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23 - Memoirs of the Court of Marie Antoinette by Henriette Campan · Memoirs of the Court of Marie Antoinette

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Speaker 1: Volume two, Chapter eight, Part one of Memoirs of the
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Speaker 1: Court of Marie Antoinette by Madame Campin. This LibriVox recording
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Speaker 1: is in the public domain eight Part one. On my
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Speaker 1: arrival at Paris on the twenty fifth of August, I
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Speaker 1: found the state of feeling there much more temperate than
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Speaker 1: I had dared to hope. The conversation generally ran upon
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Speaker 1: the acceptance of the Constitution and the fete which would
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Speaker 1: be given in consequence. The Queen began to hope affairs
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Speaker 1: would take a better turn. The conversation between the Jaccubay
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Speaker 1: and the Constitutionals on the twenty seventh of July nevertheless
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Speaker 1: threw her into great terror for some moments, and the
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Speaker 1: firing of the cannon from the chanp Mause upon a
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Speaker 1: party which called for the trial of the King and
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Speaker 1: the leaders of which were in the bosom of the Assembly,
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Speaker 1: left impressions of the most gloomy description upon the Queen's mind.
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Speaker 1: The Constitutionals, with whom her connection was not slackened by
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Speaker 1: the intervention of the three members already mentioned, had faith
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Speaker 1: fully served the royal family during their detention. We still
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Speaker 1: hold the wire by which this popular mass is moved,
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Speaker 1: said Barnave to Monsieur de s Blank one day, at
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Speaker 1: the same time showing him a large volume in which
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Speaker 1: the names of all those who were made to act
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Speaker 1: at will by the power of gold alone were registered.
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Speaker 1: It was at that time proposed to hire a considerable
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Speaker 1: number of persons in order to secure loud acclamations when
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Speaker 1: the King and his family should make their appearance at
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Speaker 1: play upon the acceptance of the constitution. That day, which
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Speaker 1: afforded a glimmering hope of tranquility, was the fourteenth of September.
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Speaker 1: The fate were brilliant, but already new alarms, but too
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Speaker 1: imperiously forbad the royal family to give way to any
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Speaker 1: consolidatory feeling. The Legislative Assembly, which had just succeeded the
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Speaker 1: Constituent Assembly, founded their conduct upon the wildest republican principles
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Speaker 1: created from the midst of popular societies. It was wholly
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Speaker 1: inspired by the spirit which animated them. The Constitution, as
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Speaker 1: I have said, was presented to the King on the
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Speaker 1: thirtieth of September. I returned to this presentation because it
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Speaker 1: gave rise to a highly important subject of discussion. All
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Speaker 1: the ministers, with the exception of Monsieur de Montmory insisted
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Speaker 1: upon the necessity of accepting the Constitutional Act in all
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Speaker 1: its parts. The Prince Deconits was likewise of the same opinion.
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Speaker 1: Maluet wished the King to express himself candidly, respecting any
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Speaker 1: errors or dangers that he might observe in the Constitution.
