that the toyman must lose by it; and therefore she gave him + fifty Louis to repay him for the cost of his journey, and console him for + having sold nothing. + </p> + <p> + The purchase of St. Cloud, a matter very simple in itself, had, on account + of the prevailing spirit, unfavourable consequences to the Queen. + </p> + <p> + The palace of Versailles, pulled to pieces in the interior by a variety of + new arrangements, and mutilated in point of uniformity by the removal of + the ambassadors' staircase, and of the peristyle of columns placed at the + end of the marble court, was equally in want of substantial and ornamental + repair. The King therefore desired M. Micque to lay before him several + plans for the repairs of the palace. He consulted me on certain + arrangements analogous to some of those adopted in the Queen's + establishment, and in my presence asked M. Micque how much money would be + wanted for the execution of the whole work, and how many years he would be + in completing it. I forget how many millions were mentioned: M. Micque + replied that six years would be sufficient time if the Treasury made the + necessary periodical advances without any delay. "And how many years shall + you require," said the King, "if the advances are not punctually made?"—"Ten, + Sire," replied the architect. "We must then reckon upon ten years," said + his Majesty, "and put off this great undertaking until the year 1790; it + will occupy the rest of the century." + </p> + <p> + The King afterwards talked of the depreciation of property which took + place at Versailles whilst the Regent removed the Court of Louis XV. to + the Tuileries, and said that he must consider how to prevent that + inconvenience; it was the desire to do this that promoted the purchase of + St. Cloud. The Queen first thought of it one day when she was riding out + with the Duchesse de Polignac and the Comtesse Diane; she mentioned it to + the King, who was much pleased with the thought,—the purchase + confirming him in the intention, which he had entertained for ten years, + of quitting Versailles. + </p> + <p> + The King determined that the ministers, public officers, pages, and a + considerable part of his stabling should remain at Versailles. Messieurs + de Breteuil and de Calonne were instructed to treat with the Duc d'Orleans + for the purchase of St. Cloud; at first they hoped to be able to conclude + the business by a mere exchange. The value of the Chateau de Choisy, de la + Muette, and a forest was equivalent to the sum demanded by the House of + Orleans; and in the exchange which the Queen expected she only saw a + saving to be made instead of an increase of expense. By this arrangement + the government of Choisy, in the hands of the Duc de Coigny, and that of + La Muette, in the hands of the Marechal de Soubise, would be suppressed. + At the same time the two concierges, and all the servants employed in + these two royal houses, would be reduced; but while the treaty was going + forward Messieurs de Breteuil and de Calonne gave up the point of + exchange, and some millions in cash were substituted for Choisy and La + Muette. + </p> + <p> + The Queen advised the King to give her St. Cloud, as a means of avoiding + the establishment of a governor; her plan being to have merely a concierge + there, by which means the governor's expenses would be saved. The King + agreed, and St. Cloud was purchased for the Queen. She provided the same + liveries for the porters at the gates and servants at the chateau as for + those at Trianon. The concierge at the latter place had put up some + regulations for the household, headed, "By order of the Queen." The same + thing was done at St. Cloud. The Queen's livery at the door of a palace + where it was expected none but that of the King would be seen, and the + words "By order of the Queen" at the head of the printed papers pasted + near the iron gates, caused a great sensation, and produced a very + unfortunate effect, not only among the common people, but also among + persons of a superior class. They saw in it an attack upon the customs of + monarchy, and customs are nearly equal to laws. The Queen heard of this, + but she thought that her dignity would be compromised if she made any + change in the form of these regulations, though they might have been + altogether superseded without inconvenience. "My name is not out of + place," said she, "in gardens belonging to myself; I may give orders there + without infringing on the rights of the State." This was her only answer + to the representations which a few faithful servants ventured to make on + the subject. The discontent of the Parisians on this occasion probably + induced M. d'Espremenil, upon the first troubles about the Parliament, to + say that it was impolitic and immoral to see palaces belonging to a Queen + of France. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [The Queen never forgot this affront of M. d'Espremenil's; she said that + as it was offered at a time when social order had not yet been + disturbed, she had felt the severest mortification at it. Shortly before + the downfall of the throne M. Espremenil, having openly espoused the + King's side, was insulted in the gardens of the Tuileries by the + Jacobins, and so ill-treated that he was carried home very ill. Somebody + recommended the Queen, on account of the royalist principles he then + professed, to send and inquire for him. She replied that she was truly + grieved at what had happened to M. d'Espremenil, but that mere policy + should never induce her to show any particular solicitude about the man + who had been the first to make so insulting an attack upon her + character.—MADAME CAMPAN] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + The Queen was very much dissatisfied with the manner in which M. de + Calonne had managed this matter. The Abbe de Vermond, the most active and + persevering of that minister's enemies, saw with delight that the + expedients of those from whom alone new resources might be expected were + gradually becoming exhausted, because the period when the Archbishop of + Toulouse would be placed over the finances was thereby hastened. + </p> + <p> + The royal navy had resumed an imposing attitude during the war for the + independence of America; glorious peace with England had compensated for + the former attacks of our enemies upon the fame of France; and the throne + was surrounded by numerous heirs. The sole ground of uneasiness was in the + finances, but that uneasiness related only to the manner in which they + were administered. In a word, France felt confident in its own strength + and resources, when two events, which seem scarcely worthy of a place in + history, but which have, nevertheless, an important one in that of the + French Revolution, introduced a spirit of ridicule and contempt, not only + against the highest ranks, but even against the most august personages. I + allude to a comedy and a great swindling transaction. + </p> + <p> + Beaumarchais had long possessed a reputation in certain circles in Paris + for his wit and musical talents, and at the theatres for dramas more or + less indifferent, when his "Barbier de Seville" procured him a higher + position among dramatic writers. His "Memoirs" against M. Goesman had + amused Paris by the ridicule they threw upon a Parliament which was + disliked; and his admission to an intimacy with M. de Maurepas procured + him a degree of influence over important affairs. He then became ambitious + of influencing public opinion by a kind of drama, in which established + manners and customs should be held up to popular derision and the ridicule + of the new philosophers. After several years of prosperity the minds of + the French had become more generally critical; and when Beaumarchais had + finished his monstrous but diverting "Mariage de Figaro," all people of + any consequence were eager for the gratification of hearing it read, the + censors having decided that it should not be performed. These readings of + "Figaro" grew so numerous that people were daily heard to say, "I have + been (or I am going to be) at the reading of Beaumarchais's play." The + desire to see it performed became universal; an expression that he had the + art to use compelled, as it were, the approbation of the nobility, or of + persons in power, who aimed at ranking among the magnanimous; he made his + "Figaro" say that "none but little minds dreaded little books." The Baron + de Breteuil, and all the men of Madame de Polignac's circle, entered the + lists as the warmest protectors of the comedy. Solicitations to the King + became so pressing that his Majesty determined to judge for himself of a + work which so much engrossed public attention, and desired me to ask M. Le + Noir, lieutenant of police, for the manuscript of the "Mariage de Figaro." + One morning I received a note from the Queen ordering me to be with her at + three o'clock, and not to come without having dined, for she should detain + me some time. When I got to the Queen's inner closet I found her alone + with the King; a chair and a small table were ready placed opposite to + them, and upon the table lay an enormous manuscript in several books. The + King said to me, "There is Beaumarchais's comedy; you must read it to us. + You will find several parts troublesome on account of the erasures and + references. I have already run it over, but I wish the Queen to be + acquainted with the work. You will not mention this reading to any one." + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> <a name="p308" id="p308"></a> + </p> + <div class="fig" style="width:80%;"> + <img alt="p308.jpg (69K)" src="images/p308.jpg" width="100%" /><br /> + </div> + <p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </p> + <p> + I began. The King frequently interrupted me by praise or censure, which + was always just. He frequently exclaimed, "That's in bad taste; this man + continually brings the Italian concetti on the stage." At that soliloquy + of Figaro in which he attacks various points of government, and especially + at the tirade against State prisons, the King rose up and said, + indignantly: + </p> + <p> + "That's detestable; that shall never be played; the Bastille must be + destroyed before the license to act this play can be any other than an act + of the most dangerous inconsistency. This man scoffs at everything that + should be respected in a government." + </p> + <p> + "It will not be played, then?" said the Queen. + </p> + <p> + "No, certainly," replied Louis XVI.; "you may rely upon that." + </p> + <p> + Still it was constantly reported that "Figaro" was about to be performed; + there were even wagers laid upon the subject; I never should have laid any + myself, fancying that I was better informed as to the probability than + anybody else; if I had, however, I should have been completely deceived. + The protectors of Beaumarchais, feeling certain that they would succeed in + their scheme of making his work public in spite of the King's prohibition, + distributed the parts in the "Mariage de Figaro" among the actors of the + Theatre Francais. Beaumarchais had made them enter into the spirit of his + characters, and they determined to enjoy at least one performance of this + so-called chef d'oeuvre. The first gentlemen of the chamber agreed that M. + de la Ferte should lend the theatre of the Hotel des Menus Plaisirs, at + Paris, which was used for rehearsals of the opera; tickets were + distributed to a vast number of leaders of society, and the day for the + performance was fixed. The King heard of all this only on the very + morning, and signed a 'lettre de cachet,'—[A 'lettre de cachet' was + any written order proceeding from the King. The term was not confined + merely to orders for arrest.]—which prohibited the performance. When + the messenger who brought the order arrived, he found a part of the + theatre already filled with spectators, and the streets leading to the + Hotel des Menus Plaisirs filled with carriages; the piece was not + performed. This prohibition of the King's was looked upon as an attack on + public liberty. + </p> + <p> + The disappointment produced such discontent that the words oppression and + tyranny were uttered with no less passion and bitterness at that time than + during the days which immediately preceded the downfall of the throne. + Beaumarchais was so far put off his guard by rage as to exclaim, "Well, + gentlemen, he won't suffer it to be played here; but I swear it shall be + played,—perhaps in the very choir of Notre-Dame!" There was + something prophetic in these words. It was generally insinuated shortly + afterwards that Beaumarchais had determined to suppress all those parts of + his work which could be obnoxious to the Government; and on pretence of + judging of the sacrifices made by the author, M. de Vaudreuil obtained + permission to have this far-famed "Mariage de Figaro" performed at his + country house. M. Campan was asked there; he had frequently heard the work + read, and did not now find the alterations that had been announced; this + he observed to several persons belonging to the Court, who maintained that + the author had made all the sacrifices required. M. Campan was so + astonished at these persistent assertions of an obvious falsehood that he + replied by a quotation from Beaumarchais himself, and assuming the tone of + Basilio in the "Barbier de Seville," he said, "Faith, gentlemen, I don't + know who is deceived here; everybody is in the secret." They then came to + the point, and begged him to tell the Queen positively that all which had + been pronounced reprehensible in M. de Beaumarchais's play had been cut + out. My father-in-law contented himself with replying that his situation + at Court would not allow of his giving an opinion unless the Queen should + first speak of the piece to him. The Queen said nothing to him about the + matter. Shortly, afterwards permission to perform this play was at length + obtained. The Queen thought the people of Paris would be finely tricked + when they saw merely an ill-conceived piece, devoid of interest, as it + must appear when deprived of its Satire. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + ["The King," says Grimm, "made sure that the public would judge + unfavourably of the work." He said to the Marquis de Montesquiou, who + was going to see the first representation, 'Well, what do you augur of + its success?'—'Sire, I hope the piece will fail.'—'And so do + I,' replied the King. + </p> + <p> + "There is something still more ridiculous than my piece," said + Beaumarchais himself; "that is, its success." Mademoiselle Arnould + foresaw it the first day, and exclaimed, "It is a production that will + fail fifty nights successively." There was as crowded an audience on the + seventy-second night as on the first. The following is extracted from + Grimm's 'Correspondence.' + </p> + <p> + "Answer of M. de Beaumarchais to ——-, who requested the use + of his private box for some ladies desirous of seeing 'Figaro' without + being themselves seen. + </p> + <p> + "I have no respect for women who indulge themselves in seeing any play + which they think indecorous, provided they can do so in secret. I lend + myself to no such acts. I have given my piece to the public, to amuse, + and not to instruct, not to give any compounding prudes the pleasure of + going to admire it in a private box, and balancing their account with + conscience by censuring it in company. To indulge in the pleasure of + vice and assume the credit of virtue is the hypocrisy of the age. My + piece is not of a doubtful nature; it must be patronised in good + earnest, or avoided altogether; therefore, with all respect to you, I + shall keep my box." This letter was circulated all over Paris for a + week.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + Under the persuasion that there was not a passage left capable of + malicious or dangerous application, Monsieur attended the first + performance in a public box. The mad enthusiasm of the public in favour of + the piece and Monsieur's just displeasure are well known. The author was + sent to prison soon afterwards, though his work was extolled to the skies, + and though the Court durst not suspend its performance. + </p> + <p> + The Queen testified her displeasure against all who had assisted the + author of the "Mariage de Figaro" to deceive the King into giving his + consent that it should be represented. Her reproaches were more + particularly directed against M. de Vaudreuil for having had it performed + at his house. The violent and domineering disposition of her favourite's + friend at last became disagreeable to her. + </p> + <p> + One evening, on the Queen's return from the Duchess's, she desired her + 'valet de chambre' to bring her billiard cue into her closet, and ordered + me to open the box that contained it. I took out the cue, broken in two. + It was of ivory, and formed of one single elephant's tooth; the butt was + of gold and very tastefully wrought. "There," said she, "that is the way + M. de Vaudreuil has treated a thing I valued highly. I had laid it upon + the couch while I was talking to the Duchess in the salon; he had the + assurance to make use of it, and in a fit of passion about a blocked ball, + he struck the cue so violently against the table that he broke it in two. + The noise brought me back into the billiard-room; I did not say a word to + him, but my looks showed him how angry I was. He is the more provoked at + the accident, as he aspires to the post of Governor to the Dauphin. I + never thought of him for the place. It is quite enough to have consulted + my heart only in the choice of a governess; and I will not suffer that of + a Governor to the Dauphin to be at all affected by the influence of my + friends. I should be responsible for it to the nation. The poor man does + not know that my determination is taken; for I have never expressed it to + the Duchess. Therefore, judge of the sort of an evening he must have + passed!" + </p> + <p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </p> + <h2> + CHAPTER XIII. + </h2> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <p> + Shortly after the public mind had been thrown into agitation by the + performance of the "Mariage de Figaro," an obscure plot, contrived by + swindlers, and matured in a corrupted society, attacked the Queen's + character in a vital point and assailed the majesty of the throne. + </p> + <p> + I am about to speak of the notorious affair of the necklace purchased, as + it was said, for the Queen by Cardinal de Rohan. I will narrate all that + has come to my knowledge relating to this business; the most minute + particulars will prove how little reason the Queen had to apprehend the + blow by which she was threatened, and which must be attributed to a + fatality that human prudence could not have foreseen, but from which, to + say the truth, she might have extricated herself with more skill. + </p> + <p> + I have already said that in 1774 the Queen purchased jewels of Boehmer to + the value of three hundred and sixty thousand franca, that she paid for + them herself out of her own private funds, and that it required several + years to enable her to complete the payment. The King afterwards presented + her with a set of rubies and diamonds of a fine water, and subsequently + with a pair of bracelets worth two hundred thousand francs. The Queen, + after having her diamonds reset in new patterns, told Boehmer that she + found her jewel case rich enough, and was not desirous of making any + addition to it. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [Except on those days when the assemblies at Court were particularly + attended, such as the 1st of January and the 2d of February, devoted to + the procession of the Order of the Holy Ghost, and on the festivals of + Easter, Whitsuntide, and Christmas, the Queen no longer wore any dresses + but muslin or white Florentine taffety. Her head-dress was merely a hat; + the plainest were preferred; and her diamonds never quitted their + caskets but for the dresses of ceremony, confined to the days I have + mentioned. Before the Queen was five and twenty she began to apprehend + that she might be induced to make too frequent use of flowers and of + ornaments, which at that time were exclusively reserved for youth. + Madame Bertin having brought a wreath for the head and neck, composed of + roses, the Queen feared that the brightness of the flowers might be + disadvantageous to her complexion. She was unquestionably too severe + upon herself, her beauty having as yet experienced no alteration; it is + easy to conceive the concert of praise and compliment that replied to + the doubt she had expressed. The Queen, approaching me, said, "I charge + you, from this day, to give me notice when flowers shall cease to become + me."—"I shall do no such thing," I replied, immediately; "I have + not read 'Gil Bias' without profiting in some degree from it, and I find + your Majesty's order too much like that given him by the Archbishop of + Granada, to warn him of the moment when he should begin to fall off in + the composition of his homilies."—"Go," said the Queen; "You are + less sincere than Gil Blas; and I world have been more amenable than the + Archbishop."—MADAME CAMPAN.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + Still, this jeweller busied himself for some years in forming a collection + of the finest diamonds circulating in the trade, in order to compose a + necklace of several rows, which he hoped to induce her Majesty to + purchase; he brought it to M. Campan, requesting him to mention it to the + Queen, that she might ask to see it, and thus be induced to wish to + possess it. This M. Campan refused to do, telling him that he should be + stepping out of the line of his duty were he to propose to the Queen an + expense of sixteen hundred thousand francs, and that he believed neither + the lady of honour nor the tirewoman would take upon herself to execute + such a commission. Boehmer persuaded the King's first gentleman for the + year to show this superb necklace to his Majesty, who admired it so much + that he himself wished to see the Queen adorned with it, and sent the case + to her; but she assured him she should much regret incurring so great an + expense for such an article, that she had already very beautiful diamonds, + that jewels of that description were now worn at Court not more than four + or five times a year, that the necklace must be returned, and that the + money would be much better employed in building a man-of-war. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [Messieurs Boehmer and Bassange, jewellers to the Crown, were + proprietors of a superb diamond necklace, which had, as it was said, + been intended for the Comtesse du Barry. Being under the necessity of + selling it, they offered it, during the last war, to the king and Queen; + but their Majesties made the following prudent answer: "We stand more in + need of ships than of jewels."—"Secret Correspondence of the Court + of Louis XVI."] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + Boehmer, in sad tribulation at finding his expectations delusive, + endeavoured for some time, it is said, to dispose of his necklace among + the various Courts of Europe. + </p> + <p> + A year after his fruitless attempts, Boehmer again caused his diamond + necklace to be offered to the King, proposing that it should be paid for + partly by instalments, and partly in life annuities; this proposal was + represented as highly advantageous, and the King, in my presence, + mentioned the matter once more to the Queen. I remember the Queen told him + that, if the bargain really was not bad, he might make it, and keep the + necklace until the marriage of one of his children; but that, for her + part, she would never wear it, being unwilling that the world should have + to reproach her with having coveted so expensive an article. The King + replied that their children were too young to justify such an expense, + which would be greatly increased by the number of years the diamonds would + remain useless, and that he would finally decline the offer. Boehmer + complained to everybody of his misfortune, and all reasonable people + blamed him for having collected diamonds to so considerable an amount + without any positive order for them. This man had purchased the office of + jeweller to the Crown, which gave him some rights of entry at Court. After + several months spent in ineffectual attempts to carry his point, and in + idle complaints, he obtained an audience of the Queen, who had with her + the young Princess, her daughter; her Majesty did not know for what + purpose Boehmer sought this audience, and had not the slightest idea that + it was to speak to her again about an article twice refused by herself and + the King. + </p> + <p> + Boehmer threw himself upon his knees, clasped his hands, burst into tears, + and exclaimed, "Madame, I am ruined and disgraced if you do not purchase + my necklace. I cannot outlive so many misfortunes. When I go hence I shall + throw myself into the river." + </p> + <p> + "Rise, Boehmer," said the Queen, in a tone sufficiently severe to recall + him to himself; "I do not like these rhapsodies; honest men have no + occasion to fall on their knees to make their requests. If you were to + destroy yourself I should regret you as a madman in whom I had taken an + interest, but I should not be in any way responsible for that misfortune. + Not only have I never ordered the article which causes your present + despair, but whenever you have talked to me about fine collections of + jewels I have told you that I should not add four diamonds to those which + I already possessed. I told you myself that I declined taking the + necklace; the King wished to give it to me, but I refused him also; never + mention it to me again. Divide it and try to sell it piecemeal, and do not + drown yourself. I am very angry with you for acting this scene of despair + in my presence and before this child. Let me never see you behave thus + again. Go." Baehmer withdrew, overwhelmed with confusion, and nothing + further was then heard of him. + </p> + <p> + When Madame Sophie was born the Queen told me M. de Saint-James, a rich + financier, had apprised her that Boehmer was still intent upon the sale of + his necklace, and that she ought, for her own satisfaction, to endeavour + to learn what the man had done with it; she desired me the first time I + should meet him to speak to him about it, as if from the interest I took + in his welfare. I spoke to him about his necklace, and he told me he had + been very fortunate, having sold it at Constantinople for the favourite + sultana. I communicated this answer to the Queen, who was delighted with + it, but could not comprehend how the Sultan came to purchase his diamonds + in Paris. + </p> + <p> + The Queen long avoided seeing Boehmer, being fearful of his rash + character; and her valet de chambre, who had the care of her jewels, made + the necessary repairs to her ornaments unassisted. On the baptism of the + Duc d'Angouleme, in 1785, the King gave him a diamond epaulet and buckles, + and directed Baehmer to deliver them to the Queen. Boehmer presented them + on her return from mass, and at the same time gave into her hands a letter + in the form of a petition. In this paper he told the Queen that he was + happy to see her "in possession of the finest diamonds known in Europe," + and entreated her not to forget him. The Queen read Boehmer's address to + her aloud, and saw nothing in it but a proof of mental aberration; she + lighted the paper at a wax taper standing near her, as she had some + letters to seal, saying, "It is not worth keeping." She afterwards much + regretted the loss of this enigmatical memorial. After having burnt the + paper, her Majesty said to me, "That man is born to be my torment; he has + always some mad scheme in his head; remember, the first time you see him, + to tell him that I do not like diamonds now, and that I will buy no more + so long as I live; that if I had any money to spare I would rather add to + my property at St. Cloud by the purchase of the land surrounding it; now, + mind you enter into all these particulars and impress them well upon him." + I asked her whether she wished me to send for him; she replied in the + negative, adding that it would be sufficient to avail myself of the first + opportunity afforded by meeting him; and that the slightest advance + towards such a man would be misplaced. + </p> + <p> + On the 1st of August I left Versailles for my country house at Crespy; on + the 3d came Boehmer, extremely uneasy at not having received any answer + from the Queen, to ask me whether I had any commission from her to him; I + replied that she had entrusted me with none; that she had no commands for + him, and I faithfully repeated all she had desired me to say to him. + </p> + <p> + "But," said Boehmer, "the answer to the letter I presented to her,—to + whom must I apply for that?" + </p> + <p> + "To nobody," answered I; "her Majesty burnt your memorial without even + comprehending its meaning." + </p> + <p> + "Ah! madame," exclaimed he, "that is impossible; the Queen knows that she + has money to pay me!" + </p> + <p> + "Money, M. Boehmer? Your last accounts against the Queen were discharged + long ago." + </p> + <p> + "Madame, you are not in the secret. A man who is ruined for want of + payment of fifteen hundred thousand francs cannot be said to be + satisfied." + </p> + <p> + "Have you lost your senses?" said I. "For what can the Queen owe you so + extravagant a sum?" + </p> + <p> + "For my necklace, madame," replied Boehmer, coolly. + </p> + <p> + "What!" I exclaimed, "that necklace again, which you have teased the Queen + about so many years! Did you not tell me you had sold it at + Constantinople?" + </p> + <p> + "The Queen desired me to give that answer to all who should speak to me on + the subject," said the wretched dupe. He then told me that the Queen + wished to have the necklace, and had had it purchased for her by + Monseigneur, the Cardinal de Rohan. + </p> + <p> + "You are deceived," I exclaimed; "the Queen has not once spoken to the + Cardinal since his return from Vienna; there is not a man at her Court + less favourably looked upon." + </p> + <p> + "You are deceived yourself, madame," said Boehmer; "she sees him so much + in private that it was to his Eminence she gave thirty thousand francs, + which were paid me as an instalment; she took them, in his presence, out + of the little secretaire of Sevres porcelain next the fireplace in her + boudoir." + </p> + <p> + "And the Cardinal told you all this?" + </p> + <p> + "Yes, madame, himself." + </p> + <p> + "What a detestable plot!" cried I. + </p> + <p> + "Indeed, to say the truth, madame, I begin to be much alarmed, for his + Eminence assured me that the Queen would wear the necklace on Whit-Sunday, + but I did not see it upon her, and it was that which induced me to write + to her Majesty." + </p> + <p> + He then asked me what he ought to do. I advised him to go on to + Versailles, instead of returning to Paris, whence he had just arrived; to + obtain an immediate audience from the Baron de Breteuil, who, as head of + the King's household, was the minister of the department to which Boehmer + belonged, and to be circumspect; and I added that he appeared to me + extremely culpable,—not as a diamond merchant, but because being a + sworn officer it was unpardonable of him to have acted without the direct + orders of the King, the Queen, or the Minister. He answered, that he had + not acted without direct orders; that he had in his possession all the + notes signed by the Queen, and that he had even been obliged to show them + to several bankers in order to induce them to extend the time for his + payments. I urged his departure for Versailles, and he assured me he would + go there immediately. Instead of following my advice, he went to the + Cardinal, and it was of this visit of Boehmer's that his Eminence made a + memorandum, found in a drawer overlooked by the Abbe Georgel when he + burnt, by order of the Cardinal, all the papers which the latter had at + Paris. The memorandum was thus worded: "On this day, 3d August, Boehmer + went to Madame Campan's country house, and she told him that the Queen had + never had his necklace, and that he had been deceived." + </p> + <p> + When Boehmer was gone, I wanted to follow him, and go to the Queen; my + father-in-law prevented me, and ordered me to leave the minister to + elucidate such an important affair, observing that it was an infernal + plot; that I had given Boehmer the best advice, and had nothing more to do + with the business. Boehmer never said one word to me about the woman De + Lamotte, and her name was mentioned for the first time by the Cardinal in + his answers to the interrogatories put to him before the King. After + seeing the Cardinal, Boehmer went to Trianon, and sent a message to the + Queen, purporting that I had advised him to come and speak to her. His + very words were repeated to her Majesty, who said, "He is mad; I have + nothing to say to him, and will not see him." Two or three days afterwards + the Queen sent for me to Petit Trianon, to rehearse with me the part of + Rosina, which she was to perform in the "Barbier de Seville." I was alone + with her, sitting upon her couch; no mention was made of anything but the + part. After we had spent an hour in the rehearsal, her Majesty asked me + why I had sent Boehmer to her; saying he had been in my name to speak to + her, and that she would not see him. It was in this manner I learnt that + he had not followed my advice in the slightest degree. The change of my + countenance, when I heard the man's name, was very perceptible; the Queen + perceived it, and questioned me. I entreated her to see him, and assured + her it was of the utmost importance for her peace of mind; that there was + a plot going on, of which she was not aware; and that it was a serious + one, since engagements signed by herself were shown about to people who + had lent Boehmer money. Her surprise and vexation were great. She desired + me to remain at Trianon, and sent off a courier to Paris, ordering Boehmer + to come to her upon some pretext which has escaped my recollection. He + came next morning; in fact it was the day on which the play was performed, + and that was the last amusement the Queen allowed herself at that retreat. + </p> + <p> + The Queen made him enter her closet, and asked him by what fatality it was + that she was still doomed to hear of his foolish pretence of selling her + an article which she had steadily refused for several years. He replied + that he was compelled, being unable to pacify his creditors any longer. + "What are your creditors to me?" said her Majesty. Boehmer then regularly + related to her all that he had been made to believe had passed between the + Queen and himself through the intervention of the Cardinal. She was + equally incensed and surprised at each thing she heard. In vain did she + speak; the jeweller, equally importunate and dangerous, repeated + incessantly, "Madame, there is no longer time for feigning; condescend to + confess that you have my necklace, and let some assistance be given to me, + or my bankruptcy will soon bring the whole to light." + </p> + <p> + It is easy to imagine how the Queen must have suffered. On Boehmer's going + away, I found her in an alarming condition; the idea that any one could + have believed that such a man as the Cardinal possessed her full + confidence; that she should have employed him to deal with a tradesman + without the King's knowledge, for a thing which she had refused to accept + from the King himself, drove her to desperation. She sent first for the + Abbe de Vermond, and then for the Baron de Breteuil. Their hatred and + contempt for the Cardinal made them too easily forget that the lowest + faults do not prevent the higher orders of the empire from being defended + by those to whom they have the honour to belong; that a Rohan, a Prince of + the Church, however culpable he might be, would be sure to have a + considerable party which would naturally be joined by all the discontented + persons of the Court, and all the frondeurs of Paris. They too easily + believed that he would be stripped of all the advantages of his rank and + order, and given up to the disgrace due to his irregular conduct; they + deceived themselves. + </p> + <p> + I saw the Queen after the departure of the Baron and the Abbe; her + agitation made me shudder. "Fraud must be unmasked," said she; "when the + Roman purple and the title of Prince cover a mere money-seeker, a cheat + who dares to compromise the wife of his sovereign, France and all Europe + should know it." It is evident that from that moment the fatal plan was + decided on. The Queen perceived my alarm; I did not conceal it from her. I + knew too well that she had many enemies not to be apprehensive on seeing + her attract the attention of the whole world to an intrigue that they + would try to complicate still more. I entreated her to seek the most + prudent and moderate advice. She silenced me by desiring me to make myself + easy, and to rest satisfied that no imprudence would be committed. + </p> + <p> + On the following Sunday, the 15th of August, being the Assumption, at + twelve o'clock, at the very moment when the Cardinal, dressed in his + pontifical garments, was about to proceed to the chapel, he was sent for + into the King's closet, where the Queen then was. + </p> + <p> + The King said to him, "You have purchased diamonds of Boehmer?" + </p> + <p> + "Yes, Sire." + </p> + <p> + "What have you done with them?" + </p> + <p> + "I thought they had been delivered to the Queen." + </p> + <p> + "Who commissioned you?" + </p> + <p> + "A lady, called the Comtesse de Lamotte-Valois, who handed me a letter + from the Queen; and I thought I was gratifying her Majesty by taking this + business on myself." + </p> + <p> + The Queen here interrupted him and said, "How, monsieur, could you believe + that I should select you, to whom I have not spoken for eight years, to + negotiate anything for me, and especially through the mediation of a woman + whom I do not even know?" + </p> + <p> + "I see plainly," said the Cardinal, "that I have been duped. I will pay + for the necklace; my desire to please your Majesty blinded me; I suspected + no trick in the affair, and I am sorry for it." + </p> + <p> + He then took out of his pocket-book a letter from the Queen to Madame de + Lamotte, giving him this commission. The King took it, and, holding it + towards the Cardinal, said: + </p> + <p> + "This is neither written nor signed by the Queen. How could a Prince of + the House of Rohan, and a Grand Almoner of France, ever think that the + Queen would sign Marie Antoinette de France? Everybody knows that queens + sign only by their baptismal names. But, monsieur," pursued the King, + handing him a copy of his letter to Baehmer, "have you ever written such a + letter as this?" + </p> + <p> + Having glanced over it, the Cardinal said, "I do not remember having + written it." + </p> + <p> + "But what if the original, signed by yourself, were shown to you?" + </p> + <p> + "If the letter be signed by myself it is genuine." + </p> + <p> + He was extremely confused, and repeated several times, "I have been + deceived, Sire; I will pay for the necklace. I ask pardon of your + Majesties." + </p> + <p> + "Then explain to me," resumed the King, "the whole of this enigma. I do + not wish to find you guilty; I had rather you would justify yourself. + Account for all the manoeuvres with Baehmer, these assurances and these + letters." + </p> + <p> + The Cardinal then, turning pale, and leaning against the table, said, + "Sire, I am too much confused to answer your Majesty in a way—" + </p> + <p> + "Compose yourself, Cardinal, and go into my cabinet; you will there find + paper, pens, and ink,—write what you have to say to me." + </p> + <p> + The Cardinal went into the King's cabinet, and returned a quarter of an + hour afterwards with a document as confused as his verbal answers had + been. The King then said, "Withdraw, monsieur." The Cardinal left the + King's chamber, with the Baron de Breteuil, who gave him in custody to a + lieutenant of the Body Guard, with orders to take him to his apartment. M. + d'Agoult, aide-major of the Body Guard, afterwards took him into custody, + and conducted him to his hotel, and thence to the Bastille. But while the + Cardinal had with him only the young lieutenant of the Body Guard, who was + much embarrassed at having such an order to execute, his Eminence met his + heyduc at the door of the Salon of Hercules; he spoke to him in German and + then asked the lieutenant if he could lend him a pencil; the officer gave + him that which he carried about him, and the Cardinal wrote to the Abbe + Georgel, his grand vicar and friend, instantly to burn all Madame de + Lamotte's correspondence, and all his other letters. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [The Abbe Georgel thus relates the circumstance: "The Cardinal, at that + trying moment, gave an astonishing proof of his presence of mind; + notwithstanding the escort which surrounded him, favoured by the + attendant crowd, he stopped, and stooping down with his face towards the + wall, as if to fasten his buckle, snatched out his pencil and hastily + wrote a few words upon a scrap of paper placed under his hand in his + square red cap. He rose again and proceeded. On entering his house, his + people formed a lane; he slipped this paper, unperceived, into the hand + of a confidential valet de chambre, who waited for him at the door of + his apartment." This story is scarcely credible; it is not at the moment + of a prisoner's arrest, when an inquisitive crowd surrounds and watches + him, that he can stop and write secret messages. However, the valet de + chambre posts off to Paris. He arrives at the palace of the Cardinal + between twelve and one o'clock; and his horse falls dead in the stable. + "I was in my apartment," said the Abbe Georgel, "the valet de chambre + entered wildly, with a deadly paleness on his countenance, and + exclaimed, 'All is lost; the Prince is arrested.' He instantly fell, + fainting, and dropped the note of which he was the bearer." The + portfolio containing the papers which might compromise the Cardinal was + immediately placed beyond the reach of all search. Madame de Lamotte + also was foolishly allowed sufficient time after she heard of the arrest + of the Cardinal to burn all the letters she had received from him. + Assisted by Beugnot, she completed this at three the same morning that + she was: arrested at four.—See "Memoirs of Comte de Beugnot," vol + i., p. 74.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + This commission was executed before M. de Crosne, lieutenant of police, + had received an order from the Baron de Breteuil to put seals upon the + Cardinal's papers. The destruction of all his Eminence's correspondence, + and particularly that with Madame de Lamotte, threw an impenetrable cloud + over the whole affair. + </p> + <p> + From that moment all proofs of this intrigue disappeared. Madame de + Lamotte was apprehended at Bar-sur-Aube; her husband had already gone to + England. From the beginning of this fatal affair all the proceedings of + the Court appear to have been prompted by imprudence and want of + foresight; the obscurity resulting left free scope for the fables of which + the voluminous memorials written on one side and the other consisted. The + Queen so little imagined what could have given rise to the intrigue, of + which she was about to become the victim, that, at the moment when the + King was interrogating the Cardinal, a terrific idea entered her mind. + With that rapidity of thought caused by personal interest and extreme + agitation, she fancied that, if a design to ruin her in the eyes of the + King and the French people were the concealed motive of this intrigue, the + Cardinal would, perhaps, affirm that she had the necklace; that he had + been honoured with her confidence for this purchase, made without the + King's knowledge; and point out some secret place in her apartment, where + he might have got some villain to hide it. Want of money and the meanest + swindling were the sole motives for this criminal affair. The necklace had + already been taken to pieces and sold, partly in London, partly in + Holland, and the rest in Paris. + </p> + <p> + The moment the Cardinal's arrest was known a universal clamour arose. + Every memorial that appeared during the trial increased the outcry. On + this occasion the clergy took that course which a little wisdom and the + least knowledge of the spirit of such a body ought to have foreseen. The + Rohans and the House of Conde, as well as the clergy, made their + complaints heard everywhere. The King consented to having a legal + judgment, and early in September he addressed letters-patent to the + Parliament, in which he said that he was "filled with the most just + indignation on seeing the means which, by the confession of his Eminence + the Cardinal, had been employed in order to inculpate his most dear spouse + and companion." + </p> + <p> + Fatal moment! in which the Queen found herself, in consequence of this + highly impolitic step, on trial with a subject, who ought to have been + dealt with by the power of the King alone. The Princes and Princesses of + the House of Conde, and of the Houses of Rohan, Soubise, and Guemenee, put + on mourning, and were seen ranged in the way of the members of the Grand + Chamber to salute them as they proceeded to the palace, on the days of the + Cardinal's trial; and Princes of the blood openly canvassed against the + Queen of France. + </p> + <p> + The Pope wished to claim, on behalf of the Cardinal de Rohan, the right + belonging to his ecclesiastical rank, and demanded that he should be + judged at Rome. The Cardinal de Bernis, ambassador from France to his + Holiness, formerly Minister for Foreign Affairs, blending the wisdom of an + old diplomatist with the principles of a Prince of the Church, wished that + this scandalous affair should be hushed up. The King's aunts, who were on + very intimate terms with the ambassador, adopted his opinion, and the + conduct of the King and Queen was equally and loudly censured in the + apartments of Versailles and in the hotels and coffee-houses of Paris. + </p> + <p> + Madame, the King's sister-in-law, had been the sole protectress of De + Lamotte, and had confined her patronage to granting her a pension of + twelve to fifteen hundred francs. Her brother was in the navy, but the + Marquis de Chabert, to whom he had been recommended, could never train a + good officer. The Queen in vain endeavoured to call to mind the features + of this person, of whom she had often heard as an intriguing woman, who + came frequently on Sundays to the gallery of Versailles. At the time when + all France was engrossed by the persecution against the Cardinal, the + portrait of the Comtesse de Lamotte Valois was publicly sold. Her Majesty + desired me one day, when I was going to Paris, to buy her the engraving, + which was said to be a tolerable likeness, that she might ascertain + whether she could recognise in it any person whom she might have seen in + the gallery. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [The public, with the exception of the lowest class, were admitted into + the gallery and larger apartments of Versailles, as they were into the + park.—MADAME CAMPAN.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + The woman De Lamotte's father was a peasant at Auteuil, though he called + himself Valois. Madame de Boulainvilliers once saw from her terrace two + pretty little peasant girls, each labouring under a heavy bundle of + sticks. The priest of the village, who was walking with her, told her that + the children possessed some curious papers, and that he had no doubt they + were descendants of a Valois, an illegitimate son of one of the princes of + that name. + </p> + <p> + The family of Valois had long ceased to appear in the world. Hereditary + vices had gradually plunged them into the deepest misery. I have heard + that the last Valois then known occupied the estate called Gros Bois; that + as he seldom came to Court, Louis XIII. asked him what he was about that + he remained so constantly in the country; and that this M. de Valois + merely answered, "Sire, I only do there what I ought." It was shortly + afterwards discovered that he was coining. + </p> + <p> + Neither the Queen herself nor any one near her ever had the slightest + connection with the woman De Lamotte; and during her prosecution she could + point out but one of the Queen's servants, named Desclos, a valet of the + Queen's bedchamber, to whom she pre tended she had delivered Boehmer's + necklace. This Desclos was a very honest man; upon being confronted with + the woman De Lamotte, it was proved that she had never seen him but once, + which was at the house of the wife of a surgeon-accoucheur at Versailles, + the only person she visited at Court; and that she had not given him the + necklace. Madame de Lamotte married a private in Monsieur's body-guard; + she lodged at Versailles at the Belle Image, a very inferior furnished + house; and it is inconceivable how so obscure a person could succeed in + making herself believed to be a friend of the Queen, who, though so + extremely affable, seldom granted audiences, and only to titled persons. + </p> + <p> + The trial of the Cardinal is too generally known to require me to repeat + its details here. The point most embarrassing to him was the interview he + had in February, 1785, with M. de Saint-James, to whom he confided the + particulars of the Queen's pretended commission, and showed the contract + approved and signed Marie Antoinette de France. The memorandum found in a + drawer of the Cardinal's bureau, in which he had himself written what + Baehmer told him after having seen me at my country house, was likewise an + unfortunate document for his Eminence. + </p> + <p> + I offered to the King to go and declare that Baehmer had told me that the + Cardinal assured him he had received from the Queen's own hand the thirty + thousand francs given on account upon the bargain being concluded, and + that his Eminence had seen her Majesty take that sum in bills from the + porcelain secretaire in her boudoir. The King declined my offer, and said + to me, "Were you alone when Boehmer told you this?" I answered that I was + alone with him in my garden. "Well," resumed he, "the man would deny the + fact; he is now sure of being paid his sixteen hundred thousand francs, + which the Cardinal's family will find it necessary to make good to him; we + can no longer rely upon his sincerity; it would look as if you were sent + by the Queen, and that would not be proper." + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [The guilty woman no sooner knew that all was about to be discovered + than she sent for the jewellers, and told them the Cardinal had + perceived that the agreement, which he believed to have been signed by + the Queen, was a false and forged document. "However," added she, "the + Cardinal possesses a considerable fortune, and he can very well pay + you." These words reveal the whole secret. The Countess had taken the + necklace to herself, and flattered herself that M. de Rohan, seeing + himself deceived and cruelly imposed upon, would determine to pay and + make the beat terms he could, rather than suffer a matter of this nature + to become public.-"Secret Correspondence of the Court of Louis XVI."] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + The procureur general's information was severe on the Cardinal. The Houses + of Conde and Rohan and the majority of the nobility saw in this affair + only an attack on the Prince's rank, the clergy only a blow aimed at the + privileges of a cardinal. The clergy demanded that the unfortunate + business of the Prince Cardinal de Rohan should be submitted to + ecclesiastical jurisdiction, and the Archbishop of Narbonne, then + President of the Convocation, made representations upon the subject to the + King; the bishops wrote to his Majesty to remind him that a private + ecclesiastic implicated in the affair then pending would have a right to + claim his constitutional judges, and that this right was refused to a + cardinal, his superior in the hierarchical order. In short, the clergy and + the greater part of the nobility were at that time outrageous against + authority, and chiefly against the Queen. + </p> + <p> + The procureur-general's conclusions, and those of a part of the heads of + the magistracy, were as severe towards the Cardinal as the information had + been; yet he was fully acquitted by a majority of three voices; the woman + De Lamotte was condemned to be whipped, branded, and imprisoned; and her + husband, for contumacy, was condemned to the galleys for life. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [The following extract is from the "Memoirs" of the Abbe Georgel: "The + sittings were long and multiplied; it was necessary to read the whole + proceedings; more than fifty judges sat; a master of requests; a friend + of the Prince, wrote down all that was said there, and sent it to his + advisers, who found means to inform the Cardinal of it, and to add the + plan of conduct he ought to pursue." D'Epremesnil, and other young + counsellors, showed upon that occasion but too much audacity in braving + the Court, too much eagerness in seizing an opportunity of attacking it. + They were the first to shake that authority which their functions made + it a duty in them to respect.—NOTE BY THE EDITOR.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + M. Pierre de Laurencel, the procureur general's substitute, sent the Queen + a list of the names of the members of the Grand Chamber, with the means + made use of by the friends of the Cardinal to gain their votes during the + trial. I had this list to keep among the papers which the Queen deposited + in the house of M. Campan, my father-in-law, and which, at his death, she + ordered me to preserve. I burnt this statement, but I remember ladies + performed a part not very creditable to their principles; it was by them, + in consideration of large sums which they received, that some of the + oldest and most respected members were won over. I did not see a single + name amongst the whole Parliament that was gained directly. + </p> + <p> + The belief confirmed by time is, that the Cardinal was completely duped by + the woman De Lamotte and Cagliostro. The King may have been in error in + thinking him an accomplice in this miserable and criminal scheme, but I + have faithfully repeated his Majesty's judgment about it. + </p> + <p> + However, the generally received opinion that the Baron de Breteuil's + hatred for the Cardinal was the cause of the scandal and the unfortunate + result of this affair contributed to the disgrace of the former still more + than his refusal to give his granddaughter in marriage to the son of the + Duc de Polignac. The Abbe de Vermond threw the whole blame of the + imprudence and impolicy of the affair of the Cardinal de Rohan upon the + minister, and ceased to be the friend and supporter of the Baron de + Breteuil with the Queen. + </p> + <p> + In the early part of the year 1786, the Cardinal, as has been said, was + fully acquitted, and came out of the Bastille, while Madame de Lamotte was + condemned to be whipped, branded, and imprisoned. The Court, persisting in + the erroneous views which had hitherto guided its measures, conceived that + the Cardinal and the woman De Lamotte were equally culpable and unequally + punished, and sought to restore the balance of justice by exiling the + Cardinal to La Chaise-Dieu, and suffering Madame de Lamotte to escape a + few days after she entered l'Hopital. This new error confirmed the + Parisians in the idea that the wretch De Lamotte, who had never been able + to make her way so far as to the room appropriated to the Queen's women, + had really interested the Queen herself. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [Further particulars will be found in the "Memoirs of the Comte de + Beugnot" (London: Hurst & Blackett, 1871), as he knew Madame de + Lamotte from the days of her early childhood (when the three children, + the Baron de Valois, who died captain of a frigate, and the two + Mademoiselles de Saint-Remi, the last descendants of the Baron de + Saint-Remi, a natural son of Henri II., were almost starving) to the + time of her temporary prosperity. In fact, he was with her when she + burnt the correspondence of the Cardinal, in the interval the Court + foolishly allowed between his arrest and her capture, and De Beugnot + believed he had met at her house, at the moment of their return from + their successful trick, the whole party engaged in deluding the + Cardinal. It is worth noting that he was then struck by the face of + Mademoiselle d'Oliva, who had just personated the Queen in presenting a + rose to the Cardinal. It may also be cited as a pleasing quality of + Madame de Lamotte that she, "in her ordinary conversation, used the + words stupid and honest as synonymous."—See "Beugnot," vol. i., p. + 60.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> <a name="p340" id="p340"></a> + </p> + <div class="fig" style="width:80%;"> + <img alt="p340.jpg (69K)" src="images/p340.jpg" width="100%" /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XIV. + </h2> + <br /><br /> + <p> + The Abbe de Vermond could not repress his exultation when he succeeded + in getting the Archbishop of Sens appointed head of the council of + finance. I have more than once heard him say that seventeen years of + patience were not too long a term for success in a Court; that he spent + all that time in gaining the end he had in view; but that at length the + Archbishop was where he ought to be for the good of the State. The Abbe, + from this time, in the Queen's private circle no longer concealed his + credit and influence; nothing could equal the confidence with which he + displayed the extent of his pretensions. He requested the Queen to order + that the apartments appropriated to him should be enlarged, telling her + that, being obliged to give audiences to bishops, cardinals, and + ministers, he required a residence suitable to his present + circumstances. The Queen continued to treat him as she did before the + Archbishop's arrival at Court; but the household showed him increased + consideration: the word "Monsieur" preceded that of Abbe; and from that + moment not only the livery servants, but also the people of the + antechambers rose when Monsieur l'Abbe was passing, though there never + was, to my knowledge, any order given to that effect. + </p> + <p> + The Queen was obliged, on account of the King's disposition and the very + limited confidence he placed in the Archbishop of Sens, to take a part + in public affairs. While M. de Maurepas lived she kept out of that + danger, as may be seen by the censure which the Baron de Besenval passes + on her in his memoirs for not availing herself of the conciliation he + had promoted between the Queen and that minister, who counteracted the + ascendency which the Queen and her intimate friends might otherwise have + gained over the King's mind. + </p> + <p> + The Queen has often assured me that she never interfered respecting the + interests of Austria but once; and that was only to claim the execution + of the treaty of alliance at the time when Joseph II. was at war with + Prussia and Turkey; that, she then demanded that an army of twenty-four + thousand men should be sent to him instead of fifteen millions, an + alternative which had been left to option in the treaty, in case the + Emperor should have a just war to maintain; that she could not obtain + her object, and M. de Vergennes, in an interview which she had with him + upon the subject, put an end to her importunities by observing that he + was answering the mother of the Dauphin and not the sister of the + Emperor. The fifteen millions were sent. There was no want of money at + Vienna, and the value of a French army was fully appreciated. + </p> + <p> + "But how," said the Queen, "could they be so wicked as to send off those + fifteen millions from the general post-office, diligently publishing, + even to the street porters, that they were loading carriages with money + that I was sending to my brother!—whereas it is certain that the + money would equally have been sent if I had belonged to another house; + and, besides, it was sent contrary to my inclination." + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [This was not the first time the Queen had become unpopular in + consequence of financial support afforded by France to her brother. + The Emperor Joseph II, made, in November, 1783, and in May, 1784, + startling claims on the republic of the United Provinces; he demanded + the opening of the Scheldt, the cession of Maeatricht with its + dependencies, of the country beyond the Meuse, the county of + Vroenhoven, and a sum of seventy millions of florins. The first gun + was fired by the Emperor on the Scheldt 6th November, 1784. Peace was + concluded 8th November, 1785, through the mediation of France. The + singular part was the indemnification granted to the Emperor: this was + a sum of ten millions of Dutch florins; the articles 15, 16, and 17 of + the treaty stipulated the quotas of it. Holland paid five millions and + a half, and France, under the direction of M. de Vergennes, four + millions and a half of florins, that is to say, nine millions and + forty-five thousand francs, according to M. Soulavie. M. de augur, in + his "Policy of Cabinets" (vol. iii.), says relative to this affair: + </p> + <p> + "M. de Vergennes has been much blamed for having terminated, by a + sacrifice of seven millions, the contest that existed between the + United Provinces and the Emperor. In that age of philosophy men were + still very uncivilised; in that age of commerce they made very + erroneous calculations; and those who accused the Queen of sending the + gold of France to her brother would have been better pleased if, to + support a republic devoid of energy, the blood of two hundred thousand + men, and three or four hundred millions of francs, had been + sacrificed, and at the same time the risk run of losing the advantage + of peace dictated to England." MADAME CAMPAN.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + When the Comte de Moustier set out on his mission to the United States, + after having had his public audience of leave he came and asked me to + procure him a private one. I could not succeed even with the strongest + solicitations; the Queen desired me to wish him a good voyage, but added + that none but ministers could have anything to say to him in private, + since he was going to a country where the names of King and Queen must + be detested. + </p> + <p> + Marie Antoinette had then no direct influence over State affairs until + after the deaths of M. de Maurepas and M. de Vergennes, and the + retirement of M. de Calonne. She frequently regretted her new situation, + and looked upon it as a misfortune which she could not avoid. One day, + while I was assisting her to tie up a number of memorials and reports, + which some of the ministers had handed to her to be given to the King, + "Ah!" said she, sighing, "there is an end of all happiness for me, since + they have made an intriguer of me." I exclaimed at the word. + </p> + <p> + "Yes," resumed, the Queen, "that is the right term; every woman who + meddles with affairs above her understanding or out of her line of duty + is an intriguer and nothing else; you will remember, however, that it is + not my own fault, and that it is with regret I give myself such a title; + Queens of France are happy only so long as they meddle with nothing, and + merely preserve influence sufficient to advance their friends and reward + a few zealous servants. Do you know what happened to me lately? One day + since I began to attend private committees at the King's, while crossing + the oiel-de-boeuf, I heard one of the musicians of the chapel say so + loud that I lost not a single word, 'A Queen who does her duty will + remain in her apartment to knit.' I said within myself, 'Poor wretch, + thou art right; but thou knowest not my situation; I yield to necessity + and my evil destiny.'" + </p> + <p> + This situation was the more painful to the Queen inasmuch as Louis XVI. + had long accustomed himself to say nothing to her respecting State + affairs; and when, towards the close of his reign, she was obliged to + interfere in the most important matters, the same habit in the King + frequently kept from her particulars which it was necessary she should + have known. Obtaining, therefore, only insufficient information, and + guided by persons more ambitious than skilful, the Queen could not be + useful in important affairs; yet, at the same time, her ostensible + interference drew upon her, from all parties and all classes of society, + an unpopularity the rapid progress of which alarmed all those who were + sincerely attached to her. + </p> + <p> + Carried away by the eloquence of the Archbishop of Sens, and encouraged + in the confidence she placed in that minister by the incessant eulogies + of the Abbe de Vermond on his abilities, the Queen unfortunately + followed up her first mistake of bringing him into office in 1787 by + supporting him at the time of his disgrace, which was obtained by the + despair of a whole nation. She thought it was due to her dignity to give + him some marked proof of her regard at the moment of his departure; + misled by her feelings, she sent him her portrait enriched with jewelry, + and a brevet for the situation of lady of the palace for Madame de + Canisy, his niece, observing that it was necessary to indemnify a + minister sacrificed to the intrigues of the Court and a factious spirit + of the nation; that otherwise none would be found willing to devote + themselves to the interests of the sovereign. + </p> + <p> + On the day of the Archbishop's departure the public joy was universal, + both at Court and at Paris there were bonfires; the attorneys' clerks + burnt the Archbishop in effigy, and on the evening of his disgrace more + than a hundred couriers were sent out from Versailles to spread the + happy tidings among the country seats. I have seen the Queen shed bitter + tears at the recollection of the errors she committed at this period, + when subsequently, a short time before her death, the Archbishop had the + audacity to say, in a speech which was printed, that the sole object of + one part of his operations, during his administration, was the salutary + crisis which the Revolution had produced. + </p> + <p> + The benevolence and generosity shown by the King and Queen during the + severe winter of 1788, when the Seine was frozen over and the cold was + more intense than it had been for eighty years, procured them some + fleeting popularity. The gratitude of the Parisians for the succour + their Majesties poured forth was lively if not lasting. The snow was so + abundant that since that period there has never been seen such a + prodigious quantity in France. In different parts of Paris pyramids and + obelisks of snow were erected with inscriptions expressive of the + gratitude of the people. The pyramid in the Rue d'Angiviller was + supported on a base six feet high by twelve broad; it rose to the height + of fifteen feet, and was terminated by a globe. Four blocks of stone, + placed at the angles, corresponded with the obelisk, and gave it an + elegant appearance. Several inscriptions, in honour of the King and + Queen, were affixed to it. I went to see this singular monument, and + recollect the following inscription: + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + "TO MARIE ANTOINETTE." + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> "Lovely and good, to tender pity true, + Queen of a virtuous King, this trophy view; + Cold ice and snow sustain its fragile form, + But ev'ry grateful heart to thee is warm. + Oh, may this tribute in your hearts excite, + Illustrious pair, more pure and real delight, + Whilst thus your virtues are sincerely prais'd, + Than pompous domes by servile flatt'ry rais'd."</pre> + </blockquote> + <p> + The theatres generally rang with praises of the beneficence of the + sovereigns: "La Partie de Chasse de Henri IV." was represented for the + benefit of the poor. The receipts were very considerable. + </p> + <p> + When the fruitless measure of the Assembly of the Notables, and the + rebellious spirit in the parliaments,had created the necessity for + States General, it was long discussed in council whether they should be + assembled at Versailles or at forty or sixty leagues from the capital; + the Queen was for the latter course, and insisted to the King that they + ought to be far away from the immense population of Paris. She feared + that the people would influence the deliberations of the deputies; + several memorials were presented to the King upon that question; but M. + Necker prevailed, and Versailles was the place fixed upon. