The Court of the Tuileries, from the Restoration to the Flight of Louis Philippe

Chapter I. Page

Grief and Despair — ' L'homme du Due d'Orleans ' — A Telling Phrase — The Disgraced Minister — Louis XVI 1 1. and his Favourites — The Pupil and his Royal Master — Dissentient Views — The Comtesse du Cayla — An Ode to Peace — Convincing the King of his Error — Political Education — Fooling him to the top of his bent — A Great King for France . . . ' . . . I

Chapter II

Political and Social Agitation — Funeral of the Due de Berry — The ' beau roue' : ' minus the beau — Hopes of the Bourbons menaced — Popular Conspirators — The Theophilanthropists — Execution of Louvel — A Triple Abdication in Reserve — A Betrothal — Changing the Succession — Vows registered on high — Disregard of Dignity — Breach of Court Manners — Une Petite Comedie — Etiquette and Esprit — An Amnesty . . . . 1 5

Chapter III

Mirabeau and the Marquis — A Cradle for the Unborn Prince — A Something Wanting— Left to their own Devices — Louis and the Fair Bordelaises — ' The. Child of Miracle '—Rare Old Wine, and Garlic— A Mystery explained — The Guarantee of Peace — Was a male Child really born ?— A Protest and a Violent Scene— VOL. II. a VI PAGE An Explosion in the Chateau — The quid pro quo — The Pavilion Marsan in a Fright — Preparing to slide backwards . . . . . . . . • ■ 31

Chapter IV

Rather Theatrical— A well-got -up Scene— Frightening the Saints — The Royal Christening — The Children and the Youthful Hero — The Royal Sponsors — The Civic Banquet and Ball — Death of Napoleon I. — Grief of General Count Rapp — ' A Charming Phrase, mon cousin ' — A Partizan of the Right Divine —A Mighty Conqueror dies — The Warrior's Return. 46

Chapter V

The Valiant Due d'Angouleme — The Congress of Verona — Coquetry and Diplomacy — Due Mathieu de Montmorency — A Sympathizing Friend — Imagination taken Captive — Madame Recamier's Letters — A Great Enemy to combat — Author and Statesman — Seeking in Vain — Madame Re'camier's System — The Hero is off to the Wars — Surprising the Garrison — Impregnable Consciences — The Hero's Return — Hats and Gloves a la Trocadero ... . . . . . . -59

Chapter VI

Feting the Hero— Clinging to Life— A Last Speech in the Chambers — The Cause of Misfortune — The Blessin°* of the Rentiers — ' Tell him I tum him out ' — The quid pro quo—' Atala of the Salons ' — Frequent and False Alarms —A Wretched Condition—' A King of France must not be ill '—The Strong Will fails at last— A Conversion in extremis — The Death-chamber — The Favourite's Portrait — ' The King, gentlemen ! ' . . . 7 ,

Chapter VII

A Feeble Ruler— He gave France the Charter— Attending to Business of State — The Dreaded Transition— A THE SECOND VOLUME. VII 109 ci-devant jeune homme — The Good Old Times — Fune real Pomp — The Lying in State — The Funeral cortege — A Question of Precedency — The Interior of Saint- Denis— Charles X.'s Public Entry— The Military Staff — No more Halberds ' — Les enfants de France — The Royal Ladies — The Funeral Oration — The Royal Vaults closed 91

Chapter VIII

Resting on the Right Divine — The Lapse of Fifty Years — Napoleon's Mistake — A Busy Time for the modistes — Regenerating French Society — The New Converts — 'Ad majorem Dei gloriam !' — Lecturing in Vain — Models of Kingly Perfection — A Heaven-assigned Task — Recriminatory Reproaches — The Royalist Emigrants — 'C'est un Polignac' — The Orleans' Appanage — The Heir of Philippe Egalit^ — The Wealthiest Man in France — Confidential Advisers — Justified by Events .

