the memoirs of marie antoinette-第43节

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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。

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。

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。〃

　　　　　＇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。＇

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。

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。〃

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。

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　con