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [The Assembly of the Notables, as may be seen in "Weber's Memoirs," + vol. i., overthrew the plans and caused the downfall of M. de Calonne. + A prince of the blood presided over each of the meetings of that + assembly. Monsieur, afterwards Louis XVIII., presided over the first + meeting. + </p> + <p> + "Monsieur," says a contemporary, "gained great reputation at the + Assembly of the Notables in 1787. He did not miss attending his + meeting a single day, and he displayed truly patriotic virtues. His + care in discussing the weighty matters of administration, in throwing + light upon them, and in defending the interests and the cause of the + people, was such as even to inspire the King with some degree of + jealousy. Monsieur openly said that a respectful resistance to the + orders of the monarch was not blamable, and that authority might be + met by argument, and forced to receive information without any offence + whatever."—NOTE BY THE EDITOR.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + The day on which the King announced that he gave his consent to the + convocation of the States General, the Queen left the public dinner, and + placed herself in the recess of the first window of her bedchamber, with + her face towards the garden. Her chief butler followed her, to present + her coffee, which she usually took standing, as she was about to leave + the table. She beckoned to me to come close to her. The King was engaged + in conversation with some one in his room. When the attendant had served + her he retired; and she addressed me, with the cup still in her hand: + "Great Heavens! what fatal news goes forth this day! The King assents to + the convocation of the States General." Then she added, raising her eyes + to heaven, "I dread it; this important event is a first fatal signal of + discord in France." She cast her eyes down, they were filled with tears. + She could not take the remainder of her coffee, but handed me the cup, + and went to join the King. In the evening, when she was alone with me, + she spoke only of this momentous decision. "It is the Parliament," said + she, "that has compelled the King to have recourse to a measure long + considered fatal to the repose of the kingdom. These gentlemen wish to + restrain the power of the King; but they give a great shock to the + authority of which they make so bad a use, and they will bring on their + own destruction." + </p> + <p> + The double representation granted to the Tiers Etat was now the chief + topic of conversation. The Queen favoured this plan, to which the King + had agreed; she thought the hope of obtaining ecclesiastical favours + would secure the clergy of the second order, and that M. Necker was sure + to have the same degree of influence over the lawyers, and other people + of that class comprised in the Tiers Dat. The Comte d'Artois, holding + the contrary opinion, presented a memorial in the names of himself and + several princes of the blood to the King against the double + representation. The Queen was displeased with him for this; her + confidential advisers infused into her apprehensions that the Prince was + made the tool of a party; but his conduct was approved of by Madame de + Polignac's circle, which the Queen thenceforward only frequented to + avoid the appearance of a change in her habits. She almost always + returned unhappy; she was treated with the profound respect due to a + queen, but the devotion of friendship had vanished, to make way for the + coldness of etiquette, which wounded her deeply. The alienation between + her and the Comte Artois was also very painful to her, for she had loved + him almost as tenderly as if he had been her own brother. + </p> + <p> + The opening of the States General took place on the 4th of May, 1789. + The Queen on that occasion appeared for the last time in her life in + regal magnificence. During the procession some low women, seeing the + Queen pass, cried out "Vive le Duc d' Orleans!" in so threatening a + manner that she nearly fainted. She was obliged to be supported, and + those about her were afraid it would be necessary to stop the + procession. The Queen, however, recovered herself, and much regretted + that she had not been able to command more presence of mind. + </p> + <p> + The rapidly increasing distrust of the King and Queen shown by the + populace was greatly attributable to incessant corruption by English + gold, and the projects, either of revenge or of ambition, of the Duc + d'Orleans. Let it not be thought that this accusation is founded on what + has been so often repeated by the heads of the French Government since + the Revolution. Twice between the 14th of July and the 6th of October, + 1789, the day on which the Court was dragged to Paris, the Queen + prevented me from making little excursions thither of business or + pleasure, saying to me, "Do not go on such a day to Paris; the English + have been scattering gold, we shall have some disturbance." The repeated + visits of the Duc d'Orleans to England had excited the Anglomania to + such a pitch that Paris was no longer distinguishable from London. The + French, formerly imitated by the whole of Europe, became on a sudden a + nation of imitators, without considering the evils that arts and + manufactures must suffer in consequence of the change. Since the treaty + of commerce made with England at the peace of 1783, not merely + equipages, but everything, even to ribands and common earthenware, were + of English make. If this predominance of English fashions had been + confined to filling our drawing-rooms with young men in English + frock-coats, instead of the French dress, good taste and commerce might + alone have suffered; but the principles of English government had taken + possession of these young heads. Constitution, Upper House, Lower House, + national guarantee, balance of power, Magna Charta, Law of Habeas + Corpus,—all these words were incessantly repeated, and seldom + understood; but they were of fundamental importance to a party which was + then forming. + </p> + <p> + The first sitting of the States took place on the following day. The + King delivered his speech with firmness and dignity; the Queen told me + that he had taken great pains about it, and had repeated it frequently. + His Majesty gave public marks of attachment and respect for the Queen, + who was applauded; but it was easy to see that this applause was in fact + rendered to the King alone. + </p> + <p> + It was evident, during the first sittings, that Mirabeau would be very + dangerous to the Government. It affirmed that at this period he + communicated to the King, and still more fully to the Queen, part of his + schemes for abandoning them. He brandished the weapons afforded him by + his eloquence and audacity, in order to make terms with the party he + meant to attack. This man played the game of revolution to make his own + fortune. The Queen told me that he asked for an embassy, and, if my + memory does not deceive me, it was that of Constantinople. He was + refused with well-deserved contempt, though policy would doubtless have + concealed it, could the future have been foreseen. + </p> + <p> + The enthusiasm prevailing at the opening of this assembly, and the + debates between the Tiers Etat, the nobility, and even the clergy, daily + increased the alarm of their Majesties, and all who were attached to the + cause of monarchy. The Queen went to bed late, or rather she began to be + unable to rest. One evening, about the end of May, she was sitting in + her room, relating several remarkable occurrences of the day; four wax + candles were placed upon her toilet-table; the first went out of itself; + I relighted it; shortly afterwards the second, and then the third went + out also; upon which the Queen, squeezing my hand in terror, said to me: + "Misfortune makes us superstitious; if the fourth taper should go out + like the rest, nothing can prevent my looking upon it as a sinister + omen." The fourth taper went out. It was remarked to the Queen that the + four tapers had probably been run in the same mould, and that a defect + in the wick had naturally occurred at the same point in each, since the + candles had all gone out in the order in which they had been lighted. + </p> + <p> + The deputies of the Tiers Etat arrived at Versailles full of the + strongest prejudices against the Court. They believed that the King + indulged in the pleasures of the table to a shameful excess; and that + the Queen was draining the treasury of the State in order to satisfy the + most unbridled luxury. They almost all determined to see Petit Trianon. + The extreme plainness of the retreat in question not answering the ideas + they had formed, some of them insisted upon seeing the very smallest + closets, saying that the richly furnished apartments were concealed from + them. They particularised one which, according to them, was ornamented + with diamonds, and with wreathed columns studded with sapphires and + rubies. The Queen could not get these foolish ideas out of her mind, and + spoke to the King on the subject. From the description given of this + room by the deputies to the keepers of Trianon, the King concluded that + they were looking for the scene enriched with paste ornaments, made in + the reign of Louis XV. for the theatre of Fontainebleau. + </p> + <p> + The King supposed that his Body Guards, on their return to the country, + after their quarterly duty at Court, related what they had seen, and + that their exaggerated accounts, being repeated, became at last totally + perverted. This idea of the King, after the search for the diamond + chamber, suggested to the Queen that the report of the King's propensity + for drinking also sprang from the guards who accompanied his carriage + when he hunted at Rambouillet. The King, who disliked sleeping out of + his usual bed, was accustomed to leave that hunting-seat after supper; + he generally slept soundly in his carriage, and awoke only on his + arrival at the courtyard of his palace; he used to get down from his + carriage in the midst of his Body Guards, staggering, as a man half + awake will do, which was mistaken for intoxication. + </p> + <p> + The majority of the deputies who came imbued with prejudices produced by + error or malevolence, went to lodge with the most humble private + individuals of Versailles, whose inconsiderate conversation contributed + not a little to nourish such mistakes. Everything, in short, tended to + render the deputies subservient to the schemes of the leaders of the + rebellion. + </p> + <p> + Shortly after the opening of the States General the first Dauphin died. + That young Prince suffered from the rickets, which in a few months + curved his spine, and rendered his legs so weak that he could not walk + without being supported like a feeble old man. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [Louis, Dauphin of France, who died at Versailles on the 4th of June, + 1789, gave promise of intellectual precocity. The following + particulars, which convey some idea of his disposition, and of the + assiduous attention bestowed upon him by the Duchesse de Polignac, + will be found in a work of that time: "At two years old the Dauphin + was very pretty; he articulated well, and answered questions put to + him intelligently. While he was at the Chateau de La Muette everybody + was at liberty to see him. The Dauphin was dressed plainly, like a + sailor; there was nothing to distinguish him from other children in + external appearance but the cross of Saint Louis, the blue ribbon, and + the Order of the Fleece, decorations that are the distinctive signs of + his rank. The Duchesse Jules de Polignac, his governess, scarcely ever + left him for a single instant: she gave up all the Court excursions + and amusements in order to devote her whole attention to him. The + Prince always manifested a great regard for M. de Bourset, his valet + de chambre. During the illness of which he died, he one day asked for + a pair of scissors; that gentleman reminded him that they were + forbidden. The child insisted mildly, and they were obliged to yield + to him. Having got the scissors, he cut off a lock of his hair, which + he wrapped in a sheet of paper: 'There, monsieur,' said he to his + valet de chambre,' there is the only present I can make you, having + nothing at my command; but when I am dead you will present this pledge + to my papa and mamma; and while they remember me, I hope they will not + forget you.'"—NOTE BY THE EDITOR.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + How many maternal tears did his condition draw from the Queen, already + overwhelmed with apprehensions respecting the state of the kingdom! Her + grief was enhanced by petty intrigues, which, when frequently renewed, + became intolerable. An open quarrel between the families and friends of + the Duc Harcourt, the Dauphin's governor, and those of the Duchesse de + Polignac, his governess, added greatly to the Queen's affliction. The + young Prince showed a strong dislike to the Duchesse de Polignac, who + attributed it either to the Duc or the Duchesse d'Harcourt, and came to + make her complaints respecting it to the Queen. The Dauphin twice sent + her out of his room, saying to her, with that maturity of manner which + long illness always gives to children: "Go out, Duchess; you are so fond + of using perfumes, and they always make me ill;" and yet she never used + any. The Queen perceived, also, that his prejudices against her friend + extended to herself; her son would no longer speak in her presence. She + knew that he had become fond of sweetmeats, and offered him some + marshmallow and jujube lozenges. The under-governors and the first valet + de chambre requested her not to give the Dauphin anything, as he was to + receive no food of any kind without the consent of the faculty. I + forbear to describe the wound this prohibition inflicted upon the Queen; + she felt it the more deeply because she was aware it was unjustly + believed she gave a decided preference to the Duc de Normandie, whose + ruddy health and amiability did, in truth, form a striking contrast to + the languid look and melancholy disposition of his elder brother. She + even suspected that a plot had for some time existed to deprive her of + the affection of a child whom she loved as a good and tender mother + ought. Previous to the audience granted by the King on the 10th August, + 1788, to the envoy of the Sultan Tippoo Saib, she had begged the Duc + d'Harcourt to divert the Dauphin, whose deformity was already apparent, + from his, intention to be present at that ceremony, being unwilling to + expose him to the gaze of the crowd of inquisitive Parisians who would + be in the gallery. Notwithstanding this injunction, the Dauphin was + suffered to write to his mother, requesting her permission to be present + at the audience. The Queen was obliged to refuse him, and warmly + reproached the governor, who merely answered that he could not oppose + the wishes of a sick child. A year before the death of the Dauphin the + Queen lost the Princesse Sophie; this was, as the Queen said, the first + of a series of misfortunes. + </p> + <p> + NOTE: As Madame Campan has stated in the foregoing pages that the money + to foment sedition was furnished from English sources, the decree of the + Convention of August, 1793, maybe quoted as illustrative of the entente + cordiale alleged to exist between the insurrectionary Government and its + friends across the Channel! The endeavours made by the English + Government to save the unfortunate King are well known. The motives + prompting the conduct of the Duc d'Orleans are equally well known. + </p> + <p> + Art. i. The National Convention denounces the British Government to + Europe and the English nation. + </p> + <p> + Art. ii. Every Frenchman that shall place his money in the English funds + shall be declared a traitor to his country. + </p> + <p> + Art. iii. Every Frenchman who has money in the English funds or those of + any other Power with whom France is at war shall be obliged to declare + the same. + </p> + <p> + Art. iv. All foreigners, subjects of the Powers now at war with France, + particularly the English, shall be arrested, and seals put upon their + papers. + </p> + <p> + Art. v. The barriers of Paris shall be instantly shut. + </p> + <p> + Art. vi. All good citizens shall be required in the name of the country + to search for the foreigners concerned in any plot denounced. + </p> + <p> + Art. vii. Three millions shall be at the disposal of the Minister at War + to facilitate the march of the garrison of Mentz to La Vendee. + </p> + <p> + Art. viii. The Minister at War shall send to the army on the coast of + Rochelle all the combustible materials necessary to set fire to the + forests and underwood of La Vendee. + </p> + <p> + Art. ix. The women, the children, and old men shall be conducted to the + interior parts of the country. + </p> + <p> + Art. x. The property of the rebels shall be confiscated for the benefit + of the Republic. + </p> + <p> + Art. xi. A camp shall be formed without delay between Paris and the + Northern army. + </p> + <p> + Art. xii. All the family of the Capets shall be banished from the French + territory, those excepted who are under the sword of the law, and the + offspring of Louis Capet, who shall both remain in the Temple. + </p> + <p> + Art. xiii. Marie Antoinette shall be delivered over to the Revolutionary + Tribunal, and shall be immediately conducted to the prison of the + Conciergerie. Louise Elisabeth shall remain in the Temple till after the + judgment of Marie Antoinette. + </p> + <p> + Art. xiv. All the tombs of the Kings which are at St. Denis and in the + departments shall be destroyed on August the 10th. + </p> + <p> + Art. xv. The present decree shall be despatched by extraordinary + couriers to all the departments. + </p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> <br /><br /> <a name="book2" id="book2"></a> <br /><br /> + <h1> + MEMOIRS OF THE COURT OF MARIE ANTOINETTE, QUEEN OF FRANCE + </h1> + <h3> + Being the Historic Memoirs of Madam Campan, <br />First Lady in Waiting + to the Queen. + </h3> + <br /><br /> <br /><br /> + <h1> + BOOK 2. + </h1> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + <h2> + CHAPTER I. + </h2> + <br /><br /> + <p> + The ever-memorable oath of the States General, taken at the Tennis Court + of Versailles, was followed by the royal sitting of the 23d of June. In + this seance the King declared that the Orders must vote separately, and + threatened, if further obstacles were met with, to himself act for the + good of the people. The Queen looked on M. Necker's not accompanying the + King as treachery or criminal cowardice: she said that he had converted + a remedy into poison; that being in full popularity, his audacity, in + openly disavowing the step taken by his sovereign, had emboldened the + factious, and led away the whole Assembly; and that he was the more + culpable inasmuch as he had the evening before given her his word to + accompany the King. In vain did M. Necker endeavour to excuse himself by + saying that his advice had not been followed. + </p> + <p> + Soon afterwards the insurrections of the 11th, 12th, and 14th of July—[The + Bastille was taken on the 14th July, 1789.]—opened the disastrous + drama with which France was threatened. The massacre of M. de Flesselles + and M. de Launay drew bitter tears from the Queen, and the idea that the + King had lost such devoted subjects wounded her to the heart. + </p> + <p> + The character of the movement was no longer merely that of a popular + insurrection; cries of "Vive la Nation! Vive le Roi! Vive la Liberte!" + threw the strongest light upon the views of the reformers. Still the + people spoke of the King with affection, and appeared to think him + favourable to the national desire for the reform of what were called + abuses; but they imagined that he was restrained by the opinions and + influence of the Comte d'Artois and the Queen; and those two august + personages were therefore objects of hatred to the malcontents. The + dangers incurred by the Comte d'Artois determined the King's first step + with the States General. He attended their meeting on the morning of the + 15th of July with his brothers, without pomp or escort; he spoke + standing and uncovered, and pronounced these memorable words: "I trust + myself to you; I only wish to be at one with my nation, and, counting on + the affection and fidelity of my subjects, I have given orders to the + troops to remove from Paris and Versailles." The King returned on foot + from the chamber of the States General to his palace; the deputies + crowded after him, and formed his escort, and that of the Princes who + accompanied him. The rage of the populace was pointed against the Comte + d'Artois, whose unfavourable opinion of the double representation was an + odious crime in their eyes. They repeatedly cried out, "The King for + ever, in spite of you and your opinions, Monseigneur!" One woman had the + impudence to come up to the King and ask him whether what he had been + doing was done sincerely, and whether he would not be forced to retract + it. + </p> + <p> + The courtyards of the Chateau were thronged with an immense concourse of + people; they demanded that the King and Queen, with their children, + should make their appearance in the balcony. The Queen gave me the key + of the inner doors, which led to the Dauphin's apartments, and desired + me to go to the Duchesse de Polignac to tell her that she wanted her + son, and had directed me to bring him myself into her room, where she + waited to show him to the people. The Duchess said this order indicated + that she was not to accompany the Prince. I did not answer; she squeezed + my hand, saying, "Ah! Madame Campan, what a blow I receive!" She + embraced the child and me with tears. She knew how much I loved and + valued the goodness and the noble simplicity of her disposition. I + endeavoured to reassure her by saying that I should bring back the + Prince to her; but she persisted, and said she understood the order, and + knew what it meant. She then retired to her private room, holding her + handkerchief to her eyes. One of the under-governesses asked me whether + she might go with the Dauphin; I told her the Queen had given no order + to the contrary, and we hastened to her Majesty, who was waiting to lead + the Prince to the balcony. + </p> + <p> + Having executed this sad commission, I went down into the courtyard, + where I mingled with the crowd. I heard a thousand vociferations; it was + easy to see, by the difference between the language and the dress of + some persons among the mob, that they were in disguise. A woman, whose + face was covered with a black lace veil, seized me by the arm with some + violence, and said, calling me by my name, "I know you very well; tell + your Queen not to meddle with government any longer; let her leave her + husband and our good States General to effect the happiness of the + people." At the same moment a man, dressed much in the style of a + marketman, with his hat pulled down over his eyes, seized me by the + other arm, and said, "Yes, yes; tell her over and over again that it + will not be with these States as with the others, which produced no good + to the people; that the nation is too enlightened in 1789 not to make + something more of them; and that there will not now be seen a deputy of + the 'Tiers Etat' making a speech with one knee on the ground; tell her + this, do you hear?" I was struck with dread; the Queen then appeared in + the balcony. "Ah!" said the woman in the veil, "the Duchess is not with + her."—"No," replied the man, "but she is still at Versailles; she + is working underground, molelike; but we shall know how to dig her out." + The detestable pair moved away from me, and I reentered the palace, + scarcely able to support myself. I thought it my duty to relate the + dialogue of these two strangers to the Queen; she made me repeat the + particulars to the King. + </p> + <p> + About four in the afternoon I went across the terrace to Madame + Victoire's apartments; three men had stopped under the windows of the + throne-chamber. "Here is that throne," said one of them aloud, "the + vestiges of which will soon be sought for." He added a thousand + invectives against their Majesties. I went in to the Princess, who was + at work alone in her closet, behind a canvass blind, which prevented her + from being seen by those without. The three men were still walking upon + the terrace; I showed them to her, and told her what they had said. She + rose to take a nearer view of them, and informed me that one of them was + named Saint-Huruge; that he was sold to the Duc d'Orleans, and was + furious against the Government, because he had been confined once under + a 'lettre de cachet' as a bad character. + </p> + <p> + The King was not ignorant of these popular threats; he also knew the + days on which money was scattered about Paris, and once or twice the + Queen prevented my going there, saying there would certainly be a riot + the next day, because she knew that a quantity of crown pieces had been + distributed in the faubourgs. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [I have seen a six-franc crown piece, which certainly served to pay + some wretch on the night of the 12th of July; the words "Midnight, + 12th July, three pistols," were rather deeply engraven on it. They + were, no doubt, a password for the first insurrection.—MADAME + COMPAN] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + On the evening of the 14th of July the King came to the Queen's + apartments, where I was with her Majesty alone; he conversed with her + respecting the scandalous report disseminated by the factious, that he + had had the Chamber of the National Assembly undermined, in order to + blow it up; but he added that it became him to treat such absurd + assertions with contempt, as usual; I ventured to tell him that I had + the evening before supped with M. Begouen, one of the deputies, who said + that there were very respectable persons who thought that this horrible + contrivance had been proposed without the King's knowledge. "Then," said + his Majesty, "as the idea of such an atrocity was not revolting to so + worthy a man as M. Begouen, I will order the chamber to be examined + early to-morrow morning." In fact, it will be seen by the King's, speech + to the National Assembly, on the 15th of July, that the suspicions + excited obtained his attention. "I know," said he in the speech in + question, "that unworthy insinuations have been made; I know there are + those who have dared to assert that your persons are not safe; can it be + necessary to give you assurances upon the subject of reports so + culpable, denied beforehand by my known character?" + </p> + <p> + The proceedings of the 15th of July produced no mitigation of the + disturbances. Successive deputations of poissardes came to request the + King to visit Paris, where his presence alone would put an end to the + insurrection. + </p> + <p> + On the 16th a committee was held in the King's apartments, at which a + most important question was discussed: whether his Majesty should quit + Versailles and set off with the troops whom he had recently ordered to + withdraw, or go to Paris to tranquillise the minds of the people. The + Queen was for the departure. On the evening of the 16th she made me take + all her jewels out of their cases, to collect them in one small box, + which she might carry off in her own carriage. With my assistance she + burnt a large quantity of papers; for Versailles was then threatened + with an early visit of armed men from Paris. + </p> + <p> + The Queen, on the morning of the 16th, before attending another + committee at the King's, having got her jewels ready, and looked over + all her papers, gave me one folded up but not sealed, and desired me not + to read it until she should give me an order to do so from the King's + room, and that then I was to execute its contents; but she returned + herself about ten in the morning; the affair was decided; the army was + to go away without the King; all those who were in imminent danger were + to go at the same time. "The King will go to the Hotel de Ville + to-morrow," said the Queen to me; "he did not choose this course for + himself; there were long debates on the question; at last the King put + an end to them by rising and saying, 'Well, gentlemen, we must decide; + am I to go or to stay? I am ready to do either.' The majority were for + the King staying; time will show whether the right choice has been + made." I returned the Queen the paper she had given me, which was now + useless; she read it to me; it contained her orders for the departure; I + was to go with her, as well on account of my office about her person as + to serve as a teacher to Madame. The Queen tore the paper, and said, + with tears in her eyes, "When I wrote this I thought it would be useful, + but fate has ordered otherwise, to the misfortune of us all, as I much + fear." + </p> + <p> + After the departure of the troops the new administration received + thanks; M. Necker was recalled. The artillery soldiers were undoubtedly + corrupted. "Wherefore all these guns?" exclaimed the crowds of women who + filled the streets. "Will you kill your mothers, your wives, your + children?"—"Don't be afraid," answered the soldiers; "these guns + shall rather be levelled against the tyrant's palace than against you!" + </p> + <p> + The Comte d'Artois, the Prince de Conde, and their children set off at + the same time with the troops. The Duc and Duchesse de Polignac, their + daughter, the Duchesse de Guiche, the Comtesse Diane de Polignac, sister + of the Duke, and the Abbe de Baliviere, also emigrated on the same + night. Nothing could be more affecting than the parting of the Queen and + her friend; extreme misfortune had banished from their minds the + recollection of differences to which political opinions alone had given + rise. The Queen several times wished to go and embrace her once more + after their sorrowful adieu, but she was too closely watched. She + desired M. Campan to be present at the departure of the Duchess, and + gave him a purse of five hundred Louis, desiring him to insist upon her + allowing the Queen to lend her that sum to defray her expenses on the + road. The Queen added that she knew her situation; that she had often + calculated her income, and the expenses occasioned by her place at + Court; that both husband and wife having no other fortune than their + official salaries, could not possibly have saved anything, however + differently people might think at Paris. + </p> + <p> + M. Campan remained till midnight with the Duchess to see her enter her + carriage. She was disguised as a femme de chambre, and got up in front + of the Berlin; she requested M. Campan to remember her frequently to the + Queen, and then quitted for ever that palace, that favour, and that + influence which had raised her up such cruel enemies. On their arrival + at Sens the travellers found the people in a state of insurrection; they + asked all those who came from Paris whether the Polignacs were still + with the Queen. A group of inquisitive persons put that question to the + Abbe de Baliviere, who answered them in the firmest tone, and with the + most cavalier air, that they were far enough from Versailles, and that + we had got rid of all such bad people. At the following stage the + postilion got on the doorstep and said to the Duchess, "Madame, there + are some good people left in the world: I recognised you all at Sens." + They gave the worthy fellow a handful of gold. + </p> + <p> + On the breaking out of these disturbances an old man above seventy years + of age gave the Queen an extraordinary proof of attachment and fidelity. + M. Peraque, a rich inhabitant of the colonies, father of M. d'Oudenarde, + was coming from Brussels to Paris; while changing horses he was met by a + young man who was leaving France, and who recommended him if he carried + any letters from foreign countries to burn them immediately, especially + if he had any for the Queen. M. Peraque had one from the Archduchess, + the Gouvernante of the Low Countries, for her Majesty. He thanked the + stranger, and carefully concealed his packet; but as he approached Paris + the insurrection appeared to him so general and so violent, that he + thought no means could be relied on for securing this letter from + seizure. He took upon him to unseal it, and learned it by heart, which + was a wonderful effort for a man at his time of life, as it contained + four pages of writing. On his arrival at Paris he wrote it down, and + then presented it to the Queen, telling her that the heart of an old and + faithful subject had given him courage to form and execute such a + resolution. The Queen received M. Peraque in her closet, and expressed + her gratitude in an affecting manner most honourable to the worthy old + man. Her Majesty thought the young stranger who had apprised him of the + state of Paris was Prince George of Hesse-Darmstadt, who was very + devoted to her, and who left Paris at that time. + </p> + <p> + The Marquise de Tourzel replaced the Duchess de Polignac. She was + selected by the Queen as being the mother of a family and a woman of + irreproachable conduct, who had superintended the education of her own + daughters with the greatest success. + </p> + <p> + The King went to Paris on the 17th of July, accompanied by the Marechal + de Beauvau, the Duc de Villeroi, and the Duc de Villequier; he also took + the Comte d'Estaing, and the Marquis de Nesle, who were then very + popular, in his carriage. Twelve Body Guards, and the town guard of + Versailles, escorted him to the Pont du Jour, near Sevres, where the + Parisian guard was waiting for him. His departure caused equal grief and + alarm to his friends, notwithstanding the calmness he exhibited. The + Queen restrained her tears, and shut herself up in her private rooms + with her family. She sent for several persons belonging to her Court; + their doors were locked. Terror had driven them away. The silence of + death reigned throughout the palace; they hardly dared hope that the + King would return? The Queen had a robe prepared for her, and sent + orders to her stables to have all her equipages ready. She wrote an + address of a few lines for the Assembly, determining to go there with + her family, the officers of her palace, and her servants, if the King + should be detained prisoner at Paris. She got this address by heart; it + began with these words: "Gentlemen, I come to place in your hands the + wife and family of your sovereign; do not suffer those who have been + united in heaven to be put asunder on earth." While she was repeating + this address she was often interrupted by tears, and sorrowfully + exclaimed: "They will not let him return!" + </p> + <p> + It was past four when the King, who had left Versailles at ten in the + morning, entered the Hotel de Ville. At length, at six in the evening, + M. de Lastours, the King's first page, arrived; he was not half an hour + in coming from the Barriere de la Conference to Versailles. Everybody + knows that the moment of calm in Paris was that in which the unfortunate + sovereign received the tricoloured cockade from M. Bailly, and placed it + in his hat. A shout of "Vive le Roi!" arose on all sides; it had not + been once uttered before. The King breathed again, and with tears in his + eyes exclaimed that his heart stood in need of such greetings from the + people. One of his equerries (M. de Cubieres) told him the people loved + him, and that he could never have doubted it. The King replied in + accents of profound sensibility: + </p> + <p> + "Cubieres, the French loved Henri IV., and what king ever better + deserved to be beloved?" + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [Louis XVI. cherished the memory of Henri IV.: at that moment he + thought of his deplorable end; but he long before regarded him as a + model. Soulavie says on the subject: "A tablet with the inscription + 'Resurrexit' placed upon the pedestal of Henri IV.'s statue on the + accession of Louis XVI. flattered him exceedingly. 'What a fine + compliment,' said he, 'if it were true! Tacitus himself never wrote + anything so concise or so happy.' Louis XVI. wished to take the reign + of that Prince for a model. In the following year the party that + raised a commotion among the people on account of the dearness of corn + removed the tablet inscribed Resurrexit from the statue of Henri IV., + and placed it under that of Louis XV., whose memory was then detested, + as he was believed to have traded on the scarcity of food. Louis XVI., + who was informed of it, withdrew into his private apartments, where he + was found in a fever shedding tears; and during the whole of that day + he could not be prevailed upon either to dine, walk out, or sup. From + this circumstance we may judge what he endured at the commencement of + the Revolution, when he was accused of not loving the French people."—NOTE + BY THE EDITOR.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + His return to Versailles filled his family with inexpressible joy; in + the arms of the Queen, his sister, and his children, he congratulated + himself that no accident had happened; and he repeated several times, + "Happily no blood has been shed, and I swear that never shall a drop of + French blood be shed by my order,"—a determination full of + humanity, but too openly avowed in such factious times! + </p> + <p> + The King's last measure raised a hope in many that general tranquillity + would soon enable the Assembly to resume its, labours, and promptly + bring its session to a close. The Queen never flattered herself so far; + M. Bailly's speech to the King had equally wounded her pride and hurt + her feelings. "Henri IV. conquered his people, and here are the people + conquering their King." The word "conquest" offended her; she never + forgave M. Bailly for this fine academical phrase. + </p> + <p> + Five days after the King's visit to Paris, the departure of the troops, + and the removal of the Princes and some of the nobility whose influence + seemed to alarm the people, a horrible deed committed by hired assassins + proved that the King had descended the steps of his throne without + having effected a reconciliation with his people. + </p> + <p> + M. Foulon, adjoint to the administration while M. de Broglie was + commanding the army assembled at Versailles, had concealed himself at + Viry. He was there recognised, and the peasants seized him, and dragged + him to the Hotel de Ville. The cry for death was heard; the electors, + the members of committee, and M. de La Fayette, at that time the idol of + Paris, in vain endeavoured to save the unfortunate man. After tormenting + him in a manner which makes humanity shudder, his body was dragged about + the streets, and to the Palais Royal, and his heart was carried by women + in the midst of a bunch of white carnations! M. Berthier, M. Foulon's + son-in-law, intendant of Paris, was seized at Compiegne, at the same + time that his father-in-law was seized at Viry, and treated with still + more relentless cruelty. + </p> + <p> + The Queen was always persuaded that this horrible deed was occasioned by + some indiscretion; and she informed me that M. Foulon had drawn up two + memorials for the direction of the King's conduct at the time of his + being called to Court on the removal of M. Necker; and that these + memorials contained two schemes of totally different nature for + extricating the King from the dreadful situation in which he was placed. + In the first of these projects M. Foulon expressed himself without + reserve respecting the criminal views of the Duc d'Orleans; said that he + ought to be put under arrest, and that no time should be lost in + commencing a prosecution against him, while the criminal tribunals were + still in existence; he likewise pointed out such deputies as should be + apprehended, and advised the King not to separate himself from his army + until order was restored. + </p> + <p> + His other plan was that the King should make himself master of the + revolution before its complete explosion; he advised his Majesty to go + to the Assembly, and there, in person, to demand the cahiers, and to + make the greatest sacrifices to satisfy the legitimate wishes of the + people, and not to give the factious time to enlist them in aid of their + criminal designs. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [Cahiers, the memorials or lists of complaints, grievances, and + requirements of the electors drawn up by the primary assemblies and + sent with the deputies.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + Madame Adelaide had M. Foulon's two memorials read to her in the + presence of four or five persons. One of them, Comte Louis de Narbonne, + was very intimate with Madame de Stael, and that intimacy gave the Queen + reason to believe that the opposite party had gained information of M. + Foulon's schemes. + </p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> <a name="adelaide" id="adelaide"></a> + <div class="fig" style="width:80%;"> + <img alt="adelaide.jpg (110K)" src="images/adelaide.jpg" width="100%" /><br /> + </div> + <p> + It is known that young Barnave, during an aberration of mind, since + expiated by sincere repentance, and even by death, uttered these + atrocious words: "Is then the blood now, flowing so pure?" when M. + Berthier's son came to the Assembly to implore the eloquence of M. de + Lally to entreat that body to save his father's life. I have since + been informed that a son of M. Foulon, having returned to France after + these first ebullitions of the Revolution, saw Barnave, and gave him + one of those memorials in which M. Foulon advised Louis XVI. to + prevent the revolutionary explosion by voluntarily granting all that + the Assembly required before the 14th of July. "Read this memorial," + said he; "I have brought it to increase your remorse: it is the only + revenge I wish to inflict on you." Barnave burst into tears, and said + to him all that the profoundest grief could dictate. + </p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + <h2> + CHAPTER II. + </h2> + <br /><br /> + <p> + After the 14th of July, by a manoeuvre for which the most skilful + factions of any age might have envied the Assembly, the whole + population of France was armed and organised into a National Guard. A + report was spread throughout France on the same day, and almost at the + same hour, that four thousand brigands were marching towards such + towns or villages as it was wished to induce to take arms. Never was + any plan better laid; terror spread at the same moment all over the + kingdom. In 1791 a peasant showed me a steep rock in the mountains of + the Mont d'Or on which his wife concealed herself on the day when the + four thousand brigands were to attack their village, and told me they + had been obliged to make use of ropes to let her down from the height + which fear alone had enabled her to climb. + </p> + <p> + Versailles was certainly the place where the national military uniform + appeared most offensive. All the King's valets, even of the lowest + class, were metamorphosed into lieutenants or captains; almost all the + musicians of the chapel ventured one day to make their appearance at + the King's mass in a military costume; and an Italian soprano adopted + the uniform of a grenadier captain. The King was very much offended at + this conduct, and forbade his servants to appear in his presence in so + unsuitable a dress. + </p> + <p> + The departure of the Duchesse de Polignac naturally left the Abbe de + Vermond exposed to all the dangers of favouritism. He was already + talked of as an adviser dangerous to the nation. The Queen was alarmed + at it, and recommended him to remove to Valenciennes, where Count + Esterhazy was in command. He was obliged to leave that place in a few + days and set off for Vienna, where he remained. + </p> + <p> + On the night of the 17th of July the Queen, being unable to sleep, + made me watch by her until three in the morning. I was extremely + surprised to hear her say that it would be a very long time before the + Abbe de Vermond would make his appearance at Court again, even if the + existing ferment should subside, because he would not readily be + forgiven for his attachment to the Archbishop of Sens; and that she + had lost in him a very devoted servant. Then she suddenly remarked to + me, that although he was not much prejudiced against me I could not + have much regard for him, because he could not bear my father-in-law + to hold the place of secretary of the closet. She went on to say that + I must have studied the Abbe's character, and, as I had sometimes + drawn her portraits of living characters, in imitation of those which + were fashionable in the time of Louis XIV., she desired me to sketch + that of the Abbe, without any reserve. My astonishment was extreme; + the Queen spoke of the man who, the day before, had been in the + greatest intimacy with her with the utmost coolness, and as a person + whom, perhaps, she might never see again! I remained petrified; the + Queen persisted, and told me that he had been the enemy of my family + for more than twelve years, without having been able to injure it in + her opinion; so that I had no occasion to dread his return, however + severely I might depict him. I promptly summarised my ideas about the + favourite; but I only remember that the portrait was drawn with + sincerity, except that everything which could denote antipathy was + kept out of it. I shall make but one extract from it: I said that he + had been born talkative and indiscreet, and had assumed a character of + singularity and abruptness in order to conceal those two failings. The + Queen interrupted me by saying, "Ah! how true that is!" I have since + discovered that, notwithstanding the high favour which the Abbe de + Vermond enjoyed, the Queen took precautions to guard herself against + an ascendency the consequences of which she could not calculate. + </p> + <p> + On the death of my father-in-law his executors placed in my hands a + box containing a few jewels deposited by the Queen with M. Campan on + the departure from Versailles of the 6th of October, and two sealed + packets, each inscribed, "Campan will take care of these papers for + me." I took the two packets to her Majesty, who kept the jewels and + the larger packet, and, returning me the smaller, said, "Take care of + that for me as your father-in-law did." + </p> + <p> + After the fatal 10th of August, 1792,—[The day of the attack on + the Tuileries, slaughter of the Swiss guard, and suspension of the + King from his functions.]—when my house was about to be + surrounded, I determined to burn the most interesting papers of which + I was the depositary; I thought it my duty, however, to open this + packet, which it might perhaps be necessary for me to preserve at all + hazards. I saw that it contained a letter from the Abbe de Vermond to + the Queen. I have already related that in the earlier days of Madame + de Polignac's favour he determined to remove from Versailles, and that + the Queen recalled him by means of the Comte de Mercy. This letter + contained nothing but certain conditions for his return; it was the + most whimsical of treaties; I confess I greatly regretted being under + the necessity of destroying it. He reproached the Queen for her + infatuation for the Comtesse Jules, her family, and society; and told + her several truths about the possible consequences of a friendship + which ranked that lady among the favourites of the Queens of France, a + title always disliked by the nation. He complained that his advice was + neglected, and then came to the conditions of his return to + Versailles; after strong assurances that he would never, in all his + life, aim at the higher church dignities, he said that he delighted in + an unbounded confidence; and that he asked but two things of her + Majesty as essential: the first was, not to give him her orders + through any third person, and to write to him herself; he complained + much that he had had no letter in her own hand since he had left + Vienna; then he demanded of her an income of eighty thousand livres, + in ecclesiastical benefices; and concluded by saying that, if she + condescended to assure him herself that she would set about procuring + him what he wished, her letter would be sufficient in itself to show + him that her Majesty had accepted the two conditions he ventured to + make respecting his return. No doubt the letter was written; at least + it is very certain that the benefices were granted, and that his + absence from Versailles lasted only a single week. + </p> + <p> + In the course of July, 1789, the regiment of French guards, which had + been in a state of insurrection from the latter end of June, abandoned + its colours. One single company of grenadiers remained faithful, to + its post at Versailles. M. le Baron de Leval was the captain of this + company. He came every evening to request me to give the Queen an + account of the disposition of his soldiers; but M. de La Fayette + having sent them a note, they all deserted during the night and joined + their comrades, who were enrolled in the Paris guard; so that Louis + XVI. on rising saw no guard whatever at the various posts entrusted to + them. + </p> + <p> + The decrees of the 4th of August, by which all privileges were + abolished, are well known. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + ["It was during the night of the 4th of August," says Rivarol, "that + the demagogues of the nobility, wearied with a protracted discussion + upon the rights of man, and burning to signalise their zeal, rose + all at once, and with loud exclamations called for the last sighs of + the feudal system. This demand electrified the Assembly. All heads + were frenzied. The younger sons of good families, having nothing, + were delighted to sacrifice their too fortunate elders upon the + altar of the country; a few country cures felt no less pleasure in + renouncing the benefices of others; but what posterity will hardly + believe is that the same enthusiasm infected the whole nobility; + zeal walked hand in hand with malevolence; they made sacrifice upon + sacrifice. And as in Japan the point of honour lies in a man's + killing himself in the presence of the person who has offended him, + so did the deputies of the nobility vie in striking at themselves + and their constituents. The people who were present at this noble + contest increased the intoxication of their new allies by their + shouts; and the deputies of the commons, seeing that this memorable + night would only afford them profit without honour, consoled their + self-love by wondering at what Nobility, grafted upon the Third + Estate, could do. They named that night the 'night of dupes'; the + nobles called it the 'night of sacrifices'."—NOTE BY THE + EDITOR.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + The King sanctioned all that tended to the diminution of his own + personal gratifications, but refused his consent to the other decrees + of that tumultuous night; this refusal was one of the chief causes of + the ferments of the month of October. + </p> + <p> + In the early part of September meetings were held at the Palais Royal, + and propositions made to go to Versailles; it was said to be necessary + to separate the King from his evil counsellors, and keep him, as well + as the Dauphin, at the Louvre. The proclamations by the officers of + the commune for the restoration of tranquillity were ineffectual; but + M. de La Fayette succeeded this time in dispersing the populace. The + Assembly declared itself permanent; and during the whole of September, + in which no doubt the preparations were made for the great + insurrections of the following month, the Court was not disturbed. + </p> + <p> + The King had the Flanders regiment removed to Versailles; + unfortunately the idea of the officers of that regiment fraternising + with the Body Guards was conceived, and the latter invited the former + to a dinner, which was given in the great theatre of Versailles, and + not in the Salon of Hercules, as some chroniclers say. Boxes were + appropriated to various persons who wished to be present at this + entertainment. The Queen told me she had been advised to make her + appearance on the occasion, but that under existing circumstances she + thought such a step might do more harm than good; and that, moreover, + neither she nor the King ought directly to have anything to do with + such a festival. She ordered me to go, and desired me to observe + everything closely, in order to give a faithful account of the whole + affair. + </p> + <p> + The tables were set out upon the stage; at them were placed one of the + Body Guard and an officer of the Flanders regiment alternately. There + was a numerous orchestra in the room, and the boxes were filled with + spectators. The air, "O Richard, O mon Roi!" was played, and shouts of + "Vive de Roi!" shook the roof for several minutes. I had with me one + of my nieces, and a young person brought up with Madame by her + Majesty. They were crying "Vive le Roi!" with all their might when a + deputy of the Third Estate, who was in the next box to mine, and whom + I had never seen, called to them, and reproached them for their + exclamations; it hurt him, he said, to see young and handsome + Frenchwomen brought up in such servile habits, screaming so + outrageously for the life of one man, and with true fanaticism + exalting him in their hearts above even their dearest relations; he + told them what contempt worthy American women would feel on seeing + Frenchwomen thus corrupted from their earliest infancy. My niece + replied with tolerable spirit, and I requested the deputy to put an + end to the subject, which could by no means afford him any + satisfaction, inasmuch as the young persons who were with me lived, as + well as myself, for the sole purpose of serving and loving the King. + While I was speaking what was my astonishment at seeing the King, the + Queen, and the Dauphin enter the chamber! It was M. de Luxembourg who + had effected this change in the Queen's determination. + </p> + <p> + The enthusiasm became general; the moment their Majesties arrived the + orchestra repeated the air I have just mentioned, and afterwards + played a song in the "Deserter," "Can we grieve those whom we love?" + which also made a powerful impression upon those present: on all sides + were heard praises of their Majesties, exclamations of affection, + expressions of regret for what they had suffered, clapping of hands, + and shouts of "Vive le Roi! Vive la Reine! Vive le Dauphin!" It has + been said that white cockades were worn on this occasion; that was not + the case; the fact is, that a few young men belonging to the National + Guard of Versailles, who were invited to the entertainment, turned the + white lining of their national cockades outwards. All the military men + quitted the hall, and reconducted the King and his family to their + apartments. There was intoxication in these ebullitions of joy: a + thousand extravagances were committed by the military, and many of + them danced under the King's windows; a soldier belonging to the + Flanders regiment climbed up to the balcony of the King's chamber in + order to shout "Vive le Roi!" nearer his Majesty; this very soldier, + as I have been told by several officers of the corps, was one of the + first and most dangerous of their insurgents in the riots of the 5th + and 6th of October. On the same evening another soldier of that + regiment killed himself with a sword. One of my relations, chaplain to + the Queen, who supped with me, saw him stretched out in a corner of + the Place d'Armes; he went to him to give him spiritual assistance, + and received his confession and his last sighs. He destroyed himself + out of regret at having suffered himself to be corrupted by the + enemies of his King, and said that, since he had seen him and the + Queen and the Dauphin, remorse had turned his brain. + </p> + <p> + I returned home, delighted with all that I had seen. + </p> + <p> + I found a great many people there. M. de Beaumetz, deputy for Arras, + listened to my description with a chilling air, and, when I had + finished, told me that all that had passed was terrific; that he knew + the disposition of the Assembly, and that the greatest misfortunes + would follow the drama of that night; and he begged my leave to + withdraw that he might take time for deliberate reflection whether he + should on the very next day emigrate, or pass over to the left side of + the Assembly. He adopted the latter course, and never appeared again + among my associates. + </p> + <p> + On the 2d of October the military entertainment was followed up by a + breakfast given at the hotel of the Body Guards. It is said that a + discussion took place whether they should not march against the + Assembly; but I am utterly ignorant of what passed at that breakfast. + From that moment Paris was constantly in commotion; there were + continual mobs, and the most virulent proposals were heard in all + public places; the conversation was invariably about proceeding to + Versailles. The King and Queen did not seem apprehensive of such a + measure, and took no precaution against it; even when the army had + actually left Paris, on the evening of the 5th of October, the King + was shooting at Meudon, and the Queen was alone in her gardens at + Trianon, which she then beheld for the last time in her life. She was + sitting in her grotto absorbed in painful reflection, when she + received a note from the Comte de Saint-Priest, entreating her to + return to Versailles. M. de Cubieres at the same time went off to + request the King to leave his sport and return to the palace; the King + did so on horseback, and very leisurely. A few minutes afterwards he + was informed that a numerous body of women, which preceded the + Parisian army, was at Chaville, at the entrance of the avenue from + Paris. + </p> + <p> + The scarcity of bread and the entertainment of the Body Guards were + the pretexts for the insurrection of the 5th and 6th of October, 1789; + but it is clear to demonstration that this new movement of the people + was a part of the original plan of the factious, insomuch as, ever + since the beginning of September, a report had been industriously + circulated that the King intended to withdraw, with his family and + ministers, to some stronghold; and at all the popular assemblies there + had been always a great deal said about going to Versailles to seize + the King. + </p> + <p> + At first only women showed themselves; the latticed doors of the + Chateau were closed, and the Body Guard and Flanders regiment were + drawn up in the Place d'Armes. As the details of that dreadful day are + given with precision in several works, I will only observe that + general consternation and disorder reigned throughout the interior of + the palace. + </p> + <p> + I was not in attendance on the Queen at this time. M. Campan remained + with her till two in the morning. As he was leaving her she + condescendingly, and with infinite kindness, desired him to make me + easy as to the dangers of the moment, and to repeat to me M. de La + Fayette's own words, which he had just used on soliciting the royal + family to retire to bed, undertaking to answer for his army. + </p> + <p> + The Queen was far from relying upon M. de La Fayette's loyalty; but + she has often told me that she believed on that day, that La Fayette, + having affirmed to the King, in the presence of a crowd of witnesses, + that he would answer for the army of Paris, would not risk his honour + as a commander, and was sure of being able to redeem his pledge. She + also thought the Parisian army was devoted to him, and that all he + said about his being forced to march upon Versailles was mere + pretence. + </p> + <p> + On the first intimation of the march of the Parisians, the Comte de + Saint-Priest prepared Rambouillet for the reception of the King, his + family, and suite, and the carriages were even drawn out; but a few + cries of "Vive le Roi!" when the women reported his Majesty's + favourable answer, occasioned the intention of going away to be given + up, and orders were given to the troops to withdraw. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [Compare this account with the particulars given in the "Memoirs" of + Ferribres, Weber, Bailly, and Saint-Priest, from the latter of which + the following sentence is taken: + </p> + <p> + "M. d'Estaing knew not what to do with the Body Guards beyond + bringing them into the courtyard of the ministers, and shutting the + grilles. Thence they proceeded to the terrace of the Chateau, then + to Trianon, and lastly to Rambouillet. + </p> + <p> + "I could not refrain from expressing to M. d'Estaing, when he came + to the King, my astonishment at not seeing him make any military + disposition. 'Monsieur,' replied he, 'I await the orders of the + King' (who did not open his mouth). 'When the King gives no orders,' + pursued I, 'a general should decide for himself in a soldierly + manner.' This observation remained unanswered."] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + The Body Guards were, however, assailed with stones and musketry while + they were passing from the Place d'Armes to, their hotel. Alarm + revived; again it was thought necessary that the royal family should + go away; some carriages still remained ready for travelling; they were + called for; they were stopped by a wretched player belonging to the + theatre of the town, seconded by the mob: the opportunity for flight + had been lost. + </p> + <p> + The insurrection was directed against the Queen in particular; I + shudder even now at the recollection of the poissardes, or rather + furies, who wore white aprons, which they screamed out were intended + to receive the bowels of Marie Antoinette, and that they would make + cockades of them, mixing the most obscene expressions with these + horrible threats. + </p> + <p> + The Queen went to bed at two in the morning, and even slept, tired out + with the events of so distressing a day. She had ordered her two women + to bed, imagining there was nothing to dread, at least for that night; + but the unfortunate Princess was indebted for her life to that feeling + of attachment which prevented their obeying her. My sister, who was + one of the ladies in question, informed me next day of all that I am + about to relate. + </p> + <p> + On leaving the Queen's bedchamber, these ladies called their femmes de + chambre, and all four remained sitting together against her Majesty's + bedroom door. About half-past four in the morning they heard horrible + yells and discharges of firearms; one ran to the Queen to awaken her + and get her out of bed; my sister flew to the place from which the + tumult seemed to proceed; she opened the door of the antechamber which + leads to the great guard-room, and beheld one of the Body Guard + holding his musket across the door, and attacked by a mob, who were + striking at him; his face was covered with blood; he turned round and + exclaimed: "Save the Queen, madame; they are come to assassinate her!" + She hastily shut the door upon the unfortunate victim of duty, + fastened it with the great bolt, and took the same precaution on + leaving the next room. On reaching the Queen's chamber she cried out + to her, "Get up, Madame! Don't stay to dress yourself; fly to the + King's apartment!" The terrified Queen threw herself out of bed; they + put a petticoat upon her without tying it, and the two ladies + conducted her towards the oile-de-boeuf. A door, which led from the + Queen's dressing-room to that apartment, had never before been + fastened but on her side. What a dreadful moment! It was found to be + secured on the other side. They knocked repeatedly with all their + strength; a servant of one of the King's valets de chambre came and + opened it; the Queen entered the King's chamber, but he was not there. + Alarmed for the Queen's life, he had gone down the staircases and + through the corridors under the oeil-de-boeuf, by means of which he + was accustomed to go to the Queen's apartments without being under the + necessity of crossing that room. He entered her Majesty's room and + found no one there but some Body Guards, who had taken refuge in it. + The King, unwilling to expose their lives, told them to wait a few + minutes, and afterwards sent to desire them to go to the + oeil-de-boeuf. Madame de Tourzel, at that time governess of the + children of France, had just taken Madame and the Dauphin to the + King's apartments. The Queen saw her children again. The reader must + imagine this scene of tenderness and despair. + </p> + <p> + It is not true that the assassins penetrated to the Queen's chamber + and pierced the bed with their swords. The fugitive Body Guards were + the only persons who entered it; and if the crowd had reached so far + they would all have been massacred. Besides, when the rebels had + forced the doors of the antechamber, the footmen and officers on duty, + knowing that the Queen was no longer in her apartments, told them so + with that air of truth which always carries conviction. The ferocious + horde instantly rushed towards the oeil-de-boeuf, hoping, no doubt, to + intercept her on her way. + </p> + <p> + Many have asserted that they recognised the Duc d'Orleans in a + greatcoat and slouched hat, at half-past four in the morning, at the + top of the marble staircase, pointing out with his hand the + guard-room, which led to the Queen's apartments. This fact was deposed + to at the Chatelet by several individuals in the course of the inquiry + instituted respecting the transactions of the 5th and 6th of October. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [The National Assembly was sitting when information of the march of + the Parisians was given to it by one of the deputies who came from + Paris. A certain number of the members were no strangers, to this + movement. It appears that Mirabeau wished to avail himself of it to + raise the Duc d'Orleans to the throne. Mounier, who presided over + the National Assembly, rejected the idea with horror. "My good man," + said Mirabeau to him, "what difference will it make to you to have + Louis XVII. for your King instead of Louis XVI.?" (The Duc d'Orleans + was baptised Louis.)] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + The prudence and honourable feeling of several officers of the + Parisian guards, and the judicious conduct of M. de Vaudreuil, + lieutenant-general of marine, and of M. de Chevanne, one of the King's + Guards, brought about an understanding between the grenadiers of the + National Guard of Paris and the King's Guard. The doors of the + oeil-de-boeuf were closed, and the antechamber which precedes that + room was filled with grenadiers who wanted to get in to massacre the + Guards. M. de Chevanne offered himself to them as a victim if they + wished for one, and demanded what they would have. A report had been + spread through their ranks that the Body Guards set them at defiance, + and that they all wore black cockades. M. de Chevanne showed them that + he wore, as did the corps, the cockade of their uniform; and promised + that the Guards should exchange it for that of the nation. This was + done; they even went so far as to exchange their grenadiers' caps for + the hats of the Body Guards; those who were on guard took off their + shoulder-belts; embraces and transports of fraternisation instantly + succeeded to the savage eagerness to murder the band which had shown + so much fidelity to its sovereign. The cry was now "Vivent le Roi, la + Nation, et les Gardes-du-corps!" + </p> + <p> + The army occupied the Place d'Armes, all the courtyards of the + Chateau, and the entrance to the avenue. They called for the Queen to + appear in the balcony: she came forward with Madame and the Dauphin. + There was a cry of "No children!" Was this with a view to deprive her + of the interest she inspired, accompanied as she was by her young + family, or did the leaders of the democrats hope that some madman + would venture to aim a mortal blow at her person? The unfortunate + Princess certainly was impressed with the latter idea, for she sent + away her children, and with her hands and eyes raised towards heaven, + advanced upon the balcony like a self-devoted victim. + </p> + <p> + A few voices shouted "To Paris!" The exclamation soon became general. + Before the King agreed to this removal he wished to consult the + National Assembly, and caused that body to be invited to sit at the + Chateau. Mirabeau opposed this measure. While these discussions were + going forward it became more and more difficult to restrain the + immense disorderly multitude. The King, without consulting any one, + now said to the people: "You wish, my children, that I should follow + you to Paris: I consent, but on condition that I shall not be + separated from my wife and family." The King added that he required + safety also for his Guards; he was answered by shouts of "Vivo le Roi! + Vivent les Gardes-du-corps!" The Guards, with their hats in the air, + turned so as to exhibit the cockade, shouted "Vive le Roi! Vive la + Nation!" shortly afterwards a general discharge of all the muskets + took place, in token of joy. The King and Queen set off from + Versailles at one o'clock. The Dauphin, Madame, the King's daughter, + Monsieur, Madame,—[Madame, here, the wife of Monsieur le Comte + de Provence.]