memoirs of the comtesse du barry-第3节

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g　it。　　The　duc　de　Choiseul　protested；　France　protested；　but　all　Versailles　threw　itself　passionately　at　the　feet　of　the　new　countess。　Even　the　daughters　of　the　King　paid　her　court；　and　allowed　her　to　call　them　by　their　pet　names：　Loque；　Chiffe；　and　Graille。　　The　King；　jealous　of　this　gracious　familiarity；　wished　her　to　call　him　by　some　pet　name；　and　so　the　Bacchante；　who　believed　that　through　the　King　she　held　all　France　in　her　hand；　called　him　〃La　France；〃　making　him　a　wife　to　his　Gray　Musketeers。

Oh；　that　happy　time！　　Du　Barry　and　Louis　XV　hid　their　lifelike　the　sagein　their　little　apartments。　　She　honeyed　his　chocolate；　and　he　himself　made　her　coffee。　　Royalty　consecrated　a　new　verb　for　the　dictionary　of　the　Academy；　and　Madame　du　Barry　said　to　the　King：　〃At　home；　I　can　love　you　to　madness。〃　　The　King　gave　the　castle　of　Lucienne　to　his　mistress　in　order　to　be　able　to　sing　the　same　song。　　Truly　the　Romeo　and　Juliet　。

Du　Barry　threw　out　her　fish…wifely　epithets　with　ineffable　tenderness。　She　only　opened　her　eyes　half　way；　even　when　she　took　him　by　the　throat。　　The　King　was　enchanted　by　these　humors。　　It　was　a　new　world。　　But　someone　said　to　him：　〃Ah；　Sire；　it　is　easy　to　see　that　your　Majesty　has　never　been　at　the　house　of　Gourdan。〃

Yet　Du　Barry　was　adored　by　poets　and　artists。　　She　extended　both　hands　to　them。　　Jeanne's　beauty　had　a　penetrating；　singular　charm。　At　once　she　was　blonde　and　brunetteblack　eyebrows　and　lashes　with　blue　eyes；　rebellious　light　hair　with　darker　shadows；　cheeks　of　ideal　contour；　whose　pale　rose　tints　were　often　heightened　by　two　or　three　touchesa　lie　〃formed　by　the　hand　of　Love；〃　as　anthology　puts　ita　nose　with　expressive　nostrils；　an　air　of　childlike　candour；　and　a　look　seductive　to　intoxication。　　A　bold　yet　shrinking　Venus；　a　Hebe　yet　a　Bacchante。　　With　much　grace　Voltaire　says：

〃Madame：

〃M。　de　la　Borde　tells　me　that　you　have　ordered　him　to　kiss　me　on　both　cheeks　for　you：

〃What！　　Two　kisses　at　life's　end　What　a　passport　to　send　me！　Two　is　one　too　much；　Adorable　Nymph；　I　should　die　of　pleasure　at　the　first。

〃He　showed　me　your　portrait；　and　be　not　offended；　Madame；　when　I　tell　you　that　I　have　taken　the　liberty　of　giving　that　the　two　kisses。〃

Perhaps　Voltaire　would　not　have　written　this　letter；　had　he　not　read　the　one　written　by　the　King　to　the　Duc　de　Choiseul；　who　refused　to　pay　court　to　the　left…hand　queen：

〃My　Cousin；

〃The　discontent　which　your　acts　cause　me　forces　me　to　exile　you　to　Chanteloup；　where　you　will　take　yourself　within　twenty…four　hours。　　I　would　have　sent　you　farther　away　were　it　not　for　the　particular　esteem　in　which　I　hold　Madame　de　Choiseul。　　With　this；　I　pray　God；　my　cousin；　to　take　you　into　His　safe　and　holy　protection。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Louis。〃

This　exile　was　the　only　crime　of　the　courtesan。　　On　none　of　her　enemies　did　she　close　the　gates　of　the　Bastille。　　And　more　than　once　did　she　place　a　pen　in　the　hands　of　Louis　XV　with　which　to　sign　a　pardon。　　Sometimes；　indeed；　she　was　ironic　in　her　compassion。

