IPMilliliiPinPilPiiiPHiM 1 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2007 with funding from IVIicrosoft Corporation http://www.archive.org/details/ducdelauzuncourtOOmaugrich THE DUG DE LAUZUN THE DUC DE LAUZUN AND THE COURT OF MARIE ANTOINETTE FROM THE FRENCH OF GASTON MAUGRAS LONDON OSGOOD, McILVAINE & CO. 45, Albemarle Street, W. 1896 \All rights reserved] ^> ^ CONTENTS CHAPTER I. 1774. PAGE Lauzun's residence at Mouzon — His plans for the future — Mme. de Lauzun is inoculated — The Due's visit to Auteuil — The new Ministry 1 CHAPTER II. 1774. Life at Mouzon — Journey to Warsaw — Return to Mouzon — Studies relating to Poland — A scheme for an alliance between France and Russia — Again to Warsaw — Visits to Dresden and Berlin — Frederick of Prussia — Prince Henry — Mile, von Hatzfeldt — Quarrel with the Princess — Prince Adam sends for Lauzun to Warsaw — ]S"egotia- tions with M. de Stackelberg — Letter to M. deYergennes — Stay at the Court of Warsaw- — A quarrel with the Grand-General Branecki — Departure for France . .13 CHAPTER III. 1775. The Court in 1775— The King— The Queen— The Queen's friends : the Princesse de Lamballe, Mme. Dillon, the Princesse de Guemenee — ^The Royal Family . .31 CHAPTER IV. 1775. Lauzun arrives at Versailles — An interview with M. de Vergennes — Intimacy with Mme. Dillon and Mme. de Guemenee — The Queen receives him kindly — Corre- spondence with M. de Stackelberg — Com riots — Lauzun goes to Sarreguemines — The Coronation — Check to the negotiations with M. de Vergennes — Rupture with Princess Czartoriska — Residence at Sarreguemines — Journey through the Palatinate . . , , ,46 Y CHAPTER V. 1775. Lauzun returns to Paris — The influenza — Lady Barrymore — Her acquaintance with Lauzun — The Queen's partiality for the Comtesse Jules de Polignac — Mme. de Vaudreuil and Besenval — The Abbe de Vermond's anxieties . . 66 CHAPTER VI. 1775. Changes in manners — The taste for English ideas and habits — Races — Gambling — Opera-balls — Dress . , .78 CHAPTER VII. 1775. Lauzun in favour — His political plans — He lays them before the Queen — Correspondence with Catherine of Russia- - M. de Luxembourg's schemes — Catherine proposes to Lauzun that he should enter her sei'vice — A conversation with the Queen — The heron feather — Lauzun visits Chanteloup — The affair of the Due de Guines — Dis- missal of Turgot and Malesherbes — Necker as Finance Minister — M. de Saint-Germain at the War Office — Reforms — The Order of Perseverance — Death of the Prince de Conti 91 CHAPTER VIII. 1777. The Emperor Joseph II.'s visit — Its consequences . .115 CHAPTER IX. 1776—1778. Lauzun's debts — Difficulties with his wife and family — Generous offers from M. de Voyer and from Lady Barry- more — The Queen refuses to intervene — Arrangement with M. de Guemenee — Mme. de Guemenee slanders Mme. de Lauzun — Choiseul's indignation — His interview with Mme. de Guemenco . . . . . .125 vi I CHAPTER X. 1778. Lauzun sets out for Vaucouleurs — He takes a holiday and visits England — Preliminaries of the American War — Franklin in Paris — Lauznn recalled to Paris — He returns to London — Rupture with England — Lauzun goes to Ardres — Colonel of the foreign Marine forces — Nominated to go to India — Naval battle — Lauzun's last interview with the Queen — A visit to Hautefontaine — Mme. de Martainville — Masquerade at Court . .137 CHAPTER XI. 1778. The conquest of Senegal — Lauzun returns to Paris . . 162 CHAPTER XII. 1779. Lauzun is ill received at Versailles — ^A game at faro — Mme. de Coigny's generous conduct — Lauzun resigns his commission — He is appointed Inspector-General of Prisoners of War — Plans for invading England — Lauzun and M. de Vaux — Camps at Parame and at Vaucieux — Returns to Paris — Intimacy between Mme. de Coigny and Mme. Dillon — Creation of the Lauzun Hussars . 174 CHAPTER :x:iii. 1780. An army to be sent to America — Lauzun and his legion to form part of it — Fersen also joins — The strange adventure of M. Dillon — Across the Atlantic — A naval battle — They reach Rhode Island 190 CHAPTER XIV. 1780. The Americans receive them badly — The camp at Newport — Depression of the troops at the delay — August 15 — A visit from Indians — Rochambeau goes to see Washing- ton — Life at Newport — Winter quarters — Lauzun and Fersen — Rochambeau returns to France — Lauzun is sent to Lebanon 202 vii CHAPTER XV. 1781. PAGE Mutiny in Pennsylvania — Death of M. de Temay — Washing- ton's visit to M. de Rochambean — Arrival of the Astree — News from France — M. de Montbarrey's place taken by M. de Segni* ; M. de Sartines' by M. de Castries — Marriage of the Due de Montbazon to Mile, de Conflans — Death of Mme. de Mazarin ; and of Lady Barrymore — M. de Rochambeau's return — The campaign of 1781 — Lauzun's distinguished service — The siege of York (U.S.A.) — Cavalry encounter between Lauzun's hussars and Tarleton's dragoons — York capitulates — Lauzun is sent to Versailles with the news . . . . .221 CHAPTER XVI. 1781—1782. Lauzun's arrival in France — Death of M. Maurepas — M. de Segur's bad treatment of Lauzun — Mme. de Coigny and the Guumenees — " Perdita " in Paiis — Birth of the Dauphin — The dinner at the Hotel de Ville — M. de Coigny leaves for America — Lauzun is ordered to rejoin his legion 238 CHAPTER XVII. 1782. Lauzun sails for America on the Gloire — Mme. de Coigny's grief — A storm obliges the Gloire to put into Paimboeuf — Lauzun re-embarks on the Aigle — Detention at the Azores — Received by the French Consul — Visit to a Portuguese convent— A sea fight — Lauzun's illness — Arrival in America — M. de Rochambeau returns to France 250 CHAPTER XVIII. 1782—1783. Lauzun in America — News from France — Death of M. de Voyer, and of Mme. Dillon — M. de Guemenee's in- solvency — Lauzun returns to France — His Volunteers are disbanded — The Lauzun Hussars . . . . .275 viii CHAPTER XIX. 1783—1784:. PAQB Mme. de Coigny's pleasure at seeing Lauzun — A journey to England — Flattering reception by the Prince of Wales — Return to France — The Palais Royal circle — The Due de Chartres in opposition — State of Society in 1783 — The financial situation — The general mania for the super- natural — Cagliostro — Lauzun interviews the devil — M. de Caylus and his tragic end ...... 290 CHAPTER XX. 1785. Birth of the Due de Normandie — The affair of the necklace — Arrest of the Cardinal de Rohan — Indignation and intrigues of .the Rohan family — The Cardinal is acquitted — Scandals about the Queen — Death of the Due de Choiseul 311 CHAPTER XXI. 1785—1787. Lauzun and Mme. de Coigny — The Prince de Ligne — Mme. de Fleury — ^The adventure of the rose— Tv^ro duels — The King affronts the Marquis de Conflans — M. de Conflans' death— The Palais Royal faction — The Due d' Orleans and Mme. de Buffon 821 CHAPTER XXII. 1787—1788. The first Treaty of Commerce — The English in Egypt — Lauzun's remarkable foresight — M. d'Ormesson — M. de Calonne — Assembly of Notables — Mme. de Coigny's parrot — Lomenie de Brienne — The l!^otables are dismissed — The Due d' Orleans in banishment — Retrenchments — Indignation at Court — Mme. de Polignac's ingratitude — Mme. d'Ossun — Necker succeeds to Brienne — Death of Marcchal de Biron — Lauzun takes his name as Due deBiron 333 ix a CHAPTER XXIII. 1789-1790. Elections for the States-General— The 14th of Jnly— The 4th of August— The 5th-6th of October— The Due d'Orleans leaves for London — Speeches in the Assembly by Mirabeau and Biron — Biron, appointed Governor of Corsica, declines to go there — Biron advises the Due d'Orleans to return to Paris — Mirabeau and the Court — Return of the Due d'Orleans — He is made Admiral and received by the King — His treatment at the Tuileries . 353 CHAPTER XXIV. 1791. The so-called revolt of the Lauzun Hussars — Forged bills signed *' Biron" — Mme. de Lamothe — The Royal Family plan their flight — The journey to Varennes — Mme. de Coigny's adventure — She leaves for London — Her letters to Lauzun — A letter from Mme. de Fleury . 375 CHAPTER XXY. 1792. Biron is sent to join the army in the North — Narbonne is Minister of War — Talleyrand goes to London, and with him Biron — Biron imprisoned for debt — Mme. de Coigny's despair — M. de Courehamp stands surety for him — Biron returns to France and to Valenciennes . 390 CHAPTER XXVI. 1792. Death of the Emperor Leopold — Narbonne is dismissed and M. de Grave appointed — Mme. de Coigny's alarms — Duinouriez Minister for Foreign Affairs — Correspondence with Lauzun — Dumouriez' plan of campaign — Dillon is assassinated — Biron marches on Mons — His return to Valenciennes — Rochambeau retires — Biron refuses the chief command — He is appointed to the Army of the Rhine .......... 405 CHAPTER XXVII. 1792. Biion at Strasbourg — August 10 — Letters from Mme. de Coigny and Mme. de Buffon 427 CHAPTER XXVIII. 1793. PASB The trial of the King — The Army of Nice — Arrest of the Due d' Orleans — Of the Due de Montpensier — B iron's distress of mind — His generous conduct — He is sent to join the army at La Rochelle ..... 445 CHAPTER XXIX. 1793. Biron at Bordeaux — He arrives at Niort — The defeat at Fontenay — The state of the army — The rout at Saumur — Rossignol is arrested — Biron resigns his command — His resignation is refused — Victory at Parthenay — Release of Rossignol — Biron is dismissed the service — Called to Paris — ^Imprisoned in the Abbaye . . .471 CHAPTER XXX. 1793. Biron's defence — The Queen is executed — The Due d'Orleans — Biron tried and condemned — His execution . .496 EPILOGUE 507 INDEX . . 517 XI TRANSLATOR'S NOTE. Some little abridgment in a few passages has been] sanctioned by the Author. THE DUG DE LAUZUN AND THE COURT OF MARIE ANTOINETTE. CHAPTER I. 1774. Lauziin's residence at Mouzon — His plans for the future — Madame de Lauzun is inoculated — The Due's visit to Auteuil — The new Ministry. We left the Due de Lauzun, at the age of twenty- seven, in the solitude of Mouzon, abandoning himself more completely than ever to the mad passion that held him fast ; he had no other idea or purpose than to consecrate his life to the lovely and delightful Princess Czartoriska. Given over entirely to his dreams of love and schemes for the future, he had completely altered his mode of life ; he devoted himself almost exclusively to the care of his regiment and the new studies to which he had set himself. Ardently desiring to be within reach of the Princess, he saw no better way t B of achieving this end than getting himself sent to Warsaw as a representative of the French King ; but for that it was necessary to be up to the mark in politics, and have a thorough knowledge of the affairs of Poland, Russia and Prussia. He therefore collected round him all the documents that could enlighten him, and proceeded to study them with the greatest fervour. The first division of Poland, which had been made in 1772, and all the con- sequences that followed from it, gave to these studies immense interest and a living actuality. He was disturbed in this studious life, so new to his experience, by a letter from the Duchesse, who announced that she was about to submit to " the operation of inoculation." Lauzun was too much a gentleman to leave his wife alone on so critical an occasion ; as soon as he knew of her determination he did not hesitate to leave Mouzon, and spend some little time in Paris. It was indeed at that time a very serious step to decide on ; hitherto preventive measures against small-pox had been regarded with extreme distrust, and many persons thought them more dangerous than useful. The names of those who had braved the ordeal in their o"svn persons or those of their children were marked.'^ The swift and unexpected death of Louis XV. did 1 In 1756 the Due d'Orleans had had his two children inoculated by Tronchin; and in the same year the Marechale de Belle-Isle did the same by her son, the Comte de Gisors. The inoculation of M. de Chastellux made a great sensation ; in 1775 Buffon, on welcoming him to the French Academy, complimented him on having been the first of its Members to venture on submitting to the operation. more to promote inoculation than all Tronchin's promises. It struck people's minds all the more forcibly because it was followed by other terrible cases. Hardly had Louis XY. closed his eyes when Mesdames, who had nursed him with great de- votion, fell ill of the same complaint, and for several days were in great danger. Far from feeling pity for the fate of the unhappy princesses, who were paying so dearly for their fidelity, the public only uttered indecent wishes that they might soon re- join the deceased King. However, against hope, Mesdames recovered : " The exterminating angel has sheathed his sword," wrote Madame du DefFant. " We shall see these three old maids lording it again at the young Court, and meddling in everything ; and they have become so interesting that it will be thought that the least that can be done is to hand them the kingdom to turn upside down." (June 2nd, 1774.) After the catastrophe that had fallen on the royal family, it was decided that all the Princes were to be inoculated. On June 17, 1774, the King went to Marly, with tlie Queen, Monsieur, Madame, the Comte and Comtesse d'Artois ; the operation was performed by the physician, Richard, who on the occasion was nicknamed sans peur (the fearless). This time the example set by such high rank was followed unhesitatingly by a great number of persons, and especially by all about the Court. 