the memoirs of marie antoinette-第52章

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〃Kings　ought　to　proceed　in　their　career　undisturbed　by　the　cries　of　the　people；　even　as　the　moon　pursues　her　course　unimpeded　by　the　baying　of　dogs。〃　　This　maxim　of　the　despotic　sovereign　of　Russia　was　very　inapplicable　to　the　situation　of　a　captive　king。

Meanwhile　the　revolutionary　party　followed　up　its　audacious　enterprise　in　a　determined　manner；　without　meeting　any　opposition。　　The　advice　from　without；　as　well　from　Coblentz　as　from　Vienna；　made　various　impressions　upon　the　members　of　the　royal　family；　and　those　cabinets　were　not　in　accordance　with　each　other。　　I　often　had　reason　to　infer　from　what　the　Queen　said　to　me　that　she　thought　the　King；　by　leaving　all　the　honour　of　restoring　order　to　the　Coblentz　party；＇The　Princes　and　the　chief　of　the　emigrant　nobility　assembled　at　Coblentz；　and　the　name　was　used　to　designate　the　reactionary　party。＇would；　on　the　return　of　the　emigrants；　be　put　under　a　kind　of　guardianship　which　would　increase　his　own　misfortunes。　　She　frequently　said　to　me；　〃If　the　emigrants　succeed；　they　will　rule　the　roast　for　a　long　time；　it　will　be　impossible　to　refuse　them　anything；　to　owe　the　crown　to　them　would　be　contracting　too　great　an　obligation。〃　　It　always　appeared　to　me　that　she　wished　her　own　family　to　counterbalance　the　claims　of　the　emigrants　by　disinterested　services。　She　was　fearful　of　M。　de　Calonne；　and　with　good　reason。　　She　had　proof　that　this　minister　was　her　bitterest　enemy；　and　that　he　made　use　of　the　most　criminal　means　in　order　to　blacken　her　reputation。　　I　can　testify　that　I　have　seen　in　the　hands　of　the　Queen　a　manuscript　copy　of　the　infamous　memoirs　of　the　woman　De　Lamotte；　which　had　been　brought　to　her　from　London；　and　in　which　all　those　passages　where　a　total　ignorance　of　the　customs　of　Courts　had　occasioned　that　wretched　woman　to　make　blunders　which　would　have　been　too　palpable　were　corrected　in　M。　de　Calonne's　own　handwriting。

The　two　King's　Guards　who　were　wounded　at　her　Majesty's　door　on　the　6th　of　October　were　M。　du　Repaire　and　M。　de　Miomandre　de　Sainte…Marie；　on　the　dreadful　night　of　the　6th　of　October　the　latter　took　the　post　of　the　former　the　moment　he　became　incapable　of　maintaining　it。

A　considerable　number　of　the　Body　Guards；　who　were　wounded　on　the　6th　of　October；　betook　themselves　to　the　infirmary　at　Versailles。　　The　brigands　wanted　to　make　their　way　into　the　infirmary　in　order　to　massacre　them。　M。　Viosin；　head　surgeon　of　that　infirmary；　ran　to　the　entrance　hall；　invited　the　assailants　to　refresh　themselves；　ordered　wine　to　be　brought；　and　found　means　to　direct　the　Sister　Superior　to　remove　the　Guards　into　a　ward　appropriated　to　the　poor；　and　dress　them　in　the　caps　and　greatcoats　furnished　by　the　institution。　　The　good　sisters　executed　this　order　so　promptly　that　the　Guards　were　removed；　dressed　as　paupers；　and　their　beds　made；　while　the　assassins　were　drinking。　　They　searched　all　the　wards；　and　fancied　they　saw　no　persons　there　but　the　sick　poor；　thus　the　Guards　were　saved。

M。　de　Miomandre　was　at　Paris；　living　on　terms　of　friendship　with　another　of　the　Guards；　who；　on　the　same　day；　received　a　gunshot　wound　from　the　brigands　in　another　part　of　the　Chateau。　　These　two　officers；　who　were　attended　and　cured　together　at　the　infirmary　of　Versailles；　were　almost　constant　companions；　they　were　recognised　at　the　Palais　Royal；　and　insulted。　　The　Queen　thought　it　necessary　for　them　to　quit　Paris。　　She　desired　me　to　write　to　M。　de　Miomandre　de　Sainte…Marie；　and　tell　him　to　come　to　me　at　eight　o'clock　in　the　evening；　and　then　to　communicate　to　him　her　wish　to　hear　of　his　being　in　safety；　and　ordered　me；　when　he　had　made　up　his　mind　to　go；　to　tell　him　in　her　name　that　gold　could　not　repay　such　a　service　as　he　had　rendered；　that　she　hoped　some　day　to　be　in　sufficiently　happy　circumstances　to　recompense　him　as　she　ought；　but　that　for　the　present　her　offer　of　money　was　only　that　of　a　sister　to　a　brother　situated　as　he　then　was；　and　that　she　requested　he　would　take　whatever　might　be　necessary　to　discharge　his　debts　at　Paris　and　defray　the　expenses　of　his　journey。　　She　told　me　also　to　desire　he　would　bring　his。　friend　Bertrand　with　him；　and　to　make　him　the　same　offer。

The　two　Guards　came　at　the　appointed　hour；　and　accepted；　I　think；　each　one　or　two　hundred　louis。　　A　moment　afterwards　the　Queen　opened　my　door；　she　was　accompanied　by　the　King　and　Madame　Elisabeth；　the　King　stood　with　his　back　against　the　fireplace；　the　Queen　sat　down　upon　a　sofa　and　Madame　Elisabeth　sat　near　her；　I　placed　myself　behind　the　Queen；　and　the　two　Guards　stood　facing　the　King。　　The　Queen　told　them　that　the　King　wished　to　see　before　they　went　away　two　of　the　brave　men　who　had　afforded　him　the　strongest　proofs　of　courage　and　attachment。　　Miomandre　said　all　that　the　Queen's　affecting　observations　were　calculated　to　inspire。　　Madame　Elisabeth　spoke　of　the　King's　gratitude；　the　Queen　resumed　the　subject　of　their　speedy　departure；　urging　the　necessity　of　it；　the　King　was　silent；　but　his　emotion　was　evident；　and　his　eyes　were　suffused　with　tears。　　The　Queen　rose；　the　King　went　out；　and　Madame　Elisabeth　followed　him；　the　Queen　stopped　and　said　to　me；　in　the　recess　of　a　window；　〃I　am　sorry　I　brought　the　King　here！　　I　am　sure　Elisabeth　thinks　with　me；　if　the　King　had　but　given　utterance　to　a　fourth　part　of　what　he　thinks　of　those　brave　men　they　would　have　been　in　ecstacies；　but　he　cannot　overcome　his　diffidence。〃

The　Emperor　Joseph　died　about　this　time。　　The　Queen's　grief　was　not　excessive；　that　brother　of　whom　she　had　been　so　proud；　and　whom　she　had　loved　so　tenderly；　had　probably　suffered　greatly　in　her　opinion；　she　reproached　him　sometimes；　though　with　moderation；　for　having　adopted　several　of　the　principles　of　the　new　philosophy；　and　perhaps　she　knew　that　he　looked　upon　our　troubles　with　the　eye　of　the　sovereign　of　Germany　rather　than　that　of　the　brother　of　the　Queen　of　France。

The　Emperor　on　one　occasion　sent　the　Queen　an　engraving　which　represented　unfrocked　nuns　and　monks。　　The　first　were　trying　on　fashionable　dresses；　the　latter　were　having　their　hair　arranged；　the　picture　was　always　left　in　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