the memoirs of marie antoinette-第81章

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ese　bolts　and　casings　away　at　once；　at　least　you　can　make　no　objection　to　our　carrying　the　child　into　another　room；　for　I　suppose　we　are　sent　here　to　take　charge　of　him。〃　　The　Prince；　being　disturbed　by　these　words；　spoken　as　they　were　with　great　animation；　made　a　sign　to　the　physician　to　come　nearer。　　〃Speak　lower；　I　beg　of　you；〃　said　he；　〃I　am　afraid　they　will　hear　you　up…stairs；　and　I　should　be　very　sorry　for　them　to　know　that　I　am　ill；　as　it　would　give　them　much　uneasiness。〃

At　first　the　change　to　a　cheerful　and　airy　room　revived　the　Prince　and　gave　him　evident　pleasure；　but　the　improvement　did　not　last。　　Next　day　M。　Pelletan　learned　that　the　Government　had　acceded　to　his　request　for　a　colleague。　　M。　Dumangin；　head　physician　of　the　Hospice　de　l'Unite；　made　his　appearance　at　his　house　on　the　morning　of　Sunday；　7th　June；　with　the　official　despatch　sent　him　by　the　committee　of　public　safety。　　They　repaired　together　immediately　to　the　Tower。　　On　their　arrival　they　heard　that　the　child；　whose　weakness　was　excessive；　had　had　a　fainting　fit；　which　had　occasioned　fears　to　be　entertained　that　his　end　was　approaching。　　He　had　revived　a　little；　however；　when　the　physicians　went　up　at　about　nine　o'clock。　　Unable　to　contend　with　increasing　exhaustion；　they　perceived　there　was　no　longer　any　hope　of　prolonging　an　existence　worn　out　by　so　much　suffering；　and　that　all　their　art　could　effect　would　be　to　soften　the　last　stage　of　this　lamentable　disease。　　While　standing　by　the　Prince's　bed；　Gomin　noticed　that　he　was　quietly　crying；　and　asked　him。　　kindly　what　was　the　matter。　　〃I　am　always　alone；〃　he　said。　　〃My　dear　mother　remains　in　the　other　tower。〃　　Night　came；his　last　night；　which　the　regulations　of　the　prison　condemned　him　to　pass　once　more　in　solitude；　with　suffering；　his　old　companion；　only　at　his　side。　　This　time；　however；　death；　too；　stood　at　his　pillow。　　When　Gomin　went　up　to　the　child's　room　on　the　morning　of　8th　June；　he　said；　seeing　him　calm；　motionless；　and　mute：

〃I　hope　you　are　not　in　pain　just　now？〃

〃Oh；　yes；　I　am　still　in　pain；　but　not　nearly　so　much；the　music　is　so　beautiful！〃

Now　there　was　no　music　to　be　heard；　either　in　the　Tower　or　anywhere　near。

Gomin；　astonished；　said　to　him；　〃From　what　direction　do　you　hear　this　music？〃

〃From　above！〃

〃Have　you　heard　it　long？〃

〃Since　you　knelt　down。　　Do　you　not　hear　it？　　Listen！　　Listen！〃　　And　the　child；　with　a　nervous　motion；　raised　his　faltering　hand；　as　he　opened　his　large　eyes　illuminated　by　delight。　　His　poor　keeper；　unwilling　to　destroy　this　last　sweet　illusion；　appeared　to　listen　also。

After　a　few　minutes　of　attention　the　child　again　started；　and　cried　out；　in　intense　rapture；　〃Amongst　all　the　voices　I　have　distinguished　that　of　my　mother！〃

These　were　almost　his　last　words。　　At　a　quarter　past　two　he　died；　Lasne　only　being　in　the　room。　　at　the　time。　　Lasne　acquainted　Gomin　and　Damont；　the　commissary　on　duty；　with　the　event；　and　they　repaired　to　the　chamber　of　death。　　The　poor　little　royal　corpse　was　carried　from　the　room　into　that　where　he　had　suffered　so　long；where　for　two　years　he　had　never　ceased　to　suffer。　　From　this　apartment　the　father　had　gone　to　the　scaffold；　and　thence　the　son　must　pass　to　the　burial…ground。　　The　remains　were　laid　out　on　the　bed；　and　the　doors　of　the　apartment　were　set　open；　doors　which　had　remained　closed　ever　since　the　Revolution　had　seized　on　a　child；　then　full　of　vigour　and　grace　and　life　and　health！

