the memoirs of marie antoinette- 第30部分

CHAPTER　VIII。

The　Duc　de　Choiseul　had　reappeared　at　Court　on　the　ceremony　of　the　King's　coronation　for　the　first　time　after　his　disgrace　under　Louis　XV。　in　1770。　The　state　of　public　feeling　on　the　subject　gave　his　friends　hope　of　seeing　him　again　in　administration；　or　in　the　Council　of　State；　but　the　opposite　party　was　too　firmly　seated　at　Versailles；　and　the　young　Queen's　influence　was　outweighed；　in　the　mind　of　the　King；　by　long…standing　prejudices；　she　therefore　gave　up　for　ever　her　attempt　to　reinstate　the　Duke。　　Thus　this　Princess；　who　has　been　described　as　so　ambitious；　and　so　strenuously　supporting　the　interest　of　the　House　of　Austria；　failed　twice　in　the　only　scheme　which　could　forward　the　views　constantly　attributed　to　her；　and　spent　the　whole　of　her　reign　surrounded　by　enemies　of　herself　and　her　house。

Marie　Antoinette　took　little　pains　to　promote　literature　and　the　fine　arts。　　She　had　been　annoyed　in　consequence　of　having　ordered　a　performance　of　the　〃Connstable　de　Bourbon；〃　on　the　celebration　of　the　marriage　of　Madame　Clotilde　with　the　Prince　of　Piedmont。　　The　Court　and　the　people　of　Paris　censured　as　indecorous　the　naming　characters　in　the　piece　after　the　reigning　family；　and　that　with　which　the　new　alliance　was　formed。　　The　reading　of　this　piece　by　the　Comte　de　Guibert　in　the　Queen's　closet　had　produced　in　her　Majesty's　circle　that　sort　of　enthusiasm　which　obscures　the　judgment。　　She　promised　herself　she　would　have　no　more　readings。　　Yet；　at　the　request　of　M。　de　Cubieres；　the　King's　equerry；　the　Queen　agreed　to　hear　the　reading　of　a　comedy　written　by　his　brother。　She　collected　her　intimate　circle；　Messieurs　de　Coigny；　de　Vaudreuil；　de　Besenval；　Mesdames　de　Polignac；　de　Chalon；　etc。；　and　to　increase　the　number　of　judges；　she　admitted　the　two　Parnys；　the　Chevalier　de　Bertin；　my　father…in…law；　and　myself。

Mold　read　for　the　author。　　I　never　could　satisfy　myself　by　what　magic　the　skilful　reader　gained　our　unanimous　approbation　of　a　ridiculous　work。　Surely　the　delightful　voice　of　Mold；　by　awakening　our　recollection　of　the　dramatic　beauties　of　the　French　stage；　prevented　the　wretched　lines　of　Dorat　Cubieres　from　striking　on　our　ears。　　I　can　assert　that　the　exclamation　Charming！　charming！　repeatedly　interrupted　the　reader。　　The　piece　was　admitted　for　performance　at　Fontainebleau；　and　for　the　first　time　the　King　had　the　curtain　dropped　before　the　end　of　the　play。　　It　was　called　the　〃Dramomane〃　or　〃Dramaturge。〃　　All　the　characters　died　of　eating　poison　in　a　pie。　　The　Queen；　highly　disconcerted　at　having　recommended　this　absurd　production；　announced　that　she　would　never　hear　another　reading；　and　this　time　she　kept　her　word。

The　tragedy　of　〃Mustapha　and　Mangir；〃　by　M。　de　Chamfort；　was　highly　successful　at　the　Court　theatre　at　Fontainebleau。　　The　Queen　procured　the　author　a　pension　of　1；200　francs；　but　his　play　failed　on　being　performed　at　Paris。

The　spirit　of　opposition　which　prevailed　in　that　city　delighted　in　reversing　the　verdicts　of　the　Court。　　The　Queen　determined　never　again　to　give　any　marked　countenance　to　new　dramatic　works。　　She　reserved　her　patronage　for　musical　composers；　and　in　a　few　years　their　art　arrived　at　a　perfection　it　had　never　before　attained　in　France。