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Speaker 1: But dupart and Bernave, alarmed at the spirit prevailing in
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Speaker 1: the Sessietie de Jacobay, and even in the Assembly, where
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Speaker 1: Robespierre had already denounced them as traitors to the country,
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Speaker 1: and dreading the occurrence of still greater evils, added their
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Speaker 1: opinions to those of the majority of the ministers, and
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Speaker 1: Monsieur de Konits. Those who really desired that the Constitution
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Speaker 1: should be maintained advised that it should not be accepted
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Speaker 1: thus purely and simply. And of this number, as I
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Speaker 1: have already said, were Monsieur Montmory and Monsieur Malouet. The
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Speaker 1: King seemed inclined to this advice, and this is one
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Speaker 1: of the strongest proofs of the unfortunate monarch sincerity. Note
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Speaker 1: by the editors in order to confirm the opinion Madame
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Speaker 1: camp I expressed above, respecting the intentions of Louisay's. We
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Speaker 1: think we ought to present the account given by Bertont
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Speaker 1: de Moulville of his first interview with that prince, as
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Speaker 1: it was the first time I ever had the honor
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Speaker 1: of being so close to him and tete a tete
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Speaker 1: with him. The most stupid diffidence so completely came over
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Speaker 1: me that if it had been my duty to speak first,
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Speaker 1: it would have been impossible for me to have framed
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Speaker 1: a single phrase. But I took courage when I saw
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Speaker 1: the King, still more embarrassed than myself, and with difficulty
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Speaker 1: stammering out a few unconnected words. He in his turn,
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Speaker 1: became composed on seeing me at ease, and our conversation
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Speaker 1: soon became highly interesting. After a few general observations upon
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Speaker 1: the perplexities of the existing state of things, the King
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Speaker 1: said to me, well, have you any objection remaining, No, sire,
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Speaker 1: A desire to obey and gratify your majesty is the
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Speaker 1: only feeling I am sensible of. But in order that
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Speaker 1: I may really be able to serve you, it is
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Speaker 1: necessary that your Majesty should have the goodness to inform
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Speaker 1: me what is your intention with regard to the Constitution,
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Speaker 1: and what is the line of conduct you would wish
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Speaker 1: your ministers to adopt. That is true, replied the King,
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Speaker 1: This is my opinion. I do not consider the Constitution
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Speaker 1: by any means a masterpiece. I think there are very
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Speaker 1: great errors in it, and if I had been at
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Speaker 1: liberty to observe upon it, advantageous alterations would have been
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Speaker 1: made in it. But the time is now gone by.
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Speaker 1: Such as it is, I have sworn to maintain it
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Speaker 1: I ought to be, and I will be strictly true
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Speaker 1: to my oath and the rather as I think the
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Speaker 1: utmost exactness in executing the mandates of the Constitution is
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Speaker 1: the most certain way to draw the attention of the
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Speaker 1: nation to the alterations that ought to be made in it.
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Speaker 1: I neither can nor ought to have any other object
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Speaker 1: than this. I certainly will not abandon my intention, and
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Speaker 1: I wish my ministers to forward it. Your scheme appears
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Speaker 1: infinitely judicious, Sire. I feel myself in a condition to
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Speaker 1: accomplish it, and I engage to do so. I have
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Speaker 1: not sufficiently studied the Constitution as a whole and in
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Speaker 1: all its parts to form a decided opinion, and I
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Speaker 1: will refrain from forming one until the operation of the
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Speaker 1: Constitution shall have enabled the nation to estimate it by
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Speaker 1: its effects. But may I venture to ask your majesty
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Speaker 1: whether the Queen's opinion upon this point is in accordance
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Speaker 1: with your own? Yes, certainly it is. She will tell
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Speaker 1: you herself. I immediately went to the Queen, who, after
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Speaker 1: assuring me with the greatest kindness, how truly she felt
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Speaker 1: the obligation unto which the King lay to me, for
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Speaker 1: having excited except the administration in so perplexing a juncture. Added,
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Speaker 1: the King has informed you of his views with regard
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Speaker 1: to the Constitution. Do you not think the only way
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Speaker 1: is to be faithful to the oath? Yes? Certainly, Madame. Well,
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Speaker 1: then be assured that we shall not be induced to
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Speaker 1: swerve courage. Monsieur Bertrand, I hope that with patience, firmness
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Speaker 1: and consistency, all is not yet lost. Private Memoirs of
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Speaker 1: the latter end of the Reign of Louis Ais by
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Speaker 1: Monsieur Bertrand de Morville, Minister and Secretary of State under
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Speaker 1: that reign, Volume one, end note. Alexandre de la met
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Speaker 1: Dupart and Barnave, still relying on the resources of their party,
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Speaker 1: hoped to have credit for controlling the king through the
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Speaker 1: influence they believed they had acquired over the mind of
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Speaker 1: the Queen. They also consulted people of acknowledged talent, but
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Speaker 1: belonging to no counsel nor to any assembly. Among these
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Speaker 1: was Monsieur de buqu formerly Intendent of the Marine and
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Speaker 1: the College. He answered, in one line, prevent disorder from
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Speaker 1: organizing itself opinions such as those of the sententious and laconic.
