the memoirs of marie antoinette-第27部分

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finest　water。　　The　earrings　which　they　composed　had；　before　the　death　of　Louis　XV。；　been　destined　for　the　Comtesse　du　Barry。

Boehmer；　by　the　recommendation　of　several　persons　about　the　Court；　came　to　offer　these　jewels　to　the　Queen。　　He　asked　four　hundred　thousand　francs　for　them。　　The　young　Princess　could　not　withstand　her　wish　to　purchase　them；　and　the　King　having　just　raised　the　Queen's　income；　which；　under　the　former　reign；　had　been　but　two　hundred　thousand　livres；　to　one　hundred　thousand　crowns　a　year；　she　wished　to　make　the　purchase　out　of　her　own　purse；　and　not　burthen　the　royal　treasury　with　the　payment。　　She　proposed　to　Boehmer　to　take　off　the　two　buttons　which　formed　the　tops　of　the　clusters；　as　they　could　be　replaced　by　two　of　her　own　diamonds。　　He　consented；　and　then　reduced　the　price　of　the　earrings　to　three　hundred　and　sixty　thousand　francs；　the　payment　for　which　was　to　be　made　by　instalments；　and　was　discharged　in　the　course　of　four　or　five　years　by　the　Queen's　first　femme　de　chambre；　deputed　to　manage　the　funds　of　her　privy　purse。　　I　have　omitted　no　details　as　to　the　manner　in　which　the　Queen　first　became　possessed　of　these　jewels；　deeming　them　very　needful　to　place　in　its　true　light　the　too　famous　circumstance　of　the　necklace；　which　happened　near　the　end　of　her　reign。

It　was　also　on　this　first　journey　to　Marly　that　the　Duchesse　de　Chartres；　afterwards　Duchesse　d'Orleans；　introduced　into　the　Queen's　household　Mademoiselle　Bertin；　a　milliner　who　became　celebrated　at　that　time　for　the　total　change　she　effected　in　the　dress　of　the　French　ladies。

It　may　be　said　that　the　mere　admission　of　a　milliner　into　the　house　of　the　Queen　was　followed　by　evil　consequences　to　her　Majesty。　　The　skill　of　the　milliner；　who　was　received　into　the　household；　in　spite　of　the　custom　which　kept　persons　of　her　description　out　of　it；　afforded　her　the　opportunity　of　introducing　some　new　fashion　every　day。　　Up　to　this　time　the　Queen　had　shown　very　plain　taste　in　dress；　she　now　began　to　make　it　a　principal　occupation；　and　she　was　of　course　imitated　by　other　women。

All　wished　instantly　to　have　the　same　dress　as　the　Queen；　and　to　wear　the　feathers　and　flowers　to　which　her　beauty；　then　in　its　brilliancy；　lent　an　indescribable　charm。　　The　expenditure　of　the　younger　ladies　was　necessarily　much　increased；　mothers　and　husbands　murmured　at　it；　some　few　giddy　women　contracted　debts；　unpleasant　domestic　scenes　occurred；　in　many　families　coldness　or　quarrels　arose；　and　the　general　report　was；that　the　Queen　would　be　the　ruin　of　all　the　French　ladies。

Fashion　continued　its　fluctuating　progress；　and　head…dresses；　with　their　superstructures　of　gauze；　flowers；　and　feathers；　became　so　lofty　that　the　women　could　not　find　carriages　high　enough　to　admit　them；　and　they　were　often　seen　either　stooping；　or　holding　their　heads　out　of　the　windows。　Others　knelt　down　in　order　to　manage　these　elevated　objects　of　ridicule　with　less　danger。

　　　　　＇If　the　use　of　these　extravagant　feathers　and　head…dresses　had　　　　　　continued；　say　the　memoirs　of　that　period　very　seriously；　it　would　　　　　　have　effected　a　revolution　in　architecture。　　It　would　have　been　　　　　　found　necessary　to　raise　the　doors　and　ceilings　of　the　boxes　at　the　　　　　　theatre；　and　particularly　the　bodies　of　carriages。　　It　was　not　　　　　　without　mortification　that　the　King　observed　the　Queen's　adoption　of　　　　　　this　style　of　dress：　she　was　never　so　lovely　in　his　eyes　as　when　　　　　　unadorned　by　art。　　One　day　Carlin；　performing　at　Court　as　harlequin；　　　　　　stuck　in　his　hat；　instead　of　the　rabbit's　tail；　its　prescribed　　　　　　ornament；　a　peacock's　feather　of　excessive　length。　　This　new　　　　　　appendage；　which　repeatedly　got　entangled　among　the　scenery；　gave　　　　　　him　an　opportunity　for　a　great　deal　of　buffoonery。　　There　was　some　　　　　　inclination　to　punish　him；　but　it　was　presumed　that　he　had　not　　　　　　assumed　the　feather　without　authority。…NOTE　BY　THE　EDITOR。＇

