the memoirs of marie antoinette-第3部分

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rformed　several　confidential　duties；　the　King　asked　Madame　Adelaide　how　he　should　reward　him。　　She　requested　him　to　create　an　office　in　his　household　of　master　of　the　wardrobe；　with　a　salary　of　a　thousand　crowns。　　'I　will　do　so；'　said　the　King；　'it　will　be　an　honourable　title；　but　tell　Campan　not　to　add　a　single　crown　to　his　expenses；　for　you　will　see　they　will　never　pay　him。'

〃Louis　XV。；　by　his　dignified　carriage；　and　the　amiable　yet　majestic　expression　of　his　features；　was　worthy　to　succeed　to　Louis　the　Great。　But　he　too　frequently　indulged　in　secret　pleasures；　which　at　last　were　sure　to　become　known。　　During　several　winters；　he　was　passionately　fond　of　'candles'　end　balls'；　as　he　called　those　parties　amongst　the　very　lowest　classes　of　society。　　He　got　intelligence　of　the　picnics　given　by　the　tradesmen；　milliners；　and　sempstresses　of　Versailles；　whither　he　repaired　in　a　black　domino；　and　masked；　accompanied　by　the　captain　of　his　Guards；　masked　like　himself。　　His　great　delight　was　to　go　'en　brouette'　＇In　a　kind　of　sedan…chair；　running　on　two　wheels；　and　drawn　by　a　chairman。＇　Care　was　always　taken　to　give　notice　to　five　or　six　officers　of　the　King's　or　Queen's　chamber　to　be　there；　in　order　that　his　Majesty　might　be　surrounded　by　people　on　whom　he　could　depend；　without　finding　it　troublesome。　　Probably　the　captain　of　the　Guards　also　took　other　precautions　of　this　description　on　his　part。　　My　father…in…law；　when　the　King　and　he　were　both　young；　has　often　made　one　amongst　the　servants　desired　to　attend　masked　at　these　parties；　assembled　in　some　garret；　or　parlour　of　a　public…house。　　In　those　times；　during　the　carnival；　masked　companies　had　a　right　to　join　the　citizens'　balls；　it　was　sufficient　that　one　of　the　party　should　unmask　and　name　himself。

〃These　secret　excursions；　and　his　too　habitual　intercourse　with　ladies　more　distinguished　for　their　personal　charms　than　for　the　advantages　of　education；　were　no　doubt　the　means　by　which　the　King　acquired　many　vulgar　expressions　which　otherwise　would　never　have　reached　his　ears。

〃Yet　amidst　the　most　shameful　excesses　the　King　sometimes　suddenly　resumed　the　dignity　of　his　rank　in　a　very　noble　manner。　　The　familiar　courtiers　of　Louis　XV。　had　one　day　abandoned　themselves　to　the　unrestrained　gaiety；　of　a　supper；　after　returning　from　the　chase。　　Each　boasted　of　and　described　the　beauty　of　his　mistress。　　Some　of　them　amused　themselves　with　giving　a　particular　account　of　their　wives'　personal　defects。　　An　imprudent　word；　addressed　to　Louis　XV。；　and　applicable　only　to　the　Queen；　instantly　dispelled　all　the　mirth　of　the　entertainment。　The　King　assumed　his　regal　air；　and　knocking　with　his　knife　on　the　table　twice　or　thrice；　'Gentlemen；　said　he；　'here　is　the　King！'

〃Those　men　who　are　most　completely　abandoned　to　dissolute　manners　are　not；　on　that　account；　insensible　to　virtue　in　women。　　The　Comtesse　de　Perigord　was　as　beautiful　as　virtuous。　　During　some　excursions　she　made　to　Choisy；　whither　she　had　been　invited；　she　perceived　that　the　King　took　great　notice　of　her。　　Her　demeanour　of　chilling　respect；　her　cautious　perseverance　in　shunning　all　serious　conversation　with　the　monarch；　were　insufficient　to　extinguish　this　rising　flame；　and　he　at　length　addressed　a　letter　to　her；　worded　in　the　most　passionate　terms。　　This　excellent　woman　instantly　formed　her　resolution：　honour　forbade　her　returning　the　King's　passion；　whilst　her　profound　respect　for　the　sovereign　made　her　unwilling　to　disturb　his　tranquillity。　　She　therefore　voluntarily　banished　herself　to　an　estate　she　possessed　called　Chalais；　near　Barbezieux；　the　mansion　of　which　had　been　uninhabited　nearly　a　century；　the　porter's　lodge　was　the　only　place　in　a　condition　to　receive　her。　From　this　seat　she　wrote　to　his　Majesty；　explaining　her　motives　for　leaving　Court；　and　she　remained　there　several　years　without　visiting　Paris。　　Louis　XV。　was　speedily　attracted　by　other　objects；　and　regained　the　composure　to　which　Madame　de　Perigord　had　thought　it　her　duty　to　sacrifice　so　much。　　Some　years　after；　Mesdames'　lady　of　honour　died。　Many　great　families　solicited　the　place。　　The　King；　without　answering　any　of　their　applications；　wrote　to　the　Comtesse　de　Perigord：　'My　daughters　have　just　lost　their　lady　of　honour；　this　place；　madame；　is　your　due；　as　much　on　account　of　your　personal　qualities　as　of　the　illustrious　name　of　your　family。'

