marie antoinette and her son-第52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！


admissions　propitiate　this　hate　and　bring　this　enmity　to　silence。〃

The　queen　did　not　reply；　she　stooped　down　to　the　dauphin；　and；
pressing　a　kiss　upon　his　locks；　whispered：　〃Now　yon　may　tell　every
thing；　Louis。　It　is　not　longer　necessary　to　keep　silent　about　any
thing；　for　silence　were　useless！　So　tell　of　your　heroism；　my　son！〃

〃Is　it　of　heroism　that　you　talk？〃　said　the　king；　whose　nice　ear　had
caught　the　words　of　the　queen。

〃Yes；　of　heroism；　sire；〃　answered　Marie　Antoinette。　〃But　it　is　with
us　as　with　Don　Quixote；　we　believed　that　we　were　fighting　for　our
honor　and　our　throne；　now　we　must　confess　that　we　only　fought
against　windmills。　I　beg　you　now；　sire；　to　inform　General　Lafayette
that　it　is　not　necessary　to　call　out　his　National　Guards　on　my
account；　I　shall　not　walk　again！〃

And　the　queen　kept　her　word。　Never　again　during　the　winter　did　she
go　down　into　the　gardens　and　park　of　the　Tuileries。　She　never　gave
Lafayette　occasion　to　protect　her；　but　she　at　least　gained　thereby
what　Lafayette　wanted　to　reach　by　his　National　Guardshe　held　the
populace　away　from　the　Tuileries。　At　first　they　stood　in　dense
masses　day　after　day　along　the　fence　of　the　park　and　the　royal
garden；　but　when　they　saw　that　Marie　Antoinette　would　no　more　expose
herself　to　their　curious　and　evil　glances；　they　grew　tired　of
waiting　for　her；　and　withdrew　from　the　neighborhood　of　the
Tuileries；but　only　to　repair　to　their　clubs　and　listen　to　the
raving　speeches　which　Marat；　Santerre；　and　other　officers；　hurled
like　poisoned　arrows　at　the　queen…only　to　go　into　the　National
Assembly　and　hear　Mirabeau　and　Robespierre；　Danton；　Chenier；　Petion；
and　all　the　rest；　the　assembled　representatives　of　the　nation；
launch　their　thundering　philippics　against　a　royalty　appointed　by
the　grace　of　God；　and　causing　the　people　to　believe　that　it　was　a
royalty　appointed　by　the　wrath　of　God。




CHAPTER　XVI。

IN　ST。　CLOUD。


The　winter　was　passeda　sad　dismal　winter　for　the　royal　family；　and
for　Marie　Antoinette　in　particular！　None　of　those　festivities；　those
diversions；　those　simple　and　innocent　joys；　which　are　wont　to　adorn
the　life　of　a　woman　and　of　a　queen！

Marie　Antoinette　is　no　more　a　queen　who　commands；　who　sees　around
her　a　throng　of　respectful　courtiers；　zealously　listening　to　every
word　that　falls　from　her　lips；　Marie　Antoinette　is　a　grave　solitary
woman；　who　works　much；　thinks　much；　makes　many　plans　for　saving　the
kingdom　and　the　throne；　and　sees　all　these　plans　shipwrecks　on　the
indecision　and　weakness　of　her　husband。

Far　away　from　the　queen　lay　those　happy　times　when　every　day　brought
new　joys　and　new　diversions；　when　the　dawn　of　a　summer　morning　made
the　queen　happy；　because　it　promised　her　a　delightful　evening；　and
one　of　those　charming　idyls　at　Trianon。　The　brothers　of　the　king；
the　schoolmaster　and　mayor　of　Trianon；　had　left　France　and　had
located　themselves　at　Coblentz　on　the　Rhine；　the　Polignacs　had　fled
to　England；　the　Princess　Lamballe；　too；　had；　at　the　wish　of　the
queen；　gone　to　negotiate　with　Pitt；　in　order　to　implore　the　all…
powerful　minister　of　George　III。　to　give　to　the　oppressed　French
crown　more　material　and　effectual　support　than　was　afforded　by　the
angry　and　bitter　words　which　he　hurled　in　Parliament　against　the
riotous　and　rebellious　French　nation。　The　Counts　de　Besenval　and
Coigny；　the　Marquis　de　Lauzun；　and　Baron　d'Adhemar；　all　the
privileged　friends　of　the　summer　days　at　Trianon　and　the　winter　days
of　Versailles；　all；　all；　were　gone。