Chapter IX

A Demi-God for the People — Sympathy with the Greeks — Doubt and Disquietude — A Most Gracious Reception — A Flattering Distinction — Congenial Sentiments — Neither Part nor Lot in the Matter — The Law of Sacrilege — The ' Fathers of the Faith ' — An Odious Law — The ' deplorable ' Ministry — Tearing up the Charter — A Touching Scene — ' The Worst of all Revolutions ' — Piety and Etiquette — Ah ! happy Woman — The Legitimate Heir — Youthful Courtiers — A Military Toy — A Wooden Army 127

Chapter X

' Notre-Dame, Sire, or Saint-Denis ' — Pious Horror — La Sainte Ampoule — A Comforting Miracle — A Ponderous State Carriage — The Grand-master's Opportunity — Difficult to decide— 'Working Double Tides' — 'Vive Charles Dix ! ' — A Pleasing Novelty — Ancient Customs PAGE 167 —An Offering of Fruits and Wine — Just a Glimpse of Royalty— Fashionable coiffeurs— -Very distressing — A brilliant tout-ensemble— A Mortifying Necessity — ' Vivat Rex in ceternum '— The Merciless Rain— Poems and chansons '47

Chapter XI

'Another Grand Monarque'— An Empty Treasury— Growing into Fashion — 'The Heart of Young France' — Funeral of General Foy — ' Les ens ants de la patrie' — The Old Tactics continued— Sheathing the Sword for a While — A Cure effected — ' If you think thus, it must be so ' — ' The Great Lama ' — Mutual Satisfaction — A privileged Visitor — No Lover now, but Gambler — The salon of the Abbaye-aux-Bois — Madame Vigee-Lebrun.

Chapter XII

Preparing for the Carnival — The Jesuits and the Colporteurs — The King a Jesuit Priest — Talma's Last Part — Primogeniture — The 'Three Hundred Spartans' — The Decree of the Cour Royale — Reproving the Judges — ' Move on, Gentlemen ' — Madame's New Year's Reception — Death of the Due de Montmorency — A Change in Popular Opinion — The Czar's Mental Depression — A Reconciliation — Death of Madame de Krudener — Her Last Words 183

Chapter XIII

A Proces gained — Royal Ingratitude — Loss of Court Favour — The Savonnerie — An Ornament lost to the Court — The Sin of Lightmindedness — The Governess and the Governor — The Bourbon Temperament — ' Contes kma fille'— M. Bouilly presented to Madame— Doubting the Pavilion Marsan— Accepted on One Condition— A Profession of Faith— The Young Prince's Studies— Principles Fraught with Danger— A Flattering Leavetaking — Madame's Methodical Habits Ic,g THE SECOND VOLUME. IX

Chapter XIV. Page

A Crusade against the Jesuits — Slaying the Hydra — A Rigorous Law — ' They shall repent of it ! ' — Busy : Building and Improving — Justice and Love — The Faithful Three Hundred — 'The canaille must be coerced ' — A Mark of Royal Favour — Not a vivas greets Him — What is the Reason ? — False Hopes — Two Great Events 216

Chapter XV

An Eventful Day — ' Homage, not Lessons ! ' — A Change of Mind—' What would Louis XIV. have done ? '—An Act of Vigour ' — Extinguished for Ever — Refusal to pray for the King — The Old Revolutionist — ' What if they are canaille!' — Grand site of the Jubilee — Victory of Navarino — A Sign from Heaven — The End of the ' Deplorables ' — A Riot and a Massacre — A Hint to the New President 229

Chapter XVI

Disappointed Expectations — Anything to get rid of Him — An Exchange of Embassies — To Rome He went — A Damaging Blow with a Fan — A Visit of Condolence — Royalty en voyage — The Chateau de Chambord — Threatened with Demolition— Bought by the Nation — Ungraciously accepted — Some Sketches of Chambord — Deceived and Undeceived — A long-deferred Journey — Delighted with Chambord — An Enthusiastic Welcome — A Successful Expedition — Saintly, Popular, and Powerful 244