—Madame Elisabeth, and Madame de Tourzel, were in + the carriage; the Princesse de Chimay and the ladies of the bedchamber + for the week, the King's suite and servants, followed in Court + carriages; a hundred deputies in carriages, and the bulk of the + Parisian army, closed the procession. + </p> + <p> + The poissardes went before and around the carriage of their Majesties, + Crying, "We shall no longer want bread! We have the baker, the baker's + wife, and the baker's boy with us!" In the midst of this troop of + cannibals the heads of two murdered Body Guards were carried on poles. + The monsters, who made trophies of them, conceived the horrid idea of + forcing a wigmaker of Sevres to dress them up and powder their bloody + locks. The unfortunate man who was forced to perform this dreadful + work died in consequence of the shock it gave him. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [The King did not leave Versailles till one o'clock. The Queen, the + Dauphin, Madame Royale, Monsieur, Madame Elisabeth, and Madame de + Tourzel were in his Majesty's carriage. The hundred deputies in + their carriages came next. A detachment of brigands, bearing the + heads of the two Body Guards in triumph, formed the advance guard, + and set out two hours earlier. These cannibals stopped a moment at + Sevres, and carried their cruelty to the length of forcing an + unfortunate hairdresser to dress the gory heads; the bulk of the + Parisian army followed them closely. The King's carriage was + preceded by the 'poissardes', who had arrived the day before from + Paris, and a rabble of prostitutes, the vile refuse of their sex, + still drunk with fury and wine. Several of them rode astride upon + cannons, boasting, in the most horrible songs, of the crimes they + had committed themselves, or seen others commit. Those who were + nearest the King's carriage sang ballads, the allusions in which by + means of their vulgar gestures they applied to the Queen. Wagons, + full of corn and flour,—which had been brought into + Versailles, formed a train escorted by grenadiers, and surrounded by + women and bullies, some armed with pikes, and some carrying long + branches of poplar. At some distance this part of the procession had + a most singular effect: it looked like a moving forest, amidst which + shone pike-heads and gun-barrels. In the paroxysms of their brutal + joy the women stopped passengers, and, pointing to the King's + carriage, howled in their ears: "Cheer up, friends; we shall no + longer be in want of bread! We bring you the baker, the baker's + wife, and the baker's little boy!" Behind his Majesty's carriage + were several of his faithful Guards, some on foot, and some on + horseback, most of them uncovered, all unarmed, and worn out with + hunger and fatigue; the dragoons, the Flanders regiment, the hundred + Swiss, and the National Guards preceded, accompanied, or followed + the file of carriages. I witnessed this heartrending spectacle; I + saw the ominous procession. In the midst of all the tumult, clamour, + and singing, interrupted by frequent discharges of musketry, which + the hand of a monster or a bungler might so easily render fatal, I + saw the Queen preserving most courageous tranquillity of soul, and + an air of nobleness and inexpressible dignity, and my eyes were + suffused with tears of admiration and grief.—"Memoirs of + Bertrand de Molleville."] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + The progress of the procession was so slow that it was near six in the + evening when this august family, made prisoners by their own people, + arrived at the Hotel de Ville. Bailly received them there; they were + placed upon a throne, just when that of their ancestors had been + overthrown. The King spoke in a firm yet gracious manner; he said that + he always came with pleasure and confidence among the inhabitants of + his good city of Paris. M. Bailly repeated this observation to the + representatives of the commune, who came to address the King; but he + forgot the word confidence. The Queen instantly and loudly reminded + him of the omission. The King and Queen, their children, and Madame + Elisabeth, retired to the Tuileries. Nothing was ready for their + reception there. All the living-rooms had been long given up to + persons belonging to the Court; they hastily quitted them on that day, + leaving their furniture, which was purchased by the Court. The + Comtesse de la Marck, sister to the Marechaux de Noailles and de + Mouchy, had occupied the apartments now appropriated to the Queen. + Monsieur and Madame retired to the Luxembourg. + </p> + <p> + The Queen had sent for me on the morning of the 6th of October, to + leave me and my father-in-law in charge of her most valuable property. + She took away only her casket of diamonds. Comte Gouvernet de la + Tour-du-Pin, to whom the military government of Versailles was + entrusted 'pro tempore', came and gave orders to the National Guard, + which had taken possession of the apartments, to allow us to remove + everything that we should deem necessary for the Queen's + accommodation. + </p> + <p> + I saw her Majesty alone in her private apartments a moment before her + departure for Paris; she could hardly speak; tears bedewed her face, + to which all the blood in her body seemed to have rushed; she + condescended to embrace me, gave her hand to M. Campan to kiss, and + said to us, "Come immediately and settle at Paris; I will lodge you at + the Tuileries; come, and do not leave me henceforward; faithful + servants at moments like these become useful friends; we are lost, + dragged away, perhaps to death; when kings become prisoners they are + very near it." + </p> + <p> + I had frequent opportunities during the course of our misfortunes of + observing that the people never entirely give their allegiance to + factious leaders, but easily escape their control when some cause + reminds them of their duty. As soon as the most violent Jacobins had + an opportunity of seeing the Queen near at hand, of speaking to her, + and of hearing her voice, they became her most zealous partisans; and + even when she was in the prison of the Temple several of those who had + contributed to place her there perished for having attempted to get + her out again. + </p> + <p> + On the morning of the 7th of October the same women who the day before + surrounded the carriage of the august prisoners, riding on cannons and + uttering the most abusive language, assembled under the Queen's + windows, upon the terrace of the Chateau, and desired to see her. Her + Majesty appeared. There are always among mobs of this description + orators, that is to say, beings who have more assurance than the rest; + a woman of this description told the Queen that she must now remove + far from her all such courtiers as ruin kings, and that she must love + the inhabitants of her good city. The Queen answered that she had + loved them at Versailles, and would likewise love them at Paris. "Yes, + yes," said another; "but on the 14th of July you wanted to besiege the + city and have it bombarded; and on the 6th of October you wanted to + fly to the frontiers." The Queen replied, affably, that they had been + told so, and had believed it; that there lay the cause of the + unhappiness of the people and of the best of kings. A third addressed + a few words to her in German: the Queen told her she did not + understand it; that she had become so entirely French as even to have + forgotten her mother tongue. This declaration was answered with + "Bravo!" and clapping of hands; they then desired her to make a + compact with them. "Ah," said she, "how can I make a compact with you, + since you have no faith in that which my duty points out to me, and + which I ought for my own happiness to respect?" They asked her for the + ribbons and flowers out of her hat; her Majesty herself unfastened + them and gave them; they were divided among the party, which for above + half an hour cried out, without ceasing, "Marie Antoinette for ever! + Our good Queen for ever!" + </p> + <p> + Two days after the King's arrival at Paris, the city and the National + Guard sent to request the Queen to appear at the theatre, and prove by + her presence and the King's that it was with pleasure they resided in + their capital. I introduced the deputation which came to make this + request. Her Majesty replied that she should have infinite pleasure in + acceding to the invitation of the city of Paris; but that time must be + allowed her to soften the recollection of the distressing events which + had just occurred, and from which she had suffered too much. She + added, that having come into Paris preceded by the heads of the + faithful Guards who had perished before the door of their sovereign, + she could not think that such an entry into the capital ought to be + followed by rejoicings; but that the happiness she had always felt in + appearing in the midst of the inhabitants of Paris was not effaced + from her memory, and that she should enjoy it again as soon as she + found herself able to do so. + </p> + <p> + Their Majesties found some consolation in their private life: from + Madame's—[Madame, here, the Princesse Marie Therese, daughter of + Marie Antoinette.]—gentle manners and filial affection, from the + accomplishments and vivacity of the little Dauphin, and the attention + and tenderness of the pious Princess Elisabeth, they still derived + moments of happiness. The young Prince daily gave proofs of + sensibility and penetration; he was not yet beyond female care, but a + private tutor, the Abbe Davout, gave him all the instruction suitable + to his age; his memory was highly cultivated, and he recited verses + with much grace and feeling. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [On the 19th of October, that is to say, thirteen days after he had + taken up his abode at Paris, the King went, on foot and almost + alone, to review some detachments of the National Guard. After the + review Louis XVI. met with a child sweeping the street, who asked + him for money. The child called the King "M. le Chevalier." His + Majesty gave him six francs. The little sweeper, surprised at + receiving so large a sum, cried out, "Oh! I have no change; you will + give me money another time." A person who accompanied the monarch + said to the child, "Keep it all, my friend; the gentleman is not + chevalier, he is the eldest of the family."—NOTE BY THE + EDITOR.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + The day after the arrival of the Court at Paris, terrified at hearing + some noise in the gardens of the Tuileries, the young prince threw + himself into the arms of the Queen, crying out, "Grand-Dieu, mamma! + will it be yesterday over again?" A few days after this affecting + exclamation, he went up to the King, and looked at him with a pensive + air. The King asked him what he wanted; he answered, that he had + something very serious to say to him. The King having prevailed on him + to explain himself, the young Prince asked why his people, who + formerly loved him so well, were all at once angry with him; and what + he had done to irritate them so much. His father took him upon his + knees, and spoke to him nearly as follows: "I wished, child, to render + the people still happier than they were; I wanted money to pay the + expenses occasioned by wars. I asked my people for money, as my + predecessors have always done; magistrates, composing the Parliament, + opposed it, and said that my people alone had a right to consent to + it. I assembled the principal inhabitants of every town, whether + distinguished by birth, fortune, or talents, at Versailles; that is + what is called the States General. When they were assembled they + required concessions of me which I could not make, either with due + respect for myself or with justice to you, who will be my successor; + wicked men inducing the people to rise have occasioned the excesses of + the last few days; the people must not be blamed for them." + </p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> <a name="pb144" id="pb144"></a> + <div class="fig" style="width:80%;"> + <img alt="pb144.jpg (97K)" src="images/pb144.jpg" width="100%" /><br /> + </div> + <p> + The Queen made the young Prince clearly comprehend that he ought to + treat the commanders of battalions, the officers of the National + Guard, and all the Parisians who were about him, with affability; + the child took great pains to please all those people, and when he + had had an opportunity of replying obligingly to the mayor or + members of the commune he came and whispered in his mother's ear, + "Was that right?" + </p> + <p> + He requested M. Bailly to show him the shield of Scipio, which is in + the royal library; and M. Bailly asking him which he preferred, + Scipio or Hannibal, the young Prince replied, without hesitation, + that he preferred him who had defended his own country. He gave + frequent proofs of ready wit. One day, while the Queen was hearing + Madame repeat her exercises in ancient history, the young Princess + could not at the moment recollect the name of the Queen of Carthage; + the Dauphin was vexed at his sister's want of memory, and though he + never spoke to her in the second person singular, he bethought + himself of the expedient of saying to her, "But 'dis donc' the name + of the Queen, to mamma; 'dis donc' what her name was." + </p> + <p> + Shortly after the arrival of the King and his family at Paris the + Duchesse de Luynes came, in pursuance of the advice of a committee + of the Constitutional Assembly, to propose to the Queen a temporary + retirement from France, in order to leave the constitution to + perfect itself, so that the patriots should not accuse her of + influencing the King to oppose it. The Duchess knew how far the + schemes of the conspirers extended, and her attachment to the Queen + was the principal cause of the advice she gave her. The Queen + perfectly comprehended the Duchesse de Luynes's motive; but replied + that she would never leave either the King or her son; that if she + thought herself alone obnoxious to public hatred she would instantly + offer her life as a sacrifice;—but that it was the throne + which was aimed at, and that, in abandoning the King, she should be + merely committing an act of cowardice, since she saw no other + advantage in it than that of saving her own life. + </p> + <p> + One evening, in the month of November, 1790, I returned home rather + late; I there found the Prince de Poix; he told me he came to + request me to assist him in regaining his peace of mind; that at the + commencement of the sittings of the National Assembly he had + suffered himself to be seduced into the hope of a better order of + things; that he blushed for his error, and that he abhorred plans + which had already produced such fatal results; that he broke with + the reformers for the rest of his life; that he had given in his + resignation as a deputy of the National Assembly; and, finally, that + he was anxious that the Queen should not sleep in ignorance of his + sentiments. I undertook his commission, and acquitted myself of it + in the best way I could; but I was totally unsuccessful. The Prince + de Poix remained at Court; he there suffered many mortifications, + never ceasing to serve the King in the most dangerous commissions + with that zeal for which his house has always been distinguished. + </p> + <p> + When the King, the Queen, and the children were suitably established + at the Tuileries, as well as Madame Elisabeth and the Princesse de + Lamballe, the Queen resumed her usual habits; she employed her + mornings in superintending the education of Madame, who received all + her lessons in her presence, and she herself began to work large + pieces of tapestry. Her mind was too much occupied with passing + events and surrounding dangers to admit her of applying herself to + reading; the needle was the only employment which could divert her. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [There was long preserved at Paris, in the house of Mademoiselle + Dubuquois, a tapestry-worker, a carpet worked by the Queen and + Madame Elisabeth for the large room of her Majesty's ground-floor + apartments at the Tuileries. The Empress Josephine saw and admired + this carpet, and desired it might be taken care of, in the hope of + one day sending it to Madame—MADAME CAMPAN.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + She received the Court twice a week before going to mass, and on + those days dined in public with the King; she spent the rest of the + time with her family and children; she had no concert, and did not + go to the play until 1791, after the acceptation of the + constitution. The Princesse de Lamballe, however, had some evening + parties in her apartments at the Tuileries, which were tolerably + brilliant in consequence of the great number of persons who attended + them. The Queen was present at a few of these assemblies; but being + soon convinced that her present situation forbade her appearing much + in public, she remained at home, and conversed as she sat at work. + The sole topic of her discourse was, as may well be supposed, the + Revolution. She sought to discover the real opinions of the + Parisians respecting her, and how she could have so completely lost + the affections of the people, and even of many persons in the higher + ranks. She well knew that she ought to impute the whole to the + spirit of party, to the hatred of the Duc d'Orleans, and the folly + of the French, who desired to have a total change in the + constitution; but she was not the less desirous of ascertaining the + private feelings of all the people in power. + </p> + <p> + From the very commencement of the Revolution General Luckner + indulged in violent sallies against her. Her Majesty, knowing that I + was acquainted with a lady who had been long connected with the + General, desired me to discover through that channel what was the + private motive on which Luckner's hatred against her was founded. On + being questioned upon this point, he answered that Marechal de Segur + had assured him he had proposed him for the command of a camp of + observation, but that the Queen had made a bar against his name; and + that this 'par', as he called it, in his German accent, he could not + forget. + </p> + <p> + The Queen ordered me to repeat this reply to the King myself, and + said to him: "See, Sire, whether I was not right in telling you that + your ministers, in order to give themselves full scope in the + distribution of favours, persuaded the French that I interfered in + everything; there was not a single license given out in the country + for the sale of salt or tobacco but the people believed it was given + to one of my favourites." + </p> + <p> + "That is very, true," replied the King; "but I find it very + difficult to believe that Marechal de Segur ever said any such thing + to Luckner; he knew too well that you never interfered in the + distribution of favours. + </p> + <p> + "That Luckner is a good-for-nothing fellow, and Segur is a brave and + honourable man who never uttered such a falsehood; however, you are + right; and because you provided for a few dependents, you are most + unjustly reported to have disposed of all offices, civil and + military." + </p> + <p> + All the nobility who had not left Paris made a point of presenting + themselves assiduously to the King, and there was a considerable + influx to the Tuileries. Marks of attachment were exhibited even in + external symbols; the women wore enormous bouquets of lilies in + their bosoms and upon their heads, and sometimes even bunches of + white ribbon. At the play there were often disputes between the pit + and the boxes about removing these ornaments, which the people + thought dangerous emblems. National cockades were sold in every + corner of Paris; the sentinels stopped all who did not wear them; + the young men piqued themselves upon breaking through this + regulation, which was in some degree sanctioned by the acquiescence + of Louis XVI. Frays took place, which were to be regretted, because + they excited a spirit of lawlessness. The King adopted conciliatory + measures with the Assembly in order to promote tranquillity; the + revolutionists were but little disposed to think him sincere; + unfortunately the royalists encouraged this incredulity by + incessantly repeating that the King was not free, and that all that + he did was completely null, and in no way bound him for the time to + come. Such was the heat and violence of party spirit that persons + the most sincerely attached to the King were not even permitted to + use the language of reason, and recommend greater reserve in + conversation. People would talk and argue at table without + considering that all the servants belonged to the hostile army; and + it may truly be said there was as much imprudence and levity in the + party assailed as there was cunning, boldness, and perseverance in + that which made the attack. + </p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + <h2> + CHAPTER III. + </h2> + <br /><br /> + <p> + In February, 1790, another matter gave the Court much uneasiness; a + zealous individual of the name of Favras had conceived the scheme of + carrying off the King, and affecting a counter-revolution. Monsieur, + probably out of mere benevolence, gave him some money, and thence + arose a report that he thereby wished to favour the execution of the + enterprise. The step taken by Monsieur in going to the Hotel de + Ville to explain himself on this matter was unknown to the Queen; it + is more than probable that the King was acquainted with it. When + judgment was pronounced upon M. de Favras the Queen did not conceal + from me her fears about the confessions of the unfortunate man in + his last moments. + </p> + <p> + I sent a confidential person to the Hotel de Ville; she came to + inform the Queen that the condemned had demanded to be taken from + Notre-Dame to the Hotel de Ville to make a final declaration, and + give some particulars verifying it. These particulars compromised + nobody; Favras corrected his last will after writing it, and went to + the scaffold with heroic courage and coolness. The judge who read + his condemnation to him told him that his life was a sacrifice which + he owed to public tranquillity. It was asserted at the time that + Favras was given up as a victim in order to satisfy the people and + save the Baron de Besenval, who was a prisoner in the Abbaye. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [Thomas Mahy, Marquis de Favras, was accused in the month of + December, 1789, of having conspired against the Revolution. Having + been arrested by order of the committee of inquiry of the National + Assembly, he was transferred to the Chatelet, where he defended + himself with much coolness and presence of mind, repelling the + accusations brought against him by Morel, Turcati, and Marquis, + with considerable force. These witnesses declared he had imparted + his plan to them; it was to be carried into execution by 12,000 + Swiss and 12,000 Germans, who were to be assembled at Montargis, + thence to march upon Paris, carry off the King, and assassinate + Bailly, La Fayette, and Necker. The greater number of these + charges he denied, and declared that the rest related only to the + levy of a troop intended to favour the revolution preparing in + Brabant. The judge having refused to disclose who had denounced + him, he complained to the Assembly, which passed to the order of + the day. His death was obviously inevitable. During the whole time + of the proceedings the populace never ceased threatening the + judges and shouting, "A la lanterne!" It was even necessary to + keep numerous troops and artillery constantly ready to act in the + courtyard of the Chatelet. The judges, who had just acquitted M. + de Besenval in an affair nearly similar, doubtless dreaded the + effects of this fury. When they refused to hear Favras's witnesses + in exculpation, he compared them to the tribunal of the + Inquisition. The principal charge against him was founded on a + letter from M. de Foucault, asking him, "where are your troops? in + which direction will they enter Paris? I should like to be + employed among them." Favras was condemned to make the 'amende + honorable' in front of the Cathedral, and to be hanged at the + Place de Greve. He heard this sentence with wonderful calmness, + and said to his judges, "I pity you much if the testimony of two + men is sufficient to induce you to condemn." The judge having said + to him, "I have no other consolation to hold out to you than that + which religion affords," he replied, nobly, "My greatest + consolation is that which I derive from my innocence."—"Biographic + Universelle"] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + On the morning of the Sunday following this execution M. de la + Villeurnoy came to my house to tell me that he was going that day to + the public dinner of the King and Queen to present Madame de Favras + and her son, both of them in mourning for the brave Frenchman who + fell a sacrifice for his King; and that all the royalists expected + to see the Queen load the unfortunate family with favours. I did all + that lay in my power to prevent this proceeding. I foresaw the + effect it would have upon the Queen's feeling heart, and the painful + constraint she would experience, having the horrible Santerre, the + commandant of a battalion of the Parisian guard, behind her chair + during dinner-time. I could not make M. de la Villeurnoy comprehend + my argument; the Queen was gone to mass, surrounded by her whole + Court, and I had not even means of apprising her of his intention. + </p> + <p> + When dinner was over I heard a knocking at the door of my apartment, + which opened into the corridor next that of the Queen; it was + herself. She asked me whether there was anybody with me; I was + alone; she threw herself into an armchair, and told me she came to + weep with me over the foolish conduct of the ultras of the King's + party. "We must fall," said she, "attacked as we are by men who + possess every talent and shrink from no crime, while we are defended + only by those who are no doubt very estimable, but have no adequate + idea of our situation. They have exposed me to the animosity of both + parties by presenting the widow and son of Favras to me. Were I free + to act as I wish, I should take the child of the man who has just + sacrificed himself for us and place him at table between the King + and myself; but surrounded by the assassins who have destroyed his + father, I did not dare even to cast my eyes upon him. The royalists + will blame me for not having appeared interested in this poor child; + the revolutionists will be enraged at the idea that his presentation + should have been thought agreeable to me." However, the Queen added + that she knew Madame de Favras was in want, and that she desired me + to send her next day, through a person who could be relied on, a few + rouleaus of fifty Louis, and to direct that she should be assured + her Majesty would always watch over the fortunes of herself and her + son. + </p> + <p> + In the month of March following I had an opportunity of ascertaining + the King's sentiments respecting the schemes which were continually + proposed to him for making his escape. One night about ten o'clock + Comte d'Inisdal, who was deputed by the nobility, came to request + that I would see him in private, as he had an important matter to + communicate to me. He told me that on that very night the King was + to be carried off; that the section of the National Guard, that day + commanded by M. d'Aumont, was gained over, and that sets of horses, + furnished by some good royalists, were placed in relays at suitable + distances; that he had just left a number of the nobility assembled + for the execution of this scheme, and that he had been sent to me + that I might, through the medium of the Queen, obtain the King's + positive consent to it before midnight; that the King was aware of + their plan, but that his Majesty never would speak decidedly, and + that it was necessary he should consent to the undertaking. I + greatly displeased Comte d'Inisdal by expressing my astonishment + that the nobility at the moment of the execution of so important a + project should send to me, the Queen's first woman, to obtain a + consent which ought to have been the basis of any well-concerted + scheme. I told him, also, that it would be impossible for me to go + at that time to the Queen's apartments without exciting the + attention of the people in the antechambers; that the King was at + cards with the Queen and his family, and that I never broke in upon + their privacy unless I was called for. I added, however, that M. + Campan could enter without being called; and if the Count chose to + give him his confidence he might rely upon him. + </p> + <p> + My father-in-law, to whom Comte d'Inisdal repeated what he had said + to me, took the commission upon himself, and went to the Queen's + apartments. The King was playing at whist with the Queen, Monsieur, + and Madame; Madame Elisabeth was kneeling on a stool near the table. + M. Campan informed the Queen of what had been communicated to me; + nobody uttered a word. The Queen broke silence and said to the King, + "Do you hear, Sire, what Campan says to us?"—"Yes, I hear," + said the King, and continued his game. Monsieur, who was in the + habit of introducing passages from plays into his conversation, said + to my father-in-law, "M. Campan, that pretty little couplet again, + if you please;" and pressed the King to reply. At length the Queen + said, "But something must be said to Campan." The King then spoke to + my father-in-law in these words: "Tell M. d'Inisdal that I cannot + consent to be carried off!" The Queen enjoined M. Campan to take + care and, report this answer faithfully. "You understand," added + she, "the King cannot consent to be carried off." + </p> + <p> + Comte d'Inisdal was very much dissatisfied with the King's answer, + and went out, saying, "I understand; he wishes to throw all the + blame, beforehand, upon those who are to devote themselves for him." + </p> + <p> + He went away, and I thought the enterprise would be abandoned. + However, the Queen remained alone with me till midnight, preparing + her cases of valuables, and ordered me not to go to bed. She + imagined the King's answer would be understood as a tacit consent, + and merely a refusal to participate in the design. I do not know + what passed in the King's apartments during the night; but I + occasionally looked out at the windows: I saw the garden clear; I + heard no noise in the palace, and day at length confirmed my opinion + that the project had been given up. "We must, however, fly," said + the Queen to me, shortly afterwards; "who knows how far the factious + may go? The danger increases every day." + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [The disturbances of the 13th of April, 1790, occasioned by the + warmth of the discussions upon Dom Gerle's imprudent motion in the + National Assembly, having afforded room for apprehension that the + enemies of the country would endeavour to carry off the King from + the capital, M. de La Fayette promised to keep watch, and told + Louis XVI. that if he saw any alarming movement among the + disaffected he would give him notice of it by the discharge of a + cannon from Henri IV.'s battery on the Pont Neuf. On the same + night a few casual discharges of musketry were heard from the + terrace of the Tuileries. The King, deceived by the noise, flew to + the Queen's apartments; he did not find her; he ran to the + Dauphin's room, where he found the Queen holding her son in her + arms. "Madame;" said the King to her, "I have been seeking you; + and you have made me uneasy." The Queen, showing her son, said to + him, "I was at my post."—"Anecdotes of the Reign of Louis + XVI."] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + This Princess received advice and memorials from all quarters. + Rivarol addressed several to her, which I read to her. They were + full of ingenious observations; but the Queen did not find that + they, contained anything of essential service under the + circumstances in which the royal family was placed. Comte du + Moustier also sent memorials and plans of conduct. I remember that + in one of his writings he said to the King, "Read 'Telemachus' + again, Sire; in that book which delighted your Majesty in infancy + you will find the first seeds of those principles which, erroneously + followed up by men of ardent imaginations, are bringing on the + explosion we expect every moment." I read so many of these memorials + that I could hardly give a faithful account of them, and I am + determined to note in this work no other events than such as I + witnessed; no other words than such as (notwithstanding the lapse of + time) still in some measure vibrate in my ears. + </p> + <p> + Comte de Segur, on his return from Russia, was employed some time by + the Queen, and had a certain degree of influence over her; but that + did not last long. Comte Augustus de la Marck likewise endeavoured + to negotiate for the King's advantage with the leaders of the + factious. M. de Fontanges, Archbishop of Toulouse, possessed also + the Queen's confidence; but none of the endeavours which were made + on the spot produced any, beneficial result. The Empress Catherine + II. also conveyed her opinion upon the situation of Louis XVI. to + the Queen, and her Majesty made me read a few lines in the Empress's + own handwriting, which concluded with these words: + </p> + <p> + "Kings ought to proceed in their career undisturbed by the cries of + the people, even as the moon pursues her course unimpeded by the + baying of dogs." This maxim of the despotic sovereign of Russia was + very inapplicable to the situation of a captive king. + </p> + <p> + Meanwhile the revolutionary party followed up its audacious + enterprise in a determined manner, without meeting any opposition. + The advice from without, as well from Coblentz as from Vienna, made + various impressions upon the members of the royal family, and those + cabinets were not in accordance with each other. I often had reason + to infer from what the Queen said to me that she thought the King, + by leaving all the honour of restoring order to the Coblentz party,—[The + Princes and the chief of the emigrant nobility assembled at + Coblentz, and the name was used to designate the reactionary party.]—would, + on the return of the emigrants, be put under a kind of guardianship + which would increase his own misfortunes. She frequently said to me, + "If the emigrants succeed, they will rule the roast for a long time; + it will be impossible to refuse them anything; to owe the crown to + them would be contracting too great an obligation." It always + appeared to me that she wished her own family to counterbalance the + claims of the emigrants by disinterested services. She was fearful + of M. de Calonne, and with good reason. She had proof that this + minister was her bitterest enemy, and that he made use of the most + criminal means in order to blacken her reputation. I can testify + that I have seen in the hands of the Queen a manuscript copy of the + infamous memoirs of the woman De Lamotte, which had been brought to + her from London, and in which all those passages where a total + ignorance of the customs of Courts had occasioned that wretched + woman to make blunders which would have been too palpable were + corrected in M. de Calonne's own handwriting. + </p> + <p> + The two King's Guards who were wounded at her Majesty's door on the + 6th of October were M. du Repaire and M. de Miomandre de + Sainte-Marie; on the dreadful night of the 6th of October the latter + took the post of the former the moment he became incapable of + maintaining it. + </p> + <p> + A considerable number of the Body Guards, who were wounded on the + 6th of October, betook themselves to the infirmary at Versailles. + The brigands wanted to make their way into the infirmary in order to + massacre them. M. Viosin, head surgeon of that infirmary, ran to the + entrance hall, invited the assailants to refresh themselves, ordered + wine to be brought, and found means to direct the Sister Superior to + remove the Guards into a ward appropriated to the poor, and dress + them in the caps and greatcoats furnished by the institution. The + good sisters executed this order so promptly that the Guards were + removed, dressed as paupers, and their beds made, while the + assassins were drinking. They searched all the wards, and fancied + they saw no persons there but the sick poor; thus the Guards were + saved. + </p> + <p> + M. de Miomandre was at Paris, living on terms of friendship with + another of the Guards, who, on the same day, received a gunshot + wound from the brigands in another part of the Chateau. These two + officers, who were attended and cured together at the infirmary of + Versailles, were almost constant companions; they were recognised at + the Palais Royal, and insulted. The Queen thought it necessary for + them to quit Paris. She desired me to write to M. de Miomandre de + Sainte-Marie, and tell him to come to me at eight o'clock in the + evening; and then to communicate to him her wish to hear of his + being in safety; and ordered me, when he had made up his mind to go, + to tell him in her name that gold could not repay such a service as + he had rendered; that she hoped some day to be in sufficiently happy + circumstances to recompense him as she ought; but that for the + present her offer of money was only that of a sister to a brother + situated as he then was, and that she requested he would take + whatever might be necessary to discharge his debts at Paris and + defray the expenses of his journey. She told me also to desire he + would bring his friend Bertrand with him, and to make him the same + offer. + </p> + <p> + The two Guards came at the appointed hour, and accepted, I think, + each one or two hundred louis. A moment afterwards the Queen opened + my door; she was accompanied by the King and Madame Elisabeth; the + King stood with his back against the fireplace; the Queen sat down + upon a sofa and Madame Elisabeth sat near her; I placed myself + behind the Queen, and the two Guards stood facing the King. The + Queen told them that the King wished to see before they went away + two of the brave men who had afforded him the strongest proofs of + courage and attachment. Miomandre said all that the Queen's + affecting observations were calculated to inspire. Madame Elisabeth + spoke of the King's gratitude; the Queen resumed the subject of + their speedy departure, urging the necessity of it; the King was + silent; but his emotion was evident, and his eyes were suffused with + tears. The Queen rose, the King went out, and Madame Elisabeth + followed him; the Queen stopped and said to me, in the recess of a + window, "I am sorry I brought the King here! I am sure Elisabeth + thinks with me; if the King had but given utterance to a fourth part + of what he thinks of those brave men they would have been in + ecstacies; but he cannot overcome his diffidence." + </p> + <p> + The Emperor Joseph died about this time. The Queen's grief was not + excessive; that brother of whom she had been so proud, and whom she + had loved so tenderly, had probably suffered greatly in her opinion; + she reproached him sometimes, though with moderation, for having + adopted several of the principles of the new philosophy, and perhaps + she knew that he looked upon our troubles with the eye of the + sovereign of Germany rather than that of the brother of the Queen of + France. + </p> + <p> + The Emperor on one occasion sent the Queen an engraving which + represented unfrocked nuns and monks. The first were trying on + fashionable dresses, the latter were having their hair arranged; the + picture was always left in the closet, and never hung up. The Queen + told me to have it taken away; for she was hurt to see how much + influence the philosophers had over her brother's mind and actions. + </p> + <p> + Mirabeau had not lost the hope of becoming the last resource of the + oppressed Court; and at this time some communications passed between + the Queen and him. The question was about an office to be conferred + upon him. This transpired, and it must have been about this period + that the Assembly decreed that no deputy could hold an office as a + minister of the King until the expiration of two years after the + cessation of his legislative functions. I know that the Queen was + much hurt at this decision, and considered that the Court had lost a + promising opening. + </p> + <p> + The palace of the Tuileries was a very disagreeable residence during + the summer, which made the Queen wish to go to St. Cloud. The + removal was decided on without any opposition; the National Guard of + Paris followed the Court thither. At this period new opportunities + of escape were presented; nothing would have been more easy than to + execute them. The King had obtained leave (!) to go out without + guards, and to be accompanied only by an aide-de-camp of M. de La + Fayette. The Queen also had one on duty with her, and so had the + Dauphin. The King and Queen often went out at four in the afternoon, + and did not return until eight or nine. + </p> + <p> + I will relate one of the plans of emigration which the Queen + communicated to me, the success of which seemed infallible. The + royal family were to meet in a wood four leagues from St. Cloud; + some persons who could be fully relied on were to accompany the + King, who was always followed by his equerries and pages; the Queen + was to join him with her daughter and Madame Elisabeth. These + Princesses, as well as the Queen, had equerries and pages, of whose + fidelity no doubt could be entertained. The Dauphin likewise was to + be at the place of rendezvous with Madame de Tourzel; a large berlin + and a chaise for the attendants were sufficient for the whole + family; the aides-de-camp were to have been gained over or mastered. + The King was to leave a letter for the President of the National + Assembly on his bureau at St. Cloud. The people in the service of + the King and Queen would have waited until nine in the evening + without anxiety, because the family sometimes did not return until + that hour. The letter could not be forwarded to Paris until ten + o'clock at the earliest. The Assembly would not then be sitting; the + President must have been sought for at his own house or elsewhere; + it would have been midnight before the Assembly could have been + summoned and couriers sent off to have the royal family stopped; but + the latter would have been six or seven hours in advance, as they + would have started at six leagues' distance from Paris; and at this + period travelling was not yet impeded in France. + </p> + <p> + The Queen approved of this plan; but I did not venture to + interrogate her, and I even thought if it were put in execution she + would leave me in ignorance of it. One evening in the month of June + the people of the Chateau, finding the King did not return by nine + o'clock, were walking about the courtyards in a state of great + anxiety. I thought the family, was gone, and I could scarcely + breathe amidst the confusion of my good wishes, when I heard the + sound of the carriages. I confessed to the Queen that I thought she + had set off; she told me she must wait until Mesdames the King's + aunts had quitted France, and afterwards see whether the plan agreed + with those formed abroad. + </p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + <h2> + CHAPTER IV. + </h2> + <br /><br /> + <p> + There was a meeting at Paris for the first federation on the 14th of + July, 1790, the anniversary of the taking of the Bastille. What an + astonishing assemblage of four hundred thousand men, of whom there + were not perhaps two hundred who did not believe that the King found + happiness and glory in the order of things then being established. + The love which was borne him by all, with the exception of those who + meditated his ruin, still reigned in the hearts of the French in the + departments; but if I may judge from those whom I had an opportunity + of seeing, it was totally impossible to enlighten them; they were as + much attached to the King as to the constitution, and to the + constitution as to the King; and it was impossible to separate the + one from the other in their hearts and minds. + </p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> <a name="pb080" id="pb080"></a> + <div class="fig" style="width:80%;"> + <img alt="pb080.jpg (89K)" src="images/pb080.jpg" width="100%" /><br /> + </div> + <p> + The Court returned to St. Cloud after the federation. A wretch, + named Rotondo, made his way into the palace with the intention of + assassinating the Queen. It is known that he penetrated to the + inner gardens: the rain prevented her Majesty from going out that + day. M. de La Fayette, who was aware of this plot, gave all the + sentinels the strictest orders, and a description of the monster + was distributed throughout the palace by order of the General. I + do not know how he was saved from punishment. The police belonging + to the King discovered that there was likewise a scheme on foot + for poisoning the Queen. She spoke to me, as well as to her head + physician, M. Vicq-d'Azyr, about it, without the slightest + emotion, but both he and I consulted what precautions it would be + proper to take. He relied much upon the Queen's temperance; yet he + recommended me always to have a bottle of oil of sweet almonds + within reach, and to renew it occasionally, that oil and milk + being, as is known, the most certain antidotes to the + divellication of corrosive poisons. + </p> + <p> + The Queen had a habit which rendered M. Vicq-d'Azyr particularly + uneasy: there was always some pounded sugar upon the table in her + Majesty's bedchamber; and she frequently, without calling anybody, + put spoonfuls of it into a glass of water when she wished to + drink. It was agreed that I should get a considerable quantity of + sugar powdered; that I should always have some papers of it in my + bag, and that three or four times a day, when alone in the Queen's + room, I should substitute it for that in her sugar-basin. We knew + that the Queen would have prevented all such precautions, but we + were not aware of her reason. One day she caught me alone making + this exchange, and told me, she supposed it was agreed on between + myself and M. Vicq-d'Azyr, but that I gave myself very unnecessary + trouble. "Remember," added she, "that not a grain of poison will + be put in use against me. The Brinvilliers do not belong to this + century: this age possesses calumny, which is a much more + convenient instrument of death; and it is by that I shall perish." + </p> + <p> + Even while melancholy presentiments afflicted this unfortunate + Princess, manifestations of attachment to her person, and to the + King's cause, would frequently raise agreeable illusions in her + mind, or present to her the affecting spectacle of tears shed for + her sorrows. I was one day, during this same visit to St. Cloud, + witness of a very touching scene, which we took great care to keep + secret. It was four in the afternoon; the guard was not set; there + was scarcely anybody at St. Cloud that day, and I was reading to + the Queen, who was at work in a room the balcony of which hung + over the courtyard. The windows were closed, yet we heard a sort + of inarticulate murmur from a great number of voices. The Queen + desired me to go and see what it was; I raised the muslin curtain, + and perceived more than fifty persons beneath the balcony: this + group consisted of women, young and old, perfectly well dressed in + the country costume, old chevaliers of St. Louis, young knights of + Malta, and a few ecclesiastics. I told the Queen it was probably + an assemblage of persons residing in the neighbourhood who wished + to see her. She rose, opened the window, and appeared in the + balcony; immediately all these worthy people said to her, in an + undertone: "Courage, Madame; good Frenchmen suffer for you, and + with you; they pray for you. Heaven will hear their prayers; we + love you, we respect you, we will continue to venerate our + virtuous King." The Queen burst into tears, and held her + handkerchief to her eyes. "Poor Queen! she weeps!" said the women + and young girls; but the dread of exposing her Majesty, and even + the persons who showed so much affection for her, to observation, + prompted me to take her hand, and prevail upon her to retire into + her room; and, raising my eyes, I gave the excellent people to + understand that my conduct was dictated by prudence. They + comprehended me, for I heard, "That lady is right;" and + afterwards, "Farewell, Madame!" from several of them; and all this + in accents of feeling so true and so mournful, that I am affected + at the recollection of them even after a lapse of twenty years. + </p> + <p> + A few days afterwards the insurrection of Nancy took place. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [The insurrection of the troops at Nancy broke out in August + 1790, and was put down by Marechal de Bouille on the last day of + that month. See "Bouille," p. 195.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + Only the ostensible cause is known; there was another, of which I + might have been in full possession, if the great confusion I was + in upon the subject had not deprived me of the power of paying + attention to it. I will endeavour to make myself understood. In + the early part of September the Queen, as she was going to bed, + desired me to let all her people go, and to remain with her + myself; when we were alone she said to me, "The King will come + here at midnight. You know that he has always shown you marks of + distinction; he now proves his confidence in you by selecting you + to write down the whole affair of Nancy from his dictation. He + must have several copies of it." At midnight the King came to the + Queen's apartments, and said to me, smiling, "You did not expect + to become my secretary, and that, too, during the night." I + followed the King into the council chamber. I found there sheets + of paper, an inkstand, and pens all ready prepared. He sat down by + my side and dictated to me the report of the Marquis de Bouille, + which he himself copied at the same time. My hand trembled; I + wrote with difficulty; my reflections scarcely left me sufficient + power of attention to listen to the King. The large table, the + velvet cloth, seats which ought to have been filled by none but + the King's chief councillors; what that chamber had been, and what + it was at that moment, when the King was employing a woman in an + office which had so little affinity with her ordinary functions; + the misfortunes which had brought him to the necessity of doing + so,—all these ideas made such an impression upon me that + when I had returned to the Queen's apartments I could not sleep + for the remainder of the night, nor could I remember what I had + written. + </p> + <p> + The more I saw that I had the happiness to be of some use to my + employers, the more scrupulously careful was I to live entirely + with my family; and I never indulged in any conversation which + could betray the intimacy to which I was admitted; but nothing at + Court remains long concealed, and I soon saw I had many enemies. + The means of injuring others in the minds of sovereigns are but + too easily obtained, and they had become still more so, since the + mere suspicion of communication with partisans of the Revolution + was sufficient to forfeit the esteem and confidence of the King + and Queen; happily, my conduct protected me, with them, against + calumny. I had left St. Cloud two days, when I received at Paris a + note from the Queen, containing these words: + </p> + <p> + "Come to St. Cloud immediately; I have something concerning you to + communicate." I set off without loss of time. Her Majesty told me + she had a sacrifice to request of me; I answered that it was made. + She said it went so far as the renunciation of a friend's society; + that such a renunciation was always painful, but that it must be + particularly so to me; that, for her own part, it might have been + very useful that a deputy, a man of talent, should be constantly + received at my house; but at this moment she thought only of my + welfare. The Queen then informed me that the ladies of the + bedchamber had, the preceding evening, assured her that M. de + Beaumetz, deputy from the nobility of Artois, who had taken his + seat on the left of the Assembly, spent his whole time at my + house. Perceiving on what false grounds the attempt to injure, me + was based, I replied respectfully, but at the same time smiling, + that it was impossible for me to make the sacrifice exacted by her + Majesty; that M. de Beaumetz, a man of great judgment, had not + determined to cross over to the left of the Assembly with the + intention of afterwards making himself unpopular by spending his + time with the Queen's first woman; and that, ever since the 1st of + October, 1789, I had seen him nowhere but at the play, or in the + public walks, and even then without his ever coming to speak to + me; that this line of conduct had appeared to me perfectly + consistent: for whether he was desirous to please the popular + party, or to be sought after by the Court, he could not act in any + other way towards me. The Queen closed this explanation by saying, + "Oh! it is clear, as clear as the day! this opportunity for trying + to do you an injury is very ill chosen; but be cautious in your + slightest actions; you perceive that the confidence placed in you + by the King and myself raises you up powerful enemies." + </p> + <p> + The private communications which were still kept up between the + Court and Mirabeau at length procured him an interview with the + Queen, in the gardens of St. Cloud. He left Paris on horseback, on + pretence of going into the country, to M. de Clavieres, one of his + friends; but he stopped at one of the gates of the gardens of St. + Cloud, and was led to a spot situated in the highest part of the + private garden, where the Queen was waiting for him. She told me + she accosted him by saying, "With a common enemy, with a man who + had sworn to destroy monarchy without appreciating its utility + among a great people, I should at this moment be guilty of a most + ill-advised step; but in speaking to a Mirabeau," etc. The poor + Queen was delighted at having discovered this method of exalting + him above all others of his principles; and in imparting the + particulars of this interview to me she said, "Do you know that + those words, 'a Mirabeau,' appeared to flatter him exceedingly." + On leaving the Queen he said to her with warmth, "Madame, the + monarchy is saved!" It must have been soon afterwards that + Mirabeau received considerable sums of money. He showed it too + plainly by the increase of his expenditure. Already did some of + his remarks upon the necessity of arresting the progress of the + democrats circulate in society. Being once invited to meet a + person at dinner who was very much attached to the Queen, he + learned that that person withdrew on hearing that he was one of + the guests; the party who invited him told him this with some + degree of satisfaction; but all were very much astonished when + they heard Mirabeau eulogise the absent guest, and declare that in + his place he would have done the same; but, he added, they had + only to invite that person again in a few months, and he would + then dine with the restorer of the monarchy. Mirabeau forgot that + it was more easy to do harm than good, and thought himself the + political Atlas of the whole world. + </p> + <p> + Outrages and mockery were incessantly mingled with the audacious + proceedings of the revolutionists. It was customary to give + serenades under the King's windows on New Year's Day. The band of + the National Guard repaired thither on that festival in 1791; in + allusion to the liquidation of the debts of the State, decreed by + the Assembly, they played solely, and repeatedly, that air from + the comic opera of the "Debts," the burden of which is, "But our + creditors are paid, and that makes us easy." + </p> + <p> + On the same day some "conquerors of the Bastille," grenadiers of + the Parisian guard, preceded by military music, came to present to + the young Dauphin, as a New Year's gift, a box of dominoes, made + of some of the stone and marble of which that state prison was + built. The Queen gave me this inauspicious curiosity, desiring me + to preserve it, as it would be a curious illustration of the + history of the Revolution. Upon the lid were engraved some bad + verses, the purport of which was as follows: "Stones from those + walls, which enclosed the innocent victims of arbitrary power, + have been converted into a toy, to be presented to you, + Monseigneur, as a mark of the people's love; and to teach you + their power." + </p> + <p> + The Queen said that M. de La Fayette's thirst for popularity + induced him to lend himself, without discrimination, to all + popular follies. Her distrust of the General increased daily, and + grew so powerful that when, towards the end of the Revolution, he + seemed willing to support the tottering throne, she could never + bring herself to incur so great an obligation to him. + </p> + <p> + M. de J——-, a colonel attached to the staff of the + army, was fortunate enough to render several services to the + Queen, and acquitted himself with discretion and dignity of + various important missions. + </p> + <p> + [During the Queen's detention in the Temple he introduced himself + Into that prison in the dress of a lamplighter, and there + discharged his duty unrecognised.—MADAME CAMPAN.] + </p> + <p> + Their Majesties had the highest confidence in him, although it + frequently happened that his prudence, when inconsiderate projects + were under discussion, brought upon him the charge of adopting the + principles of the constitutionals. Being sent to Turin, he had + some difficulty in dissuading the Princes from a scheme they had + formed at that period of reentering France, with a very weak army, + by way of Lyons; and when, in a council which lasted till three + o'clock in the morning, he showed his instructions, and + demonstrated that the measure would endanger the King, the Comte + d'Artois alone declared against the plan, which emanated from the + Prince de Conde. + </p> + <p> + Among the persons employed in subordinate situations, whom the + critical circumstances of the times involved in affairs of + importance, was M. de Goguelat, a geographical engineer at + Versailles, and an excellent draughtsman. He made plans of St. + Cloud and Trianon for the Queen; she was very much pleased with + them, and had the engineer admitted into the staff of the army. At + the commencement of the Revolution he was sent to Count Esterhazy, + at Valenciennes, in the capacity of aide-de-camp. The latter rank + was given him solely to get him away from Versailles, where his + rashness endangered the Queen during the earlier months of the + Assembly of the States General. Making a parade of his devotion to + the King's interests, he went repeatedly to the tribunes of the + Assembly, and there openly railed at all the motions of the + deputies, and then returned to the Queen's antechamber, where he + repeated all that he had just heard, or had had the imprudence to + say. Unfortunately, at the same time that the Queen sent away M. + de Goguelat, she still believed that, in a dangerous predicament, + requiring great self-devotion, the man might be employed + advantageously. In 1791 he was commissioned to act in concert with + the Marquis de Bouille in furtherance of the King's intended + escape. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [See the "Memoirs" of M. de Bouille, those of the Duc de + Choiseul, and the account of the journey to Varennes, by M. de + Fontanges, in "Weber's Memoirs."—NOTE BY THE EDITOR.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + Projectors in great numbers endeavoured to introduce themselves + not only to the Queen, but to Madame Elisabeth, who had + communications with many individuals who took upon themselves to + make plans for the conduct of the Court. The Baron de Gilliers and + M. de Vanoise were of this description; they went to the Baronne + de Mackau's, where the Princess spent almost all her evenings. The + Queen did not like these meetings, where Madame Elisabeth might + adopt views in opposition to the King's intentions or her own. + </p> + <p> + The Queen gave frequent audiences to M. de La Fayette. One day, + when he was in her inner closet, his aides-de-camp, who waited for + him, were walking up and down the great room where the persons in + attendance remained. Some imprudent young women were thoughtless + enough to say, with the intention of being overheard by those + officers, that it was very alarming to see the Queen alone with a + rebel and a brigand. I was annoyed at their indiscretion, and + imposed silence on them. One of them persisted in the appellation + "brigand." I told her that M. de La Fayette well deserved the name + of rebel, but that the title of leader of a party was given by + history to every man commanding forty thousand men, a capital, and + forty leagues of country; that kings had frequently treated with + such leaders, and if it was convenient to the Queen to do the + same, it remained for us only to be silent and respect her + actions. On the morrow the Queen, with a serious air; but with the + greatest kindness, asked what I had said respecting M. de La + Fayette on the preceding day; adding that she had been assured I + had enjoined her women silence, because they did not like him, and + that I had taken his part. I repeated what had passed to the + Queen, word for word. She condescended to tell me that I had done + perfectly right. + </p> + <p> + Whenever any false reports respecting me were conveyed to her she + was kind enough to inform me of them; and they had no effect on + the confidence with which she continued to honour me, and which I + am happy to think I have justified even at the risk of my life. + </p> + <p> + Mesdames, the King's aunts, set out from Bellevue in the beginning + of the year 1791. Alexandre Berthier, afterwards Prince de + Neufchatel, then a colonel on the staff of the army, and + commandant of the National Guard of Versailles, facilitated the + departure of Mesdames. The Jacobins of that town procured his + dismissal, and he ran the greatest risk, on account of having + rendered this service to these Princesses. + </p> + <p> + I went to take leave of Madame Victoire. I little thought that I + was then seeing her for the last time. She received me alone in + her closet, and assured me that she hoped, as well as wished, soon + to return to France; that the French would be much to be pitied if + the excesses of the Revolution should arrive at such a pitch as to + force her to prolong her absence. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [General Berthier justified the monarch's confidence by a firm + and prudent line of conduct which entitled him to the highest + military honours, and to the esteem of the great warrior whose + fortune, dangers, and glory he afterwards shared. This officer, + full of honour, and gifted with the highest courage, was shut + into the courtyard of Bellevue by his own troop, and ran great + risk of being murdered. It was not until the 14th of March that + he succeeded in executing his instructions ("Memoirs of + Mesdames," by Montigny, vol. i.)] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + I knew from the Queen that the departure of Mesdames was deemed + necessary, in order to leave the King free to act when he should + be compelled to go away with his family. It being impossible that + the constitution of the clergy should be otherwise than in direct + opposition to the religious principles of Mesdames, they thought + their journey to Rome would be attributed to piety alone. It was, + however, difficult to deceive an Assembly which weighed the + slightest actions of the royal family, and from that moment they + were more than ever alive to what was passing at the Tuileries. + </p> + <p> + Mesdames were desirous of taking Madame Elisabeth to Rome. The + free exercise of religion, the happiness of taking refuge with the + head of the Church, and the prospect of living in safety with her + aunts, whom she tenderly loved, were sacrificed by that virtuous + Princess to her attachment to the King. + </p> + <p> + The oath required of priests by the civil constitution of the + clergy introduced into France a division which added to the + dangers by which the King was already surrounded. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [The priests were required to swear to the civil constitution of + the clergy of 1790, by which all the former bishoprics and + parishes were remodelled, and the priests and bishops elected by + the people. Most refused, and under the name of 'pretres + insermentes' (as opposed to the few who took the oath, 'pretres + assermentes') were bitterly persecuted. A simple promise to obey + the constitution of the State was substituted by Napoleon as + soon as he came to power.