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　unrelieved　care　and　business；　the　queen's　days
  now　passed；　she　sang；　she　laughed　no　more；　dress　had　no　longer
  charms　for　her；　she　had　no　more　conferences　with　Mademoiselle
  Bertin；　her　milliner；　her　hairdresser；　M。　Leonard；　had　no　more　calls
  upon　his　genius　for　new　coiffures　for　her　fair　hair；　a　simple；　dark
  dress；　that　was　the　toilet　of　the　queen；　a　lace　handkerchief　round
  the　neck；　and　a　feather　was　her　only　head…dress。
  Once　she　had　rejoiced　in　her　beauty；　and　smiled　at　the　flatteries
  which　her　mirror　told　her　when　it　reflected　her　face；　now　she　looked
  with　indifference　at　her　pale；　worn　face；　with　its　sharp　grave
  features；　and　it　awoke　no　wonder　within　her　when　the　mirror　told　her
  that　the　queen　of　France；　in　spite　of　her　thirty…six　years；　was　old；
  that　the　roses　on　her　cheeks　had　withered；　and　that　care　had　drawn
  upon　her　brow　those　lines　which　age　could　not　yet　have　done。　She　did
  not　grieve　over　her　lost　beauty；　she　looked　with　complacency　at　that
  matron　of　six…and…thirty　years　whose　beautiful　hair　showed　the
  traces　of　that　dreadful　night　in　October。　She　had　her　picture
  painted；　in　order　to　send　it　to　London；　to　the　truest　of　her
  friends；　the　Princess　Lamballe；　and　with　her　own　hands　she　wrote
  beneath　it　the　words：　〃Your　sorrows　have　whitened　your　hair。〃
  And　yet　in　this　life　full　of　cares；　full　of　work；　full　of　pain　and
  humiliationin　these　sad　days　of　trouble　and　resignation；　there
  were　single　gleams　of　sunshine；　scattered　moments　of　happiness。
  It　was　a　ray　of　sunshine　when　this　sad　winter　in　the　Tuileries　was
  past；　and　the　States…General　allowed　the　royal　family　to　go　to　St。
  Cloud　and　spend　the　summer　there。　Certainly　it　was　a　new　humiliation
  for　the　king　to　receive　permission　to　reside　in　his　own　summer
  palace　of　St。　Cloud。　But　the　States…General　called　themselves　the
  pillars　of　the　throne；　and　the　king　who　sat　upon　this　shaking　throne
  was　very　dependent　upon　its　support。
  In　St。　Cloud　there　was　at　least　a　little　freedom；　a　little　solitude
  and　stillness。　The　birds　sang　in　the　foliage；　the　sun　lighted　up　the
  broad　ha