the memoirs of marie antoinette-第26部分

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r　of　their　situation。　　It　became　necessary　instantly　to　send　away　the　young　royal　family；　and　the　Chateau　de　la　Muette；　in　the　Bois　de　Boulogne；　was　selected　for　their　reception。　　Their　arrival　at　that　residence；　which　was　very　near　Paris；　drew　so　great　a　concourse　of　people　into　its　neighbourhood；　that　even　at　daybreak　the　crowd　had　begun　to　assemble　round　the　gates。　　Shouts　of　〃Vive　le　Roi！〃　　were　scarcely　interrupted　for　a　moment　between　six　o'clock　in　the　morning　and　sunset。　The　unpopularity　the　late　King；　had　drawn　upon　himself　during　his　latter　years；　and　the　hopes　to　which　a　new　reign　gives　birth；　occasioned　these　transports　of　joy。

A　fashionable　jeweller　made　a　fortune　by　the　sale　of　mourning　snuff…　boxes；　whereon　the　portrait　of　the　young　Queen；　in　a　black　frame　of　shagreen；　gave　rise　to　the　pun：　〃Consolation　in　chagrin。〃　　All　the　fashions；　and　every　article　of　dress；　received　names　expressing　the　spirit　of　the　moment。　　Symbols　of　abundance　were　everywhere　represented；　and　the　head…dresses　of　the　ladies　were　surrounded　by　ears　of　wheat。　Poets　sang　of　the　new　monarch；　all　hearts；　or　rather　all　heads；　in　France　were　filled　with　enthusiasm。　　Never　did　the　commencement　of　any　reign　excite　more　unanimous　testimonials　of　love　and　attachment。　　It　must　be　observed；　however；　that；　amidst　all　this　intoxication；　the　anti…Austrian　party　never　lost　sight　of　the　young　Queen；　but　kept　on　the　watch；　with　the　malicious　desire　to　injure　her　through　such　errors　as　might　arise　from　her　youth　and　inexperience。

Their　Majesties　had　to　receive　at　La　Muette　the　condolences　of　the　ladies　who　had　been　presented　at　Court；　who　all　felt　themselves　called　on　to　pay　homage　to　the　new　sovereigns。　　Old　and　young　hastened　to　present　themselves　on　the　day　of　general　reception；　little　black　bonnets　with　great　wings；　shaking　heads；　low　curtsies；　keeping　time　with　the　motions　of　the　head；　made；　it　must　be　admitted；　a　few　venerable　dowagers　appear　somewhat　ridiculous；　but　the　Queen；　who　possessed　a　great　deal　of　dignity；　and　a　high　respect　for　decorum；　was　not　guilty　of　the　grave　fault　of　losing　the　state　she　was　bound　to　preserve。　　An　indiscreet　piece　of　drollery　of　one　of　the　ladies　of　the　palace；　however；　procured　her　the　imputation　of　doing　so。　　The　Marquise　de　Clermont…Tonnerre；　whose　office　required　that　she　should　continue　standing　behind　the　Queen；　fatigued　by　the　length　of　the　ceremony；　seated　herself　on　the　floor；　concealed　behind　the　fence　formed　by　the　hoops　of　the　Queen　and　the　ladies　of　the　palace。　Thus　seated；　and　wishing　to　attract　attention　and　to　appear　lively；　she　twitched　the　dresses　of　those　ladies；　and　played　a　thousand　other　tricks。　The　contrast　of　these　childish　pranks　with　the　solemnity　which　reigned　over　the　rest　of　the　Queen's　chamber　disconcerted　her　Majesty：　she　several　times　placed　her　fan　before　her　face　to　hide　an　involuntary　smile；　and　the　severe　old　ladies　pronounced　that　the　young　Queen　had　decided　all　those　respectable　persons　who　were　pressing　forward　to　pay　their　homage　to　her；　that　she　liked　none　but　the　young；　that　she　was　deficient　in　decorum；　and　that　not　one　of　them　would　attend　her　Court　again。　　The　epithet　'moqueuse'　was　applied　to　her；　and　there　is　no　epithet　less　favourably　received　in　the　world。

The　next　day　a　very　ill…natured　song　was　circulated；　the　stamp　of　the　party　to　which　it　was　attributable　might　easily　be　seen　upon　it。　　I　remember　only　the　following　chorus：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Little　Queen；　you　must　not　be　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　So　saucy；　with　your　twenty　years；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Your　ill…used　courtiers　soon　will　see　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　You　pass；　once　more；　the　barriers。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Fal　lal　lal；　fal　lal　la。〃