〃Madame；〃　said　M。　de　Sartines　to　her　one　day；　〃I　have　discovered　a　rogue　who　is　scattering　songs　about　you；　what　is　to　be　done　with　him？〃

〃Sentence　him　to　sing　them　for　a　livelihood。〃


But　she　afterwards　made　the　mistake　of　pensioning　Chevalier　de　Morande　to　buy　silence。

The　pleasures　of　the　King　and　his　favorite　were　troubled　only　by　the　fortune…tellers。　　Neither　the　King　nor　the　countess　believed　in　the　predictions　of　the　philosophers；　but　they　did　believe　in　divination。　　One　day；　returning　from　Choisy；　Louis　XV　found　under　a　cushion　of　his　coach　a　slip　of　paper　on　which　was　transcribed　this　prediction　of　the　monk　Aimonius；　the　savant　who　could　read　all　things　from　the　vast　book　of　the　stars：

〃As　soon　as　Childeric　had　returned　from　Thuringia；　he　was　crowned　King　of　France　And　no　sooner　was　he　King　than　he　espoused　Basine；　wife　of　the　King　of　Thuringia。　She　came　herself　to　find　Childeric。　　The　first　night　of　the　marriage；　and　before　the　King　had　retired；　the　queen　begged　Childeric　to　look　from　one　of　the　palace　windows　which　opened　on　a　park；　and　tell　what　he　saw　there。　　Childeric　looked　out　and；　much　terrified；　reported　to　the　princess　that　he　had　seen　tigers　and　lions。　Basine　sent　him　a　second　time　to　look　out。　This　time　the　prince　only　saw　bears　and　wolves；　and　the　third　time　he　perceived　only　cats　and　dogs；　fighting　and　combating　each　other。　　Then　Basine　said　to　him：　I　will　give　you　an　explanation　of　what　you　have　seen：　The　first　figure　shows　you　your　successors；　who　will　excel　you　in　courage　and　power；　the　second　represents　another　race　which　will　be　illustrious　for　their　conquests；　and　which　will　augment　your　kingdom　for　many　centuries；　but　the　third　denotes　the　end　of　your　kingdom；　which　will　be　given　over　to　pleasures　and　will　lose　to　you　the　friendship　of　your　subjects；　and　this　because　the　little　animals　signify　a　people　who；　emancipated　from　fear　of　princes；　will　massacre　them　and　make　war　upon　each　other。〃

Louis　read　the　prediction　and　passed　the　paper　to　the　Countess：　〃After　us　the　end　of　the　world；〃　said　she　gaily。　　The　King　laughed；　but　the　abbe　de　Beauvais　celebrated　high　mass　at　Versailles　after　the　carnival　of　1774；　and　dared　to　say；　in　righteous　anger：　〃This　carnival　is　the　last；　yet　forty　days　and　Nineveh　shall　perish。〃　Louis　turned　pale。　　〃Is　it　God　who　speaks　thus？〃　　murmured　he；　raising　his　eyes　to　the　altar。　　The　next　day　he　went　to　the　hunt　in　grand　style；　but　from　that　evening　he　was　afraid　of　solitude　and　silence：　〃It　is　like　the　tomb；　I　do　not　wish　to　put　myself　in　such　a　place；〃　said　he　to　Madame　du　Barry。　　The　duc　de　Richelieu　tried　to　divert　him。　　〃No；〃　said　he　suddenly；　as　if　the　Trappist's　denunciation　had　again　recurred　to　him；　〃I　shall　be　at　ease　only　when　these　forty　days　have　passed。〃　　He　died　on　the　fortieth　day。

Du　Barry　believed　neither　in　God　nor　in　the　devil；　but　she　believed　in　the　almanac　of　Liege。　　She　scarcely　read　any　book　but　this　faithful　to　her　earliest　habits。　　And　the　almanac　of　Liege；　in　its　prediction　for　April；　1774；　said：　〃A　woman；　the　greatest　of　favorites；　will　play　her　last　role。〃　　So　Madame　the　Countess　du　Barry　said　without　ceasing：　〃I　shall　not　be　tranquil　until　these　forty　days　have　passed。〃　　The　thirty…seventh　day　the　King　went　to　the　hunt　attended　with　all　the　respect　due　to　his　rank。　　Jeanne　wept　in　silence　and　prayed　to　God　as　one　who　has　long　neglected　her　prayers。

