the memoirs of marie antoinette-第1章

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The　Memoirs　of　Marie　Antoinette

by　Madame　Campan



Being　the　Historic　Memoirs　of　Madam　Campan；
First　Lady　in　Waiting　to　the　Queen






BOOK　1。


PREFACE　BY　THE　AUTHOR。

Louis　XVI。　possessed　an　immense　crowd　of　confidants；　advisers；　and　guides；　he　selected　them　even　from　among　the　factions　which　attacked　him。　Never；　perhaps；　did　he　make　a　full　disclosure　to　any　one　of　them；　and　certainly　he　spoke　with　sincerity；　to　but　very　few。　　He　invariably　kept　the　reins　of　all　secret　intrigues　in　his　own　hand；　and　thence；　doubtless；　arose　the　want　of　cooperation　and　the　weakness　which　were　so　conspicuous　in　his　measures。　　From　these　causes　considerable　chasms　will　be　found　in　the　detailed　history　of　the　Revolution。

In　order　to　become　thoroughly　acquainted　with　the　latter　years　of　the　reign　of　Louis　XV。；　memoirs　written　by　the　Duc　de　Choiseul；　the　Duc　d'Aiguillon；　the　Marechal　de　Richelieu；

　　　　　＇I　heard　Le　Marechal　de　Richelieu　desire　M。　Campan；　who　was　　　　　　librarian　to　the　Queen；　not　to　buy　the　Memoirs　which　would　certainly　　　　　　be　attributed　to　him　after　his　death；　declaring　them　false　by　　　　　　anticipation；　and　adding　that　he　was　ignorant　of　orthography；　and　　　　　　had　never　amused　himself　with　writing。　　Shortly　after　the　death　of　　　　　　the　Marshal；　one　Soulavie　put　forth　Memoirs　of　the　Marechal　de　　　　　　Richelieu。＇

and　the　Duc　de　La　Vauguyon；　should　be　before　us。　　To　give　us　a　faithful　portrait　of　the　unfortunate　reign　of　Louis　XVI。；　the　Marechal　du　Muy；　M。　de　Maurepas；　M。　de　Vergennes；　M。　de　Malesherbes；　the　Duc　d'Orleans；　M。　de　La　Fayette；　the　Abby　de　Vermond；　the　Abbe　Montesquiou；　Mirabeau；　the　Duchesse　de　Polignac；　and　the　Duchesse　de　Luynes　should　have　noted　faithfully　in　writing　all　the　transactions　in　which　they　took　decided　parts。　　The　secret　political　history　of　a　later　period　has　been　disseminated　among　a　much　greater　number　of　persons；　there　are　Ministers　who　have　published　memoirs；　but　only　when　they　had　their　own　measures　to　justify；　and　then　they　confined　themselves　to　the　vindication　of　their　own　characters；　without　which　powerful　motive　they　probably　would　have　written　nothing。　　In　general；　those　nearest　to　the　Sovereign；　either　by　birth　or　by　office；　have　left　no　memoirs；　and　in　absolute　monarchies　the　mainsprings　of　great　events　will　be　found　in　particulars　which　the　most　exalted　persons　alone　could　know。　　Those　who　have　had　but　little　under　their　charge　find　no　subject　in　it　for　a　book；　and　those　who　have　long　borne　the　burden　of　public　business　conceive　themselves　to　be　forbidden　by　duty；　or　by　respect　for　authority；　to　disclose　all　they　know。　　Others；　again；　preserve　notes；　with　the　intention　of　reducing　them　to　order　when　they　shall　have　reached　the　period　of　a　happy　leisure；　vain　illusion　of　the　ambitious；　which　they　cherish；　for　the　most　part；　but　as　a　veil　to　conceal　from　their　sight　the　hateful　image　of　their　inevitable　downfall！　and　when　it　does　at　length　take　place；　despair　or　chagrin　deprives　them　of　fortitude　to　dwell　upon　the　dazzling　period　which　they　never　cease　to　regret。

Louis　XVI。　　meant　to　write　his　own　memoirs；　the　manner　in　which　his　private　papers　were　arranged　indicated　this　design。　　The　Queen　also　had　the　same　intention；　she　long　preserved　a　large　correspondence；　and　a　great　number　of　minute　reports；　made　in　the　spirit　and　upon　the　event　of　the　moment。　　But　after　the　20th　of　June；　1792；　she　was　obliged　to　burn　the　larger　portion　of　what　she　had　so　collected；　and　the　remainder　were　conveyed　out　of　France。

