the memoirs of marie antoinette-第84部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


ave　been　soon　afterwards　that　Mirabeau　received　considerable　sums　of　money。　　He　showed　it　too　plainly　by　the　increase　of　his　expenditure。　Already　did　some　of　his　remarks　upon　the　necessity　of　arresting　the　progress　of　the　democrats　circulate　in　society。　　Being　once　invited　to　meet　a　person　at　dinner　who　was　very　much　attached　to　the　Queen；　he　learned　that　that　person　withdrew　on　hearing　that　he　was　one　of　the　guests；　the　party　who　invited　him　told　him　this　with　some　degree　of　satisfaction；　but　all　were　very　much　astonished　when　they　heard　Mirabeau　eulogise　the　absent　guest；　and　declare　that　in　his　place　he　would　have　done　the　same；　but；　he　added；　they　had　only　to　invite　that　person　again　in　a　few　months；　and　he　would　then　dine　with　the　restorer　of　the　monarchy。　　Mirabeau　forgot　that　it　was　more　easy　to　do　harm　than　good；　and　thought　himself　the　political　Atlas　of　the　whole　world。

Outrages　and　mockery　were　incessantly　mingled　with　the　audacious　proceedings　of　the　revolutionists。　　It　was　customary　to　give　serenades　under　the　King's　windows　on　New　Year's　Day。　　The　band　of　the　National　Guard　repaired　thither　on　that　festival　in　1791；　in　allusion　to　the　liquidation　of　the　debts　of　the　State；　decreed　by　the　Assembly；　they　played　solely；　and　repeatedly；　that　air　from　the　comic　opera　of　the　〃Debts；〃　the　burden　of　which　is；　〃But　our　creditors　are　paid；　and　that　makes　us　easy。〃

On　the　same　day　some　〃conquerors　of　the　Bastille；〃　grenadiers　of　the　Parisian　guard；　preceded　by　military　music；　came　to　present　to　the　young　Dauphin；　as　a　New　Year's　gift；　a　box　of　dominoes；　made　of　some　of　the　stone　and　marble　of　which　that　state　prison　was　built。　　The　Queen　gave　me　this　inauspicious　curiosity；　desiring　me　to　preserve　it；　as　it　would　be　a　curious　illustration　of　the　history　of　the　Revolution。　　Upon　the　lid　were　engraved　some　bad　verses；　the　purport　of　which　was　as　follows：　〃Stones　from　those　walls；　which　enclosed　the　innocent　victims　of　arbitrary　power；　have　been　converted　into　a　toy；　to　be　presented　to　you；　Monseigneur；　as　a　mark　of　the　people's　love；　and　to　teach　you　their　power。〃

The　Queen　said　that　M。　de　La　Fayette's　thirst　for　popularity　induced　him　to　lend　himself；　without　discrimination；　to　all　popular　follies。　　Her　distrust　of　the　General　increased　daily；　and　grew　so　powerful　that　when；　towards　the　end　of　the　Revolution；　he　seemed　willing　to　support　the　tottering　throne；　she　could　never　bring　herself　to　incur　so　great　an　obligation　to　him。

M。　de　J…；　a　colonel　attached　to　the　staff　of　the　army；　was　fortunate　enough　to　render　several　services　to　the　Queen；　and　acquitted　himself　with　discretion　and　dignity　of　various　important　missions。

　　　　　＇During　the　Queen's　detention　in　the　Temple　he　introduced　himself　　　　　　Into　that　prison　in　the　dress　of　a　lamplighter；　and　there　discharged　　　　　　his　duty　unrecognised。MADAME　CAMPAN。＇

Their　Majesties　had　the　highest　confidence　in　him；　although　it　frequently　happened　that　his　prudence；　when　inconsiderate　projects　were　under　discussion；　brought　upon　him　the　charge　of　adopting　the　principles　of　the　constitutionals。　　Being　sent　to　Turin；　he　had　some　difficulty　in　dissuading　the　Princes　from　a　scheme　they　had　formed　at　that　period　of　reentering　France；　with　a　very　weak　army；　by　way　of　Lyons；　and　when；　in　a　council　which　lasted　till　three　o'clock　in　the　morning；　he　showed　his　instructions；　and　demonstrated　that　the　measure　would　endanger　the　King；　the　Comte　d'Artois　alone　declared　against　the　plan；　which　emanated　from　the　Prince　de　Conde。