3 B 2 Madame de Lauzun had already been inoculated by Gatti ; but it would seem that she had not unlimited confidence in the Italian doctor, for she insisted on its being repeated, and this time by the Buttons, very famous English physicians, whom their brethren in Paris naturally regarded as contemptible quacks. To undergo the opera- tion and its consequences Madame de Lauzun came into the neighbourhood of Paris, to the house of Mme. de Boufflers, at Auteuil. The inoculation was perfectly successful, and the amiable Duchesse had a very sufficient number of spots. Lauzun, faithful to his functions as sick nurse, also came to Auteuil. All his friends, happy to have him once more among them, did him honour, and everybody complimented him on the good feeling he had thus shown. Mme. de Lauzun, however, was not lonely. While confined to the house she received many visitors, who offered her the consolations of friendship. The Mar^chale de Luxembourg and Mme. du DefFant constantly came to sup with her ; there they met M. de Gontaut and other intimate friends. Mme. du Deifant was never tired of the Due. " What good company he is ! " she would exclaim ; " he is perpetually inventing some capital jest." One of the favourite amusements of the day was composing epitaphs for the deceased King. They were for the most part far from flattering. The 4 small circle surrounding Mme. de Lauzun would not fail to follow the fashion.* If no regret was felt for the departed monarch, the enthusiasm for the new occupant of the throne was almost unexampled. The beginnings of a reign had never called forth more unanimous expressions of affection and attachment. The Royal Family had retired to the Chateau of La Muette during the illness of Mesdames ; the suburbs of Paris were crowded with inhabitants. From six in the morning shouts of " Vive le Roi " were heard, and continued without interruption till sunset. A jeweller made a fortune by selling mourning snuff- boxes, with a portrait of the young Queen set in a mount of black shagreen, and bearing the punning legend, " La consolation dansle chagrin " (Consolation in chagrin or grief). But at this moment there was one fashion which swamped all others ; it was the day of " heads," 1 These are some of tlie shafts sharpened under the groves of Auteuil : — " Ci git Louis, ce pauvre roi ; On dit qu'il fut bon, mais a quoi ? " '' Here lies Louis, the poor King. They say he was good — but good for what ? " " Ci git Louis dit le quinzieme ; Et des Bien-aimes le deuxieme ; Dieu nous preserve du troisicme ! " " Here lies Louis called the fifteenth ; the second named Well- beloved. God preserve us from the third ! " Finally this, eloquent in its brevity : — '* Ci git Louis par la grace de Dieu ! " " Here lies Louis, by the gi^ace of God I " A story was told that a Capuchin, who wrote verses, said : '' I mean to sing the praises of Louis XV." " Oh," was the reply, " you will have to hiss rather than sing, and emulate the blackbird rather than the nightingale." J monumental head-dressing, amazing structures of which no idea can be formed in our day. Every event, political or other, found expression on the heads of the fine ladies. Hairdressers could give full liberty to their imagination, however extra- vagant ; they were sure of shocking no one. Inoculation having become the rage, of course there was a coiffure a V inoculation : it was composed of a serpent, a club, a rising sun, and an olive-tree loaded with fruit. Who could fail to understand allusions so self-evident ? The serpent symbolizes medicine ; the club is the skill it has used in over- coming the monster of small-pox ; the rising sim is emblematic of the young King to whom all hopes turn ; and the olive is taken to mean the peace and gladness felt in every heart at the successful issue of the operation to which the Princes have submitted. Mme. de Lauzun was too much a woman of the world not to conform to the new fashion, and during her convalescence at Auteuil she gaily wore a cap a V inoculation. After the King's death she, like the rest of the world, wore an appropriate head-dress : on the left a tall cypress made of black flowers and tied with a knot of black crape ; on the right a large bunch of com lying on a cornucopia, out of which fell a profusion of figs, melons, grapes, and other fruits. Nothing could show more clearly that, while lamenting the dead King, much was expected of the new one. These extravagances of fashion, far from shocking 6 Mme. de Lauzun, seem to have pleased her, for as soon as she was out in the world again she appeared in Mme. du DeiFant's drawing-room, her head decorated with a structure which made a sensation. The admiration of her contemporaries has transmitted its details to posterity. It presented a whole land- scape elaborately modelled; first of all a stormy lake, ducks swimming near the shore, a sportsman about to fire at them ; at the top a windmill, and an Abbe flirting with the miller's wife ; below, close to the ear, the miller leading his ass.^ , Nor was it in fashion only that the accession of Louis XVI. had produced changes. Lauzun, on arriving at Versailles, found the whole political world in a commotion, and Court intrigues seething furiously. The faction of the Choiseuls was in great excitement, and making every effort to recover power. Lauzun gave his uncle every possible mark of attachment ; but he did not believe in his return to power, and the event proved him right. Let us now rapidly see who the new personages are that have taken the place of those we have known. As was the custom at the beginning of every reign, the Court officials were not merely dismissed with thanks, but sent away in disgrace. Marie Antoinette did her best to secure this end, and had the satisfaction of conducing to the ruin of all those who had defied her when she was but the Dauphiness. 1 Journal de Madame d^Moffe. 7 Mme. du Barry, to begin with, was banished to the Abbey of Pont-aux-Dames, two leagues from Meaux. The Due d'Aiguillon was the next to be sacrificed. Mme. du DefFant, quite delighted, wrote to Mme. de Choiseul : " Well, the impious Ahab is overthrown : joy is universal. ^ Men, women, children, all embrace with joy, and bless the Lord and him whom He may send.' ^ " He, be he who he may, will be welcome. . . . In short, they are sweeping out the Court, and when it is thoroughly cleaned, the furniture that is to grace it will be replaced. I cannot tell you how glad I am." (June 4, 1774.) This precious furniture, of course, means M. and Mme. de Choiseul, who, for nearly four years now, had been kicking their heels in their magnificent exile at Chanteloup. Maupeou and the Abbe Terray shared M. d'Aiguillon's fate ; the glee caused by their disgrace was universally displayed. At all the cross streets in Paris bonfires were piled up, where these objects of public hatred were burned in effigy ; that there should be no mistake, the Chancellor was dressed in his gown, the Deputy as an Abbe. A man named Bouteille tried to quell the tumult — he was knocked down. " It is only a broken bottle ! " the people cried, and were wilder than before. The excitement was so great that serious riots were apprehended ; the ^ Quoted from Racine : — "Enfants, femmes, viellards, s'embrassent avec joie. Benissent le Seigneur et celui qu'il envoie." 8 French guards remained under arms for seven days and nights.^ Driving out Maupeou did not seem sufficient ; his work, too, must be overthrown. The Parlement he had assembled was dissolved, and the old Parlement recalled, to the great joy of some and the great indignation of others. " I have enabled the French crown to win in a lawsuit which has been going on for many centuries," said Maupeou. " Louis XVI. chooses to appeal, and he is master ; but he will regret it bitterly." The Due d'Orleans and the Due de Chartres refused to recognize the new Parlement. To clean out the Court and exile ministers was all very well, but things must be patched up again. This was the young King's greatest difficulty. Whom could he choose for his Prime Minister ? All parties vied in their intrigues ; each one hoped to ^ The following epitaphs were composed for Maupeou : — " Ci git Maupeou Tabominable. Au diable il a rendu I'esprit. Passant, ne crains point son semblable ; Car jamais monstre n'a produit." " Here lies the abominable Maupeou. His spirit has returned to the devil. Reader, fear not that you will meet his like ; no monster ever produced such another." These lines were written on the disgrace of the hated ministers, and entitled : " Vinaigre des quatre voleurs " — " Amis, connaissez-vous I'enseigne ridicule Qu'un peintre de Saint Luc fait pour les parfumeurs ? II met en un flacon, en forme de pilule, Boynes, Maupeou, Terray, sous leur propres couleurs ; II y joint D'Aiguillon, et puis il I'intitule : Vinaigre des quatre voleurs." " Friends, do you know the absurd sign that a painter of Saint Luke makes for perfumers ? He shows in a phial, in the form of a pill, Boynes, Maupeou and TeiTay in their proper colours ; he adds D'Aiguillon, and he calls the mixture : ' Four thieves' vinegar.* " win ; and Louis XVI. was a victim to solicitations from all sides. The Queen, who had remained greatly attached to Choiseul, proposed the exile; but notwithstanding her influence she struck on an invincible opposition. " Choiseul means extrava- gance," Louis XVL repeatedly said, remembering his father's hatred of Choiseul, and nothing could conquer his objection. However, the Queen so far succeeded that Choiseul was no longer to remain in disgrace ; he was allowed to reappear at Court. She hoped that his wit and his charm would produce more effect than the most pressing entreaties. The first time the exile presented himself at Versailles the King said : " You have groAvn fat. Monsieur de Choiseul ; you are losing your hair and growing bald." And that was all. This cold, satirical reception was a painful blow to the fallen minister ; he under- stood that his hour was not yet come, and next day he gloomily set out to return to Chanteloup, His adherents, however, did not lose courage ; they all said it was merely a matter of time, and that the Due would soon be indispensable. How could a weak and irresolute King long resist the solicitations of a pretty young wife who was in the habit of being obeyed ? Meanwhile, a Prime Minister must be found. By the advice of Madame Adelaide, the King sent for M. de Machault, a skilful administrator and a stem judge, intending to place matters in his hands. The same courier carried a letter to M. de Maurepas, who lived in the same neighbourhood, and who was lO to be consulted as to the funeral. M. de Maurepas arrived first, and was at once received by the King. At this moment the usher came in to announce that the Council had assembled. The King rose, was embarrassed, dared not dismiss his visitor, and went into the council chamber, followed by M. de Maurepas, who, believing himself to be Prime Minister, sat down and took part in the business. To this singular chance he owed his fortune of governing France for ten years. When M. de Machault arrived, an hour or two later, the King made a few commonplace remarks and allowed him to depart. Who and what was M. de Maurepas ? In what hands had chance placed the destinies of France ? He was a man of seventy, banished some twenty- five years since for a ballad attacking Madame de Pompadour. At the age of twenty he had been minister under Louis XV.^ His light and pleasant wit, and easy temper, made him a favourite. His advanced age seemed to promise reassuring ex- perience ; but, unluckily, his white hairs covered a strangely frivolous nature and incurable levity. The only aim of his administration was to avoid shocks : he only cared to keep his place and end his days in peace. In this he succeeded, but to the great detriment of the kingdom. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was given to M. ^ He had from his father, in 1715, the promise of the reversion to the office of Secretary of State. He held the post from 1725 to 1749, at which date he was exiled to Bourefes. He died in 1781. II de Vergennes, a man of honour, but of no great capacity. M. de Muy was appointed to the War Office ; M. de Sartines to the Admiralty : M. de Mirom(^nil took Maupeou's place, and Turgot filled the Abbe Terray's. We may now leave the new reign to establish itself, and return to Lauzun on the road to Mouzon, whither our hero was hastening, to return as soon as the health of the Duchesse was so far restored as to occasion no further anxiety. 12 CHAPTER II. 1774, Life at Mouzon — Journey to Warsaw — Return to Mouzon — Studies relating to Poland — A scheme for an alliance between France and Russia — Again to Warsaw — ^Visits to Dresden and Berlin — Frederick of Prussia — Prince Henry — Mile, von Hatzfeldt— Quarrel with the Princess — Prince Adam sends for Lauzun to Warsaw — Negotiations with M. de Stackel- berg — Letter to M. de Yergennes — Stay at the Court of Warsaw — A quarrel with the Grand-General Branecki — Departure for France. No sooner was Lauzun at Mouzon once more, than he began with fresh energy to study the political situation of Russia and Poland. The letters he received from the Princess, after being rather frequent, suddenly ceased altogether. Lauzun, anxious, rest- less, unable to content himself, decided on sending a messenger all the way to Warsaw. The news he brought back was anything rather than satisfactory. The Princess had had some vehement discussions with her husband, and had been driven to making an avowal of her love. Although this delicate con- fession had been received with magnanimity, and her husband had behaved like the gentleman that he was, Mme. Czartoriska was sinking under the 13 burthen of anxiety and distress of mind ; her strength was broken and crushed. This sad news quite overset Lauzun. Fully convinced that his presence would restore to his ladylove the courage she failed in, he did not hesitate to start, alone and secretly, to go to see her. He informed those about him that he was about to spend three weeks in the country, with friends near Frankfort, and set out. On reaching Warsaw, after many delays, he learnt that the Princess was not there, but at Powonski, a neighbouring place where the Princes Czartoriski had built, in 1770, a magnificent palace full of treasures of art.