re　false　than　those　calumnies。　　It　must　be　confessed；　however；　that　such　meetings　were　liable　to　ill　consequences。　　I　ventured　to　say　as　much　to　the　Queen；　and　informed　her　that　one　evening；　when　her　Majesty　beckoned　to　me　to　go　and　speak　to　her；　I　thought　I　recognised　on　the　bench　on　which　she　was　sitting　two　women　deeply　veiled；　and　keeping　profound　silence；　that　those　women　were　the　Comtesse　du　Barry　and　her　sister…in…law；　and　that　my　suspicions　were　confirmed；　when；　at　a　few　paces　from　the　seat；　and　nearer　to　her　Majesty；　I　met　a　tall　footman　belonging　to　Madame　du　Barry；　whom　I　had　seen　in　her　service　all　the　time　she　resided　at　Court。
  My　advice　was　disregarded。　　Misled　by　the　pleasure　she　found　in　these　promenades；　and　secure　in　the　consciousness　of　blameless　conduct；　the　Queen　would　not　see　the　lamentable　results　which　must　necessarily　follow。　This　was　very　unfortunate；　for　besides　the　mortifications　they　brought　upon　her；　it　is　highly　probable　that　they　prompted　the　vile　plot　which　gave　rise　to　the　Cardinal　de　Rohan's　fatal　error。
  Having　enjoyed　these　evening　promenades　about　a　month；　the　Queen　ordered　a　private　concert　within　the　colonnade　which　contained　the　group　of　Pluto　and　Proserpine。　　Sentinels　were　placed　at　all　the　entrances；　and　ordered　to　admit　within　the　colonnade　only　such　persons　as　should　produce　tickets　signed　by　my　father…in…law。　　A　fine　concert　was　performed　there　by　the　musicians　of　the　chapel　and　the　female　musicians　belonging　to　the。　Queen's　chamber。　　The　Queen　went　with　Mesdames　de　Polignac；　de　Chalon；　and　d'Andlau；　and　Messieurs　de　Polignac；　de　Coigny；　de　Besenval；　and　de　Vaudreuil；　there　were　also　a　few　equerries　present。　　Her　Majesty　gave　me　permission　to　attend　the　concert　with　some　of　my　female　relations。　　There　was　no　music　upon　the　terrace。　　The　crowd　of　inquisitive　people；　whom　the　sentinels　kept　at　a　distance　from　the　enclosure　of　the　colonnade；　went　away　highly　discontented；　the　small　number　of　persons　admitted　no　doubt　occasioned　jealousy；　and　gave　rise　to　offensive　comments　which　were　caught　up　by　the　public　with　avidity。　　I　do　not　pretend　to　apologise　for　the　kind　of　amusements　with　which　the　Queen　indulged　herself　during　this　and　the　following　summer；　the　consequences　were　so　lamentable　that　the　error　was　no　doubt　very　great；　but　what　I　have　said　respecting　the　character　of　these　promenades　may　be　relied　on　as　true。
  When　the　season　for　evening　walks　was　at　an　end；　odious　couplets　were　circulated　in　Paris；　the　'Queen　was　treated　in　them　in　the　most　insulting　manner；　her　situation　ranked　among　her　enemies　persons　attached　to　the　only　prince　who　for　several　years　had　appeared　likely　to　give　heirs　to　the　crown。　　People　uttered　the　most　inconsiderate　language；　and　those　improper　conversations　took　place　in　societies　wherein　the　imminent　danger　of　violating　to　so　criminal　an　extent　both　truth　and　the　respect　due　to　sovereigns　ought　to　have　been　better　understood。　　A　few　days　before　the　Queen's　confinement　a　whole　volume　of　manuscript　songs；　concerning　her　and　all　the　ladies　about　her　remarkable　for　rank　or　station　was；　thrown　down　in　the　oiel…de…boeuf。＇A　large　room　at　Versailles　lighted　by　a　bull's…eye　window；　and　used　as　a　waiting…room。＇　This　manuscript　was　immediately　put　into　the　hands　of　the　King；　who　was　highly　incensed　at　it；　and　said　that　he　had　himself　been　at　those　promenades；　that　he　had　seen　nothing　connected　with　them　but　what　was　perfectly　harmless；　that　such　songs　would　disturb　the　harmony　of　twenty　families　in　the　Court　and　city；　that　it　was　a　capital　crime　to　have　made　any　against　the　Queen　herself；　and　that　he　wished　the　author　of　the　infamous　libels　to　be　discovered　and　punished。　　A　fortnight　afterwards　it　was　known　publicly　that　the　verses　were　by　M。　Champcenetz　de　Riquebourg；　who　was　not　even　reprimanded。
  ＇The　author　of　a　great　many　songs；　some　of　which　are　very　well　　　　　　written。　　Lively　and　satirical　by　nature；　he　did　not　lose　either　his　　　　　　cheerfulness　or　his　carelessness　before　the　revolutionary　tribunal。　　　　　　After　hearing　his　own　sentence　read；　he　asked　his　judges　if　he　might　　　　　　not　be　allowed　to　find　a　substitute。MADAME　CAMPAN。＇
  I　knew　for　a　certainty　that　the　King　spoke　to　M。　de　Maurepas；　before　two　of　his　most　confidential　servants；　respecting　the　risk　which　he　saw　the　Queen　ran　from　these　night　walks　upon　the　terrace　of　Versailles；　which　the　public　ventured　to　censure　thus　openly；　and　that　the　old　minister　had　the　cruelty　to　advise　that　she　should　be　suffered　to　go　on；　she　possessed　talent；　her　friends　were　very　ambitious；　and　longed　to　see　her　take　a　part　in　public　affairs；　and　to　let　her　acquire　the　reputation　of　levity　would　do　no　harm。　　M。　de　Vergennes　was　as　hostile　to　the　Queen's　influence　as　M。　de　Maurepas。　　It　may　therefore　be　fairly　presumed；　since　the　Prime　Minister　durst　point　out　to　his　King　an　advantage　to　be　gained　by　the　Queen's　discrediting　herself；　that　he　and　M。　de　Vergennes　employed　all　means　within　the　reach　of　powerful　ministers　in　order　to　ruin　her　in　the　opinion　of　the　public。
