the memoirs of marie antoinette-第76节

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would　be　printed　nevertheless；　and　would　be　much　more　dangerous　when　they　apprised　the　public　of　the　means　she　had　used　to　suppress　it。

Baron　d'Aubier；　gentleman…in…ordinary　to　the　King；　and　my　particular　friend；　had　a　good　memory　and　a　clear　way　of　communicating　the　substance　of　the　debates　and　decrees　of　the　National　Assembly。　　I　went　daily　to　the　Queen's　apartments　to　repeat　all　this　to　the　King；　who　used　to　say；　on　seeing　me；　〃Ah！　here's　the　Postillon　par　Calais；〃a　newspaper　of　the　time。

M。　d'Aubier　one　day　said　to　me：　〃The　Assembly　has　been　much　occupied　with　an　information　laid　by　the　workmen　of　the　Sevres　manufactory。　　They　brought　to　the　President's　office　a　bundle　of　pamphlets　which　they　said　were　the　life　of　Marie　Antoinette。　　The　director　of　the　manufactory　was　ordered　up　to　the　bar；　and　declared　he　had　received　orders　to　burn　the　printed　sheets　in　question　in　the　furnaces　used　for　baking　his　china。〃

While　I　was　relating　this　business　to　the　Queen　the　King　coloured　and　held　his　head　down　over　his　plate。　　The　Queen　said　to　him；　〃Do　you　know　anything　about　this；　Sire？〃　　The　King　made　no　answer。　　Madame　Elisabeth　requested　him　to　explain　what　it　meant。　　Louis　was　still　silent。　　I　withdrew　hastily。　　A　few　minutes　afterwards　the　Queen　came　to　my　room　and　informed　me　that　the　King；　out　of　regard　for　her；　had　purchased　the　whole　edition　struck　off　from　the　manuscript　which　I　had　mentioned　to　her；　and　that　M。　de　Laporte　had　not　been　able　to　devise　any　more　secret　way　of　destroying　the　work　than　that　of　having　it　burnt　at　Sevres；　among　two　hundred　workmen；　one　hundred　and　eighty　of　whom　must；　in　all　probability；　be　Jacobins！　　She　told　me　she　had　concealed　her　vexation　from　the　King；　that　he　was　in　consternation；　and　that　she　could　say　nothing；　since　his　good　intentions　and　his　affection　for　her　had　been　the　cause　of　the　mistake。