7:09
Speaker 1: Monsieur de Buque emanated from the aristocratic party, who preferred anything,
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Speaker 1: even the Jacobe to the establishment of the constitutional laws,
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Speaker 1: and who in fact believed that any acceptance which should
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Speaker 1: have any other appearance than that of compulsion, would amount
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Speaker 1: to a real sanction sufficient to uphold the new government.
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Speaker 1: The most unbridled disorders seemed preferable because they buoyed up
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Speaker 1: the hope of a total change. And twenty times over
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Speaker 1: upon occasions when persons but little acquainted with the secret
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Speaker 1: policy of the Court expressed the apprehensions they entertained of
7:42
Speaker 1: the popular societies, the initiated answered that a sincere royalist
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Speaker 1: ought to favor the Jacobe. My avowal of the terror
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Speaker 1: with which they inspired me often brought this answer upon me,
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Speaker 1: and must even have often procured me the epithet of
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Speaker 1: constitutional while all the time through Prince, and from the
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Speaker 1: want of that sort of information which I think ought
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Speaker 1: never to be found among persons of my sex, I
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Speaker 1: was intent only upon diligently serving the unfortunate princess with
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Speaker 1: whom my destiny was united. The letter written by the
8:14
Speaker 1: King to the Assembly claiming to accept the Constitution in
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Speaker 1: the very place where it had been created, and where
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Speaker 1: he announced he would be on the fourteenth that midday,
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Speaker 1: was received with transport, and the reading of it was
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Speaker 1: repeatedly interrupted by very general plaudits. The sitting was terminated
8:30
Speaker 1: by the highest flight of enthusiasm, and Monsieur de Lafayette
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Speaker 1: obtained the release of all those who were detained on
8:36
Speaker 1: account of the King's departure. The immediate quashing of all
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Speaker 1: proceedings relative to the events of the revolution, and the
8:43
Speaker 1: discontinuance of the use of passports and of all temporary
8:46
Speaker 1: restraints upon free traveling, as well in the interior as
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Speaker 1: without the whole was conceded by acclamation. Sixty members were
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Speaker 1: deputed to go to the King and express to him
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Speaker 1: fully the satisfaction his majesty, his letter had given. The
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Speaker 1: keeper of the seos quitted the chamber in the midst
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Speaker 1: of applause to precede the deputation to the King. The
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Speaker 1: King answered the speech addressed to him, and concluded by
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Speaker 1: saying to the Assembly that a decree of that morning,
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Speaker 1: which had abolished the Order of the Holy Ghost, had
9:16
Speaker 1: left him and his son alone permission to be decorated
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Speaker 1: with it, but that an order having no value in
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Speaker 1: his eyes, but for the power of conferring it, he
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Speaker 1: would not use it. The Queen, her son, and Madame
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Speaker 1: were at the door of the chamber into which the
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Speaker 1: deputation was admitted. The King said to the deputies, you
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Speaker 1: see there my wife and children, who participated my sentiments.
9:39
Speaker 1: And the Queen herself confirmed the King's assurance. These apparent
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Speaker 1: marks of confidence were very inconsistent with the agitated state
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Speaker 1: of her mind. These people will have no sovereigns, said she.
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Speaker 1: We shall fall before their treacherous, though well planned tactics.
