the memoirs of marie antoinette-第96章

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m　what　the　Queen　had　said　to　me　about　the　contents　of　the　portfolio。　　To　all　this　he　answered；　〃There　it　is；　decide　for　yourself；　I　will　have　no　hand　in　it。〃　　Upon　that　I　remained　a　few　seconds　thinking；　and　my　conduct　was　founded　upon　the　following　reasons。　　I　spoke　aloud；　although　to　myself；　I　walked　about　the　room　with　agitated　steps；　M。　Gougenot　was　thunderstruck。　　〃Yes；〃　said　I；　〃when　we　can　no　longer　communicate　with　our　King　and　receive　his　orders；　however　attached　we　may　be　to　him；　we　can　only　serve　him　according　to　the　best　of　our　own　judgment。　　The　Queen　said　to　me；　'This　portfolio　contains　scarcely　anything　but　documents　of　a　most　dangerous　description　in　the　event　of　a　trial　taking　place；　if　it　should　fall　into　the　hands　of　revolutionary　persons。'　　She　mentioned；　too；　a　single　document　which　would；　under　the　same　circumstances；　be　useful。　　It　is　my　duty　to　interpret　her　words；　and　consider　them　as　orders。　　She　meant　to　say；　'You　will　save　such　a　paper；　you　will　destroy　the　rest　if　they　are　likely　to　be　taken　from　you。'　　If　it　were　not　so；　was　there　any　occasion　for　her　to　enter　into　any　detail　as　to　what　the　portfolio　contained？　　The　order　to　keep　it　was　sufficient。　　Probably　it　contains；　moreover；　the　letters　of　that　part　of　the　family　which　has　emigrated；　there　is　nothing　which　may　have　been　foreseen　or　decided　upon　that　can　be　useful　now；　and　there　can　be　no　political　thread　which　has　not　been　cut　by　the　events　of　the　10th　of　August　and　the　imprisonment　of　the　King。　　My　house　is　about　to　be　surrounded；　I　cannot　conceal　anything　of　such　bulk；　I　might；　then；　through　want　of　foresight；　give　up　that　which　would　cause　the　condemnation　of　the　King。　　Let　us　open　the　portfolio；　save　the　document　alluded　to；　and　destroy　the　rest。〃　　I　took　a　knife　and　cut　open　one　side　of　the　portfolio。　　I　saw　a　great　number　of　envelopes　endorsed　by　the　King's　own　hand。　　M。　Gougenot　found　there　the　former　seals　of　the　King；

　　　　　＇No　doubt　it　was　in　order　to　have　the　ancient　seals　ready　at　a　　　　　　moment's　notice；　in　case　of　a　counter…revolution；　that　the　Queen　　　　　　desired　me　not　to　quit　the　Tuileries。　　M。　Gougenot　threw　the　seals　　　　　　into　the　river；　one　from　above　the　Pont　Neuf；　and　the　other　from　　　　　　near　the　Pont　Royal。MADAME　CAMPAN。＇

such　as　they　were　before　the　Assembly　had　changed　the　inscription。　　At　this　moment　we　heard　a　great　noise；　he　agreed　to　tie　up　the　portfolio；　take　it　again　under　his　cloak；　and　go　to　a　safe　place　to　execute　what　I　had　taken　upon　me　to　determine。　　He　made　me　swear；　by　all　I　held　most　sacred；　that　I　would　affirm；　under　every　possible　emergency；　that　the　course　I　was　pursuing　had　not　been　dictated　to　me　by　anybody；　and　that；　whatever　might　be　the　result；　I　would　take　all　the　credit　or　all　the　blame　upon　myself。　　I　lifted　up　my　hand　and　took　the　oath　he　required；　he　went　out。　　Half　an　hour　afterwards　a　great　number　of　armed　men　came　to　my　house；　they　placed　sentinels　at　all　the　outlets；　they　broke　open　secretaires　and　closets　of　which　they　had　not　the　keys；　they　'searched　the　flower…pots　and　boxes；　they　examined　the　cellars；　and　the　commandant　repeatedly　said；　〃Look　particularly　for　papers。〃　　In　the　afternoon　M。　Gougenot　returned。　　He　had　still　the　seals　of　France　about　him；　and　he　brought　me　a　statement　of　all　that　he　had　burnt。

