the memoirs of marie antoinette-第53部分

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Comtesse　du　Nord。　　They　were　presented　on　the　20th　of　May；　1782。　　The　Queen　received　them　with　grace　and　dignity。　　On　the　day　of　their　arrival　at　Versailles　they　dined　in　private　with　the　King　and　Queen。

The　plain；　unassuming　appearance　of　Paul　I。　pleased　Louis　XVI。　　He　spoke　to　him　with　more　confidence　and　cheerfulness　than　he　had　spoken　to　Joseph　II。　　The　Comtesse　du　Nord　was　not　at　first　so　successful　with　the　Queen。　This　lady　was　of　a　fine　height；　very　fat　for　her　age；　with　all　the　German　stiffness；　well　informed；　and　perhaps　displaying　her　acquirements　with　rather　too　much　confidence。　　When　the　Comte　and　Comtesse　du　Nord　were　presented　the　Queen　was　exceedingly　nervous。　　She　withdrew　into　her　closet　before　she　went　into　the　room　where　she　was　to　dine　with　the　illustrious　travellers；　and　asked　for　a　glass　of　water；　confessing　〃she　had　just　experienced　how　much　more　difficult　it　was　to　play　the　part　of　a　queen　in　the　presence　of　other　sovereigns；　or　of　princes　born　to　become　so；　than　before　courtiers。〃　　She　soon　recovered　from　her　confusion；　and　reappeared　with　ease　and　confidence。　　The　dinner　was　tolerably　cheerful；　and　the　conversation　very　animated。

Brilliant　entertainments　were　given　at　Court　in　honour　of　the　King　of　Sweden　and　the　Comte　du　Nord。　　They　were　received　in　private　by　the　King　and　Queen；　but　they　were　treated　with　much　more　ceremony　than　the　Emperor；　and　their　Majesties　always　appeared　to　me　to　be　very；　cautious　before　these　personages。　　However；　the　King　one　day　asked　the　Russian　Grand　Duke　if　it　were　true　that　he　could　not　rely　on　the　fidelity　of　any　one　of　those　who　accompanied　him。　　The　Prince　answered　him　without　hesitation；　and　before　a　considerable　number　of　persons；　that　he　should　be　very　sorry　to　have　with　him　even　a　poodle　that　was　much　attached　to　him；　because　his　mother　would　take　care　to　have　it　thrown　into　the　Seine；　with　a　stone　round　its　neck；　before　he　should　leave　Paris。　　This　reply；　which　I　myself　heard；　horrified　me；　whether　it　depicted　the　disposition　of　Catherine；　or　only　expressed　the　Prince's　prejudice　against　her。

The　Queen　gave　the　Grand　Duke　a　supper　at　Trianon；　and　had　the　gardens　illuminated　as　they　had　been　for　the　Emperor。　　The　Cardinal　de　Rohan　very　indiscreetly　ventured　to　introduce　himself　there　without　the　Queen's　knowledge。　　Having　been　treated　with　the　utmost　coolness　ever　since　his　return　from　Vienna；　he　had　not　dared　to　ask　her　himself　for　permission　to　see　the　illumination；　but　he　persuaded　the　porter　of　Trianon　to　admit　him　as　soon　as　the　Queen　should　have　set　off　for　Versailles；　and　his　Eminence　engaged　to　remain　in　the　porter's　lodge　until　all　the　carriages　should　have　left　the　chateau。　　He　did　not　keep　his　word；　and　while　the　porter　was　busy　in　the　discharge　of　his　duty；　the　Cardinal；　who　wore　his　red　stockings　and　had　merely　thrown　on　a　greatcoat；　went　down　into　the　garden；　and；　with　an　air　of　mystery；　drew　up　in　two　different　places　to　see　the　royal　family　and　suite　pass　by。

Her　Majesty　was　highly　offended　at　this　piece　of　boldness；　and　next　day　ordered　the　porter　to　be　discharged。　　There　was　a　general　feeling　of　disgust　at　the　Cardinal's　conduct；　and　of　commiseration　towards　the　porter　for　the　loss　of　his　place。　　Affected　at　the　misfortune　of　the　father　of　a　family；　I　obtained　his　forgiveness；　and　since　that　time　I　have　often　regretted　the　feeling　which　induced　me　to　interfere。　　The　notoriety　of　the　discharge　of　the　porter　of　Trianon；　and　the　odium　that　circumstance　would　have　fixed　upon　the　Cardinal；　would　have　made　the　Queen's　dislike　to　him　still　more　publicly　known；　and　would　probably　have　prevented　the　scandalous　and　notorious　intrigue　of　the　necklace。