Considering　the　rank　and　situations　of　the　persons　I　have　named　as　capable　of　elucidating　by　their　writings　the　history　of　our　political　storms；　it　will　not　be　imagined　that　I　aim　at　placing　myself　on　a　level　with　them；　but　I　have　spent　half　my　life　either　with　the　daughters　of　Louis　XV。　or　with　Marie　Antoinette。　　I　knew　the　characters　of　those　Princesses；　I　became　privy　to　some　extraordinary　facts；　the　publication　of　which　may　be　interesting；　and　the　truth　of　the　details　will　form　the　merit　of　my　work。

I　was　very　young　when　I　was　placed　about　the　Princesses；　the　daughters　of　Louis　XV。；　in　the　capacity　of　reader。　　I　was　acquainted　with　the　Court　of　Versailles　before　the　time　of　the　marriage　of　Louis　XVI。　with　the　Archduchess　Marie　Antoinette。

My　father；　who　was　employed　in　the　department　of　Foreign　Affairs；　enjoyed　the　reputation　due　to　his　talents　and　to　his　useful　labours。　　He　had　travelled　much。　　Frenchmen；　on　their　return　home　from　foreign　countries；　bring　with　them　a　love　for　their　own；　increased　in　warmth；　and　no　man　was　more　penetrated　with　this　feeling；　which　ought　to　be　the　first　virtue　of　every　placeman；　than　my　father。　　Men　of　high　title；　academicians；　and　learned　men；　both　natives　and　foreigners；　sought　my　father's　acquaintance；　and　were　gratified　by　being　admitted　into　his　house。

Twenty　years　before　the　Revolution　I　often　heard　it　remarked　that　the　imposing　character　of　the　power　of　Louis　XIV。　was　no　longer　to　be　found　in　the　Palace　of　Versailles；　that　the　institutions　of　the　ancient　monarchy　were　rapidly　sinking；　and　that　the　people；　crushed　beneath　the　weight　of　taxes；　were　miserable；　though　silent；　but　that　they　began　to　give　ear　to　the　bold　speeches　of　the　philosophers；　who　loudly　proclaimed　their　sufferings　and　their　rights；　and；　in　short；　that　the　age　would　not　pass　away　without　the　occurrence　of　some　great　outburst；　which　would　unsettle　France；　and　change　the　course　of　its　progress。

Those　who　thus　spoke　were　almost　all　partisans　of　M。　Turgot's　system　of　administration：　they　were　Mirabeau　the　father；　Doctor　Quesnay；　Abbe　Bandeau；　and　Abbe　Nicoli；　charge　d'affaires　to　Leopold；　Grand　Duke　of　Tuscany；　and　as　enthusiastic　an　admirer　of　the　maxims　of　the　innovators　as　his　Sovereign。

My　father　sincerely　respected　the　purity　of　intention　of　these　politicians。　　With　them　he　acknowledged　many　abuses　in　the　Government；　but　he　did　not　give　these　political　sectarians　credit　for　the　talent　necessary　for　conducting　a　judicious　reform。　　He　told　them　frankly　that　in　the　art　of　moving　the　great　machine　of　Government；　the　wisest　of　them　was　inferior　to　a　good　magistrate；　and　that　if　ever　the　helm　of　affairs　should　be　put　into　their　hands；　they　would　be　speedily　checked　in　the　execution　of　their　schemes　by　the　immeasurable　difference　existing　between　the　most　brilliant　theories　and　the　simplest　practice　of　administration。

Destiny　having　formerly　placed　me　near　crowned　heads；　I　now　amuse　my　solitude　when　in　retirement　with　collecting　a　variety　of　facts　which　may　prove　interesting　to　my　family　when　I　shall　be　no　more。　　The　idea　of　collecting　all　the　interesting　materials　which　my　memory　affords　occurred　to　me　from　reading　the　work　entitled　〃Paris；　Versailles；　and　the　Provinces　in　the　Eighteenth　Century。〃　　That　work；　composed　by　a　man　accustomed　to　the　best　society；　is　full　of　piquant　anecdotes；　nearly　all　of　which　have　been　recognised　as　true　by　the　contemporaries　of　the　author。　　I　have　put　together　all　that　concerned　the　domestic　life　of　an　unfortunate　Princess；　whose　reputation　is　not　yet　cleared　of　the　stains　it　received　from　the　attacks　of　calumny；　and　who　justly　merited　a　different　lot　in　life；　a　different　place　in　the　opinion　of　mankind　after　her　fall。　　These　memoirs；　which　were　finished　ten　years　ago；　have　met　with　the　approbation　of　some　persons；　and　my　son　may；　perhaps；　think　proper　to　print　them　after　my　decease。

J。　　L。　　H。　　C。

When　Madame　Campan　wrote　these　lines；　she　did　not　anticipate　that　the　death　of　her　son　would　precede　her　own。