They　had　fled　to　Coblentz；　and　were　at　the　court　of　the　French
princes。　There　they　spun　their　intrigues；　sought　to　excite　a
European　war　against　France；　from　there　they　hurled　their　flaming
torches　into　France；　their　calumnies　against　Queen　Marie　Antoinette；
the　Austrian　woman。　She　alone　was　accountable　for　all　the
misfortunes　and　the　disturbances　of　France；　she　alone　had　given
occasion　for　the　distrust　now　felt　against　royalty。　On　her　head　fell
the　curse　and　the　burden　of　all　the　faults　and　sins　which　the　French
court　had　for　a　hundred　years　committed。　There　must　be　a　sacrificial
lamb；　to　be　thrown　into　the　arms　glistening　with　spears　and　daggers；
of　a　revolution　which　thirsted　for　blood　and　vengeance；　and　Marie
Antoinette　had　to　be　the　victim。　In　her　bleeding　heart　the　spirits
glowing　with　hate　might　cool　themselves；　and　there　the　evil　which
her　predecessors　had　done；　was　to　be　atoned　for。　Many　a　wrong　had
been　done；　and　the　French　nation　had；　no　doubt；　a　right　to　be　angry
and　to　rage　as　does　the　lion　for　a　long　time　kept　in　subjection；
when　at　last；　touched　too　much　by　the　iron　of　its　keeper；　it　rises
in　its　wildness；　and　with　withering　greed；　tears　him　in　pieces　from
whom　it　has　suffered　so　long　and　so　much。　The　French　people　rose
just　as　the　incensed　lion　does；　and　determined　to　wreak　their
vengeance　on　their　keepers；　on　those　whom　they　had　so　long　called
their　lords　and　rulers。

To　pacify　the　lion　some　prey　must　be　thrown　to　him；　and　to　him　who
thirsts　for　vengeance　and　blood；　a　human　offering　must　be　brought　to
propitiate　him。

Marie　Antoinette　had　to　be　the　offering　to　the　lion！　Her　blood　had
to　flow　for　the　sins　of　the　Bourbons！　On　her　all　the　anger；　the
exasperation；　the　rage　of　the　people　must　concentrate！　She　must　bear
the　blame　of　all　the　miseries　and　the　needs　of　France！　She　must
satisfy　the　hunger　for　vengeance；　in　order　that　when　the　lion　is
appeased　it　can　be　made　placable　and　patient　again；　the　chains　put
on　which　he　has　broken　in　his　ragethe　chains；　however；　to　which；
when　his　rage　is　past；　he　must　again　submit。

The　queen；　the　queen　is　to　blame　for　all！　Marie　Antoinette　has
brought　royalty　into　discredit；　the　Austrian　woman　has　brought　the
hatred　of　the　French　nation　upon　herself；　and　she　must　atone　for　it；
she　alone！

Libels　and　calumnies　are　forged　against　the　queen　by　those　who　were
once　the　friends　and　cavaliers　of　the　queencavaliers　no　longer；
but　cavillers　now；　the　poisoned　arrows　are　sent　to　France　to　be
directed　against　the　head　of　the　queen；　to　destroy　first　her　honor
and　good　name；　and　then　to　make　her　a　prey　for　scorn　and　contempt。

If　the　lion　stills　his　rage　and　cools　his　hate　with　Marie　Antoinette
as　his　victim；　he　will　relax　again　and　bow　to　his　king；　for　it　is
time　for　these　royal　princes　to　return　to　France　and　their　loved
Paris　once　more。

The　Count　do　Provence　is　the　implacable　enemy　of　the　queen；　he　can
never　forgive　her　for　gaining　the　heart　of　the　king　her　husband；　and
leaving　no　influence　for　his　wise；　clever　brother。　The　Count　de
Provence　is　avaricious　and　crafty。　He　sees　that　an　abyss　has　opened
before　the　throne　of　the　lilies；　and　that　it　will　not　close　again！
It　must；　therefore；　be　filled　up！　A　reconciliation　will　not　be
possible　in　a　natural　way；　and　artificial　methods　must　be　found　to
accomplish　it。　Louis　XVI。　will　not　be　saved；　and　Marie　Antoinette
shall　not　be！　The　two；　perhaps；　can　fill　up　the　abyss　that　yawns
between　the　throne　of　the　lilies　and　the　French　people。　They；
perhaps；　may　fill　it　up；　and　then　a　way　may　be　made　for　the　Count　de
Provence；　the　successor　of　his　brother。