　　　　　＇M。　de　Laporte　had　by　order　of　the　King　bought　up　the　whole　edition　　　　　　of　the　〃Memoirs　〃　of　the　notorious　Madame　de　Lamotte　against　the　　　　　　Queen。　　Instead　of　destroying　them　immediately；　he　shut　them　up　in　　　　　　one　of　the　closets　in　his　house；　The　alarming　and　rapid　growth　of　　　　　　the　rebellion；　the　arrogance　of　the　crowd　of　brigands；　who　in　great　　　　　　measure　composed　the　populace　of　Paris；　and　the　fresh　excesses　daily　　　　　　resulting　from　it；　rendered　the　intendant　of　the　civil　list　　　　　　apprehensive　that　some　mob　might　break　into　his　house；　carry　off　　　　　　these　〃Memoirs；〃　and　spread　them　among　the　public。　　In　order　to　　　　　　prevent　this　he　gave　orders　to　have　the　〃Memoirs〃　burnt　with　every　　　　　　necessary　precaution；　and　the　clerk　who　received　the　order　entrusted　　　　　　the　execution　of　it　to　a　man　named　Riston；　a　dangerous　Intriguer；　　　　　　formerly　an　advocate　of　Nancy；　who　had　a　twelve…month　before　escaped　　　　　　the　gallows　by　favour　of　the　new　principles　and　the　patriotism　of　　　　　　the　new　tribunals；　although　convicted　of　forging　the　great　seal；　and　　　　　　fabricating　decrees　of　the　council。　　This　Riston；　finding　himself　　　　　　entrusted　with　a　commission　which　concerned　her　Majesty；　and　the　　　　　　mystery　attending　which　bespoke　something　of　importance；　was　less　　　　　　anxious　to　execute　it　faithfully　than　to　make　a　parade　of　this　mark　　　　　　of　confidence。　　On　the　30th　of　May；　at　ten　in　the　morning；　he　had　　　　　　the　sheets　carried　to　the　porcelain　manufactory　at　Sevres；　in　a　cart　　　　　　which　he　himself　accompanied；　and　made　a　large　fire　of　them　before　　　　　　all　the　workmen；　who　were　expressly　forbidden　to　approach　it。　　All　　　　　　these　precautions；　and　the　suspicions　to　which　they　gave　rise；　under　　　　　　such　critical　circumstances；　gave　so　much　publicity　to　this　affair　　　　　　that　it　was　denounced　to　the　Assembly　that　very　night。　　Brissot；　and　　　　　　the　whole　Jacobin　party；　with　equal　effrontery　and　vehemence；　　　　　　insisted　that　the　papers　thus　secretly　burnt　could　be　no　other　than　　　　　　the　registers　and　documents　of　the　correspondence　of　the　Austrian　　　　　　committee。　　M。　de　Laporte　was　ordered　to　the　bar；　and　there　gave　the　　　　　　most　precise　account　of　the　circumstances。　　Riston　was　also　called　　　　　　up；　and　confirmed　M。　de　Laporte's　deposition。　　But　these　　　　　　explanations；　however　satisfactory；　did　not　calm　the　violent　ferment　　　　　　raised　in　the　Assembly　by　this　affair。〃Memoirs　of　Bertrand　de　　　　　　Molleville。〃

Some　time　afterwards　the　Assembly　received　a　denunciation　against　M。　de　Montmorin。　　The　ex…minister　was　accused　of　having　neglected　forty　despatches　from　M。　Genet；　the　charge　d'affaires　from　France　in　Russia；　not　having　even　unsealed　them；　because　M。　Genet　acted　on　constitutional　principles。　　M。　de　Montmorin　appeared　at　the　bar　to　answer　this　accusation。　　Whatever　distress　I　might　feel　in　obeying　the　order　I　had　received　from　the　King　to　go　and　give　him　an　account　of　the　sitting；　I　thought　I　ought　not　to　fail　in　doing　so。　　But　instead　of　giving　my　brother　his　family　name；　I　merely　said　〃your　Majesty's　charge　d'affaires　at　St。　Petersburg。〃

The　King　did　me　the　favour　to　say　that　he　noticed　a　reserve　in　my　account；　of　which　he　approved。　　The　Queen　condescended　to　add　a　few　obliging　remarks　to　those　of　the　King。　　However；　my　office　of　journalist　gave　me　in　this　instance　so　much　pain　that　I　took　an　opportunity；　when　the　King　was　expressing　his　satisfaction　to　me　at　the　manner　in　which　I　gave　him　this　daily　account；　to　tell　him　that　its　merits　belonged　wholly　to　M。　d'Aubier；　and　I　ventured　to　request　the　King　to　suffer　that　excellent　man　to　give　him　an　account　of　the　sittings　himself。　　I　assured　the　King　that　if　he　would　permit　it；　that　gentleman　might　proceed　to　the　Queen's　apartments　through　mine　unseen；　the　King　consented　to　the　arrangement。　　Thenceforward　M。　d'Aubier　gave　the　King　repeated　proofs　of　zeal　and　attachment。

The　Cure　of　St。　Eustache　ceased　to　be　the　Queen's　confessor　when　he　took　the　constitutional　oath。　　I　do　not　remember　the　name　of　the　ecclesiastic　who　succeeded　him；　I　only　know　that　he　was　conducted　into　her　apartments　with　the　greatest　mystery。　　Their　Majesties　did　not　perform　their　Easter　devotions　in　public；　because　they　could　neither　declare　for　the　constitutional　clergy；　nor　act　so　as　to　show　that　they　were　against　them。