^ He went on therefore to Powonski ; but, as he would not on any account be recognized, he was obliged to resort to cunning to get into the house. After wandering round the park for a whole day, he decided on getting in at night, and taking the risk of scaling the walls. He waited till the Cossack sentries had all gone to rest, and at eleven o'clock he boldly climbed the wall. He was received by two mastiffs, who were making their rounds and prepared to do their duty by tearing him to pieces. But Providence, always kind to lovers, would not suffer so worthy an enterprise to come to such a deplorable end. What was the Due's amazement on seeing the story of Androcles repeat itself for his benefit. The fiercest of the dogs fa^vned at his feet, and covered him with caresses. He then recognized Caesar, a noble dog that he had given to the Princess when * This palace was destroyed during the Polish revolutions. H they were in England. The faithful and intelligent hrute not only protected him against the other dog, but led the way to the door of the house. There Lauzun's lucky star led him to see a waiting woman whom he knew to be devoted to him. By her con- nivance he was led to the Princess's apartments. " I expected you," said the lady, simply, and threw herself into his arms. Lauzun was, however, well aware of the impru- dence of his conduct; he could not remain in Warsaw without being discovered, and exposing the Princess to serious discomfort. At the end of two days the Due made up his mind to depart, leaving his friend more calm and happy in this proof of his attachment. A strangely romantic scapegrace indeed was this Lauzun, travelling across Europe in the depth of winter to spend a few hours at the feet of the woman he loved. How is it that posterity has regarded him as a soulless, heartless Lovelace ? how can it be said that a man who could do this was incapable of love ? On his return to Mouzon, Lauzun recommenced his political studies. The Princess, to whom he had spoken of them, approved of them highly, and en- couraged him by the most affectionate letters. As the result of his studies and meditations, Lauzun ^vTote a long report on the situation of Poland and the three parties to the division ; his views and ideas were all favourable to Poland ; but the writer urged on Russia that she should break with Prussia, and contract an alliance with France. ^5 This project for an alliance between these two nations was not new, but hitherto it had never been carried into effect. Diderot, at the time of his visit to St. Petersburg, had on several occasions spoken of it to Catherine.^ Notwithstanding their delicate position towards each other, Lauzun had remained on very good terms with Prince Adam Czartoriski, and thinking that his precis might serve the Prince's secret plans,' he sent it to him. The Prince, fascinated by this brilliant scheme, so favourable to his o-svn country, communicated it to M. de Stackelberg, the Empress's minister in Poland.^ He too read the paper, and 1 The French Ambassador to Russia writes, under date of December 31, 1773 : " The conferences between Catherine II. and Diderot are incessant, and longer every day. He tells me, and I have reasons for not doubting it, that he has described to her the dangers of her alliance with the King of Russia and the value of ours. The Empress, far from blaming this freedom, has encouraged him by gestures and in words ; but she, on her part, has exactly described Diderot by saying " that on some points he is a hundred years old, and on others only ten." The French Minister writes again to his Government, November 20, 1773 : '' In the last conferences I have held with this minister (Panin), he talked to me in a very remarkable manner. He told me that the Empress, on mounting the throne, had formed a project for making her country independent of other Courts ; that to play such a part Russia must ally herself with France, with whom she can never have any immediate quarrel ; that no other alliance could be so little onerous to the Russian Empire ; and that her interests would not be antagonistic to the extension of our trade. He added that he would not trouble himself to discuss the obstacles that had been urged on the Empress, but that when there should be peace, he hoped to have health enough to give himself up entirely to a task so useful to his sovereign. 2 M. de Stackelberg was a Livonian, and had just been accredited to Warsaw. He was a gentle, cultivated man, and very fond of France. He was not deficient in enlightenment, was right- minded, and had great versatility. i6 being no less pleased with it than Prince Adam, he forwarded it to the EmjDress at Moscow. Lauzun did not rest content with this first success, he also wrote to M. de Vergennes, the new Minister for Foreign Affairs, addressing to him a long Note on the affairs of Poland and the Empress's dispositions.^ His wish was to see France play the part of a mediating power ; he flattered himself with the hope that an alliance betAveen the two countries might be the outcome, and that he might be entrusted with the neo:otiations and the mana2:ement of it. Pending such a result Lauzun remained at Mouzon. Meanwhile some indiscretion had betrayed the fact of his last journey to Poland. Prince Adam had expressed himself strongly, and the Princess implored Lauzun not to repeat his visit as had been agreed between them. Lauzun, believing that this urgent request could only be the result of illness or ill-founded fears, determined, notwithstanding, to set out at the end of September. At Strasbourg, where he stopped, a second letter from the Princess de- sired him on no account to proceed : to this he paid no heed.^ At Frankfort another letter, even more ^ In the French National archives, T 1527. ^ The following autograph letter to his man of business, again proves the authenticity of the memoirs : — " Strasbourg, September 27, 1774. *' I have a hundred thousand letters to write before leaving Stras- bourg. I have only time to return your schedule, signed, and a letter for M. Dunetz. I will write to you from Leipzig, where I shall stay a few days. You know my regard for you. — D. Lauzun." (French National archives, T 478^.) 17 C pressing than the former. But Ijauzun was in the state of restless anxiety when the voice of prudence is inaudible ; to remain far from the woman he adored seemed to him impossible. He made his way to Warsaw : once more they met. He remained in hiding and in no small peril in the environs for some weeks ; but at the end of a month Mme. Czartoriska told Lauzun that she had found her- self compelled to confess everything to her husband, who had insisted that she should never see Lauzun again. " My tears were my only reply," she added, ^' how could I say I would give you up ? You know my husband ; ill-natured persons have soured him. He may be very much annoyed for a time, but his character is at bottom kind and indulgent. He is not by nature jealous, and will soon see you again without any aversion." On the strength of these comforting assurances Lauzun consented to follow the lady's advice. It was agreed that his journey was to be kept a secret, and that he should go to spend some time at Dresden and Berlin, whence he might come to Warsaw apparently by chance, and show himself publicly. All being arranged, they parted once more. Lauzun's stay at Dresden was of short duration. Received by the Elector with the honour due to his name and his reputation, he was most popular with the ladies. But the Electress's attentions were in fact too pressing, and if we may believe him, he thought it prudent to escape, and set out post-haste i8 I for Berlin. Such a fit of prudery was so rare with him as to deserve mention. Frederick of Prussia treated Lauzun kindly ; he entertained him several times at his table and held many conversations with him. Lauzun always came away under the spell of that brilliant talker. '' Fine arts, war, medicine, literature, and religion ; philosophy, morality, history and jurisprudence, all in turn came under review. All that could be said that was most various and striking flowed from his lips in a very sweet tone of voice, rather low, and as pleasant as the movement of his lips, which was inexpressibly graceful." ^ The King on his part was so delighted with Lauzun, that he begged him to get himself nominated Minister from France to Berlin,^ offering indeed to take all the necessary steps to secure the consent of the Court of Versailles. Lauzun, whose aims were different, resisted all his solicitations. M. de Pons, the French Minister in Prussia, was away on leave; Lauzun took advantage of this to send to M. de Vergennes some notes on the political situation of Prussia. These studies would, as he conceived, greatly promote the end he had in view, by showing his aptitude and information.' '^ I shall not disguise," he says at the beginning, ^ Prince de Ligiie. ^ Frederick would never have an Ambassador sent. " It is an animal too difficult to deal with," he always said. In fact, it was a mere question of economy. Not accepting an Ambassador, he was not obliged to send one. ^ National archives, T 1527. 19 c 2 " the source whence I have derived the observations and opinions I have brought with me from Prussia. I owe the best of them to that Prince in whom nature, study and experience are combined to make a great man. The esteem and affection he manifests on every opportunity for the King of France, his liking for our nation, the interest he takes in our successes and in our having an army that may be respected, the particular kindness with which he has honoured me, have all enabled me, in the course of a recent stay of two months at his Court, to have several conversations with him on these interesting subjects." During his stay at the Prussian Court, Lauzun formed a particularly close friendship with Prince Henry, a man of remarkable powers, and well known for his military talents. This Prince took a great liking for the Due. They had long discussions over the comparative merits of the different armies of Europe ; and the Prince, seeing how deep an interest Lauzun took in such matters, advised him to study the Prussian army very thoroughly. Lauzun followed his advice; in a short time, thanks to several interviews with the Prince, and the counsels of an aide-de-camp who was desired to assist him in his inquiries, he had dra^vn up a luminous Memoire on the Prussian army, its complete organiza- tion, training, promotion, recruiting, etc.^ This paper was addressed to M. de Muy, Minister of War. The capital of Prussia was far from offering the ^ National archives, T 1527. 20 resources, from the point of view of fashionable life, which he was prepared to expect. Social intercourse was devoid of all charm, and had no resemblance whatever to the brilliant life of Versailles and Paris. " There are very few entertainments ; hardly three houses are thro^vn open to society. The Ministers of State, whose stipends are very meagre, only give four or five dinners in the year. Only the foreign Ministers have supper parties three or four times a week." The habits of the fashionable world are strange enough. Evening parties begin at six in the after- noon, and as soon as you are in the room the master of the house hands you a card and makes you sit down to play. The games are Manille, Whist, Hombre, or Reversi. " As soon as supper is served the cards are laid down, and then it is most amusing to see the people contriving to get placed by the side of those they like. It must be observed that every liaison is known, and that the master of the house would have a quarrel on his hands every day if he were not careful to put those to play together who are known to suit each other. As soon as the double doors are thrown open, each man quietly makes his way towards the lady of his choice, near enough to give her his hand. All these delightful couples sit down for themselves alone, so that the unhappy stranger near them is left to drink and eat in silence, without a hope of saying anything on either hand. The master of the house would not be endured if he neg-lected this rigorous code of laws. 21 " Fortunes in general are very moderate, but there is a great love of display, and every one wants to make a figure in spite of a modest income. To save for a supper to be given a month, hence they will go without supper the thirty intervening days, or at any rate supper will consist only of a slice of bread and butter with thin morsels of cold roast meat. A happy expedient has been hit upon, which is to send out ceremonious invitations to a ' cafe coeffe ; ' that is to say, you are expected to arrive in full dress. After coffee, served with a few little cakes, cards are played, and at about eight o'clock everyone goes home to eat his bread and butter." There are several theatres at Berlin, but they are not very enjoyable. Everything is on official lines, and the real public go to them but little. The King, who does not choose that his actors should perform to empty benches, orders men out to the play as he does to the parade ground. " There are ridottos and masked balls at the opera, but they too have no great charm, especially when the official circles are commanded to attend and one has to sup with the Court. These suppers are served amid the greatest confusion. Only the King s table and that of Prince Henry are respected. As soon as we rise from table the disorder is at its height. All the servants, like so many birds of prey, rush at the tables, hardly giving us time to leave ; and if one is not careful to get away immediately there is some risk of finding oneself among the combatants, and being covered with splashings from the dishes which they all snatch 22 at and struggle for. What is most horrible is that even the pages behave like the footmen, and are not content with rushing at the dishes and bottles ; they eat with avidity what is left on the plates, and pouring from one glass into another, drink the leavings of a dozen persons." * During his stay at Berlin, Lauzun formed a friend- ship with two persons — Mr. Harris (afterwards Lord Malmesbury), the English Minister, an amiable man with whom he almost constantly lived ; and Mile, von Hatzfeldt, maid of honour to the Queen of Prussia, who showed him a very kindly interest. She and Lauzun became great friends ; they were mutually confidential, but things went no further. However, they were somewhat talked about at Berlin, and kind friends warned the Princess Czartoriska that she was deserted. Till now the Princess had kept up a very regular correspondence with Lauzun, and though she had not yet invited him to go to her again, she at any rate allowed him to hope that the moment was near when he might return without arousing Prince Adam's susceptibility. The news of the Due's intimacy with Mile, von Hatzfeldt exasperated the Princess ; she believed that her lover was false, and wrote to him very severely to say that she knew all, that nothing would induce her to see him in Poland again, and that all was at end between them. Lauzun, in despair, did not ^ These amusing details are derived from a Memoir of the Chevalier de Gaussen, published by M. Frederic Masson, in the " Revue d'llisioire Di^ylomatique.