The　Queen；　who　was　much　prejudiced　against　the　King　of　Sweden；　received　him　very　coldly。

　　　　　＇Gustavus　III。；　King　of　Sweden；　travelled　in　France　under　the　title　　　　　　of　Comte　d'Haga。　　Upon　his　accession　to　the　throne；　he　managed　the　　　　　　revolution　which　prostrated　the　authority　of　the　Senate　with　equal　　　　　　skill；　coolness；　and　courage。　　He　was　assassinated　in　1792；　at　a　　　　　　masked　ball；　by　Auckarstrum。NOTE　BY　THE　EDITOR。＇

All　that　was　said　of　the　private　character　of　that　sovereign；　his　connection　with　the　Comte　de　Vergennes；　from　the　time　of　the　Revolution　of　Sweden；　in　1772；　the　character　of　his　favourite　Armfeldt；　and　the　prejudices　of　the　monarch　himself　against　the　Swedes　who　were　well　received　at　the　Court　of　Versailles；　formed　the　grounds　of　this　dislike。　He　came　one　day　uninvited　and　unexpected；　and　requested　to　dine　with　the　Queen。　　The　Queen　received　him　in　the　little　closet；　and　desired　me　to　send　for　her　clerk　of　the　kitchen；　that　she　might　be　informed　whether　there　was　a　proper　dinner　to　set　before　Comte　d'Haga；　and　add　to　it　if　necessary。　　The　King　of　Sweden　assured　her　that　there　would　be　enough　for　him；　and　I　could　not　help　smiling　when　I　thought　of　the　length　of　the　menu　of　the　dinner　of　the　King　and　Queen；　not　half　of　which　would　have　made　its　appearance　had　they　dined　in　private。　　The　Queen　looked　significantly　at　me；　and　I　withdrew。　　In　the　evening　she　asked　me　why　I　had　seemed　so　astonished　when　she　ordered　me　to　add　to　her　dinner；　saying　that　I　ought　instantly　to　have　seen　that　she　was　giving　the　King　of　Sweden　a　lesson　for　his　presumption。　　I　owned　to　her　that　the　scene　had　appeared　to　me　so　much　in　the　bourgeois　style；　that　I　involuntarily　thought　of　the　cutlets　on　the　gridiron；　and　the　omelette；　which　in　families　in　humble　circumstances　serve　to　piece　out　short　commons。　　She　was　highly　diverted　with　my　answer；　and　repeated　it　to　the　King；　who　also　laughed　heartily　at　it。

The　peace　with　England　satisfied　all　classes　of　society　interested　in　the　national　honour。　　The　departure　of　the　English　commissary　from　Dunkirk；　who　had　been　fixed　at　that　place　ever　since　the　shameful　peace　of　1763　as　inspector　of　our　navy；　occasioned　an　ecstasy　of　joy。

　　　　　＇By　the　Treaty　of　Utrecht　（1713）　it　was　stipulated　that　the　　　　　　fortifications　and　port　of　Dunkirk　should　be　destroyed。　　By　the　　　　　　Treaty　of　Paris　（1763）　a　commissary　was　to　reside　at　Dunkirk　to　see　　　　　　that　no　attempt　was　made　to　break　this　treaty。　　This　stipulation　was　　　　　　revoked　by　the　Peace　of　Versailles；　in　1783。see　DYER'S　〃Modern　　　　　　Europe；〃　1st　edition；　vol。　i。；　pp。　　205…438　and　539。＇

The　Government　communicated　to　the　Englishman　the　order　for　his　departure　before　the　treaty　was　made　public。　　But　for　that　precaution　the　populace　would　have　probably　committed　some　excess　or　other；　in　order　to　make　the　agent　of　English　power　feel　the　effects　of　the　resentment　which　had　constantly　increased　during　his　stay　at　that　port。　　Those　engaged　in　trade　were　the　only　persons　dissatisfied　with　the　treaty　of　1783。　　That　article　which　provided　for；　the　free　admission　of　English　goods　annihilated　at　one　blow　the　trade　of　Rouen　and　the　other　manufacturing　towns　throughout　the　kingdom。　　The　English　swarmed　into　Paris。　　A　considerable　number　of　them　were　presented　at　Court。　　The　Queen　paid　them　marked　attention；　doubtless　she　wished　them　to　distinguish　between　the　esteem　she　felt　for　their　noble　nation　and　the　political　views　of　the　Government　in　the　support　it　had　afforded　to　the　Americans。　　Discontent　was；　however；　man