the memoirs of marie antoinette-第64节

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　the　closet；　and　never　hung　up。　　The　Queen　told　me　to　have　it　taken　away；　for　she　was　hurt　to　see　how　much　influence　the　philosophers　had　over　her　brother's　mind　and　actions。

Mirabeau　had　not　lost　the　hope　of　becoming　the　last　resource　of　the　oppressed　Court；　and　at　this　time　some　communications　passed　between　the　Queen　and　him。　　The　question　was　about　an　office　to　be　conferred　upon　him。　　This　transpired；　and　it　must　have　been　about　this　period　that　the　Assembly　decreed　that　no　deputy　could　hold　an　office　as　a　minister　of　the　King　until　the　expiration　of　two　years　after　the　cessation　of　his　legislative　functions。　　I　know　that　the　Queen　was　much　hurt　at　this　decision；　and　considered　that　the　Court　had　lost　a　promising　opening。

The　palace　of　the　Tuileries　was　a　very　disagreeable　residence　during　the　summer；　which　made　the　Queen　wish　to　go　to　St。　Cloud。　　The　removal　was　decided　on　without　any　opposition；　the　National　Guard　of　Paris　followed　the　Court　thither。　　At　this　period　new　opportunities　of　escape　were　presented；　nothing　would　have　been　more　easy　than　to　execute　them。　　The　King　had　obtained　leave　（！）　to　go　out　without　guards；　and　to　be　accompanied　only　by　an　aide…de…camp　of　M。　de　La　Fayette。　　The　Queen　also　had　one　on　duty　with　her；　and　so　had　the　Dauphin。　　The　King　and　Queen　often　went　out　at　four　in　the　afternoon；　and　did　not　return　until　eight　or　nine。

I　will　relate　one　of　the　plans　of　emigration　which　the　Queen　communicated　to　me；　the　success　of　which　seemed　infallible。　　The　royal　family　were　to　meet　in　a　wood　four　leagues　from　St。　Cloud；　some　persons　who　could　be　fully　relied　on　were　to　accompany　the　King；　who　was　always　followed　by　his　equerries　and　pages；　the　Queen　was　to　join　him　with　her　daughter　and　Madame　Elisabeth。　　These　Princesses；　as　well　as　the　Queen；　had　equerries　and　pages；　of　whose　fidelity　no　doubt　could　be　entertained。　　The　Dauphin　likewise　was　to　be　at　the　place　of　rendezvous　with　Madame　de　Tourzel；　a　large　berlin　and　a　chaise　for　the　attendants　were　sufficient　for　the　whole　family；　the　aides…de…camp　were　to　have　been　gained　over　or　mastered。　　The　King　was　to　leave　a　letter　for　the　President　of　the　National　Assembly　on　his　bureau　at　St。　Cloud。　　The　people　in　the　service　of　the　King　and　Queen　would　have　waited　until　nine　in　the　evening　without　anxiety；　because　the　family　sometimes　did　not　return　until　that　hour。　The　letter　could　not　be　forwarded　to　Paris　until　ten　o'clock　at　the　earliest。　　The　Assembly　would　not　then　be　sitting；　the　President　must　have　been　sought　for　at　his　own　house　or　elsewhere；　it　would　have　been　midnight　before　the　Assembly　could　have　been　summoned　and　couriers　sent　off　to　have　the　royal　family　stopped；　but　the　latter　would　have　been　six　or　seven　hours　in　advance；　as　they　would　have　started　at　six　leagues'　distance　from　Paris；　and　at　this　period　travelling　was　not　yet　impeded　in　France。