Among　the　persons　employed　in　subordinate　situations；　whom　the　critical　circumstances　of　the　times　involved　in　affairs　of　importance；　was　M。　de　Goguelat；　a　geographical　engineer　at　Versailles；　and　an　excellent　draughtsman。　　He　made　plans　of　St。　Cloud　and　Trianon　for　the　Queen；　she　was　very　much　pleased　with　them；　and　had　the　engineer　admitted　into　the　staff　of　the　army。　　At　the　commencement　of　the　Revolution　he　was　sent　to　Count　Esterhazy；　at　Valenciennes；　in　the　capacity　of　aide…de…camp。　　The　latter　rank　was　given　him　solely　to　get　him　away　from　Versailles；　where　his　rashness　endangered　the　Queen　during　the　earlier　months　of　the　Assembly　of　the　States　General。　　Making　a　parade　of　his　devotion　to　the　King's　interests；　he　went　repeatedly　to　the　tribunes　of　the　Assembly；　and　there　openly　railed　at　all　the　motions　of　the　deputies；　and　then　returned　to　the　Queen's　antechamber；　where　he　repeated　all　that　he　had　just　heard；　or　had　had　the　imprudence　to　say。　　Unfortunately；　at　the　same　time　that　the　Queen　sent　away　M。　de　Goguelat；　she　still　believed　that；　in　a　dangerous　predicament；　requiring　great　self…devotion；　the　man　might　be　employed　advantageously。　　In　1791　he　was　commissioned　to　act　in　concert　with　the　Marquis　de　Bouille　in　furtherance　of　the　King's　intended　escape。

　　　　　＇See　the　〃Memoirs〃　of　M。　de　Bouille；　those　of　the　Duc　de　Choiseul；　　　　　　and　the　account　of　the　journey　to　Varennes；　by　M。　de　Fontanges；　in　　　　　　Weber's；　Memoirs。〃NOTE　BY　THE　EDITOR。＇

Projectors　in　great　numbers　endeavoured　to　introduce　themselves　not　only　to　the　Queen；　but　to　Madame　Elisabeth；　who　had　communications　with　many　individuals　who　took　upon　themselves　to　make　plans　for　the　conduct　of　the　Court。　　The　Baron　de　Gilliers　and　M。　de　Vanoise　were　of　this　description；　they　went　to　the　Baronne　de　Mackau's；　where　the　Princess　spent　almost　all　her　evenings。　　The　Queen　did　not　like　these　meetings；　where　Madame　Elisabeth　might　adopt　views　in　opposition　to　the　King's　intentions　or　her　own。

The　Queen　gave　frequent　audiences　to　M。　de　La　Fayette。　　One　day；　when　he　was　in　her　inner　closet；　his　aides…de…camp；　who　waited　for　him；　were　walking　up　and　down　the　great　room　where　the　persons　in　attendance　remained。　　Some　imprudent　young　women　were　thoughtless　enough　to　say；　with　the　intention　of　being　overheard　by　those　officers；　that　it　was　very　alarming　to　see　the　Queen　alone　with　a　rebel　and　a　brigand。　　I　was　annoyed　at　their　indiscretion；　and　imposed　silence　on　them。　　One　of　them　persisted　in　the　appellation　〃brigand。〃　　I　told　her　that　M。　de　La　Fayette　well　deserved　the　name　of　rebel；　but　that　the　title　of　leader　of　a　party　was　given　by　history　to　every　man　commanding　forty　thousand　men；　a　capital；　and　forty　leagues　of　country；　that　kings　had　frequently　treated　with　such　leaders；　and　if　it　was　convenient　to　the　Queen　to　do　the　same；　it　remained　for　us　only　to　be　silent　and　respect　her　actions。　　On　the　morrow　the　Queen；　with　a　serious　air；　but　with　the　greatest　kindness；　asked　what　I　had　said　respecting　M。　de　La　Fayette　on　the　preceding　day；　adding　that　she　had　been　assured　I　had　enjoined　her　women　silence；　because　they　did　not　like　him；　and　that　I　had　taken　his　part。　　I　repeated　what　had　passed　to　the　Queen；　word　for　word。　　She　condescended　to　tell　me　that　I　had　done　perfectly　right。

Whenever　any　false　reports　respecting　me　were　conveyed　to　her　she　was　kind　enough　to　inform　me　of　them；　and　they　had　no　effect　on　the　confidence　with　which　she　continued　to　honour　me；　and　which　I　am　happy　to　think　I　have　justified　even　at　the　risk　of　my　life。

Mesdames；　the　King's　aunts；　set　out　from　Bellevue　in　the　beginning　of　the　year　1791。　　Alexandre　Berthier；　afterwards　Prince　de　Neufchatel；　then　a　colo