It　was　solely　to　gratify　the　Queen　that　the　manager　of　the　Opera　brought　the　first　company　of　comic　actors　to　Paris。　　Gluck；　Piccini；　and　Sacchini　were　attracted　there　in　succession。　　These　eminent　composers　were　treated　with　great　distinction　at　Court。　　Immediately　on　his　arrival　in　France；　Gluck　was　admitted　to　the　Queen's　toilet；　and　she　talked　to　him　all　the　time　he　remained　with　her。　　She　asked　him　one　day　whether　he　had　nearly　brought　his　grand　opera　of　〃Armide　〃　to　a　conclusion；　and　whether　it　pleased　him。　　Gluck　replied　very　coolly；　in　his　German　accent；　〃Madame；　it　will　soon　be　finished；　and　really　it　will　be　superb。〃　　There　was　a　great　outcry　against　the　confidence　with　which　the　composer　had　spoken　of　one　of　his　own　productions。　　The　Queen　defended　him　warmly；　she　insisted　that　he　could　not　be　ignorant　of　the　merit　of　his　works；　that　he　well　knew　they　were　generally　admired；　and　that　no　doubt　he　was　afraid　lest　a　modesty；　merely　dictated　by　politeness；　should　look　like　affectation　in　him。

　　　　　＇Gluck　often　had　to　deal　with　self…sufficiency　equal　to　his　own。　　　　　　He　was　very　reluctant　to　introduce　long　ballets　into　〃Iphigenia。〃　　　　　　Vestris　deeply　regretted　that　the　opera　was　not　terminated　by　a　　　　　　piece　they　called　a　chaconne；　in　which　he　displayed　all　his　power。　　　　　　He　complained　to　Gluck　about　it。　　Gluck；　who　treated　his　art　with　　　　　　all　the　dignity　it　merits；　replied　that　in　so　interesting　a　subject　　　　　　dancing　would　be　misplaced。　　Being　pressed　another　time　by　Vestris　　　　　　on　the　same　subject；　〃A　chaconne！　　A　chaconne！〃　　roared　out　the　　　　　　enraged　musician；　〃we　must　describe　the　Greeks；　and　had　the　Greeks　　　　　　chaconnes？〃　　〃They　had　not？〃　　returned　the　astonished　dancer；　〃why；　　　　　　then；　so　much　the　worse　for　them！〃NOTE　BY　THE　EDITOR。

The　Queen　did　not　confine　her　admiration　to　the　lofty　style　of　the　French　and　Italian　operas；　she　greatly　valued　Gretry's　music；　so　well　adapted　to　the　spirit　and　feeling　of　the　words。　　A　great　deal　of　the　poetry　set　to　music　by　Gretry　is　by　Marmontel。　　The　day　after　the　first　performance　of　〃Zemira　and　Azor；〃　Marmontel　and　Gretry　were　presented　to　the　Queen　as　she　was　passing　through　the　gallery　of　Fontainebleau　to　go　to　mass。　　The　Queen　congratulated　Gretry　on　the　success　of　the　new　opera；　and　told　him　that　she　had　dreamed　of　the　enchanting　effect　of　the　trio　by　Zemira's　father　and　sisters　behind　the　magic　mirror。　　Gretry；　in　a　transport　of　joy；　took　Marmontel　in　his　arms；　〃Ah！　my　friend；〃　cried　he；　〃excellent　music　may　be　made　of　this。〃〃And　execrable　words；〃　coolly　observed　Marmontel；　to　whom　her　Majesty　had　not　addressed　a　single　compliment。

The　most　indifferent　artists　were　permitted　to　have　the　honour　of　painting　the　Queen。　　A　full…length　portrait；　representing　her　in　all　the　pomp　of　royalty；　was　exhibited　in　the　gallery　of　Versailles。　　This　picture；　which　was　intended　for　the　Court　of　Vienna；　was　executed　by　a　man　who　does　not　deserve　even　to　be　named；　and　disgusted　all　people　of　taste。　　It　seemed　as　if　this　art　had；　in　France；　retrograded　several　centuries。