The　Queen　approved　of　this　plan；　but　I　did　not　venture　to　interrogate　her；　and　I　even　thought　if　it　were　put　in　execution　she　would　leave　me　in　ignorance　of　it。　　One　evening　in　the　month　of　June　the　people　of　the　Chateau；　finding　the　King　did　not　return　by　nine　o'clock；　were　walking　about　the　courtyards　in　a　state　of　great　anxiety。　　I　thought　the　family；　was　gone；　and　I　could　scarcely　breathe　amidst　the　confusion　of　my　good　wishes；　when　I　heard　the　sound　of　the　carriages。　　I　confessed　to　the　Queen　that　I　thought　she　had　set　off；　she　told　me　she　must　wait　until　Mesdames　the　King's　aunts　had　quitted　France；　and　afterwards　see　whether　the　plan　agreed　with　those　formed　abroad。




CHAPTER　IV。

There　was　a　meeting　at　Paris　for　the　first　federation　on　the　14th　of　July；　1790；　the　anniversary　of　the　taking　of　the　Bastille。　　What　an　astonishing　assemblage　of　four　hundred　thousand　men；　of　whom　there　were　not　perhaps　two　hundred　who　did　not　believe　that　the　King　found　happiness　and　glory　in　the　order　of　things　then　being　established。　　The　love　which　was　borne　him　by　all；　with　the　exception　of　those　who　meditated　his　ruin；　still　reigned　in　the　hearts　of　the　French　in　the　departments；　but　if　I　may　judge　from　those　whom　I　had　an　opportunity　of　seeing；　it　was　totally　impossible　to　enlighten　them；　they　were　as　much　attached　to　the　King　as　to　the　constitution；　and　to　the　constitution　as　to　the　King；　and　it　was　impossible　to　separate　the　one　from　the　other　in　their　hearts　and　minds。

The　Court　returned　to　St。　Cloud　after　the　federation。　　A　wretch；　named　Rotondo；　made　his　way　into　the　palace　with　the　intention　of　assassinating　the　Queen。　　It　is　known　that　he　penetrated　to　the　inner　gardens：　the　rain　prevented　her　Majesty　from　going　out　that　day。　　M。　de　La　Fayette；　who　was　aware　of　this　plot；　gave　all　the　sentinels　the　strictest　orders；　and　a　description　of　the　monster　was　distributed　throughout　the　palace　by　order　of　the　General。　　I　do　not　know　how　he　was　saved　from　punishment。　The　police　belonging　to　the　King　discovered　that　there　was　likewise　a　scheme　on　foot　for　poisoning　the　Queen。　　She　spoke　to　me；　as　well　as　to　her　head　physician；　M。　Vicq…d'Azyr；　about　it；　without　the　slightest　emotion；　but　both　he　and　I　consulted　what　precautions　it　would　be　proper　to　take。　　He　relied　much　upon　the　Queen's　temperance；　yet　he　recommended　me　always　to　have　a　bottle　of　oil　of　sweet　almonds　within　reach；　and　to　renew　it　occasionally；　that　oil　and　milk　being；　as　is　known；　the　most　certain　antidotes　to　the　divellication　of　corrosive　poisons。

The　Queen　had　a　habit　which　rendered　M。　Vicq…d'Azyr　particularly　uneasy：　there　was　always　some　pounded　sugar　upon　the　table　in　her　Majesty's　bedchamber；　and　she　frequently；　without　calling　anybody；　put　spoonfuls　of　it　into　a　glass　of　water　when　she　wished　to　drink。　　It　was　agreed　that　I　should　get　a　considerable　quantity　of　sugar　powdered；　that　I　should　always　have　some　papers　of　it　in　my　bag；　and　that　three　or　four　times　a　day；　when　alone　in　the　Queen's　room；　I　should　substitute　it　for　that　in　her　sugar…basin。　　We　knew　that　the　Queen　would　have　prevented　all　such　precautions；　but　we　were　not　aware　of　her　reason。　　One　day　she　caught　me　alone　making　this　exchange；　and　told　me；　she　supposed　it　was　agreed　on　between　myself　and　M。　Vicq…d'Azyr；　but　that　I　gave　myself　very　unnecessary　trouble。　　〃Remember；〃　added　she；　〃that　not　a　grain　of　poison　will　be　put　in　use　against　me。　　The　Brinvilliers　do　not　belong　to　this　century：　this　age　possesses　calumny；　which　is　a　much　more　convenient　instrument　of　death；　and　it　is　by　that　I　shall　perish。〃