Chapter XVII

The Annual Visit to Dieppe — Courtier and fiance — A Concession to the People — Astonishing the Chambers — Madame's Costume Balls — 'La Mode' suppressed — ' La Muette de Portici ' — Advancing without Walking — X 306 PACE Home Occupations— Shopping in Paris— Opposed on All Sides— A Terrible Blow— ' Le Mouton Enrage"'— Radiant with Joy— A Careful Guardian .... 262

Chapter XVIII

Seeking Repose— Sinister Forebodings— Political Tours— A Sad Disappointment— Patiently biding his Time— A Very Gay Season— Incendiary Fires— A Fearful Example— Reliques of St. Vincent de Paul— Absolving the King— Ministers in Council— Torturing the Sealing- Wax— The Sentiment for Glory— Mortified exceedingly —A Dreary State of Things— Preparing for Royal Guests 277

Chapter XIX

A High-handed Despot— Royal Visit to the Opera— An Exciting Opera — The Tuileries eclipsed — An Unmindful Host — Placed in a Dilemma — A Lovely Night — Seized with Sudden Frenzy — Dancing on a Volcano — ' They shall suffer for it, the rebels ! ' — Nothing New Intended — Playing a Winning Game — ' God preserve France and the King ! ' 293

Chapter XX

A Thunderbolt — The King has violated the Charter — A Flag of Truce — A Check to Court Gaiety — ' What news in Paris, Marshal?' — Strong in his Divine Right — ' Down with the Traitor ! ' — An Attempt to buy Marmont — Listeners in the Closet — Whist and ecartti at Saint-Cloud — Barricading in Paris — Pleading Etiquette—Unchanged and Unchangeable — The Hotel Laffitte — War in Paris, Peace at Saint-Cloud — The Battle still rages — Cockade, Musket, and Uniform — 'Drapeau tricolore, releve-toi' — Injudicious Play — ' She is the Friend of the People ' — Ready to set out for Dieppe — ' Yesterday, it was possible ' — France and the King . THE SECOND VOLUME. XI PAGE 329

Chapter XXI

Seen with a Shudder— Sack of the Louvre and Tuileries — ' Mort aux voleurs ! ' — Beginning to grow Serious — The Great Warrior in a Rage — ' Ah, Marmont, embrassons-nous !' — ' No concession ; go on, persist ! ' — Again, 'too late, too late' — The Republic, or Napoleon II. ? — ' Not a Bourbon, but a Valois ' — ' A Crown, or a Passport ' — Saving the City from Anarchy — Pleading in Vain — Paris, after its Triumph — Citizens who died for Liberty — A Stifling Embrace — A Treacherous Memory — A Delightful Piece of News — Tears and Tenderness — The Civic Coronation — Not a viva/ for La Fayette ? .

Chapter XXII

Urging Charles out of France — The Cows of the Royal Dairy — Madame in Male Attire — An Embarrassing Position — The Double Abdication — Henri V. and Mademoiselle — The Crown Jewels demanded— Unfavourably received at Dijon — Ready Cash for the King — Sympathetic Sorrow — Madame soon weary of Holyrood — Migrating to' Bohemia 350

Chapter XXIII

Welcome News — Taking his Walks Abroad — Royal Hospitality — A Mysterious Death — Madame de Feucheres — Flattering Proposals — Flatteringly received — The Ruling Passion — Not to be Tempted — Death of Benjamin Constant — Quelling a Tumult — M. Thiers de'bu/ in the Chambers — ' Chacun chez soi, chacun pour soi ' — Prince Talleyrand dozing 36:

