the memoirs of marie antoinette-第59章

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y　ought　to　be　far　away　from　the　immense　population　of　Paris。　　She　feared　that　the　people　would　influence　the　deliberations　of　the　deputies；　several　memorials　were　presented　to　the　King　upon　that　question；　but　M。　Necker　prevailed；　and　Versailles　was　the　place　fixed　upon。

The　day　on　which　the　King　announced　that　he　gave　his　consent　to　the　convocation　of　the　States　General；　the　Queen　left　the　public　dinner；　and　placed　herself　in　the　recess　of　the　first　window　of　her　bedchamber；　with　her　face　towards　the　garden。　　Her　chief　butler　followed　her；　to　present　her　coffee；　which　she　usually　took　standing；　as　she　was　about　to　leave　the　table。　　She　beckoned　to　me　to　come　close　to　her。　　The　King　was　engaged　in　conversation　with　some　one　in　his　room。　　When　the　attendant　had　served　her　he　retired；　and　she　addressed　me；　with　the　cup　still　in　her　hand：　〃Great　Heavens！　what　fatal　news　goes　forth　this　day！　　The　King　assents　to　the　convocation　of　the　States　General。〃　　Then　she　added；　raising　her　eyes　to　heaven；　〃I　dread　it；　this　important　event　is　a　first　fatal　signal　of　discord　in　France。〃　　She　cast　her　eyes　down；　they　were　filled　with　tears。　　She　could　not　take　the　remainder　of　her　coffee；　but　handed　me　the　cup；　and　went　to　join　the　King。　　In　the　evening；　when　she　was　alone　with　me；　she　spoke　only　of　this　momentous　decision。　　〃It　is　the　Parliament；〃　said　she；　〃that　has　compelled　the　King　to　have　recourse　to　a　measure　long　considered　fatal　to　the　repose　of　the　kingdom。　　These　gentlemen　wish　to　restrain　the　power　of　the　King；　but　they　give　a　great　shock　to　the　authority　of　which　they　make　so　bad　a　use；　and　they　will　bring　on　their　own　destruction。〃

The　double　representation　granted　to　the　Tiers　Etat　was　now　the　chief　topic　of　conversation。　　The　Queen　favoured　this　plan；　to　which　the　King　had　agreed；　she　thought　the　hope　of　obtaining　ecclesiastical　favours　would　secure　the　clergy　of　the　second　order；　and　that　M。　Necker　was　sure　to　have　the　same　degree　of　influence　over　the　lawyers；　and　other　people　of　that　class　comprised　in　the　Tiers　Dat。　　The　Comte　d'Artois；　holding　the　contrary　opinion；　presented　a　memorial　in　the　names　of　himself　and　several　princes　of　the　blood　to　the　King　against　the　double　representation。　　The　Queen　was　displeased　with　him　for　this；　her　confidential　advisers　infused　into　her　apprehensions　that　the　Prince　was　made　the　tool　of　a　party；　but　his　conduct　was　approved　of　by　Madame　de　Polignac's　circle；　which　the　Queen　thenceforward　only　frequented　to　avoid　the　appearance　of　a　change　in　her　habits。　　She　almost　always　returned　unhappy；　she　was　treated　with　the　profound　respect　due　to　a　queen；　but　the　devotion　of　friendship　had　vanished；　to　make　way　for　the　coldness　of　etiquette；　which　wounded　her　deeply。　　The　alienation　between　her　and　the　Comte　Artois　was　also　very　painful　to　her；　for　she　had　loved　him　almost　as　tenderly　as　if　he　had　been　her　own　brother。

The　opening　of　the　States　General　took　place　on　the　4th　of　May；　1789。　The　Queen　on　that　occasion　appeared　for　the　last　time　in　her　life　in　regal　magnificence。　　During　the　procession　some　low　women；　seeing　the　Queen　pass；　cried　out　〃Vive　le　Duc　d'　Orleans！〃　　in　so　threatening　a　manner　that　she　nearly　fainted。　　She　was　obliged　to　be　supported；　and　those　about　her　were　afraid　it　would　be　necessary　to　stop　the　procession。　The　Queen；　however；　recovered　herself；　and　much　regretted　that　she　had　not　been　able　to　command　more　presence　of　mind。