^^ 23 know what course to adopt. Now he would be off to Warsaw to exculpate himself, but the fear of compromising the Princess withheld him ; and again he determined to throw up all his schemes and return to France. He was living in the most wretched uncertainty when an unexpected event relieved him from his difficulties. An old French officer came to call upon him, a M. de RuUecour, who some years since had entered the Polish service. This gentleman mysteriously handed to Lauzun a letter from Prince Adam, desiring him in urgent terms to come and spend twenty-four hours at Warsaw to discuss political matters of the highest importance. This pressing invitation, which Lauzun could not refuse, put an end to his dilemma ; he set out the same evening. We may well be surprised at finding Prince Adam himself calling Lauzun to Warsaw, without any regard for the dangers in which the Due's presence might involve his honour. The fact was that the Prince, who was eaten up with ambition, believed that the support of France and Russia might be invaluable to him. He fancied that Lauzun enjoyed considerable influence at the Court of Versailles, and he did not hesitate to stifle his jealousy and his fears in favour of his ambitious views. Prince Adam had just come into the fortunes left by his uncle and his father ; all the wealth, power, and credit of the illustrious house of Czartoriski had passed into his hands. The Prince, " a man of no weight, frivolous, incoherent in his ideas, without 24 ballast and inconsequent," was secretly jealous of the King who had supplanted him on the throne, and he aspired to turn him out. There were at that time two parties in Poland. First, that of the King, which intended to place Count Rzewuski, his nephew, on the throne. Second, that of Prince Adam, associated, in case the crown should become vacant, with the Grand-General Branecki. These two parties, judiciously fostered and fomented, left Russia the absolute mistress of the situation. On the journey from Berlin to Warsaw, Lauzun was exposed to the most fearful cold ; he was in an open carriage, but the schemes that agitated his mind prevented his thinking of the peril to which he was exposed. He reached Warsaw at the end of January, 1775, and alighted at M. de RuUecour's house, where he was concealed from all eyes. During the night immediately after his arrival Lauzun had a visit from Prince Adam. The Prince told him that his papers on the affairs of Russia and Poland had made the most favourable impression on the Empress, and that the happiest consequences might ensue. If only France would consent and help, Poland might be restored to a great part of the life and liberty she had lost. Lauzun judiciously remarked to the Prince that he knew nothing of M. de Vergennes' views, that he himself had no power, and that his writings contained simply his own personal ideas, which it might be hoped would triumph one day or another. But the Prince was full of enthusiasm and zeal. He impressed on 25 Lauzun that the situation was critical, and that there was not a moment to be lost. He insisted that Lauzun should immediately see M. de Stackelberg, who was in the most favourable frame of mind. The Due yielded, and it was agreed that the Russian minister should come the following night to discuss the serious matters at stake. M. de Stackelberg spent almost the whole night with Lauzun and Prince Adam ; they discussed at great length the questions that interested them so passionately. They were able finally to agree, and it was decided that while M. de Stackelberg should write to the Empress at Moscow to submit to her their new schemes, Lauzun, on his part, should send a long report to M. de Vergennes, to inform him of the state of affairs, and ask his consent and power to act. This was at once done.^ While awaiting the return of the couriers, sent off in great haste to Versailles and to Moscow, Lauzun saw no use in remaining in concealment, and was presented at Court ; it was the best, and certainly the easiest way of meeting with the Princess Czartoriska. The King granted him a private audience, and loaded him with distinctions. All the nobility laid themselves out to please the agree- able and witty Frenchman. But he little cared for the civilities of the Polish nobility ; what he wanted above all was to see the Princess again, and have the explanation he so much wished for, which must end in a rupture or a recon- ^ National archives, T 1527. 26 ciliation. Mme. Czartoriska was in the country. As soon as she returned Lauzun hastened to call on her, to clear himself of the crime of which he was falsely accused. He succeeded in seeing her, but not without difficulty, and he had all the trouble in the world to persuade her of his innocence. He was obliged to burn before her eyes the portrait of Mile, von Hatzfeldt and her letters, to promise not to write to her, and so on. By these sacrifices he won forgiveness. " Mile, de Hatzfeldt," he writes, '' is the only woman I ever treated with discourtesy, which she certainly did not deserve ; and I have often and severely blamed myself/' But the reconciliation so ardently desired by Lauzun did not restore to him the calm and happy life he had hoped for. The Princess was obliged to be diplomatically prudent; a thousand precautions were necessary to enable her to see him, and she henceforth, as she told him, regarded him. only as a brother. Moreover, a new adorer had joined the train of her admirers. Count Branecki, Grand-General to the King, expressed ardent sentiments, and though she treated him but badly, Lauzun found this vexatious. He had all the more reason for uneasi- ness, because Prince Adam had made the Grand- General his greatest friend, and constantly invited him to his house. Branecki was supposed to be in high favour with the Empress, and the Prince counted on his support to help him up the steps to the throne ; his ambitious views completely blinded him and prevented his discerning Branecki's passion, 27 which was flagrant to every onlooker. Indeed, the General made no secret of it, and committed some fresh extravagance every day. Lauzun was exasperated by this intimacy ; for besides the fact that it interfered with his seeing the Princess as often as he Avished, he foresaw its dangers. But it was not his business to speak of it to her husband ; he satisfied himself by hating Branecki, who reciprocated the feeling with interest. And at any rate he need not be bored in a town where everybody feted him, and where he found life easy and delightful. " Who," -svrites the Prince de Ligne, " would not love Poland, the Poles, and especially the Polish women ? The -wit and bravery of the men, the grace and beauty of the women, who all, even the least attractive, have an ease of manner, an elegance, piquancy, and charm, superior to the women of any other country. " Who would not prefer Warsaw to other capitals — Warsaw, where the best French tone prevails, united to an oriental style, the taste of Europe and Asia combined, the urbanity and polish of the most civilized countries, the hospitality of the uncivilized ? " Who does not admire the nation where gentle or simple manners, politeness or frankness are to be met with — lightness and grace in conversation, good education, every kind of accomplishment, liberality, splendid entertainment, a taste for expenditure and the fine arts, luxury, gallantry, extraordinary 28 customs, magnificence, easy intercourse, kindness, delicate feeling, and gratitude ? " Lauzun appreciated all these delightful qualities ; and, if he had not had to complain of the Princess's caprices, would have led the happiest life possible. Believing that a little jealousy would restore his pleasant intimacy with Mme. Czartoriska, Lauzun set up a small flirtation with a young Countess Potocka, who seemed to be ready to take him into favour. The Princess overheard a compromising conversation at a bal masque, which resulted in her closing her door to the Due next day. Lauzun, to whom the affair had been but a jest, thought he was for ever discarded; he was in the depths of despair, had an attack of fever, grew delirious, and recovered his wits to find the Princess herself at his bedside, bathing him with tears and vowing eternal devotion. But, in spite of such violent reactions, these transient crises and frequent quarrels were symptoms of the end of a passion, only too plain to such ex- perienced hearts. Count Branecki, meanwhile, was ferociously jealous of Lauzun ; to such a point, indeed, that the Due was warned that he was in possible danger of assassination. One evening, at the Opera, Branecki was so quarrelsome that, to put an end to the affair, Lauzun challenged him to a meeting next morning on the plain of Vola. This was the usual scene of such duels, which were held in honour at the Polish Court. Branecki accepted. But the King inter- 29 fered ; he desired the Grand- General to make a public ajDology to his adversary, and a reconciliation was effected. At this juncture the couriers from the Empress and M. de Vergennes returned. The Empress accepted the propositions made to her, and gave Lauzun ample powers. She could make no " ministerial overtures," but she authorized him to inform M. de Vergennes of her private intentions, and to transmit to her those of the French Court. Vergennes requested Lauzun to come to Versailles immediately, to hold a conference with him. The business was of the highest imj)ortance and would admit of no delay; Lauzun's presence at home was also necessary for the prosecution of a lawsuit, involving the possession of considerable sums of money ; ^ but the bad roads, the flooded rivers, the difficulty of procuring horses during the carnival, and the inconvenience of the lodgings on the way, delayed him till the beginning of Lent. His parting with the Princess was a touching one ; they promised to meet again ere long, and for the thousandth time swore eternal fidelity. But, in spite of all, a mysterious voice warned Lauzun that he would never, never again see the woman he had so devotedly loved. ^ He lost by this lawsuit and its consequences eighty thousand francs a year. 30 I CHAPTER IIL 1775. The Court in 1775— The King— The Queen— The Queen's friends : the Princesse de Lamballe, Mme. Dillon, the Princesse de Guemenee — The Royal Family. Befoee proceeding with our narrative it is indis- pensable to show in a rapid sketch who were at this time the principal personages at the French Court, and what the society was in which Lauzun now found himself. Almost all the Court of Louis XV. had dis- appeared ; some were dead, others had withdra"svn from Court life. Many had been politely dismissed — remercies — tJianlced, as the phrase was. A whole new circle now surrounds us, with which we must make acquaintance. First the King and Queen. The accession of Louis XVI. had given birth to high hopes ; the future, alas ! gave them the lie. ^' We saw a young jDrince mount the throne," writes Segur, "who had already made himself known by his kindness of heart, sound judgment, and simple manners. He seemed to have no passion but that 31 for doing his duty and making his subjects happy. He hated pomp, luxury, flattery and pride ; it might have been said that Heaven had made this King, not for the courtiers, but for his people." This portrait is somewhat flattered. What is strictly true is that the King was kind and virtuous, irre- proachably upright and full of the best intentions. But though he seemed to have all the virtues, he had none of their graces. He was not popular with the Court, and little known to his people. If only his kindness of heart is taken into account, he was an excellent man, but his kindness degene- rated into weakness. He was afllicted with shyness so excessive that he could never overcome it, which sometimes gave occasion to a misapprehension of his intentions. Often, and without the slightest ill- feeling, he would go up to a gentleman, obliging him to step backwards till he was against the wall, and if no words occurred to him, which frequently was the case, instead of speaking he would burst into a loud laugh, turn on his heel and walk off". His mind was slow and clumsy ; he had no taste for intellectual exercises, and on various occasions the coarseness of his pleasantries betrayed the vulgarity of his mind. In a former volume ^ an account was given of the ceremonial of the King's coucher. This ceremony became a scene of real distress to all who were sincerely attached to Louis XVI. The King's coat, waistcoat, and finally his shirt * The Due de Lauzun and the Court of Louis XV., Chap. v. 32 were taken off; he was naked to the waist, and would rub himself