the memoirs of marie antoinette-第17部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


er　again。

The　Queen　often　spoke　of　her　mother；　and　with　profound　respect；　but　she　based　all　her　schemes　for　the　education　of　her　children　on　the　essentials　which　had　been　neglected　in　her　own。　　Maria　Theresa；　who　inspired　awe　by　her　great　qualities；　taught　the　Archduchesses　to　fear　and　respect　rather　than　to　love　her；　at　least　I　observed　this　in　the　Queen's　feelings　towards　her　august　mother。　　She　therefore　never　desired　to　place　between　her　own　children　and　herself　that　distance　which　had　existed　in　the　imperial　family。　　She　cited　a　fatal　consequence　of　it；　which　had　made　such　a　powerful　impression　upon　her　that　time　had　never　been　able　to　efface　it。

The　wife　of　the　Emperor　Joseph　II。　was　taken　from　him　in　a　few　days　by　an　attack　of　smallpox　of　the　most　virulent　kind。　　Her　coffin　had　recently　been　deposited　in　the　vault　of　the　imperial　family。　　The　Archduchess　Josepha；　who　had　been　betrothed　to　the　King　of　Naples；　at　the　instant　she　was　quitting　Vienna　received　an　order　from　the　Empress　not　to　set　off　without　having　offered　up　a　prayer　in　the　vault　of　her　forefathers。　　The　Archduchess；　persuaded　that　she　should　take　the　disorder　to　which　her　sister…in…law　had　just　fallen　a　victim；　looked　upon　this　order　as　her　death…warrant。　　She　loved　the　young　Archduchess　Marie　Antoinette　tenderly；　she　took　her　upon　her　knees；　embraced　her　with　tears；　and　told　her　she　was　about　to　leave　her；　not　for　Naples；　but　never　to　see　her　again；　that　she　was　going　down　then　to　the　tomb　of　her　ancestors；　and　that　she　should　shortly　go　again　there　to　remain。　　Her　anticipation　was　realised；　confluent　smallpox　carried　her　off　in　a　very　few　days；　and　her　youngest　sister　ascended　the　throne　of　Naples　in　her　place。

The　Empress　was　too　much　taken　up　with　high　political　interests　to　have　it　in　her　power　to　devote　herself　to　maternal　attentions。　　The　celebrated　Wansvietten；　her　physician；　went　daily；　to　visit　the　young　imperial　family；　and　afterwards　to　Maria　Theresa；　and　gave　the　most　minute　details　respecting　the　health　of　the　Archdukes　and　Archduchesses；　whom　she　herself　sometimes　did　not　see　for　eight　or　ten　days　at　a　time。　　As　soon　as　the　arrival　of　a　stranger　of　rank　at　Vienna　was　made　known；　the　Empress　brought　her　family　about　her；　admitted　them　to　her　table；　and　by　this　concerted　meeting　induced　a　belief　that　she　herself　presided　over　the　education　of　her　children。

The　chief　governesses；　being　under　no　fear　of　inspection　from　Maria　Theresa；　aimed　at　making　themselves　beloved　by　their　pupils　by　the　common　and　blamable　practice　of　indulgence；　so　fatal　to　the　future　progress　and　happiness　of　children。　　Marie　Antoinette　was　the　cause　of　her　governess　being　dismissed；　through　a　confession　that　all　her　copies　and　all　her　letters　were　invariably　first　traced　out　with　pencil；　the　Comtesse　de　Brandes　was　appointed　to　succeed　her；　and　fulfilled　her　duties　with　great　exactness　and　talent。　　The　Queen　looked　upon　having　been　confided　to　her　care　so　late　as　a　misfortune；　and　always　continued　upon　terms　of　friendship　with　that　lady。　　The　education　of　Marie　Antoinette　was　certainly　very　much　neglected。　　With　the　exception　of　the　Italian　language；　all　that　related　to　belles　lettres；　and　particularly　to　history；　even　that　of　her　own　country；　was　almost　entirely　unknown　to　her。　　This　was　soon　found　out　at　the　Court　of　France；　and　thence　arose　the　generally　received　opinion　that　she　was　deficient　in　sense。　　It　will　be　seen　in　the　course　of　these　〃Memoirs〃　whether　that　opinion　was　well　or　ill　founded。　　The　public　prints；　however；　teemed　with　assertions　of　the　superior　talents　of　Maria　Theresa's　children。　　They　often　noticed　the　answers　which　the　young　Princesses　gave　in　Latin　to　the　harangues　addressed　to　them；　they　uttered　them；　it　is　true；　but　without　understanding　them；　they　knew　not　a　single　word　of　that　language。