HISTORIC　COURT　MEMOIRS。

MARIE　ANTOINETTE。

MEMOIR　OF　MADAME　CAMPAN。

JEANNE　LOUISE　HENRIETTE　GENET　was　born　in　Paris　on　the　6th　of　October；　1752。　　M。　Genet；　her　father；　had　obtained；　through　his　own　merit　and　the　influence　of　the　Duc　de　Choiseul；　the　place　of　first　clerk　in　the　Foreign　Office。

Literature；　which　he　had　cultivated　in　his　youth；　was　often　the　solace　of　his　leisure　hours。　　Surrounded　by　a　numerous　family；　he　made　the　instruction　of　his　children　his　chief　recreation；　and　omitted　nothing　which　was　necessary　to　render　them　highly　accomplished。　　His　clever　and　precocious　daughter　Henriette　was　very　early　accustomed　to　enter　society；　and　to　take　an　intelligent　interest　in　current　topics　and　public　events。　Accordingly；　many　of　her　relations　being　connected　with　the　Court　or　holding　official　positions；　she　amassed　a　fund　of　interesting　recollections　and　characteristic　anecdotes；　some　gathered　from　personal　experience；　others　handed　down　by　old　friends　of　the　family。

〃The　first　event　which　made　any　impression　on　me　in　my　childhood；〃　she　says　in　her　reminiscences；　〃was　the　attempt　of　Damiens　to　assassinate　Louis　XV。　　This　occurrence　struck　me　so　forcibly　that　the　most　minute　details　relating　to　the　confusion　and　grief　which　prevailed　at　Versailles　on　that　day　seem　as　present　to　my　imagination　as　the　most　recent　events。　I　had　dined　with　my　father　and　mother；　in　company　with　one　of　their　friends。　　The　drawing…room　was　lighted　up　with　a　number　of　candles；　and　four　card…tables　were　already　occupied；　when　a　friend　of　the　gentleman　of　the　house　came　in；　with　a　pale　and　terrified　countenance；　and　said；　in　a　voice　scarcely　audible；　'I　bring　you　terrible　news。　　The　King　has　been　assassinated！'　　Two　ladies　in　the　company　fainted；　a　brigadier　of　the　Body　Guards　threw　down　his　cards　and　cried　out；　'I　do　not　wonder　at　it；　it　is　those　rascally　Jesuits。''What　are　you　saying；　brother？'　cried　a　lady；　flying　to　him；　'would　you　get　yourself　arrested？''Arrested！　　For　what？　　For　unmasking　those　wretches　who　want　a　bigot　for　a　King？'　　My　father　came　in；　he　recommended　circumspection；　saying　that　the　blow　was　not　mortal；　and　that　all　meetings　ought　to　be　suspended　at　so　critical　a　moment。　　He　had　brought　the　chaise　for　my　mother；　who　placed　me　on　her　knees。　　We　lived　in　the　Avenue　de　Paris；　and　throughout　our　drive　I　heard　incessant　cries　and　sobs　from　the　footpaths。

At　last　I　saw　a　man　arrested；　he　was　an　usher　of　the　King's　chamber；　who　had　gone　mad；　and　was　crying　out；　'Yes；　I　know　them；　the　wretches！　the　villains！'　　Our　chaise　was　stopped　by　this　bustle。　　My　mother　recognised　the　unfortunate　man　who　had　been　seized；　she　gave　his　name　to　the　trooper　who　had　stopped　him。　　The　poor　usher　was　therefore　merely　conducted　to　the　gens　d'armes'　guardroom；　which　was　then　in　the　avenue。

〃I　have　often　heard　M。　de　Landsmath；　equerry　and　master　of　the　hounds；　who　used　to　come　frequently　to　my　father's；　say　that　on　the　news　of　the　attempt　on　the　King's　life　he　instantly　repaired　to　his　Majesty。　I　cannot　repeat　the　coarse　expressions　he　made　use　of　to　encourage　his　Majesty；　but　his　account　of　the　affair；　long　afterwards；　amused　the　parties　in　which　he　was　prevailed　on　to　relate　it；　when　all　apprehensions　respecting　the　consequences　of　the　event　had　subsided。　　This　M。　de　Landsmath　was　an　old　soldier；　who　had　given　proofs　of　extraordinary　valour；　nothing　had　been　able　to　soften　his　manners　or　subdue　his　excessive　bluntness　to　the　respectful　customs　of　the　Court。　　The　King　was　very　fond　of　him。　　He　possessed　prodigious　strength；　and　had　often　contended　with　Marechal　Saxe；　renowned　for　his　great　bodily　power；　in　trying　the　strength　of　their　respective　wrists。

　　　　　＇One　day　when　the　King　was　hunting　in　the　fores