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Speaker 1: They are demolishing the monarchy stone by stone. On the
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Speaker 1: day after that of the deputation, the particulars of their
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Speaker 1: reception by the King were reported to the Assembly, and
10:08
Speaker 1: they excited warm approbation. But the President, having put the
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Speaker 1: question whether the Assembly ought not to remain seated while
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Speaker 1: the King took the oath, certainly was repeated by many voices,
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Speaker 1: and the King standing uncovered. Monsieur Meliuex, observed that there
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Speaker 1: was no occasion on which the nation assembled in the
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Speaker 1: presence of the King, did not acknowledge him as its head,
10:31
Speaker 1: that the omission to treat the head of the state
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Speaker 1: with the respect due to him would be an offense
10:35
Speaker 1: to the nation as well as to the monarch. He
10:38
Speaker 1: moved that the King should take the oath standing and
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Speaker 1: that the Assembly should be in the same posture while
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Speaker 1: he was doing so. Monsieur Malouet's observations would have carried
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Speaker 1: the decree, but a deputy from Brittany exclaimed with a
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Speaker 1: shrill voice, that he had an amendment to propose which
10:54
Speaker 1: would render all unanimous. Let us decree, said he that
10:59
Speaker 1: Monsieur meleas way, and whoever else shall so please, may
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Speaker 1: have leave to receive the King upon their knees, But
11:05
Speaker 1: let us stick to the decree. The King repaired to
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Speaker 1: the chamber at midday. His speech was followed by plaudits,
11:13
Speaker 1: which lasted several minutes after the signing of the Constitutional Act,
11:17
Speaker 1: all sat down. The President rose to deliver his speech,
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Speaker 1: but after he had begun, perceiving that the King did
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Speaker 1: not rise to hear him, he sat down again. His
11:28
Speaker 1: speech made a powerful impression. The sentence with which it
11:32
Speaker 1: concluded excited fresh acclamations, cries of bravo and vive le rois, Sire,
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Speaker 1: said he, How important in our eyes, and how dear
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Speaker 1: to our hearts, How sublime a feature in our history
11:46
Speaker 1: must be the epoch of that regeneration which gives citizens
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Speaker 1: to France and a country to Frenchmen, to you, as
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Speaker 1: a king, a new title of greatness and glory, and
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Speaker 1: as a man, a fresh source of enjoyment and of
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Speaker 1: new feelings. At length, I hoped to see a return
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Speaker 1: of that tranquility which had so long been chased from
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Speaker 1: the countenances of my august Master and mistress. Their sweet
12:10
Speaker 1: left them in the saloon. The queen hastily saluted the
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Speaker 1: ladies and returned, much affected, The King followed her, and,
12:18
Speaker 1: throwing himself into an arm chair, put his handkerchief to
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Speaker 1: his eyes. Ah Madame cried, he, his voice choked by
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Speaker 1: his tears. Why were you present at this sitting. Why
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Speaker 1: did you witness it? I heard these words, and no
12:33
Speaker 1: more pierced at their affliction, and feeling the propriety of
12:37
Speaker 1: respecting the display of it, I withdrew, struck with the
12:40
Speaker 1: contrast between the shouts of joy without the palace and
12:44
Speaker 1: the profound grief which oppressed the sovereigns. Within half an
12:48
Speaker 1: hour afterwards, the Queen sent for me. She desired to
12:51
Speaker 1: see Monsieur Goglas to announce to him her departure on
12:54
Speaker 1: that very night. For Vienna, the new attacks upon the
12:58
Speaker 1: dignity of the throne which had been exhibited during the sitting,
13:01
Speaker 1: the spirit of an assembly worse than the former. The
13:05
Speaker 1: monarch put upon a level with the President, without any
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Speaker 1: deference to the throne. All this proclaimed but too loudly,
13:11
Speaker 1: that the sovereignty itself was aimed at. The Queen no
13:15
Speaker 1: longer saw any ground for hope from the interior of
13:18
Speaker 1: the country. The King wrote to the Emperor. She told
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Speaker 1: me that she would herself at midnight bring the letter
13:25
Speaker 1: which Monsieur Goglas was to bear to the Emperor to
13:27
Speaker 1: my room. During all the remainder of the day, the
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Speaker 1: castle and the tunity were prodigiously crowded. The illuminations were magnificent.
13:37
Speaker 1: The King and Queen were requested to take an airing
13:39
Speaker 1: in their carriage in the Chasis Dizi, escorted by the
13:42
Speaker 1: aide Decat and leaders of the Parisian Army, the Constitutional
13:45
Speaker 1: Guard not being at that time organized. Many shouts of
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Speaker 1: vive le rois were heard, but as often as they terminated.
