MarriageofmadameBoncault——ThecomtedeBourbonBusset——
Marriageofcomted’Hargicourt——Disgraceofthecomtede
Broglie——HeisreplacedbyM。Lemoine——Thekingcomplainsof
ennui——Conversationsonthesubject——EntryintoParis
Visitfromastranger——MadamedePompadourandaJacobinical
monk——Continuationofthishistory——Deliveranceofastate
prisoner——Ameetingwiththestranger
Aconspiracy——AschemeforpoisoningmadameduBarry——Thefour
bottles——Lettertotheducd’Aiguillon——Adviceoftheministers——
Opinionofthephysicians——Thechancellorandlieutenantof
police——Resolutionofthecouncil
Conclusionofthisaffair——Aletterfromthe——Her
Examination——ArrestofCaberttheSwiss——HediesintheBastille
ofpoison——MadameLorimerisarrestedandpoisoned——The
innocenceoftheJesuitsacknowledged——MadamedeMirepoixand
the100,000francs——Forgetfulnessonthepartofthelieutenantof
police——AvisitfromcomteJean——MadamedeMirepoix
alarms——Anofthe——ComteJean
endeavourstodirecttheking’sideas——AsupperatTrianon——
Tabletalk——Thekingisseizedwithillness——Hisconversation
withme——Thejoiner’sdaughterandthesmall-pox——Mydespair——
ConductofLaMartinierethesurgeon
LaMartinierecausesthekingtoberemovedtoVersailles——The
youngprophetappearsagaintomadameduBarry——Prediction
respectingcardinaldeRichelieu——Thejoiner’sdaughterrequests
toseemadameduBarry——MadamedeMirepoixandthe50,000
francs——AinthesalonofmadameduBarry
Interviewwiththejoiner’sdaughter——Consultationofthephysicians
respectingtheking——Thesmall-poxdeclaresitself——thecomtede
Muy——Theprincesses——ExtremesensibilityofmadamedeMirepoix——The
kingiskeptinignoranceofhisrealcondition——Thearchbishopof
ParisvisitsVersailles
Firstproceedingsofthecouncil——Thedauphinreceivestheprelates
withgreatcoolness——SituationofthearchbishopofParis——
Richelieuevadestheprojectforconfessingtheking——Thefriends
ofmadameduBarrycomeforward——TheEnglishphysician——The
abbeTerray——InterviewwiththeprincedeSoubise——Theprince
andthecourtiers——LaMartiniereinformsthekingofFrancethe
truenatureofhiscomplaint——Consequencesofthisdisclosure
Terroroftheking——Acomplication——Filialpietyoftheprincesses——
LastinterviewbetweenmadameduBarryandLouisXV——Conversation
withthemarechaledeMirepoix——ThechancellorMaupeou——The
fragment——ComteJean
Theducd’Aiguillonbringsanorderfortheimmediatedeparture
ofmadameduBarry——Theking’sremarksrecapitulated——Thecountess
holdsaprivycouncil——LettertomadamedeMirepoixandtheducs
deCosseandd’Aiguillon——Nightofdeparture——Ruel——Visitfrom
madamedeForcalquier
Theducd’Aiguillon’sfirstletter——ThemarechaledeMirepoix——
Asecondletterfromtheducd’Aiguillon——Numerousvisitors
Athirdletterfromtheduke——Thekingreceivesextremeunction——
LetterfrommadameVictoiretothedauphin——M。deMachault——A
promenadewiththeducdeCosse——Kindattentionfromtheprince
desDeuxPouts——Afourthletterfromtheducd’Aiguillon——Comte
Jeanbidsmefarewell——M。d’Aiguillon’sfifthletter,containingan
accountofthedeathofLouisXV——TheducdelaVrilliere——The——Lettertothequeen——Departurefortheabbeyof
SpecialIntroductionbyRobertArnot
UptothetimeoftheDuBarrythecourtofFrancehadbeenthe
stagewherethewholepoliticalandhumandramaofthatcountry
wasenacted。
UnderLouisXVthedramahadbeentransformedinto
parades——paradeswhichwereofasmuchimportancetothepeople
astothosewhotookpartinthem。
Thespectators,hithertosilent,
nowbegantohissandbemoved。
Thesceneofthecomedywas
changed,andtheplaywascontinuedamongthespectators。
Theold
theatrebecameanante-chamberoradressing-room,andwasno
longerimportantexceptinconnectionwiththeCardinaldeBernis
andtheDucdeRichelieu,orMadamedePompadourandMadame
duBarry。
Themonarchyhadstillasteptotaketowardsitsdownfall。
It
hadalreadycreatedtheLouisXV’sseraglio,
buthadnotyetdescendedtotheParisianhouseofprostitution。
ItmadethisdescentleaningonthearmofMadameduBarry。
MadameduBarrywasamoralsistertoManonLescaut,butinstead
oftakingherselfofftoLouisianatorepent,sheplungedintothe
goldenwhirlpoolatVersaillesasafinishtohercareer。
Could
thecoachesofaKingmeanmorethantheordinarycarriageofan
abandonedgirl?