〃Three　young　men　of　the　college　of　St。　Germain；　who　had　just　completed　their　course　of　studies；　knowing　no　person　about　the　Court；　and　having　heard　that　strangers　were　always　well　treated　there；　resolved　to　dress　themselves　completely　in　the　Armenian　costume；　and；　thus　clad；　to　present　themselves　to　see　the　grand　ceremony　of　the　reception　of　several　knights　of　the　Order　of　the　Holy　Ghost。　　Their　stratagem　met　with　all　the　success　with　which　they　had　flattered　themselves。　　While　the　procession　was　passing　through　the　long　mirror　gallery；　the　Swiss　of　the　apartments　placed　them　in　the　first　row　of　spectators；　recommending　every　one　to　pay　all　possible　attention　to　the　strangers。　　The　latter；　however；　were　imprudent　enough　to　enter　the　'oeil…de…boeuf'　chamber；　where；　were　Messieurs　Cardonne　and　Ruffin；　interpreters　of　Oriental　languages；　and　the　first　clerk　of　the　consul's　department；　whose　business　it　was　to　attend　to　everything　which　related　to　the　natives　of　the　East　who　were　in　France。　　The　three　scholars　were　immediately　surrounded　and　questioned　by　these　gentlemen；　at　first　in　modern　Greek。　　Without　being　disconcerted；　they　made　signs　that　they　did　not　understand　it。　　They　were　then　addressed　in　Turkish　and　Arabic；　at　length　one　of　the　interpreters；　losing　all　patience；　exclaimed；　'Gentlemen；　you　certainly　must　understand　some　of　the　languages　in　which　you　have　been　addressed。　　What　country　can　you　possibly　come　from　then？''From　St。　Germain…en…Laye；　sir；'　replied　the　boldest　among　them；　'this　is　the　first　time　you　have　put　the　question　to　us　in　French。'　　They　then　confessed　the　motive　of　their　disguise；　the　eldest　of　them　was　not　more　than　eighteen　years　of　age。　　Louis　XV。　was　informed　of　the　affair。　　He　laughed　heartily；　ordered　them　a　few　hours'　confinement　and　a　good　admonition；　after　which　they　were　to　be　set　at　liberty。

〃Louis　XV。　liked　to　talk　about　death；　though　he　was　extremely　apprehensive　of　it；　but　his　excellent　health　and　his　royal　dignity　probably　made　him　imagine　himself　invulnerable。　　He　often　said　to　people　who　had　very　bad　colds；　'You've　a　churchyard　cough　there。'　　Hunting　one　day　in　the　forest　of　Senard；　in　a　year　in　which　bread　was　extremely　dear；　he　met　a　man　on　horseback　carrying　a　coffin。　　'Whither　are　you　carrying　that　coffin？''To　the　village　of　；'　answered　the　peasant。　　'Is　it　for　a　man　or　a　woman？''For　a　man。''What　did　he　die　of？''Of　hunger；'　bluntly　replied　the　villager。　　The　King　spurred　on　his　horse；　and　asked　no　more　questions。

〃Weak　as　Louis　XV。　was；　the　Parliaments　would　never　have　obtained　his　consent　to　the　convocation　of　the　States　General。　　I　heard　an　anecdote　on　this　subject　from　two　officers　attached　to　that　Prince's　household。　　It　was　at　the　period　when　the　remonstrances　of　the　Parliaments；　and　the　refusals　to　register　the　decrees　for　levying　taxes；　produced　alarm　with　res