13:54
Speaker 1: One of the mob, who never quitted the door of
13:56
Speaker 1: the King's carriage for a single instant, exclaimed with his
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Speaker 1: tentorius voice, no, don't believe them, vive la nacion. This
14:05
Speaker 1: ill omened cry struck terror into the Queen. She thought
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Speaker 1: it not right, however, to make any complaint upon the subject,
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Speaker 1: and pretended not to hear the isolated croak of this
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Speaker 1: fanatic or base hireling, as if it had been drowned
14:17
Speaker 1: in the public acclamations. A few days afterwards, Monsieur de
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Speaker 1: Montmorn sent me a few lines to say he wanted
14:24
Speaker 1: to speak to me, that he would have come to
14:26
Speaker 1: me if he had not apprehended that his doing so
14:28
Speaker 1: would attract observation, and that he thought it would appear
14:31
Speaker 1: less particular if he should see me in the Queen's
14:34
Speaker 1: Great Closet at a time which he specified, and when
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Speaker 1: nobody would be there. I went, after having made some
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Speaker 1: polite observations upon the services I had already performed and
14:44
Speaker 1: those I might yet perform for my master and mistress
14:47
Speaker 1: under existing circumstances. He spoke to me of the King's
14:50
Speaker 1: imminent danger, of the plots which were hatching, and of
14:54
Speaker 1: the lamentable composition of the legislative Assembly. But he particularly
14:59
Speaker 1: dwelt upon the necessity of appearing, by prudence and circumspection
15:03
Speaker 1: in conversation as firmly attached as possible to the act
15:07
Speaker 1: the King had just recognized. I told him that could
15:10
Speaker 1: not be done without committing ourselves in the eyes of
15:13
Speaker 1: the Royalists party, which considered moderation a crime. That it
15:17
Speaker 1: was painful to hear ourselves taxed with being constitutionals at
15:20
Speaker 1: the same time, that it was our opinion that the
15:23
Speaker 1: only constitution which was consistent with the King's honor and
15:27
Speaker 1: the happiness and tranquility of his people was the entire
15:30
Speaker 1: power of the sovereign. That this was my creed, and
15:34
Speaker 1: it would hurt me to give any room for suspicion
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Speaker 1: that I was wavering in it. Could you ever believe,
15:39
Speaker 1: said he, that I should desire any other order of things?
15:43
Speaker 1: Have you any doubt of my attachment to the King's
15:46
Speaker 1: person and the maintenance of his rights? I know it,
15:49
Speaker 1: Count replied I, But you are not ignorant that you
15:53
Speaker 1: lie under the imputation of having adopted revolutionary ideas well, Madam,
15:59
Speaker 1: have resolution enough to dissemble and to conceal your real sentiments.
16:03
Speaker 1: Dissimulation was never more necessary. The most strenuous endeavors are
16:08
Speaker 1: making to paralyze the evil intentions of the factious to
16:11
Speaker 1: the utmost possible extent. But we must not be counteracted
16:15
Speaker 1: here by certain dangerous expressions which are circulated in Paris.