At　eight　o'clock　next　morning　（9th　June）　four　members　of　the　committee　of　general　safety　came　to　the　Tower　to　make　sure　that　the　Prince　was　really　dead。　　When　they　were　admitted　to　the　death…chamber　by　Lasne　and　Damont　they　affected　the　greatest　indifference。　　〃The　event　is　not　of　the　least　importance；〃　they　repeated；　several　times　over；　〃the　police　commissary　of　the　section　will　come　and　receive　the　declaration　of　the　decease；　he　will　acknowledge　it；　and　proceed　to　the　interment　without　any　ceremony；　and　the　committee　will　give　the　necessary　directions。〃　　As　they　withdrew；　some　officers　of　the　Temple　guard　asked　to　see　the　remains　of　little　Capet。　　Damont　having　observed　that　the　guard　would　not　permit　the　bier　to　pass　without　its　being　opened；　the　deputies　decided　that　the　officers　and　non…commissioned　officers　of　the　guard　going　off　duty；　together　with　those　coming　on；　should　be　all　invited　to　assure　themselves　of　the　child's　death。　　All　having　assembled　in　the　room　where　the　body　lay；　he　asked　them　if　they　recognised　it　as　that　of　the　ex…Dauphin；　son　of　the　last　King　of　France。　　Those　who　had　seen　the　young　Prince　at　the　Tuileries；　or　at　the　Temple　（and　most　of　them　had）；　bore　witness　to　its　being　the　body　of　Louis　XVII。　　When　they　were　come　down　into　the　council…　room；　Darlot　drew　up　the　minutes　of　this　attestation；　which　was　signed　by　a　score　of　persons。　　These　minutes　were　inserted　in　the　journal　of　the　Temple　tower；　which　was　afterwards　deposited　in　the　office　of　the　Minister　of　the　Interior。

During　this　visit　the　surgeons　entrusted　with　the　autopsy　arrived　at　the　outer　gate　of　the　Temple。　　These　were　Dumangin；　head　physician　of　the　Hospice　de　1'Unite；　Pelletan；　head　surgeon　of　the　Grand　Hospice　de　1'Humanite；　Jeanroy；　professor　in　the　medical　schools　of　Paris；　and　Laasus；　professor　of　legal　medicine　at　the　Ecole　de　Sante　of　Paris。　The　last　two　were　selected　by　Dumangin　and　Pelletan　because　of　the　former　connection　of　M。　Lassus　with　Mesdames　de　France；　and　of　M。　Jeanroy　with　the　House　of　Lorraine；　which　gave　a　peculiar　weight　to　their　signatures。　Gomin　received　them　in　the　council…room；　and　detained　them　until　the　National　Guard；　descending　from　the　second　floor；　entered　to　sign　the　minutes　prepared　by　Darlot。　　This　done；　Lasne；　Darlot；　and　Bouquet　went　up　again　with　the　surgeons；　and　introduced　them　into　the　apartment　of　Louis　XVII。；　whom　they　at　first　examined　as　he　lay　on　his　death…bed；　but　M。　Jeanroy　observing　that　the　dim　light　of　this　room　was　but　little　favourable　to　the　accomplishment　of　their　mission；　the　commissaries　prepared　a　table　in　the　first　room；　near　the　window；　on　which　the　corpse　was　laid；　and　the　surgeons　began　their　melancholy　operation。

At　seven　o'clock　the　police　commissary　ordered　the　body　to　be　taken　up；　and　that　they　should　proceed　to　the　cemetery。　　It　was　the　season　of　the　longest　days；　and　therefore　the　interment　did　not　take　place　in　secrecy　and　at　night；　as　some　misinformed　narrators　have　said　or　written；　it　took　place　in　broad　daylight；　and　attracted　a　great　concourse　of　people　before　the　gates　of　the　Temple　palace。　　One　of　the　municipals　wished　to　have　the　coffin　carried　out　secretly　by　the　door　opening　into　the　chapel　enclosure；　but　M。　Duaser；　police　commiasary；　who　was　specially　entrusted　with　the　arrangement　of　the　ceremony；　opposed　this　indecorous　measure；　and　the　procession　passed　out　through　the　great　gate。　　The　crowd　that　was　pressing　round　was　kept　back；　and　compelled　to　keep　a　line；　by　a　tricoloured　ribbon；　held　at　short　distances　by　gendarmes。　　Compassion　and　sorrow　were　impressed　on　every　countenance。