Chapter XXIV

Restoring the Tuileries — The ' Monarchy d bon march." — ' We are Subjects of the Law ' — Caught in their own Trap — A Sacrilegious Carnival — Sack of the Archbishop's Palace — Fast waning Popularity — Paganini's First Concerts — The Opera, and Opera Stars — Madame THE SECOND VOLUME. XII PAGE la Comtesse Merlin — Grand Musical reunions — Petits soupers fins — The Literary salons — Private Concerts at Neuilly— The Garden of the Great Le-N6tre— Cits and Citizenesses 376

Chapter XXV

A Grand Carnival Ball — King, Queen, and Family— A Dreaded Enemy advancing — An Affray with the Rag-pickers — Ravages of the Cholera — Disastrous Results of a Funeral — An Ill-advised Adventure — Madame and her Aieles-de-Camp — Death of Napoleon II. — The Prisoner of Blaye — A Visit to Exiled Royalty — ' Madam, your Son is my King' — The Sisters Elsler — ' Le roi s'amuse ' — Death of General de La Fayette . 392

Chapter XXVI

The Rule of Life in Paris — Fieschi's Infernal Machine — In Quest of a Wife — 'Vive Napoleon III.!' — The Marriage-bells are ringing — Arrival of the Bride — Wedding fe'tes and Presents — A Great Theatrical Event — Les debuts of Mdlle. Rachel — Success, Fortune, and Glory — Rising with her Circumstances — Birth of the Comte de Paris— Ste.-Helena and Boulogne — The Spanish Marriages— Mr. Smith and His Passport — M. Guizot ' disguizoted ' — Death of M. de Chateaubriand — Death of Madame Recamier ..... 407 ILLUSTRATIONS TO VOL. II. MDLLE. RACHEL Frontispiece CHARLES X Tofacepage ,64 Royal Children . ... » 356 DUCHESSE D'ORLEANS. . . ,, THE COURT OF THE TUILERIES.

Chapter I

Grief and Despair — ' L'homme du Due d'Orleans ' — A Telling Phrase — The Disgraced Minister — Louis XVIII. and his Favourites — The Pupil and his Royal Master — Dissentient Views — The Comtesse du Cayla — An Ode to Peace — Convincing the King of his Error — Political Education — Fooling him to the top of his bent — A great King for France. iT was with difficulty that the weeping Duchesse de Berry, who, reclining on the side of the couch, clasped in her arms the dead body of her husband, could be prevailed on to leave the sad scene of his death. Almost senseless, she was borne to her carriage, and conveyed to her now desolate home in the palace of the Elysee Bourbon. Enthusiastically attached to her faithless husband, and always romantic in her sentiments, her first act, on reviving from the state of semi unconsciousness in which for some hours she vol. H. B GRIEF AND DESPAIR. 2 lay, was to cut off the whole of her beautiful hair.

Those long, wavy, golden tresses, whose beauty had been the theme of many a sonnet, were the especial admiration of the late duke. To him then she sacrificed them ; and, recom mending her little daughter to the kind care of Madame de Gontaut, her lady-in-waiting, de clared that ' she too must die. She now cared not for life, and could not survive her husband.' These violent paroxysms of grief and despair at last gave way to a calmer state of feeling. Still she would not, she said, continue, after the funeral, to reside in France. This horrible crime had made it hateful to her, and she must entreat the King not to oppose her return to Sicily. She was reminded that it was her duty to remain in France ; and the words of the late duke were repeated to her — ' Live, my Caro line, live for the sake of our unborn child,' — faintly murmured as life was ebbing away, and while she, in the agony of her mind that she could not hold back the beloved one from the grasp of death, was protesting that she would die with him.

That her husband bade her live, and with his dying breath implored that she would not allow grief to overwhelm her, at once changed 'L'HOMME DU DUC D'ORLEANS! 3 the current of her thoughts. And when the official journals announced that the Duchesse de Berry was enceinte, she was told that France also bade her live — live to disappoint those whose criminal hopes had led to the calamity that threatened extinction to the elder branch of the Bourbons, in order to elevate the Orleans family to that throne which, for two centuries past, they had coveted, and, from father to son, had been plotting and intriguing to sit on. So strongly prejudiced was Louis XVIII. against the Due d'Orleans, that he firmly believed the Due de Berry to have owed his death to an intrigue in the Due d'Orleans' favour, which, if he did not positively sanction, he also did not deprecate.