as though he were alone, in the presence of all his gentlemen and often of several strangers of distinction. Then, when some gentle- man he was familiar with was about to put on his night-shirt, he thought it funny to play all sorts of tricks : he would dodge it, slip through it, or even run away, laughing loudly all the time. As soon as it was on he put on his dressing-gown. Three valets unbuckled the waist band and knee bands of his breeches, which tumbled about his feet. In this costume, and dragging the breeches at his heels, the King would make his round of the circle of courtiers. It was a really pitiable spectacle, but the bystanders of course did not betray their feelings. At other times he would toss his blue riband in a gentleman's face, or affect to get caught by the earrings of any one who, like the Prince de Ligne, happened to wear them. The Due de Laval one evening was so much disgusted that he boldly withdrew : " Do not be alarmed. Monsieur," cried the King, " it has nothing to do with you." And nothing more came of it. His sports were always rough and violent : he would wrestle with certain favourites at Court, such as M. de Conflans, the Coignys, and others ; he even fought them pretty hard ; one day he almost strangled the Prince de Ligne. It was not malignity, but the need for violent exercise. It was sheer waste of pains to try to elevate his 33 D mind by interesting conversation. Nothing was to be got out of him but nonsense or sporting talk. M. de Crequi said one day to the Prince de Ligne, " Do you know what these three brothers are ? — A burly locksmith ; a provincial cafe wit ; and a boulevard popinjay." His passion for violent exercise was carried to excess. He hunted till he was perfectly exhausted, and came home in lamentable disorder ; the gentle- men of his suite could not keep up with him. At meals he ate grossly. This is the programme of a morning: At six o'clock the King rings and asks what there is for breakfast. " A fat fowl, Sir, and cutlets." — " That is not much ; I will have eggs with gravy." He himself superintends the prepara- tions, eats four cutlets, the fowl, six eggs au jus, and a slice of ham, drinking a bottle and a half of champagne; he then dresses, goes out hunting, and comes in with an incredible appetite for dinner. These details, emphasized here as bearing on the events which are to be narrated, in no way detracted from the King's moral qualities ; his defects were excusable, both by the bad education he had received and by his extreme youth ; for it must not be forgotten that in 1774 he was but twenty years of age. This, in brief outline, was the King. Now let us see what Marie Antoinette was, and how the couple got on together. It is very difficult to speak freely of this unhappy her terrible martyrdom imposes silence. It 34 seems to us, however, that after the lapse of a century- it is not impossible to tell what seems to be the truth, and that, while exercising all the reserve and respect due to such unequalled misfortunes, the Queen and the part she played may be spoken of frankly without giving rise to bitter recrimination. In the first place, and unhesitatingly, it must be said Marie Antoinette was virtuous in the sense nowadays given to the word. She was guilty only of levity, recklessness, and imprudence — of a serious character, it is true. But had she not every excuse ? Who, in her place, would have done better ? Because she came to a tragical end it has been the fashion to crown her with a halo of immaculate virtue. But is not the halo of martyrdom, of the most cruel sorrow that any human being can be called upon to endure, glory enough? Was not the unspeakable agony which lasted from August 10, 1792, till October 16, 1793, enough to expiate the follies which were the stamp of her time ? For it comes to that: we must study the situation as it was, the atmosphere and environment in which the Queenlived. The manners, which have been fully described in the former volume as prevailing during the later years of Louis XVth's reign, had not changed ; a very secondary importance still attached to moral iveahiesses ; they were mere peccadilloes, and we shall see among the Queen's immediate friends women of the highest rank conducting themselves with perfect independence of morality and absolute freedom of behaviour. 35 ^ 2 Though the Queen was indiscreet, had she not excuses? All the ladies of the Court, all her personal friends, were superior to prejudice ; most of them had a lover, and made no secret of it. How should her sovereign rank preserve her from the manners in vogue? Could a husband, who for seven years persistently neglected her ? A weak and narrow-minded man — to such a point, indeed, that one day in bitter frankness she could not help exclaiming " That poor man ! '* Surrounded as she was by the most fascinating and witty young men, this wife of eighteen must have been devoid of heart, soul, and intelligence not to feel the King's obvious inferiority, not to seek to cheat, by transient and platonic attachments, the solitude and melancholy that preyed upon her. This was the secret of all her follies, of her reckless dissipa- tion, of her impassioned friendships. She tried to forget the void in her heart, but without success. When Marie Antoinette came to Paris she was but fourteen and a half. She was still no more than a child, idle and pleasure-loving ; her education had been much neglected. Maria Theresa, who knew her daughter well, thought her kind, generous, compassionate, gifted with natural graces, and anxious to please ; but she was well aware of the defects of her education and the faults of her character. She sent her to France under the gravest apprehension. The Court of Versailles, frivolous and of evil repute, gave her no sense of confidence, and she lavished on the young 36 Dauphiness the wisest and tenderest advice : " A wife must in all things be subject to her husband," she told her, " and ought to think of nothing but him, to please him and fulfil his will. True hap- piness in this world is to be found in a happy- marriage ; I speak from experience. Everything depends on the wife ; she must be obliging, gentle, and amusing." (May 4, 1770.) Mercy, too, tried to put the Dauphiness on her guard against the snares laid for her feet, and to guide her inexperience. He advised her, among other things, to converse with the persons of distinction who might visit the Court : " It is an infallible way of giving pleasure,'' he told her, " and it will be all the more appreciated because it will be a new style of conduct at this Court, where the Royal Family are apt to receive but ill those who are brought into contact with them." Marie Antoinette's position became at once pe- culiarly delicate, and to get over such difficulties the young wife would have needed wisdom far beyond her years. Not to mention the intrigues of a Court which from the day of her arrival was in constant agitation to get possession of her mind, the Dauphin left her strangely to herself. The Prince's good- nature did not prevent his being afflicted with a gloomy temper and almost ridiculous timidity. He thought his wife charming, but persisted in never showing her that he thought so. A coldness so insulting to a young, lovely and attractive woman, gave rise to a state of feeling between the pair which 37 was every day more intolerable, and which might easily lead to very annoying comments. Marie Antoinette at first did not seem to remark it much ; but by degrees it was evidently the cause of strange fits of dejection. The Dauphin's unaccountable coolness led at last to a somewhat lively scene between the Royal couple, reported to Maria Theresa by her corre- spondent Mercy. But it was more than seven years before he could make up his mind to break through his incomprehensible and insulting reserve. The situation was a painful one for the young ^vife. The Empress Maria Theresa was very uneasy about it, and wrote very judiciously to Mercy : " The more extraordinary is the Dauphin's coldness, the more circumspect must my daughter's conduct be." (June, 1771.) The Dauphin, as we have seen, did not redeem the singularity of his demeanour by elegance of manner or charm of wit. He had nothing of a nature to attract and please a young wife. We know his tastes and mode of life. He was con- stantly ill from indigestion brought on by some excess in eating cakes or pastry. What a treat, indeed, for a young woman full of grace and fascina- tion, must a husband have been, platonic in his regard, caring for nothing but hunting and feeding, and claiming her attentions only for revolting indispositions ! The broad witticism of the Prince de Ligne is very intelligible when he said that *^ Marie Antoinette had married perhaps the worthiest 38 man in the kingdom, but certainly not the most appetizing." ^ The Queen on the other hand was in all the brilliancy of youth ; her beauty was radiant. Wal- pole, who saw her in 1775 at the Court ball in honour of the marriage of Madame Clotilde (her sister- in-law), wrote, '^ It was impossible to see anything but the Queen ; Hebes and Floras, Helens and Graces are street- walkers to her. She is a statue of beauty when sitting or standing ; grace itself when she moves." (To the Countess of Ossory, Aug. 23, 1775.) Marie Antoinette on the throne was still what she had been as Dauphiness, and years, while modifying what remained child-like in her manner, did not sensibly alter her character. She had no great breadth of mind, but her appre- hension was quick. The lightness of her nature led her to avoid serious discourse ; she was amused by trifles, the tittle-tattle and scandal of the day. She had by nature a marked disposition for mockery ; to flatter her taste, those about her tried to entertain her at the expense of others, and she thus made many enemies. Even in the early days of her reign an impertinent ballad was circulated at Court, — *' Little queen of twenty years Setting people by the ears, You will be sent home again." In spite of a mania for pleasure and much levity and heedlessness, she was genuinely kind-hearted, and had an eager desire to serve those who applied to her " Certes pas le plus ragoutant." 39 for help. Nature had lavished on her graces which were enchanting when she chose to exert them ; no one could be more captivating, her manners and speech were amiable and engaging ; but she hated etiquette, and ceremonial wearied her. She loved private life and an intimate circle. In her domestic relations she was very amiable ; she spent her life in patching up the squabbles which were constantly breaking out between these or those. As to the pleasures of familiarity or affection, she enjoyed few from her own family, and yet her heart was always craving for friendship. This was the reason that she formed certain intimacies for which she was afterwards severely blamed. However, " female friendships " were the fashion of the time ; every woman had her bosom friend : " They raise altars to Friendship, they recite hymns to Friendship. The portrait of the beloved friend is worn under a bracelet; they talk of nothing but the joys of friendship. This display of sentimentality dates from the same period as Jockeys." (Tableau de Paris.) The Queen's first great friend was the Princesse de Lamballe. She led the series of those favourites who so scandalously abused their mistress's generosity. Marie Antoinette had remarked her at the balls given every winter during the carnival by Mme. de Noailles, to which few persons were invited but the Royal Family and some intimate friends. At that time she was still Dauphiness, and lived at Court in absolute isolation. Mme. de Lamballe, young, gentle, and amiable, pleased her well ; she 4C held long conversations with her, and they soon became exceedingly intimate. *^Mme. de Lamballe was extremely pretty, and though her figure was devoid of elegance, and she had hideous hands, which, by their size, contrasted strangely with the delicacy of her features, she was charming without regular beauty ; her temper was gentle, obliging, equable and cheerful, but she was absolutely devoid of wit ; her vivacity, sprightliness, and childlike air very agreeably concealed her want of brains ; she had never had an opinion of her o'svn, but in conversation she always adopted the views of the person who was supposed to be the cleverest. " (Mme. de Genlis.) She had a great many little manias ; she fainted at the sight of a bunch of violets, as of a lobster or a shrimp ; she would shut her eyes and remain motion- less for half an hour in spite of all that could be done for her — though no one believed in these affected fainting fits. And subsequently, when periodical attacks of the nerves followed by unconsciousness had become the fashion, Mme. de Lamballe never failed to have them twice a week, on the same days and at the same hour, for a whole year. The Queen wished to give her friend a handsome appointment. There had been no Court Superin- tendent (Surintendante) since Mile, de Clermont. The place was revived for Mme. de Lamballe, with a salary of two hundred thousand francs. She fre- quently received the Queen at supper and card parties. But the Princess did not long remain in 41 her post. Marie Antoinette could not fail to discover her lack of intelligence, and was worried by the per- petual quarrels the Princess stirred up on every pretext with the ladies-in-waiting. It was easy to foresee that Mme. de Lamballe's reign would be brief. However, as long as Mme. de Noailles' balls were given, that is to say, till the death of Louis XV., no one but Mme. de Lamballe seemed to be honoured with Marie Antoinette's friendship. After the King's death Mme. de Noailles' balls came to an end, and during the winter of 1774-5 their place was filled by balls given by the Queen, to which everyone in any way attached to the Court was invited. It was at these parties that Marie Antoinette distinguished by her notice Mme. Dillon, the Arch- bishop of Narbonne's niece, of whom we have already spoken at some length, and whom Lauzun had long admired. Mme. Dillon had been faithful in her attachment to the Prince de Gu^mc^nde, with whom she was ex- tremely intimate. This liaison, which was recog- nized and condoned, in no way hindered the Queen from making friends with this lady ; and in order to bring her within her circle and admit her to the palace as one of her ladies, Mme. de Lamballe was neglected and had only the superficial rights of intimacy. Mme. Dillon was charming, but her mother, Mme. de Rothe,^ was considered intriguing, and she was ere long accused of speculating on the favour shown * Sometimes written Roothe. 