Even　while　melancholy　presentiments　afflicted　this　unfortunate　Princess；　manifestations　of　attachment　to　her　person；　and　to　the　King's　cause；　would　frequently　raise　agreeable　illusions　in　her　mind；　or　present　to　her　the　affecting　spectacle　of　tears　shed　for　her　sorrows。　　I　was　one　day；　during　this　same　visit　to　St。　Cloud；　witness　of　a　very　touching　scene；　which　we　took　great　care　to　keep　secret。　　It　was　four　in　the　afternoon；　the　guard　was　not　set；　there　was　scarcely　anybody　at　St。　Cloud　that　day；　and　I　was　reading　to　the　Queen；　who　was　at　work　in　a　room　the　balcony　of　which　hung　over　the　courtyard。　　The　windows　were　closed；　yet　we　heard　a　sort　of　inarticulate　murmur　from　a　great　number　of　voices。　　The　Queen　desired　me　to　go　and　see　what　it　was；　I　raised　the　muslin　curtain；　and　perceived　more　than　fifty　persons　beneath　the　balcony：　this　group　consisted　of　women；　young　and　old；　perfectly　well　dressed　in　the　country　costume；　old　chevaliers　of　St。　Louis；　young　knights　of　Malta；　and　a　few　ecclesiastics。　　I　told　the　Queen　it　was　probably　an　assemblage　of　persons　residing　in　the　neighbourhood　who　wished　to　see　her。　　She　rose；　opened　the　window；　and　appeared　in　the　balcony；　immediately　all　these　worthy　people　said　to　her；　in　an　undertone：　〃Courage；　Madame；　good　Frenchmen　suffer　for　you；　and　with　you；　they　pray　for　you。　　Heaven　will　hear　their　prayers；　we　love　you；　we　respect　you；　we　will　continue　to　venerate　our　virtuous　King。〃　　The　Queen　burst　into　tears；　and　held　her　handkerchief　to　her　eyes。　　〃Poor　Queen！　she　weeps！〃　　said　the　women　and　young　girls；　but　the　dread　of　exposing　her　Majesty；　and　even　the　persons　who　showed　so　much　affection　for　her；　to　observation；　prompted　me　to　take　her　hand；　and　prevail　upon　her　to　retire　into　her　room；　and；　raising　my　eyes；　I　gave　the　excellent　people　to　understand　that　my　conduct　was　dictated　by　prudence。　　They　comprehended　me；　for　I　heard；　〃That　lady　is　right；〃　and　afterwards；　〃Farewell；　Madame！〃　from　several　of　them；　and　all　this　in　accents　of　feeling　so　true　and　so　mournful；　that　I　am　affected　at　the　recollection　of　them　even　after　a　lapse　of　twenty　years。

A　few　days　afterwards　the　insurrection　of　Nancy　took　place。

　　　　　＇The　insurrection　of　the　troops　at　Nancy　broke　out　in　August　1790；　　　　　　and　was　put　down　by　Marechal　de　Bouille　on　the　last　day　of　that　　　　　　month。　　See　〃Bouille；〃　p。　195。＇

Only　the　ostensible　cause　is　known；　there　was　another；　of　which　I　might　have　been　in　full　possession；　if　the　great　confusion　I　was　in　upon　the　subject　had　not　deprived　me　of　the　power　of　paying　attention　to　it。　　I　will　endeavour　to　make　myself　understood。　　In　the　early　part　of　September　the　Queen；　as　she　was　going　to　bed；　desired　me　to　let　all　her　people　go；　and　to　remain　with　her　myself；　when　we　were　alone　she　said　to　me；　〃The