The Comte d'Artois, the Due and Duchesse d'Angouleme, with the priestly and ultra-royalist party, accused M. Decazes of complicity in the crime — the duchesse especially stigmatizing him as ' I'homme du Due d'Orldans.' His dismissal was required ; also that of the ministry of which he was president, who, sharing his liberal opinions, were supposed to inspire the King with the idea of making concessions inconsistent with the monarchy by right divine. ' Had he been dismissed a twelvemonth B A TELLING PHRASE. 4 ago,' said the Comte d'Artois, 'my son would still have been living.' ' His foot has slipped in blood ' (Le pied lui a glissd dans le sang), wrote M. de Chateaubriand, for the sake of a telling phrase with reference to the fall of the much-maligned minister, though afterwards explained away as meaning nothing.

But his fall — if fall or disgrace it could be called — led the King to exclaim, in his extreme annoyance at this cabal against his favourite, ' I will raise him so high that his elevation shall excite the envy of aristocrats of highest rank.' Forth with the disgraced minister was created duke and peer of France, and thus was placed on an equality with the old nobility. Also he was appointed ambassador to the Court of St. James, and the King consulted him when naming his successor in the presidency of the Council. ' As I have determined,' he said, ' to submit to the law of necessity, I will not separate from you, mon enfant, without havino* shown how keenly I feel what Syrus has so well expressed in the maxim: — "Amicum perdere est damnorum maximum." ' The King, at the same time, extended his hand towards M. le Due Decazes, who, sinking* on his knees, kissed it several times, and.

THE DISGRACED MINISTER. 5 unable longer to restrain their emotion, the monarch and his favourite mingled tears of regret at parting. When the King and his brother again met, ' You will not now complain,' said the former. ' You exacted of me the sacrifice of the man to whom I had given my fullest confidence. I have consented to it. M. Decazes retires.' ' Would that he had done so long ago,' sighed the count. ' You are unjust, my brother. Had the ministry been chosen by yourself, it could not have saved your unfortunate son. The crime is due to the revolutionary principles still rife among us,' replied the King. However, M. le Comte declared that he yet had reason to complain. The man who was concerned in the murder of his son, as he continually protested, had been rewarded by the King, instead of being made a striking example of the punishment awaiting conduct so criminal as his.

But, besides titles and estates and responsible appointments, the brevet of minister of State and member of the Privy Council — which gave, for life, the right of entrde to the Council on all occasions — was also conferred on the new duke and peer of France, LOUIS XVIII. AND HIS FAVOURITES. 6 which raised him, as the King had said he should be, in social position to the very highest rank. To Louis XVI 1 1. 's many bodily infirmities was now added that of gradually decaying mental powers. He was conscious of this fact, and was then struggling to maintain his supre macy in the direction of affairs of State, and to resist the domination of the Jesuit-ruled Comte d'Artois and the still more evil influ ence of the narrow-minded bigotry of the Duchesse d'Angouleme. M. Decazes had for some time aided him in keeping the ultra and priestly party in check, and now and then thwart ing their views.

This, in their eyes, as the King was aware, was his minister's great crime, rather than any conviction of the truth of his asserted complicity in the assassination of the Due de Berry, though it was put forward as a means of getting rid of him. It has been doubted whether Louis XVIII., a man of so little seeling and so thoroughly egotistical, really had any sort of affectionate regard for any one of the several favourites who succeeded each other in his good oraces. Was he not influenced, in this revival of the favouritism that was the rule of the ancient monarchy, by his profound veneration for the THE PUPIL AND HIS ROYAL MASTER. 7 historical traditions of the old rdgime more than by any especial regard for the persons on whom his favours were lavished ? ' If Louis XVIII. was not actually cruel,' writes M. de Chateaubriand, ' he certainly was not humane.

