the memoirs of marie antoinette-第128部分

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telligible；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　beautiful　　　　　　spaniels；　little　grayhounds　were　preferred　by　Madame　Elisabeth。　　　　　　Louis　XVI。　was　the　only　one　of　all　his　family　who　had　no　dogs　in　his　　　　　　room。　　I　remember　one　day　waiting　in　the　great　gallery　for　the　　　　　　King's　retiring；　when　he　entered　with　all　his　family　and　the　whole　　　　　　pack；　who　were　escorting　him。　　All　at　once　all　the　dogs　began　to　　　　　　bark；　one　louder　than　another；　and　ran　away；　passing　like　ghosts　　　　　　along　those　great　dark　rooms；　which　rang　with　their　hoarse　cries。　　　　　　The　Princesses　shouting；　calling　them；　running　everywhere　after　　　　　　them；　completed　a　ridiculous　spectacle；　which　made　those　august　　　　　　persons　very　merry。　D'HEZECQUES；　p。　49。＇

She　was　frequently　recognised　on　her　way　through　France；　and　always　with　marks　of　pleasure　and　respect。

It　might　have　been　supposed　that　the　Princess　would　rejoice　to　leave　behind　her　the　country　which　had　been　the　scene　of　so　many　horrors　and　such　bitter　suffering。　　But　it　was　her　birthplace；　and　it　held　the　graves　of　all　she　loved；　and　as　she　crossed　the　frontier　she　said　to　those　around　her；　〃I　leave　France　with　regret；　for　I　shall　never　cease　to　consider　it　my　country。〃　　She　arrived　in　Vienna　on　9th　January；　1796；　and　her　first　care　was　to　attend　a　memorial　service　for　her　murdered　relatives。　　After　many　weeks　of　close　retirement　she　occasionally　began　to　appear　in　public；　and　people　looked　with　interest　at　the　pale；　grave；　slender　girl　of　seventeen；　dressed　in　the　deepest　mourning；　over　whose　young　head　such　terrible　storms　had　swept。　　The　Emperor　wished　her　to　marry　the　Archduke　Charles　of　Austria；　but　her　father　and　mother　had；　even　in　the　cradle；　destined　her　hand　for　her　cousin；　the　Duc　d'Angouleme；　son　of　the　Comte　d'Artois；　and　the　memory　of　their　lightest　wish　was　law　to　her。

Her　quiet　determination　entailed　anger　and　opposition　amounting　to　persecution。　　Every　effort　was　made　to　alienate　her　from　her　French　relations。　　She　was　urged　to　claim　Provence；　which　had　become　her　own　if　Louis　XVIII。　　was　to　be　considered　King　of　France。　　A　pressure　of　opinion　was　brought　to　bear　upon　her　which　might　well　have　overawed　so　young　a　girl。　　〃I　was　sent　for　to　the　Emperor's　cabinet；〃　she　writes；　〃where　I　found　the　imperial　family　assembled。　　The　ministers　and　chief　imperial　counsellors　were　also　present　。　　。　　。　　。　　When　the　Emperor　invited　me　to　express　my　opinion；　I　answered　that　to　be　able　to　treat　fittingly　of　such　interests　I　thought；　I　ought　to　be　surrounded　not　only　by　my　mother's　relatives；　but　also　by　those　of　my　father　。　　。　　。　　。　　Besides；　I　said；　I　was　above　all　things　French；　and　in　entire　subjection　to　the　laws　of　France；　which　had　rendered　me　alternately　the　subject　of　the　King　my　father；　the　King　my　brother；　and　the　King　my　uncle；　and　that　I　would　yield　obedience　to　the　latter；　whatever　might　be　his　commands。　　This　declaration　appeared　very　much　to　dissatisfy　all　who　were　present；　and　when　they　observed　that　I　was　not　to　be　shaken；　they　declared　that　my　right　being　independent　of　my　will；　my　resistance　would　not　be　the　slightest　obstacle　to　the　measures　they　might　deem　it　necessary　to　adopt　for　the　preservation　of　my　interests。〃

In　their　anxiety　to　make　a　German　princess　of　Marie　Therese；　her　imperial　relations　suppressed　her　French　title　as　much　as　possible。　　When；　with　some　difficulty；　the　Duc　de　Grammont　succeeded　in　obtaining　an　audience　of　her；　and　used　the　familiar　form　of　address；　she　smiled　faintly；　and　bade　him　beware。　　〃Call　me　Madame　de　Bretagne；　or　de　Bourgogne；　or　de　Lorraine；〃　she　said；　〃for　here　I　am　so　identified　with　these　provinces　＇which　the　Emperor　wished　her　to　claim　from　her　uncle　Louis　XVIII。＇　that　I　shall　end　in　believing　in　my　own　transformation。〃　　After　these　discussions　she　was　so　closely　watched；　and　so　many　restraints　were　imposed　upon　her；　that　she　was　scarcely　less　a　prisoner　than　in　the　old　days　of　the　Temple；　though　her　cage　was　this　time　gilded。　　Rescue；　however；　was　at　hand。

In　1798　Louis　XVIII。　accepted　a　refuge　offered　to　him　at　Mittau　by　the　Czar　Paul；　who　had　promised　that　he　would　grant　his　guest's　first　request；　whatever　it　might　be。　　Louis　begged　the　Czar　to　use　his　influence　with　the　Court　of　Vienna　to　allow　his　niece　to　join　him。　〃Monsieur；　my　brother；〃　was　Paul's　answer；　〃Madame　Royale　shall　be　restored　to　you；　or　I　shall　cease　to　be　Paul　I。〃　　Next　morning　the　Czar　despatched　a　courier　to　Vienna　with　a　demand　for　the　Princess；　so　energetically　worded　that　refusal　must　have　been　followed　by　war。　Accordingly；　in　May；　1799；　Madame　Royale　was　allowed　to　leave　the　capital　which　she　had　found　so　uncongenial　an　asylum。

In　the　old　ducal　castle　of　Mittau；　the　capital　of　Courland；　Louis　XVIII。　and　his　wife；　with　their　nephews；　the　Ducs　d'Angouleme

　　　　　＇The　Duc　d'Angonleme　was　quiet　and　reserved。　　He　loved　hunting　as　　　　　　means　of　killing　time；　was　given　to　early　hours　and　innocent　　　　　　pleasures。　　He　was　a　gentleman；　and　brave　as　became　one。　　He　had　not　　　　　　the　〃gentlemanly　vices〃　of　his　brother；　and　was　all　the　better　for　　　　　　it。　　He　was　ill　educated；　but　had　natural　good　sense；　and