  The　Queen's　accouchement　approached；　Te　Deums　were　sung　and　prayers　offered　up　in　all　the　cathedrals。　　On　the　11th　of　December；　1778；　the　royal　family；　the　Princes　of　the　blood；　and　the　great　officers　of　State　passed　the　night　in　the　rooms　adjoining　the　Queen's　bedchamber。　　Madame；　the　King's　daughter；　came　into　the　world　before　mid…day　on　the　19th　of　December。＇Marie　Therese　Charlotte　（1778…1861）；　Madame　Royale；　married　in　1799　Louis；　Duc　d'Angouleme；　eldest　son　of　the　Comte　d'Artois。＇　The　etiquette　of　allowing　all　persons　indiscriminately　to　enter　at　the　moment　of　the　delivery　of　a　queen　was　observed　with　such　exaggeration　that　when　the　accoucheur　said　aloud；　〃La　Reine　va　s'accoucher；〃　the　persons　who　poured　into　the　chamber　were　so　numerous　that　the　rush　nearly　destroyed　the　Queen。　　During　the　night　the　King　had　taken　the　precaution　to　have　the　enormous　tapestry　screens　which　surrounded　her　Majesty's　bed　secured　with　cords；　but　for　this　they　certainly　would　have　been　thrown　down　upon　her。　　It　was　impossible　to　move　about　the　chamber；　which　was　filled　with　so　motley　a　crowd　that　one　might　have　fancied　himself　in　some　place　of　public　amusement。　　Two　Savoyards　got　upon　the　furniture　for　a　better　sight　of　the　Queen；　who　was　placed　opposite　the　fireplace。
  The　noise　and　the　sex　of　the　infant；　with　which　the　Queen　was　made　acquainted　by　a　signal　previously　agreed　on；　as　it　is　said；　with　the　Princesse　do　Lamballe；　or　some　error　of　the　accoucheur；　brought　on　symptoms　which　threatened　fatal　consequences；　the　accoucheur　exclaimed；　〃Give　her　airwarm　watershe　must　be　bled　in　the　foot！〃　　The　windows　were　stopped　up；　the　King　opened　them　with　a　strength　which　his　affection　for　the　Queen　gave　him　at　the　moment。　　They　were　of　great　height；　and　pasted　over　with　strips　of　paper　all　round。　　The　basin　of　hot　water　not　being　brought　quickly　enough；　the　accoucheur　desired　the　chief　surgeon　to　use　his　lancet　without　waiting　for　it。　　He　did　so；　the　blood　streamed　out　freely；　and　the　Queen　opened　her　eyes。　　The　Princesse　de　Lamballe　was　carried　through　the　crowd　in　a　state　of　insensibility。　　The　valets　de　chambre　and　pages　dragged　out　by　the　collar　such　inconsiderate　persons　as　would　not　leave　the　room。　　This　cruel　custom　was　abolished　afterwards。　The　Princes　of　the　family；　the　Princes　of　the　blood；　the　chancellor；　and　the　ministers　are　surely　sufficient　to　attest　the　legitimacy　of　an　hereditary　prince。　　The　Queen　was　snatched　from　the　very　jaws　of　death；　she　was　not　conscious　of　having　been　bled；　and　on　being　replaced　in　bed　asked　why　she　had　a　linen　bandage　upon　her　foot。
  The　delight　which　succeeded　the　moment　of　fear　was　equally　lively　and　sincere。　　We　were　all　embracing　each　other；　and　shedding　tears　of　joy。　The　Comte　d'Esterhazy　and　the　Prince　de　Poix；　to　whom　I　was　the　first　to　announce　that　the　Queen　was　restored　to　life；　embraced　me　in　the　midst　of　the　cabinet　of　nobles。　　We　little　imagined；　in　our　happiness　at　her　escape　from　death；　for　how　much　more　terrible　a　fate　our　beloved　Princess　was　reserved。
  NOTE。　　The　two　following　specimens　of　the　Emperor　Joseph's　correspondence　forcibly　demonstrate　the　vigour；　shrewdness；　and　originality　of　his　mind；　and　complete　the　portrait　left　of　him　by　Madame　Campan。
  Few　sovereigns　have　given　their　reasons　for　refusing　appointments　with　the　fullness　and　point　of　the　following　letter
  To　a　Lady。
  MADAM。I　do　not　think　that　it　is　amongst　the　duties　of　a　monarch　to　grant　places　to　one　of　his　subjects　merely　because　he　is　a　gentleman。　That；　however；　is　the　inference　from　the　request　you　have　made　to　me。　Your　late　husband　was；　you　say；　a　distinguished　general；　a　gentleman　of　good　family；　and　thence　you　conclude　that　my　kindness　to　your　family　can　do　no　less　than　give　a　company　of　foot　to　your　second　son；　lately　returned　from　his　travels。
  Madam；　a　man　may　be　the　son　of　a　general　and　yet　have　no　talent　for　command。　　A　man　may　be　of　a　good　family　and　yet　possess　no　other　merit　than　that　which　he　owes　to　chance；the　name　of　gentleman。
  I　know　your　son；　and　I　know　what　makes　the　soldier；　and　this　twofold　knowledge　convinces　me　that　your　son　has　not　the　disposition　of　a　warrior；　and　that　he