But, though cold and unfeeling, he yet had a sort of passion for those favourites who administered to his pleasures and saved him trouble in the affairs of government.' This is exactly what M. Decazes did. With much statesmanlike ability and moderately liberal opinions he possessed a pleasing manner, as well as the tact, when discussing affairs of State with the weary-minded king, to intro duce apt quotations ; to be reminded, by some remark, of a piquant bon mot or anecdote, and by these digressions to amuse his Majesty and enliven the otherwise dreary business of government. He flattered the King's vanity also bymaking it clearly appear that not only were his political opinions derived from him — for Louis looked on his rather youthful minister as his pupil, when he was in fact his master — but that the bons mots always so ready on his lips, and his facile and appropriate quotations from Louis' favourite Horace, were but sparks from those DISSENTIENT VIE 1 1 'S. 8 flashes of wit and wisdom that glittered so brightly in the King's discourse when he deigned to converse with him.

Louis was in the habit of saying with reference to measures suggested or advocated by M. Decazes, and invariably opposed by the ultra-royalist party, that his minister's system was his ; the words he spoke represented his own will and wishes — ' // exdcute ma volontd — et voild tout.' But in future the will of the Comte d'Artois, or, more correctly, that of his Jesuitical entourage — for will of his own he had none — was most frequently to prevail in the conduct of affairs of State. The decadence of Louis XVIII. from this time is remarkable. The dissentient views of his family isolated him in a great degree from the society of his near relatives, and with the Orleans branch he can scarcely be said to have held any friendly intercourse ; so strongly was he prejudiced against the duke. Much pains were taken to keep far from him all persons of influence who would be likely to sympathize with his so-called liberal ism.

For Louis had begun to perceive it being adroitly pointed out to him by M. Decazes — that concessions to the views of the constitutional party were more likely to oive THE COMTESSE DU CAYLA. 9 stability to his throne than persistence in the vain attempt to restore absolutism and priestly rule. But it was to the minister's secret enemy, the fascinating Comtesse du Cayla, that much of the influence he had enjoyed was now to be transferred. Hitherto at the daily tete-a-tete politics were by mutual consent eschewed ; though she contrived sometimes with lively raillery to evade the prohibition. She still read poetry to the King, and wrote silly sonnets, which he corrected, believing that, her poetic powers being guided and fostered by his pure tastes, she would eventually astonish the world by pro ducing a poem of striking merit.

Doubtless she was herself amused at the King's idea of her possession of latent poetical powers. Talent of a much more matter-of-fact description developed itself — successfully too — at a later period ; but at the time now referred to her most remarkably developed talent was for intrigue. A specimen of her poetry — perhaps an early effort of her genius — is given by M. Capefigue, as having been presented to the King on the happy occasion of the signing of a general peace. It is as follows : — AN ODE TO PEACE. 10 ' O paix ! charmante paix ! Secourable, immortelle, Par de nouveaux bienfaits Enrichis nos guerets des Presents de Cybele. O sainte paix ! viens re'gner A jamais ! ' The King is said to have applauded the sentiment'; but we are not informed what he thought or said of the verses. His own poetic efforts the countess told him reminded her of La Fontaine ; though they grated a little on her ear sometimes from the absence in them of refinement.

But, notwithstanding these literary pastimes, a sort of void was created in the King's daily life by the loss of his favourite and spirituel minister ; for when the fair countess withdrew from the royal presence, the successor of M. Decazes, not having the same advantage of being both Minister of Police and President of the Council, did not bring with him the accustomed daily dish of highly seasoned scandal, wherewith, at times, the King was roused from a slight lethargy that of late had begun to creep over him, and his attention awakened for the discussion of more serious matters. His interviews with his amie de cœur were CONVINCING THE KING OF HIS ERROR, u therefore now often prolonged much beyond the stated two hours ; or she repeated her visit in the course of the day, when it was not his evening for receiving ladies.

