the memoirs of marie antoinette-第35部分

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te　de　Broglie。　　One　of　the　presses　of　this　cabinet　was　full　of　cardboard　boxes；　containing　papers　relative　to　the　House　of　Austria；　inscribed　in　the　King's　own　hand：　〃Secret　papers　of　my　family　respecting　the　House　of　Austria；　papers　of　my　family　respecting　the　Houses　of　Stuart　and　Hanover。〃　　In　an　adjoining　press　were　kept　papers　relative　to　Russia。　Satirical　works　against　Catherine　II。　　and　against　Paul　I。　　were　sold　in　France　under　the　name　of　histories；　Louis　XV11。　collected　and　sealed　up　with　his　small　seal　the　scandalous　anecdotes　against　Catherine　II。；　as　well　as　the　works　of　Rhulieres；　of　which　he　had　a　copy；　to　be　certain　that　the　secret　life　of　that　Princess；　which　attracted　the　curiosity　of　her　contemporaries；　should　not　be　made　public　by　his　means。

Above　the　King's　private　library　were　a　forge；　two　anvils；　and　a　vast　number　of　iron　tools；　various　common　locks；　well　made　and　perfect；　some　secret　locks；　and　locks　ornamented　with　gilt　copper。　　It　was　there　that　the　infamous　Gamin；　who　afterwards　accused　the　King　of　having　tried　to　poison　him；　and　was　rewarded　for　his　calumny　with　a　pension　of　twelve　thousand　livres；　taught　him　the　art　of　lock…making。　　This　Gamin；　who　became　our　guide；　by　order　of　the　department　and　municipality　of　Versailles；　did　not；　however；　denounce　the　King　on　the　20th　December；　1792。　　He　had　been　made　the　confidant　of　that　Prince　in　an　immense　number　of　important　commissions；　the　King　had　sent　him　the　〃Red　Book；〃　from　Paris；　in　a　parcel；　and　the　part　which　was　concealed　during　the　Constituent　Assembly　still　remained　so　in　1793。　　Gamin　hid　it　in　a　part　of　the　Chateau　inaccessible　to　everybody；　and　took　it　from　under　the　shelves　of　a　secret　press　before　our　eyes。　　This　is　a　convincing　proof　that　Louis　XVI。　hoped　to　return　to　his　Chiteau。　　When　teaching　Louis　XVI。　his　trade　Gamin　took　upon　himself　the　tone　and　authority　of　a　master。　〃The　King　was　good；　forbearing；　timid；　inquisitive；　and　addicted　to　sleep；〃　said　Gamin　to　me；　〃he　was　fond　to　excess　of　lock…making；　and　he　concealed　himself　from　the　Queen　and　the　Court　to　file　and　forge　with　me。　In　order　to　convey　his　anvil　and　my　own　backwards　and　forwards　we　were　obliged　to　use　a　thousand　stratagems；　the　history　of　which　would：　never　end。〃　　Above　the　King's　and　Gamin's　forges　and　anvils　was　an；　observatory；　erected　upon　a　platform　covered　with　lead。　　There；　seated　on　an　armchair；　and　assisted　by　a　telescope；　the　King　observed　all　that　was　passing　in　the　courtyards　of　Versailles；　the　avenue　of　Paris；　and　the　neighbouring　gardens。　　He　had　taken　a　liking　to　Duret；　one　of　the　indoor　servants　of　the　palace；　who　sharpened　his　tools；　cleaned　his　anvils；　pasted　his　maps；　and　adjusted　eyeglasses　to　the　King's　sight；　who　was　short…sighted。　　This　good　Duret；　and　indeed　all　the　indoor　servants；　spoke　of　their　master　with　regret　and　affection；　and　with　tears　in　their　eyes。

The　King　was　born　weak　and　delicate；　but　from　the　age　of　twenty…four　he　possessed　a　robust　constitution；　inherited　from　his　mother；　who　was　of　the　House　of　Saxe；　celebrated　for　generations　for　its　robustness。　　There　were　two　men　in　Louis　XVI。；　the　man　of　knowledge　and　the　man　of　will。　The　King　knew　the　history　of　his　own　family　and　of　the　first　houses　of　France　perfectly。　　He　composed　the　instructions　for　M。　de　la　Peyrouse's　voyage　round　the　world；　which　the　minister　thought　were　drawn　up　by　several　members　of　the　Academy　of　Sciences。　　His　memory　retained　an　infinite　number　of　names　and　situations。　　He　remembered　quantities　and　numbers　wonderfully。　　One　day　an　account　was　presented　to　him　in　which　the　minister　had　ranked　among　the　expenses　an　item　inserted　in　the　account　of　the　preceding　year。　　〃There　is　a　double　charge；〃　said　the　King；　〃bring　me　last　year's　account；　and　I　will　show　it　yet　there。〃　　When　the　King　was　perfectly　master　of　the　details　of　any　matter；　and　saw　injustice；　he　was　obdurate　even　to　harshness。　　Then　he　would　be　obeyed　instantly；　in　order　to　be　sure　that　he　was　obeyed。

