the memoirs of marie antoinette-第100节

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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。＇

She　was　frequently　recognised　on　her　way　through　France；　and　always　with　marks　of　pleasure　and　respect。

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。

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。〃

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。

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。

In　the　old　ducal　castle　of　Mittau；　the　capital　of　Courland；　Louis　XVIII。　and　his　wife；　with　their　nephews；　the　Ducs　d'Angouleme

　　　　　＇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。＇

and　de　Berri；　were　awaiting　her；　attended　by　the　Abbe　Edgeworth；　as　chief　ecclesiastic；　and　a　little　Court　of　refugee　nobles　and　officers。　　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。

　　　　　＇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。＇

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。〃

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。

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　Du