The　Queen　had　not　that　enlightened　judgment；　or　even　that　mere　taste；　which　enables　princes　to　foster　and　protect　great　talents。　　She　confessed　frankly　that　she　saw　no　merit　in　any　portrait　beyond　the　likeness。　　When　she　went　to　the　Louvre；　she　would　run　hastily　over　all　the　little　〃genre〃　pictures；　and　come　out；　as　she　acknowledged；　without　having　once　raised　her　eyes　to　the　grand　compositions。

There　is　no　good　portrait　of　the　Queen；　save　that　by　Werthmuller；　chief　painter　to　the　King　of　Sweden；　which　was　sent　to　Stockholm；　and　that　by　Madame　Lebrun；　which　was　saved　from　the　revolutionary　fury　by　the　commissioners　for　the　care　of　the　furniture　at　Versailles。

　　　　　＇A　sketch　of　very　great　interest　made　when　the　Queen　was　in　the　　　　　　Temple　and　discovered　many　years　afterwards　there；　recently　　　　　　reproduced　in　the　memoirs　of　the　Marquise　de　Tourzel　（Paris；　Plon）；　　　　　　is　the　last　authentic　portrait　of　the　unhappy　Queen。　　See　also　the　　　　　　catalogue　of　portraits　made　by　Lord　Ronald　Gower。＇

The　composition　of　the　latter　picture　resembles　that　of　Henriette　of　France；　the　wife　of　the　unfortunate　Charles　I。；　painted　by　Vandyke。　　Like　Marie　Antoinette；　she　is　seated；　surrounded　by　her　children；　and　that　resemblance　adds　to　the　melancholy　interest　raised　by　this　beautiful　production。

While　admitting　that　the　Queen　gave　no　direct　encouragement　to　any　art　but　that　of　music；　I　should　be　wrong　to　pass　over　in　silence　the　patronage　conferred　by　her　and　the　Princes；　brothers　of　the　King；　on　the　art　of　printing。

　　　　　＇In　1790　the　King　gave　a　proof　of　his　particular　good…will　to　the　　　　　　bookselling　trade。　　A　company　consisting　of　the　first　Parisian　　　　　　booksellers；　being　on　the　eve　of　stopping　payment；　succeeded　in　　　　　　laying　before　the　King　a　statement　of　their　distressed　situation。　　　　　　The　monarch　was　affected　by　it；　he　took　from　the　civil　list　the　sum　　　　　　of　which　the　society　stood　in　immediate　need；　and　became　security　　　　　　for　the　repayment　of　the　remainder　of　the　1；200；000　1ivres；　which　　　　　　they　wanted　to　borrow；　and　for　the　repayment　of　which　he　fixed　no　　　　　　particular　time。＇

To　Marie　Antoinette　we　are　indebted　for　a　splendid　quarto　edition　of　the　works　of　Metastasio；　to　Monsieur；　the　King's　brother；　for　a　quarto　Tasso；　embellished　with　engravings　after　Cochin；　and　to　the　Comte　d'Artois　for　a　small　collection　of　select　works；　which　is　considered　one　of　the　chef　d'oeuvres　of　the　press　of　the　celebrated　Didot。

In　1775；　on　the　death　of　the　Marechal　du　Muy；　the　ascendency　obtained　by　the　sect　of　innovators　occasioned　M。　de　Saint…Germain　to　be　recalled　to　Court　and　made　Minister　of　War。　　His　first　care　was　the　destruction　of　the　King's　military　household　establishment；　an　imposing　and　effectual　rampart　round　the　sovereign　power。

When　Chancellor　Maupeou　obtained　from　Louis　XV。　the　destruction　of　the　Parliament　and　the　exile　of　all　the　ancient　magistrates；　the　Mousquetaires　were　charged　with　the　exec