JeanneVaubernier——knowninthebagniosbythenameofMademoiselle
Lange——wasbornatVaucouleurs,aswasJeanned’Arc。
Betterstill,
thislaterJeannesaidopenlyatVersailles——daredshesayotherwise?——
thatshewasdescendedinastraightlinefromtheillustrious,
thevenerated,theaugust,sacred,nationalmaid,Jeanne。*
“Whydid
DuBarrycometoParis?’“saysLeonGozlaninthataccountofthe
ChateaudeLuciennewhichmakesabrilliantandlearnedchapterin
thehistoryofFrance。
“Doesoneeverknowpreciselywhythingsare
done?
SheobeyedthemagnetwhichattractstoParisallwhoin
themselveshaveatitletoglory,tocelebrity,ortomisfortune。
DuBarryhadapretty,provincialface,brightandcharming,aface
astonishedateverything,hairsoftandash-colored,blueeyes,
veiledandhalfopen,andaskinfairwithrosetints。
Shewasa
childofdestiny。
Whocouldhavesaid,whenshecrossedthegreat
towninherbasketcart,whichrolledlazilyalongonitsmassive,
creakingwheels,thatsomedayshewouldhaveequipagesmore
beautifulthananyofthosewhichcoveredherwithmudinpassing,
andonherarmsmorelacesanddiamondsthananyoftheseladies
attendedbyfootmeninliveries?“
*AclaimwhichblithelyignoredthefactthatJeanne
d’Archadnochildren——Gutenbergeditor
WhenJeannelefttheprovincestocometoParis,shefoundher
nativecountry。
Shewasgrantedthefreedomofthecity,and
expandedinherjoylikeadelicateplanttransplantedintoa
hothouse。
Shefoundherselfathomeforthefirsttime;andfelt
thatshecouldruleasadespotoverallfrequentersofthe
streets。
Shelearnedfashionandloveatoneandthesametime。
Gourdanhadahatmadeforher,and,asareward,initiatedher
intothecustoms。
Butshewascalledtootherdestinies。
Oneday,whenshewaswalkingintheTuileries,alunatic——and
lunaticshavesecondsight——askedherfavorwhensheshould
becomequeen。
DuBarrysaidtoherself:“Thismanismad。“
But
thenshethoughtofthePompadour,blushed——itwastheonlytime——
andturnedhereyestowardsVersailles。
ButVersailleswasanunhoped-forshoretosuchagirlasthis,
agirlknowntoallParis。
WouldtheKingcaretobetheloverof
onewhohadruledallhiscourtesans?
Whocouldsay?
TheKing
oftenweariedofwhathehad。
Hadnotapoetalreadybeenfound
whocomparedhertoVenus:
OJeanne,thybeautyseduces
Andcharmsthewholeworld;
Invaindoestheduchessredden
Andtheprincessgrowl;
TheyknowthatVenusridesproudly
Thefoamofthewave。
Thepoet,whilenotVoltaire,wasnolessamanthanBouffiers。
WhiletheKingwasseekingamistress——anocturnalreverseof
Diogenes,fleeingfromthelanternsof
thewise——hefoundJeanne
Vaubernier。
Hethoughthecouldloveherforoneevening。
“Not
enough,“saidshe,“youmustlovemeuntilbroaddaylight。“
So
helovedherforawholeday。
Whatshouldoneeatinordertobe
lovedbyroyalty?
Wasitnecessarytohaveacoatofarms?
She
hadtheminnumber,becauseshehadbeenlovedbyallthegreat
namesinthebookofheraldry。
AndsoshebeggedtheViscount
JeanduBarrytogiveherthetitleofviscountess。
“Betterstill,“
exclaimedJean,“Iwillgiveyouthetitleofcountess。
Mybrother
willmarryyou;heisamalescamp,andyouarethefemale。
What
abeautifulmarriage!“
Sotheywereunited。
Thenewlymadecountesswassolemnly
presentedatcourtbyacountessofanancientdate,namely,the
CountessdeBearn。
KingVoltaireprotested,inasatireentitled
““topsy-turvy,afterwardsdenying
it。
TheducdeChoiseulprotested,Franceprotested,butall
Versaillesthrewitselfpassionatelyatthefeetofthenewcountess。
EventhedaughtersoftheKingpaidhercourt,andallowedherto
callthembytheirpetnames:Loque,Chiffe,andGraille。
TheKing,