The　Count　d'Artois　was　once　the　friend　of　the　queen；　the　only　one　of
the　royal　family　who　wished　her　well；　and　who　defended　her　sometimes
against　the　hatred　of　the　royal　aunts　and　sisters…in…law；　and　the
crafty　brother。　But　while　living　in　Coblentz；　the　Count　d'Artois　had
become　the　embittered　enemy　of　Marie　Antoinette。　He　had　heard　it　so
often　said　on　all　sides　that　the　queen　by　her　levity；　her
extravagance；　and　her　intrigues；　was　the　cause　of　all；　that　she
alone　had　brought　about　the　revolution；　that　he　at　last　believed　it；
and　turned　angrily　against　the　royal　woman；　whose　worst　offence　in
the　eyes　of　the　prince　lay　in　this；　that　she　had　been　the　occasion
of　his　enforced　exile　to　Coblentz。

And　Marie　Antoinette　knew　all　these　intrigues　which　were　forged　by
the　prince　in　Coblentz　against　herselfknew　about　all　the　calumnies
that　were　set　in　circulation　there；　she　read　the　libels　and
pamphlets　which　the　storm…wind　of　revolution　shook　from　the　dry　tree
of　monarchy　like　withered　autumn　leaves；　and　scattered　through　all
France；　that　they　might　be　everywhere　found　and　read。

〃They　will　kill　me；〃　she　would　often　say；　with　a　sigh；　after　reading
these　pamphlets　steeped　with　hate；　and　written　in　blood〃　yes；　they
will　kill　me；　but　with　me　they　will　kill　the　king　and　the　monarchy
too。　The　revolution　will　triumph　over　us　all；　and　hurl　us　all
together　down　into　the　grave。〃

But　still　she　would　make　efforts　to　control　the　revolution　and
restore　the　monarchy　again　out　of　its　humiliations。　The　Emperor
Joseph　II。；　brother　of　the　queen；　once　said　of　himself；　〃I　am　a
royalist；　because　that　is　my　business。〃　Marie　Antoinette　was　a
royalist　not　because　it　was　her　business；　she　was　a　royalist　by
conviction；　a　royalist　in　her　soul；　her　mind；　and　her　inmost　nature。
For　this　she　would　defend　the　monarchy；　for　this　she　would　contend
against　the　revolution；　until　she　should　either　constrain　it　to
terms　or　be　swallowed　up　in　it。

All　her　efforts；　all　her　cares；　were　directed　only　to　this；　to
kindle　in　the　king　the　same　courage　that　animated　her；　to　stir　him
with　the　same　fire　that　burned　in　her　soul。　But　alas！　Louis　XVI。　was
no　doubt　a　good　man　and　a　kind　father；　but　he　was　no　king。　He　had　no
doubt　the　wish　to　restore　the　monarchy；　but　he　lacked　the　requisite
energy　and　strong　will。　Instead　of　controlling　the　revolution　with　a
fiery　spirit；　he　sought　to　conciliate　it　by　concession　and　mild
measures；　and　instead　of　checking　it；　he　himself　went　down　before
it。

But　Marie　Antoinette　could　not　and　would　not　give　up　hope。　As　the
king　would　not　act；　she　would　act　for　him；　as　he　would　not　take　part
in　politics；　she　would　do　so　for　him。　With　glowing　zeal　she　plunged
into　business；　spent　many　hours　each　day　with　the　ministers　and
dependants　of　the　court；　corresponded　with　foreign　lands；　with　her
brother　the　Emperor　Leopold；　and　her　sister；　Queen　Caroline　of
Naples；　wrote　to　them　in　a　cipher　intelligible　only　to　them；　and
sent　the　letters　through　the　hands　of　secret　agents；　imploring　of
them　assistance　and　help　for　the　monarchy。

In　earnest　labor；　in　unrel