42 to her daughter. This rumour, mischievously spread, was to the discredit of the new favourite. Notwith- standing her intimacy with the Prince de Gue- menee, Mme. Dillon was on the best terms with his wife, at which no one need be astonished, given the code of manners that we know prevailed. Mme. de Guem^n^e, so haughty a fine lady as she was, frequent- ly visited Hautefontaine to see her friend. " It was the result of the urbanity of manners which made the wife always particularly attentive to the lady of her husband's preference." At Mme. Dillon's the Queen frequently met Mme. de Gu^m^nee, and conceived for the Princess a very warm liking. The Princess, having inherited from her aunt, Mme. de Marsan, the office of governess to the Royal children, held one of the highest positions at Court; and although it was a sinecure till 1778, she enjoyed all the same its privileges and emolu- ments. She was a very singular woman ; very clever, but employing her cleverness in plunging into the follies of the illumines. She was always surrounded by a number of dogs, to which she addressed a sort of worship, declaring that through them she held communion with mediatory spirits. In the midst of a conversation in which she shone by her wit and judgment, she would suddenly stop short and fall into a trance. She lived at Court in great state ; in her rooms all Choiseul's partisans were wont to meet. In the winter, in her rooms at the Tuileries, she gave delightful 43 parties where all persons of any pretensions found themselves together. She had a little theatre built, where the best actors of the three play-houses then existing came to act. These performances were gene- rally preceded by a concert, followed by a splendid supper and a kind of cafL These entertainments were the wonder of Paris, but they gradually led to the financial crash of which we shall presently have occasion to speak. Mme. de Gu^menee did not make herself singular by affecting a virtue which was quite too dowdy; her recognized lover was the Due de Coigny. Her circle was on the whole one of much freedom, and when the passion for gambling had seized the Court, play at her house was a perfect frenzy. She was too great a lady to accept the part of favourite ; she treated the Queen as her equal. Marie Antoinette was her constant visitor, and gave her every mark of the greatest regard. As to the Royal Family, the Queen found in them but a small resource. Monsieur, though clever, well informed, and gifted with a good memory, betrayed great ambitions ; his uncertain temper made him a person to be feared rather than loved. The Comte D'Artois, the Benjamin of the family, was scatter-brained, elegant, and good looking ; he had all the tastes and all the faults of the youth of his time, but his levity and excesses made him a compromising companion ; he heaped folly on folly ; he it was who for a long time undertook to organize his sister-in- 44 law's amusements, and he did it with so little moderation and tact as to give rise to much scandal. Madame, Monsieur's wife,^ did not lack intelligence nor a certain grace of manner, though she was so ugly. Monsieur had lived with her on very good terms for some years ; but having attached himself to Mme. de Balbi, he neglected her completely. Her sister, the Comtesse d' Artois, was even uglier ; she was moreover silly, sulky and ungracious. Her husband, whose life was altogether disreputable, left her entirely to herself. The little Court held by Mesdames was quite apart ; it was known as the Old Court. It was extremely regular and monotonous. The Princesses spent the summer at Bellevue, where their nephews and nieces often came to offer to dine with them. Mesdames, and especially Madame Adelaide, had great influence over the King ; they tried to extend it to the Queen, and did their utmost to circumvent her and use her power to their own advantage. ' She was a princess of Savoy, Vol. I. p. 274. 45 CHAPTER IV. 1775. Lauzun arrives at Versailles — An interview with M. de Vergennes — Intimacy with Mme. Dillon and Mme. de Gucmcnee — The Queen receives him kindly — Correspondence with M. de Stackelberg — Corn riots — Lauzun goes to Sarreguemines — The Coronation — Check to the negotiations with M. de Vergennes — Rupture with Princess Czartoriska — Residence at Sarreguemines — Journey through the Palatinate. When Lauzun arrived at Versailles, in the early- days of March, 1775, all was calm in the political world ; no storms threatened, and the augurs of the Court foretold a long course of peaceful times. The golden age had returned. / "All is quiet here,'* writes Mme. du DefFant. " No visible intrigues are being plotted ; a love of the public good is loudly professed. Maurepas possesses in peace the foremost popularity ; the only person who would dispute it (the Queen) and snatch it from him, is taken up with balls, head-dresses, feathers, and the like. Turgot professes virtue ; he wants to set up the reign of liberty, establish equality, and practise humanity. It is the reign of philosophy." 46 It might be supposed that Lauzun s first care, on stepping out of his post-chaise, would be to go to M. de Vergennes, and lay before him the important mission with which he was charged. Nothing of the kind. No sooner had he arrived than he was told that some horse-races were to be seen next day, on the Plaine de Sablons. What a fine opportunity for showing himself to the world of Paris and announcing his return. On no account would he miss it. These races, almost the first that had been held in France, were an occasion of great ceremony, and brought together a considerable concourse. The King, the Queen, the Dues de Chartres and de Bourbon were present. A grand stand had been erected for the Royal Family, allowing them to look over the crowd and watch the course. Heavy bets were laid.^ Lauzun won the prize and was loudly applauded by the crowd. This important duty accomplished, he happily remembered that he was an envoy, and presented himself before the Minister for Foreign Affairs. M. de Vergennes received him well, and they held long 1 The first race was run in France, February 28, 1766. This novelty was started on the Plaine de Sablons, at Neuilly, a place wonderfully well fitted for this kind of sport. Lauraguais rode one of his own horses. His opponent was Lord Forbes. All Paris was afoot by nine in the morning ; the carriages and crowd thronged to see such a new sight. Lauraguais was beaten. This race, luckless for the French champion, gave rise to endless quarrels. Lauraguais' horse died a few days after, and the surgeons who dissected it declared that it had been poisoned. The English were of course suspected, and this produced a violent ill-feeling against them. Another race was to have been run between the Prince of Nassau and Mr. Forth : the King forbade it, to avoid a repetition of such scandals. 47 conferences on the subject of Catherine's proposals. Lauzun explained to the Minister all he had not been able to say by letter. He emphasized the Empress's desire for a prompt decision, and the necessity for the absolute secrecy to be observed with regard to the negotiations ; she would receive no envoy unless he came as a private traveller, in no official character. Lauzun, very naturally, thought that, having had the merit of opening the negotia- tion, he would be allowed the glory of bringing it to an issue. M. de Vergennes, unfortunately, displayed little enthusiasm: he seemed to distrust the Empress's good faith and the sincerity of her purpose. Lauzun, on his part, did not know her well enough to dare to answer for her honesty ; but he pointed out to the Minister that she would find sincerity too greatly to her advantage to think of deceiving the French. The truth was that M. de Vergennes had a friend, M. de Juniez, whom he meant to send as Ambassador to Russia, and he preferred to leave the negotia- tions to him. While these parleys with the Minister were going on, Lauzun resumed his life of fashion. He was on intimate terms with Mme. Dillon and Mme. de Guem^nee. He renewed his familiar friendship with them immediately on his return, and naturally he met the Queen almost every evening in the rooms of her new favourites. His reputation for agreeable- ness and wit, and his various adventures, were too well known for Marie Antoinette not to have heard 48 of them ; they had indeed aroused her curiosity, and had been the subject of conversation with Mme. de Guemenee. She received Lauzun very graciously. He was himself at his best, that is to say, clever, amiable, charming, full of life and gaiety. He pleased the Queen, who, finding his society amusing and agreeable, invited him to appear often at Court. In a short while he was, in a way, a favourite ; constantly invited to the private parties at Versailles, and riding out with Marie Antoinette almost every day in the woods of Boulogne (the Bois de Boulogne) and Verrieres. These rides, when the (Jueen was always accompanied by a lady-in- waiting and her equerries, could give no umbrage to public opinion ; but the Sovereign, who could not endure a bore, sometimes rode ahead with a single companion, the most agreeable man of the party, leaving her suite to follow. This heedless behaviour led to severe strictures. Lauzun's promotion to favour gave rise to much jealousy. He did not trouble himself about it, and gaily led the pleasant life he had taken up since his return to Paris. He did not, however, neglect the serious business incumbent on him. He kept up a brisk correspondence with M. de Stackelberg, from which we shall give some extracts. Politics and love affairs are pleasantly mixed up in these letters. Lauzun was not quite at ease with regard to the Princess Czartoriska ; Count Branecki disturbed 49 B him greatly; Prince Repnine, too, had arrived at Warsaw, and his presence was an annoyance to Lauznn, for he aspired to his former pre-eminence. Stackelberg had warned Lauzun that Repnine had shown much temper on hearing of his rival's visit to Poland. Lauzun replies : — ^ " I am not surprised at the effect my visit pro- duced on Repnine ; he hates me, and has reason. It is quite natural that he should have been uneasy at finding me in a place whither he hoped I never should come again. I am not surprised that Princess Czartoriska should have explained that she had nothing to do with my journey (to Warsaw). It is the truth. She was not justifying herself to him for allowing me to go ; she only wished to prove that she had not deceived him when she said I was not going there. . . . Prince Repnine's influence is at an end. ... I am not afraid of him, but it is important for other reasons to keep him away from the place where she is, and above all to hinder his having any employment of whatever kind to keep him there. Means must be found to give ^ All these letters are part of a correspondence in cypher, pre- served in the National Archives. I have succeeded in finding the key to the cypher. These letters are a fresh and indisputable proof of the genuineness of Lauzun's " Memoirs ; " in fact, in the original MS. from which the copies were made for the fii^t edition of the '* Memoirs," Lauzun always wrote Gzartoryska for Czartoriska, and this spelling was retained in the first edition. Now, in the autograph letters in the Archives, we find the same spelling, G for C. In them we also have complete confirmation of all the facts recorded in the ''Memoirs" relating to Lauzun's connection with the Princess. Who else could have been so well informed ? 