the memoirs of marie antoinette-第108部分

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　or　five　inches　of　blank　paper　above　her　signature；　a　circumstance　which　rendered　me　very　uneasy；　from　an　apprehension　that　an　improper　use　might　be　made　of　those　signatures。　　She　desired　me　to　demand　admission　to　the　committee　of　general　safety；　and　to　make　this　declaration　there。　　I　repaired　thither　instantly　and　found　a　deputy；　with　whose　name　I　have　never　become　acquainted。　　After　hearing　me　he　said　that　he　would　not　receive　my　deposition；　that　Marie　Antoinette　was　now　nothing　more　than　any　other　Frenchwoman；　and　that　if　any　of　those　detached　papers　bearing　her　signature　should　be　misapplied；　she　would　have；　at　a　future　period；　a　right　to　lodge　a　complaint；　and　to　support　her　declaration　by　the　facts　which　I　had　just　related。　　The　Queen　then　regretted　having　sent　me；　and　feared　that　she　had；　by　her　very　caution；　pointed　out　a　method　of　fabricating　forgeries　which　might　be　dangerous　to　her；　then　again　she　exclaimed；　〃My　apprehensions　are　as　absurd　as　the　step　I　made　you　take。　They　need　nothing　more　for　our　ruin；　all　has　been　told。〃

She　gave　us　details　of　what　had　taken　place　subsequently　to　the　King's　arrival　at　the　Assembly。　　They　are　all　well　known；　and　I　have　no　occasion　to　record　them；　I　will　merely　mention　that　she　told　us；　though　with　much　delicacy；　that　she　was　not　a　little　hurt　at　the　King's　conduct　since　he　had　quitted　the　Tuileries；　that　his　habit　of　laying　no　restraint　upon　his　great　appetite　had　prompted　him　to　eat　as　if　he　had　been　at　his　palace；　that　those　who　did　not　know　him　as　she　did；　did　not　feel　the　piety　and　the　magnanimity　of　his　resignation；　all　which　produced　so　bad　an　effect　that　deputies　who　were　devoted　to　him　had　warned　him　of　it；　but　no　change　could　be　effected。

I　still　see　in　imagination；　and　shall　always　see；　that　narrow　cell　at　the　Feuillans；　hung　with　green　paper；　that　wretched　couch　whence　the　dethroned；　Queen　stretched　out　her　arms　to　us；　saying　that　our　misfortunes；　of　which　she　was　the　cause；　increased　her　own。　　There；　for　the　last　time；　I　saw　the　tears；　I　heard　the　sobs　of　her　whom　high　birth；　natural　endowments；　and；　above　all；　goodness　of　heart；　had　seemed　to　destine　to　adorn　any　throne；　and　be　the　happiness　of　any　people！　　It　is　impossible　for　those　who　lived　with　Louis　XVI。　and　Marie　Antoinette　not　to　be　fully　convinced；　while　doing　full　justice　to　the　King's　virtues；　that　if　the　Queen　had　been　from　the　moment　of　her　arrival　in　France　the　object　of　the　care　and　affection　of　a　prince　of　decision　and　authority；　she　would　have　only　added　to　the　glory　of　his　reign。

What　affecting　things　I　have　heard　the　Queen　say　in　the　affliction　caused　her　by　the　belief　of　part　of　the　Court　and　the　whole　of　the　people　that　she　did　not　love　France！　　How　did　that　opinion　shock　those　who　knew　her　heart　and　her　sentiments！　　Twice　did　I　see　her　on　the　point　of　going　from　her　apartments　in　the　Tuileries　into　the　gardens；　to　address　the　immense　throng　constantly　assembled　there　to　insult　her。　　〃Yes；〃　exclaimed　she；　as　she　paced　her　chamber　with　hurried　steps；　〃I　will　say　to　them　Frenchmen；　they　have　had　the　cruelty　to　persuade　you　that　I　do　not　love　France！　I！　the　mother　of　a　Dauphin　who　will　reign　over　this　noble　country！　I！　whom　Providence　has　seated　upon　the　most　powerful　throne　of　Europe！　　Of　all　the　daughters　of　Maria　Theresa　am　I　not　that　one　whom　fortune　has　most　highly　favoured？　　And　ought　I　not　to　feel　all　these　advantages？　　What　should　I　find　at　Vienna？　　Nothing　but　sepulchres！　　What　should　I　lose　in　France？　　Everything　which　can　confer　glory！〃