But　in　important　affairs　of　state　the　man　of　will　was　not　to　be　found。　Louis　XVI。　was　upon　the　throne　exactly　what　those　weak　temperaments　whom　nature　has　rendered　incapable　of　an　opinion　are　in　society。　　In　his　pusillanimity；　he　gave　his　confidence　to　a　minister；　and　although　amidst　various　counsels　he　often　knew　which　was　the　best；　he　never　had　the　resolution　to　say；　〃I　prefer　the　opinion　of　such　a　one。〃　　Herein　originated　the　misfortunes　of　the　State。SOULAVIE'S　〃Historical　and　Political　Memoirs　Of　the　Reign　Of　LOUIS　XVI。；〃　VOL　ii。




CHAPTER　VII。

The　winter　following　the　confinement　of　the　Comtesse　d'Artois　was　very　severe；　the　recollections　of　the　pleasure　which　sleighing…parties　had　given　the　Queen　in　her　childhood　made　her　wish　to　introduce　similar　ones　in　France。　　This　amusement　had　already　been　known　in　that　Court；　as　was　proved　by　sleighs　being　found　in　the　stables　which　had　been　used　by　the　Dauphin；　the　father　of　Louis　XVI。　　Some　were　constructed　for　the　Queen　in　a　more　modern　style。　　The　Princes　also　ordered　several；　and　in　a　few　days　there　was　a　tolerable　number　of　these　vehicles。　　They　were　driven　by　the　princes　and　noblemen　of　the　Court。　　The　noise　of　the　bells　and　balls　with　which　the　harness　of　the　horses　was　furnished；　the　elegance　and　whiteness　of　their　plumes；　the　varied　forms　of　the　carriages；　the　gold　with　which　they　were　all　ornamented；　rendered　these　parties　delightful　to　the　eye。　The　winter　was　very　favourable　to　them；　the　snow　remaining　on　the　ground　nearly　six　weeks；　the　drives　in　the　park　afforded　a　pleasure　shared　by　the　spectators。

　　　　　＇Louis　XVI。；　touched　with　the　wretched　condition　of　the　poor　of　　　　　　Versailles　during　the　winter　of　1776；　had　several　cart…loads　of　wood　　　　　　distributed　among　them。　　Seeing　one　day　a　file　of　those　vehicles　　　　　　passing　by；　while　several　noblemen　were　preparing　to　be　drawn　　　　　　swiftly　over　the　ice；　he　uttered　these　memorable　words：　〃Gentlemen；　　　　　　here　are　my　sleighs！〃NOTE　BY　THE　EDITOR。＇

No　one　imagined　that　any　blame　could　attach　to　so　innocent　an　amusement。　But　the　party　were　tempted　to　extend　their　drives　as　far　as　the　Champs　Elysees；　a　few　sleighs　even　crossed　the　boulevards；　the　ladies　being　masked；　the　Queen's　enemies　took　the　opportunity　of　saying　that　she　had　traversed　the　streets　of　Paris　in　a　sleigh。

This　became　a　matter　of　moment。　　The　public　discovered　in　it　a　predilection　for　the　habits　of　Vienna；　but　all　that　Marie　Antoinette　did　was　criticised。

Sleigh…driving；　savouring　of　the　Northern　Courts；　had　no　favour　among　the　Parisians。　　The　Queen　was　informed　of　this；　and　although　all　the　sleighs　were　preserved；　and　several　subsequent　winters　lent　themselves　to　the　amusement；　she　would　not　resume　it。

It　was　at　the　time　of　the　sleighing…parties　that　the　Queen　became　intimately　acquainted　with　the　Princesse　de　Lamballe；　who　made　her　appearance　in　them　wrapped　in　fur；　with　all　the　brilliancy　and　freshness　of　the　age　of　twenty；the　emblem　of　spring；　peeping　from　under　sable　and　ermine。　　Her　situation；　moreover；　rendered　her　peculiarly　interesting；　married；　when　she　was　scarcely　past　childhood；　to　a　young　prince；　who　ruined　himself　by　the　contagious　example　of　the　Duc　d'Orleans；　she　had　had　nothing　to　do　from　the　t