Then, of course, she appeared, if only to see that her gouty gallant was not led astray by the wiles of some one or other of the courtly circle, as fascinating and intriguing, probably, as herself. Louis, confessedly, was ill at ease with his new ministry, whose constitution he complained of as a sort of abdication of his political system. From this annoyance he sought distraction in the society of the countess. It was her business, however — being in league for that purpose with the retrograde party of the Pavilion Marsan — to convince him by flattery and cajolery that he was in error, and that the change which had taken place was calculated to impart steadiness to the throne — at this particular moment especially shaky. She did not quite succeed. Yet, by degrees, ' her exquisite tact,' as the King termed it ; her devoted personal attachment to him — as he, prematurely in his dotage, imagined — and, above all, the readiness and docility with which, like M. Decazes, she affected to gather and POLITICAL EDUCATION. 12 treasure up the words of wisdom that fell from his royal lips, obtained his fullest confidence.

Hitherto, he had expressed repugnance to feminine interference in affairs of State, and declared that the meddling of women in politics had greatly increased the troubles that beset him since his return to France. But although he did not now object to consult his belle amie on questions of government, and to hear her opinions thereon, it did not follow that he would adopt them. He was rather seeking — as indeed he acknowledged — to educate her politically, and would complain loudly of the tyranny of her persistence when she held to views that were opposed to his own. Often, forgetting the gallantry on which he piqued himself, his Majesty would indulge in bursts of ill-humour. Then he could, and sometimes did, swear ter rible oaths. The countess — when one of the belles of the Imperial Court— is said to have taken Josephine for her model, and to have made a special study of the graces of manner that distinguished the empress.

A certain graceful nonchalance, natural in her, was often assumed with con siderable effect by Madame du Cayla. It fascinated Louis XVIII., even to calmino* him FOOLING HIM TO THE TOP OF HIS BENT. 13 when he got into his tantrums. A quotation or two would complete the cure ; and if she attempted Latin would amuse him excessively. Casting politics to the winds, she would begin to talk of poetry, of plays, of actors and authors. Then, fooling him to the top of his bent, pray him to read to her, or allow her to read to him, some pages of the journal of his Majesty's ' Voyage a Gand,' which she per suaded him she admired so immensely that she was never weary of hearing it. She secretly contrived to obtain possession of the MS. of this journal, and had it very beau tifully printed and elegantly bound.

Then, by way of homage to her sovereign's great literary ability, she humbly presented it to him. Louis affected to be very angry ; but in fact was greatly delighted to find in his fair friend so appreciative an admirer of his extraordinary talent and genius; while, to mark his satisfac tion, riches with unsparing hand were lavished upon her. Sometimes, however, he did wake up to consciousness that he was being played upon, and made some efforts to resist it. ' Matters,' he said to the Comte d'Artois on one occasion, ' matters, my brother, are not yet so far A GREAT KING FOR FRANCE. 14 advanced that I should for the present consent to annihilate myself completely.' The saintly count professed himself deeply hurt by the reproach these words seemed to convey. Yet the ultra-royalists, the ' immaculates of the Pavilion Marsan,' were then plotting to place him on the throne, as more worthy to reign over them than his ' liberal ' — some even said ' Jacobin ' — brother. ' We want a real king,' they said, ' a great king — a Louis Ouatorze — to tell revolutionary France, ' " I' Flat, c'est moi'' ' This high-handed monarch they believed they had in Monsieur, the Comte d'Artois, if the old dotard so fond of posing as constitutional king would but vacate the throne — would but die, or abdicate — or that the ' vrai chevalier ' would allow his friends to compel his incompetent brother to yield his place to him.1 Private Letters, 1816 to 1822. POLITICAL AND SOCIAL AGITATION. 15