16:19
Speaker 1: As dropping from the King and Queen. I told him
16:22
Speaker 1: that I had been already struck with an apprehension of
16:25
Speaker 1: the evil which might be done by the intemperate observations
16:27
Speaker 1: of persons who had no power to act, and that,
16:31
Speaker 1: having repeatedly enjoined silence to those in the Queen's service
16:34
Speaker 1: in a very decided manner, I had felt ill consequences
16:37
Speaker 1: from so doing. I know that, said the Count. The
16:41
Speaker 1: Queen informed me of it, and that it was which
16:44
Speaker 1: determined me to come and request you to cherish as
16:47
Speaker 1: much as you can that spirit of discretion which is
16:50
Speaker 1: so necessary. While the household of the King and Queen
16:54
Speaker 1: were a prey to all these fears, the festivities in
16:57
Speaker 1: celebration of the acceptation of the Constitution proceeded. Their majesties
17:02
Speaker 1: went to the opera. The audience consisted entirely of persons
17:06
Speaker 1: who sided with the King, and on that day the
17:09
Speaker 1: happiness of seeing him for a short time surrounded by
17:12
Speaker 1: faithful subjects might be enjoyed. Then were the acclamations. Sincere
17:18
Speaker 1: le Coquette Corrigie was selected for representation at the Teatre
17:21
Speaker 1: Franse solely because it was the piece in which Mademoiselle
17:25
Speaker 1: contal shown most. Yet the notions propagated by the Queen's
17:29
Speaker 1: enemies clashing in my mind with the name of the play,
17:32
Speaker 1: I thought the choice very ill judged. I was at
17:36
Speaker 1: a loss, however, to tell her Majesty so, but sincere
17:40
Speaker 1: attachment gives courage, I explained myself. She was obliged to
17:45
Speaker 1: me and desired another play might be performed. They accordingly
17:48
Speaker 1: acted Le gouvellnand the Queen, Madame, the King's Daughter and
17:53
Speaker 1: Madame Dizabete were all well received on this occasion. It
17:57
Speaker 1: is true that the opinions and feelings of the whole
18:00
Speaker 1: of the spectators in the boxes could not be otherwise
18:02
Speaker 1: than favorable. Great pains had been taken previously to these
18:06
Speaker 1: two performances to fill the pit with proper persons. But
18:10
Speaker 1: on the other hand, the Jaccubaine took the same precautions
18:13
Speaker 1: on their side at the Tatre Italier, and the tumult
18:16
Speaker 1: was excessive there. The play was critries les even montes privus. Unfortunately,
18:23
Speaker 1: Madame de Gazon thought proper to bow to the queen
18:25
Speaker 1: as she sang the words, ah, how I love my
18:28
Speaker 1: mistress in a duet above twenty voices, immediately exclaimed from
18:33
Speaker 1: the pit, no mistress, no Master, liberty. A few replied
18:38
Speaker 1: from the boxes and slips, vive la Roois, vive Lraine,
18:42
Speaker 1: Long live the King and Queen. Those in the pit answered,
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Speaker 1: no Master, no Queen. The quarrel increased, the pit formed
18:51
Speaker 1: into parties. They began fighting, and the Jacuobain were beaten.
18:56
Speaker 1: Tufts off their black hair flew about the theater. At
19:00
Speaker 1: this time, none but the Jacquabat had discontinued the use
19:03
Speaker 1: of hair powder and note. A strong guard arrived. The
19:08
Speaker 1: faubous of Saint Antoine, hearing of what was going forward
19:11
Speaker 1: at the Tiatre Tallier, flocked together and began to talk
19:14
Speaker 1: of marching towards the scene of action. The Queen preserved
19:18
Speaker 1: the coolest and calmest demeanor. The commandants of the guards
19:22
Speaker 1: surrounded and encouraged her. They conducted themselves promptly and discreetly.
19:27
Speaker 1: No accident happened. The Queen was highly applauded as she
19:31
Speaker 1: quitted the theater. It was the last time she was
19:34
Speaker 1: ever in a playhouse. While couriers were bearing confidential letters
19:39
Speaker 1: from the King to the Princess, his brothers and to
19:42
Speaker 1: the foreign sovereigns, the Assembly invited him to write the
19:44
Speaker 1: princess in order to induce them to return to France.
19:48
Speaker 1: The King desired the abide Montesquieux to write the letter
19:51
Speaker 1: he was to send. This letter, which was admirably composed
19:55
Speaker 1: in a simple and affecting style, suited to the character
19:58
Speaker 1: of Louisay's, and with very powerful arguments in favor of
20:02
Speaker 1: the advantages to be derived from rallying round that the
20:05
Speaker 1: principles of the Constitution was confided to me by the King,
20:08
Speaker 1: who desired me to make him a copy of it.
20:12
Speaker 1: At this period, Monsieur mar Blanc, one of the intendants
20:15
Speaker 1: of Monsieur's household, obtained a passport from the Assembly to
20:19
Speaker 1: join that prince. On account of some indispensable business relative
20:22
Speaker 1: to his domestic concerns. The Queen selected him to be
20:26
Speaker 1: the bearer of this letter. She determined to give it
20:29
Speaker 1: to him herself, and to inform him of the origin
20:31
Speaker 1: of it. I was astonished at her choice of this courier.