A　small　detachment　of　the　troops　of　the　line　from　the　garrison　of　Paris；　sent　by　the　authorities；　was　waiting　to　serve　as　an　escort。　　The　bier；　still　covered　with　the　pall；　was　carried　on　a　litter　on　the　shoulders　of　four　men；　who　relieved　each　other　two　at　a　time；　it　was　preceded　by　six　or　eight　men；　headed　by　a　sergeant。　　The　procession　was　accompanied　a　long　way　by　the　crowd；　and　a　great　number　of　persona　followed　it　even　to　the　cemetery。　　The　name　of　〃Little　Capet；〃　and　the　more　popular　title　of　Dauphin；　spread　from　lip　to　lip；　with　exclamations　of　pity　and　compassion。　　The　funeral　entered　the　cemetery　of　Ste。　Marguerite；　not　by　the　church；　as　some　accounts　assert；　but　by　the　old　gate　of　the　cemetery。　The　interment　was　made　in　the　corner；　on　the　left；　at　a　distance　of　eight　or　nine　feet　from　the　enclosure　wall；　and　at　an　equal　distance　from　a　small　house；　which　subsequently　served　as　a　school。　　The　grave　was　filled　up；no　mound　marked　its　place；　and　not　even　a　trace　remained　of　the　interment！　　Not　till　then　did　the　commissaries　of　police　and　the　municipality　withdraw；　and　enter　the　house　opposite　the　church　to　draw　up　the　declaration　of　interment。　　It　was　nearly　nine　o'clock；　and　still　daylight。




　　　　　Release　of　Madame　Royale。Her　Marriage　to　the　Duc　d'Angouleme。　　　　　　Return　to　France。Death。

The　last　person　to　hear　of　the　sad　events　in　the　Temple　was　the　one　for　whom　they　had　the　deepest　and　most　painful　interest。　　After　her　brother's　death　the　captivity　of　Madame　Royale　was　much　lightened。　　She　was　allowed　to　walk　in　the　Temple　gardens；　and　to　receive　visits　from　some　ladies　of　the　old　Court；　and　from　Madame　de　Chantereine；　who　at　last；　after　several　times　evading　her　questions；　ventured　cautiously　to　tell　her　of　the　deaths　of　her　mother；　aunt；　and　brother。　　Madame　Royale　wept　bitterly；　but　had　much　difficulty　in　expressing　her　feelings。　　〃She　spoke　so　confusedly；〃　says　Madame　de　la　Ramiere　in　a　letter　to　Madame　de　Verneuil；　〃that　it　was　difficult　to　understand　her。　　It　took　her　more　than　a　month's　reading　aloud；　with　careful　study　of　pronunciation；　to　make　herself　intelligible；so　much　had　she　lost　the　power　of　expression。〃　She　was　dressed　with　plainness　amounting　to　poverty；　and　her　hands　were　disfigured　by　exposure　to　cold　and　by　the　menial　work　she　had　been　so　long　accustomed　to　do　for　herself；　and　which　it　was　difficult　to　persuade　her　to　leave　off。　　When　urged　to　accept　the　services　of　an　attendant；　she　replied；　with　a　sad　prevision　of　the　vicissitudes　of　her　future　life；　that　she　did　not　like　to　form　a　habit　which　she　might　have　again　to　abandon。　　She　suffered　herself；　however；　to　be　persuaded　gradually　to　modify　her　recluse　and　ascetic　habits。　　It　was　well　she　did　so；　as　a　preparation　for　the　great　changes　about　to　follow。

Nine　days　after　the　death　of　her　brother；　the　city　of　Orleans　interceded　for　the　daughter　of　Louis　XVI。；　and　sent　deputies　to　the　Convention　to　pray　for　her　deliverance　and　restoration　to　her　family。　　Names　followed　this　example；　and　Charette；　on　the　part　of　the　Vendeans；　demanded；　as　a　condition　of　the　pacification　of　La　Vendee；　that　the　Princess　should　be　allowed　to　join　her　relations。　　At　length　the　Convention　decreed　that　Madame　Royale　should　be　exchanged　with　Austria　for　the　representatives　and　ministers　whom　Dumouriez　had　given　up　to　the　Prince　of　Cobourg；　Drouet；　Semonville；　Maret；　and　other　prisoners　of　importance。　　At　midnight　on　19th　December；　1795；　which　was　her　birthday；　the　Princess　was　released　from　prison；　the　Minister　of　the　Interior；　M。　Benezech；　to　avoid　attracting　public　attention　and　possible　disturbance；　conducting　her　on　foot　from　the　Temple　to　a　neighbouring　street；　where　his　carriage　awaited　her。　　She　made　it　her　particular　request　that　Gomin；　who　had　been　so　devoted　to　her　brother；　should　be　the　commissary　appointed　to　accompany　her　to　the　frontier；　Madame　de　Soucy；　formerly　under…governess　to　the　children　of　France；　was　also　in　attendance；　and　the　Princess　took　with　her　a　dog　named　Coco；　which　had　belonged　to　Louis　XVI。

　　　　　＇The　mention　of　the　little　dog　taken　from　the　Temple　by　Madame　　　　　　Royale　reminds　me　how　fond　all　the　family　were　of　these　creatures。　　　　　　Each　Princess　kept　a　different　kind。　　Mesdames　had　beau