Innumerable　caricatures；　exhibited　in　all　directions；　and　some　of　which　artfully　gave　the　features　of　the　Queen；　attacked　the　extravagance　of　fashion；　but　with　very　little　effect。　　It　changed　only；　as　is　always　the　case；　through　the　influence　of　inconstancy　and　time。

The　Queen's　toilet　was　a　masterpiece　of　etiquette；　everything　was　done　in　a　prescribed　form。　　Both　the　dame　d'honneur　and　the　dame　d'atours　usually　attended　and　officiated；　assisted　by　the　first　femme　de　chambre　and　two　ordinary　women。　　The　dame　d'atours　put　on　the　petticoat；　and　handed　the　gown　to　the　Queen。　　The　dame　d'honneur　poured　out　the　water　for　her　hands　and　put　on　her　linen。　　When　a　princess　of　the　royal　family　happened　to　be　present　while　the　Queen　was　dressing；　the　dame　d'honneur　yielded　to　her　the　latter　act　of　office；　but　still　did　not　yield　it　directly　to　the　Princesses　of　the　blood；　in　such　a　case　the　dame　d'honneur　was　accustomed　to　present　the　linen　to　the　first　femme　de　chambre；　who；　in　her　turn；　handed　it　to　the　Princess　of　the　blood。　　Each　of　these　ladies　observed　these　rules　scrupulously　as　affecting　her　rights。　　One　winter's　day　it　happened　that　the　Queen；　who　was　entirely　undressed；　was　just　going　to　put　on　her　shift；　I　held　it　ready　unfolded　for　her；　the　dame　d'honneur　came　in；　slipped　off　her　gloves；　and　took　it。　　A　scratching　was　heard　at　the　door；　it　was　opened；　and　in　came　the　Duchesse　d'Orleans：　her　gloves　were　taken　off；　and　she　came　forward　to　take　the　garment；　but　as　it　would　have　been　wrong　in　the　dame　d'honneur　to　hand　it　to　her　she　gave　it　to　me；　and　I　handed　it　to　the　Princess。　　More　scratching　it　was　Madame　la　Comtesse　de　Provence；　the　Duchesse　d'Orl4ans　handed　her　the　linen。　　All　this　while　the　Queen　kept　her　arms　crossed　upon　her　bosom；　and　appeared　to　feel　cold；　Madame　observed　her　uncomfortable　situation；　and；　merely　laying　down　her　handkerchief　without　taking　off　her　gloves；　she　put　on　the　linen；　and　in　doing　so　knocked　the　Queen's　cap　off。　　The　Queen　laughed　to　conceal　her　impatience；　but　not　until　she　had　muttered　several　times；　〃How　disagreeable！　　how　tiresome！〃

All　this　etiquette；　however　inconvenient；　was　suitable　to　the　royal　dignity；　which　expects　to　find　servants　in　all　classes　of　persons；　beginning　even　with　the　brothers　and　sisters　of　the　monarch。

Speaking　here　of　etiquette；　I　do　not　allude　to　majestic　state；　appointed　for　days　of　ceremony　in　all　Courts。　　I　mean　those　minute　ceremonies　that　were　pursued　towards　our　Kings　in　their　inmost　privacies；　in　their　hours　of　pleasure；　in　those　of　pain；　and　even　during　the　most　revolting　of　human　infirmities。

These　servile　rules　were　drawn　up　into　a　kind　of　code；　they　offered　to　a　Richelieu；　a　La　Rochefoucauld　and　a　Duras；　in　the　exercise　of　their　domestic　functions；　opportunities　of　intimacy　useful　to　their　interests；　and　their　vanity　was　flattered　by　customs　which　converted　the　right　to　give　a　glass　of　water；　to　put　on　a　dress；　and　to　remove　a　basin；　into　honourable　prerogatives。

Princes　thus　accustomed　to　be　treated　as　divinities　naturally　ended　by　believing　that　they　were　of　a　distinct　nature；　of　a　purer　essence　than　the　rest　of　mankind。

This　sort　of　etiquette；　which　led　our　Princes　to　be　treated　in　private　as　idols；　made　them　in　public　martyrs　to　decorum。　　Marie　Antoinette　found　in　t