The　Queen　did　perform　her　Easter　devotions　in　1792；　but　she　went　to　the　chapel　attended　only　by　myself。　　She　desired　me　beforehand　to　request　one　of　my　relations；　who　was　her　chaplain；　to　celebrate　a　mass　for　her　at　five　o'clock　in　the　morning。　　It　was　still　dark；　she　gave　me　her　arm；　and　I　lighted　her　with　a　taper。　　I　left　her　alone　at　the　chapel　door。　She　did　not　return　to　her　room　until　the　dawn　of　day。

Dangers　increased　daily。　　The　Assembly　were　strengthened　in　the　eyes　of　the　people　by　the　hostilities　of　the　foreign　armies　and　the　army　of　the　Princes。　　The　communication　with　the　latter　party　became　more　active；　the　Queen　wrote　almost　every　day。　　M。　de　Goguelat　possessed　her　confidence　for　all　correspondence　with　the　foreign　parties；　and　I　was　obliged　to　have　him　in　my　apartments；　the　Queen　asked　for　him　very　frequently；　and　at　times　which　she　could　not　previously　appoint。

All　parties　were　exerting　themselves　either　to　ruin　or　to　save　the　King。　One　day　I　found　the　Queen　extremely　agitated；　she　told　me　she　no　longer　knew　where　she　was；　that　the　leaders　of　the　Jacobins　offered　themselves　to　her　through　the　medium　of　Dumouriez；　or　that　Dumouriez；　abandoning　the　Jacobins；　had　come　and　offered　himself　to　her；　that　she　had　granted　him　an　audience；　that　when　alone　with　her；　he　had　thrown　himself　at　her　feet；　and　told　her　that　he　had　drawn　the　'bonnet　rouge'　over　his　head　to　the　very　ears；　but　that　he　neither　was　nor　could　be　a　Jacobin；　that　the　Revolution　had　been　suffered　to　extend　even　to　that　rabble　of　destroyers　who；　thinking　of　nothing　but　pillage；　were　ripe　for　anything；　and　might　furnish　the　Assembly　with　a　formidable　army；　ready　to　undermine　the　remains　of　a　throne　already　but　too　much　shaken。　　Whilst　speaking　with　the　utmost　ardour　he　seized　the　Queen's　hand　and　kissed　it　with　transport；　exclaiming；　〃Suffer　yourself　to　be　saved！〃　　The　Queen　told　me　that　the　protestations　of　a　traitor　were　not　to　be　relied　on；　that　the　whole　of　his　conduct　was　so　well　known　that　undoubtedly　the　wisest　course　was　not　to　trust　to　it；

　　　　　＇The　sincerity　of　General　Dumouriez　cannot　be　doubted　in　this　　　　　　instance。　　The　second　volume　of　his　Memoirs　shows　how　unjust　the　　　　　　mistrust　and　reproaches　of　the　Queen　were。　　By　rejecting　his　　　　　　services；　Marie　Antoinette　deprived　herself　of　her　only　remaining　　　　　　support。　　He　who　saved　France　in　the　defiles　of　Argonne　would　　　　　　perhaps　have　saved　France　before　the　20th　of　June；　had　he　obtained　　　　　　the　full　confidence　of　Louis　XVI。　and　the　Queen。NOTE　BY　THE　　　　　　EDITOR。＇

that；　moreover；　the　Princes　particularly　recommended　that　no　confidence　should　be　placed　in　any　proposition　emanating　from　within　the　kingdom；　that　the　force　without　became　imposing；　and　that　it　was　better　to　rely　upon　their　success；　and　upon　the　protection　due　from　Heaven　to　a　sovereign　so　virtuous　as　Louis　XVI。　　and　to　so　just　a　cause。

The　constitutionalists；　on　their　part；　saw　that　there　had　been　nothing　more　than　a　pretence　of　listening　to　them。　　Barnave's　last　advice　was　as　to　the　means　of　continuing；　a　few　weeks　longer；　the　Constitutiona