Louis　XV　had　not　neglected　his　prayers；　and　gave　two　hundred　thousand　livres　to　the　poor；　besides　ordering　masses　at　St。　Genevieve。　　Parliament　opened　the　shrine；　and　knelt　gravely　before　that　miraculous　relic。　　The　least　serious　of　all　these　good　worshippers　was；　strange　to　say；　the　curate　of　St。　Genevieve：　〃Ah；　well！〃　　said　he　gaily；　when　Louis　was　dead；　〃let　us　continue　to　talk　of　the　miracles　of　St。　Genevieve。　　Of　what　can　you　complain？　　Is　not　the　King　dead？〃

At　the　last　moment　it　was　not　God　who　held　the　heart　of　Louisit　was　his　mistress。　　〃Ask　the　Countess　to　come　here　again；〃　he　said。

〃Sire；　you　know　that　she　has　gone　away；〃　they　answered。

〃Ah！　　has　she　gone？　　Then　I　must　go！〃　　So　he　departed。

His　end　drew　forth　some　maledictions。　　There　were　insults　even　at　his　funeral　services。　　〃Nevertheless；〃　said　one　old　soldier；　〃he　was　at　the　battle　of　Fontenoy。〃　　That　was　the　most　eloquent　funeral　oration　of　Louis　XV。

〃The　King　is　dead；　long　live　the　King！〃　　But　before　the　death　of　Louis　XVI　they　cried：　　〃The　king　is　dead；　long　live　the　Republic！〃

Rose…colored　mourning　was　worn　in　the　good　city　of　Paris。　　The　funeral　oration　of　the　King　and　a　lament　for　his　mistress　were　pronounced　by　Sophie　Arnould；　of　which　masterpiece　of　sacred　eloquence　the　last　words　only　are　preserved：　〃Behold　us　orphaned　both　of　father　and　mother。〃

If　Madame　du　Barry　was　one　of　the　seven　plagues　of　royalty；　she　died　faithful　to　royalty。　　After　her　exile　to　Pont　aux　Dames　she　returned　to　Lucienne；　where　the　duc　de　Cosse　Brissac　consoled　her　for　the　death　of　Louis　XV。　　But　what　she　loved　in　Louis　was　that　he　was　a　king；　her　true　country　was　Versailles；　her　true　light　was　the　sun　of　court　life。　　Like　Montespan；　also　a　courtesan　of　high　order；　she　often　went　in　these　dark　days　to　cast　a　loving　look　upon　the　solitary　park　in　the　maze　of　the　Trianon。　　Yet　she　was　particularly　happy　at　Lucienne。

I　have　compared　her　to　Manon　Lescaut；　and　I　believe　her　to　have　been　also　a　sister　to　Ganesin。　　All　three　were　destroyed　by　passion。

One　day　she　found　herself　still　young　at　Lucienne；　although　her　sun　was　setting。　　She　loved　the　duc　de　Brissac；　and　how　many　pages　of　her　past　romance　would　she　that　day　have　liked　to　erase　and　forget！

〃Why　do　you　weep；　Countess？〃　　asked　her　lover。

〃My　friend；〃　she　responded；　〃I　weep　because　I　love　you；　shall　I　say　it？　　I　weep　because　I　am　happy。〃

She　was　right；　happiness　is　a　festival　that　should　know　no　to…morrow。　　But　on　the　morrow　of　her　happiness；　the　Revolution　knocked　at　the　castle　gate　of　Lucienne。

〃Who　goes　there？〃

〃I　am　justice；　prepare　for　destiny。〃

The　Queen；　the　true　queen；　had　been　good　to　her　as　to　everybody。　Marie　Antoinette　remembered　that　the　favorite　had　not　been　wicked。　The　debts　of　Du　Barry　were　paid　and　money　enough　was　give