The　rapidly　increasing　distrust　of　the　King　and　Queen　shown　by　the　populace　was　greatly　attributable　to　incessant　corruption　by　English　gold；　and　the　projects；　either　of　revenge　or　of　ambition；　of　the　Duc　d'Orleans。　　Let　it　not　be　thought　that　this　accusation　is　founded　on　what　has　been　so　often　repeated　by　the　heads　of　the　French　Government　since　the　Revolution。　　Twice　between　the　14th　of　July　and　the　6th　of　October；　1789；　the　day　on　which　the　Court　was　dragged　to　Paris；　the　Queen　prevented　me　from　making　little　excursions　thither　of　business　or　pleasure；　saying　to　me；　〃Do　not　go　on　such　a　day　to　Paris；　the　English　have　been　scattering　gold；　we　shall　have　some　disturbance。〃　　The　repeated　visits　of　the　Duc　d'Orleans　to　England　had　excited　the　Anglomania　to　such　a　pitch　that　Paris　was　no　longer　distinguishable　from　London。　　The　French；　formerly　imitated　by　the　whole　of　Europe；　became　on　a　sudden　a　nation　of　imitators；　without　considering　the　evils　that　arts　and　manufactures　must　suffer　in　consequence　of　the　change。　　Since　the　treaty　of　commerce　made　with　England　at　the　peace　of　1783；　not　merely　equipages；　but　everything；　even　to　ribands　and　common　earthenware；　were　of　English　make。　　If　this　predominance　of　English　fashions　had　been　confined　to　filling　our　drawing…rooms　with　young　men　in　English　frock…coats；　instead　of　the　French　dress；　good　taste　and　commerce　might　alone　have　suffered；　but　the　principles　of　English　government　had　taken　possession　of　these　young　heads。　　Constitution；　Upper　House；　Lower　House；　national　guarantee；　balance　of　power；　Magna　Charta；　Law　of　Habeas　Corpus；all　these　words　were　incessantly　repeated；　and　seldom　understood；　but　they　were　of　fundamental　importance　to　a　party　which　was　then　forming。

The　first　sitting　of　the　States　took　place　on　the　following　day。　　The　King　delivered　his　speech　with　firmness　and　dignity；　the　Queen　told　me　that　he　had　taken　great　pains　about　it；　and　had　repeated　it　frequently。　His　Majesty　gave　public　marks　of　attachment　and　respect　for　the　Queen；　who　was　applauded；　but　it　was　easy　to　see　that　this　applause　was　in　fact　rendered　to　the　King　alone。

It　was　evident；　during　the　first　sittings；　that　Mirabeau　would　be　very　dangerous　to　the　Government。　　It　affirmed　that　at　this　period　he　communicated　to　the　King；　and　still　more　fully　to　the　Queen；　part　of　his　schemes　for　abandoning　them。　　He　brandished　the　weapons　afforded　him　by　his　eloquence　and　audacity；　in　order　to　make　terms　with　the　party　he　meant　to　attack。　　This　man　played　the　game　of　revolution　to　make　his　own　fortune。　　The　Queen　told　me　that　he　asked　for　an　embassy；　and；　if　my　memory　does　not　deceive　me；　it　was　that　of　Constantinople。　　He　was　refused　with　well…deserved　contempt；　though　policy　would　doubtless　have　concealed　it；　could　the　future　have　been　foreseen。

The　enthusiasm　prevailing　at　the　opening　of　this　assembly；　and　the　debates　between　the　Tiers　Etat；　the　nobility；　and　even　the　clergy；　daily　increased　the　alarm　of　their　Majesties；　and　all　who　were　attached　to　the　cause　of　monarchy。　　The　Queen　went　to　bed　late；　or　rather　she　began　to　be　unable　to　rest。　　One　evening；　about　the　end　of　May；　she　was　sitting　in　her　room；　relating　several　remarkable　occurrences　of　the　day；　four　wax　candles　were　placed　upon　her　toilet…table；　the　first　went　out　of　itself；　I　relighted　it；　shortly　afterwards　the　second；　and　then　the　third　went　out　also；　upon　which　the　Queen；　squeezing　my　hand　in　terror；　said　to　me：　〃Misfortune　makes　us　superstitious；　if　the　fourth　taper　should　go　out　like　the　rest；　nothing　can　prevent　my　looking　upon　it　as　a　sinister　omen。〃　　The　fourth　taper　went　out。　　It　was　remarked　to　the　Queen　that　the　four　tapers　had　probably　been　run　in　the　same　mould；　and　that　a　defect　in　the　wick　had　naturally　occurred　at　the　same　point　in　each；　since　the　candles　had　all　gone　out　in　the　order　in　which　they　had　been　lighted。

The　deputies　of　the　Tiers　Etat　arrived　at　Versailles　full　of　the　strongest　prejudices　against　the　Court。　　They　believed　that　the　King　indulged　in　the　pleasures　of　the　table　to　a　shameful　excess；　and　that　the　Queen　was　draining　the　treasury　of　the　State　in　order　to　satisfy　the　most　unbridled　luxury。　　They　almost　all　determined　to　see　Petit　Trianon。　　The　extreme　plainness　of　the　retreat　in　question　not　answering　the　ideas　they　had　formed；　some　of　them　insisted　upon　seeing　the　very　smallest　closets；　saying　that　the　richly　furnished　apartments　were　concealed　from　them。　They　particularised　one　which；　according　to　them；　was　ornamented　with　diamonds；　and　with　wreathed　columns　studded　with　sapphires　and　rubies。　The　Queen　could　not　get　these　foolish　ideas　out　of　her　mind；　and　spoke　to　the　King　on　the　subject。　　From　the　description　given　of　this　room　by　the　deputies　to　the　keepers　of　Trianon；　the　King　concluded　that　they　were　looking　f