50 the Princess courage to forbid his remaining, and my presence alone can give her such courage." Lauzun and Stackelberg were both guided by secret motives, in following up their political vicAVS ; the former wanted to go to Warsaw ; the latter, to come to Paris ; each was anxious to live near a woman whom he passionately loved. Lauzun states the position very clearly when he writes to Stackelberg : " Our fate is similar : we have the same results to fear, and our alliance may give us the means of averting them. You can combine a legitimate ambition with the sentiment that fills your heart. When once our Courts are allied nothing can be easier than for the Princess Radzivil to come to France for some years. This will add to the attractions you will find in the country you know so well, and where you will have the most agreeable and distinguished post in Europe. My views are less lofty. If I am but employed for the nonce at St. Petersburg, in a way useful to Russia and France ; if I should continue there afterwards for life, with the consent and under the protection of H.M. the Empress, I shall spend my life with those I love and be perfectly happy." Lauzun was not quite easy as to his really extra- ordinary position with regard to Prince Adam. It is amusing enough to watch the details of the intrigue as related by one of the principal actors : — " The two main points of the business are to make sure of him and of her. To this end, as I repeat, my presence is indispensable ; but it is essential that it 51 E 2 should have a sufficient reason, so as not to scare Prince Czartoriski, and not to lay him open to the bad impressions which our common enemies will certainly endeavour to give him. He must be led to believe that his own interest and that of his country require my presence, and leave the question open till I arrive in Poland, as to whether he shall go to Russia with me. I think you will do well to speak to him frequently of the reciprocal relations of our two Courts, the probable causes which may ally them and lead them to take views favourable to the protection of Poland ; you must also show the greatest confidence in all I have undertaken, and in the influence I have through my position : tell him that you hope I may succeed in your country ; and it would be well, I think, to enlarge on the advan- tages to Poland from my expected success in Russia. He will be flattered by your confidence, and you, better than anyone, know the way to make him think just what you please. " If once he really wishes that I should go, and if you can only keep your eye on him till then, so that no one else can take possession of him, I answer for it that Princess Czartoriska's joy will be as great as mine, and we will manage him absolutely and invariably. You will then have to take some steps with the Empress to secure my being sent to St. Petersburg by my Court, which will be very easy if it should appear that she prefers me to anyone else. You must, however, be careful not to damage the fortunes or the position of M. de Juinez ; on the con- 52 trary, give it out that I could contribute to his being favourably received. This is important, for M. de Juinez is the intimate friend of M. de Vergennes. It would be a great advantage to be found necessary to that man, who, by all appearance, will be a good deal embarrassed in Russia." At this juncture Lauzun learnt from the Princess that his last visit to "Warsaw had had a bad effect on Prince Adam. Ill-disposed persons had tried to provoke the Empress against the Prince. Lauzun hastened to report this to M. de Stackelberg. "I have just received a letter from Princess Czartoriska which greatly vexes me. It tells me of a shameful trick which I must report to you. She says that some one has made mischief by throw- ing blame on Prince Czartoriski for my last jour- ney to Poland, and has said so to the Empress ; who is disgusted with the Prince's conduct, believing that it was he who sent for me to treat with France without her knowledge; that this has had a disastrous effect on the Prince's prospects, and might have had worse consequences if some honest friends had not succeeded in pacifying the Empress ; and finally that the plan for an alliance between our two Courts is regarded in Russia as impossible and of no importance. "You will at once understand, Monsieur, that such an absurd piece of villainy can only come from M. Branecki. The idea is devoid of all common sense^ and can therefore only be his. It is, however, needful to prove what a blunder this piece of spite is ; 53 for, as you know, I saw Prince Czartoriski only by your desire, I said nothing to him but what you dictated, and he meddled with absolutely nothing ; still, in spite of its absurdity, you know there is a person in Warsaw on whom this story might make an impression. " If your Sovereign's religion had been worked upon, it would be quite easy for you to crush the calumny. You have of course given her an account of my system for Poland, and it must have satisfied her. I think I can frighten the authors of this non- sense more than they have frightened me. " I shall have the honour of sending you a letter for her Majesty by the first safe opportunity. It is to be wished that she may know these reports, and have the goodness to crush them by honouring me with a letter in which Prince Czartoriski should be men- tioned in a way to be agreeable to him. You cannot imagine how much easier I should find it to carry out the Empress's orders if I had leave to show the letter to Prince Czartoriski and to M. de Vergennes without her seeming to know of it." Pending these negotiations, Lauzun carefully watched the intrigues at Court which were hatching round the new Ministers ; he thought their position endangered, and at once warned M. de Stackelberg. He wrote him this curious letter, which shows beyond question the influence he already had, or thought he had, with the Queen : — " I have been meaning to widte to you for some time, and if I have delayed it was because I thought 54 I should have to announce some important changes ; they are certainly very near and no longer doubtful. I could positively name the people who will replace those who will go. The Queen can do anything, and I have the greatest influence with her through a person who makes her wish whatever he pleases. The Empress has only to speak ; what she asks will be done ; she will certainly demand nothing unrea- sonable, and I answer for it with my head that everything will gladly be done to please her ; but for that the Empress must seem to honour me with her entire confidence, and I must be able to show unequivocal proof of it. It would indeed not be amiss that it should be supposed that she wishes to attract me to her service by special advantages. That will not compromise her in any way. I am writing thus confidentially not to the Russian Minister but to M. de Stackelberg, on whose honour and friendship I rely. All I wish for in the world is to be employed in Poland or in Russia. I will stake my life for such happiness, and I believe I never played so high nor made so good a bargain." Meanwhile, negotiations with M. de Vergennes made no progress. Lauzun, in spite of his urgency, could get no formal reply; the Minister was still suspicious, and claimed such a return as the Empress could not or would not grant. Further to test the Empress's views, Vergennes thought it necessary to demand in favour of France ^ Lauzun dares not avow his influence, and imagines the inter- vention of a third person. 55 an article dealing with Commerce, and he consequently- begged Lauzun to write to M. de Stackelberg. " Stackelberg," writes Lauzun, " was extremely- embarrassed at having to treat on a subject which be- longed exclusively to Count Panin, and fearing the rivalry of so powerful a Minister he at once screened himself behind purely ministerial formulas. He would only repeat what he had already said ; that the Empress desired that an envoy should be sent, without any official position, to learn her wishes and treat with her ; that he very much wished that I should be entrusted with this commission, and that I should certainly have every facility afforded mo for carrying it out successfully." Lauzun again communicated Stackelberg' s letters to M. de Vergennes ; he also warned him that Count Panin wished to make the Empress sign a treaty with England, and that she refused solely in the hope of concluding the agreement with France which she really had at heart. Still, in spite of his persistency and efforts, he could extract nothing from the Minister but procrastinating replies. At this juncture serious events occurred. For some little time disturbing symptoms had been apparent among the populace : there had been local riots in some provinces, for which the high price of bread had been the reason or the pretext. The mob had revolted at Beaumont, at Saint-Germain, and at Pontoise, and order had not been restored without bloodshed. / By May the excitement had infected the capital. The police, forewarned of the plots simmering among the people, told M. de Maurepas that the situation was ominous, and that the troops must be called out with- out delay if the riots were to be suppressed with promptitude. But the old Minister was going to the opera and postponed all business till the morrow. He was rash, for the threatened riot broke out, and the police, outnumbered, were unable to control it. The mob, excited by the ringleaders, pillaged the bakers' shops as far as to Versailles. They were not content to have bread only, but seized everything that came to hand. At Paris it was the same ; it was like a town taken by storm. All the vagabonds and thieves that infested the surrounding country rushed in to clutch their share, as if at the word of command. It was necessary to take energetic measures if the mob were not to get the upper hand ; the troops in Paris and the neighbourhood were placed under the command of Marechal de Biron . He posted the cannon in batteries on the ramparts by the Seine ; numer- ous companies patrolled the streets ; the markets were protected by the French Guards. The Musketeers, and other Royal regiments, traversed the country and high roads all round the capital, stopping tramps and all who could not give an account of themselves. A number of the ringleaders were hanged with much formality, and in a few days order was re- established. When these Corn riots first broke out the Govern- ment had moved up the provincial troops to support 57 the garrison in Paris. Also, in view of the grave state of affairs, all officers on leave had been ordered to rejoin their regiments. Lauzun shared the common lot, and made ready to set out for Mouzon, where the Royal Legion was still quartered. As soon as the Queen heard of his imminent departure, she caused proposals to be made to him that he should take advantage of the general movement of the troops to have his regiment trans- ferred to Paris. The Due expressed his thanks, but refused point blank. The day before he left he went to Montreuil, to Mme. de Guemenee's, to take leave of her. This lady had just built a magnificent residence on her estate adjoining Versailles, and she liked the place so well that she spent the greater part of the year there. The garden was laid out with remarkable taste ; Paris could be seen in the distance from a little knoll reached by a path leading to the top and hidden in a clump of shrubs. Mme. de Guemenee, who had a passion for flowers, cultivated them with success in this delightful spot, of which Delille could say — " The laughing Graces had designed Montreuil." On reaching Montreuil, Lauzun found the Queen there. She had come by chance to call, and again eagerly pressed him to remain at Paris. " Do not go yet," said she, " the Corn riots make it necessary to concentrate the regiments ; we will have your corps brought up." The Due again thanked her, but declared that the transfer would be to the disadvantage of his men, and that he would not have it. '' You are an 58 idiot ! " said the Queen, laughing. And as the Baron de Viom^nil, who was directing the mobilization of the troops, happened to come in, she added : " Baron, make the Royal Legion march out, and bring it near enough so that this foolish fellow need not leave us, as he intends doing." But Lauzun would listen to nothing. Next day he went out hunting in the forest of Boulogne with the Queen in the morning, and in the evening he set out to join his regiment. Marie Antoinette, who regretted his departure, had offered to ask the King to command his presence at the Coronation, which was to take place in the course of the month of May. Lauzun knew that the Choiseul faction meant to seize that opportunity to try to return to power ; he foresaw that he would be the subject of endless importunities ; that every one would want to take advantage of his growing influ- ence ; and so, prompted by very honourable feelings of discretion and reserve, he again refused the Queen's offers. The great occasion of the Coronation seemed to Choiseul' s partisans to be a favourable opportunity for renewing the attempts which had so signally failed before, to ingratiate themselves with Louis XVI., and they neglected nothing that might help them to gain their end. Choiseul appeared at Versailles and at Reims ; the courtiers observed his radiant expression ; his cocked nose seemed to wear an assertive and conquering air: this was enough to start a rumour that he was to be recalled to office. 59 The Queen, indeed, renewed her entreaties, but was not more fortunate than she had been at the old King's death. The King answered sternly : " Never let me hear that man's name ! " Marie Antoinette was tenacious and would not take a beating ; she was determined to show at least, by granting him a private audience, that the fallen Minister was in favour at Court ; and to achieve her end without risking a prohibition she had recourse to a trick which she herself has left on record. " You will never guess," she writes to Count von Rosenberg, " how cleverly I managed so as not to seem to be asking leave. I told the King that I should like to see M. de Choiseul, that the only difficulty was to name a day. And I did it so well that the poor man himself fixed the most convenient time for me to receive him ! I think I made good use of the rights of woman on this occasion. . . . There has been so much talk about this audience that I would not answer for it that old Maurepas has not been afraid to go home to sleep even." This audience of the Queen did, in fact, make a great noise at Versailles, and Choiseul' s adherents, thinking they were about to triumph, fairly screamed for joy. But this imprudent confidence reached Vienna, and gave rise to gi^eat scandal there. Maria Theresa was outraged by her daughter's indiscreet levity. The words poor man so flippantly applied to the King horrified the Empress. In vain did Mercy try to pacify her, to persuade her that the offensive words hon liomme had been a mere slip, 60 that she had misunderstood the full purport of the expression. Maria Theresa was not to be misled; ^' It was not," she severely replied, " the epithet good man, but ;poor man that she applied to her husband. What a style ! What a way of thinking ! It con- firms my fear only too surely. She is hastening to her ruin, happy if even in her fall she preserves the virtues of her rank. If Choiseul becomes Minister she is lost. He will hold her cheaper than he did La Pompadour, to whom he owed everything, and whom he was the first to desert.'