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + Mirabeau spent a whole night with the cure of St. Eustache, + confessor of the King and Queen, to persuade him to take the oath + required by that constitution. Their Majesties chose another + confessor, who remained unknown. + </p> + <p> + A few months afterwards (2d April, 1791), the too celebrated + Mirabeau, the mercenary democrat and venal royalist, terminated + his career. The Queen regretted him, and was astonished at her own + regret; but she had hoped that he who had possessed adroitness and + weight enough to throw everything into confusion would have been + able by the same means to repair the mischief he had caused. Much + has been said respecting the cause of Mirabeau's death. M. + Cabanis, his friend and physician, denied that he was poisoned. M. + Vicq-d'Azyr assured the Queen that the 'proces-verbal' drawn up on + the state of the intestines would apply just as well to a case of + death produced by violent remedies as to one produced by poison. + He said, also, that the report had been faithful; but that it was + prudent to conclude it by a declaration of natural death, since, + in the critical state in which France then was, if a suspicion of + foul play were admitted, a person innocent of any such crime might + be sacrificed to public vengeance. + </p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + <h2> + CHAPTER V. + </h2> + <br /><br /> + <p> + In the beginning of the spring of 1791, the King, tired of + remaining at the Tuileries, wished to return to St. Cloud. His + whole household had already gone, and his dinner was prepared + there. He got into his carriage at one; the guard mutinied, shut + the gates, and declared they would not let him pass. This event + certainly proceeded from some suspicion of a plan to escape. Two + persons who drew near the King's carriage were very ill treated. + My father-in-law was violently laid hold of by the guards, who + took his sword from him. The King and his family were obliged to + alight and return to their apartments. + </p> + <p> + They did not much regret this outrage in their hearts; they saw in + it a justification, even in the eyes of the people, of their + intention to leave Paris. + </p> + <p> + So early as the month of March in the same year, the Queen began + to busy herself in preparing for her departure. I spent that month + with her, and executed a great number of secret orders which she + gave me respecting the intended event. It was with uneasiness that + I saw her occupied with cares which seemed to me useless, and even + dangerous, and I remarked to her that the Queen of France would + find linen and gowns everywhere. My observations were made in + vain; she determined to have a complete wardrobe with her at + Brussels, as well for her children as herself. I went out alone + and almost disguised to purchase the articles necessary and have + them made up. + </p> + <p> + I ordered six chemises at the shop of one seamstress, six at that + of another, gowns, combing cloths, etc. My sister had a complete + set of clothes made for Madame, by the measure of her eldest + daughter, and I ordered clothes for the Dauphin from those of my + son. I filled a trunk with these things, and addressed them, by + the Queen's orders, to one of her women, my aunt, Madame Cardon,—a + widow living at Arras, by virtue of an unlimited leave of absence,—in + order that she might be ready to start for Brussels, or any other + place, as soon as she should be directed to do so. This lady had + landed property in Austrian Flanders, and could at any time quit + Arras unobserved. + </p> + <p> + The Queen was to take only her first woman in attendance with her + from Paris. She apprised me that if I should not be on duty at the + moment of departure, she would make arrangements for my joining + her. She determined also to take her travelling dressing-case. She + consulted me on her idea of sending it off, under pretence of + making a present of it to the Archduchess Christina, Gouvernante + of the Netherlands. I ventured to oppose this plan strongly, and + observed that, amidst so many people who watched her slightest + actions, there would be found a sufficient number sharp-sighted + enough to discover that it was only a pretext for sending away the + property in question before her own departure; she persisted in + her intention, and all I could arrange was that the dressing-case + should not be removed from her apartment, and that M. de charge + d'afaires from the Court of Vienna during the absence of the Comte + de Mercy, should come and ask her, at her toilet, before all her + people, to order one exactly like her own for Madame the + Gouvernante of the Netherlands. The Queen, therefore, commanded me + before the charge d'affaires to order the article in question. + This occasioned only an expense of five hundred louis, and + appeared calculated to lull suspicion completely. + </p> + <p> + About the middle of May, 1791, a month after the Queen had ordered + me to bespeak the dressing-case, she asked me whether it would + soon be finished. I sent for the ivory-turner who had it in hand. + He could not complete it for six weeks. I informed the Queen of + this, and she told me she should not be able to wait for it, as + she was to set out in the course of June. She added that, as she + had ordered her sister's dressing-case in the presence of all her + attendants, she had taken a sufficient precaution, especially by + saying that her sister was out of patience at not receiving it, + and that therefore her own must be emptied and cleaned, and taken + to the charge d'affaires, who would send it off. I executed this + order without any, appearance of mystery. I desired the wardrobe + woman to take out of the dressing-case all that it contained, + because that intended for the Archduchess could not be finished + for some time; and to take great care to leave no remains of the + perfumes which might not suit that Princess. + </p> + <p> + The woman in question executed her commission punctually; but, on + the evening of that very day, the 15th of May, 1791, she informed + M. Bailly, the Mayor of Paris, that preparations were making at + the Queen's residence for a departure; and that the dressing-case + was already sent off, under pretence of its being presented to the + Archduchess Christina. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [After the return from Varennes M. Bailly put this woman's + deposition into the Queen's hands.—MADAME CAMPAN.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + It was necessary, likewise, to send off all the diamonds belonging + to the Queen. Her Majesty shut herself up with me in a closet in + the entresol, looking into the garden of the Tuileries, and we + packed all the diamonds, rubies, and pearls she possessed in a + small chest. The cases containing these ornaments, being + altogether of considerable bulk, had been deposited, ever since + the 6th of October, 1789, with the valet de chambre who had the + care of the Queen's jewels. That faithful servant, himself + detecting the use that was to be made of the valuables, destroyed + all the boxes, which were, as usual, covered with red morocco, + marked with the cipher and arms of France. It would have been + impossible for him to hide them from the eyes of the popular + inquisitors during the domiciliary visits in January, 1793, and + the discovery might have formed a ground of accusation against the + Queen. + </p> + <p> + I had but a few articles to place in the box when the Queen was + compelled to desist from packing it, being obliged to go down to + cards, which began at seven precisely. She therefore desired me to + leave all the diamonds upon the sofa, persuaded that, as she took + the key of her closet herself, and there was a sentinel under the + window, no danger was to be apprehended for that night, and she + reckoned upon returning very early next day to finish the work. + </p> + <p> + The same woman who had given information of the sending away of + the dressing-case was also deputed by the Queen to take care of + her more private rooms. No other servant was permitted to enter + them; she renewed the flowers, swept the carpets, etc. The Queen + received back the key, when the woman had finished putting them in + order, from her own hands; but, desirous of doing her duty well, + and sometimes having the key in her possession for a few minutes + only, she had probably on that account ordered one without the + Queen's knowledge. It is impossible not to believe this, since the + despatch of the diamonds was the subject of a second accusation + which the Queen heard of after the return from Varennes. She made + a formal declaration that her Majesty, with the assistance of + Madame Campan, had packed up all her jewelry some time before the + departure; that she was certain of it, as she had found the + diamonds, and the cotton which served to wrap them, scattered upon + the sofa in the Queen's closet in the 'entresol'; and most + assuredly she could only have seen these preparations in the + interval between seven in the evening and seven in the morning. + The Queen having met me next day at the time appointed, the box + was handed over to Leonard, her Majesty's hairdresser,—[This + unfortunate man, after having emigrated for some time, returned to + France, and perished upon the scaffold.—NOTE BY EDITOR]—who + left the country with the Duc de Choiseul. The box remained a long + time at Brussels, and at length got into the hands of Madame la + Duchesse d'Angouleme, being delivered to her by the Emperor on her + arrival at Vienna. + </p> + <p> + In order not to leave out any of the Queen's diamonds, I requested + the first tirewoman to give me the body of the full dress, and all + the assortment which served for the stomacher of the full dress on + days of state, articles which always remained at the wardrobe. + </p> + <p> + The superintendent and the dame d'honneur being absent, the first + tirewoman required me to sign a receipt, the terms of which she + dictated, and which acquitted her of all responsibility for these + diamonds. She had the prudence to burn this document on the 10th + of August, 1792.—[The date of the sack of the Tuileries and + slaughter of the Swiss Guard]—The Queen having determined, + upon the arrest at Varennes, not to have her diamonds brought back + to France, was often anxious about them during the year which + elapsed between that period and the 10th of August, and dreaded + above all things that such a secret should be discovered. + </p> + <p> + In consequence of a decree of the Assembly, which deprived the + King of the custody of the Crown diamonds, the Queen had at this + time already given up those which she generally used. + </p> + <p> + She preferred the twelve brilliants called Hazarins, from the name + of the Cardinal who had enriched the treasury with them, a few + rose-cut diamonds, and the Sanci. She determined to deliver, with + her own hands, the box containing them to the commissioner + nominated by the National Assembly to place them with the Crown + diamonds. After giving them to him, she offered him a row of + pearls of great beauty, saying to him that it had been brought + into France by Anne of Austria; that it was invaluable, on account + of its rarity; that, having been appropriated by that Princess to + the use of the Queens and Dauphinesses, Louis XV. had placed it in + her hands on her arrival in France; but that she considered it + national property. "That is an open question, Madame," said the + commissary. "Monsieur," replied the Queen, "it is one for me to + decide, and is now settled." + </p> + <p> + My father-in-law, who was dying of the grief he felt for the + misfortunes of his master and mistress, strongly interested and + occupied the thoughts of the Queen. He had been saved from the + fury of the populace in the courtyard of the Tuileries. + </p> + <p> + On the day on which the King was compelled by an insurrection to + give up a journey to St. Cloud, her Majesty looked upon this + trusty servant as inevitably lost, if, on going away, she should + leave him in the apartment he occupied in the Tuileries. Prompted + by her apprehensions, she ordered M. Vicq-d'Azyr, her physician, + to recommend him the waters of Mont d'Or in Auvergne, and to + persuade him to set off at the latter end of May. At the moment of + my going away the Queen assured me that the grand project would be + executed between the 15th and the 20th of June; that as it was not + my month to be on duty, Madame Thibaut would take the journey; but + that she had many directions to give me before I went. She then + desired me to write to my aunt, Madame Cardon, who was by that + time in possession of the clothes which I had ordered, that as + soon as she should receive a letter from M. Augur, the date of + which should be accompanied with a B, an L, or an M, she was to + proceed with her property to Brussels, Luxembourg, or Montmedy. + She desired me to explain the meaning of these three letters + clearly to my sister, and to leave them with her in writing, in + order that at the moment of my going away she might be able to + take my place in writing to Arras. + </p> + <p> + The Queen had a more delicate commission for me; it was to select + from among my acquaintance a prudent person of obscure rank, + wholly devoted to the interests of the Court, who would be willing + to receive a portfolio which she was to give up only to me, or + some one furnished with a note from the Queen. She added that she + would not travel with this portfolio, and that it was of the + utmost importance that my opinion of the fidelity of the person to + whom it was to be entrusted should be well founded. I proposed to + her Madame Vallayer Coster, a painter of the Academy, and an + amiable and worthy artist, whom I had known from my infancy. She + lived in the galleries of the Louvre. The choice seemed a good + one. The Queen remembered that she had made her marriage possible + by giving her a place in the financial offices, and added that + gratitude ought sometimes to be reckoned on. She then pointed out + to me the valet belonging to her toilet, whom I was to take with + me, to show him the residence of Madame Coster, so that he might + not mistake it when he should take the portfolio to her. The day + before her departure the Queen particularly recommended me to + proceed to Lyons and the frontiers as soon as she should have + started. She advised me to take with me a confidential person, fit + to remain with M. Campan when I should leave him, and assured me + that she would give orders to M. ——— to set off + as soon as she should be known to be at the frontiers in order to + protect me in going out. She condescended to add that, having a + long journey to make in foreign countries, she determined to give + me three hundred louis. + </p> + <p> + I bathed the Queen's hands with tears at the moment of this + sorrowful separation; and, having money at my disposal, I declined + accepting her gold. I did not dread the road I had to travel in + order to rejoin her; all my apprehension was that by treachery or + miscalculation a scheme, the safety of which was not sufficiently + clear to me, should fail. I could answer for all those who + belonged to the service immediately about the Queen's person, and + I was right; but her wardrobe woman gave me well-founded reason + for alarm. I mentioned to the Queen many revolutionary remarks + which this woman had made to me a few days before. Her office was + directly under the control of the first femme de chambre, yet she + had refused to obey the directions I gave her, talking insolently + to me about "hierarchy overturned, equality among men," of course + more especially among persons holding offices at Court; and this + jargon, at that time in the mouths of all the partisans of the + Revolution, was terminated by an observation which frightened me. + "You know many important secrets, madame," said this woman to me, + "and I have guessed quite as many. I am not a fool; I see all that + is going forward here in consequence of the bad advice given to + the King and Queen; I could frustrate it all if I chose." This + argument, in which I had been promptly silenced, left me pale and + trembling. Unfortunately, as I began my narrative to the Queen + with particulars of this woman's refusal to obey me,—and + sovereigns are all their lives importuned with complaints upon the + rights of places,—she believed that my own dissatisfaction + had much to do with the step I was taking; and she did not + sufficiently fear the woman. Her office, although a very inferior + one, brought her in nearly fifteen thousand francs a year. Still + young, tolerably handsome, with comfortable apartments in the + entresols of the Tuileries, she saw a great deal of company, and + in the evening had assemblies, consisting of deputies of the + revolutionary party. M. de Gouvion, major-general of the National + Guard, passed almost every day with her; and it is to be presumed + that she had long worked for the party in opposition to the Court. + The Queen asked her for the key of a door which led to the + principal vestibule of the Tuileries, telling her she wished to + have a similar one, that she might not be under the necessity of + going out through the pavilion of Flora. M. de Gouvion and M. de + La Fayette would, of course, be apprised of this circumstance, and + well-informed persons have assured me that on the very night of + the Queen's departure this wretched woman had a spy with her, who + saw the royal family set off. + </p> + <p> + As soon as I had executed all the Queen's orders, on the 30th of + May, 1791, I set out for Auvergne, and was settled in the gloomy + narrow valley of Mont d'Or, when, about four in the afternoon of + the 25th of June, I heard the beat of a drum to call the + inhabitants of the hamlet together. When it had ceased I heard a + hairdresser from Bresse proclaim in the provincial dialect of + Auvergne: "The King and Queen were taking flight in order to ruin + France, but I come to tell you that they are stopped, and are well + guarded by a hundred thousand men under arms." I still ventured to + hope that he was repeating only a false report, but he went on: + "The Queen," with her well-known haughtiness, lifted up the veil + which covered her face, and said to the citizens who were + upbraiding the King, "Well, since you recognise your sovereign, + respect him." Upon hearing these expressions, which the Jacobin + club of Clermont could not have invented, I exclaimed, "The news + is true!" + </p> + <p> + I immediately learnt that, a courier being come from Paris to + Clermont, the 'procureur' of the commune had sent off messengers + to the chief places of the canton; these again sent couriers to + the districts, and the districts in like manner informed the + villages and hamlets which they contained. It was through this + ramification, arising from the establishment of clubs, that the + afflicting intelligence of the misfortune of my sovereigns reached + me in the wildest part of France, and in the midst of the snows by + which we were environed. + </p> + <p> + On the 28th I received a note written in a hand which I recognised + as that of M. Diet,—[This officer was slain in the Queen's + chamber on the 10th of August]—usher of the Queen's chamber, + but dictated by her Majesty. It contained these words: "I am this + moment arrived; I have just got into my bath; I and my family + exist, that is all. I have suffered much. Do not return to Paris + until I desire you. Take good care of my poor Campan, soothe his + sorrow. Look for happier times." This note was for greater safety + addressed to my father-in-law's valet-de-chambre. What were my + feelings on perceiving that after the most distressing crisis we + were among the first objects of the kindness of that unfortunate + Princess! + </p> + <p> + M. Campan having been unable to benefit by the waters of Mont + d'Or, and the first popular effervescence having subsided, I + thought I might return to Clermont. The committee of surveillance, + or that of general safety, had resolved to arrest me there; but + the Abbe Louis, formerly a parliamentary counsellor, and then a + member of the Constituent Assembly, was kind enough to affirm that + I was in Auvergne solely for the purpose of attending my + father-in-law, who was extremely ill. The precautions relative to + my absence from Paris were limited to placing us under the + surveillance of the 'procureur' of the commune, who was at the + same time president of the Jacobin club; but he was also a + physician of repute, and without having any doubt that he had + received secret orders relative to me, I thought it would favour + the chances of our safety if I selected him to attend my patient. + I paid him according to the rate given to the best Paris + physicians, and I requested him to visit us every morning and + every evening. I took the precaution to subscribe to no other + newspaper than the Moniteur. Doctor Monestier (for that was the + physician's name) frequently took upon himself to read it to us. + Whenever he thought proper to speak of the King and Queen in the + insulting and brutal terms at that time unfortunately adopted + throughout France, I used to stop him and say, coolly, "Monsieur, + you are here in company with the servants of Louis XVI. and Marie + Antoinette. Whatever may be the wrongs with which the nation + believes it has to reproach them, our principles forbid our losing + sight of the respect due to them from us." Notwithstanding that he + was an inveterate patriot, he felt the force of this remark, and + even procured the revocation of a second order for our arrest, + becoming responsible for us to the committee of the Assembly, and + to the Jacobin society. + </p> + <p> + The two chief women about the Dauphin, who had accompanied the + Queen to Varennes, Diet, her usher, and Camot, her garcon de + toilette,—the women on account of the journey, and the men + in consequence of the denunciation of the woman belonging to the + wardrobe,—were sent to the prisons of the Abbaye. After my + departure the garcon de toilette whom I had taken to Madame + Vallayer Coster's was sent there with the portfolio she had agreed + to receive. This commission could not escape the detestable spy + upon the Queen. She gave information that a portfolio had been + carried out on the evening of the departure, adding that the King + had placed it upon the Queen's easy-chair, that the garcon de + toilette wrapped it up in a napkin and took it under his arm, and + that she did not know where he had carried it. The man, who was + remarkable for his fidelity, underwent three examinations without + making the slightest disclosure. M. Diet, a man of good family, a + servant on whom the Queen placed particular reliance, likewise + experienced the severest treatment. At length, after a lapse of + three weeks, the Queen succeeded in obtaining the release of her + servants. + </p> + <p> + The Queen, about the 15th of August, had me informed by letter + that I might come back to Paris without being under any + apprehension of arrest there, and that she greatly desired my + return. I brought my father-in-law back in a dying state, and on + the day preceding that of the acceptation of the constitutional + act, I informed the Queen that he was no more. "The loss of + Lassonne and Campan," said she, as she applied her handkerchief to + her streaming eyes, "has taught me how valuable such subjects are + to their masters. I shall never find their equals." + </p> + <p> + I resumed my functions about the Queen on the 1st of September, + 1791. She was unable then to converse with me on all the + lamentable events which had occurred since the time of my leaving + her, having on guard near her an officer whom she dreaded more + than all the others. She merely told me that I should have some + secret services to perform for her, and that she would not create + uneasiness by long conversations with me, my return being a + subject of suspicion. But next day the Queen, well knowing the + discretion of the officer who was to be on guard that night, had + my bed placed very near hers, and having obtained the favour of + having the door shut, when I was in bed she began the narrative of + the journey, and the unfortunate arrest at Varennes. I asked her + permission to put on my gown, and kneeling by her bedside I + remained until three o'clock in the morning, listening with the + liveliest and most sorrowful interest to the account I am about to + repeat, and of which I have seen various details, of tolerable + exactness, in papers of the time. + </p> + <p> + The King entrusted Count Fersen with all the preparations for + departure. The carriage was ordered by him; the passport, in the + name of Madame de Korf, was procured through his connection with + that lady, who was a foreigner. And lastly, he himself drove the + royal family, as their coachman, as far as Bondy, where the + travellers got into their berlin. Madame Brunier and Madame + Neuville, the first women of Madame and the Dauphin, there joined + the principal carriage. They were in a cabriolet. Monsieur and + Madame set out from the Luxembourg and took another road. They as + well as the King were recognised by the master of the last post in + France, but this man, devoting himself to the fortunes of the + Prince, left the French territory, and drove them himself as + postilion. Madame Thibaut, the Queen's first woman, reached + Brussels without the slightest difficulty. Madame Cardon, from + Arras, met with no hindrance; and Leonard, the Queen's + hairdresser, passed through Varennes a few hours before the royal + family. Fate had reserved all its obstacles for the unfortunate + monarch. + </p> + <p> + Nothing worthy of notice occurred in the beginning of the journey. + The travellers were detained a short time, about twelve leagues + from Paris, by some repairs which the carriage required. The King + chose to walk up one of the hills, and these two circumstances + caused a delay of three hours, precisely at the time when it was + intended that the berlin should have been met, just before + reaching Varennes, by the detachment commanded by M. de Goguelat. + This detachment was punctually stationed upon the spot fixed on, + with orders to wait there for the arrival of certain treasure, + which it was to escort; but the peasantry of the neighbourhood, + alarmed at the sight of this body of troops, came armed with + staves, and asked several questions, which manifested their + anxiety. M. de Goguelat, fearful of causing a riot, and not + finding the carriage arrive as he expected, divided his men into + two companies, and unfortunately made them leave the highway in + order to return to Varennes by two cross roads. The King looked + out of the carriage at Ste. Menehould, and asked several questions + concerning the road. Drouet, the post-master, struck by the + resemblance of Louis to the impression of his head upon the + assignats, drew near the carriage, felt convinced that he + recognised the Queen also, and that the remainder of the + travellers consisted of the royal family and their suite, mounted + his horse, reached Varennes by cross roads before the royal + fugitives, and gave the alarm.—[Varennes lies between Verdun + and Montmedy, and not far from the French frontier.] + </p> + <p> + The Queen began to feel all the agonies of terror; they were + augmented by the voice of a person unknown, who, passing close to + the carriage in full gallop, cried out, bending towards the window + without slackening his speed, "You are recognised!" They arrived + with beating hearts at the gates of Varennes without meeting one + of the horsemen by whom they were to have been escorted into the + place. They were ignorant where to find their relays, and some + minutes were lost in waiting, to no purpose. The cabriolet had + preceded them, and the two ladies in attendance found the bridge + already blocked up with old carts and lumber. The town guards were + all under arms. The King at last entered Varennes. M. de Goguelat + had arrived there with his detachment. He came up to the King and + asked him if he chose to effect a passage by force! What an + unlucky question to put to Louis XVI., who from the very beginning + of the Revolution had shown in every crisis the fear he + entertained of giving the least order which might cause an + effusion of blood! "Would it be a brisk action?" said the King. + "It is impossible that it should be otherwise, Sire," replied the + aide-decamp. Louis XVI. was unwilling to expose his family. They + therefore went to the house of a grocer, Mayor of Varennes. The + King began to speak, and gave a summary of his intentions in + departing, analogous to the declaration he had made at Paris. He + spoke with warmth and affability, and endeavoured to demonstrate + to the people around him that he had only put himself, by the step + he had taken, into a fit situation to treat with the Assembly, and + to sanction with freedom the constitution which he would maintain, + though many of its articles were incompatible with the dignity of + the throne, and the force by which it was necessary that the + sovereign should be surrounded. Nothing could be more affecting, + added the Queen, than this moment, in which the King felt bound to + communicate to the very humblest class of his subjects his + principles, his wishes for the happiness of his people, and the + motives which had determined him to depart. + </p> + <p> + Whilst the King was speaking to this mayor, whose name was Sauce, + the Queen, seated at the farther end of the shop, among parcels of + soap and candles, endeavoured to make Madame Sauce understand that + if she would prevail upon her husband to make use of his municipal + authority to cover the flight of the King and his family, she + would have the glory of having contributed to restore tranquillity + to France. This woman was moved; she could not, without streaming + eyes, see herself thus solicited by her Queen; but she could not + be got to say anything more than, "Bon Dieu, Madame, it would be + the destruction of M. Sauce; I love my King, but I love my husband + too, you must know, and he would be answerable, you see." Whilst + this strange scene was passing in the shop, the people, hearing + that the King was arrested, kept pouring in from all parts. M. de + Goguelat, making a last effort, demanded of the dragoons whether + they would protect the departure of the King; they replied only by + murmurs, dropping the points of their swords. Some person unknown + fired a pistol at M. de Goguelat; he was slightly wounded by the + ball. M. Romeuf, aide-de-camp to M. de La Fayette, arrived at that + moment. He had been chosen, after the 6th of October, 1789, by the + commander of the Parisian guard to be in constant attendance about + the Queen. She reproached him bitterly with the object of his + mission. "If you wish to make your name remarkable, monsieur," + said the Queen to him, "you have chosen strange and odious means, + which will produce the most fatal consequences." This officer + wished to hasten their departure. The Queen, still cherishing the + hope of seeing M. de Bouille arrive with a sufficient force to + extricate the King from his critical situation, prolonged her stay + at Varennes by every means in her power. + </p> + <p> + The Dauphin's first woman pretended to be taken ill with a violent + colic, and threw herself upon a bed, in the hope of aiding the + designs of her superiors; she went and implored for assistance. + The Queen understood her perfectly well, and refused to leave one + who had devoted herself to follow them in such a state of + suffering. But no delay in departing was allowed. The three Body + Guards (Valory, Du Moustier, and Malden) were gagged and fastened + upon the seat of the carriage. A horde of National Guards, + animated with fury and the barbarous joy with which their fatal + triumph inspired them, surrounded the carriage of the royal + family. + </p> + <p> + The three commissioners sent by the Assembly to meet the King, MM. + de Latour-Maubourg, Barnave, and Potion, joined them in the + environs of Epernay. The two last mentioned got into the King's + carriage. The Queen astonished me by the favourable opinion she + had formed of Barnave. When I quitted Paris a great many persons + spoke of him only with horror. She told me he was much altered, + that he was full of talent and noble feeling. "A feeling of pride + which I cannot much blame in a young man belonging to the Tiers + Etat," she said, "made him applaud everything which smoothed the + road to rank and fame for that class in which he was born. And if + we get the power in our own hands again, Barnave's pardon is + already written on our hearts." The Queen added, that she had not + the same feeling towards those nobles who had joined the + revolutionary party, who had always received marks of favour, + often to the injury of those beneath them in rank, and who, born + to be the safeguard of the monarchy, could never be pardoned for + having deserted it. She then told me that Barnave's conduct upon + the road was perfectly correct, while Potion's republican rudeness + was disgusting; that the latter ate and drank in the King's berlin + in a slovenly manner, throwing the bones of the fowls out through + the window at the risk of sending them even into the King's face; + lifting up his glass, when Madame Elisabeth poured him out wine, + to show her that there was enough, without saying a word; that + this offensive behaviour must have been intentional, because the + man was not without education; and that Barnave was hurt at it. On + being pressed by the Queen to take something, "Madame," replied + Barnave, "on so solemn an occasion the deputies of the National + Assembly ought to occupy your Majesties solely about their + mission, and by no means about their wants." In short, his + respectful delicacy, his considerate attentions, and all that he + said, gained the esteem not only of the Queen, but of Madame + Elisabeth also. + </p> + <p> + The King began to talk to Petion about the situation of France, + and the motives of his conduct, which were founded upon the + necessity of giving to the executive power a strength necessary + for its action, for the good even of the constitutional act, since + France could not be a republic. "Not yet, 'tis true," replied + Petion, "because the French are not ripe enough for that." This + audacious and cruel answer silenced the King, who said no more + until his arrival at Paris. Potion held the little Dauphin upon + his knees, and amused himself with curling the beautiful light + hair of the interesting child round his fingers; and, as he spoke + with much gesticulation, he pulled his locks hard enough to make + the Dauphin cry out. "Give me my son," said the Queen to him; "he + is accustomed to tenderness and delicacy, which render him little + fit for such familiarity." + </p> + <p> + The Chevalier de Dampierre was killed near the King's carriage + upon leaving Varennes. A poor village cure, some leagues from the + place where the crime was committed, was imprudent enough to draw + near to speak to the King; the cannibals who surrounded the + carriage rushed upon him. "Tigers," exclaimed Barnave, "have you + ceased to be Frenchmen? Nation of brave men, are you become a set + of assassins?" These words alone saved the cure, who was already + upon the ground, from certain death. Barnave, as he spoke to them, + threw himself almost out of the coach window, and Madame + Elisabeth, affected by this noble burst of feeling, held him by + the skirt of his coat. The Queen, while speaking of this event, + said that on the most momentous occasions whimsical contrasts + always struck her, and that even at such a moment the pious + Elisabeth holding Barnave by the flap of his coat was a ludicrous + sight. + </p> + <p> + The deputy was astonished in another way. Madame Elisabeth's + comments upon the state of France, her mild and persuasive + eloquence, and the, ease and simplicity with which she talked to + him, yet without sacrificing her dignity in the slightest degree, + appeared to him unique, and his heart, which was doubtless + inclined to right principles though he had followed the wrong + path, was overcome by admiration. The conduct of the two deputies + convinced the Queen of the total separation between the republican + and constitutional parties. At the inns where she alighted she had + some private conversation with Barnave. The latter said a great + deal about the errors committed by the royalists during the + Revolution, adding that he had found the interest of the Court so + feebly and so badly defended that he had been frequently tempted + to go and offer it, in himself, an aspiring champion, who knew the + spirit of the age and nation. The Queen asked him what was the + weapon he would have recommended her to use. + </p> + <p> + "Popularity, Madame." + </p> + <p> + "And how could I use that," replied her Majesty, "of which I have + been deprived?" + </p> + <p> + "Ah! Madame, it was much more easy for you to regain it, than for + me to acquire it." + </p> + <p> + The Queen mainly attributed the arrest at Varennes to M. de + Goguelat; she said he calculated the time that would be spent in + the journey erroneously. He performed that from Montmedy to Paris + before taking the King's last orders, alone in a post-chaise, and + he founded all his calculations upon the time he spent thus. The + trial has been made since, and it was found that a light carriage + without any courier was nearly three hours less in running the + distance than a heavy carriage preceded by a courier. + </p> + <p> + The Queen also blamed him for having quitted the high-road at + Pont-de-Sommevelle, where the carriage was to meet the forty + hussars commanded by him. She thought that he ought to have + dispersed the very small number of people at Varennes, and not + have asked the hussars whether they were for the King or the + nation; that, particularly, he ought to have avoided taking the + King's orders, as he was previously aware of the reply M. + d'Inisdal had received when it was proposed to carry off the King. + </p> + <p> + After all that the Queen had said to me respecting the mistakes + made by M. de Goguelat, I thought him of course disgraced. What + was my surprise when, having been set at liberty after the amnesty + which followed the acceptance of the constitution, he presented + himself to the Queen, and was received with the greatest kindness! + She said he had done what he could, and that his zeal ought to + form an excuse for all the rest. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [Full details of the preparations for the flight to Varennes + will be found in "Le Comte de Fersen et La Cour de France," + Paris, Didot et Cie, 1878 (a review of which was given in the + Quarterly Review for July, 1880), and in the "Memoirs of the + Marquis de Bouille", London, Cadell and Davis, 1797; Count + Fersen being the person who planned the actual escape, and De + Bouille being in command of the army which was to receive the + King. The plan was excellent, and would certainly have + succeeded, if it had not been for the royal family themselves. + Marie Antoinette, it will have been seen by Madame Campan's + account, nearly wrecked the plan from inability to do without a + large dressing or travelling case. The King did a more fatal + thing. De Bouille had pointed out the necessity for having in + the King's carriage an officer knowing the route, and able to + show himself to give all directions, and a proper person had + been provided. The King, however, objected, as "he could not + have the Marquis d'Agoult in the same carriage with himself; the + governess of the royal children, who was to accompany them, + having refused to abandon her privilege of constantly remaining + with her charge." See "De Bouille," pp. 307 and 334. Thus, when + Louis was recognised at the window of the carriage by Drouet, he + was lost by the very danger that had been foreseen, and this + wretched piece of etiquette led to his death.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + When the royal family was brought back from Varennes to the + Tuileries, the Queen's attendants found the greatest difficulty in + making their way to her apartments; everything had been arranged + so that the wardrobe woman, who had acted as spy, should have the + service; and she was to be assisted in it only by her sister and + her sister's daughter. + </p> + <p> + M. de Gouvion, M. de La Fayette's aide-de-camp, had this woman's + portrait placed at the foot of the staircase which led to the + Queen's apartments, in order that the sentinel should not permit + any other women to make their way in. As soon as the Queen was + informed of this contemptible precaution, she told the King of it, + who sent to ascertain the fact. His Majesty then called for M. de + La Fayette, claimed freedom in his household, and particularly in + that of the Queen, and ordered him to send a woman in, whom no one + but himself could confide out of the palace. M. de La Fayette was + obliged to comply. + </p> + <p> + On the day when the return of the royal family was expected, there + were no carriages in motion in the streets of Paris. Five or six + of the Queen's women, after being refused admittance at all the + other gates, went with one of my sisters to that of the Feuillans, + insisting that the sentinel should admit them. The poissardes + attacked them for their boldness in resisting the order excluding + them. One of them seized my sister by the arm, calling her the + slave of the Austrian. "Hear me," said my sister to her, "I have + been attached to the Queen ever since I was fifteen years of age; + she gave me my marriage portion; I served her when she was + powerful and happy. She is now unfortunate. Ought I to abandon + her?"—"She is right," cried the poissardes; "she ought not + to abandon her mistress; let us make an entry for them." They + instantly surrounded the sentinel, forced the passage, and + introduced the Queen's women, accompanying them to the terrace of + the Feuillans. One of these furies, whom the slightest impulse + would have driven to tear my sister to pieces, taking her under + her protection, gave her advice by which she might reach the + palace in safety. "But of all things, my dear friend," said she to + her, "pull off that green ribbon sash; it is the color of that + D'Artois, whom we will never forgive." + </p> + <p> + The measures adopted for guarding the King were rigorous with + respect to the entrance into the palace, and insulting as to his + private apartments. The commandants of battalion, stationed in the + salon called the grand cabinet, and which led to the Queen's + bedchamber, were ordered to keep the door of it always open, in + order that they might have their eyes upon the royal family. The + King shut this door one day; the officer of the guard opened it, + and told him such were his orders, and that he would always open + it; so that his Majesty in shutting it gave himself useless + trouble. It remained open even during the night, when the Queen + was in bed; and the officer placed himself in an armchair between + the two doors, with his head turned towards her Majesty. They only + obtained permission to have the inner door shut when the Queen was + rising. The Queen had the bed of her first femme de chambre placed + very near her own; this bed, which ran on casters, and was + furnished with curtains, hid her from the officer's sight. + </p> + <p> + Madame de Jarjaye, my companion, who continued her functions + during the whole period of my absence, told me that one night the + commandant of battalion, who slept between the two doors, seeing + that she was sleeping soundly, and that the Queen was awake, + quitted his post and went close to her Majesty, to advise her as + to the line of conduct she should pursue. Although she had the + kindness to desire him to speak lower in order that he might not + disturb Madame de Jarjaye's rest, the latter awoke, and nearly + died with fright at seeing a man in the uniform of the Parisian + guard so near the Queen's bed. Her Majesty comforted her, and told + her not to rise; that the person she saw was a good Frenchman, who + was deceived respecting the intentions and situation of his + sovereign and herself, but whose conversation showed sincere + attachment to the King. + </p> + <p> + There was a sentinel in the corridor which runs behind the + apartments in question, where there is a staircase, which was at + that time an inner one, and enabled the King and Queen to + communicate freely. This post, which was very onerous, because it + was to be kept four and twenty hours, was often claimed by Saint + Prig, an actor belonging to the Theatre Francais. He took it upon + himself sometimes to contrive brief interviews between the King + and Queen in this corridor. He left them at a distance, and gave + them warning if he heard the slightest noise. M. Collot, + commandant of battalion of the National Guard, who was charged + with the military duty of the Queen's household, in like manner + softened down, so far as he could with prudence, all, the + revolting orders he received; for instance, one to follow the + Queen to the very door of her wardrobe was never executed. An + officer of the Parisian guard dared to speak insolently of the + Queen in her own apartment. M. Collot wished to make a complaint + to M. de La Fayette against him, and have him dismissed. The Queen + opposed it, and condescended to say a few words of explanation and + kindness to the man; he instantly became one of her most devoted + partisans. + </p> + <p> + The first time I saw her Majesty after the unfortunate catastrophe + of the Varennes journey, I found her getting out of bed; her + features were not very much altered; but after the first kind + words she uttered to me she took off her cap and desired me to + observe the effect which grief had produced upon her hair. It had + become, in one single night, as white as that of a woman of + seventy. Her Majesty showed me a ring she had just had mounted for + the Princesse de Lamballe; it contained a lock of her whitened + hair, with the inscription, "Blanched by sorrow." At the period of + the acceptance of the constitution the Princess wished to return + to France. The Queen, who had no expectation that tranquillity + would be restored, opposed this; but the attachment of Madame de + Lamballe to the royal family impelled her to come and seek death. + </p> + <p> + When I returned to Paris most of the harsh precautions were + abandoned; the doors were not kept open; greater respect was paid + to the sovereign; it was known that the constitution soon to be + completed would be accepted, and a better order of things was + hoped for. + </p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + <h2> + CHAPTER VI. + </h2> + <br /><br /> + <p> + On my arrival at Paris on the 25th of August I found the state of + feeling there much more temperate than I had dared to hope. The + conversation generally ran upon the acceptance of the + constitution, and the fetes which would be given in consequence. + The struggle between the Jacobins and the constitutionals on the + 17th of July, 1791, nevertheless had thrown the Queen into great + terror for some moments; and the firing of the cannon from the + Champ de Mars upon a party which called for a trial of the King, + and the leaders of which were in the very bosom of the Assembly, + left the most gloomy impressions upon her mind. + </p> + <p> + The constitutionals, the Queen's connection with whom was not + slackened by the intervention of the three members already + mentioned, had faithfully served the royal family during their + detention. + </p> + <p> + "We still hold the wire by which this popular mass is moved," said + Barnave to M. de J——- one day, at the same time + showing him a large volume, in which the names of all those who + were influenced with the power of gold alone were registered. It + was at that time proposed to hire a considerable number of persons + in order to secure loud acclamations when the King and his family + should make their appearance at the play upon the acceptance of + the constitution. That day, which afforded a glimmering hope of + tranquillity, was the 14th of September; the fetes were brilliant; + but already fresh anxieties forbade the royal family to encourage + much hope. + </p> + <p> + The Legislative Assembly, which had just succeeded the Constituent + Assembly (October, 1791), founded its conduct upon the wildest + republican principles; created from the midst of popular + assemblies, it was wholly inspired by the spirit which animated + them. The constitution, as I have said, was presented to the King + on the 3d of September, 1791. The ministers, with the exception of + M. de Montmorin, insisted upon the necessity of accepting the + constitutional act in its entirety. The Prince de Kaunitz—[Minister + of Austria]—was of the same opinion. Malouet wished the King + to express himself candidly respecting any errors or dangers that + he might observe in the constitution. But Duport and Barnave, + alarmed at the spirit prevailing in the Jacobin Club, and even in + the Assembly, where Robespierre had already denounced them as + traitors to the country, and dreading still greater evils, added + their opinions to those of the majority of the ministers and M. de + Kaunitz; those who really desired that the constitution should be + maintained advised that it should not be accepted thus literally. + The King seemed inclined to this advice; and this is one of the + strongest proofs of his sincerity. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [The extreme revolutionary party, so called from the club, + originally "Breton," then "Amis de la Constitution," sitting at + the convent of the Dominicans (called in France Jacobins) of the + Rue Saint Honore.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + Alexandre Lameth, Duport, and Barnave, still relying on the + resources of their party, hoped to have credit for directing the + King through the influence they believed they had acquired over + the mind of the Queen. They also consulted people of acknowledged + talent, but belonging to no council nor to any assembly. Among + these was M. Dubucq, formerly intendant of the marine and of the + colonies. He answered laconically in one phrase: "Prevent disorder + from organising itself." + </p> + <p> + The letter written by the King to the Assembly, claiming to accept + the constitution in the very place where it had been created, and + where he announced he would be on the 14th September at mid-day, + was received with transport, and the reading was repeatedly + interrupted by plaudits. The sitting terminated amidst the + greatest enthusiasm, and M. de La Fayette obtained the release of + all those who were detained on account of the King's journey [to + Varennes], the abandonment of all proceedings relative to the + events of the Revolution, and the discontinuance of the use of + passports and of temporary restraints upon free travelling, as + well in the interior as without. The whole was conceded by + acclamation. Sixty members were deputed to go to the King and + express to him fully the satisfaction his Majesty's letter had + given. The Keeper of the Seals quitted the chamber, in the midst + of applause, to precede the deputation to the King. + </p> + <p> + The King answered the speech addressed to him, and concluded by + saying to the Assembly that a decree of that morning, which had + abolished the order of the Holy Ghost, had left him and his son + alone permission to be decorated with it; but that an order having + no value in his eyes, save for the power of conferring it, he + would not use it. + </p> + <p> + The Queen, her son, and Madame, were at the door of the chamber + into which the deputation was admitted. The King said to the + deputies, "You see there my wife and children, who participate in + my sentiments;" and the Queen herself confirmed the King's + assurance. These apparent marks of confidence were very + inconsistent with the agitated state of her mind. "These people + want no sovereigns," said she. "We shall fall before their + treacherous though well-planned tactics; they are demolishing the + monarchy stone by stone." + </p> + <p> + Next day the particulars of the reception of the deputies by the + King were reported to the Assembly, and excited warm approbation. + But the President having put the question whether the Assembly + ought not to remain seated while the King took the oath + "Certainly," was repeated by many voices; "and the King, standing, + uncovered." M. Malouet observed that there was no occasion on + which the nation, assembled in the presence of the King, did not + acknowledge him as its head; that the omission to treat the head + of the State with the respect due to him would be an offence to + the nation, as well as to the monarch. He moved that the King + should take the oath standing, and that the Assembly should also + stand while he was doing so. M. Malouet's observations would have + carried the decree, but a deputy from Brittany exclaimed, with a + shrill voice, that he had an amendment to propose which would + render all unanimous. "Let us decree," said he, "that M. Malouet, + and whoever else shall so please, may have leave to receive the + King upon their knees; but let us stick to the decree." + </p> + <p> + The King repaired to the chamber at mid-day. His speech was + followed by plaudits which lasted several minutes. After the + signing of the constitutional act all sat down. The President rose + to deliver his speech; but after he had begun, perceiving that the + King did not rise to hear him, he sat down again. His speech made + a powerful impression; the sentence with which it concluded + excited fresh acclamations, cries of "Bravo!" and "Vive le Roi!"—"Sire," + said he, "how important in our eyes, and how dear to our hearts—how + sublime a feature in our history—must be the epoch of that + regeneration which gives citizens to France, and a country to + Frenchmen,—to you, as a king, a new title of greatness and + glory, and, as a man, a source of new enjoyment." The whole + Assembly accompanied the King on his return, amidst the people's + cries of happiness, military music, and salvoes of artillery. + </p> + <p> + At length I hoped to see a return of that tranquillity which had + so long vanished from the countenances of my august master and + mistress. Their suite left them in the salon; the Queen hastily + saluted the ladies, and returned much affected; the King followed + her, and, throwing himself into an armchair, put his handkerchief + to his eyes. "Ah! Madame," cried he, his voice choked by tears, + "why were you present at this sitting? to witness—" these + words were interrupted by sobs. The Queen threw herself upon her + knees before him, and pressed him in her arms. I remained with + them, not from any blamable curiosity, but from a stupefaction + which rendered me incapable of determining what I ought to do. The + Queen said to me, "Oh! go, go!" with an accent which expressed, + "Do not remain to see the dejection and despair of your + sovereign!" I withdrew, struck with the contrast between the + shouts of joy without the palace and the profound grief which + oppressed the sovereigns within. Half an hour afterwards the Queen + sent for me. She desired to see M. de Goguelat, to announce to him + his departure on that very night for Vienna. The renewed attacks + upon the dignity of the throne which had been made during the + sitting; the spirit of an Assembly worse than the former; the + monarch put upon a level with the President, without any deference + to the throne,—all this proclaimed but too loudly that the + sovereignty itself was aimed at. The Queen no longer saw any + ground for hope from the Provinces. The King wrote to the Emperor; + she told me that she would herself, at midnight, bring the letter + which M. de Goguelat was to bear to the Emperor, to my room. + </p> + <p> + During all the remainder of the day the Chateau and the Tuileries + were crowded; the illuminations were magnificent. The King and + Queen were requested to take an airing in their carriage in the + Champs-Elysees, escorted by the aides-decamp, and leaders of the + Parisian army, the Constitutional Guard not being at the time + organised. Many shouts of "Vive le Roi!" were heard; but as often + as they ceased, one of the mob, who never quitted the door of the + King's carriage for a single instant, exclaimed with a stentorian + voice, "No, don't believe them! Vive la Nation!" This ill-omened + cry struck terror into the Queen. + </p> + <p> + A few days afterwards M. de Montmorin sent to say he wanted to + speak to me; that he would come to me, if he were not apprehensive + his doing so would attract observation; and that he thought it + would appear less conspicuous if he should see me in the Queen's + great closet at a time which he specified, and when nobody would + be there. I went. After having made some polite observations upon + the services I had already performed, and those I might yet + perform, for my master and mistress, he spoke to me of the King's + imminent danger, of the plots which were hatching, and of the + lamentable composition of the Legislative Assembly; and he + particularly dwelt upon the necessity of appearing, by prudent + remarks, determined as much as possible to abide by the act the + King had just recognised. I told him that could not be done + without committing ourselves in the eyes of the royalist party, + with which moderation was a crime; that it was painful to hear + ourselves taxed with being constitutionalists, at the same time + that it was our opinion that the only constitution which was + consistent with the King's honour, and the happiness and + tranquillity of his people, was the absolute power of the + sovereign; that this was my creed, and it would pain me to give + any room for suspicion that I was wavering in it. + </p> + <p> + "Could you ever believe," said he, "that I should desire any other + order of things? Have you any doubt of my attachment to the King's + person, and the maintenance of his rights?" + </p> + <p> + "I know it, Count," replied I; "but you are not ignorant that you + lie under the imputation of having adopted revolutionary ideas." + </p> + <p> + "Well, madame, have resolution enough to dissemble and to conceal + your real sentiments; dissimulation was never more necessary. + Endeavours are being made to paralyse the evil intentions of the + factious as much as possible; but we must not be counteracted here + by certain dangerous expressions which are circulated in Paris as + coming from the King and Queen." + </p> + <p> + I told him that I had been already struck with apprehension of the + evil which might be done by the intemperate observations of + persons who had no power to act; and that I had felt ill + consequences from having repeatedly enjoined silence on those in + the Queen's service. + </p> + <p> + "I know that," said the Count; "the Queen informed me of it, and + that determined me to come and request you to increase and keep + alive, as much as you can, that spirit of discretion which is so + necessary." + </p> + <p> + While the household of the King and Queen were a prey to all these + fears, the festivities in celebration of the acceptance of the + constitution proceeded. Their Majesties went to the Opera; the + audience consisted entirely of persons who sided with the King, + and on that day the happiness of seeing him for a short time + surrounded by faithful subjects might be enjoyed. The acclamations + were then sincere. + </p> + <p> + "La Coquette Corrigee" had been selected for representation at the + Theatre Francais solely because it was the piece in which + Mademoiselle Contat shone most. Yet the notions propagated by the + Queen's enemies coinciding in my mind with the name of the play, I + thought the choice very ill-judged. I was at a loss, however, how + to tell her Majesty so; but sincere attachment gives courage. I + explained myself; she was obliged to me, and desired that another + play might be performed. They accordingly selected "La + Gouvernante," almost equally unfortunate in title. + </p> + <p> + The Queen, Madame the King's daughter, and Madame Elisabeth were + all well received on this occasion. It is true that the opinions + and feelings of the spectators in the boxes could not be otherwise + than favourable, and great pains had been taken, previously to + these two performances, to fill the pit with proper persons. But, + on the other hand, the Jacobins took the same precautions on their + side at the Theatre Italien, and the tumult was excessive there. + The play was Gretry's "Les Evenements Imprevus." Unfortunately, + Madame Dugazon thought proper to bow to the Queen as she sang the + words, "Ah, how I love my mistress!" in a duet. Above twenty + voices immediately exclaimed from the pit, "No mistress! no + master! liberty!" A few replied from the boxes and slips, "Vive le + Roi! vive la Reine!" Those in the pit answered, "No master! no + Queen!" The quarrel increased; the pit formed into parties; they + began fighting, and the Jacobins were beaten; tufts of their black + hair flew about the theatre.—[At this time none but the + Jacobins had discontinued the use of hairpowder.—MADAME + CAMPAN.]—A military guard arrived. The Faubourg St. Antoine, + hearing of what was going on at the Theatre Italien, flocked + together, and began to talk of marching towards the scene of + action. The Queen preserved the calmest demeanour; the commandants + of the guard surrounded and encouraged her; they conducted + themselves promptly and discreetly. No accident happened. The + Queen was highly applauded as she quitted the theatre; it was the + last time she was ever in one! + </p> + <p> + While couriers were bearing confidential letters from the King to + the Princes, his brothers, and to the foreign sovereigns, the + Assembly invited him to write to the Princes in order to induce + them to return to France. The King desired the Abbe de Montesquiou + to write the letter he was to send; this letter, which was + admirably composed in a simple and affecting style, suited to the + character of Louis XVI., and filled with very powerful arguments + in favour of the advantages to be derived from adopting the + principles of the constitution, was confided to me by the King, + who desired me to make him a copy of it. + </p> + <p> + At this period M. M——-, one of the intendants of + Monsieur's household, obtained a passport from the Assembly to + join that Prince on business relative to his domestic concerns. + The Queen selected him to be the bearer of this letter. She + determined to give it to him herself, and to inform him of its + object. I was astonished at her choice of this courier. The Queen + assured me he was exactly the man for her purpose, that she relied + even upon his indiscretion, and that it was merely necessary that + the letter from the King to his brothers should be known to exist. + The Princes were doubtless informed beforehand on the subject by + the private correspondence. Monsieur nevertheless manifested some + degree of surprise, and the messenger returned more grieved than + pleased at this mark of confidence, which nearly cost him his life + during the Reign of Terror. + </p> + <p> + Among the causes of uneasiness to the Queen there was one which + was but too well founded, the thoughtlessness of the French whom + she sent to foreign Courts. She used to say that they had no + sooner passed the frontiers than they disclosed the most secret + matters relative to the King's private sentiments, and that the + leaders of the Revolution were informed of them through their + agents, many of whom were Frenchmen who passed themselves off as + emigrants in the cause of their King. + </p> + <p> + After the acceptance of the constitution, the formation of the + King's household, as well military as civil, formed a subject of + attention. The Duc de Brissac had the command of the + Constitutional Guard, which was composed of officers and men + selected from the regiments, and of several officers drawn from + the National Guard of Paris. The King was satisfied with the + feelings and conduct of this band, which, as is well known, + existed but a very short time. + </p> + <p> + The new constitution abolished what were called honours, and the + prerogatives belonging to them. The Duchesse de Duras resigned her + place of lady of the bedchamber, not choosing to lose her right to + the tabouret at Court. This step hurt the Queen, who saw herself + forsaken through the loss of a petty privilege at a time when her + own rights and even life were so hotly attacked. Many ladies of + rank left the Court for the same reason. However, the King and + Queen did not dare to form the civil part of their household, lest + by giving the new names of the posts they should acknowledge the + abolition of the old ones, and also lest they should admit into + the highest positions persons not calculated to fill them well. + Some time was spent in discussing the question, whether the + household should be formed without chevaliers and without ladies + of honour. The Queen's constitutional advisers were of opinion + that the Assembly, having decreed a civil list adequate to uphold + the splendour of the throne, would be dissatisfied at seeing the + King adopting only a military household, and not forming his civil + household upon the new constitutional plan. "How is it, Madame," + wrote Barnave to the Queen, "that you will persist in giving these + people even the smallest doubt as to your sentiments? When they + decree you a civil and a military household, you, like young + Achilles among the daughters of Lycomedes, eagerly seize the sword + and scorn the mere ornaments." The Queen persisted in her + determination to have no civil household. "If," said she, "this + constitutional household be formed, not a single person of rank + will remain with us, and upon a change of affairs we should be + obliged to discharge the persons received into their place." + </p> + <p> + "Perhaps," added she, "perhaps I might find one day that I had + saved the nobility, if I now had resolution enough to afflict them + for a time; I have it not. When any measure which injures them is + wrested from us they sulk with me; nobody comes to my card party; + the King goes unattended to bed. No allowance is made for + political necessity; we are punished for our very misfortunes." + </p> + <p> + The Queen wrote almost all day, and spent part of the night in + reading: her courage supported her physical strength; her + disposition was not at all soured by misfortunes, and she was + never seen in an ill-humour for a moment. She was, however, held + up to the people as a woman absolutely furious and mad whenever + the rights of the Crown were in any way attacked. + </p> + <p> + I was with her one day at one of her windows. We saw a man plainly + dressed, like an ecclesiastic, surrounded by an immense crowd. The + Queen imagined it was some abbe whom they were about to throw into + the basin of the Tuileries; she hastily opened her window and sent + a valet de chambre to know what was going forward in the garden. + It was Abbe Gregoire, whom the men and women of the tribunes were + bringing back in triumph, on account of a motion he had just made + in the National Assembly against the royal authority. On the + following day the democratic journalists described the Queen as + witnessing this triumph, and showing, by expressive gestures at + her window, how highly she was exasperated by the honours + conferred upon the patriot. + </p> + <p> + The correspondence between the Queen and the foreign powers was + carried on in cipher. That to which she gave the preference can + never be detected; but the greatest patience is requisite for its + use. Each correspondent must have a copy of the same edition of + some work. She selected "Paul and Virginia." The page and line in + which the letters required, and occasionally a monosyllable, are + to be found are pointed out in ciphers agreed upon. I assisted her + in finding the letters, and frequently I made an exact copy for + her of all that she had ciphered, without knowing a single word of + its meaning. + </p> + <p> + There were always several secret committees in Paris occupied in + collecting information for the King respecting the measures of the + factions, and in influencing some of the committees of the + Assembly. M. Bertrand de Molleville was in close correspondence + with the Queen. The King employed M. Talon and others; much money + was expended through the latter channel for the secret measures. + The Queen had no confidence in them. M. de Laporte, minister of + the civil list and of the household, also attempted to give a bias + to public opinion by means of hireling publications; but these + papers influenced none but the royalist party, which did not need + influencing. M. de Laporte had a private police which gave him + some useful information. + </p> + <p> + I determined to sacrifice myself to my duty, but by no means to + any intrigue, and I thought that, circumstanced as I was, I ought + to confine myself to obeying the Queen's orders. I frequently sent + off couriers to foreign countries, and they were never discovered, + so many precautions did I take. I am indebted for the preservation + of my own existence to the care I took never to admit any deputy + to my abode, and to refuse all interviews which even people of the + highest importance often requested of me; but this line of conduct + exposed me to every species of ill-will, and on the same day I saw + myself denounced by Prud'homme, in his 'Gazette Revolutionnaire', + as capable of making an aristocrat of the mother of the Gracchi, + if a person so dangerous as myself could have got into her + household; and by Gauthier's Gazette Royaliste, as a monarchist, a + constitutionalist, more dangerous to the Queen's interests than a + Jacobin. + </p> + <p> + At this period an event with which I had nothing to do placed me + in a still more critical situation. My brother, M. Genet, began + his diplomatic career successfully. At eighteen he was attached to + the embassy to Vienna; at twenty he was appointed chief secretary + of Legation in England, on occasion of the peace of 1783. A + memorial which he presented to M. de Vergennes upon the dangers of + the treaty of commerce then entered into with England gave offence + to M. de Calonne, a patron of that treaty, and particularly to M. + Gerard de Rayneval, chief clerk for foreign affairs. So long as M. + de Vergennes lived, having upon my father's death declared himself + the protector of my brother, he supported him against the enemies + his views had created. But on his death M. de Montmorin, being + much in need of the long experience in business which he found in + M. de Rayneval, was guided solely by the latter. The office of + which my brother was the head was suppressed. He then went to St. + Petersburg, strongly recommended to the Comte de Segur, minister + from France to that Court, who appointed him secretary of + Legation. Some time afterwards the Comte de Segur left him at St. + Petersburg, charged with the affairs of France. After his return + from Russia, M. Genet was appointed ambassador to the United + States by the party called Girondists, the deputies who headed it + being from the department of the Gironde. He was recalled by the + Robespierre party, which overthrew the former faction, on the 31st + of May, 1793, and condemned to appear before the Convention. + Vice-President Clinton, at that time Governor of New York, offered + him an asylum in his house and the hand of his daughter, and M. + Genet established himself prosperously in America. + </p> + <p> + When my brother quitted Versailles he was much hurt at being + deprived of a considerable income for having penned a memorial + which his zeal alone had dictated, and the importance of which was + afterwards but too well understood. I perceived from his + correspondence that he inclined to some of the new notions. He + told me it was right he should no longer conceal from me that he + sided with the constitutional party; that the King had in fact + commanded it, having himself accepted the constitution; that he + would proceed firmly in that course, because in this case + disingenuousness would be fatal, and that he took that side of the + question because he had had it proved to him that the foreign + powers would not serve the King's cause without advancing + pretensions prompted by long-standing interests, which always + would influence their councils; that he saw no salvation for the + King and Queen but from within France, and that he would serve the + constitutional King as he served him before the Revolution. And + lastly, he requested me to impart to the Queen the real sentiments + of one of his Majesty's agents at a foreign Court. I immediately + went to the Queen and gave her my brother's letter; she read it + attentively, and said, "This is the letter of a young man led + astray by discontent and ambition; I know you do not think as he + does; do not fear that you will lose the confidence of the King + and myself." I offered to discontinue all correspondence with my + brother; she opposed that, saying it would be dangerous. I then + entreated she would permit me in future to show her my own and my + brother's letters, to which she consented. I wrote warmly to my + brother against the course he had adopted. I sent my letters by + sure channels; he answered me by the post, and no longer touched + upon anything but family affairs. Once only he informed me that if + I should write to him respecting the affairs of the day he would + give me no answer. "Serve your august mistress with the unbounded + devotion which is due from you," said he, "and let us each do our + duty. I will only observe to you that at Paris the fogs of the + Seine often prevent people from seeing that immense capital, even + from the Pavilion of Flora, and I see it more clearly from St. + Petersburg." The Queen said, as she read this letter, "Perhaps he + speaks but too truly; who can decide upon so disastrous a position + as ours has become?" The day on which I gave the Queen my + brother's first letter to read she had several audiences to give + to ladies and other persons belonging to the Court, who came on + purpose to inform her that my brother was an avowed + constitutionalist and revolutionist. The Queen replied, "I know + it; Madame Campan has told me so." Persons jealous of my situation + having subjected me to mortifications, and these unpleasant + circumstances recurring daily, I requested the Queen's permission + to withdraw from Court. She exclaimed against the very idea, + represented it to me as extremely dangerous for my own reputation, + and had the kindness to add that, for my sake as well as for her + own, she never would consent to it. After this conversation I + retired to my apartment. A few minutes later a footman brought me + this note from the Queen: "I have never ceased to give you and + yours proofs of my attachment; I wish to tell you in writing that + I have full faith in your honour and fidelity, as well as in your + other good qualities; and that I ever rely on the zeal and address + you exert to serve me." + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [I had just received this letter from the Queen when M. de la + Chapelle, commissary-general of the King's household, and head + of the offices of M. de Laporte, minister of the civil list, + came to see me. The palace having been already sacked by the + brigands on the 20th of June, 1792, he proposed that I should + entrust the paper to him, that he might place it in a safer + situation than the apartments of the Queen. When he returned + into his offices he placed the letter she had condescended to + write to me behind a large picture in his closet; but on the + loth of August M. de la Chapelle was thrown into the prisons of + the Abbaye, and the committee of public safety established + themselves in his offices, whence they issued all their decrees + of death. There it was that a villainous servant belonging to M. + de Laporte went to declare that in the minister's apartments, + under a board in the floor, a number of papers would be found. + They were brought forth, and M. de Laporte was sent to the + scaffold, where he suffered for having betrayed the State by + serving his master and sovereign. M. de la Chapelle was saved, + as if by a miracle, from the massacres of the 2d of September. + The committee of public safety having removed to the King's + apartments at the Tuileries, M. de la Chapelle had permission to + return to his closet to take away some property belonging to + him. Turning round the picture, behind which he had hidden the + Queen's letter, he found it in the place into which he had + slipped it, and, delighted to see that I was safe from the ill + consequences the discovery of this paper might have brought upon + me, he burnt it instantly. In times of danger a mere nothing may + save life or destroy it.