20:35
Speaker 1: The Queen assured me he was exactly the man for
20:37
Speaker 1: her purpose, that she relied even upon his indiscretion, and
20:41
Speaker 1: it was merely necessary that the letter from the King
20:43
Speaker 1: to his brother should be known to exist. The princes
20:47
Speaker 1: were doubtless pre informed on the subject by the private correspondence.
20:51
Speaker 1: Monsieur nevertheless manifested some degree of surprise, and the messenger
20:56
Speaker 1: returned more grieved than pleased at this mark of confidence,
20:59
Speaker 1: which had nearly cost him his life during the reign
21:01
Speaker 1: of Terror. Among the causes of uneasiness to the Queen
21:06
Speaker 1: there was one which was but too well founded. It
21:09
Speaker 1: was the thoughtlessness of the French whom she sent to
21:11
Speaker 1: foreign courts. She used to say that, in order to
21:15
Speaker 1: plume themselves upon the confidence with which they were honored,
21:18
Speaker 1: they had no sooner passed the frontiers than they disclosed
21:22
Speaker 1: the most secret matters relative to the King's private sentiments,
21:25
Speaker 1: and that the leaders of the revolution were informed of
21:28
Speaker 1: them through their agents, many of whom were Frenchmen, who
21:30
Speaker 1: passed themselves off as emigrants in the cause of their king.
21:35
Speaker 1: After the acceptance of the constitution, the formation of the
21:38
Speaker 1: king's household, as well military as civil, formed a subject
21:41
Speaker 1: of attention. The Duc de Brisac had the command of
21:45
Speaker 1: the Constitutional Guard, which was composed of officers and men
21:48
Speaker 1: selected from the regiments, and of several officers drawn from
21:51
Speaker 1: the National Guard of Paris. The king was satisfied with
21:55
Speaker 1: the feelings and conduct of this band, which, as is
21:58
Speaker 1: well known, existed but a very short time. The new
22:02
Speaker 1: constitution abolished what were called honors and the prerogatives belonging
22:06
Speaker 1: to them. The Duchess de Dura resigned her place of
22:10
Speaker 1: Lady of the Bedchamber, not choosing to lose her right
22:12
Speaker 1: to the teboat at court. This step hurt the Queen,
22:16
Speaker 1: who saw herself forsaken for obsolete privileges at a time
22:19
Speaker 1: when her rights were so warmly attacked. Many ladies of
22:23
Speaker 1: rank left the court for the same reason. However, the
22:26
Speaker 1: King and Queen did not dare to form the civil
22:29
Speaker 1: part of their household, lest by the offices of new
22:31
Speaker 1: denominations they should confirm the dissolution of the old ones,
22:35
Speaker 1: and also lest they should admit into the highest offices
22:38
Speaker 1: persons not calculated to fill them. Some time was spent
22:43
Speaker 1: in discussing the question whether the household should be formed
22:46
Speaker 1: without equerries and without ladies of honor. The queen's constitutional
22:50
Speaker 1: advisers were of opinion that the Assembly, having decreed a
22:54
Speaker 1: civil list adequate to uphold the splendor of the throne,
22:57
Speaker 1: would be dissatisfied at seeing the King adopting only a
23:00
Speaker 1: military household and not forming his civil household upon the
23:03
Speaker 1: new constitutional plan. How is it, Madame, wrote Balnave to
23:08
Speaker 1: the Queen, that you will persist in giving these people
23:12
Speaker 1: even the smallest doubt as to your sentiments. When they
23:15
Speaker 1: degree you a civil and a military household, You, like
23:18
Speaker 1: young Achilles among the daughters of Lecomdes, eagerly seized the
23:22
Speaker 1: sword and scorn the mere ornaments. The queen persisted in
23:26
Speaker 1: her determination to have no civil household. If said she,
23:31
Speaker 1: this constitutional household be formed, not a single person of
23:34
Speaker 1: rank will remain with us, And upon a change of affairs,
23:38
Speaker 1: we should be obliged to discharge the persons received in
23:40
Speaker 1: their place. Perhaps, added she, perhaps I might find one
23:46
Speaker 1: day that I had saved the nobility, if I now
23:48
Speaker 1: had resolution enough to afflict them for a time, I
23:52
Speaker 1: have it. Not. When any measure which injures them is
23:56
Speaker 1: wrested from us, I am mortified. Nobody comes to my cart,
24:00
Speaker 1: the king goes solitarily to bed. No allowance is made
24:04
Speaker 1: for political necessity. We are punished for our very misfortunes.