Mention　was　one　day　made　to　the　Queen　of　a　drawing　made　by　her；　and　presented　by　the　Empress　to　M。　Gerard；　chief　clerk　of　Foreign　Affairs；　on　the　occasion　of　his　going　to　Vienna　to　draw　up　the　articles　for　her　marriage…contract。　　〃I　should　blush；〃　said　she；　〃if　that　proof　of　the　quackery　of　my　education　were　shown　to　me。　　I　do　not　believe　that　I　ever　put　a　pencil　to　that　drawing。〃　　However；　what　had　been　taught　her　she　knew　perfectly　well。　　Her　facility　of　learning　was　inconceivable；　and　if　all　her　teachers　had　been　as　well　informed　and　as　faithful　to　their　duty　as　the　Abbe　Metastasio；　who　taught　her　Italian；　she　would　have　attained　as　great　a　superiority　in　the　other　branches　of　her　education。　　The　Queen　spoke　that　language　with　grace　and　ease；　and　translated　the　most　difficult　poets。　　She　did　not　write　French　correctly；　but　she　spoke　it　with　the　greatest　fluency；　and　even　affected　to　say　that　she　had　lost　German。　　In　fact　she　attempted　in　1787　to　learn　her　mother…tongue；　and　took　lessons　assiduously　for　six　weeks；　she　was　obliged　to　relinquish　them；　finding　all　the　difficulties　which　a　Frenchwoman；　who　should　take　up　the　study　too　late；　would　have　to　encounter。　　In　the　same　manner　she　gave　up　English；　which　I　had　taught　her　for　some　time；　and　in　which　she　had　made　rapid　progress。　　Music　was　the　accomplishment　in　which　the　Queen　most　delighted。　　She　did　not　play　well　on　any　instrument；　but　she　had　become　able　to　read　at　sight　like　a　first…rate　professor。　　She　attained　this　degree　of　perfection　in　France；　this　branch　of　her　education　having　been　neglected　at　Vienna　as　much　as　the　rest。　　A　few　days　after　her　arrival　at　Versailles；　she　was　introduced　to　her　singing…master；　La　Garde；　author　of　the　opera　of　〃Egle。〃　　She　made　a　distant　appointment　with　him；　needing；　as　she　said；　rest　after　the　fatigues　of　the　journey　and　the　numerous　fetes　which　had　taken　place　at　Versailles；　but　her　motive　was　her　desire　to　conceal　how　ignorant　she　was　of　the　rudiments　of　music。　　She　asked　M。　Campan　whether　his　son；　who　was　a　good　musician；　could　give　her　lessons　secretly　for　three　months。　　〃The　Dauphiness；〃　added　she；　smiling；　〃must　be　careful　of　the　reputation　of　the　Archduchess。〃　　The　lessons　were　given　privately；　and　at　the　end　of　three　months　of　constant　application　she　sent　for　M。　la　Garde；　and　surprised　him　by　her　skill。

The　desire　to　perfect　Marie　Antoinette　in　the　study　of　the　French　language　was　probably　the　motive　which　determined　Maria　Theresa　to　provide　for　her　as　teachers　two　French　actors：　Aufresne；　for　pronunciation　and　declamation；　and　Sainville；　for　taste　in　French　singing；　the　latter　had　been　an　officer　in　France；　and　bore　a　bad　character。　　The　choice　gave　just　umbrage　to　our　Court。　　The　Marquis　de　Durfort；　at　that　time　ambassador　at　Vienna；　was　ordered　to　make　a　representation　to　the　Empress　upon　her　selection。　　The　two　actors　were　dismissed；　and　the　Princess　required　that　an　ecclesiastic　should　be　sent　to　her。　　Several　eminent　ecclesiastics　declined　taking　upon　themselves　so　delicate　an　office；　others　who　were　pointed　out　by　Maria　Theresa　（among　the　rest　the　Abbe　Grisel）　belonged　to　parties　which　sufficed　to　exclude　them。

The　Archbishop　of　Toulouse　one　day　went　to　the　Duc　de　Choiseul　at　the　moment　when　he　was　much　embarrassed　upon　the　subject　of　this　nomination；　he　proposed　to　him　the　Abby　de　Vermond；　librarian　of　the　College　des　Quatre　Natio