—MADAME CAMPAN] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + At the moment that I was going to express my gratitude to the + Queen I heard a tapping at the door of my room, which opened upon + the Queen's inner corridor. I opened it; it was the King. I was + confused; he perceived it, and said to me, kindly: "I alarm you, + Madame Campan; I come, however, to comfort you; the Queen has told + me how much she is hurt at the injustice of several persons + towards you. But how is it that you complain of injustice and + calumny when you see that we are victims of them? In some of your + companions it is jealousy; in the people belonging to the Court it + is anxiety. Our situation is so disastrous, and we have met with + so much ingratitude and treachery, that the apprehensions of those + who love us are excusable! I could quiet them by telling them all + the secret services you perform for us daily; but I will not do + it. Out of good-will to you they would repeat all I should say, + and you would be lost with the Assembly. It is much better, both + for you and for us, that you should be thought a + constitutionalist. It has been mentioned to me a hundred times + already; I have never contradicted it; but I come to give you my + word that if we are fortunate enough to see an end of all this, I + will, at the Queen's residence, and in the presence of my + brothers, relate the important services you have rendered us, and + I will recompense you and your son for them." I threw myself at + the King's feet and kissed his hand. He raised me up, saying, + "Come, come, do not grieve; the Queen, who loves you, confides in + you as I do." + </p> + <p> + Down to the day of the acceptance it was impossible to introduce + Barnave into the interior of the palace; but when the Queen was + free from the inner guard she said she would see him. The very + great precautions which it was necessary for the deputy to take in + order to conceal his connection with the King and Queen compelled + them to spend two hours waiting for him in one of the corridors of + the Tuileries, and all in vain. The first day that he was to be + admitted, a man whom Barnave knew to be dangerous having met him + in the courtyard of the palace, he determined to cross it without + stopping, and walked in the gardens in order to lull suspicion. I + was desired to wait for Barnave at a little door belonging to the + entresols of the palace, with my hand upon the open lock. I was in + that position for an hour. The King came to me frequently, and + always to speak to me of the uneasiness which a servant belonging + to the Chateau, who was a patriot, gave him. He came again to ask + me whether I had heard the door called de Decret opened. I assured + him nobody had been in the corridor, and he became easy. He was + dreadfully apprehensive that his connection with Barnave would be + discovered. "It would," said the King, "be a ground for grave + accusations, and the unfortunate man would be lost." I then + ventured to remind his Majesty that as Barnave was not the only + one in the secret of the business which brought him in contact + with their Majesties, one of his colleagues might be induced to + speak of the association with which they were honoured, and that + in letting them know by my presence that I also was informed of + it, a risk was incurred of removing from those gentlemen part of + the responsibility of the secret. Upon this observation the King + quitted me hastily and returned a moment afterwards with the + Queen. "Give me your place," said she; "I will wait for him in my + turn. You have convinced the King. We must not increase in their + eyes the number of persons informed of their communications with + us." + </p> + <p> + The police of M. de Laporte, intendant of the civil list, apprised + him, as early as the latter end of 1791, that a man belonging to + the King's offices who had set up as a pastrycook at the Palais + Royal was about to resume the duties of his situation, which had + devolved upon him again on the death of one who held it for life; + that he was so furious a Jacobin that he had dared to say it would + be a good thing for France if the King's days were shortened. His + duty was confined to making the pastry; he was closely watched by + the head officers of the kitchen, who were devoted to his Majesty; + but it is so easy to introduce a subtle poison into made dishes + that it was determined the King and Queen should eat only plain + roast meat in future; that their bread should be brought to them + by M. Thierry de Ville-d'Avray, intendant of the smaller + apartments, and that he should likewise take upon himself to + supply the wine. The King was fond of pastry; I was directed to + order some, as if for myself, sometimes of one pastry-cook, and + sometimes of another. The pounded sugar, too, was kept in my room. + The King, the Queen, and Madame Elisabeth ate together, and nobody + remained to wait on them. Each had a dumb waiter and a little bell + to call the servants when they were wanted. M. Thierry used + himself to bring me their Majesties' bread and wine, and I locked + them up in a private cupboard in the King's closet on the ground + floor. As soon as the King sat down to table I took in the pastry + and bread. All was hidden under the table lest it might be + necessary to have the servants in. The King thought it dangerous + as well as distressing to show any apprehension of attempts + against his person, or any mistrust of his officers of the + kitchen. As he never drank a whole bottle of wine at his meals + (the Princesses drank nothing but water), he filled up that out of + which he had drunk about half from the bottle served up by the + officers of his butlery. I took it away after dinner. Although he + never ate any other pastry than that which I brought, he took care + in the same manner that it should seem that he had eaten of that + served at table. The lady who succeeded me found this duty all + regulated, and she executed it in the same manner; the public + never was in possession of these particulars, nor of the + apprehensions which gave rise to them. At the end of three or four + months the police of M. de Laporte gave notice that nothing more + was to be dreaded from that sort of plot against the King's life; + that the plan was entirely changed; and that all the blows now to + be struck would be directed as much against the throne as against + the person of the sovereign. + </p> + <p> + There are others besides myself who know that at this time one of + the things about which the Queen most desired to be satisfied was + the opinion of the famous Pitt. She would sometimes say to me, "I + never pronounce the name of Pitt without feeling a chill like that + of death." (I repeat here her very expressions.) "That man is the + mortal enemy of France; and he takes a dreadful revenge for the + impolitic support given by the Cabinet of Versailles to the + American insurgents. He wishes by our destruction to guarantee the + maritime power of his country forever against the efforts made by + the King to improve his marine power and their happy results + during the last war. He knows that it is not only the King's + policy but his private inclination to be solicitous about his + fleets, and that the most active step he has taken during his + whole reign was to visit the port of Cherbourg. Pitt had served + the cause of the French Revolution from the first disturbances; he + will perhaps serve it until its annihilation. I will endeavour to + learn to what point he intends to lead us, and I am sending M.——- + to London for that purpose. He has been intimately connected with + Pitt, and they have often had political conversations respecting + the French Government. I will get him to make him speak out, at + least so far as such a man can speak out." Some time afterwards + the Queen told me that her secret envoy was returned from London, + and that all he had been able to wring from Pitt, whom he found + alarmingly reserved, was that he would not suffer the French + monarchy to perish; that to suffer the revolutionary spirit to + erect an organised republic in France would be a great error, + affecting the tranquillity of Europe. "Whenever," said she, "Pitt + expressed himself upon the necessity of supporting monarchy in + France, he maintained the most profound silence upon what concerns + the monarch. The result of these conversations is anything but + encouraging; but, even as to that monarchy which he wishes to + save, will he have means and strength to save it if he suffers us + to fall?" + </p> + <p> + The death of the Emperor Leopold took place on the 1st of March, + 1792. When the news of this event reached the Tuileries, the Queen + was gone out. Upon her return I put the letter containing it into + her hands. She exclaimed that the Emperor had been poisoned; that + she had remarked and preserved a newspaper, in which, in an + article upon the sitting of the Jacobins, at the time when the + Emperor Leopold declared for the coalition, it was said, speaking + of him, that a pie-crust would settle that matter. At this period + Barnave obtained the Queen's consent that he should read all the + letters she should write. He was fearful of private + correspondences that might hamper the plan marked out for her; he + mistrusted her Majesty's sincerity on this point; and the + diversity of counsels, and the necessity of yielding, on the one + hand, to some of the views of the constitutionalists, and on the + other, to those of the French Princes, and even of foreign Courts, + were unfortunately the circumstances which most rapidly impelled + the Court towards its ruin. + </p> + <p> + However, the emigrants showed great apprehensions of the + consequences which might follow in the interior from a connection + with the constitutionalists, whom they described as a party + existing only in idea, and totally without means of repairing + their errors. The Jacobins were preferred to them, because, said + they, there would be no treaty to be made with any one at the + moment of extricating the King and his family from the abyss in + which they were plunged. + </p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + <h2> + CHAPTER VII. + </h2> + <br /><br /> + <p> + In the beginning of the year 1792, a worthy priest requested a + private interview with me. He had learned the existence of a new + libel by Madame de Lamotte. He told me that the people who came + from London to get it printed in Paris only desired gain, and that + they were ready to deliver the manuscript to him for a thousand + louis, if he could find any friend of the Queen disposed to make + that sacrifice for her peace; that he had thought of me, and if + her Majesty would give him the twenty-four thousand francs, he + would hand the manuscript to me. + </p> + <p> + I communicated this proposal to the Queen, who rejected it, and + desired me to answer that at the time when she had power to punish + the hawkers of these libels she deemed them so atrocious and + incredible that she despised them too much to stop them; that if + she were imprudent and weak enough to buy a single one of them, + the Jacobins might possibly discover the circumstance through + their espionage; that were this libel brought up, it would be + printed nevertheless, and would be much more dangerous when they + apprised the public of the means she had used to suppress it. + </p> + <p> + Baron d'Aubier, gentleman-in-ordinary to the King, and my + particular friend, had a good memory and a clear way of + communicating the substance of the debates and decrees of the + National Assembly. I went daily to the Queen's apartments to + repeat all this to the King, who used to say, on seeing me, "Ah! + here's the Postillon par Calais,"—a newspaper of the time. + </p> + <p> + M. d'Aubier one day said to me: "The Assembly has been much + occupied with an information laid by the workmen of the Sevres + manufactory. They brought to the President's office a bundle of + pamphlets which they said were the life of Marie Antoinette. The + director of the manufactory was ordered up to the bar, and + declared he had received orders to burn the printed sheets in + question in the furnaces used for baking his china." + </p> + <p> + While I was relating this business to the Queen the King coloured + and held his head down over his plate. The Queen said to him, "Do + you know anything about this, Sire?" The King made no answer. + Madame Elisabeth requested him to explain what it meant. Louis was + still silent. I withdrew hastily. A few minutes afterwards the + Queen came to my room and informed me that the King, out of regard + for her, had purchased the whole edition struck off from the + manuscript which I had mentioned to her, and that M. de Laporte + had not been able to devise any more secret way of destroying the + work than that of having it burnt at Sevres, among two hundred + workmen, one hundred and eighty of whom must, in all probability, + be Jacobins! She told me she had concealed her vexation from the + King; that he was in consternation, and that she could say + nothing, since his good intentions and his affection for her had + been the cause of the mistake. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [M. de Laporte had by order of the King bought up the whole + edition of the "Memoirs" of the notorious Madame de Lamotte + against the Queen. Instead of destroying them immediately, he + shut them up in one of the closets in his house, The alarming + and rapid growth of the rebellion, the arrogance of the crowd of + brigands, who in great measure composed the populace of Paris, + and the fresh excesses daily resulting from it, rendered the + intendant of the civil list apprehensive that some mob might + break into his house, carry off these "Memoirs," and spread them + among the public. In order to prevent this he gave orders to + have the "Memoirs" burnt with every necessary precaution; and + the clerk who received the order entrusted the execution of it + to a man named Riston, a dangerous Intriguer, formerly an + advocate of Nancy, who had a twelve-month before escaped the + gallows by favour of the new principles and the patriotism of + the new tribunals, although convicted of forging the great seal, + and fabricating decrees of the council. This Riston, finding + himself entrusted with a commission which concerned her Majesty, + and the mystery attending which bespoke something of importance, + was less anxious to execute it faithfully than to make a parade + of this mark of confidence. On the 30th of May, at ten in the + morning, he had the sheets carried to the porcelain manufactory + at Sevres, in a cart which he himself accompanied, and made a + large fire of them before all the workmen, who were expressly + forbidden to approach it. All these precautions, and the + suspicions to which they gave rise, under such critical + circumstances, gave so much publicity to this affair that it was + denounced to the Assembly that very night. Brissot, and the + whole Jacobin party, with equal effrontery and vehemence, + insisted that the papers thus secretly burnt could be no other + than the registers and documents of the correspondence of the + Austrian committee. M. de Laporte was ordered to the bar, and + there gave the most precise account of the circumstances. Riston + was also called up, and confirmed M. de Laporte's deposition. + But these explanations, however satisfactory, did not calm the + violent ferment raised in the Assembly by this affair.—"Memoirs + of Bertrand de Molleville."] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + Some time afterwards the Assembly received a denunciation against + M. de Montmorin. The ex-minister was accused of having neglected + forty despatches from M. Genet, the charge d'affaires from France + in Russia, not having even unsealed them, because M. Genet acted + on constitutional principles. M. de Montmorin appeared at the bar + to answer this accusation. Whatever distress I might feel in + obeying the order I had received from the King to go and give him + an account of the sitting, I thought I ought not to fail in doing + so. But instead of giving my brother his family name, I merely + said "your Majesty's charge d'affaires at St. Petersburg." + </p> + <p> + The King did me the favour to say that he noticed a reserve in my + account, of which he approved. The Queen condescended to add a few + obliging remarks to those of the King. However, my office of + journalist gave me in this instance so much pain that I took an + opportunity, when the King was expressing his satisfaction to me + at the manner in which I gave him this daily account, to tell him + that its merits belonged wholly to M. d'Aubier; and I ventured to + request the King to suffer that excellent man to give him an + account of the sittings himself. I assured the King that if he + would permit it, that gentleman might proceed to the Queen's + apartments through mine unseen; the King consented to the + arrangement. Thenceforward M. d'Aubier gave the King repeated + proofs of zeal and attachment. + </p> + <p> + The Cure of St. Eustache ceased to be the Queen's confessor when + he took the constitutional oath. I do not remember the name of the + ecclesiastic who succeeded him; I only know that he was conducted + into her apartments with the greatest mystery. Their Majesties did + not perform their Easter devotions in public, because they could + neither declare for the constitutional clergy, nor act so as to + show that they were against them. + </p> + <p> + The Queen did perform her Easter devotions in 1792; but she went + to the chapel attended only by myself. She desired me beforehand + to request one of my relations, who was her chaplain, to celebrate + a mass for her at five o'clock in the morning. It was still dark; + she gave me her arm, and I lighted her with a taper. I left her + alone at the chapel door. She did not return to her room until the + dawn of day. + </p> + <p> + Dangers increased daily. The Assembly were strengthened in the + eyes of the people by the hostilities of the foreign armies and + the army of the Princes. The communication with the latter party + became more active; the Queen wrote almost every day. M. de + Goguelat possessed her confidence for all correspondence with the + foreign parties, and I was obliged to have him in my apartments; + the Queen asked for him very frequently, and at times which she + could not previously appoint. + </p> + <p> + All parties were exerting themselves either to ruin or to save the + King. One day I found the Queen extremely agitated; she told me + she no longer knew where she was; that the leaders of the Jacobins + offered themselves to her through the medium of Dumouriez; or that + Dumouriez, abandoning the Jacobins, had come and offered himself + to her; that she had granted him an audience; that when alone with + her, he had thrown himself at her feet, and told her that he had + drawn the 'bonnet rouge' over his head to the very ears; but that + he neither was nor could be a Jacobin; that the Revolution had + been suffered to extend even to that rabble of destroyers who, + thinking of nothing but pillage, were ripe for anything, and might + furnish the Assembly with a formidable army, ready to undermine + the remains of a throne already but too much shaken. Whilst + speaking with the utmost ardour he seized the Queen's hand and + kissed it with transport, exclaiming, "Suffer yourself to be + saved!" The Queen told me that the protestations of a traitor were + not to be relied on; that the whole of his conduct was so well + known that undoubtedly the wisest course was not to trust to it; + that, moreover, the Princes particularly recommended that no + confidence should be placed in any proposition emanating from + within the kingdom; that the force without became imposing; and + that it was better to rely upon their success, and upon the + protection due from Heaven to a sovereign so virtuous as Louis + XVI. and to so just a cause. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [The sincerity of General Dumouriez cannot be doubted in this + instance. The second volume of his Memoirs shows how unjust the + mistrust and reproaches of the Queen were. By rejecting his + services, Marie Antoinette deprived herself of her only + remaining support. He who saved France in the defiles of Argonne + would perhaps have saved France before the 20th of June, had he + obtained the full confidence of Louis XVI. and the Queen.—NOTE + BY THE EDITOR.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + The constitutionalists, on their part, saw that there had been + nothing more than a pretence of listening to them. Barnave's last + advice was as to the means of continuing, a few weeks longer, the + Constitutional Guard, which had been denounced to the Assembly, + and was to be disbanded. The denunciation against the + Constitutional Guard affected only its staff, and the Duc de + Brissac. Barnave wrote to the Queen that the staff of the guard + was already attacked; that the Assembly was about to pass a decree + to reduce it; and he entreated her to prevail on the King, the + very instant the decree should appear, to form the staff afresh of + persons whose names he sent her. Barnave said that all who were + set down in it passed for decided Jacobins, but were not so in + fact; that they, as well as himself, were in despair at seeing the + monarchical government attacked; that they had learnt to dissemble + their sentiments, and that it would be at least a fortnight before + the Assembly could know them well, and certainly before it could + succeed in making them unpopular; that it would be necessary to + take advantage of that short space of time to get away from Paris, + immediately after their nomination. The Queen was of opinion that + she ought not to yield to this advice. The Duc de Brissac was sent + to Orleans, and the guard was disbanded. + </p> + <p> + Barnave, seeing that the Queen did not follow his counsel in + anything, and convinced that she placed all her reliance on + assistance from abroad, determined to quit Paris. He obtained a + last audience. "Your misfortunes, Madame," said he, "and those + which I anticipate for France, determined me to sacrifice myself + to serve you. I see, however, that my advice does not agree with + the views of your Majesties. I augur but little advantage from the + plan you are induced to pursue,—you are too remote from your + succours; you will be lost before they reach you. Most ardently do + I wish I may be mistaken in so lamentable a prediction; but I am + sure to pay with my head for the interest your misfortunes have + raised in me, and the services I have sought to render you. I + request, for my sole reward, the honour of kissing your hand." The + Queen, her eyes suffused with tears, granted him that favour, and + remained impressed with a favourable idea of his sentiments. + Madame Elisabeth participated in this opinion, and the two + Princesses frequently spoke of Barnave. The Queen also received M. + Duport several times, but with less mystery. Her connection with + the constitutional deputies transpired. Alexandre de Lameth was + the only one of the three who survived the vengeance of the + Jacobins. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [Barnave was arrested at Grenoble. He remained in prison in that + town fifteen months, and his friends began to hope that he would + be forgotten, when an order arrived that he should be removed to + Paris. At first he was imprisoned in the Abbaye, but transferred + to the Conciergerie, and almost immediately taken before the + revolutionary tribunal. He appeared there with wonderful + firmness, summed up the services he had rendered to the cause of + liberty with his usual eloquence, and made such an impression + upon the numerous auditors that, although accustomed to behold + only conspirators worthy of death in all those who appeared + before the tribunal, they themselves considered his acquittal + certain. The decree of death was read amidst the deepest + silence; but Barnave'a firmness was immovable. When he left the + court, he cast upon the judges, the jurors, and the public looks + expressive of contempt and indignation. He was led to his fate + with the respected Duport du Tertre, one of the last ministers + of Louis XVI. when he had ascended the scaffold, Barnave + stamped, raised his eyes to heaven, and said: "This, then, is + the reward of all that I have done for liberty!" He fell on the + 29th of October, 1793, in the thirty-second year of his age; his + bust was placed in the Grenoble Museum. The Consular Government + placed his statue next to that of Vergniaud, on the great + staircase of the palace of the Senate.—"Biographie de + Bruxelles."] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + The National Guard, which succeeded the King's Guard, having + occupied the gates of the Tuileries, all who came to see the Queen + were insulted with impunity. Menacing cries were uttered aloud + even in the Tuileries; they called for the destruction of the + throne, and the murder of the sovereign; the grossest insults were + offered by the very lowest of the mob. + </p> + <p> + About this time the King fell into a despondent state, which + amounted almost to physical helplessness. He passed ten successive + days without uttering a single word, even in the bosom of his + family; except, indeed, when playing at backgammon after dinner + with Madame Elisabeth. The Queen roused him from this state, so + fatal at a critical period, by throwing herself at his feet, + urging every alarming idea, and employing every affectionate + expression. She represented also what he owed to his family; and + told him that if they were doomed to fall they ought to fall + honourably, and not wait to be smothered upon the floor of their + apartment. + </p> + <p> + About the 15th of June, 1792, the King refused his sanction to the + two decrees ordaining the deportation of priests and the formation + of a camp of twenty thousand men under the walls of Paris. He + himself wished to sanction them, and said that the general + insurrection only waited for a pretence to burst forth. The Queen + insisted upon the veto, and reproached herself bitterly when this + last act of the constitutional authority had occasioned the day of + the 20th of June. + </p> + <p> + A few days previously about twenty thousand men had gone to the + Commune to announce that, on the 20th, they would plant the tree + of liberty at the door of the National Assembly, and present a + petition to the King respecting the veto which he had placed upon + the decree for the deportation of the priests. This dreadful army + crossed the garden of the Tuileries, and marched under the Queen's + windows; it consisted of people who called themselves the citizens + of the Faubourgs St. Antoine and St. Marceau. Clothed in filthy + rags, they bore a most terrifying appearance, and even infected + the air. People asked each other where such an army could come + from; nothing so disgusting had ever before appeared in Paris. + </p> + <p> + On the 20th of June this mob thronged about the Tuileries in still + greater numbers, armed with pikes, hatchets, and murderous + instruments of all kinds, decorated with ribbons of the national + colours, Shouting, "The nation for ever! Down with the veto!" The + King was without guards. Some of these desperadoes rushed up to + his apartment; the door was about to be forced in, when the King + commanded that it should be opened. Messieurs de Bougainville, + d'Hervilly, de Parois, d'Aubier, Acloque, Gentil, and other + courageous men who were in the apartment of M. de Septeuil, the + King's first valet de chambre, instantly ran to his Majesty's + apartment. M. de Bougainville, seeing the torrent furiously + advancing, cried out, "Put the King in the recess of the window, + and place benches before him." Six royalist grenadiers of the + battalion of the Filles Saint Thomas made their way by an inner + staircase, and ranged themselves before the benches. The order + given by M. de Bougainville saved the King from the blades of the + assassins, among whom was a Pole named Lazousky, who was to strike + the first blow. The King's brave defenders said, "Sire, fear + nothing." The King's reply is well known: "Put your hand upon my + heart, and you will perceive whether I am afraid." M. Vanot, + commandant of battalion, warded off a blow aimed by a wretch + against the King; a grenadier of the Filles Saint Thomas parried a + sword-thrust made in the same direction. Madame Elisabeth ran to + her brother's apartments; when she reached the door she heard loud + threats of death against the Queen: they called for the head of + the Austrian. "Ah! let them think I am the Queen," she said to + those around her, "that she may have time to escape." + </p> + <p> + The Queen could not join the King; she was in the council chamber, + where she had been placed behind the great table to protect her, + as much as possible, against the approach of the barbarians. + Preserving a noble and becoming demeanour in this dreadful + situation, she held the Dauphin before her, seated upon the table. + Madame was at her side; the Princesse de Lamballe, the Princesse + de Tarente, Madame de la Roche-Aymon, Madame de Tourzel, and + Madame de Mackau surrounded her. She had fixed a tricoloured + cockade, which one of the National Guard had given her, upon her + head. The poor little Dauphin was, like the King, shrouded in an + enormous red cap. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [One of the circumstances of the 20th of June which most vexed + the King's friends being that of his wearing the bonnet rouge + nearly three hours, I ventured to ask him for some explanation + of a fact so strikingly in contrast with the extraordinary + intrepidity shown by his Majesty during that horrible day. This + was his answer: "The cries of 'The nation for ever!' violently + increasing around me, and seeming to be addressed to me, I + replied that the nation had not a warmer friend than myself. + Upon this an ill-looking man, making his way through the crowd, + came up to me and said, rather roughly, 'Well, if you speak the + truth, prove it by putting on this red cap.' 'I consent,' + replied I. One or two of them immediately came forward and + placed the cap upon my hair, for it was too small for my head. I + was convinced, I knew not why, that his intention was merely to + place the cap upon my head for a moment, and then to take it off + again; and I was so completely taken up with what was passing + before me that I did not feel whether the cap did or did not + remain upon my hair. I was so little aware of it that when I + returned to my room I knew only from being told so that it was + still there. I was very much surprised to find it upon my head, + and was the more vexed at it because I might have taken it off + immediately without the smallest difficulty. But I am satisfied + that if I had hesitated to consent to its being placed upon my + head the drunken fellow who offered it to me would have thrust + his pike into my stomach."—"Memoirs of Bertrand de + Molleville."] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + The horde passed in files before the table; the sort of standards + which they carried were symbols of the most atrocious barbarity. + There was one representing a gibbet, to which a dirty doll was + suspended; the words "Marie Antoinette a la lanterne" were written + beneath it. Another was a board, to which a bullock's heart was + fastened, with "Heart of Louis XVI." written round it. And a third + showed the horn of an ox, with an obscene inscription. + </p> + <p> + One of the most furious Jacobin women who marched with these + wretches stopped to give vent to a thousand imprecations against + the Queen. Her Majesty asked whether she had ever seen her. She + replied that she had not. Whether she had done her any, personal + wrong? Her answer was the same; but she added: + </p> + <p> + "It is you who have caused the misery of the nation." + </p> + <p> + "You have been told so," answered the Queen; "you are deceived. As + the wife of the King of France, and mother of the Dauphin, I am a + French-woman; I shall never see my own country again, I can be + happy or unhappy only in France; I was happy when you loved me." + </p> + <p> + The fury began to weep, asked her pardon, and said, "It was + because I did not know you; I see that you are good." + </p> + <p> + Santerre, the monarch of the faubourgs, made his subjects file off + as quickly as he could; and it was thought at the time that he was + ignorant of the object of this insurrection, which was the murder + of the royal family. However, it was eight o'clock in the evening + before the palace was completely cleared. Twelve deputies, + impelled by attachment to the King's person, ranged themselves + near him at the commencement of the insurrection; but the + deputation from the Assembly did not reach the Tuileries until six + in the evening; all the doors of the apartments were broken. The + Queen pointed out to the deputies the state of the King's palace, + and the disgraceful manner in which his asylum had been violated + under the very eyes of the Assembly; she saw that Merlin de + Thionville was so much affected as to shed tears while she spoke. + </p> + <p> + "You weep, M. Merlin," said she to him, "at seeing the King and + his family so cruelly treated by a people whom he always wished to + make happy." + </p> + <p> + "True, Madame," replied Merlin; "I weep for the misfortunes of a + beautiful and feeling woman, the mother of a family; but do not + mistake, not one of my tears falls for either King or Queen; I + hate kings and queens,—it is my religion." + </p> + <p> + The Queen could not appreciate this madness, and saw all that was + to be apprehended by persons who evinced it. + </p> + <p> + All hope was gone, and nothing was thought of but succour from + abroad. The Queen appealed to her family and the King's brothers; + her letters probably became more pressing, and expressed + apprehensions upon the tardiness of relief. Her Majesty read me + one to herself from the Archduchess Christina, Gouvernante of the + Low Countries: she reproached the Queen for some of her + expressions, and told her that those out of France were at least + as much alarmed as herself at the King's situation and her own; + but that the manner of attempting to assist her might either save + her or endanger her safety; and that the members of the coalition + were bound to act prudently, entrusted as they were with interests + so dear to them. + </p> + <p> + The 14th of July, 1792, fixed by the constitution as the + anniversary of the independence of the nation drew near. The King + and Queen were compelled to make their appearance on the occasion; + aware that the plot of the 20th of June had their assassination + for its object, they had no doubt but that their death was + determined on for the day of this national festival. The Queen was + recommended, in order to give the King's friends time to defend + him if the attack should be made, to guard him against the first + stroke of a dagger by making him wear a breastplate. I was + directed to get one made in my apartments: it was composed of + fifteen folds of Italian taffety, and formed into an + under-waistcoat and a wide belt. This breastplate was tried; it + resisted all thrusts of the dagger, and several balls were turned + aside by it. When it was completed the difficulty was to let the + King try it on without running the risk of being surprised. I wore + the immense heavy waistcoat as an under-petticoat for three days + without being able to find a favourable moment. At length the King + found an opportunity one morning to pull off his coat in the + Queen's chamber and try on the breastplate. + </p> + <p> + The Queen was in bed; the King pulled me gently by the gown, and + drew me as far as he could from the Queen's bed, and said to me, + in a very low tone of voice: "It is to satisfy her that I submit + to this inconvenience: they will not assassinate me; their scheme + is changed; they will put me to death another way." The Queen + heard the King whispering to me, and when he was gone out she + asked me what he had said. I hesitated to answer; she insisted + that I should, saying that nothing must be concealed from her, and + that she was resigned upon every point. + </p> + <p> + When she was informed of the King's remark she told me she had + guessed it, that he had long since observed to her that all which + was going forward in France was an imitation of the revolution in + England in the time of Charles I., and that he was incessantly + reading the history of that unfortunate monarch in order that he + might act better than Charles had done at a similar crisis. "I + begin to be fearful of the King's being brought to trial," + continued the Queen; "as to me, I am a foreigner; they will + assassinate me. What will become of my poor children?" + </p> + <p> + These sad ejaculations were followed by a torrent of tears. I + wished to give her an antispasmodic; she refused it, saying that + only happy women could feel nervous; that the cruel situation to + which she was reduced rendered these remedies useless. In fact, + the Queen, who during her happier days was frequently attacked by + hysterical disorders, enjoyed more uniform health when all the + faculties of her soul were called forth to support her physical + strength. + </p> + <p> + I had prepared a corset for her, for the same purpose as the + King's under-waistcoat, without her knowledge; but she would not + make use of it; all my entreaties, all my tears, were in vain. "If + the factions assassinate me," she replied, "it will be a fortunate + event for me; they will deliver me from a most painful existence." + A few days after the King had tried on his breastplate I met him + on a back staircase. I drew back to let him pass. He stopped and + took my hand; I wished to kiss his; he would not suffer it, but + drew me towards him by the hand, and kissed both my cheeks without + saying a single word. + </p> + <p> + The fear of another attack upon the Tuileries occasioned + scrupulous search among the King's papers. + </p> + <p> + I burnt almost all those belonging to the Queen. She put her + family letters, a great deal of correspondence which she thought + it necessary to preserve for the history of the era of the + Revolution, and particularly Barnave's letters and her answers, of + which she had copies, into a portfolio, which she entrusted to M. + de J——. That gentleman was unable to save this + deposit, and it was burnt. The Queen left a few papers in her + secretaire. Among them were instructions to Madame de Tourzel, + respecting the dispositions of her children and the characters and + abilities of the sub-governesses under that lady's orders. This + paper, which the Queen drew up at the time of Madame de Tourzel's + appointment, with several letters from Maria Theresa, filled with + the best advice and instructions, was printed after the 10th of + August by order of the Assembly in the collection of papers found + in the secretaires of the King and Queen. + </p> + <p> + Her Majesty had still, without reckoning the income of the month, + one hundred and forty thousand francs in gold. She was desirous of + depositing the whole of it with me; but I advised her to retain + fifteen hundred louis, as a sum of rather considerable amount + might be suddenly necessary for her. The King had an immense + quantity of papers, and unfortunately conceived the idea of + privately making, with the assistance of a locksmith who had + worked with him above ten years, a place of concealment in an + inner corridor of his apartments. The place of concealment, but + for the man's information, would have been long undiscovered? The + wall in which it was made was painted to imitate large stones, and + the opening was entirely concealed among the brown grooves which + formed the shaded part of these painted stones. But even before + this locksmith had denounced what was afterwards called the iron + closet to the Assembly, the Queen was aware that he had talked of + it to some of his friends; and that this man, in whom the King + from long habit placed too much confidence, was a Jacobin. She + warned the King of it, and prevailed on him to fill a very large + portfolio with all the papers he was most interested in + preserving, and entrust it to me. She entreated him in my presence + to leave nothing in this closet; and the King, in order to quiet + her, told her that he had left nothing there. I would have taken + the portfolio and carried it to my apartment, but it was too heavy + for me to lift. The King said he would carry it himself; I went + before to open the doors for him. When he placed the portfolio in + my inner closet he merely said, "The Queen will tell you what it + contains." Upon my return to the Queen I put the question to her, + deeming, from what the King had said, that it was necessary I + should know. "They are," the Queen answered me, "such documents as + would be most dangerous to the King should they go so far as to + proceed to a trial against him. But what he wishes me to tell you + is, that the portfolio contains a 'proces-verbal' of a cabinet + council, in which the King gave his opinion against the war. He + had it signed by all the ministers, and, in case of a trial, he + trusts that this document will be very useful to him." I asked the + Queen to whom she thought I ought to commit the portfolio. "To + whom you please," answered she; "you alone are answerable for it. + Do not quit the palace even during your vacation months: there may + be circumstances under which it would be very desirable that we + should be able to have it instantly." + </p> + <p> + At this period M. de La Fayette, who had probably given up the + idea of establishing a republic in France similar to that of the + United States, and was desirous to support the first constitution + which he had sworn to defend, quitted his army and came to the + Assembly for the purpose of supporting by his presence and by an + energetic speech a petition signed by twenty thousand citizens + against the late violation of the residence of the King and his + family. The General found the constitutional party powerless, and + saw that he himself had lost his popularity. The Assembly + disapproved of the step he had taken; the King, for whom it, was + taken, showed no satisfaction at it, and he saw himself compelled + to return to his army as quickly as he could. He thought he could + rely on the National Guard; but on the day of his arrival those + officers who were in the King's interest inquired of his Majesty + whether they were to forward the views of Gendral de La Fayette by + joining him in such measures as he should pursue during his stay + at Paris. The King enjoined them not to do so. From this answer M. + de La Fayette perceived that he was abandoned by the remainder of + his party in the Paris guard. + </p> + <p> + On his arrival a plan was presented to the Queen, in which it was + proposed by a junction between La Fayette's army and the King's + party to rescue the royal family and convey them to Rouen. I did + not learn the particulars of this plan; the Queen only said to me + upon the subject that M. de La Fayette was offered to them as a + resource; but that it would be better for them to perish than to + owe their safety to the man who had done them the most mischief, + or to place themselves under the necessity of treating with him. + </p> + <p> + I passed the whole month of July without going to bed; I was + fearful of some attack by night. There was one plot against the + Queen's life which has never been made known. I was alone by her + bedside at one o'clock in the morning; we heard somebody walking + softly down the corridor, which passes along the whole line of her + apartments, and which was then locked at each end. I went out to + fetch the valet de chambre; he entered the corridor, and the Queen + and myself soon heard the noise of two men fighting. The + unfortunate Princess held me locked in her arms, and said to me, + "What a situation! insults by day and assassins by night!" The + valet de chambre cried out to her from the corridor, "Madame, it + is a wretch that I know; I have him!"—"Let him go," said the + Queen; "open the door to him; he came to murder me; the Jacobins + would carry him about in triumph to-morrow." The man was a servant + of the King's toilet, who had taken the key of the corridor out of + his Majesty's pocket after he was in bed, no doubt with the + intention of committing the crime suspected. The valet de chambre, + who was a very strong man, held him by the wrists, and thrust him + out at the door. The wretch did not speak a word. The valet de + chambre said, in answer to the Queen, who spoke to him gratefully + of the danger to which he had exposed himself, that he feared + nothing, and that he had always a pair of excellent pistols about + him for no other purpose than to defend her Majesty. The next day + M. de Septeuil had all the locks of the King's inner apartments + changed. I did the same by those of the Queen. + </p> + <p> + We were every moment told that the Faubourg St. Antoine was + preparing to march against the palace. At four o'clock one morning + towards the latter end of July a person came to give me + information to that effect. I instantly sent off two men, on whom + I could rely, with orders to proceed to the usual places for + assembling, and to come back speedily and give me an account of + the state of the city. We knew that at least an hour must elapse + before the populace or the faubourgs assembled on the site of the + Bastille could reach the Tuileries. It seemed to me sufficient for + the Queen's safety that all about her should be awakened. I went + softly into her room; she was asleep; I did not awaken her. I + found General de W—— in the great closet; he told me + the meeting was, for this once, dispersing. The General had + endeavoured to please the populace by the same means as M. de La + Fayette had employed. He saluted the lowest poissarde, and lowered + his hat down to his very stirrup. But the populace, who had been + flattered for three years, required far different homage to its + power, and the poor man was unnoticed. The King had been awakened, + and so had Madame Elisabeth, who had gone to him. The Queen, + yielding to the weight of her griefs, slept till nine o'clock on + that day, which was very unusual with her. The King had already + been to know whether she was awake; I told him what I had done, + and the care I had taken not to disturb her. He thanked me, and + said, "I was awake, and so was the whole palace; she ran no risk. + I am very glad to see her take a little rest. Alas! her griefs + double mine!" What was my chagrin when, upon awaking and learning + what had passed, the Queen burst into tears from regret at not + having been called, and began to upbraid me, on whose friendship + she ought to have been able to rely, for having served her so ill + under such circumstances! In vain did I reiterate that it had been + only a false alarm, and that she required to have her strength + recruited. "It is not diminished," said she; "misfortune gives us + additional strength. Elisabeth was with the King, and I was + asleep,—I who am determined to perish by his side! I am his + wife; I will not suffer him to incur the smallest risk without my + sharing it." + </p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + <h2> + CHAPTER VIII. + </h2> + <br /><br /> + <p> + During July the correspondence of M. Bertrand de Molleville with + the King and Queen was most active. M. de Marsilly, formerly a + lieutenant of the Cent-Suisses of the Guard, was the bearer of the + letters. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [I received by night only the King's answer, written with his + own hand, in the margin of my letter. I always sent him back + with the day's letter that to which he had replied the day + before, so that my letters and his answers, of which I contented + myself with taking notes only, never remained with me + twenty-four hours. I proposed this arrangement to his Majesty to + remove all uneasiness from his mind; my letters were generally + delivered to the King or the Queen by M. de Marsilly, captain of + the King's Guard, whose attachment and fidelity were known to + their Majesties. I also sometimes employed M. Bernard de + Marigny, who had left Brest for the purpose of sharing with his + Majesty's faithful servants the dangers which threatened the + King.—"Memoirs of Bertrand de Molleville," vol. ii., p. + 12.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + He came to me the first time with a note from the Queen directed + to M. Bertrand himself. In this note the Queen said: "Address + yourself with full confidence to Madame Campan; the conduct of her + brother in Russia has not at all influenced her sentiments; she is + wholly devoted to us; and if, hereafter, you should have anything + to say to us verbally, you may rely entirely upon her devotion and + discretion." + </p> + <p> + The mobs which gathered almost nightly in the faubourgs alarmed + the Queen's friends; they entreated her not to sleep in her room + on the ground floor of the Tuileries. She removed to the first + floor, to a room which was between the King's apartments and those + of the Dauphin. Being awake always from daybreak, she ordered that + neither the shutters nor the window-blinds should be closed, that + her long sleepless nights might be the less weary. About the + middle of one of these nights, when the moon was shining into her + bedchamber, she gazed at it, and told me that in a month she + should not see that moon unless freed from her chains, and + beholding the King at liberty. She then imparted to me all that + was concurring to deliver them; but said that the opinions of + their intimate advisers were alarmingly at variance; that some + vouched for complete success, while others pointed out + insurmountable dangers. She added that she possessed the itinerary + of the march of the Princes and the King of Prussia: that on such + a day they would be at Verdun, on another day at such a place, + that Lille was about to be besieged, but that M. de J——-, + whose prudence and intelligence the King, as well as herself, + highly valued, alarmed them much respecting the success of that + siege, and made them apprehensive that, even were the commandant + devoted to them, the civil authority, which by the constitution + gave great power to the mayors of towns, would overrule the + military commandant. She was also very uneasy as to what would + take place at Paris during the interval, and spoke to me of the + King's want of energy, but always in terms expressive of her + veneration for his virtues and her attachment to himself.—"The + King," said she, "is not a coward; he possesses abundance of + passive courage, but he is overwhelmed by an awkward shyness, a + mistrust of himself, which proceeds from his education as much as + from his disposition. He is afraid to command, and, above all + things, dreads speaking to assembled numbers. He lived like a + child, and always ill at ease under the eyes of Louis XV., until + the age of twenty-one. This constraint confirmed his timidity. + </p> + <p> + "Circumstanced as we are, a few well-delivered words addressed to + the Parisians, who are devoted to him, would multiply the strength + of our party a hundredfold: he will not utter them. What can we + expect from those addresses to the people which he has been + advised to post up? Nothing but fresh outrages. As for myself, I + could do anything, and would appear on horseback if necessary. But + if I were really to begin to act, that would be furnishing arms to + the King's enemies; the cry against the Austrian, and against the + sway of a woman, would become general in France; and, moreover, by + showing myself, I should render the King a mere nothing. A queen + who is not regent ought, under these circumstances, to remain + passive and prepare to die." + </p> + <p> + The garden of the Tuileries was full of maddened men, who insulted + all who seemed to side with the Court. "The Life of Marie + Antoinette" was cried under the Queen's windows, infamous plates + were annexed to the book, the hawkers showed them to the + passersby. On all sides were heard the jubilant outcries of a + people in a state of delirium almost as frightful as the explosion + of their rage. The Queen and her children were unable to breathe + the open air any longer. It was determined that the garden of the + Tuileries should be closed: as soon as this step was taken the + Assembly decreed that the whole length of the Terrace des + Feuillans belonged to it, and fixed the boundary between what was + called the national ground and the Coblentz ground by a + tricoloured ribbon stretched from one end of the terrace to the + other. All good citizens were ordered, by notices affixed to it, + not to go down into the garden, under pain of being treated in the + same manner as Foulon and Berthier. A young man who did not + observe this written order went down into the garden; furious + outcries, threats of la lanterne, and the crowd of people which + collected upon the terrace warned him of his imprudence, and the + danger which he ran. He immediately pulled off his shoes, took out + his handkerchief, and wiped the dust from their soles. The people + cried out, "Bravo! the good citizen for ever!" He was carried off + in triumph. The shutting up of the Tuileries did not enable the + Queen and her children to walk in the garden. The people on the + terrace sent forth dreadful shouts, and she was twice compelled to + return to her apartments. + </p> + <p> + In the early part of August many zealous persons offered the King + money; he refused considerable sums, being unwilling to injure the + fortunes of individuals. M. de la Ferte, intendant of the 'menus + plaisirs', brought me a thousand louis, requesting me to lay them + at the feet of the Queen. He thought she could not have too much + money at so perilous a time, and that every good Frenchman should + hasten to place all his ready money in her hands. She refused this + sum, and others of much greater amount which were offered to her. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [M. Auguie, my brother-in-law, receiver-general of the finances, + offered her, through his wife, a portfolio containing one + hundred thousand crowns in paper money. On this occasion the + Queen said the most affecting things to my sister, expressive of + her happiness at having contributed to the fortunes of such + faithful subjects as herself and her husband, but declined her + offer.—MADAME CAMPAN.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + However, a few days afterwards, she told me she would accept M. de + la Ferte's twenty-four thousand francs, because they would make up + a sum which the King had to expend. She therefore directed, me to + go and receive those twenty-four thousand francs, to add them to + the one hundred thousand francs she had placed in my hands, and to + change the whole into assignats to increase their amount. Her + orders were executed, and the assignats were delivered to the + King. The Queen informed me that Madame Elisabeth had found a + well-meaning man who had engaged to gain over Petion by the bribe + of a large sum of money, and that deputy would, by a preconcerted + signal, inform the King of the success of the project. His Majesty + soon had an opportunity of seeing Petion, and on the Queen asking + him before me if he was satisfied with him, the King replied, + "Neither more nor less satisfied than usual; he did not make the + concerted signal, and I believe I have been cheated." The Queen + then condescended to explain the whole of the enigma to me. + "Petion," said she, "was, while talking to the King, to have kept + his finger fixed upon his right eye for at least two seconds."—"He + did not even put his hand up to his chin," said the King; "after + all, it is but so much money stolen: the thief will not boast of + it, and the affair will remain a secret. Let us talk of something + else." He turned to me and said, "Your father was an intimate + friend of Mandat, who now commands the National Guard; describe + him to me; what ought I to expect from him?" I answered that he + was one of his Majesty's most faithful subjects, but that with a + great deal of loyalty he possessed very little sense, and that he + was involved in the constitutional vortex. "I understand," said + the King; "he is a man who would defend my palace and my person, + because that is enjoined by the constitution which he has sworn to + support, but who would fight against the party in favour of + sovereign authority; it is well to know this with certainty." + </p> + <p> + On the next day the Princesse de Lamballe sent for me very early + in the morning. I found her on a sofa facing a window that looked + upon the Pont Royal. She then occupied that apartment of the + Pavilion of Flora which was on a level with that of the Queen. She + desired me to sit down by her. Her Highness had a writing-desk + upon her knees. "You have had many enemies," said she; "attempts + have been made to deprive you of the Queen's favour; they have + been far from successful. Do you know that even I myself, not + being so well acquainted with you as the Queen, was rendered + suspicious of you; and that upon the arrival of the Court at the + Tuileries I gave you a companion to be a spy upon you; and that I + had another belonging to the police placed at your door! I was + assured that you received five or six of the most virulent + deputies of the Tiers Etat; but it was that wardrobe woman whose + rooms were above you. + </p> + <p> + "In short," said the Princess, "persons of integrity have nothing + to fear from the evil-disposed when they belong to so upright a + prince as the King. As to the Queen, she knows you, and has loved + you ever since she came into France. You shall judge of the King's + opinion of you: it was yesterday evening decided in the family + circle that, at a time when the Tuileries is likely to be + attacked, it was necessary to have the most faithful account of + the opinions and conduct of all the individuals composing the + Queen's service. The King takes the same precaution on his part + respecting all who are about him. He said there was with him a + person of great integrity, to whom he would commit this inquiry; + and that, with regard to the Queen's household, you must be spoken + to, that he had long studied your character, and that he esteemed + your veracity." + </p> + <p> + The Princess had a list of the names of all who belonged to the + Queen's chamber on her desk. She asked me for information + respecting each individual. I was fortunate in having none but the + most favourable information to give. I had to speak of my avowed + enemy in the Queen's chamber; of her who most wished that I should + be responsible for my brother's political opinions. The Princess, + as the head of the chamber, could not be ignorant of this + circumstance; but as the person in question, who idolised the King + and Queen, would not have hesitated to sacrifice her life in order + to save theirs, and as possibly her attachment to them, united to + considerable narrowness of intellect and a limited education, + contributed to her jealousy of me, I spoke of her in the highest + terms. + </p> + <p> + The Princess wrote as I dictated, and occasionally looked at me + with astonishment. When I had done I entreated her to write in the + margin that the lady alluded to was my declared enemy. She + embraced me, saying, "Ah! do not write it! we should not record an + unhappy circumstance which ought to be forgotten." We came to a + man of genius who was much attached to the Queen, and I described + him as a man born solely to contradict, showing himself an + aristocrat with democrats, and a democrat among aristocrats; but + still a man of probity, and well disposed to his sovereign. The + Princess said she knew many persons of that disposition, and that + she was delighted I had nothing to say against this man, because + she herself had placed him about the Queen. + </p> + <p> + The whole of her Majesty's chamber, which consisted entirely of + persons of fidelity, gave throughout all the dreadful convulsions + of the Revolution proofs of the greatest prudence and + self-devotion. The same cannot be said of the antechambers. With + the exception of three or four, all the servants of that class + were outrageous Jacobins; and I saw on those occasions the + necessity of composing the private household of princes of persons + completely separated from the class of the people. + </p> + <p> + The situation of the royal family was so unbearable during the + months which immediately preceded the 10th of August that the + Queen longed for the crisis, whatever might be its issue. She + frequently said that a long confinement in a tower by the seaside + would seem to her less intolerable than those feuds in which the + weakness of her party daily threatened an inevitable catastrophe. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [A few days before the 10th of August the squabbles between the + royalists and the Jacobins, and between the Jacobins and the + constitutionalists, increased in warmth; among the latter those + men who defended the principles they professed with the greatest + talent, courage, and constancy were at the same time the most + exposed to danger. Montjoie says: "The question of dethronement + was discussed with a degree of frenzy in the Assembly. Such of + the deputies as voted against it were abused, ill treated, and + surrounded by assassins. They had a battle to fight at every + step they took; and at length they did not dare to sleep in + their own houses. Of this number were Regnault de Beaucaron, + Froudiere, Girardin, and Vaublanc. Girardin complained of having + been struck in one of the lobbies of the Assembly. A voice cried + out to him, 'Say where were you struck.' 'Where?' replied + Girardin, 'what a question! Behind. Do assassins ever strike + otherwise?"] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + Not only were their Majesties prevented from breathing the open + air, but they were also insulted at the very foot of the altar. + The Sunday before the last day of the monarchy, while the royal + family went through the gallery to the chapel, half the soldiers + of the National Guard exclaimed, "Long live the King!" and the + other half, "No; no King! Down with the veto!" and on that day at + vespers the choristers preconcerted to use loud and threatening + emphasis when chanting the words, "Deposuit potentes de sede," in + the "Magnificat." Incensed at such an irreverent proceeding, the + royalists in their turn thrice exclaimed, "Et reginam," after the + "Domine salvum fac regem." The tumult during the whole time of + divine service was excessive. + </p> + <p> + At length the terrible night of the 10th of August, 1792, arrived. + On the preceding evening Potion went to the Assembly and informed + it that preparations were making for an insurrection on the + following day; that the tocsin would sound at midnight; and that + he feared he had not sufficient means for resisting the attack + which was about to take place. Upon this information the Assembly + passed to the order of the day. Petion, however, gave an order for + repelling force by force. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [Petion was the Mayor of Paris, and Mandat on this day was + commandant of the National Guard. Mandat was assassinated that + night.—"Thiers," vol. i., p. 260.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + M. Mandat was armed with this order; and, finding his fidelity to + the King's person supported by what he considered the law of the + State, he conducted himself in all his operations with the + greatest energy. On the evening of the 9th I was present at the + King's supper. While his Majesty was giving me various orders we + heard a great noise at the door of the apartment. I went to see + what was the cause of it, and found the two sentinels fighting. + One said, speaking of the King, that he was hearty in the cause of + the constitution, and would defend it at the peril of his life; + the other maintained that he was an encumbrance to the only + constitution suitable to a free people. They were almost ready to + cut one another's throats. I returned with a countenance which + betrayed my emotion. The King desired to know what was going + forward at his door; I could not conceal it from him. The Queen + said she was not at all surprised at it, and that more than half + the guard belonged to the Jacobin party. + </p> + <p> + The tocsin sounded at midnight. The Swiss were drawn up like + walls; and in the midst of their soldierlike silence, which formed + a striking contrast with the perpetual din of the town guard, the + King informed M. de J——-, an officer of the staff, of + the plan of defence laid down by General Viomenil. M. de J——- + said to me, after this private conference, "Put your jewels and + money into your pockets; our dangers are unavoidable; the means of + defence are nil; safety might be obtained by some degree of energy + in the King, but that is the only virtue in which he is + deficient." + </p> + <p> + An hour after midnight the Queen and Madame Elisabeth said they + would lie down on a sofa in a room in the entresols, the windows + of which commanded the courtyard of the Tuileries. + </p> + <p> + The Queen told me the King had just refused to put on his quilted + under-waistcoat; that he had consented to wear it on the 14th of + July because he was merely going to a ceremony where the blade of + an assassin was to be apprehended, but that on a day on which his + party might fight against the revolutionists he thought there was + something cowardly in preserving his life by such means. + </p> + <p> + During this time Madame Elisabeth disengaged herself from some of + her clothing which encumbered her in order to lie down on the + sofa: she took a cornelian pin out of her cape, and before she + laid it down on the table she showed it to me, and desired me to + read a motto engraved upon it round a stalk of lilies. The words + were, "Oblivion of injuries; pardon for offences."—"I much + fear," added that virtuous Princess, "this maxim has but little + influence among our enemies; but it ought not to be less dear to + us on that account." + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [The exalted piety of Madame Elisabeth gave to all she said and + did a noble character, descriptive of that of her soul. On the + day on which this worthy descendant of Saint Louis was + sacrificed, the executioner, in tying her hands behind her, + raised up one of the ends of her handkerchief. Madame Elisabeth, + with calmness, and in a voice which seemed not to belong to + earth, said to him, "In the name of modesty, cover my bosom." I + learned this from Madame de Serilly, who was condemned the same + day as the Princess, but who obtained a respite at the moment of + the execution, Madame de Montmorin, her relation, declaring that + her cousin was enceinte.-MADAME CAMPAN.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + The Queen desired me to sit down by her; the two Princesses could + not sleep; they were conversing mournfully upon their situation + when a musket was discharged in the courtyard. They both quitted + the sofa, saying, "There is the first shot, unfortunately it will + not be the last; let us go up to the King." The Queen desired me + to follow her; several of her women went with me. + </p> + <p> + At four o'clock the Queen came out of the King's chamber and told + us she had no longer any hope; that M. Mandat, who had gone to the + Hotel de Ville to receive further orders, had just been + assassinated, and that the people were at that time carrying his + head about the streets. Day came. The King, the Queen, Madame + Elisabeth, Madame, and the Dauphin went down to pass through the + ranks of the sections of the National Guard; the cry of "Vive le + Roi!" was heard from a few places. I was at a window on the garden + side; I saw some of the gunners quit their posts, go up to the + King, and thrust their fists in his face, insulting him by the + most brutal language. Messieurs de Salvert and de Bridges drove + them off in a spirited manner. The King was as pale as a corpse. + The royal family came in again. The Queen told me that all was + lost; that the King had shown no energy; and that this sort of + review had done more harm than good. + </p> + <p> + I was in the billiard-room with my companions; we placed ourselves + upon some high benches. I then saw M. d'Hervilly with a drawn + sword in his hand, ordering the usher to open the door to the + French noblesse. Two hundred persons entered the room nearest to + that in which the family were; others drew up in two lines in the + preceding rooms. I saw a few people belonging to the Court, many + others whose features were unknown to me, and a few who figured + technically without right among what was called the noblesse, but + whose self-devotion ennobled them at once. They were all so badly + armed that even in that situation the indomitable French + liveliness indulged in jests. M. de Saint-Souplet, one of the + King's equerries, and a page, carried on their shoulders instead + of muskets the tongs belonging to the King's antechamber, which + they had broken and divided between them. Another page, who had a + pocket-pistol in his hand, stuck the end of it against the back of + the person who stood before him, and who begged he would be good + enough to rest it elsewhere. A sword and a pair of pistols were + the only arms of those who had had the precaution to provide + themselves with arms at all. Meanwhile, the numerous bands from + the faubourgs, armed with pikes and cutlasses, filled the + Carrousel and the streets adjacent to the Tuileries. The + sanguinary Marseillais were at their head, with cannon pointed + against the Chateau. In this emergency the King's Council sent M. + Dejoly, the Minister of Justice, to the Assembly to request they + would send the King a deputation which might serve as a safeguard + to the executive power. His ruin was resolved on; they passed to + the order of the day. At eight o'clock the department repaired to + the Chateau. The procureur-syndic, seeing that the guard within + was ready to join the assailants, went into the King's closet and + requested to speak to him in private. The King received him in his + chamber; the Queen was with him. There M. Roederer told him that + the King, all his family, and the people about them would + inevitably perish unless his Majesty immediately determined to go + to the National Assembly. The Queen at first opposed this advice, + but the procureur-syndic told her that she rendered herself + responsible for the deaths of the King, her children, and all who + were in the palace. She no longer objected. The King then + consented to go to the Assembly. As he set out, he said to the + minister and persons who surrounded him, "Come, gentlemen, there + is nothing more to be done here." + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + ["The King hesitated, the Queen manifested the highest + dissatisfaction. 'What!' said she,' are we alone; is there + nobody who can act?'—'Yes, Madame, alone; action is + useless—resistance is impossible.' One of the members of + the department, M. Gerdrot, insisted on the prompt execution of + the proposed measure. 'Silence, monsieur,' said the Queen to + him; 'silence; you are the only person who ought to be silent + here; when the mischief is done, those who did it should not + pretend to wish to remedy it.' . . . + </p> + <p> + "The King remained mute; nobody spoke. It was reserved for me to + give the last piece of advice. I had the firmness to say, 'Let + us go, and not deliberate; honour commands it, the good of the + State requires it. Let us go to the National Assembly; this step + ought to have been taken long ago: 'Let us go,' said the King, + raising his right hand; 'let us start; let us give this last + mark of self-devotion, since it is necessary.' The Queen was + persuaded. Her first anxiety was for the King, the second for + her son; the King had none. 'M. Roederer—gentlemen,' said + the Queen, 'you answer for the person of the King; you answer + for that of my son.'—'Madame,' replied M. Roederer, 'we + pledge ourselves to die at your side; that is all we can engage + for.'"—MONTJOIE, "History of Marie Antoinette."] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + The Queen said to me as she left the King's chamber, "Wait in my + apartments; I will come to you, or I will send for you to go I + know not whither." She took with her only the Princesse de + Lamballe and Madame de Tourzel. The Princesse de Tarente and + Madame de la Roche-Aymon were inconsolable at being left at the + Tuileries; they, and all who belonged to the chamber, went down + into the Queen's apartments. + </p> + <p> + We saw the royal family pass between two lines formed by the Swiss + grenadiers and those of the battalions of the Petits-Peres and the + Filles Saint Thomas. They were so pressed upon by the crowd that + during that short passage the Queen was robbed of her watch and + purse. A man of great height and horrible appearance, one of such + as were to be seen at the head of all the insurrections, drew near + the Dauphin, whom the Queen was leading by the hand, and took him + up in his arms. The Queen uttered a scream of terror, and was + ready to faint. The man said to her, "Don't be frightened, I will + do him no harm;" and he gave him back to her at the entrance of + the chamber. + </p> + <p> + I leave to history all the details of that too memorable day, + confining myself to recalling a few of the frightful scenes acted + in the interior of the Tuileries after the King had quitted the + palace. + </p> + <p> + The assailants did not know that the King and his family had + betaken themselves to the Assembly; and those who defended the + palace from the aide of the courts were equally ignorant of it. It + is supposed that if they had been aware of the fact the siege + would never have taken place. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [In reading of the events of the 10th of August, 1792, the + reader must remember that there was hardly any armed force to + resist the mob. The regiments that had shown signs of being + loyal to the King had been removed from Paris by the Assembly. + The Swiss had been deprived of their own artillery, and the + Court had sent one of their battalions into Normandy at a time + when there was an idea of taking refuge there. The National + Guard were either disloyal or disheartened, and the gunners, + especially of that force at the Tuileries, sympathised with the + mob. Thus the King had about 800 or 900 Swiss and little more + than one battalion of the National Guard. Mandat, one of the six + heads of the legions of the National Guard, to whose turn the + command fell on that day, was true to his duty, but was sent for + to the Hotel de Ville and assassinated. Still the small force, + even after the departure of the King, would have probably beaten + off the mob had not the King given the fatal order to the Swiss + to cease firing. (See Thiers's "Revolution Francaise," vol. i., + chap. xi.) Bonaparte's opinion of the mob may be judged by his + remarks on the 20th June, 1792, when, disgusted at seeing the + King appear with the red cap on his head, he exclaimed, "Che + coglione! Why have they let in all that rabble? Why don't they + sweep off 400 or 500 of them with the cannon? The rest would + then set off." ("Bourrienne," vol. i., p.13, Bentley, London, + 1836.) Bonaparte carried out his own plan against a far stronger + force of assailants on the Jour des Sections, 4th October, 1795.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + The Marseillais began by driving from their posts several Swiss, + who yielded without resistance; a few of the assailants fired upon + them; some of the Swiss officers, seeing their men fall, and + perhaps thinking the King was still at the Tuileries, gave the + word to a whole battalion to fire. The aggressors were thrown into + disorder, and the Carrousel was cleared in a moment; but they soon + returned, spurred on by rage and revenge. The Swiss were but eight + hundred strong; they fell back into the interior of the Chateau; + some of the doors were battered in by the guns, others broken + through with hatchets; the populace rushed from all quarters into + the interior of the palace; almost all the Swiss were massacred; + the nobles, flying through the gallery which leads to the Louvre, + were either stabbed or shot, and the bodies thrown out of the + windows. + </p> + <p> + M. Pallas and M. de Marchais, ushers of the King's chamber, were + killed in defending the door of the council chamber; many others + of the King's servants fell victims to their fidelity. I mention + these two persons in particular because, with their hats pulled + over their brows and their swords in their hands, they exclaimed, + as they defended themselves with unavailing courage, "We will not + survive!—this is our post; our duty is to die at it." M. + Diet behaved in the same manner at the door of the Queen's + bedchamber; he experienced the same fate. The Princesse de Tarente + had fortunately opened the door of the apartments; otherwise, the + dreadful band seeing several women collected in the Queen's salon + would have fancied she was among us, and would have immediately + massacred us had we resisted them. We were, indeed, all about to + perish, when a man with a long beard came up, exclaiming, in the + name of Potion, "Spare the women; don't dishonour the nation!" A + particular circumstance placed me in greater danger than the + others. In my confusion I imagined, a moment before the assailants + entered the Queen's apartments, that my sister was not among the + group of women collected there; and I went up into an 'entresol', + where I supposed she had taken refuge, to induce her to come down, + fancying it safer that we should not be separated. I did not find + her in the room in question; I saw there only our two femmes de + chambre and one of the Queen's two heyducs, a man of great height + and military aspect. I saw that he was pale, and sitting on a bed. + I cried out to him, "Fly! the footmen and our people are already + safe."—"I cannot," said the man to me; "I am dying of fear." + As he spoke I heard a number of men rushing hastily up the + staircase; they threw themselves upon him, and I saw him + assassinated. + </p> + <p> + I ran towards the staircase, followed by our women. The murderers + left the heyduc to come to me. The women threw themselves at their + feet, and held their sabres. The narrowness of the staircase + impeded the assassins; but I had already felt a horrid hand thrust + into my back to seize me by my clothes, when some one called out + from the bottom of the staircase, "What are you doing above there? + We don't kill women." I was on my knees; my executioner quitted + his hold of me, and said, "Get up, you jade; the nation pardons + you." + </p> + <p> + The brutality of these words did not prevent my suddenly + experiencing an indescribable feeling which partook almost equally + of the love of life and the idea that I was going to see my son, + and all that was dear to me, again. A moment before I had thought + less of death than of the pain which the steel, suspended over my + head, would occasion me. Death is seldom seen so close without + striking his blow. I heard every syllable uttered by the + assassins, just as if I had been calm. + </p> + <p> + Five or six men seized me and my companions, and, having made us + get up on benches placed before the windows, ordered us to call + out, "The nation for ever!" + </p> + <p> + I passed over several corpses; I recognised that of the old + Vicomte de Broves, to whom the Queen had sent me at the beginning + of the night to desire him and another old man in her name to go + home. These brave men desired I would tell her Majesty that they + had but too strictly obeyed the King's orders in all circumstances + under which they ought to have exposed their own lives in order to + preserve his; and that for this once they would not obey, though + they would cherish the recollection of the Queen's goodness. + </p> + <p> + Near the grille, on the side next the bridge, the men who + conducted me asked whither I wished to go. Upon my inquiring, in + my turn, whether they were at liberty to take me wherever I might + wish to go, one of them, a Marseillais, asked me, giving me at the + same time a push with the butt end of his musket, whether I still + doubted the power of the people? I answered "No," and I mentioned + the number of my brother-in-law's house. I saw my sister ascending + the steps of the parapet of the bridge, surrounded by members of + the National Guard. I called to her, and she turned round. "Would + you have her go with you?" said my guardian to me. I told him I + did wish it. They called the people who were leading my sister to + prison; she joined me. + </p> + <p> + Madame de la Roche-Aymon and her daughter, Mademoiselle Pauline de + Tourzel, Madame de Ginestoux, lady to the Princesse de Lamballe, + the other women of the Queen, and the old Comte d'Affry, were led + off together to the Abbaye. + </p> + <p> + Our progress from the Tuileries to my sister's house was most + distressing. We saw several Swiss pursued and killed, and + musket-shots were crossing each other in all directions. We passed + under the walls of the Louvre; they were firing from the parapet + into the windows of the gallery, to hit the knights of the dagger; + for thus did the populace designate those faithful subjects who + had assembled at the Tuileries to defend the King. + </p> + <p> + The brigands broke some vessels of water in the Queen's first + antechamber; the mixture of blood and water stained the skirts of + our white gowns. The poissardes screamed after us in the streets + that we were attached to the Austrian. Our protectors then showed + some consideration for us, and made us go up a gateway to pull off + our gowns; but our petticoats being too short, and making us look + like persons in disguise, other poissardes began to bawl out that + we were young Swiss dressed up like women. We then saw a tribe of + female cannibals enter the street, carrying the head of poor + Mandat. Our guards made us hastily enter a little public-house, + called for wine, and desired us to drink with them. They assured + the landlady that we were their sisters, and good patriots. + Happily the Marseillais had quitted us to return to the Tuileries. + One of the men who remained with us said to me in a low voice: "I + am a gauze-worker in the faubourg. I was forced to march; I am not + for all this; I have not killed anybody, and have rescued you. You + ran a great risk when we met the mad women who are carrying + Mandat's head. These horrible women said yesterday at midnight, + upon the site of the Bastille, that they must have their revenge + for the 6th of October, at Versailles, and that they had sworn to + kill the Queen and all the women attached to her; the danger of + the action saved you all." + </p> + <p> + As I crossed the Carrousel, I saw my house in flames; but as soon + as the first moment of affright was over, I thought no more of my + personal misfortunes. My ideas turned solely upon the dreadful + situation of the Queen. + </p> + <p> + On reaching my sister's we found all our family in despair, + believing they should never see us again. I could not remain in + her house; some of the mob, collected round the door, exclaimed + that Marie Antoinette's confidante was in the house, and that they + must have her head. I disguised myself, and was concealed in the + house of M. Morel, secretary for the lotteries. On the morrow I + was inquired for there, in the name of the Queen. A deputy, whose + sentiments were known to her, took upon himself to find me out. + </p> + <p> + I borrowed clothes, and went with my sister to the Feuillans—[A + former monastery near the Tuileries, so called from the + Bernardines, one of the Cistercian orders; later a revolutionary + club.]—We got there at the same time with M. Thierry de + Ville d'Avray, the King's first valet de chambre. We were taken + into an office, where we wrote down our names and places of abode, + and we received tickets for admission into the rooms belonging to + Camus, the keeper of the Archives, where the King was with his + family. + </p> + <p> + As we entered the first room, a person who was there said to me, + "Ah! you are a brave woman; but where is that Thierry, that man + loaded with his master's bounties?"—"He is here," said I; + "he is following me. I perceive that even scenes of death do not + banish jealousy from among you." + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [M. Thierry, who never ceased to give his sovereign proofs of + unalterable attachment, was one of the victims of the 2d of + September.—MADAME CAMPAN.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + Having belonged to the Court from my earliest youth, I was known + to many persons whom I did not know. As I traversed a corridor + above the cloisters which led to the cells inhabited by the + unfortunate Louis XVI. and his family, several of the grenadiers + called me by name. One of them said to me, "Well, the poor King is + lost! The Comte d'Artois would have managed it better."—"Not + at all," said another. + </p> + <p> + The royal family occupied a small suite of apartments consisting + of four cells, formerly belonging to the ancient monastery of the + Feuillans. In the first were the men who had accompanied the King: + the Prince de Poix, the Baron d'Aubier, M. de Saint-Pardou, + equerry to Madame Elisabeth, MM. de Goguelat, de Chamilly, and de + Hue. In the second we found the King; he was having his hair + dressed; he took two locks of it, and gave one to my sister and + one to me. We offered to kiss his hand; he opposed it, and + embraced us without saying anything. In the third was the Queen, + in bed, and in indescribable affliction. We found her accompanied + only by a stout woman, who appeared tolerably civil; she was the + keeper of the apartments. She waited upon the Queen, who as yet + had none of her own people about her. Her Majesty stretched out + her arms to us, saying, "Come, unfortunate women; come, and see + one still more unhappy than yourselves, since she has been the + cause of all your misfortunes. We are ruined," continued she; "we + have arrived at that point to which they have been leading us for + three years, through all possible outrages; we shall fall in this + dreadful revolution, and many others will perish after us. All + have contributed to our downfall; the reformers have urged it like + mad people, and others through ambition, for the wildest Jacobin + seeks wealth and office, and the mob is eager for plunder. There + is not one real patriot among all this infamous horde. The + emigrant party have their intrigues and schemes; foreigners seek + to profit by the dissensions of France; every one has a share in + our misfortunes." + </p> + <p> + The Dauphin came in with Madame and the Marquise de Tourzel. On + seeing them the Queen said to me, "Poor children! how heartrending + it is, instead of handing down to them so fine an inheritance, to + say it ends with us!" She afterwards conversed with me about the + Tuileries and the persons who had fallen; she condescended also to + mention the burning of my house. I looked upon that loss as a + mischance which ought not to dwell upon her mind, and I told her + so. She spoke of the Princesse de Tarente, whom she greatly loved + and valued, of Madame de la Roche-Aymon and her daughter, of the + other persons whom she had left at the palace, and of the Duchesse + de Luynes, who was to have passed the night at the Tuileries. + Respecting her she said, "Hers was one of the first heads turned + by the rage for that mischievous philosophy; but her heart brought + her back, and I again found a friend in her." + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [During the Reign of Terror I withdrew to the Chateau de + Coubertin, near that of Dampierre. The Duchesse de Luynes + frequently came to ask me to tell her what the Queen had said + about her at the Feuillans. She would say as she went away, "I + have often need to request you to repeat those words of the + Queen."—MADAME CAMPAN.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + I asked the Queen what the ambassadors from foreign powers had + done under existing circumstances. She told me that they could do + nothing; and that the wife of the English ambassador had just + given her a proof of the personal interest she took in her welfare + by sending her linen for her son. + </p> + <p> + I informed her that, in the pillaging of my house, all my accounts + with her had been thrown into the Carrousel, and that every sheet + of my month's expenditure was signed by her, sometimes leaving + four or five inches of blank paper above her signature, a + circumstance which rendered me very uneasy, from an apprehension + that an improper use might be made of those signatures. She + desired me to demand admission to the committee of general safety, + and to make this declaration there. I repaired thither instantly + and found a deputy, with whose name I have never become + acquainted. After hearing me he said that he would not receive my + deposition; that Marie Antoinette was now nothing more than any + other Frenchwoman; and that if any of those detached papers + bearing her signature should be misapplied, she would have, at a + future period, a right to lodge a complaint, and to support her + declaration by the facts which I had just related. The Queen then + regretted having sent me, and feared that she had, by her very + caution, pointed out a method of fabricating forgeries which might + be dangerous to her; then again she exclaimed, "My apprehensions + are as absurd as the step I made you take. They need nothing more + for our ruin; all has been told." + </p> + <p> + She gave us details of what had taken place subsequently to the + King's arrival at the Assembly. They are all well known, and I + have no occasion to record them; I will merely mention that she + told us, though with much delicacy, that she was not a little hurt + at the King's conduct since he had quitted the Tuileries; that his + habit of laying no restraint upon his great appetite had prompted + him to eat as if he had been at his palace; that those who did not + know him as she did, did not feel the piety and the magnanimity of + his resignation, all which produced so bad an effect that deputies + who were devoted to him had warned him of it; but no change could + be effected. + </p> + <p> + I still see in imagination, and shall always see, that narrow cell + at the Feuillans, hung with green paper, that wretched couch + whence the dethroned, Queen stretched out her arms to us, saying + that our misfortunes, of which she was the cause, increased her + own. There, for the last time, I saw the tears, I heard the sobs + of her whom high birth, natural endowments, and, above all, + goodness of heart, had seemed to destine to adorn any throne, and + be the happiness of any people! It is impossible for those who + lived with Louis XVI. and Marie Antoinette not to be fully + convinced, while doing full justice to the King's virtues, that if + the Queen had been from the moment of her arrival in France the + object of the care and affection of a prince of decision and + authority, she would have only added to the glory of his reign. + </p> + <p> + What affecting things I have heard the Queen say in the affliction + caused her by the belief of part of the Court and the whole of the + people that she did not love France! How did that opinion shock + those who knew her heart and her sentiments! Twice did I see her + on the point of going from her apartments in the Tuileries into + the gardens, to address the immense throng constantly assembled + there to insult her. "Yes," exclaimed she, as she paced her + chamber with hurried steps, "I will say to them Frenchmen, they + have had the cruelty to persuade you that I do not love France!—I! + the mother of a Dauphin who will reign over this noble country!—I! + whom Providence has seated upon the most powerful throne of + Europe! Of all the daughters of Maria Theresa am I not that one + whom fortune has most highly favoured? And ought I not to feel all + these advantages? What should I find at Vienna? Nothing but + sepulchres! What should I lose in France? Everything which can + confer glory!" + </p> + <p> + I protest I only repeat her own words; the soundness of her + judgment soon pointed out to her the dangers of such a proceeding. + "I should descend from the throne," said she, "merely, perhaps, to + excite a momentary sympathy, which the factious would soon render + more injurious than beneficial to me." + </p> + <p> + Yes, not only did Marie Antoinette love France, but few women took + greater pride in the courage of Frenchmen. I could adduce a + multitude of proofs of this; I will relate two traits which + demonstrate the noblest enthusiasm: The Queen was telling me that, + at the coronation of the Emperor Francis II., that Prince, + bespeaking the admiration of a French general officer, who was + then an emigrant, for the fine appearance of his troops, said to + him, "There are the men to beat your sans culottes!" "That remains + to be seen, Sire," instantly replied the officer. The Queen added, + "I don't know the name of that brave Frenchman, but I will learn + it; the King ought to be in possession of it." As she was reading + the public papers a few days before the 10th of August, she + observed that mention was made of the courage of a young man who + died in defending the flag he carried, and shouting, "Vive la + Nation!"—"Ah! the fine lad!" said the Queen; "what a + happiness it would have been for us if such men had never left off + crying, 'Vive de Roi!'" + </p> + <p> + In all that I have hitherto said of this most unfortunate of women + and of queens, those who did not live with her, those who knew her + but partially, and especially the majority of foreigners, + prejudiced by infamous libels, may imagine I have thought it my + duty to sacrifice truth on the altar of gratitude. Fortunately I + can invoke unexceptionable witnesses; they will declare whether + what I assert that I have seen and heard appears to them either + untrue or improbable. + </p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + <h2> + CHAPTER IX. + </h2> + <br /><br /> + <p> + The Queen having been robbed of her purse as she was passing from + the Tuileries to the Feuillans, requested my sister to lend her + twenty-five louis. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [On being interrogated the Queen declared that these five and + twenty louis had been lent to her by my sister; this formed a + pretence for arresting her and me, and led to her death.—MADAME + CAMPAN.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + I spent part of the day at the Feuillans, and her Majesty told me + she would ask Potion to let me be with her in the place which the + Assembly should decree for her prison. I then returned home to + prepare everything that might be necessary for me to accompany + her. + </p> + <p> + On the same day (11th August), at nine in the evening, I returned + to the Feuillans. I found there were orders at all the gates + forbidding my being admitted. I claimed a right to enter by virtue + of the first permission which had been given to me; I was again + refused. I was told that the Queen had as many people as were + requisite about her. My sister was with her, as well as one of my + companions, who came out of the prisons of the Abbaye on the 11th. + I renewed my solicitations on the 12th; my tears and entreaties + moved neither the keepers of the gates, nor even a deputy, to whom + I addressed myself. + </p> + <p> + I soon heard of the removal of Louis XVI. and his family to the + Temple. I went to Potion accompanied by M. Valadon, for whom I had + procured a place in the post-office, and who was devoted to me. He + determined to go up to Potion alone; he told him that those who + requested to be confined could not be suspected of evil designs, + and that no political opinion could afford a ground of objection + to these solicitations. Seeing that the well-meaning man did not + succeed, I thought to do more in person; but Petion persisted in + his refusal, and threatened to send me to La Force. Thinking to + give me a kind of consolation, he added I might be certain that + all those who were then with Louis XVI. and his family would not + stay with them long. And in fact, two or three days afterwards the + Princesse de Lamballe, Madame de Tourzel, her daughter, the + Queen's first woman, the first woman of the Dauphin and of Madame, + M. de Chamilly, and M. de Hue were carried off during the night + and transferred to La Force. After the departure of the King and + Queen for the Temple, my sister was detained a prisoner in the + apartments their Majesties had quitted for twenty-four hours. + </p> + <p> + From this time I was reduced to the misery of having no further + intelligence of my august and unfortunate mistress but through the + medium of the newspapers or the National Guard, who did duty at + the Temple. + </p> + <p> + The King and Queen said nothing to me at the Feuillans about the + portfolio which had been deposited with me; no doubt they expected + to see me again. The minister Roland and the deputies composing + the provisional government were very intent on a search for papers + belonging to their Majesties. They had the whole of the Tuileries + ransacked. The infamous Robespierre bethought himself of M. + Campan, the Queen's private secretary, and said that his death was + feigned; that he was living unknown in some obscure part of + France, and was doubtless the depositary of all the important + papers. In a great portfolio belonging to the King there had been + found a solitary letter from the Comte d'Artois, which, by its + date, and the subjects of which it treated, indicated the + existence of a continued correspondence. (This letter appeared + among the documents used on the trial of Louis XVI.) A former + preceptor of my son's had studied with Robespierre; the latter, + meeting him in the street, and knowing the connection which had + subsisted between him and the family of M. Campan, required him to + say, upon his honour, whether he was certain of the death of the + latter. The man replied that M. Campan had died at La Briche in + 1791, and that he had seen him interred in the cemetery of Epinay. + "well, then," resumed Robespierre, "bring me the certificate of + his burial at twelve to-morrow; it is a document for which I have + pressing occasion." Upon hearing the deputy's demand I instantly + sent for a certificate of M. Campan's burial, and Robespierre + received it at nine o'clock the next morning. But I considered + that, in thinking of my father-in-law, they were coming very near + me, the real depositary of these important papers. I passed days + and nights in considering what I could do for the best under such + circumstances. + </p> + <p> + I was thus situated when the order to inform against those who had + been denounced as suspected on the 10th of August led to + domiciliary visits. My servants were told that the people of the + quarter in which I lived were talking much of the search that + would be made in my house, and came to apprise me of it. I heard + that fifty armed men would make themselves masters of M. Auguies + house, where I then was. I had just received this intelligence + when M. Gougenot, the King's maitre d'hotel and receiver-general + of the taxes, a man much attached to his sovereign, came into my + room wrapped in a ridingcloak, under which, with great difficulty, + he carried the King's portfolio, which I had entrusted to him. He + threw it down at my feet, and said to me, "There is your deposit; + I did not receive it from our unfortunate King's own hands; in + delivering it to you I have executed my trust." After saying this + he was about to withdraw. I stopped him, praying him to consult + with me what I ought to do in such a trying emergency. He would + not listen to my entreaties, or even hear me describe the course I + intended to pursue. I told him my abode was about to be + surrounded; I imparted to him what the Queen had said to me about + the contents of the portfolio. To all this he answered, "There it + is; decide for yourself; I will have no hand in it." Upon that I + remained a few seconds thinking, and my conduct was founded upon + the following reasons. I spoke aloud, although to myself; I walked + about the room with agitated steps; M. Gougenot was thunderstruck. + "Yes," said I, "when we can no longer communicate with our King + and receive his orders, however attached we may be to him, we can + only serve him according to the best of our own judgment. The + Queen said to me, 'This portfolio contains scarcely anything but + documents of a most dangerous description in the event of a trial + taking place, if it should fall into the hands of revolutionary + persons.' She mentioned, too, a single document which would, under + the same circumstances, be useful. It is my duty to interpret her + words, and consider them as orders. She meant to say, 'You will + save such a paper, you will destroy the rest if they are likely to + be taken from you.' If it were not so, was there any occasion for + her to enter into any detail as to what the portfolio contained? + The order to keep it was sufficient. Probably it contains, + moreover, the letters of that part of the family which has + emigrated; there is nothing which may have been foreseen or + decided upon that can be useful now; and there can be no political + thread which has not been cut by the events of the 10th of August + and the imprisonment of the King. My house is about to be + surrounded; I cannot conceal anything of such bulk; I might, then, + through want of foresight, give up that which would cause the + condemnation of the King. Let us open the portfolio, save the + document alluded to, and destroy the rest." I took a knife and cut + open one side of the portfolio. I saw a great number of envelopes + endorsed by the King's own hand. M. Gougenot found there the + former seals of the King, such as they were before the Assembly + had changed the inscription. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [No doubt it was in order to have the ancient seals ready at a + moment's notice, in case of a counter-revolution, that the Queen + desired me not to quit the Tuileries. M. Gougenot threw the + seals into the river, one from above the Pont Neuf, and the + other from near the Pont Royal.—MADAME CAMPAN.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + At this moment we heard a great noise; he agreed to tie up the + portfolio, take it again under his cloak, and go to a safe place + to execute what I had taken upon me to determine. He made me + swear, by all I held most sacred, that I would affirm, under every + possible emergency, that the course I was pursuing had not been + dictated to me by anybody; and that, whatever might be the result, + I would take all the credit or all the blame upon myself. I lifted + up my hand and took the oath he required; he went out. Half an + hour afterwards a great number of armed men came to my house; they + placed sentinels at all the outlets; they broke open secretaires + and closets of which they had not the keys; they 'searched the + flower-pots and boxes; they examined the cellars; and the + commandant repeatedly said, "Look particularly for papers." In the + afternoon M. Gougenot returned. He had still the seals of France + about him, and he brought me a statement of all that he had burnt. + </p> + <p> + The portfolio contained twenty letters from Monsieur, eighteen or + nineteen from the Comte d'Artois, seventeen from Madame Adelaide, + eighteen from Madame Victoire, a great many letters from Comte + Alexandre de Lameth, and many from M. de Malesherbes, with + documents annexed to them. There were also some from M. de + Montmorin and other ex-ministers or ambassadors. Each + correspondence had its title written in the King's own hand upon + the blank paper which contained it. The most voluminous was that + from Mirabeau. It was tied up with a scheme for an escape, which + he thought necessary. M. Gougenot, who had skimmed over these + letters with more attention than the rest, told me they were of so + interesting a nature that the King had no doubt kept them as + documents exceedingly valuable for a history of his reign, and + that the correspondence with the Princes, which was entirely + relative to what was going forward abroad, in concert with the + King, would have been fatal to him if it had been seized. After he + had finished he placed in my hands the proces-verbal, signed by + all the ministers, to which the King attached so much importance, + because he had given his opinion against the declaration of war; a + copy of the letter written by the King to the Princes, his + brothers, inviting them to return to France; an account of the + diamonds which the Queen had sent to Brussels (these two documents + were in my handwriting); and a receipt for four hundred thousand + francs, under the hand of a celebrated banker. This sum was part + of the eight hundred thousand francs which the Queen had gradually + saved during her reign, out of her pension of three hundred + thousand francs per annum, and out of the one hundred thousand + francs given by way of present on the birth of the Dauphin. + </p> + <p> + This receipt, written on a very small piece of paper, was in the + cover of an almanac. I agreed with M. Gougenot, who was obliged by + his office to reside in Paris, that he should retain the + proces-verbal of the Council and the receipt for the four hundred + thousand francs, and that we should wait either for orders or for + the means of transmitting these documents to the King or Queen; + and I set out for Versailles. + </p> + <p> + The strictness of the precautions taken to guard the illustrious + prisoners was daily increased. The idea that I could not inform + the King of the course I had adopted of burning his papers, and + the fear that I should not be able to transmit to him that which + he had pointed out as necessary, tormented me to such a degree + that it is wonderful my health endured the strain. + </p> + <p> + The dreadful trial drew near. Official advocates were granted to + the King; the heroic virtue of M. de Malesherbes induced him to + brave the most imminent dangers, either to save his master or to + perish with him. I hoped also to be able to find some means of + informing his Majesty of what I had thought it right to do. I sent + a man, on whom I could rely, to Paris, to request M. Gougenot to + come to me at Versailles he came immediately. We agreed that he + should see M. de Malesherbes without availing himself of any + intermediate person for that purpose. + </p> + <p> + M. Gougenot awaited his return from the Temple at the door of his + hotel, and made a sign that he wished to speak to him. A moment + afterwards a servant came to introduce him into the magistrates' + room. He imparted to M. de Malesherbes what I had thought it right + to do with respect to the King's papers, and placed in his hands + the proces-verbal of the Council, which his Majesty had preserved + in order to serve, if occasion required it, for a ground of his + defence. However, that paper is not mentioned in either of the + speeches of his advocate; probably it was determined not to make + use of it. + </p> + <p> + I stop at that terrible period which is marked by the + assassination of a King whose virtues are well known; but I cannot + refrain from relating what he deigned to say in my favour to M. de + Malesherbes: + </p> + <p> + "Let Madame Campan know that she did what I should myself have + ordered her to do; I thank her for it; she is one of those whom I + regret I have it not in my power to recompense for their fidelity + to my person, and for their good services." I did not hear of this + until the morning after he had suffered, and I think I should have + sunk under my despair if this honourable testimony had not given + me some consolation. + </p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> + <h2> + SUPPLEMENT TO CHAPTER IX. + </h2> + <br /><br /> + <p> + MADAME CAMPAN'S narrative breaking off abruptly at the time of the + painful end met with by her sister, we have supplemented it by + abridged accounts of the chief incidents in the tragedy which + overwhelmed the royal house she so faithfully served, taken from + contemporary records and the best historical authorities. + </p> + <br /><br /> + <h3> + The Royal Family in the Temple. + </h3> + <br /> + <p> + The Assembly having, at the instance of the Commune of Paris, + decreed that the royal family should be immured in the Temple, + they were removed thither from the Feuillans on the 13th of + August, 1792, in the charge of Potion, Mayor of Paris, and + Santerre, the commandant-general. Twelve Commissioners of the + general council were to keep constant watch at the Temple, which + had been fortified by earthworks and garrisoned by detachments of + the National Guard, no person being allowed to enter without + permission from the municipality. + </p> + <p> + The Temple, formerly the headquarters of the Knights Templars in + Paris, consisted of two buildings,—the Palace, facing the + Rue de Temple, usually occupied by one of the Princes of the + blood; and the Tower, standing behind the Palace. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [Clery gives a more minute description of this singular + building: "The small tower of the Temple in which the King was + then confined stood with its back against the great tower, + without any interior communication, and formed a long square, + flanked by two turrets. In one of these turrets there was a + narrow staircase that led from the first floor to a gallery on + the platform; in the other were small rooms, answering to each + story of the tower. The body of the building was four stories + high. The first consisted of an antechamber, a dining-room, and + a small room in the turret, where there was a library containing + from twelve to fifteen hundred volumes. The second story was + divided nearly in the same manner. The largest room was the + Queen's bedchamber, in which the Dauphin also slept; the second, + which was separated from the Queen's by a small antechamber + almost without light, was occupied by Madame Royale and Madame + Elisabeth. The King's apartments were on the third story. He + slept in the great room, and made a study of the turret closet. + There was a kitchen separated from the King's chamber by a small + dark room, which had been successively occupied by M. de + Chamilly and M. de Hue. The fourth story was shut up; and on the + ground floor there were kitchens of which no use was made." + —"Journal," p. 96.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + The Tower was a square building, with a round tower at each corner + and a small turret on one side, usually called the Tourelle. In + the narrative of the Duchesse d'Angouleme she says that the + soldiers who escorted the royal prisoners wished to take the King + alone to the Tower, and his family to the Palace of the Temple, + but that on the way Manuel received an order to imprison them all + in the Tower, where so little provision had been made for their + reception that Madame Elisabeth slept in the kitchen. The royal + family were accompanied by the Princesse de Lamballe, Madame de + Tourzel and her daughter Pauline, Mesdames de Navarre, de + Saint-Brice, Thibaut, and Bazire, MM. de Hug and de Chamilly, and + three men-servants—An order from the Commune soon removed + these devoted attendants, and M. de Hue alone was permitted to + return. "We all passed the day together," says Madame Royale. "My + father taught my brother geography; my mother history, and to + learn verses by heart; and my aunt gave him lessons in arithmetic. + My father fortunately found a library which amused him, and my + mother worked tapestry . . . . We went every day to walk in the + garden, for the sake of my brother's health, though the King was + always insulted by the guard. On the Feast of Saint Louis 'Ca Ira' + was sung under the walls of the Temple. Manuel that evening + brought my aunt a letter from her aunts at Rome. It was the last + the family received from without. My father was no longer called + King. He was treated with no kind of respect; the officers always + sat in his presence and never took off their hats. They deprived + him of his sword and searched his pockets . . . . Petion sent as + gaoler the horrible man—[Rocher, a saddler by trade] who had + broken open my father's door on the 20th June, 1792, and who had + been near assassinating him. This man never left the Tower, and + was indefatigable in endeavouring to torment him. One time he + would sing the 'Caramgnole,' and a thousand other horrors, before + us; again, knowing that my mother disliked the smoke of tobacco, + he would puff it in her face, as well as in that of my father, as + they happened to pass him. He took care always to be in bed before + we went to supper, because he knew that we must pass through his + room. My father suffered it all with gentleness, forgiving the man + from the bottom of his heart. My mother bore it with a dignity + that frequently repressed his insolence." The only occasion, + Madame Royale adds, on which the Queen showed any impatience at + the conduct of the officials, was when a municipal officer woke + the Dauphin suddenly in the night to make certain that he was + safe, as though the sight of the peacefully sleeping child would + not have been in itself the best assurance. + </p> + <p> + Clery, the valet de chambre of the Dauphin, having with difficulty + obtained permission to resume his duties, entered the Temple on + the 24th August, and for eight days shared with M. de Hue the + personal attendance; but on the 2d September De Hue was arrested, + seals were placed on the little room he had occupied, and Clery + passed the night in that of the King. On the following morning + Manuel arrived, charged by the Commune to inform the King that De + Hue would not be permitted to return, and to offer to send another + person. "I thank you," answered the King. "I will manage with the + valet de chambre of my son; and if the Council refuse I will serve + myself. I am determined to do it." On the 3d September Manual + visited the Temple and assured the King that Madame de Lamballe + and all the other prisoners who had been removed to La Force were + well, and safely guarded. "But at three o'clock," says Madame + Royale, "just after dinner, and as the King was sitting down to + 'tric trac' with my mother (which he played for the purpose of + having an opportunity of saying a few words to her unheard by the + keepers), the most horrid shouts were heard. The officer who + happened to be on guard in the room behaved well. He shut the door + and the window, and even drew the curtains to prevent their seeing + anything; but outside the workmen and the gaoler Rocher joined the + assassins and increased the tumult. Several officers of the guard + and the municipality now arrived, and on my father's asking what + was the matter, a young officer replied, 'Well, since you will + know, it is the head of Madame de Lamballe that they want to show + you.' At these words my mother was overcome with horror; it was + the only occasion on which her firmness abandoned her. The + municipal officers were very angry with the young man; but the + King, with his usual goodness, excused him, saying that it was his + own fault, since he had questioned the officer. The noise lasted + till five o'clock. We learned that the people had wished to force + the door, and that the municipal officers had been enabled to + prevent it only by putting a tricoloured scarf across it, and + allowing six of the murderers to march round our prison with the + head of the Princess, leaving at the door her body, which they + would have dragged in also." + </p> + <p> + Clery was not so fortunate as to escape the frightful spectacle. + He had gone down to dine with Tison and his wife, employed as + servants in the Temple, and says: "We were hardly seated when a + head, on the end of a pike, was presented at the window. Tison's + wife gave a great cry; the assassins fancied they recognised the + Queen's voice, and responded by savage laughter. Under the idea + that his Majesty was still at table, they placed their dreadful + trophy where it must be seen. It was the head of the Princesse de + Lamballe; although bleeding, it was not disfigured, and her light + hair, still in curls, hung about the pike." + </p> + <p> + At length the immense mob that surrounded the Temple gradually + withdrew, "to follow the head of the Princess de Lamballe to the + Palais Royal." + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [The pike that bore the head was fixed before the Duc + d'Orleans's window as he was going to dinner. It is said that he + looked at this horrid sight without horror, went into the + dining-room, sat down to table, and helped his guests without + saying a word. His silence and coolness left it doubtful whether + the assassins, in presenting him this bloody trophy, intended to + offer him an insult or to pay him homage.—DE MOLLEVILLE'S + "Annals of the French Revolution," vol. vii., p. 398.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + Meanwhile the royal family could scarcely believe that for the + time their lives were saved. "My aunt and I heard the drums + beating to arms all night," says Madame Royale; "my unhappy mother + did not even attempt to sleep. We heard her sobs." + </p> + <p> + In the comparative tranquillity which followed the September + massacres, the royal family resumed the regular habits they had + adopted on entering the Temple. "The King usually rose at six in + the morning," says Clery. "He shaved himself, and I dressed his + hair; he then went to his reading-room, which, being very small, + the municipal officer on duty remained in the bedchamber with the + door open, that he might always keep the King in sight. His + Majesty continued praying on his knees for some time, and then + read till nine. During that interval, after putting his chamber to + rights and preparing the breakfast, I went down to the Queen, who + never opened her door till I arrived, in order to prevent the + municipal officer from going into her apartment. At nine o'clock + the Queen, the children, and Madame Elisabeth went up to the + King's chamber to breakfast. At ten the King and his family went + down to the Queen's chamber, and there passed the day. He employed + himself in educating his son, made him recite passages from + Corneille and Racine, gave him lessons in geography, and exercised + him in colouring the maps. The Queen, on her part, was employed in + the education of her daughter, and these different lessons lasted + till eleven o'clock. The remaining time till noon was passed in + needlework, knitting, or making tapestry. At one o'clock, when the + weather was fine, the royal family were conducted to the garden by + four municipal officers and the commander of a legion of the + National Guard. As there were a number of workmen in the Temple + employed in pulling down houses and building new walls, they only + allowed a part of the chestnut-tree walk for the promenade, in + which I was allowed to share, and where I also played with the + young Prince at ball, quoits, or races. At two we returned to the + Tower, where I served the dinner, at which time Santerre regularly + came to the Temple, attended by two aides-de-camp. The King + sometimes spoke to him,—the Queen never. + </p> + <p> + "After the meal the royal family came down into the Queen's room, + and their Majesties generally played a game of piquet or + tric-trac. At four o'clock the King took a little repose, the + Princesses round him, each with a book . . . . When the King woke + the conversation was resumed, and I gave writing lessons to his + son, taking the copies, according to his instructions, from the + works of, Montesquieu and other celebrated authors. After the + lesson I took the young Prince into Madame Elisabeth's room, where + we played at ball, and battledore and shuttlecock. In the evening + the family sat round a table, while the Queen read to them from + books of history, or other works proper to instruct and amuse the + children. Madame Elisabeth took the book in her turn, and in this + manner they read till eight o'clock. After that I served the + supper of the young Prince, in which the royal family shared, and + the King amused the children with charades out of a collection of + French papers which he found in the library. After the Dauphin had + supped, I undressed him, and the Queen heard him say his prayers. + At nine the King went to supper, and afterwards went for a moment + to the Queen's chamber, shook hands with her and his sister for + the night, kissed his children, and then retired to the + turret-room, where he sat reading till midnight. The Queen and the + Princesses locked themselves in, and one of the municipal officers + remained in the little room which parted their chamber, where he + passed the night; the other followed his Majesty. In this manner + was the time passed as long as the King remained in the small + tower." + </p> + <p> + But even these harmless pursuits were too often made the means of + further insulting and thwarting the unfortunate family. Commissary + Le Clerc interrupted the Prince's writing lessons, proposing to + substitute Republican works for those from which the King selected + his copies. A smith, who was present when the Queen was reading + the history of France to her children, denounced her to the + Commune for choosing the period when the Connstable de Bourbon + took arms against France, and said she wished to inspire her son + with unpatriotic feelings; a municipal officer asserted that the + multiplication table the Prince was studying would afford a means + of "speaking in cipher," so arithmetic had to be abandoned. Much + the same occurred even with the needlework, the Queen and Princess + finished some chairbacks, which they wished to send to the + Duchesse de Tarente; but the officials considered that the + patterns were hieroglyphics, intended for carrying on a + correspondence, and ordered that none of the Princesses work + should leave the Temple. The short daily walk in the garden was + also embittered by the rude behaviour of the military and + municipal gaolers; sometimes, however, it afforded an opportunity + for marks of sympathy to be shown. People would station themselves + at the windows of houses overlooking the Temple gardens, and + evince by gestures their loyal affection, and some of the + sentinels showed, even by tears, that their duty was painful to + them. + </p> + <p> + On the 21st September the National Convention was constituted, + Petion being made president and Collot d'Herbois moving the + "abolition of royalty" amidst transports of applause. That + afternoon a municipal officer attended by gendarmes a cheval, and + followed by a crowd of people, arrived at the Temple, and, after a + flourish of trumpets, proclaimed the establishment of the French + Republic. The man, says Clery, "had the voice of a Stentor." The + royal family could distinctly hear the announcement of the King's + deposition. "Hebert, so well known under the title of Pere + Duchesne, and Destournelles were on guard. They were sitting near + the door, and turned to the King with meaning smiles. He had a + book in his hand, and went on reading without changing + countenance. The Queen showed the same firmness. The proclamation + finished, the trumpets sounded afresh. I went to the window; the + people took me for Louis XVI. and I was overwhelmed with insults." + </p> + <p> + After the new decree the prisoners were treated with increased + harshness. Pens, paper, ink, and pencils were taken from them. The + King and Madame Elisabeth gave up all, but the Queen and her + daughter each concealed a pencil. "In the beginning of October," + says Madame Royale, "after my father had supped, he was told to + stop, that he was not to return to his former apartments, and that + he was to be separated from his family. At this dreadful sentence + the Queen lost her usual courage. We parted from him with + abundance of tears, though we expected to see him again in the + morning. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [At nine o'clock, says Clery, the King asked to be taken to his + family, but the municipal officers replied that they had "no + orders for that." Shortly afterwards a boy brought the King some + bread and a decanter of lemonade for his breakfast. The King + gave half the bread to Clery, saying, "It seems they have + forgotten your breakfast; take this, the rest is enough for me." + Clery refused, but the King insisted. "I could not contain my + tears," he adds; "the King perceived them, and his own fell + also."] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + They brought in our breakfast separately from his, however. My + mother would take nothing. The officers, alarmed at her silent and + concentrated sorrow, allowed us to see the King, but at meal-times + only, and on condition that we should not speak low, nor in any + foreign language, but loud and in 'good French.' We went down, + therefore, with the greatest joy to dine with my father. In the + evening, when my brother was in bed, my mother and my aunt + alternately sat with him or went with me to sup with my father. In + the morning, after breakfast, we remained in the King's apartments + while Clery dressed our hair, as he was no longer allowed to come + to my mother's room, and this arrangement gave us the pleasure of + spending a few moments more with my father." + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [When the first deputation from the Council of the Commune + visited the Temple, and formally inquired whether the King had + any complaint to make, he replied, "No; while he was permitted + to remain with his family he was happy."] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + The royal prisoners had no comfort except their affection for each + other. At that time even common necessaries were denied them. + Their small stock of linen had been lent them; by persons of the + Court during the time they spent at the Feuillans. The Princesses + mended their clothes every day, and after the King had gone to bed + Madame Elisabeth mended his. "With much trouble," says Clrry, "I + procured some fresh linen for them. But the workwomen having + marked it with crowned letters, the Princesses were ordered to + pick them out." The room in the great tower to which the King had + been removed contained only one bed, and no other article of + furniture. A chair was brought on which Clery spent the first + night; painters were still at work on the room, and the smell of + the paint, he says, was almost unbearable. This room was + afterwards furnished by collecting from various parts of the + Temple a chest of drawers, a small bureau, a few odd chairs, a + chimney-glass, and a bed hung with green damask, which had been + used by the captain of the guard to the Comte d'Artois. A room for + the Queen was being prepared over that of the King, and she + implored the workmen to finish it quickly, but it was not ready + for her occupation for some time, and when she was allowed to + remove to it the Dauphin was taken from her and placed with his + father. When their Majesties met again in the great Tower, says + Clery, there was little change in the hours fixed for meals, + reading, walking and the education of their children. They were + not allowed to have mass said in the Temple, and therefore + commissioned Clery to get them the breviary in use in the diocese + of Paris. Among the books read by the King while in the Tower were + Hume's "History of England" (in the original), Tasso, and the "De + Imitatione Christi." The jealous suspicions of the municipal + officers led to the most absurd investigations; a draught-board + was taken to pieces lest the squares should hide treasonable + papers; macaroons were broken in half to see that they did not + contain letters; peaches were cut open and the stones cracked; and + Clery was compelled to drink the essence of soap prepared for + shaving the King, under the pretence that it might contain poison. + </p> + <p> + In November the King and all the family had feverish colds, and + Clery had an attack of rheumatic fever. On the first day of his + illness he got up and tried to dress his master, but the King, + seeing how ill he was, ordered him to lie down, and himself + dressed the Dauphin. The little Prince waited on Clery all day, + and in the evening the King contrived to approach his bed, and + said, in a low voice, "I should like to take care of you myself, + but you know how we are watched. Take courage; tomorrow you shall + see my doctor." Madame Elisabeth brought the valet cooling + draughts, of which she deprived herself; and after Clery was able + to get up, the young Prince one night with great difficulty kept + awake till eleven o'clock in order to give him a box of lozenges + when he went to make the King's bed. + </p> + <p> + On 7th December a deputation from the Commune brought an order + that the royal family should be deprived of "knives, razors, + scissors, penknives, and all other cutting instruments." The King + gave up a knife, and took from a morocco case a pair of scissors + and a penknife; and the officials then searched the room, taking + away the little toilet implements of gold and silver, and + afterwards removing the Princesses' working materials. Returning + to the King's room, they insisted upon seeing what remained in his + pocket-case. "Are these toys which I have in my hand also cutting + instruments?" asked the King, showing them a cork-screw, a + turn-screw, and a steel for lighting. These also were taken from + him. Shortly afterwards Madame Elisabeth was mending the King's + coat, and, having no scissors, was compelled to break the thread + with her teeth. + </p> + <p> + "What a contrast!" he exclaimed, looking at her tenderly. "You + wanted nothing in your pretty house at Montreuil." + </p> + <p> + "Ah, brother," she answered, "how can I have any regret when I + partake your misfortunes?" + </p> + <p> + The Queen had frequently to take on herself some of the humble + duties of a servant. This was especially painful to Louis XVI. + when the anniversary of some State festival brought the contrast + between past and present with unusual keenness before him. + </p> + <p> + "Ah, Madame," he once exclaimed, "what an employment for a Queen + of France! Could they see that at Vienna! Who would have foreseen + that, in uniting your lot to mine, you would have descended so + low?" + </p> + <p> + "And do you esteem as nothing," she replied, "the glory of being + the wife of one of the best and most persecuted of men? Are not + such misfortunes the noblest honours?"