24:10
Speaker 1: The queen wrote almost all day and spent a part
24:12
Speaker 1: of the night in reading. Her courage supported her physical strength,
24:16
Speaker 1: Her temper was not at all soured by misfortune, and
24:20
Speaker 1: she was never seen in an ill humor for a moment.
24:23
Speaker 1: She was, however, the same person who was held up
24:26
Speaker 1: to the people as a woman who was absolutely furious
24:29
Speaker 1: and mad whenever the rights of the crown were in
24:31
Speaker 1: any way attacked. I was with her one day. At
24:35
Speaker 1: one of her windows, we saw a man plainly dressed
24:38
Speaker 1: like an ecclesiastic surrounded by an immense crowd. The Queen
24:42
Speaker 1: imagined it was Saint Abbe whom they were about to
24:45
Speaker 1: throw into the basin of the Tulieris. She hastily opened
24:48
Speaker 1: her window and sent a val de chambo to know
24:50
Speaker 1: what was going forward in the garden. It was a
24:53
Speaker 1: big Rigoal whom the men and women of the tribunes
24:56
Speaker 1: were bringing back in triumph on account of emotion he
24:59
Speaker 1: had just made in the National Assembly against the royal authority.
25:03
Speaker 1: On the following day, the democratic journalists described the Queen
25:06
Speaker 1: as witnessing this triumph and showing by expressive gestures at
25:10
Speaker 1: her window how highly she was exasperated by the honors
25:13
Speaker 1: conferred upon the patriot. The correspondence between the Queen and
25:18
Speaker 1: the foreign powers was carried on in cipher. That to
25:21
Speaker 1: which she gave the preference can never be detected, but
25:24
Speaker 1: the greatest patience is requisite for its use. Each correspondent
25:28
Speaker 1: must have a copy of the same edition of some work.
25:31
Speaker 1: She selected Paul and Virginia. The page and line in
25:36
Speaker 1: which the letters required and occasionally a monosyllable are to
25:39
Speaker 1: be found, are pointed out in Cypher's Agreed Upon I
25:43
Speaker 1: assisted her in the operation of finding the letters, and
25:46
Speaker 1: very frequently I made an exact copy for her of
25:49
Speaker 1: all that she had ciphered, without knowing a single word
25:52
Speaker 1: of its meaning. There were always several secret committees in
25:56
Speaker 1: Paris occupied on the part of the King, in collecting
25:59
Speaker 1: information respecting the measures of the factions, and in influencing
26:02
Speaker 1: some of the committees of the Assembly. Monsieur Bertrand de
26:06
Speaker 1: Moulville was in close correspondence with the Queen. The King
26:10
Speaker 1: employed Monsieur Tallon and others. Much money was dissipated through
26:15
Speaker 1: the latter channel. On account of the expenses necessary for
26:17
Speaker 1: the secret measures, the Queen had no confidence in them.
26:22
Speaker 1: Monsieur de la Porte, minister of the Civil List and
26:24
Speaker 1: of the Household, also attempted to give a bias to
26:27
Speaker 1: public opinion by means of hiring publications, but these papers
26:31
Speaker 1: influenced none but the Royalist party, which needed no bias.
26:35
Speaker 1: Monsieur de la port had a private police which gave
26:38
Speaker 1: him some useful information. End of Chapter eight, Part one