The　portfolio　contained　twenty　letters　from　Monsieur；　eighteen　or　nineteen　from　the　Comte　d'Artois；　seventeen　from　Madame　Adelaide；　eighteen　from　Madame　Victoire；　a　great　many　letters　from　Comte　Alexandre　de　Lameth；　and　many　from　M。　de　Malesherbes；　with　documents　annexed　to　them。　　There　were　also　some　from　M。　de　Montmorin　and　other　ex…ministers　or　ambassadors。　　Each　correspondence　had　its　title　written　in　the　King's　own　hand　upon　the　blank　paper　which　contained　it。　　The　most　voluminous　was　that　from　Mirabeau。　　It　was　tied　up　with　a　scheme　for　an　escape；　which　he　thought　necessary。　　M。　Gougenot；　who　had　skimmed　over　these　letters　with　more　attention　than　the　rest；　told　me　they　were　of　so　interesting　a　nature　that　the　King　had　no　doubt　kept　them　as　documents　exceedingly　valuable　for　a　history　of　his　reign；　and　that　the　correspondence　with　the　Princes；　which　was　entirely　relative　to　what　was　going　forward　abroad；　in　concert　with　the　King；　would　have　been　fatal　to　him　if　it　had　been　seized。　　After　he　had　finished　he　placed　in　my　hands　the　proces…verbal；　signed　by　all　the　ministers；　to　which　the　King　attached　so　much　importance；　because　he　had　given　his　opinion　against　the　declaration　of　war；　a　copy　of　the　letter　written　by　the　King　to　the　Princes；　his　brothers；　inviting　them　to　return　to　France；　an　account　of　the　diamonds　which　the　Queen　had　sent　to　Brussels　（these　two　documents　were　in　my　handwriting）；　and　a　receipt　for　four　hundred　thousand　francs；　under　the　hand　of　a　celebrated　banker。　　This　sum　was　part　of　the　eight　hundred　thousand　francs　which　the　Queen　had　gradually　saved　during　her　reign；　out　of　her　pension　of　three　hundred　thousand　francs　per　annum；　and　out　of　the　one　hundred　thousand　francs　given　by　way　of　present　on　the　birth　of　the　Dauphin。

This　receipt；　written　on　a　very　small　piece　of　paper；　was　in　the　cover　of　an　almanac。　　I　agreed　with　M。　Gougenot；　who　was　obliged　by　his　office　to　reside　in　Paris；　that　he　should　retain　the　proces…verbal　of　the　Council　and　the　receipt　for　the　four　hundred　thousand　francs；　and　that　we　should　wait　either　for　orders　or　for　the　means　of　transmitting　these　documents　to　the　King　or　Queen；　and　I　set　out　for　Versailles。

The　strictness　of　the　precautions　taken　to　guard　the　illustrious　prisoners　was　daily　increased。　　The　idea　that　I　could　not　inform　the　King　of　the　course　I　had　adopted　of　burning　his　papers；　and　the　fear　that　I　should　not　be　able　to　transmit　to　him　that　which　he　had　pointed　out　as　necessary；　tormented　me　to　such　a　degree　that　it　is　wonderful　my　health　endured　the　strain。

The　dreadful　trial　drew　near。　　Official　advocates　were　granted　to　the　King；　the　heroic　virtue　of　M。　de　Malesherbes　induced　him　to　brave　the　most　imminent　dangers；　either　to　save　his　master　or　to　perish　with　him。　I　hoped　also　to　be　able　to　find　some　means　of　informing　his　Majesty　of　what　I　had　thought　it　right　to　do。　　I　sent　a　man；　on　whom　I　could　rely；　to　Paris；　to　request　M。　Gougenot　to　come　to　me　at　Versailles　he　came　immediately。　　We　agreed　that　he　should　see　M。　de　Malesherbes　without　availing　himself　of　any　intermediate　person　for　that　purpose。

M。　Gougenot　awaited　his　return　from　the　Temple　at　the　door　of　his　hotel；　and　made　a　sign　that　he　wished　to　speak　to　him。　　A　moment　afterwards　a　servant　came　to　introduce　him　into　the　magistrates'　room。　　He　imparted　to　M。　de　Malesherbes　what　I　had　thought　it　right　to　do　with　respect　to　the　King's　papers；　and　placed　in　his　hands　the　proces…verbal　of　the　Council；　which　his　Majesty　had　preserved　in　order　to　serve；　if　occasion　required　it；　for　a　ground　of　his　defence。　　However；　that　paper　is　not　mentioned　in　either　of　the　speeches　of　his　advocate；　probably　it　was　determined　not　to　make　use　of　it。

I　stop　at　that　terrible　period　which　is　marked　by　the　assassination　of　a　King　whose　virtues　are　well　known；　but　I　cannot　refrain　from　relating　what　he　deigned　to　say　in　my　favour　to　M。　de　Malesherbes：

〃Let　Madame　Campan　know　that　she　did　what　I　should　myself　have　ordered　her　to　do；　I　thank　her　for　it；　she　is　one　of　those　whom　I　regret　I　have　it　not　in　my　power　to　recompense　for　their　fidelity　to　my　person；　and　for　their　good　services。〃　　I　did　not　hear　of　this　until　the　morning　after　he　had　suffered；　and　I　think　I　should　have　sunk　under　my　despair　if　this　honourable　testimony　had　not　given　me　some　consolation。






SUPPLEMENT　TO　CHAPTER　IX。

MADAME　CAMPAN'S　narrative　breaking　off　abruptly　at　the　time　of　the　painful　end　met　with　by　her　sister；　we　have　supplemented　it　by　abridged　accounts　of　the　chief　incidents　in　the　tragedy　which　overwhelmed　the　royal　house　she　so　faithfully　served；　taken　from　contemporary　records　and　the　best　historical　authorities。


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Royal　Family　in　the　Temple。

The　Assembly　having；　at　the　instance　of　the　Commune　of　Paris；　decreed　that　the　royal　family　should　be　immured　in　the　Temple；　they　were　removed　thither　from　the　Feuillans　on　the　13th　of　August；　1792；