—[Alison's "History of + Europe," vol. ii., p. 299.] + </p> + <p> + Meanwhile the Assembly had decided that the King should be brought + to trial. Nearly all parties, except the Girondists, no matter how + bitterly opposed to each other, could agree in making him the + scapegoat; and the first rumour of the approaching ordeal was + conveyed to the Temple by Clery's wife, who, with a friend, had + permission occasionally to visit him. "I did not know how to + announce this terrible news to the King," he says; "but time was + pressing, and he had forbidden my concealing anything from him. In + the evening, while undressing him, I gave him an account of all I + had learnt, and added that there were only four days to concert + some plan of corresponding with the Queen. The arrival of the + municipal officer would not allow me to say more. Next morning, + when the King rose, I could not get a moment for speaking with + him. He went up with his son to breakfast with the Princesses, and + I followed. After breakfast he talked long with the Queen, who, by + a look full of trouble, made me understand that they were + discussing what I had told the King. During the day I found an + opportunity of describing to Madame Elisabeth how much it had cost + me to augment the King's distresses by informing him of his + approaching trial. She reassured me, saying that the King felt + this as a mark of attachment on my part, and added, 'That which + most troubles him is the fear of being separated from us.' In the + evening the King told me how satisfied he was at having had + warning that he was to appear before the Convention. 'Continue,' + he said, 'to endeavour to find out something as to what they want + to do with me. Never fear distressing me. I have agreed with my + family not to seem pre-informed, in order not to compromise you.'" + </p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> <a name="pb242" id="pb242"></a> + <div class="fig" style="width:80%;"> + <img alt="pb242.jpg (47K)" src="images/pb242.jpg" width="100%" /><br /> + </div> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + <p> + On the 11th December, at five o'clock in the morning, the + prisoners heard the generale beaten throughout Paris, and cavalry + and cannon entered the Temple gardens. At nine the King and the + Dauphin went as usual to breakfast with the Queen. They were + allowed to remain together for an hour, but constantly under the + eyes of their republican guardians. At last they were obliged to + part, doubtful whether they would ever see each other again. The + little Prince, who remained with his father, and was ignorant of + the new cause for anxiety, begged hard that the King would play at + ninepins with him as usual. Twice the Dauphin could not get beyond + a certain number. "Each time that I get up to sixteen," he said, + with some vexation, "I lose the game." The King did not reply, but + Clery fancied the words made a painful impression on him. + </p> + <p> + At eleven, while the King was giving the Dauphin a reading lesson, + two municipal officers entered and said they had come "to take + young Louis to his mother." The King inquired why, but was only + told that such were the orders of the Council. At one o'clock the + Mayor of Paris, Chambon, accompanied by Chaumette, Procureur de la + Commune, Santerre, commandant of the National Guard, and others, + arrived at the Temple and read a decree to the King, which ordered + that "Louis Capet" should be brought before the Convention. "Capet + is not my name," he replied, "but that of one of my ancestors. I + could have wished," he added, "that you had left my son with me + during the last two hours. But this treatment is consistent with + all I have experienced here. I follow you, not because I recognise + the authority of the Convention, but because I can be compelled to + obey it." He then followed the Mayor to a carriage which waited, + with a numerous escort, at the gate of the Temple. The family left + behind were overwhelmed with grief and apprehension. "It is + impossible to describe the anxiety we suffered," says Madame + Royale. "My mother used every endeavour with the officer who + guarded her to discover what was passing; it was the first time + she had condescended to question any of these men. He would tell + her nothing." + </p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + <h3> + Trial of the King.—Parting of the Royal Family.—Execution. + </h3> + <br /><br /> + <p> + The crowd was immense as, on the morning of the 11th December, + 1792, Louis XVI. was driven slowly from the Temple to the + Convention, escorted by cavalry, infantry, and artillery. Paris + looked like an armed camp: all the posts were doubled; the + muster-roll of the National Guard was called over every hour; a + picket of two hundred men watched in the court of each of the + right sections; a reserve with cannon was stationed at the + Tuileries, and strong detachments patroled the streets and cleared + the road of all loiterers. The trees that lined the boulevards, + the doors and windows of the houses, were alive with gazers, and + all eyes were fixed on the King. He was much changed since his + people last beheld him. The beard he had been compelled to grow + after his razors were taken from him covered cheeks, lips, and + chin with light-coloured hair, which concealed the melancholy + expression of his mouth; he had become thin, and his garments hung + loosely on him; but his manner was perfectly collected and calm, + and he recognised and named to the Mayor the various quarters + through which he passed. On arriving at the Feuillans he was taken + to a room to await the orders of the Assembly. + </p> + <p> + It was about half-past two when the King appeared at the bar. The + Mayor and Generaux Santerre and Wittengoff were at his side. + Profound silence pervaded the Assembly. All were touched by the + King's dignity and the composure of his looks under so great a + reverse of fortune. By nature he had been formed rather to endure + calamity with patience than to contend against it with energy. The + approach of death could not disturb his serenity. + </p> + <p> + "Louis, you may be seated," said Barere. "Answer the questions + that shall be put to you." The King seated himself and listened to + the reading of the 'acte enonciatif', article by article. All the + faults of the Court were there enumerated and imputed to Louis + XVI. personally. He was charged with the interruption of the + sittings of the 20th of June, 1789, with the Bed of Justice held + on the 23d of the same month, the aristocratic conspiracy thwarted + by the insurrection of the 14th of July, the entertainment of the + Life Guards, the insults offered to the national cockade, the + refusal to sanction the Declaration of Rights, as well as several + constitutional articles; lastly, all the facts which indicated a + new conspiracy in October, and which were followed by the scenes + of the 5th and 6th; the speeches of reconciliation which had + succeeded all these scenes, and which promised a change that was + not sincere; the false oath taken at the Federation of the 14th of + July; the secret practices of Talon and Mirabeau to effect a + counter-revolution; the money spent in bribing a great number of + deputies; the assemblage of the "knights of the dagger" on the + 28th of February, 1791; the flight to Varennes; the fusilade of + the Champ de Mars; the silence observed respecting the Treaty of + Pilnitz; the delay in the promulgation of the decree which + incorporated Avignon with France; the commotions at Nimes, + Montauban, Mende, and Jales; the continuance of their pay to the + emigrant Life Guards and to the disbanded Constitutional Guard; + the insufficiency of the armies assembled on the frontiers; the + refusal to sanction the decree for the camp of twenty thousand + men; the disarming of the fortresses; the organisation of secret + societies in the interior of Paris; the review of the Swiss and + the garrison of the palace on the 10th August; the summoning the + Mayor to the Tuileries; and lastly, the effusion of blood which + had resulted from these military dispositions. After each article + the President paused, and said, "What have you to answer?" The + King, in a firm voice, denied some of the facts, imputed others to + his ministers, and always appealed to the constitution, from which + he declared he had never deviated. His answers were very + temperate, but on the charge, "You spilt the blood of the people + on the 10th of August," he exclaimed, with emphasis, "No, + monsieur, no; it was not I." + </p> + <p> + All the papers on which the act of accusation was founded were + then shown to the King, and he disavowed some of them and disputed + the existence of the iron chest; this produced a bad impression, + and was worse than useless, as the fact had been proved. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [A secret closet which the King had directed to be constructed + in a wall in the Tuileries. The door was of iron, whence it was + afterwards known by the name of the iron chest. See Thiers, and + Scott.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + Throughout the examination the King showed great presence of mind. + He was careful in his answers never to implicate any members of + the constituent, and legislative Assemblies; many who then sat as + his judges trembled lest he should betray them. The Jacobins + beheld with dismay the profound impression made on the Convention + by the firm but mild demeanour of the sovereign. The most violent + of the party proposed that he should be hanged that very night; a + laugh as of demons followed the proposal from the benches of the + Mountain, but the majority, composed of the Girondists and the + neutrals, decided that he should be formally tried. + </p> + <p> + After the examination Santerre took the King by the arm and led + him back to the waiting-room of the Convention, accompanied by + Chambon and Chaumette. Mental agitation and the length of the + proceedings had exhausted him, and he staggered from weakness. + Chaumette inquired if he wished for refreshment, but the King + refused it. A moment after, seeing a grenadier of the escort offer + the Procureur de la Commune half a small loaf, Louis XVI. + approached and asked him, in a whisper, for a piece. + </p> + <p> + "Ask aloud for what you want," said Chaumette, retreating as + though he feared being suspected of pity. + </p> + <p> + "I asked for a piece of your bread," replied the King. + </p> + <p> + "Divide it with me," said Chaumette. "It is a Spartan breakfast. + If I had a root I would give you half."—[Lamartine's + "History of the Girondists," edit. 1870, vol. ii., p. 313.] + </p> + <p> + Soon after six in the evening the King returned to the Temple. "He + seemed tired," says Clery, simply, "and his first wish was to be + led to his family. The officers refused, on the plea that they had + no orders. He insisted that at least they should be informed of + his return, and this was promised him. The King ordered me to ask + for his supper at half-past eight. The intervening hours he + employed in his usual reading, surrounded by four municipals. When + I announced that supper was served, the King asked the + commissaries if his family could not come down. They made no + reply. 'But at least,' the King said, 'my son will pass the night + in my room, his bed being here?' The same silence. After supper + the King again urged his wish to see his family. They answered + that they must await the decision of the Convention. While I was + undressing him the King said, 'I was far from expecting all the + questions they put to me.' He lay down with perfect calmness. The + order for my removal during the night was not executed." On the + King's return to the Temple being known, "my mother asked to see + him instantly," writes Madame Royale. "She made the same request + even to Chambon, but received no answer. My brother passed the + night with her; and as he had no bed, she gave him hers, and sat + up all the night in such deep affliction that we were afraid to + leave her; but she compelled my aunt and me to go to bed. Next day + she again asked to see my father, and to read the newspapers, that + she might learn the course of the trial. She entreated that if she + was to be denied this indulgence, his children, at least, might + see him. Her requests were referred to the Commune. The newspapers + were refused; but my brother and I were to be allowed to see my + father on condition of being entirely separated from my mother. My + father replied that, great as his happiness was in seeing his + children, the important business which then occupied him would not + allow of his attending altogether to his son, and that his + daughter could not leave her mother." + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [During their last interview Madame Elisabeth had given Clery + one of her handkerchiefs, saying, "You shall keep it so long as + my brother continues well; if he becomes ill, send it to me + among my nephew's things."] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + The Assembly having, after a violent debate, resolved that Louis + XVI. should have the aid of counsel, a deputation was sent to the + Temple to ask whom he would choose. The King named Messieurs + Target and Tronchet. The former refused his services on the ground + that he had discontinued practice since 1785; the latter complied + at once with the King's request; and while the Assembly was + considering whom to, nominate in Target's place, the President + received a letter from the venerable Malesherbes, then seventy + years old, and "the most respected magistrate in France," in the + course of which he said: "I have been twice called to be counsel + for him who was my master, in times when that duty was coveted by + every one. I owe him the same service now that it is a duty which + many people deem dangerous. If I knew any possible means of + acquainting him with my desires, I should not take the liberty of + addressing myself to you." + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [Christian Guillaume de Lamoignon de Malesherbes, an eminent + French statesman, son of the Chancellor of France, was born at + Paris in 1721. In 1750 he succeeded his father as President of + the Court of Aids, and was also made superintendent of the + press. On the banishment of the Parliaments and the suppression + of the Court of Aids, Malesherbes was exiled to his + country-seat. In 1775 he was appointed Minister of State. On the + decree of the Convention for the King's trial, he emerged from + his retreat to become the voluntary advocate of his sovereign. + Malesherbes was guillotined in 1794, and almost his whole family + were extirpated by their merciless persecutors.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + Other citizens made similar proposals, but the King, being made + acquainted with them by a deputation from the Commune, while + expressing his gratitude for all the offers, accepted only that of + Malesherbes. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [The Citoyenne Olympia Degonges, calling herself a free and + loyal Republican without spot or blame, and declaring that the + cold and selfish cruelty of Target had inflamed her heroism and + roused her sensibility, asked permission to assist M, de + Malesherbes in defending the King. The Assembly passed to the + order of the day on this request.—BERTRAND DE MOLLEVILLE, + "Annals," edit. 1802, vol, viii., p. 254.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + On 14th December M. Tronchet was allowed to confer with the King, + and later in the same day M. de Malesherbes was admitted to the + Tower. "The King ran up to this worthy old man, whom he clasped in + his arms," said Clery, "and the former minister melted into tears + at the sight of his master." + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [According to M. de Hue, "The first time M. de Malesherbes + entered the Temple, the King clasped him in his arms and said, + 'Ah, is it you, my friend? You fear not to endanger your own + life to save mine; but all will be useless. They will bring me + to the scaffold. No matter; I shall gain my cause if I leave an + unspotted memory behind me.'"] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + Another deputation brought the King the Act of Accusation and the + documents relating to it, numbering more than a hundred, and + taking from four o'clock till midnight to read. During this long + process the King had refreshments served to the deputies, taking + nothing himself till they had left, but considerately reproving + Clery for not having supped. From the 14th to the 26th December + the King saw his counsel and their colleague M. de Size every day. + At this time a means of communication between the royal family and + the King was devised: a man named Turgi, who had been in the royal + kitchen, and who contrived to obtain employment in the Temple, + when conveying the meals of the royal family to their apartments, + or articles he had purchased for them, managed to give Madame + Elisabeth news of the King. Next day, the Princess, when Turgi was + removing the dinner, slipped into his hand a bit of paper on which + she had pricked with a pin a request for a word from her brother's + own hand. Turgi gave this paper to Clery, who conveyed it to the + King the same evening; and he, being allowed writing materials + while preparing his defence, wrote Madame Elisabeth a short note. + An answer was conveyed in a ball of cotton, which Turgi threw + under Clery's bed while passing the door of his room. Letters were + also passed between the Princess's room and that of Clery, who + lodged beneath her, by means of a string let down and drawn up at + night. This communication with his family was a great comfort to + the King, who, nevertheless, constantly cautioned his faithful + servant. "Take care," he would say kindly, "you expose yourself + too much." + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [The King's natural benevolence was constantly shown while in + the Temple. His own dreadful position never prevented him from + sympathy with the smaller troubles of others. A servant in the + Temple named Marchand, the father of a family, was robbed of two + hundred francs,—his wages for two months. The King + observed his distress, asked its cause, and gave Clery the + amount to be handed to Marchand, with a caution not to speak of + it to any one, and, above all, not to thank the King, lest it + should injure him with his employers.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + During his separation from his family the King refused to go into + the garden. When it was proposed to him he said, "I cannot make up + my mind to go out alone; the walk was agreeable to me only when I + shared it with my family." But he did not allow himself to dwell + on painful reflections. He talked freely to the municipals on + guard, and surprised them by his varied and practical knowledge of + their trades, and his interest in their domestic affairs. On the + 19th December the King's breakfast was served as usual; but, being + a fast-day, he refused to take anything. At dinner-time the King + said to Clery, "Fourteen years ago you were up earlier than you + were to-day; it is the day my daughter was born—today, her + birthday," he repeated, with tears, "and to be prevented from + seeing her!" Madame Royale had wished for a calendar; the King + ordered Clery to buy her the "Almanac of the Republic," which had + replaced the "Court Almanac," and ran through it, marking with a + pencil many names. + </p> + <p> + "On Christmas Day," Says Clery, "the King wrote his will." + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [Madame Royale says: "On the 26th December, St. Stephen's Day, + my father made his will, because he expected to be assassinated + that day on his way to the bar of the Convention. He went + thither, nevertheless, with his usual calmness."—"Royal + Memoirs," p. 196.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + On the 26th December, 1792, the King appeared a second time before + the Convention. M. de Seze, labouring night and day, had completed + his defence. The King insisted on excluding from it all that was + too rhetorical, and confining it to the mere discussion of + essential points. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [When the pathetic peroration of M, de Seze was read to the + King, the evening before it was delivered to the Assembly, "I + have to request of you," he said, "to make a painful sacrifice; + strike out of your pleading the peroration. It is enough for me + to appear before such judges, and show my entire innocence; I + will not move their feelings."—LACRETELLE.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + At half-past nine in the morning the whole armed force was in + motion to conduct him from the Temple to the Feuillans, with the + same precautions and in the same order as had been observed on the + former occasion. Riding in the carriage of the Mayor, he + conversed, on the way, with the same composure as usual, and + talked of Seneca, of Livy, of the hospitals. Arrived at the + Feuillans, he showed great anxiety for his defenders; he seated + himself beside them in the Assembly, surveyed with great composure + the benches where his accusers and his judges sat, seemed to + examine their faces with the view of discovering the impression + produced by the pleading of M. de Seze, and more than once + conversed smilingly with Tronchet and Malesherbes. The Assembly + received his defence in sullen silence, but without any tokens of + disapprobation. + </p> + <p> + Being afterwards conducted to an adjoining room with his counsel, + the King showed great anxiety about M. de Seze, who seemed + fatigued by the long defence. While riding back to the Temple he + conversed with his companions with the same serenity as he had + shown on leaving it. + </p> + <p> + No sooner had the King left the hall of the Convention than a + violent tumult arose there. Some were for opening the discussion. + Others, complaining of the delays which postponed the decision of + this process, demanded the vote immediately, remarking that in + every court, after the accused had been heard, the judges proceed + to give their opinion. Lanjuinais had from the commencement of the + proceedings felt an indignation which his impetuous disposition no + longer suffered him to repress. He darted to the tribune, and, + amidst the cries excited by his presence, demanded the annulling + of the proceedings altogether. He exclaimed that the days of + ferocious men were gone by, that the Assembly ought not to be so + dishonoured as to be made to sit in judgment on Louis XVI., that + no authority in France had that right, and the Assembly in + particular had no claim to it; that if it resolved to act as a + political body, it could do no more than take measures of safety + against the ci-devant King; but that if it was acting as a court + of justice it was overstepping all principles, for it was + subjecting the vanquished to be tried by the conquerors, since + most of the present members had declared themselves the + conspirators of the 10th of August. At the word "conspirators" a + tremendous uproar arose on all aides. Cries of "Order!"—"To + the Abbaye!"—"Down with the Tribune!" were heard. Lanjuinais + strove in vain to justify the word "conspirators," saying that he + meant it to be taken in a favourable sense, and that the 10th of + August was a glorious conspiracy. He concluded by declaring that + he would rather die a thousand deaths than condemn, contrary to + all laws, even the most execrable of tyrants. + </p> + <p> + A great number of speakers followed, and the confusion continually + increased. The members, determined not to hear any more, mingled + together, formed groups, abused and threatened one another. After + a tempest of an hour's duration, tranquillity was at last + restored; and the Assembly, adopting the opinion of those who + demanded the discussion on the trial of Louis XVI., declared that + it was opened, and that it should be continued, to the exclusion + of all other business, till sentence should be passed. + </p> + <p> + The discussion was accordingly resumed on the 27th, and there was + a constant succession of speakers from the 28th to the 31st. + Vergniaud at length ascended the tribune for the first time, and + an extraordinary eagerness was manifested to hear the Girondists + express their sentiments by the lips of their greatest orator. + </p> + <p> + The speech of Vergniaud produced a deep impression on all his + hearers. Robespierre was thunderstruck by his earnest and, + persuasive eloquence. Vergniaud, however, had but shaken, not + convinced, the Assembly, which wavered between the two parties. + Several members were successively heard, for and against the + appeal to the people. Brissot, Gensonne, Petion, supported it in + their turn. One speaker at length had a decisive influence on the + question. Barere, by his suppleness, and his cold and evasive + eloquence, was the model and oracle of the centre. He spoke at + great length on the trial, reviewed it in all its bearings—of + facts, of laws, and of policy—and furnished all those weak + minds, who only wanted specious reasons for yielding, with motives + for the condemnation of the King. From that moment the unfortunate + King was condemned. The discussion lasted till the 7th, and nobody + would listen any longer to the continual repetition of the same + facts and arguments. It was therefore declared to be closed + without opposition, but the proposal of a fresh adjournment + excited a commotion among the most violent, and ended in a decree + which fixed the 14th of January for putting the questions to the + vote. + </p> + <p> + Meantime the King did not allow the torturing suspense to disturb + his outward composure, or lessen his kindness to those around him. + On the morning after his second appearance at the bar of the + Convention, the commissary Vincent, who had undertaken secretly to + convey to the Queen a copy of the King's printed defence, asked + for something which had belonged to him, to treasure as a relic; + the King took off his neck handkerchief and gave it him; his + gloves he bestowed on another municipal, who had made the same + request. "On January 1st," says Clery, "I approached the King's + bed and asked permission to offer him my warmest prayers for the + end of his misfortunes. 'I accept your good wishes with + affection,' he replied, extending his hand to me. As soon as he + had risen, he requested a municipal to go and inquire for his + family, and present them his good wishes for the new year. The + officers were moved by the tone in which these words, so + heartrending considering the position of the King, were pronounced + . . . . The correspondence between their Majesties went on + constantly. The King being informed that Madame Royale was ill, + was very uneasy for some days. The Queen, after begging earnestly, + obtained permission for M. Brunnier, the medical attendant of the + royal children, to come to the Temple. This seemed to quiet him." + </p> + <p> + The nearer the moment which was to decide the King's fate + approached, the greater became the agitation in, Paris. "A report + was circulated that the atrocities of September were to be + repeated there, and the prisoners and their relatives beset the + deputies with supplications that they would snatch them from + destruction. The Jacobins, on their part, alleged that + conspiracies were hatching in all quarters to save Louis XVI. from + punishment, and to restore royalty. Their anger, excited by delays + and obstacles, assumed a more threatening aspect; and the two + parties thus alarmed one another by supposing that each harboured + sinister designs." + </p> + <p> + On the 14th of January the Convention called for the order of the + day, being the final judgment of Louis XVI. + </p> + <p> + "The sitting of the Convention which concluded the trial," says + Hazlitt, "lasted seventy-two hours. It might naturally be supposed + that silence, restraint, a sort of religious awe, would have + pervaded the scene. On the contrary, everything bore the marks of + gaiety, dissipation, and the most grotesque confusion. The farther + end of the hall was converted into boxes, where ladies, in a + studied deshabille, swallowed ices, oranges, liqueurs, and + received the salutations of the members who went and came, as on + ordinary occasions. Here the doorkeepers on the Mountain side + opened and shut the boxes reserved for the mistresses of the Duc + d'Orleans; and there, though every sound of approbation or + disapprobation was strictly forbidden, you heard the long and + indignant 'Ha, ha's!' of the mother-duchess, the patroness of the + bands of female Jacobins, whenever her ears were not loudly + greeted with the welcome sounds of death. The upper gallery, + reserved for the people, was during the whole trial constantly + full of strangers of every description, drinking wine as in a + tavern. + </p> + <p> + "Bets were made as to the issue of the trial in all the + neighbouring coffee-houses. Ennui, impatience, disgust sat on + almost every countenance. The figures passing and repassing, + rendered more ghastly by the pallid lights, and who in a slow, + sepulchral voice pronounced only the word—Death; others + calculating if they should have time to go to dinner before they + gave their verdict; women pricking cards with pins in order to + count the votes; some of the deputies fallen asleep, and only + waking up to give their sentence,—all this had the + appearance rather of a hideous dream than of a reality." + </p> + <p> + The Duc d'Orleans, when called on to give his vote for the death + of his King and relation, walked with a faltering step, and a face + paler than death itself, to the appointed place, and there read + these words: "Exclusively governed by my duty, and convinced that + all those who have resisted the sovereignty of the people deserve + death, my vote is for death!" Important as the accession of the + first Prince of the blood was to the Terrorist faction, his + conduct in this instance was too obviously selfish and atrocious + not to excite a general feeling of indignation; the agitation of + the Assembly became extreme; it seemed as if by this single vote + the fate of the monarch was irrevocably sealed. + </p> + <p> + The President having examined the register, the result of the + scrutiny was proclaimed as follows + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + + Against an appeal to the people........... 480 + For an appeal to the people............... 283 + + Majority for final judgment............... 197 + +</pre> + <p> + The President having announced that he was about to declare the + result of the scrutiny, a profound silence ensued, and he then + gave in the following declaration: that, out of 719 votes, 366 + were for DEATH, 319 were for imprisonment during the war, two for + perpetual imprisonment, eight for a suspension of the execution of + the sentence of death until after the expulsion of the family of + the Bourbons, twenty-three were for not putting him to death until + the French territory was invaded by any foreign power, and one was + for a sentence of death, but with power of commutation of the + punishment. + </p> + <p> + After this enumeration the President took off his hat, and, + lowering his voice, said: "In consequence of this expression of + opinion I declare that the punishment pronounced by the National + Convention against Louis Capet is DEATH!" + </p> + <p> + Previous to the passing of the sentence the President announced on + the part of the Foreign Minister the receipt of a letter from the + Spanish Minister relative to that sentence. The Convention, + however, refused to hear it. [It will be remembered that a similar + remonstrance was forwarded by the English Government.] + </p> + <p> + M. de Malesherbes, according to his promise to the King, went to + the Temple at nine o'clock on the morning of the 17th. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [Louis was fully prepared for his fate. During the calling of + the votes he asked M. de Malesherbes, "Have you not met near the + Temple the White Lady?"—"What do you mean?" replied he. + "Do you not know," resumed the King with a smile, "that when a + prince of our house is about to die, a female dressed in white + is seen wandering about the palace? My friends," added he to his + defenders, "I am about to depart before you for the land of the + just, but there, at least, we shall be reunited." In fact, his + Majesty's only apprehension seemed to be for his family.—ALISON.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + "All is lost," he said to Clery. "The King is condemned." The + King, who saw him arrive, rose to receive him. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [When M. de Malesherbes went to the Temple to announce the + result of the vote, he found Louis with his forehead resting on + his hands, and absorbed in a deep reverie. Without inquiring + concerning his fate, he said: "For two hours I have been + considering whether, during my whole reign, I have voluntarily + given any cause of complaint to my subjects; and with perfect + sincerity I declare that I deserve no reproach at their hands, + and that I have never formed a wish but for their happiness." + LACRETELLE.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + M. de Malesherbes, choked by sobs, threw himself at his feet. The + King raised him up and affectionately embraced him. When he could + control his voice, De Malesherbes informed the King of the decree + sentencing him to death; he made no movement of surprise or + emotion, but seemed only affected by the distress of his advocate, + whom he tried to comfort. + </p> + <p> + On the 20th of January, at two in the afternoon, Louis XVI. was + awaiting his advocates, when he heard the approach of a numerous + party. He stopped with dignity at the door of his apartment, + apparently unmoved: Garat then told him sorrowfully that he was + commissioned to communicate to him the decrees of the Convention. + Grouvelle, secretary of the Executive Council, read them to him. + The first declared Louis XVI. guilty of treason against the + general safety of the State; the second condemned him to death; + the third rejected any appeal to the people; and the fourth and + last ordered his execution in twenty-four hours. Louis, looking + calmly round, took the paper from Grouvelle, and read Garat a + letter, in which he demanded from the Convention three days to + prepare for death, a confessor to assist him in his last moments, + liberty to see his family, and permission for them to leave + France. Garat took the letter, promising to submit it immediately + to the Convention. + </p> + <p> + Louis XVI. then went back into his room with great composure, + ordered his dinner, and ate as usual. There were no knives on the + table, and his attendants refused to let him have any. "Do they + think me so cowardly," he exclaimed, "as to lay violent hands on + myself? I am innocent, and I am not afraid to die." + </p> + <p> + The Convention refused the delay, but granted some other demands + which he had made. Garat sent for Edgeworth de Firmont, the + ecclesiastic whom Louis XVI. had chosen, and took him in his own + carriage to the Temple. M. Edgeworth, on being ushered into the + presence of the King, would have thrown himself at his feet, but + Louis instantly raised him, and both shed tears of emotion. He + then, with eager curiosity, asked various questions concerning the + clergy of France, several bishops, and particularly the Archbishop + of Paris, requesting him to assure the latter that he died + faithfully attached to his communion.—The clock having + struck eight, he rose, begged M. Edgeworth to wait, and retired + with emotion, saying that he was going to see his family. The + municipal officers, unwilling to lose sight of the King, even + while with his family, had decided that he should see them in the + dining-room, which had a glass door, through which they could + watch all his motions without hearing what he said. At half-past + eight the door opened. The Queen, holding the Dauphin by the hand, + Madame Elisabeth, and Madame Royale rushed sobbing into the arms + of Louis XVI. The door was closed, and the municipal officers, + Clery, and M. Edgeworth placed themselves behind it. During the + first moments, it was but a scene of confusion and despair. Cries + and lamentations prevented those who were on the watch from + distinguishing anything. At length the conversation became more + calm, and the Princesses, still holding the King clasped in their + arms, spoke with him in a low tone. "He related his trial to my + mother," says Madame Royale, "apologising for the wretches who had + condemned him. He told her that he would not consent to any + attempt to save him, which might excite disturbance in the + country. He then gave my brother some religious advice, and + desired him, above all, to forgive those who caused his death; and + he gave us his blessing. My mother was very desirous that the + whole family should pass the night with my father, but he opposed + this, observing to her that he much needed some hours of repose + and quiet." After a long conversation, interrupted by silence and + grief, the King put an end to the painful meeting, agreeing to see + his family again at eight the next morning. "Do you promise that + you will?" earnestly inquired the Princesses. "Yes, yes," + sorrowfully replied the King. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + ["But when we were gone," says his daughter, "he requested that + we might not be permitted to return, as our presence afflicted + him too much."] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + At this moment the Queen held him by one arm, Madame Elisabeth by + the other, while Madame Royale clasped him round the waist, and + the Dauphin stood before him, with one hand in that of his mother. + At the moment of retiring Madame Royale fainted; she was carried + away, and the King returned to M. Edgeworth deeply depressed by + this painful interview. The King retired to rest about midnight; + M. Edgeworth threw himself upon a bed, and Clery took his place + near the pillow of his master. + </p> + <p> + Next morning, the 21st of January, at five, the King awoke, called + Clery, and dressed with great calmness. He congratulated himself + on having recovered his strength by sleep. Clery kindled a fire, + and moved a chest of drawers, out of which he formed an altar. M. + Edgeworth put on his pontifical robes, and began to celebrate + mass. Clery waited on him, and the King listened, kneeling with + the greatest devotion. He then received the communion from the + hands of M. Edgeworth, and after mass rose with new vigour, and + awaited with composure the moment for going to the scaffold. He + asked for scissors that Clery might cut his hair; but the Commune + refused to trust him with a pair. + </p> + <p> + At this moment the drums were beating in the capital. All who + belonged to the armed sections repaired to their company with + complete submission. It was reported that four or five hundred + devoted men, were to make a dash upon the carriage, and rescue the + King. The Convention, the Commune, the Executive Council, and the + Jacobins were sitting. At eight in the morning, Santerre, with a + deputation from the Commune, the department, and the criminal + tribunal, repaired to the Temple. Louis XVI., on hearing them + arrive, rose and prepared to depart. He desired Clery to transmit + his last farewell to his wife, his sister, and his children; he + gave him a sealed packet, hair, and various trinkets, with + directions to deliver these articles to them. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [In the course of the morning the King said to me: "You will + give this seal to my son and this ring to the Queen, and assure + her that it is with pain I part with it. This little packet + contains the hair of all my family; you will give her that, too. + Tell the Queen, my dear sister, and my children, that, although + I promised to see them again this morning, I have resolved to + spare them the pang of so cruel a separation. Tell them how much + it costs me to go away without receiving their embraces once + more!" He wiped away some tears, and then added, in the most + mournful accents, "I charge you to bear them my last farewell."—CLERY.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + He then clasped his hand and thanked him for his services. After + this he addressed himself to one of the municipal officers, + requesting him to transmit his last will to the Commune. This + officer, who had formerly been a priest, and was named Jacques + Roux, brutally replied that his business was to conduct him to + execution, and not to perform his commissions. Another person took + charge of it, and Louis, turning towards the party, gave with + firmness the signal for starting. + </p> + <p> + Officers of gendarmerie were placed on the front seat of the + carriage. The King and M. Edgeworth occupied the back. During the + ride, which was rather long, the King read in M. Edgeworth's + breviary the prayers for persons at the point of death; the two + gendarmes were astonished at his piety and tranquil resignation. + The vehicle advanced slowly, and amidst universal silence. At the + Place de la Revolution an extensive space had been left vacant + about the scaffold. Around this space were planted cannon; the + most violent of the Federalists were stationed about the scaffold; + and the vile rabble, always ready to insult genius, virtue, and + misfortune, when a signal is given it to do so, crowded behind the + ranks of the Federalists, and alone manifested some outward tokens + of satisfaction. + </p> + <p> + At ten minutes past ten the carriage stopped. Louis XVI., rising + briskly, stepped out into the Place. Three executioners came up; + he refused their assistance, and took off his clothes himself. + But, perceiving that they were going to bind his hands, he made a + movement of indignation, and seemed ready to resist. M. Edgeworth + gave him a last look, and said, "Suffer this outrage, as a last + resemblance to that God who is about to be your reward." At these + words the King suffered himself to be bound and conducted to the + scaffold. All at once Louis hurriedly advanced to address the + people. "Frenchmen," said he, in a firm voice, "I die innocent of + the crimes which are imputed to me; I forgive the authors of my + death, and I pray that my blood may not fall upon France." He + would have continued, but the drums were instantly ordered to + beat: their rolling drowned his voice; the executioners laid hold + of him, and M. Edgeworth took his leave in these memorable words: + "Son of Saint Louis, ascend to heaven!" As soon as the blood + flowed, furious wretches dipped their pikes and handkerchiefs in + it, then dispersed throughout Paris, shouting "Vive la Republique! + Vive la Nation!" and even went to the gates of the Temple to + display brutal and factious joy. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [The body of Louis was, immediately after the execution, removed + to the ancient cemetery of the Madeleine. Large quantities of + quicklime were thrown into the grave, which occasioned so rapid + a decomposition that, when his remains were sought for in 1816, + it was with difficulty any part could be recovered. Over the + spot where he was interred Napoleon commenced the splendid + Temple of Glory, after the battle of Jena; and the superb + edifice was completed by the Bourbons, and now forms the Church + of the Madeleine, the most beautiful structure in Paris. Louis + was executed on the same ground where the Queen, Madame + Elisabeth, and so many other noble victims of the Revolution + perished; where Robespierre and Danton afterwards suffered; and + where the Emperor Alexander and the allied sovereigns took their + station, when their victorious troops entered Paris in 1814! The + history of modern Europe has not a scene fraught with equally + interesting recollections to exhibit. It is now marked by the + colossal obelisk of blood-red granite which was brought from + Thebes, in Upper Egypt, in 1833, by the French Government.—ALLISON.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + <h3> + The Royal Prisoners.—Separation of the Dauphin from His + Family. <br />—Removal of the Queen. + </h3> + <br /><br /> + <p> + On the morning of the King's execution, according to the narrative + of Madame Royale, his family rose at six: "The night before, my + mother had scarcely strength enough to put my brother to bed; She + threw herself, dressed as she was, on her own bed, where we heard + her shivering with cold and grief all night long. At a + quarter-past six the door opened; we believed that we were sent + for to the King, but it was only the officers looking for a + prayer-book for him. We did not, however, abandon the hope of + seeing him, till shouts of joy from the infuriated populace told + us that all was over. In the afternoon my mother asked to see + Clery, who probably had some message for her; we hoped that seeing + him would occasion a burst of grief which might relieve the state + of silent and choking agony in which we saw her." The request was + refused, and the officers who brought the refusal said Clery was + in "a frightful state of despair" at not being allowed to see the + royal family; shortly afterwards he was dismissed from the Temple. + </p> + <p> + "We had now a little more freedom," continues the Princess; "our + guards even believed that we were about to be sent out of France; + but nothing could calm my mother's agony; no hope could touch her + heart, and life or death became indifferent to her. Fortunately my + own affliction increased my illness so seriously that it + distracted her thoughts . . . . My mother would go no more to the + garden, because she must have passed the door of what had been my + father's room, and that she could not bear. But fearing lest want + of air should prove injurious to my brother and me, about the end + of February she asked permission to walk on the leads of the + Tower, and it was granted." + </p> + <p> + The Council of the Commune, becoming aware of the interest which + these sad promenades excited, and the sympathy with which they + were observed from the neighbouring houses, ordered that the + spaces between the battlements should be filled up with shutters, + which intercepted the view. But while the rules for the Queen's + captivity were again made more strict, some of the municipal + commissioners tried slightly to alleviate it, and by means of M. + de Hue, who was at liberty in Paris, and the faithful Turgi, who + remained in the Tower, some communications passed between the + royal family and their friends. The wife of Tison, who waited on + the Queen, suspected and finally denounced these more lenient + guardians,—[Toulan, Lepitre, Vincent, Bruno, and others.]—who + were executed, the royal prisoners being subjected to a close + examination. + </p> + <p> + "On the 20th of April," says Madame Royale, "my mother and I had + just gone to bed when Hebert arrived with several municipals. We + got up hastily, and these men read us a decree of the Commune + directing that we should be searched. My poor brother was asleep; + they tore him from his bed under the pretext of examining it. My + mother took him up, shivering with cold. All they took was a + shopkeeper's card which my mother had happened to keep, a stick of + sealing-wax from my aunt, and from me 'une sacre coeur de Jesus' + and a prayer for the welfare of France. The search lasted from + half-past ten at night till four o'clock in the morning." + </p> + <p> + The next visit of the officials was to Madame Elisabeth alone; + they found in her room a hat which the King had worn during his + imprisonment, and which she had begged him to give her as a + souvenir. They took it from her in spite of her entreaties. "It + was suspicious," said the cruel and contemptible tyrants. + </p> + <p> + The Dauphin became ill with fever, and it was long before his + mother, who watched by him night and day, could obtain medicine or + advice for him. When Thierry was at last allowed to see him his + treatment relieved the most violent symptoms, but, says Madame + Royale, "his health was never reestablished. Want of air and + exercise did him great mischief, as well as the kind of life which + this poor child led, who at eight years of age passed his days + amidst the tears of his friends, and in constant anxiety and + agony." + </p> + <p> + While the Dauphin's health was causing his family such alarm, they + were deprived of the services of Tison's wife, who became ill, and + finally insane, and was removed to the Hotel Dieu, where her + ravings were reported to the Assembly and made the ground of + accusations against the royal prisoners. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [This woman, troubled by remorse, lost her reason, threw herself + at the feet of the Queen, implored her pardon, and disturbed the + Temple for many days with the sight and the noise of her + madness. The Princesses, forgetting the denunciations of this + unfortunate being, in consideration of her repentance and + insanity, watched over her by turns, and deprived themselves of + their own food to relieve her.—LAMARTINE, "History of the + Girondists," vol. iii., p.140.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + No woman took her place, and the Princesses themselves made their + beds, swept their rooms, and waited upon the Queen. + </p> + <p> + Far worse punishments than menial work were prepared for them. On + 3d July a decree of the Convention ordered that the Dauphin should + be separated from his family and "placed in the most secure + apartment of the Tower." As soon as he heard this decree + pronounced, says his sister, "he threw himself into my mother's + arms, and with violent cries entreated not to be parted from her. + My mother would not let her son go, and she actually defended + against the efforts of the officers the bed in which she had + placed him. The men threatened to call up the guard and use + violence. My mother exclaimed that they had better kill her than + tear her child from her. At last they threatened our lives, and my + mother's maternal tenderness forced her to the sacrifice. My aunt + and I dressed the child, for my poor mother had no longer strength + for anything. Nevertheless, when he was dressed, she took him up + in her arms and delivered him herself to the officers, bathing him + with her tears, foreseeing that she was never to behold him again. + The poor little fellow embraced us all tenderly, and was carried + away in a flood of tears. My mother's horror was extreme when she + heard that Simon, a shoemaker by trade, whom she had seen as a + municipal officer in the Temple, was the person to whom her child + was confided . . . . The officers now no longer remained in my + mother's apartment; they only came three times a day to bring our + meals and examine the bolts and bars of our windows; we were + locked up together night and day. We often went up to the Tower, + because my brother went, too, from the other side. The only + pleasure my mother enjoyed was seeing him through a crevice as he + passed at a distance. She would watch for hours together to see + him as he passed. It was her only hope, her only thought." + </p> + <p> + The Queen was soon deprived even of this melancholy consolation. + On 1st August, 1793, it was resolved that she should be tried. + Robespierre opposed the measure, but Barere roused into action + that deep-rooted hatred of the Queen which not even the sacrifice + of her life availed to eradicate. "Why do the enemies of the + Republic still hope for success?" he asked. "Is it because we have + too long forgotten the crimes of the Austrian? The children of + Louis the Conspirator are hostages for the Republic . . .but + behind them lurks a woman who has been the cause of all the + disasters of France." + </p> + <p> + At two o'clock on the morning of the following day, the municipal + officers "awoke us," says Madame Royale, "to read to my mother the + decree of the Convention, which ordered her removal to the + Conciergerie, + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [The Conciergerie was originally, as its name implies, the + porter's lodge of the ancient Palace of Justice, and became in + time a prison, from the custom of confining there persons who + had committed trifling offences about the Court.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + preparatory to her trial. She heard it without visible emotion, + and without speaking a single word. My aunt and I immediately + asked to be allowed to accompany my mother, but this favour was + refused us. All the time my mother was making up a bundle of + clothes to take with her, these officers never left her. She was + even obliged to dress herself before them, and they asked for her + pockets, taking away the trifles they contained. She embraced me, + charging me to keep up my spirits and my courage, to take tender + care of my aunt, and obey her as a second mother. She then threw + herself into my aunt's arms, and recommended her children to her + care; my aunt replied to her in a whisper, and she was then + hurried away. In leaving the Temple she struck her head against + the wicket, not having stooped low enough. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [Mathieu, the gaoler, used to say, "I make Madame Veto and her + sister and daughter, proud though they are, salute me; for the + door is so low they cannot pass without bowing."] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + The officers asked whether she had hurt herself. 'No,' she + replied, 'nothing can hurt me now." + </p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + <h3> + The Last Moments of Marie Antoinette. + </h3> + <br /><br /> + <p> + We have already seen what changes had been made in the Temple. + Marie Antoinette had been separated from her sister, her daughter, + and her Son, by virtue of a decree which ordered the trial and + exile of the last members of the family of the Bourbons. She had + been removed to the Conciergerie, and there, alone in a narrow + prison, she was reduced to what was strictly necessary, like the + other prisoners. The imprudence of a devoted friend had rendered + her situation still more irksome. Michonnis, a member of the + municipality, in whom she had excited a warm interest, was + desirous of introducing to her a person who, he said, wished to + see her out of curiosity. This man, a courageous emigrant, threw + to her a carnation, in which was enclosed a slip of very fine + paper with these words: "Your friends are ready,"—false + hope, and equally dangerous for her who received it, and for him + who gave it! Michonnis and the emigrant were detected and + forthwith apprehended; and the vigilance exercised in regard to + the unfortunate prisoner became from that day more rigorous than + ever. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [The Queen was lodged in a room called the council chamber, + which was considered as the moat unwholesome apartment in the + Conciergerie on account of its dampness and the bad smells by + which it was continually affected. Under pretence of giving her + a person to wait upon her they placed near her a spy,—a + man of a horrible countenance and hollow, sepulchral voice. This + wretch, whose name was Barassin, was a robber and murderer by + profession. Such was the chosen attendant on the Queen of + France! A few days before her trial this wretch was removed and + a gendarme placed in her chamber, who watched over her night and + day, and from whom she was not separated, even when in bed, but + by a ragged curtain. In this melancholy abode Marie Antoinette + had no other dress than an old black gown, stockings with holes, + which she was forced to mend every day; and she was entirely + destitute of shoes.—DU BROCA.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + Gendarmes were to mount guard incessantly at the door of her + prison, and they were expressly forbidden to answer anything that + she might say to them. + </p> + <p> + That wretch Hebert, the deputy of Chaumette, and editor of the + disgusting paper Pere Duchesne, a writer of the party of which + Vincent, Ronsin, Varlet, and Leclerc were the leaders—Hebert + had made it his particular business to torment the unfortunate + remnant of the dethroned family. He asserted that the family of + the tyrant ought not to be better treated than any sans-culotte + family; and he had caused a resolution to be passed by which the + sort of luxury in which the prisoners in the Temple were + maintained was to be suppressed. They were no longer to be allowed + either poultry or pastry; they were reduced to one sort of aliment + for breakfast, and to soup or broth and a single dish for dinner, + to two dishes for supper, and half a bottle of wine apiece. Tallow + candles were to be furnished instead of wag, pewter instead of + silver plate, and delft ware instead of porcelain. The wood and + water carriers alone were permitted to enter their room, and that + only accompanied by two commissioners. Their food was to be + introduced to them by means of a turning box. The numerous + establishment was reduced to a cook and an assistant, two + men-servants, and a woman-servant to attend to the linen. + </p> + <p> + As soon as this resolution was passed, Hebert had repaired to the + Temple and inhumanly taken away from the unfortunate prisoners + even the most trifling articles to which they attached a high + value. Eighty Louis which Madame Elisabeth had in reserve, and + which she had received from Madame de Lamballe, were also taken + away. No one is more dangerous, more cruel, than the man without + acquirements, without education, clothed with a recent authority. + If, above all, he possess a base nature, if, like Hebert, who was + check-taker at the door of a theatre, and embezzled money out of + the receipts, he be destitute of natural morality, and if he leap + all at once from the mud of his condition into power, he is as + mean as he is atrocious. Such was Hebert in his conduct at the + Temple. He did not confine himself to the annoyances which we have + mentioned. He and some others conceived the idea of separating the + young Prince from his aunt and sister. A shoemaker named Simon and + his wife were the instructors to whom it was deemed right to + consign him for the purpose of giving him a sans-cullotte + education. Simon and his wife were shut up in the Temple, and, + becoming prisoners with the unfortunate child, were directed to + bring him up in their own way. Their food was better than that of + the Princesses, and they shared the table of the municipal + commissioners who were on duty. Simon was permitted to go down, + accompanied by two commissioners, to the court of the Temple, for + the purpose of giving the Dauphin a little exercise. + </p> + <p> + Hebert conceived the infamous idea of wringing from this boy + revelations to criminate his unhappy mother. Whether this wretch + imputed to the child false revelations, or abused his, tender age + and his condition to extort from him what admissions soever he + pleased, he obtained a revolting deposition; and as the youth of + the Prince did not admit of his being brought before the tribunal, + Hebert appeared and detailed the infamous particulars which he had + himself either dictated or invented. + </p> + <p> + It was on the 14th of October that Marie Antoinette appeared + before her judges. Dragged before the sanguinary tribunal by + inexorable revolutionary vengeance, she appeared there without any + chance of acquittal, for it was not to obtain her acquittal that + the Jacobins had brought her before it. It was necessary, however, + to make some charges. Fouquier therefore collected the rumours + current among the populace ever since the arrival of the Princess + in France, and, in the act of accusation, he charged her with + having plundered the exchequer, first for her pleasures, and + afterwards in order to transmit money to her brother, the Emperor. + He insisted on the scenes of the 5th and 6th of October, and on + the dinners of the Life Guards, alleging that she had at that + period framed a plot, which obliged the people to go to Versailles + to frustrate it. He afterwards accused her of having governed her + husband, interfered in the choice of ministers, conducted the + intrigues with the deputies gained by the Court, prepared the + journey to Varennes, provoked the war, and transmitted to the + enemy's generals all our plans of campaign. He further accused her + of having prepared a new conspiracy on the 10th of August, of + having on that day caused the people to be fired upon, having + induced her husband to defend himself by taxing him with + cowardice; lastly, of having never ceased to plot and correspond + with foreigners since her captivity in the Temple, and of having + there treated her young son as King. We here observe how, on the + terrible day of long-deferred vengeance, when subjects at length + break forth and strike such of their princes as have not deserved + the blow, everything is distorted and converted into crime. We see + how the profusion and fondness for pleasure, so natural to a young + princess, how her attachment to her native country, her influence + over her husband, her regrets, always more indiscreet in a woman + than a man, nay, even her bolder courage, appeared to their + inflamed or malignant imaginations. + </p> + <p> + It was necessary to produce witnesses. Lecointre, deputy of + Versailles, who had seen what had passed on the 5th and 6th of + October, Hebert, who had frequently visited the Temple, various + clerks in the ministerial offices, and several domestic servants + of the old Court were summoned.. Admiral d'Estaing, formerly + commandant of the guard of Versailles; Manuel, the ex-procureur of + the Commune; Latour-du-Pin, minister of war in 1789; the venerable + Bailly, who, it was said, had been, with La Fayette, an accomplice + in the journey to Varennes; lastly, Valaze one of the Girondists + destined to the scaffold, were taken from their prisons and + compelled to give evidence. + </p> + <p> + No precise fact was elicited. Some had seen the Queen in high + spirits when the Life Guards testified their attachment; others + had seen her vexed and dejected while being conducted to Paris, or + brought back from Varennes; these had been present at splendid + festivities which must have cost enormous sums; those had heard it + said in the ministerial offices that the Queen was adverse to the + sanction of the decrees. An ancient waiting-woman of the Queen had + heard the Duc de Coigny say, in 1788, that the Emperor had already + received two hundred millions from France to make war upon the + Turks. + </p> + <p> + The cynical Hebert, being brought before the unfortunate Queen, + dared at length to prefer the charges wrung from the young Prince. + He said that Charles Capet had given Simon an account of the + journey to Varennes, and mentioned La Fayette and Bailly as having + cooperated in it. He then added that this boy was addicted to + odious and very premature vices for his age; that he had been + surprised by Simon, who, on questioning him, learned that he + derived from his mother the vices in which he indulged. Hebert + said that it was no doubt the intention of Marie Antoinette, by + weakening thus, early the physical constitution of her son, to + secure to herself the means of ruling him in case he should ever + ascend the throne. The rumours which had been whispered for twenty + years by a malicious Court had given the people a most + unfavourable opinion of the morals of the Queen. That audience, + however, though wholly Jacobin, was disgusted at the accusations + of Hebert. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [Can there be a more infernal invention than that made against + the. Queen by Hdbert,—namely, that she had had an improper + intimacy with her own son? He made use of this sublime idea of + which he boasted in order to prejudice the women against the + Queen, and to prevent her execution from exciting pity. It had, + however, no other effect than that of disgusting all parties.—PRUDHOMME.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + He nevertheless persisted in supporting them. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [Hebert did not long survive her in whose sufferings he had + taken such an infamous part. He was executed on 26th March, + 1794.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + The unhappy mother made no reply. Urged a new to explain herself, + she said, with extraordinary emotion, "I thought that human nature + would excuse me from answering such an imputation, but I appeal + from it to the heart of every mother here present." This noble and + simple reply affected all who heard it. + </p> + <p> + In the depositions of the witnesses, however, all was not so + bitter for Marie Antoinette. The brave D'Estaing, whose enemy she + had been, would not say anything to inculpate her, and spoke only + of the courage which she had shown on the 5th and 6th of October, + and of the noble resolution which she had expressed, to die beside + her husband rather than fly. Manuel, in spite of his enmity to the + Court during the time of the Legislative Assembly, declared that + he could not say anything against the accused. When the venerable + Bailly was brought forward, who formerly so often predicted to the + Court the calamities which its imprudence must produce, he + appeared painfully affected; and when he was asked if he knew the + wife of Capet, "Yes," said he, bowing respectfully, "I have known + Madame." He declared that he knew nothing, and maintained that the + declarations extorted from the young Prince relative to the + journey to Varennes were false. In recompense for his deposition + he was assailed with outrageous reproaches, from which he might + judge what fate would soon be awarded to himself. + </p> + <p> + In all the evidence there appeared but two serious facts, attested + by Latour-du-Pin and Valaze, who deposed to them because they + could not help it. Latour-du-Pin declared that Marie Antoinette + had applied to him for an accurate statement of the armies while + he was minister of war. Valaze, always cold, but respectful + towards misfortune, would not say anything to criminate the + accused; yet he could not help declaring that, as a member of the + commission of twenty-four, being charged with his colleagues to + examine the papers found at the house of Septeuil, treasurer of + the civil list, he had seen bonds for various sums signed + Antoinette, which was very natural; but he added that he had also + seen a letter in which the minister requested the King to transmit + to the Queen the copy of the plan of campaign which he had in his + hands. The most unfavourable construction was immediately put upon + these two facts, the application for a statement of the armies, + and the communication of the plan of campaign; and it was + concluded that they could not be wanted for any other purpose than + to be sent to the enemy, for it was not supposed that a young + princess should turn her attention, merely for her own + satisfaction, to matters of administration and military, plans. + After these depositions, several others were received respecting + the expenses of the Court, the influence of the Queen in public + affairs, the scene of the 10th of August, and what had passed in + the Temple; and the most vague rumours and most trivial + circumstances were eagerly caught at as proofs. + </p> + <p> + Marie Antoinette frequently repeated, with presence of mind and + firmness, that there was no precise fact against her; that, + besides, though the wife of Louis XVI., she was not answerable for + any of the acts of his reign. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [At first the Queen, consulting only her own sense of dignity, + had resolved on her trial to make no other reply to the + questions of her judges than "Assassinate me as you have already + assassinated my husband!" Afterwards, however, she determined to + follow the example of the King, exert herself in her defence, + and leave her judges without any excuse or pretest for putting + her to death.—WEBER'S "Memoirs of Marie Antoinette."] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + Fouquier nevertheless declared her to be sufficiently convicted; + Chaveau-Lagarde made unavailing efforts to defend her; and the + unfortunate Queen was condemned to suffer the same fate as her + husband. + </p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> <a name="pb286" id="pb286"></a> + <div class="fig" style="width:80%;"> + <img alt="pb286.jpg (89K)" src="images/pb286.jpg" width="100%" /><br /> + </div> + <p> + Conveyed back to the Conciergerie, she there passed in tolerable + composure the night preceding her execution, and, on the morning + of the following day, the 16th of October, she was conducted, + amidst a great concourse of the populace, to the fatal spot + where, ten months before, Louis XVI. had perished. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [The Queen, after having written and prayed, slept soundly for + some hours. On her waking, Bault's daughter dressed her and + adjusted her hair with more neatness than on other days. Marie + Antoinette wore a white gown, a white handkerchief covered her + shoulders, a white cap her hair; a black ribbon bound this cap + round her temples .... The cries, the looks, the laughter, the + jests of the people overwhelmed her with humiliation; her + colour, changing continually from purple to paleness, betrayed + her agitation .... On reaching the scaffold she inadvertently + trod on the executioner's foot. "Pardon me," she said, + courteously. She knelt for an instant and uttered a + half-audible prayer; then rising and glancing towards the + towers of the Temple, "Adieu, once again, my children," she + said; "I go to rejoin your father."—LAMARTINE.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + She listened with calmness to the exhortations of the + ecclesiastic who accompanied her, and cast an indifferent look + at the people who had so often applauded her beauty and her + grace, and who now as warmly applauded her execution. On + reaching the foot of the scaffold she perceived the Tuileries, + and appeared to be moved; but she hastened to ascend the fatal + ladder, and gave herself up with courage to the executioner. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [Sorrow had blanched the Queen's once beautiful hair; but her + features and air still commanded the admiration of all who + beheld her; her cheeks, pale and emaciated, were occasionally + tinged with a vivid colour at the mention of those she had + lost. When led out to execution, she was dressed in white; she + had cut off her hair with her own hands. Placed in a tumbrel, + with her arms tied behind her, she was taken by a circuitous + route to the Place de la Revolution, and she ascended the + scaffold with a firm and dignified step, as if she had been + about to take her place on a throne by the side of her + husband.—LACRETELLE.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + The infamous wretch exhibited her head to the people, as he was + accustomed to do when he had sacrificed an illustrious victim. + </p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + <h3> + The Last Separation.—Execution of Madame Elisabeth. <br />—Death + of the Dauphin. + </h3> + <p> + The two Princesses left in the Temple were now almost + inconsolable; they spent days and nights in tears, whose only + alleviation was that they were shed together. "The company of my + aunt, whom I loved so tenderly," said Madame Royale, "was a + great comfort to me. But alas! all that I loved was perishing + around me, and I was soon to lose her also . . . . In the + beginning of September I had an illness caused solely by my + anxiety about my mother; I never heard a drum beat that I did + not expect another 3d of September."—[when the head of the + Princesse de Lamballe was carried to the Temple.] + </p> + <p> + In the course of the month the rigour of their captivity was + much increased. The Commune ordered that they should only have + one room; that Tison (who had done the heaviest of the household + work for them, and since the kindness they showed to his insane + wife had occasionally given them tidings of the Dauphin) should + be imprisoned in the turret; that they should be supplied with + only the barest necessaries; and that no one should enter their + room save to carry water and firewood. Their quantity of firing + was reduced, and they were not allowed candles. They were also + forbidden to go on the leads, and their large sheets were taken + away, "lest—notwithstanding the gratings!—they + should escape from the windows." + </p> + <p> + On 8th October, 1793, Madame Royale was ordered to go + downstairs, that she might be interrogated by some municipal + officers. "My aunt, who was greatly affected, would have + followed, but they stopped her. She asked whether I should be + permitted to come up again; Chaumette assured her that I should. + 'You may trust,' said he, 'the word of an honest republican. She + shall return.' I soon found myself in my brother's room, whom I + embraced tenderly; but we were torn asunder, and I was obliged + to go into another room.—[This was the last time the + brother and sister met] . . . Chaumette then questioned me about + a thousand shocking things of which they accused my mother and + aunt; I was so indignant at hearing such horrors that, terrified + as I was, I could not help exclaiming that they were infamous + falsehoods. + </p> + <p> + "But in spite of my tears they still pressed their questions. + There were some things which I did not comprehend, but of which + I understood enough to make me weep with indignation and horror + . . . . They then asked me about Varennes, and other things. I + answered as well as I could without implicating anybody. I had + always heard my parents say that it were better to die than to + implicate anybody." When the examination was over the Princess + begged to be allowed to join her mother, but Chaumette said he + could not obtain permission for her to do so. She was then + cautioned to say nothing about her examination to her aunt, who + was next to appear before them. Madame Elisabeth, her niece + declares, "replied with still more contempt to their shocking + questions." + </p> + <p> + The only intimation of the Queen's fate which her daughter and + her sister-in-law were allowed to receive was through hearing + her sentence cried by the newsman. But "we could not persuade + ourselves that she was dead," writes Madame Royale. "A hope, so + natural to the unfortunate, persuaded us that she must have been + saved. For eighteen months I remained in this cruel suspense. We + learnt also by the cries of the newsman the death of the Duc + d'Orleans. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [The Duc d'Orleans, the early and interested propagator of the + Revolution, was its next victim. Billaud Varennes said in the + Convention: "The time has come when all the conspirators + should be known and struck. I demand that we no longer pass + over in silence a man whom we seem to have forgotten, despite + the numerous facts against him. I demand that D'ORLEANS be + sent to the Revolutionary Tribunal." The Convention, once his + hireling adulators, unanimously supported the proposal. In + vain he alleged his having been accessory to the disorders of + 5th October, his support of the revolt on 10th August, 1792, + his vote against the King on 17th January, 1793. His + condemnation was pronounced. He then asked only for a delay of + twenty-four hours, and had a repast carefully prepared, on + which he feasted with avidity. When led out for execution he + gazed with a smile on the Palais Royal, the scene of his + former orgies. He was detained for a quarter of an hour before + that palace by the order of Robespierre, who had asked his + daughter's hand, and promised in return to excite a tumult in + which the Duke's life should be saved. Depraved though he was, + he would not consent to such a sacrifice, and he met his fate + with stoical fortitude.—ALLISON, vol. iii., p. 172.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + It was the only piece of news that reached us during the whole + winter." + </p> + <p> + The severity with which the prisoners were treated was carried + into every detail of their life. The officers who guarded them + took away their chessmen and cards because some of them were + named kings and queens, and all the books with coats of arms on + them; they refused to get ointment for a gathering on Madame + Elisabeth's arm; they, would not allow her to make a herb-tea + which she thought would strengthen her niece; they declined to + supply fish or eggs on fast-days or during Lent, bringing only + coarse fat meat, and brutally replying to all remonstances, + "None but fools believe in that stuff nowadays." Madame + Elisabeth never made the officials another request, but reserved + some of the bread and cafe-au-lait from her breakfast for her + second meal. The time during which she could be thus tormented + was growing short. + </p> + <p> + On 9th May, 1794, as the Princesses were going to bed, the + outside bolts of the door were unfastened and a loud knocking + was heard. "When my aunt was dressed," says Madame Royale, "she + opened the door, and they said to her, 'Citoyenne, come down.'—'And + my niece?'—'We shall take care of her afterwards.' She + embraced me, and to calm my agitation promised to return. 'No, + citoyenne,' said the men, 'bring your bonnet; you shall not + return.' They overwhelmed her with abuse, but she bore it + patiently, embracing me, and exhorting me to trust in Heaven, + and never to forget the last commands of my father and mother." + </p> + <p> + Madame Elisabeth was then taken to the Conciergerie, where she + was interrogated by the vice-president at midnight, and then + allowed to take some hours rest on the bed on which Marie + Antoinette had slept for the last time. In the morning she was + brought before the tribunal, with twenty-four other prisoners, + of varying ages and both sexes, some of whom had once been + frequently seen at Court. + </p> + <p> + "Of what has Elisabeth to complain?" Fouquier-Tinville + satirically asked. "At the foot of the guillotine, surrounded by + faithful nobility, she may imagine herself again at Versailles." + </p> + <p> + "You call my brother a tyrant," the Princess replied to her + accuser; "if he had been what you say, you would not be where + you are, nor I before you!" + </p> + <p> + She was sentenced to death, and showed neither surprise nor + grief. "I am ready to die," she said, "happy in the prospect of + rejoining in a better world those whom I loved on earth." + </p> + <p> + On being taken to the room where those condemned to suffer at + the same time as herself were assembled, she spoke to them with + so much piety and resignation that they were encouraged by her + example to show calmness and courage like her own. The women, on + leaving the cart, begged to embrace her, and she said some words + of comfort to each in turn as they mounted the scaffold, which + she was not allowed to ascend till all her companions had been + executed before her eyes. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [Madame Elisabeth was one of those rare personages only seen + at distant intervals during the course of ages; she set an + example of steadfast piety in the palace of kings, she lived + amid her family the favourite of all and the admiration of the + world .... When I went to Versailles Madame Elisabeth was + twenty-two years of age. Her plump figure and pretty pink + colour must have attracted notice, and her air of calmness and + contentment even more than her beauty. She was fond of + billiards, and her elegance and courage in riding were + remarkable. But she never allowed these amusements to + interfere with her religious observances. At that time her + wish to take the veil at St. Cyr was much talked of, but the + King was too fond of his sister to endure the separation. + There were also rumours of a marriage between Madame Elisabeth + and the Emperor Joseph. The Queen was sincerely attached to + her brother, and loved her sister-in-law most tenderly; she + ardently desired this marriage as a means of raising the + Princess to one of the first thrones in Europe, and as a + possible means of turning the Emperor from his innovations. + She had been very carefully educated, had talent in music and + painting, spoke Italian and a little Latin, and understood + mathematics.... Her last moments were worthy of her courage + and virtue.—D'HEZECQUES's "Recollections," pp. 72-75.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + "It is impossible to imagine my distress at finding myself + separated from my aunt," says Madame Royale. "Since I had been + able to appreciate her merits, I saw in her nothing but + religion, gentleness, meekness, modesty, and a devoted + attachment to her family; she sacrificed her life for them, + since nothing could persuade her to leave the King and Queen. I + never can be sufficiently grateful to her for her goodness to + me, which ended only with her life. She looked on me as her + child, and I honoured and loved her as a second mother. I was + thought to be very like her in countenance, and I feel conscious + that I have something of her character. Would to God I might + imitate her virtues, and hope that I may hereafter deserve to + meet her, as well as my dear parents, in the bosom of our + Creator, where I cannot doubt that they enjoy the reward of + their virtuous lives and meritorious deaths." + </p> + <p> + Madame Royale vainly begged to be allowed to rejoin her mother + or her aunt, or at least to know their fate. The municipal + officers would tell her nothing, and rudely refused her request + to have a woman placed with her. "I asked nothing but what + seemed indispensable, though it was often harshly refused," she + says. "But I at least could keep myself clean. I had soap and + water, and carefully swept out my room every day. I had no + light, but in the long days I did not feel this privation much . + . . . I had some religious works and travels, which I had read + over and over. I had also some knitting, 'qui m'ennuyait + beaucoup'." Once, she believes, Robespierre visited her prison: + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [It has been said that Robespierre vainly tried to obtain the + hand of Mademoiselle d'Orleans. It was also rumoured that + Madame Royale herself owed her life to his matrimonial + ambition.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + "The officers showed him great respect; the people in the Tower + did not know him, or at least would not tell me who he was. He + stared insolently at me, glanced at my books, and, after joining + the municipal officers in a search, retired." + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [On another occasion "three men in scarfs," who entered the + Princess's room, told her that they did not see why she should + wish to be released, as she seemed very comfortable! "It is + dreadful,' I replied, 'to be separated for more than a year + from one's mother, without even hearing what has become of her + or of my aunt.'—'You are not ill?'—'No, monsieur, + but the cruellest illness is that of the heart'—' We can + do nothing for you. Be patient, and submit to the justice and + goodness of the French people: I had nothing more to say."—DUCHESSE + D'ANGOULEME, "Royal Memoirs," p. 273.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + When Laurent was appointed by the Convention to the charge of + the young prisoners, Madame Royale was treated with more + consideration. "He was always courteous," she says; he restored + her tinderbox, gave her fresh books, and allowed her candles and + as much firewood as she wanted, "which pleased me greatly." This + simple expression of relief gives a clearer idea of what the + delicate girl must have suffered than a volume of complaints. + </p> + <p> + But however hard Madame Royale's lot might be, that of the + Dauphin was infinitely harder. Though only eight years old when + he entered the Temple, he was by nature and education extremely + precocious; "his memory retained everything, and his + sensitiveness comprehended everything." His features "recalled + the somewhat effeminate look of Louis XV., and the Austrian + hauteur of Maria Theresa; his blue eyes, aquiline nose, elevated + nostrils, well-defined mouth, pouting lips, chestnut hair parted + in the middle and falling in thick curls on his shoulders, + resembled his mother before her years of tears and torture. All + the beauty of his race, by both descents, seemed to reappear in + him."—[Lamartine]—For some time the care of his + parents preserved his health and cheerfulness even in the + Temple; but his constitution was weakened by the fever recorded + by his sister, and his gaolers were determined that he should + never regain strength. + </p> + <p> + "What does the Convention intend to do with him?" asked Simon, + when the innocent victim was placed in his clutches. "Transport + him?" + </p> + <p> + "No." + </p> + <p> + "Kill him?" + </p> + <p> + "No." + </p> + <p> + "Poison him?" + </p> + <p> + "No." + </p> + <p> + "What, then?" + </p> + <p> + "Why, get rid of him." + </p> + <p> + For such a purpose they could not have chosen their instruments + better. "Simon and his wife, cut off all those fair locks that + had been his youthful glory and his mother's pride. This worthy + pair stripped him of the mourning he wore for his father; and as + they did so, they called it 'playing at the game of the spoiled + king.' They alternately induced him to commit excesses, and then + half starved him. They beat him mercilessly; nor was the + treatment by night less brutal than that by day. As soon as the + weary boy had sunk into his first profound sleep, they would + loudly call him by name, 'Capet! Capet!' Startled, nervous, + bathed in perspiration, or sometimes trembling with cold, he + would spring up, rush through the dark, and present himself at + Simon's bedside, murmuring, tremblingly, 'I am here, citizen.'—'Come + nearer; let me feel you.' He would approach the bed as he was + ordered, although he knew the treatment that awaited him. Simon + would buffet him on the head, or kick him away, adding the + remark, 'Get to bed again, wolfs cub; I only wanted to know that + you were safe.' On one of these occasions, when the child had + fallen half stunned upon his own miserable couch, and lay there + groaning and faint with pain, Simon roared out with a laugh, + 'Suppose you were king, Capet, what would you do to me?' The + child thought of his father's dying words, and said, 'I would + forgive you.'"—[THIERS] + </p> + <p> + The change in the young Prince's mode of life, and the cruelties + and caprices to which he was subjected, soon made him fall ill, + says his sister. "Simon forced him to eat to excess, and to + drink large quantities of wine, which he detested . . . . He + grew extremely fat without increasing in height or strength." + His aunt and sister, deprived of the pleasure of tending him, + had the pain of hearing his childish voice raised in the + abominable songs his gaolers taught him. The brutality of Simon + "depraved at once the body and soul of his pupil. He called him + the young wolf of the Temple. He treated him as the young of + wild animals are treated when taken from the mother and reduced + to captivity,—at once intimidated by blows and enervated + by taming. He punished for sensibility; he rewarded meanness; he + encouraged vice; he made the child wait on him at table, + sometimes striking him on the face with a knotted towel, + sometimes raising the poker and threatening to strike him with + it." + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [Simon left the Temple to become a municipal officer. He was + involved in the overthrow of Robespierre, and guillotined the + day after him, 29th July, 1794.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + Yet when Simon was removed the poor young Prince's condition + became even worse. His horrible loneliness induced an apathetic + stupor to which any suffering would have been preferable. "He + passed his days without any kind of occupation; they did not + allow him light in the evening. His keepers never approached him + but to give him food;" and on the rare occasions when they took + him to the platform of the Tower, he was unable or unwilling to + move about. When, in November, 1794, a commissary named Gomin + arrived at the Temple, disposed to treat the little prisoner + with kindness, it was too late. "He took extreme care of my + brother," says Madame Royale. "For a long time the unhappy child + had been shut up in darkness, and he was dying of fright. He was + very grateful for the attentions of Gomin, and became much + attached to him." But his physical condition was alarming, and, + owing to Gomin's representations, a commission was instituted to + examine him. "The commissioners appointed were Harmond, Mathieu, + and Reverchon, who visited 'Louis Charles,' as he was now + called, in the month of February, 1795. They found the young + Prince seated at a square deal table, at which he was playing + with some dirty cards, making card houses and the like,—the + materials having been furnished him, probably, that they might + figure in the report as evidences of indulgence. He did not look + up from the table as the commissioners entered. He was in a + slate-coloured dress, bareheaded; the room was reported as + clean, the bed in good condition, the linen fresh; his clothes + were also reported as new; but, in spite of all these + assertions, it is well known that his bed had not been made for + months, that he had not left his room, nor was permitted to + leave it, for any purpose whatever, that it was consequently + uninhabitable, and that he was covered with vermin and with + sores. The swellings at his knees alone were sufficient to + disable him from walking. One of the commissioners approached + the young Prince respectfully. The latter did not raise his + head. Harmond in a kind voice begged him to speak to them. The + eyes of the boy remained fixed on the table before him. They + told him of the kindly intentions of the Government, of their + hopes that he would yet be happy, and their desire that he would + speak unreservedly to the medical man that was to visit him. He + seemed to listen with profound attention, but not a single word + passed his lips. It was an heroic principle that impelled that + poor young heart to maintain the silence of a mute in presence + of these men. He remembered too well the days when three other + commissaries waited on him, regaled him with pastry and wine, + and obtained from him that hellish accusation against the mother + that he loved. He had learnt by some means the import of the + act, so far as it was an injury to his mother. He now dreaded + seeing again three commissaries, hearing again kind words, and + being treated again with fine promises. Dumb as death itself he + sat before them, and remained motionless as stone, and as mute." + [THIERS] + </p> + <p> + His disease now made rapid progress, and Gomin and Lasne, + superintendents of the Temple, thinking it necessary to inform + the Government of the melancholy condition of their prisoner, + wrote on the register: "Little Capet is unwell." No notice was + taken of this account, which was renewed next day in more urgent + terms: "Little Capet is dangerously ill." Still there was no + word from beyond the walls. "We must knock harder," said the + keepers to each other, and they added, "It is feared he will not + live," to the words "dangerously ill." At length, on Wednesday, + 6th May, 1795, three days after the first report, the + authorities appointed M. Desault to give the invalid the + assistance of his art. After having written down his name on the + register he was admitted to see the Prince. He made a long and + very attentive examination of the unfortunate child, asked him + many questions without being able to obtain an answer, and + contented himself with prescribing a decoction of hops, to be + taken by spoonfuls every half-hour, from six o'clock in the + morning till eight in the evening. On the first day the Prince + steadily refused to take it. In vain Gomin several times drank + off a glass of the potion in his presence; his example proved as + ineffectual as his words. Next day Lasne renewed his + solicitations. "Monsieur knows very well that I desire nothing + but the good of his health, and he distresses me deeply by thus + refusing to take what might contribute to it. I entreat him as a + favour not to give me this cause of grief." And as Lasne, while + speaking, began to taste the potion in a glass, the child took + what he offered him out of his hands. "You have, then, taken an + oath that I should drink it," said he, firmly; "well, give it + me, I will drink it." From that moment he conformed with + docility to whatever was required of him, but the policy of the + Commune had attained its object; help had been withheld till it + was almost a mockery to supply it. + </p> + <p> + The Prince's weakness was excessive; his keepers could scarcely + drag him to the, top of the Tower; walking hurt his tender feet, + and at every step he stopped to press the arm of Lasne with both + hands upon his breast. At last he suffered so much that it was + no longer possible for him to walk, and his keeper carried him + about, sometimes on the platform, and sometimes in the little + tower, where the royal family had lived at first. But the slight + improvement to his health occasioned by the change of air + scarcely compensated for the pain which his fatigue gave him. On + the battlement of the platform nearest the left turret, the rain + had, by perseverance through ages, hollowed out a kind of basin. + The water that fell remained there for several days; and as, + during the spring of 1795, storms were of frequent occurrence, + this little sheet of water was kept constantly supplied. + Whenever the child was brought out upon the platform, he saw a + little troop of sparrows, which used to come to drink and bathe + in this reservoir. At first they flew away at his approach, but + from being accustomed to see him walking quietly there every + day, they at last grew more familiar, and did not spread their + wings for flight till he came up close to them. They were always + the same, he knew them by sight, and perhaps like himself they + were inhabitants of that ancient pile. He called them his birds; + and his first action, when the door into the terrace was opened, + was to look towards that side,—and the sparrows were + always there. He delighted in their chirping, and he must have + envied them their wings. + </p> + <p> + Though so little could be done to alleviate his sufferings, a + moral improvement was taking place in him. He was touched by the + lively interest displayed by his physician, who never failed to + visit him at nine o'clock every morning. He seemed pleased with + the attention paid him, and ended by placing entire confidence + in M. Desault. Gratitude loosened his tongue; brutality and + insult had failed to extort a murmur, but kind treatment + restored his speech he had no words for anger, but he found them + to express his thanks. M. Desault prolonged his visits as long + as the officers of the municipality would permit. When they + announced the close of the visit, the child, unwilling to beg + them to allow a longer time, held back M. Desault by the skirt + of his coat. Suddenly M. Desault's visits ceased. Several days + passed and nothing was heard of him. The keepers wondered at his + absence, and the poor little invalid was much distressed at it. + The commissary on duty (M. Benoist) suggested that it would be + proper to send to the physician's house to make inquiries as to + the cause of so long an absence. Gomin and Larne had not yet + ventured to follow this advice, when next day M. Benoist was + relieved by M. Bidault, who, hearing M. Desault's name mentioned + as he came in, immediately said, "You must not expect to see him + any more; he died yesterday." + </p> + <p> + M. Pelletan, head surgeon of the Grand Hospice de l'Humanite, + was next directed to attend the prisoner, and in June he found + him in so alarming a state that he at once asked for a + coadjutor, fearing to undertake the responsibility alone. The + physician—sent for form's sake to attend the dying child, + as an advocate is given by law to a criminal condemned + beforehand—blamed the officers of the municipality for not + having removed the blind, which obstructed the light, and the + numerous bolts, the noise of which never failed to remind the + victim of his captivity. That sound, which always caused him an + involuntary shudder, disturbed him in the last mournful scene of + his unparalleled tortures. M. Pelletan said authoritatively to + the municipal on duty, "If you will not take these bolts and + casings away at once, at least you can make no objection to our + carrying the child into another room, for I suppose we are sent + here to take charge of him." The Prince, being disturbed by + these words, spoken as they were with great animation, made a + sign to the physician to come nearer. "Speak lower, I beg of + you," said he; "I am afraid they will hear you up-stairs, and I + should be very sorry for them to know that I am ill, as it would + give them much uneasiness." + </p> + <p> + At first the change to a cheerful and airy room revived the + Prince and gave him evident pleasure, but the improvement did + not last. Next day M. Pelletan learned that the Government had + acceded to his request for a colleague. M. Dumangin, head + physician of the Hospice de l'Unite, made his appearance at his + house on the morning of Sunday, 7th June, with the official + despatch sent him by the committee of public safety. They + repaired together immediately to the Tower. On their arrival + they heard that the child, whose weakness was excessive, had had + a fainting fit, which had occasioned fears to be entertained + that his end was approaching. He had revived a little, however, + when the physicians went up at about nine o'clock. Unable to + contend with increasing exhaustion, they perceived there was no + longer any hope of prolonging an existence worn out by so much + suffering, and that all their art could effect would be to + soften the last stage of this lamentable disease. While standing + by the Prince's bed, Gomin noticed that he was quietly crying, + and asked him. kindly what was the matter. "I am always alone," + he said. "My dear mother remains in the other tower." Night + came,—his last night,—which the regulations of the + prison condemned him to pass once more in solitude, with + suffering, his old companion, only at his side. This time, + however, death, too, stood at his pillow. When Gomin went up to + the child's room on the morning of 8th June, he said, seeing him + calm, motionless, and mute: + </p> + <p> + "I hope you are not in pain just now?" + </p> + <p> + "Oh, yes, I am still in pain, but not nearly so much,—the + music is so beautiful!" + </p> + <p> + Now there was no music to be heard, either in the Tower or + anywhere near. + </p> + <p> + Gomin, astonished, said to him, "From what direction do you hear + this music?" + </p> + <p> + "From above!" + </p> + <p> + "Have you heard it long?" + </p> + <p> + "Since you knelt down. Do you not hear it? Listen! Listen!" And + the child, with a nervous motion, raised his faltering hand, as + he opened his large eyes illuminated by delight. His poor + keeper, unwilling to destroy this last sweet illusion, appeared + to listen also. + </p> + <p> + After a few minutes of attention the child again started, and + cried out, in intense rapture, "Amongst all the voices I have + distinguished that of my mother!" + </p> + <p> + These were almost his last words. At a quarter past two he died, + Lasne only being in the room at the time. Lasne acquainted Gomin + and Damont, the commissary on duty, with the event, and they + repaired to the chamber of death. The poor little royal corpse + was carried from the room into that where he had suffered so + long,—where for two years he had never ceased to suffer. + From this apartment the father had gone to the scaffold, and + thence the son must pass to the burial-ground. The remains were + laid out on the bed, and the doors of the apartment were set + open,—doors which had remained closed ever since the + Revolution had seized on a child, then full of vigour and grace + and life and health! + </p> + <p> + At eight o'clock next morning (9th June) four members of the + committee of general safety came to the Tower to make sure that + the Prince was really dead. When they were admitted to the + death-chamber by Lasne and Damont they affected the greatest + indifference. "The event is not of the least importance," they + repeated, several times over; "the police commissary of the + section will come and receive the declaration of the decease; he + will acknowledge it, and proceed to the interment without any + ceremony; and the committee will give the necessary directions." + As they withdrew, some officers of the Temple guard asked to see + the remains of little Capet. Damont having observed that the + guard would not permit the bier to pass without its being + opened, the deputies decided that the officers and + non-commissioned officers of the guard going off duty, together + with those coming on, should be all invited to assure themselves + of the child's death. All having assembled in the room where the + body lay, he asked them if they recognised it as that of the + ex-Dauphin, son of the last King of France. Those who had seen + the young Prince at the Tuileries, or at the Temple (and most of + them had), bore witness to its being the body of Louis XVII. + When they were come down into the council-room, Darlot drew up + the minutes of this attestation, which was signed by a score of + persons. These minutes were inserted in the journal of the + Temple tower, which was afterwards deposited in the office of + the Minister of the Interior. + </p> + <p> + During this visit the surgeons entrusted with the autopsy + arrived at the outer gate of the Temple. These were Dumangin, + head physician of the Hospice de l'Unite; Pelletan, head surgeon + of the Grand Hospice de l'Humanite; Jeanroy, professor in the + medical schools of Paris; and Laasus, professor of legal + medicine at the Ecole de Sante of Paris. The last two were + selected by Dumangin and Pelletan because of the former + connection of M. Lassus with Mesdames de France, and of M. + Jeanroy with the House of Lorraine, which gave a peculiar weight + to their signatures. Gomin received them in the council-room, + and detained them until the National Guard, descending from the + second floor, entered to sign the minutes prepared by Darlot. + This done, Lasne, Darlot, and Bouquet went up again with the + surgeons, and introduced them into the apartment of Louis XVII., + whom they at first examined as he lay on his death-bed; but M. + Jeanroy observing that the dim light of this room was but little + favourable to the accomplishment of their mission, the + commissaries prepared a table in the first room, near the + window, on which the corpse was laid, and the surgeons began + their melancholy operation. + </p> + <p> + At seven o'clock the police commissary ordered the body to be + taken up, and that they should proceed to the cemetery. It was + the season of the longest days, and therefore the interment did + not take place in secrecy and at night, as some misinformed + narrators have said or written; it took place in broad daylight, + and attracted a great concourse of people before the gates of + the Temple palace. One of the municipals wished to have the + coffin carried out secretly by the door opening into the chapel + enclosure; but M. Duaser, police commiasary, who was specially + entrusted with the arrangement of the ceremony, opposed this + indecorous measure, and the procession passed out through the + great gate. The crowd that was pressing round was kept back, and + compelled to keep a line, by a tricoloured ribbon, held at short + distances by gendarmes. Compassion and sorrow were impressed on + every countenance. + </p> + <p> + A small detachment of the troops of the line from the garrison + of Paris, sent by the authorities, was waiting to serve as an + escort. The bier, still covered with the pall, was carried on a + litter on the shoulders of four men, who relieved each other two + at a time; it was preceded by six or eight men, headed by a + sergeant. The procession was accompanied a long way by the + crowd, and a great number of persona followed it even to the + cemetery. The name of "Little Capet," and the more popular title + of Dauphin, spread from lip to lip, with exclamations of pity + and compassion. The funeral entered the cemetery of Ste. + Marguerite, not by the church, as some accounts assert, but by + the old gate of the cemetery. The interment was made in the + corner, on the left, at a distance of eight or nine feet from + the enclosure wall, and at an equal distance from a small house, + which subsequently served as a school. The grave was filled up,—no + mound marked its place, and not even a trace remained of the + interment! Not till then did the commissaries of police and the + municipality withdraw, and enter the house opposite the church + to draw up the declaration of interment. It was nearly nine + o'clock, and still daylight. + </p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + <h3> + Release of Madame Royale.—Her Marriage to the Duc + d'Angouleme. <br />—Return to France.—Death. + </h3> + <br /><br /> + <p> + The last person to hear of the sad events in the Temple was the + one for whom they had the deepest and most painful interest. + After her brother's death the captivity of Madame Royale was + much lightened. She was allowed to walk in the Temple gardens, + and to receive visits from some ladies of the old Court, and + from Madame de Chantereine, who at last, after several times + evading her questions, ventured cautiously to tell her of the + deaths of her mother, aunt, and brother. Madame Royale wept + bitterly, but had much difficulty in expressing her feelings. + "She spoke so confusedly," says Madame de la Ramiere in a letter + to Madame de Verneuil, "that it was difficult to understand her. + It took her more than a month's reading aloud, with careful + study of pronunciation, to make herself intelligible,—so + much had she lost the power of expression." She was dressed with + plainness amounting to poverty, and her hands were disfigured by + exposure to cold and by the menial work she had been so long + accustomed to do for herself, and which it was difficult to + persuade her to leave off. When urged to accept the services of + an attendant, she replied, with a sad prevision of the + vicissitudes of her future life, that she did not like to form a + habit which she might have again to abandon. She suffered + herself, however, to be persuaded gradually to modify her + recluse and ascetic habits. It was well she did so, as a + preparation for the great changes about to follow. + </p> + <p> + Nine days after the death of her brother, the city of Orleans + interceded for the daughter of Louis XVI., and sent deputies to + the Convention to pray for her deliverance and restoration to + her family. Names followed this example; and Charette, on the + part of the Vendeans, demanded, as a condition of the + pacification of La Vendee, that the Princess should be allowed + to join her relations. At length the Convention decreed that + Madame Royale should be exchanged with Austria for the + representatives and ministers whom Dumouriez had given up to the + Prince of Cobourg,—Drouet, Semonville, Maret, and other + prisoners of importance. At midnight on 19th December, 1795, + which was her birthday, the Princess was released from prison, + the Minister of the Interior, M. Benezech, to avoid attracting + public attention and possible disturbance, conducting her on + foot from the Temple to a neighbouring street, where his + carriage awaited her. She made it her particular request that + Gomin, who had been so devoted to her brother, should be the + commissary appointed to accompany her to the frontier; Madame de + Soucy, formerly under-governess to the children of France, was + also in attendance; and the Princess took with her a dog named + Coco, which had belonged to Louis XVI. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [The mention of the little dog taken from the Temple by Madame + Royale reminds me how fond all the family were of these + creatures. Each Princess kept a different kind. Mesdames had + beautiful spaniels; little grayhounds were preferred by Madame + Elisabeth. Louis XVI. was the only one of all his family who + had no dogs in his room. I remember one day waiting in the + great gallery for the King's retiring, when he entered with + all his family and the whole pack, who were escorting him. All + at once all the dogs began to bark, one louder than another, + and ran away, passing like ghosts along those great dark + rooms, which rang with their hoarse cries. The Princesses + shouting, calling them, running everywhere after them, + completed a ridiculous spectacle, which made those august + persons very merry.—D'HEZECQUES, p. 49.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + She was frequently recognised on her way through France, and + always with marks of pleasure and respect. + </p> + <p> + It might have been supposed that the Princess would rejoice to + leave behind her the country which had been the scene of so many + horrors and such bitter suffering. But it was her birthplace, + and it held the graves of all she loved; and as she crossed the + frontier she said to those around her, "I leave France with + regret, for I shall never cease to consider it my country." She + arrived in Vienna on 9th January, 1796, and her first care was + to attend a memorial service for her murdered relatives. After + many weeks of close retirement she occasionally began to appear + in public, and people looked with interest at the pale, grave, + slender girl of seventeen, dressed in the deepest mourning, over + whose young head such terrible storms had swept. The Emperor + wished her to marry the Archduke Charles of Austria, but her + father and mother had, even in the cradle, destined her hand for + her cousin, the Duc d'Angouleme, son of the Comte d'Artois, and + the memory of their lightest wish was law to her. + </p> + <p> + Her quiet determination entailed anger and opposition amounting + to persecution. Every effort was made to alienate her from her + French relations. She was urged to claim Provence, which had + become her own if Louis XVIII. was to be considered King of + France. A pressure of opinion was brought to bear upon her which + might well have overawed so young a girl. "I was sent for to the + Emperor's cabinet," she writes, "where I found the imperial + family assembled. The ministers and chief imperial counsellors + were also present . . . . When the Emperor invited me to express + my opinion, I answered that to be able to treat fittingly of + such interests I thought, I ought to be surrounded not only by + my mother's relatives, but also by those of my father . . . . + Besides, I said, I was above all things French, and in entire + subjection to the laws of France, which had rendered me + alternately the subject of the King my father, the King my + brother, and the King my uncle, and that I would yield obedience + to the latter, whatever might be his commands. This declaration + appeared very much to dissatisfy all who were present, and when + they observed that I was not to be shaken, they declared that my + right being independent of my will, my resistance would not be + the slightest obstacle to the measures they might deem it + necessary to adopt for the preservation of my interests." + </p> + <p> + In their anxiety to make a German princess of Marie Therese, her + imperial relations suppressed her French title as much as + possible. When, with some difficulty, the Duc de Grammont + succeeded in obtaining an audience of her, and used the familiar + form of address, she smiled faintly, and bade him beware. "Call + me Madame de Bretagne, or de Bourgogne, or de Lorraine," she + said, "for here I am so identified with these provinces—[which + the Emperor wished her to claim from her uncle Louis XVIII.]—that + I shall end in believing in my own transformation." After these + discussions she was so closely watched, and so many restraints + were imposed upon her, that she was scarcely less a prisoner + than in the old days of the Temple, though her cage was this + time gilded. Rescue, however, was at hand. + </p> + <p> + In 1798 Louis XVIII. accepted a refuge offered to him at Mittau + by the Czar Paul, who had promised that he would grant his + guest's first request, whatever it might be. Louis begged the + Czar to use his influence with the Court of Vienna to allow his + niece to join him. "Monsieur, my brother," was Paul's answer, + "Madame Royale shall be restored to you, or I shall cease to be + Paul I." Next morning the Czar despatched a courier to Vienna + with a demand for the Princess, so energetically worded that + refusal must have been followed by war. Accordingly, in May, + 1799, Madame Royale was allowed to leave the capital which she + had found so uncongenial an asylum. + </p> + <p> + In the old ducal castle of Mittau, the capital of Courland, + Louis XVIII. and his wife, with their nephews, the Ducs + d'Angouleme and de Berri, were awaiting her, attended by the + Abbe Edgeworth, as chief ecclesiastic, and a little Court of + refugee nobles and officers. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [The Duc d'Angonleme was quiet and reserved. He loved hunting + as means of killing time; was given to early hours and + innocent pleasures. He was a gentleman, and brave as became + one. He had not the "gentlemanly vices" of his brother, and + was all the better for it. He was ill educated, but had + natural good sense, and would have passed for having more than + that had he cared to put forth pretensions. Of all his family + he was the one most ill spoken of, and least deserving of it.—DOCTOR + DORAN.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + With them were two men of humbler position, who must have been + even more welcome to Madame Royale,—De Malden, who had + acted as courier to Louis XVI. during the flight to Varennes, + and Turgi, who had waited on the Princesses in the Temple. It + was a sad meeting, though so long anxiously desired, and it was + followed on 10th June, 1799, by an equally sad wedding,—exiles, + pensioners on the bounty of the Russian monarch, fulfilling an + engagement founded, not on personal preference, but on family + policy and reverence for the wishes of the dead, the bride and + bridegroom had small cause for rejoicing. During the eighteen + months of tranquil seclusion which followed her marriage, the + favourite occupation of the Duchess was visiting and relieving + the poor. In January, 1801, the Czar Paul, in compliance with + the demand of Napoleon, who was just then the object of his + capricious enthusiasm, ordered the French royal family to leave + Mittau. Their wanderings commenced on the 21st, a day of bitter + memories; and the young Duchess led the King to his carriage + through a crowd of men, women, and children, whose tears and + blessings attended them on their way. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [The Queen was too ill to travel. The Duc d'Angouleme took + another route to join a body of French gentlemen in arms for + the Legitimist cause.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + The exiles asked permission from the King of Prussia to settle + in his dominions, and while awaiting his answer at Munich they + were painfully surprised by the entrance of five old soldiers of + noble birth, part of the body-guard they had left behind at + Mittau, relying on the protection of Paul. The "mad Czar" had + decreed their immediate expulsion, and, penniless and almost + starving, they made their way to Louis XVIII. All the money the + royal family possessed was bestowed on these faithful servants, + who came to them in detachments for relief, and then the Duchess + offered her diamonds to the Danish consul for an advance of two + thousand ducats, saying she pledged her property "that in our + common distress it may be rendered of real use to my uncle, his + faithful servants, and myself." The Duchess's consistent and + unselfish kindness procured her from the King, and those about + him who knew her best, the name of "our angel." + </p> + <p> + Warsaw was for a brief time the resting-place of the wanderers, + but there they were disturbed in 1803 by Napoleon's attempt to + threaten and bribe Louis XVIII. into abdication. It was + suggested that refusal might bring upon them expulsion from + Prussia. "We are accustomed to suffering," was the King's + answer, "and we do not dread poverty. I would, trusting in God, + seek another asylum." In 1808, after many changes of scene, this + asylum was sought in England, Gosfield Hall, Essex, being placed + at their disposal by the Marquis of Buckingham. From Gosfield, + the King moved to Hartwell Hall, a fine old Elizabethan mansion + rented from Sir George Lee for L 500 a year. A yearly grant of L + 24,000 was made to the exiled family by the British Government, + out of which a hundred and forty persons were supported, the + royal dinner-party generally numbering two dozen. + </p> + <p> + At Hartwell, as in her other homes, the Duchess was most popular + amongst the poor. In general society she was cold and reserved, + and she disliked the notice of strangers. In March, 1814, the + royalist successes at Bordeaux paved the way for the restoration + of royalty in France, and amidst general sympathy and + congratulation, with the Prince Regent himself to wish them good + fortune, the King, the Duchess, and their suite left Hartwell in + April, 1814. The return to France was as triumphant as a + somewhat half-hearted and doubtful enthusiasm could make it, and + most of such cordiality as there was fell to the share of the + Duchess. As she passed to Notre-Dame in May, 1814, on entering + Paris, she was vociferously greeted. The feeling of loyalty, + however, was not much longer-lived than the applause by which it + was expressed; the Duchess had scarcely effected one of the + strongest wishes of her heart,—the identification of what + remained of her parents' bodies, and the magnificent ceremony + with which they were removed from the cemetery of the Madeleine + to the Abbey of St. Denis,—when the escape of Napoleon + from Elba in February,1815, scattered the royal family and their + followers like chaff before the wind. The Duc d'Angouleme, + compelled to capitulate at Toulouse, sailed from Cette in a + Swedish vessel. The Comte d'Artois, the Duc de Berri, and the + Prince de Conde withdrew beyond the frontier. The King fled from + the capital. The Duchesse d'Angouleme, then at Bordeaux + celebrating the anniversary of the Proclamation of Louis XVIII., + alone of all her family made any stand against the general + panic. Day after day she mounted her horse and reviewed the + National Guard. She made personal and even passionate appeals to + the officers and men, standing firm, and prevailing on a handful + of soldiers to remain by her, even when the imperialist troops + were on the other side of the river and their cannon were + directed against the square where the Duchess was reviewing her + scanty followers. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + ["It was the Duchesse d'Angouleme who saved you," said the + gallant General Clauzel, after these events, to a royalist + volunteer; "I could not bring myself to order such a woman to + be fired upon, at the moment when she was providing material + for the noblest page in her history."—"Fillia Dolorosa," + vol. vii., p. 131.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + With pain and difficulty she was convinced that resistance was + vain; Napoleon's banner soon floated over Bordeaux; the Duchess + issued a farewell proclamation to her "brave Bordelais," and on + the 1st April, 1815, she started for Pouillac, whence she + embarked for Spain. During a brief visit to England she heard + that the reign of a hundred days was over, and the 27th of July, + 1815, saw her second triumphal return to the Tuileries. She did + not take up her abode there with any wish for State ceremonies + or Court gaieties. Her life was as secluded as her position + would allow. Her favourite retreat was the Pavilion, which had + been inhabited by her mother, and in her little oratory she + collected relics of her family, over which on the anniversaries + of their deaths she wept and prayed. In her daily drives through + Paris she scrupulously avoided the spot on which they had + suffered; and the memory of the past seemed to rule all her sad + and self-denying life, both in what she did and what she + refrained from doing. + </p> + <blockquote> + <p> + [She was so methodical and economical, though liberal in her + charities, that one of her regular evening occupations was to + tear off the seals from the letters she had received during + the day, in order that the wax might be melted down and sold; + the produce made one poor family "passing rich with forty + pounds a year."—See "Filia Dolorosa," vol. ii., p. 239.] + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + Her somewhat austere goodness was not of a nature to make her + popular. The few who really understood her loved her, but the + majority of her pleasure-seeking subjects regarded her either + with ridicule or dread. She is said to have taken no part in + politics, and to have exerted no influence in public affairs, + but her sympathies were well known, and "the very word liberty + made her shudder;" like Madame Roland, she had seen "so many + crimes perpetrated under that name." + </p> + <p> + The claims of three pretended Dauphins—Hervagault, the son + of the tailor of St. Lo; Bruneau, son of the shoemaker of + Vergin; and Naundorf or Norndorff, the watchmaker somewhat + troubled her peace, but never for a moment obtained her + sanction. Of the many other pseudo-Dauphins (said to number a + dozen and a half) not even the names remain. In February,1820, a + fresh tragedy befell the royal family in the assassination of + the Duc de Berri, brother-in-law of the Duchesse d'Angouleme, as + he was seeing his wife into her carriage at the door of the + Opera-house. He was carried into the theatre, and there the + dying Prince and his wife were joined by the Duchess, who + remained till he breathed his last, and was present when he, + too, was laid in the Abbey of St. Denis. She was present also + when his son, the Duc de Bordeaux, was born, and hoped that she + saw in him a guarantee for the stability of royalty in France. + In September, 1824, she stood by the death-bed of Louis XVIII., + and thenceforward her chief occupation was directing the + education of the little Duc de Bordeaux, who generally resided + with her at Villeneuve l'Etang, her country house near St. + Cloud. Thence she went in July, 1830, to the Baths of Vichy, + stopping at Dijon on her way to Paris, and visiting the theatre + on the evening of the 27th. She was received with "a roar of + execrations and seditious cries," and knew only too well what + they signified. She instantly left the theatre and proceeded to + Tonnere, where she received news of the rising in Paris, and, + quitting the town by night, was driven to Joigny with three + attendants. Soon after leaving that place it was thought more + prudent that the party should separate and proceed on foot, and + the Duchess and M. de Foucigny, disguised as peasants, entered + Versailles arm-in-arm, to obtain tidings of the King. The + Duchess found him at Rambouillet with her husband, the Dauphin, + and the King met her with a request for "pardon," being fully + conscious, too late, that his unwise decrees and his headlong + flight had destroyed the last hopes of his family. The act of + abdication followed, by which the prospect of royalty passed + from the Dauphin and his wife, as well as from Charles X.—Henri + V. being proclaimed King, and the Duc d'Orleans (who refused to + take the boy monarch under his personal protection) + lieutenant-general of the kingdom. + </p> + <p> + Then began the Duchess's third expatriation. At Cherbourg the + royal family, accompanied by the little King without a kingdom, + embarked in the 'Great Britain', which stood out to sea. The + Duchess, remaining on deck for a last look at the coast of + France, noticed a brig which kept, she thought, suspiciously + near them. + </p> + <p> + "Who commands that vessel?" she inquired. + </p> + <p> + "Captain Thibault." + </p> + <p> + And what are his orders?" + </p> + <p> + "To fire into and sink the vessels in which we sail, should any + attempt be made to return to France." + </p> + <p> + Such was the farewell of their subjects to the House of Bourbon. + The fugitives landed at Weymouth; the Duchesse d'Angouleme under + the title of Comtesse de Marne, the Duchesse de Berri as + Comtesse de Rosny, and her son, Henri de Bordeaux, as Comte de + Chambord, the title he retained till his death, originally taken + from the estate presented to him in infancy by his enthusiastic + people. Holyrood, with its royal and gloomy associations, was + their appointed dwelling. The Duc and Duchesse d'Angouleme, and + the daughter of the Duc de Berri, travelled thither by land, the + King and the young Comte de Chambord by sea. "I prefer my route + to that of my sister," observed the latter, "because I shall see + the coast of France again, and she will not." + </p> + <p> + The French Government soon complained that at Holyrood the + exiles were still too near their native land, and accordingly, + in 1832, Charles X., with his son and grandson, left Scotland + for Hamburg, while the Duchesse d'Angouleme and her niece + repaired to Vienna. The family were reunited at Prague in 1833, + where the birthday of the Comte de Chambord was celebrated with + some pomp and rejoicing, many Legitimists flocking thither to + congratulate him on attaining the age of thirteen, which the old + law of monarchical France had fixed as the majority of her + princes. Three years later the wanderings of the unfortunate + family recommenced; the Emperor Francis II. was dead, and his + successor, Ferdinand, must visit Prague to be crowned, and + Charles X. feared that the presence of a discrowned monarch + might be embarrassing on such an occasion. Illness and sorrow + attended the exiles on their new journey, and a few months after + they were established in the Chateau of Graffenburg at Goritz, + Charles X. died of cholera, in his eightieth year. At Goritz, + also, on the 31st May, 1844, the Duchesse d'Angouleme, who had + sat beside so many death-beds, watched over that of her husband. + Theirs had not been a marriage of affection in youth, but they + respected each other's virtues, and to a great extent shared + each other's tastes; banishment and suffering had united them + very closely, and of late years they had been almost + inseparable,—walking, riding, and reading together. When + the Duchesse d'Angouleme had seen her husband laid by his + father's side in the vault of the Franciscan convent, she, + accompanied by her nephew and niece, removed to Frohsdorf, where + they spent seven tranquil years. Here she was addressed as + "Queen" by her household for the first time in her life, but she + herself always recognised Henri, Comte de Chambord, as her + sovereign. The Duchess lived to see the overthrow of Louis + Philippe, the usurper of the inheritance of her family. Her last + attempt to exert herself was a characteristic one. She tried to + rise from a sick-bed in order to attend the memorial service + held for her mother, Marie Antoinette, on the 16th October, the + anniversary of her execution. But her strength was not equal to + the task; on the 19th she expired, with her hand in that of the + Comte de Chambord, and on 28th October, 1851, Marie Therese + Charlotte, Duchesse d'Angouleme, was buried in the Franciscan + convent. + </p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + <h3> + The Ceremony of Expiation. + </h3> + <br /><br /> + <p> + "In the spring of 1814 a ceremony took place in Paris at which I + was present because there was nothing in it that could be + mortifying to a French heart. The death of Louis XVI. had long + been admitted to be one of the most serious misfortunes of the + Revolution. The Emperor Napoleon never spoke of that sovereign + but in terms of the highest respect, and always prefixed the + epithet unfortunate to his name. The ceremony to which I allude + was proposed by the Emperor of Russia and the King of Prussia. + It consisted of a kind of expiation and purification of the spot + on which Louis XVI. and his Queen were beheaded. I went to see + the ceremony, and I had a place at a window in the Hotel of + Madame de Remusat, next to the Hotel de Crillon, and what was + termed the Hotel de Courlande. + </p> + <p> + "The expiation took place on the 10th of April. The weather was + extremely fine and warm for the season. The Emperor of Russia + and King of Prussia, accompanied by Prince Schwartzenberg, took + their station at the entrance of the Rue Royale; the King of + Prussia being on the right of the Emperor Alexander, and Prince + Schwartzenberg on his left. There was a long parade, during + which the Russian, Prussian and Austrian military bands vied + with each other in playing the air, 'Vive Henri IV.!' The + cavalry defiled past, and then withdrew into the Champs Elysees; + but the infantry ranged themselves round an altar which was + raised in the middle of the Place, and which was elevated on a + platform having twelve or fifteen steps. The Emperor of Russia + alighted from his horse, and, followed by the King of Prussia, + the Grand Duke Constantine, Lord Cathcart, and Prince + Schwartzenberg, advanced to the altar. When the Emperor had + nearly reached the altar the "Te Deum" commenced. At the moment + of the benediction, the sovereigns and persons who accompanied + them, as well as the twenty-five thousand troops who covered the + Place, all knelt down. The Greek priest presented the cross to + the Emperor Alexander, who kissed it; his example was followed + by the individuals who accompanied him, though they were not of + the Greek faith. On rising, the Grand Duke Constantine took off + his hat, and immediately salvoes of artillery were heard." + </p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + <h3> + NOTE. + </h3> + <br /> + <p> + The following titles have the signification given below during + the period covered by this work: + </p> + <p> + MONSEIGNEUR........... The Dauphin. + </p> + <p> + MONSIEUR.............. The eldest brother of the King, Comte de + Provence, afterwards Louis XVIII. + </p> + <p> + MONSIEUR LE PRINCE.... The Prince de Conde, head of the House of + Conde. + </p> + <p> + MONSIEUR LE DUC....... The Duc de Bourbon, the eldest son of the + Prince de Condo (and the father of the Duc d'Enghien shot by + Napoleon). + </p> + <p> + MONSIEUR LE GRAND..... The Grand Equerry under the ancien + regime. + </p> + <p> + MONSIEUR LE PREMIER... The First Equerry under the ancien + regime. + </p> + <p> + ENFANS DE FRANCE...... The royal children. + </p> + <p> + MADAME & MESDAMES..... Sisters or daughters of the King, or + Princesses near the Throne (sometimes used also for the wife of + Monsieur, the eldest brother of the King, the Princesses + Adelaide, Victoire, Sophie, Louise, daughters of Louis XV., and + aunts of Louis XVI.) + </p> + <p> + MADAME ELISABETH...... The Princesse Elisabeth, sister of Louis + XVI. + </p> + <p> + MADAME ROYALE......... The Princesse Marie Therese, daughter of + Louis XVI., afterwards Duchesse d'Angouleme. + </p> + <p> + MADEMOISELLE.......... The daughter of Monsieur, the brother of + the King. + </p> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> + <h3> + THE ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS: + </h3> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + +A man born solely to contradict +Advised the King not to separate himself from his army +Ah, Madame, we have all been killed in our masters' service! +Alas! her griefs double mine! +Allowed her candles and as much firewood as she wanted +Better to die than to implicate anybody +Brought me her daughter Hortense de Beauharnais +Carried the idea of the prerogative of rank to a high pitch +Common and blamable practice of indulgence +Condescension which renders approbation more offensive +Customs are nearly equal to laws +Difference between brilliant theories and the simplest practice +Dignified tone which alone secures the respect due to power +Displaying her acquirements with rather too much confidence +Duc d'Orleans, when called on to give his vote for death of King +Elegant entertainments were given to Doctor Franklin +Etiquette still existed at Court, dignity alone was wanting +Extreme simplicity was the Queens first and only real mistake +Fashion of wearing a black coat without being in mourning +Favourite of a queen is not, in France, a happy one +Formed rather to endure calamity with patience than to contend +Grand-Dieu, mamma! will it be yesterday over again? +Happiness does not dwell in palaces +He is afraid to command +His ruin was resolved on; they passed to the order of the day +His seraglio in the Parc-aux-Cerfs +History of the man with the iron mask +How can I have any regret when I partake your misfortunes +I hate all that savours of fanaticism +I do not like these rhapsodies +I love the conveniences of life too well +If ever I establish a republic of women.... +Indulge in the pleasure of vice and assume the credit of virtue +King (gave) the fatal order to the Swiss to cease firing +La Fayette to rescue the royal family and convey them to Rouen +Leave me in peace; be assured that I can put no heir in danger +Louis Philippe, the usurper of the inheritance of her family +Mirabeau forgot that it was more easy to do harm than good +Most intriguing little Carmelite in the kingdom +My father fortunately found a library which amused him +Never shall a drop of French blood be shed by my order +No one is more dangerous than a man clothed with recent authority +No accounting for the caprices of a woman +No ears that will discover when she (The Princess) is out of tune +None but little minds dreaded little books +Observe the least pretension on account of the rank or fortune +Of course I shall be either hissed or applauded. +On domestic management depends the preservation of their fortune +Prevent disorder from organising itself +Princes thus accustomed to be treated as divinities +Princess at 12 years was not mistress of the whole alphabet +Rabble, always ready to insult genius, virtue, and misfortune +Saw no other advantage in it than that of saving her own life +She often carried her economy to a degree of parsimony +Shocking to find so little a man in the son of the Marechal +Shun all kinds of confidence +Simplicity of the Queen's toilet began to be strongly censured +So many crimes perpetrated under that name (liberty) +Spirit of party can degrade the character of a nation +Subjecting the vanquished to be tried by the conquerors +Taken pains only to render himself beloved by his pupil +Tastes may change +That air of truth which always carries conviction +The author (Beaumarchais) was sent to prison soon afterwards +The Jesuits were suppressed +The three ministers, more ambitious than amorous +The charge of extravagance +The emigrant party have their intrigues and schemes +The King delighted to manage the most disgraceful points +The anti-Austrian party, discontented and vindictive +There is not one real patriot among all this infamous horde +They say you live very poorly here, Moliere +Those muskets were immediately embarked and sold to the Americans +Those who did it should not pretend to wish to remedy it +To be formally mistress, a husband had to be found +True nobility, gentlemen, consists in giving proofs of it +Ventured to give such rash advice: inoculation +Was but one brilliant action that she could perform +We must have obedience, and no reasoning +Well, this is royally ill played! +What do young women stand in need of?—Mothers! +When kings become prisoners they are very near death +While the Queen was blamed, she was blindly imitated +Whispered in his mother's ear, "Was that right?" +"Would be a pity," she said, "to stop when so fairly on the road" +Young Prince suffered from the rickets +Your swords have rusted in their scabbards + +</pre> + <br /> <br /> + <hr /> + <br /><br /> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Memoirs Of The Court Of Marie +Antoinette, Queen Of France, Complete, by Madame Campan + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MEMOIRS MADAM CAMPAN *** + +***** This file should be named 3891-h.htm or 3891-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.net/3/8/9/3891/ + +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. 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