I　protest　I　only　repeat　her　own　words；　the　soundness　of　her　judgment　soon　pointed　out　to　her　the　dangers　of　such　a　proceeding。　　〃I　should　descend　from　the　throne；〃　said　she；　〃merely；　perhaps；　to　excite　a　momentary　sympathy；　which　the　factious　would　soon　render　more　injurious　than　beneficial　to　me。〃

Yes；　not　only　did　Marie　Antoinette　love　France；　but　few　women　took　greater　pride　in　the　courage　of　Frenchmen。　　I　could　adduce　a　multitude　of　proofs　of　this；　I　will　relate　two　traits　which　demonstrate　the　noblest　enthusiasm：　The　Queen　was　telling　me　that；　at　the　coronation　of　the　Emperor　Francis　II。；　that　Prince；　bespeaking　the　admiration　of　a　French　general　officer；　who　was　then　an　emigrant；　for　the　fine　appearance　of　his　troops；　said　to　him；　〃There　are　the　men　to　beat　your　sans　culottes！〃　〃That　remains　to　be　seen；　Sire；〃　instantly　replied　the　officer。　　The　Queen　added；　〃I　don't　know　the　name　of　that　brave　Frenchman；　but　I　will　learn　it；　the　King　ought　to　be　in　possession　of　it。〃　　As　she　was　reading　the　public　papers　a　few　days　before　the　10th　of　August；　she　observed　that　mention　was　made　of　the　courage　of　a　young　man　who　died　in　defending　the　flag　he　carried；　and　shouting；　〃Vive　la　Nation！〃〃Ah！　the　fine　lad！〃　said　the　Queen；　〃what　a　happiness　it　would　have　been　for　us　if　such　men　had　never　left　off　crying；　〃Vive　de　Roi！〃

In　all　that　I　have　hitherto　said　of　this　most　unfortunate　of　women　and　of　queens；　those　who　did　not　live　with　her；　those　who　knew　her　but　partially；　and　especially　the　majority　of　foreigners；　prejudiced　by　infamous　libels；　may　imagine　I　have　thought　it　my　duty　to　sacrifice　truth　on　the　altar　of　gratitude。　　Fortunately　I　can　invoke　unexceptionable　witnesses；　they　will　declare　whether　what　I　assert　that　I　have　seen　and　heard　appears　to　them　either　untrue　or　improbable。







End　of　The　Memoirs　of　Marie　Antoinette；　V6　by　Madame　Campan






MEMOIRS　OF　THE　COURT　OF　MARIE　ANTOINETTE；　QUEEN　OF　FRANCE

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


BOOK　7。

CHAPTER　IX。

The　Queen　having　been　robbed　of　her　purse　as　she　was　passing　from　the　Tuileries　to　the　Feuillans；　requested　my　sister　to　lend　her　twenty…five　louis。

　　　　　＇On　being　interrogated　the　Queen　declared　that　these　five　and　twenty　　　　　　louis　had　been　lent　to　her　by　my　sister；　this　formed　a　pretence　for　　　　　　arresting　her　and　me；　and　led　to　her　death。MADAME　CAMPAN。＇

I　spent　part　of　the　day　at　the　Feuillans；　and　her　Majesty　told　me　she　would　ask　Potion　to　let　me　be　with　her　in　the　place　which　the　Assembly　should　decree　for　her　prison。　　I　then　returned　home　to　prepare　everything　that　might　be　necessary　for　me　to　accompany　her。

On　the　same　day　（11th　August）；　at　nine　in　the　evening；　I　returned　to　the　Feuillans。　　I　found　there　were　orders　at　all　the　gates　forbidding　my　being　admitted。　　I　claimed　a　right　to　enter　by　virtue　of　the　first　permission　which　had　been　given　to　me；　I　was　again　refused。　　I　was　told　that　the　Queen　had　as　many　people　as　were　requisite　about　her。　　My　sister　was　with　her；　as　well　as　one　of　my　companions；　who　came　out　of　the　prisons　of　the　Abbaye　on　the　11th。　　I　renewed　my　solicitations　on　the　12th；　my　tears　and　entreaties　moved　neither　the　keepers　of　the　gates；　nor　even　a　deputy；　to　whom　I　addressed　myself。

I　soon　heard　of　the　removal　of　Louis　XVI。　and　his　family　to　the　Temple。　I　went　to　Potion　accompanied　by　M。　Valadon；　for　whom　I　had　procured　a　place　in　the　post…office；　and　who　was　devoted　to　me。　　He　determined　to　go　up　to　Potion　alone；　he　told　him　that　those　who　requested　to　be　confined　could　not　be　suspected　of　evil　designs；　and　that　no　political　opinion　could　afford　a　ground　of　objection　to　th