the memoirs of marie antoinette-第24节

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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。〃

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。








End　of　The　Memoirs　of　Marie　Antoinette；　V2　by　Madame　Campan






MEMOIRS　OF　THE　COURT　OF　MARIE　ANTOINETTE；　QUEEN　OF　FRANCE

Being　the　Historic　Memoirs　of　Madam　Campan；　First　Lady　in　Waiting　to　the　Queen


BOOK　3。


CHAPTER　VI。

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。

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。

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。

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。

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。

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。

The　King　gave　Marie　Antoinette　Petit　Trianon。

　　　　　＇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。＇

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。

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；　t