The　errors　of　the　great；　or　those　which　ill…nature　chooses　to　impute　to　them；　circulate　in　the　world　with　the　greatest　rapidity；　and　become　historical　traditions；　which　every　one　delights　to　repeat。

More　than　fifteen　years　after　this　occurrence　I　heard　some　old　ladies　in　the　most　retired　part　of　Auvergne　relating　all　the　particulars　of　the　day　of　public　condolence　for　the　late　King；　on　which；　as　they　said；　the　Queen　had　laughed　in　the　faces　of　the　sexagenarian　duchesses　and　princesses　who　had　thought　it　their　duty　to　appear　on　the　occasion。

The　King　and　the　Princes；　his　brothers；　determined　to　avail　themselves　of　the　advantages　held　out　by　inoculation；　as　a　safeguard　against　the　illness　under　which　their　grandfather　had　just　fallen；　but　the　utility　of　this　new　discovery　not　being　then　generally　acknowledged　in　France；　many　persons　were　greatly　alarmed　at　the　step；　those　who　blamed　it　openly　threw　all　the　responsibility　of　it　upon　the　Queen；　who　alone；　they　said；　could　have　ventured　to　give　such　rash　advice；　inoculation　being　at　this　time　established　in　the　Northern　Courts。　　The　operation　upon　the　King　and　his　brothers；　performed　by　Doctor　Jauberthou；　was　fortunately　quite　successful。

When　the　convalescence　of　the　Princes　was　perfectly　established；　the　excursions　to　Marly　became　cheerful　enough。　　Parties　on　horseback　and　in　calashes　were　formed　continually。　　The　Queen　was　desirous　to　afford　herself　one　very　innocent　gratification；　she　had　never　seen　the　day　break；　and　having　now　no　other　consent　than　that　of　the　King　to　seek；　she　intimated　her　wish　to　him。　　He　agreed　that　she　should　go；　at　three　o'clock　in　the　morning；　to　the　eminences　of　the　gardens　of　Marly；　and；　unfortunately；　little　disposed　to　partake　in　her　amusements；　he　himself　went　to　bed。　　Foreseeing　some　inconveniences　possible　in　this　nocturnal　party；　the　Queen　determined　on　having　a　number　of　people　with　her；　and　even　ordered　her　waiting　women　to　accompany　her。　　All　precautions　were　ineffectual　to　prevent　the　effects　of　calumny；　which　thenceforward　sought　to　diminish　the　general　attachment　that　she　had　inspired。　　A　few　days　afterwards；　the　most　wicked　libel　that　appeared　during　the　earlier　years　of　her　reign　was　circulated　in　Paris。　　The　blackest　colours　were　employed　to　paint　an　enjoyment　so　harmless　that　there　is　scarcely　a　young　woman　living　in　the　country　who　has　not　endeavoured　to　procure　it　for　herself。　The　verses　which　appeared　on　this　occasion　were　entitled　〃Sunrise。〃

The　Duc　d'Orleans；　then　Duc　de　Chartres；　was　among　those　who　accompanied　the　young　Queen　in　her　nocturnal　ramble：　he　appeared　very　attentive　to　her　at　this　epoch；　but　it　was　the　only　moment　of　his　life　in　which　there　was　any　advance　towards　intimacy　between　the　Queen　and　himself。　　The　King　disliked　the　character　of　the　Duc　de　Chartres；　and　the　Queen　always　excluded　him　from　her　private　society。　　It　is　therefore　without　the　slightest　foundation　that　some　writers　have　attributed　to　feelings　of　jealousy　or　wounded　self…love　the　hatred　which　he　displayed　towards　the　Queen　during　the　latter　years　of　their　existence。

It　was　on　this　first　journey　to　Marly　that　Boehmer；　the　jeweller；　appeared　at　Court；a　man　whose　stupidity　and　avarice　afterwards　fatally　affected　the　happiness　and　reputation　of　Marie　Antoinette。　　This　person　had；　at　great　expense；　collected　six　pear…formed　diamonds　of　a　prodigious　size；　they　were　perfectly　matched　and　of　the　finest　water。　　The　earrings　which　they　composed　had；　before　the　death　of　Louis　XV。；　been　destined　fo