the memoirs of marie antoinette-第50节

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ing；　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。

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。

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。

　　　　　＇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。＇

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。

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。

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。

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。

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。〃

　　　　　＇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。〃＇

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。

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。

　　　　　＇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。＇

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。

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。

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　o