* The Coronation took place on the appointed day, but Lauzun was not present. Enormous sums were spent on the ceremony. At Soissons one of the city gates was pulled down because the Royal carriage, which was eighteen feet high, could not pass under it. Nothing could be stranger than seeing the high road to Reims as crowded as the Rue Saint- Honors — twenty thousand post-horses were constantly on the road. All the bridges which the King was to cross were reconstructed. These works were carried out by gangs of peasants on forced labour, to their utter despair. "These hapless creatures," writes a contemporary, " as soon as they see a traveller in the distance, kneel down, lifting their hands to Heaven, and then putting them to their mouths as if asking for bread " {Bachaumont). In the church at Reims a complete apartment, with a guard room, was arranged for the Queen. On his return from Reims, on May 28, the King reviewed the French and Swiss guards. There was 6i an immense crowd ; the high hopes founded on his accession a year ago had vanished ; disaffection had begun. He was but little cheered on his way, and when the Queen passed there was an icy silence. The political changes foretold by Lauzun in his letter to M. de Stackelberg were about to take place. In July M. de la Vrilliere retired, and his place was taken by M. de Malesherbes. " Here is our Govern- ment in the hands of the philosophers," writes Mme. du Deffant. " This is the reign of virtue, of disin- terestedness, of love of the public good, and of liberty." And she adds, with the satisfaction of a holder of Government stock : " They profess great economy and punctuality in paying everything they owe." At the same time instability and uncertainty seemed to be the rule of the new regime y and Mme. du Deffant could say, again with good reason : " These are strange times ; you may bet on everything, for or against." Though far enough from Paris, and living at Sarreguemines, whither his regiment had been re- moved, Lauzun attentively watched all the political in- cidents happening at Versailles. He was still anxious to obtain from M. de Vergennes the much debated mission to Russia for which he had waited so long. Before leaving Paris he had called on the Minister, but had extracted merely more or less evasive answers. To stimulate his zeal and not suffer it to become dormant, Lauzun had placed his interests in the hands of a friend who kept him regularly informed 62 of all that was going on at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Paris. ^ Stackelberg was still most "eager, and hoped more than ever to effect the alliance. He urged on Lauzun to hasten the negotiations ; but it was in vain that the Due had the matter pressed on the Minister's attention. M. de Vergennes was always for pro- crastination. He would not take the preliminary steps, saying that before talking business with Russia her friendship must be won, and so forth. Then, suddenly, Lauzun learnt that a certain M. de Paige had been secretly despatched to Poland by M. de Vergennes, to study the situation there. Furious at having been thus deceived, Lauzun wrote hotly and indignantly to the Minister, complaining of this unspeakable betrayal. Vergennes, much ashamed at the discovery of his meanness, answered Lauzun in a very civil letter to try to exculpate himself. He explained that Paige had been sent to Russia to nego- tiate a marriage between the Prince de Lorraine and Prince Adam's young daughter, and defended himself against the charge of having given him any special mission. Lauzun, hurt and offended by M. de Vergennes' conduct, understood that it was vain to persist, and that there was not a chance of his schemes being realized, so for the time at any rate, he gave up the purpose he had so obstinately followed up for the last year. As misfortunes never come singly, he suffered at ^ This correspondence, in cypher, exists at the " Archives Nationales ;" it is too long to reproduce here, 63 tins time one of the great sorrows of his life. For some months Mme. Czartoriska's letters had been shorter and rarer. He also knew through friends at "Warsaw, that Count Branecki's assiduity was greater than ever, and that he seemed to be making rapid progress in her aiFections. Lauzun, deeply anxious and distressed, wrote letters of resentment, which, as always happens in such cases, were taken very ill. He insisted and got angry, and before long a coldness and tension existed between the lovers, once so tender and devoted, which soon led to a complete rupture. And thus ended most prosaically — like so many similar passions — the eternal loves of Lauzun and the beautiful Princess Czartoriska. This checkmate in love consoled Lauzun for the checkmate in diplomacy which he had till then so pain- fully felt. The break with the Princess plunged him in the deepest grief ; he loved her with sincere pas- sion ; and years later we shall find him trying to effect a reconciliation, which, however, events interfered to prevent. But he was not the man to waste life in barren regrets ; he looked about for such amusements as might enable him to forget them. He may indeed be blamed for not remaining longer faithful to the memory of a woman he had loved so well, and run- ning after new loves ; all that can be said in excuse is that he wanted to deaden feeling, and that his heart was but little engaged in the transient connections with which he strove to cheat his sadness and ennui. He was quartered at Sarreguemines, close to the little principality of Deux-Ponts (Zwei Briicken), 64 where there was some society. Among many adven- tures too commonplace to be mentioned, the most serious was a flirtation with a Baroness Dalberg ; but he tired of it ere long, and after a visit to her Castle of Hemsheim in the Palatinate, and an intro- duction to the Electress, at Ockersheim — where he says the Baroness was pleased to show him off, '' as well as a cream-coloured pony with a white mane, sent her from Mecklenburg at the time of my arrival " — he was glad to get back to Sarreguemines, where he found his regiment and rest. Not long after his return Lauzun received a letter from the Due de Chartres announcing that a great horse-race was to be run, and pressing Lauzun to come to Paris for the event. The pretext was a good one, and our hero gladly availed himself of it ; he was, in fact, beginning to feel the worse for this monotonous and idle life. So he returned to the capital to pursue the brilliant destiny which could not fail to await him there. 6s CHAPTER V. 1775. Lauzun returns to Paris — The influenza — Lady Barrymore — Her acquaintance with Lauzun — The Queen's partiality for the Comtesse Jules de Polignac — Mme. de Vaudi'euil and de Besenval — The Abbe de Vermond's anxieties. The famous race, which had been able to excite Lauzun so far as to make him desert his seclusion at Sarreguemines, took place on October 6th, 1775, on the Plaine de Sablons. The competitors were the Comte D'Artois, the Due de Chartres, Lauzun, and M. de Conflans. The throng was immense ; all the Court and all the town were present. A stand had been erected on the middle of the course for the Queen, " who was as beautiful as the day — and the day was lovely.'* The race began at one o'clock and only lasted six minutes, though the distance to be covered was considerable : three times round the course. The struggle was an eager one, and this time again Lauzun was victorious, and his English jockey carried off the prize. The Queen seemed delighted vnth the sight ; she congratulated Lauzun warmly, and made him intro- duce the jockey who rode the winning horse; finally she consoled the losers " with infinite grace." 66 In consequence of this exploit Lauzun's jockey was so much the fashion that Walpole wrote : " The latter won by the address of a little French postillion, who is in such fashion that I don't know whether the Academy will not give him for the subject of an elogeJ^ After this brilliant reappearance in the capital, Lauzun, anxious to forget his misadventures, rushed headlong into fashion and society. He was as intimate as ever with Mme. Dillon and Mme. de Guem^nee ; he had the pleasure of finding that he was not forgotten, and of resuming in that brilliant circle the predomi- nant place he had filled at the time of his departure. The Queen treated him with the same confidence, saw him with the same pleasure, and was always ready to take an opportunity of showing him in what high esteem she held him. They frequently rode out together, and met almost every evening in Mme. de Guemence's rooms. Lauzun, however, made circum- spect by the ill-natured reports that had been circulated, behaved with considerable reserve. Mme. de Guem^n^e had long been one of his greatest friends, and she sincerely rejoiced at the favour he enjoyed, doing her utmost to show him in the most advantageous light. She constantly sang his praises to the Queen, and in her presence would expatiate on his rare merits, his wit, his loyalty, his delightful and chivalrous character. Marie Antoinette was sincerely attached to Mme. de Guemenee and had every confidence in her ; she was therefore not insensible to these reiterated 67 F 2 remarks, and her esteem and friendship for Lauzun were steadily increased by them. Nor was it the Queen alone who welcomed Lauzun' s society ; the whole Royal Family, the King and the Comte d'Artois, were especially friendly with him. He often went out hunting with Louis XVL, who treated him as civilly as his nature would allow. This, then, is a fairly complete picture of the position of our chief personages at the end of the year 1775. At this period the world of fashion was saddened by one of the most violent epidemics of influenza that ever came to Paris from London ; almost every one was attacked with a violent cold in the head, accompanied by severe pains in the head and high fever. The complaint was first known as the grippe, and afterwards as la piece and lafollette ; finally it was called the Influenza, and it at once became the subject of flippant songs. In spite of being laughed at, it killed a great many people, and the hospitals were crowded. " I write as I sip my tea," says Mme. du DefFant to Walpole ; " I am interrupted by my cough, which my secretary echoes. The whole house has the grippe ; I know not how long it will go on. It is your villainous London that has sent us this plague by its messengers the fogs. Everybody is ill of this complaint." (December, 1775.) The wiseheads ascribed the epidemic to the constant fogs which for some time had "shrouded the horizon and prevented any elasticity in the air." As to the doctors, they did not know what to do, and they limited themselves to advising as a precaution- 68 ary measure that no one should go out of doors fasting. It was while Paris was suffering from this fell complaint that Lauzun met at the opera an English- woman of family, a certain Lady Barrymore, whom he had already known in the course of his various visits to England. She was pretty, full of spirit and fun ; but she was " utterly devoid of principle," and it is amusing enough to find the man accusing her of it who hoped to profit by it. Lady Barrymore ^ made a great sensation in Paris. " She will be glutted with conquests," writes Walpole. " I never saw anybody so much admired. I doubt her poor little head will be quite overset." (To Conway, Paris, Sept. 8, 1775.) Even Mme. du Deffant had received her graciously; her dog Tonton alone had not shared her kind feeling, for he had flown at the pretty Englishwoman, ready to devour her. All the most fashionable drawing rooms were thrown open to Lady Barrymore. Charmed by so flattering a reception, she determined to remain some time in Paris, and she took a house. Lauzun went to see her rather frequently, then he fell in love with her and paid her his court ; but the beginning of their acquaintance did not run smoothly. One day the English lady having had the kindness to make an assignation in the Bois de Boulogne, had the inhumanity not to keep it. After 1 Countess of Barrymore : Lady Emily Stanhope, third daughter of William, second Earl of Harrington. 69 waiting some time, Lauzun went home and wrote her a very indignant note complaining of her conduct. In this letter he used the phrase, " Voiis etes vraiment Men cruelle de m^ avoir fait croquer le marmot,'^ (" You are really too cruel to make me kick my heels.") The lady, unfamiliar with the subtleties of the French language, flew to her dictionary, found croquer to eat, marmot a child, and came to the conclusion that her lover had eaten a baby. "That Lauzun is a monster ! " said she to a friend who was present, " I will never see him again as long as I live. Read what he says.'' And Lauzun had some difficulty in gaining her forgiveness. An intrigue with Lady Barrymore would fulfil two ends ; it would occupy his leisure, and it would have the great advantage of contradicting the malignant reports as to his attachment to the Queen. Would not everyone be convinced of their mistake ? The slander would die a natural death. With this laudable end in view Lauzun actually made a declaration to Lady Barrymore. " And how about the Queen ? " the young woman replied, with a laugh. However, their liaison was soon the talk of the town, to Mme. de Guemenee's great displeasure. She reproved Lauzun very roundly, and used all the arguments at her command to put an end to this fresh intrigue, but she did not succeed. As to the Queen, she seemed to have no suspicion of what was going on. Of course she was fully informed, but from indifference or pride she gave no sign ; Lauzun 70 was as well received as ever, and his favour had not in any way diminished. It may be noted that if Lauzun no doubt was in high favour, and if in his presumptuous dreams he imagined he could climb yet higher, many others, who were much less disinterested, aimed at the same end. Indeed, it is rather amusing to observe that all the more conspicuous men about the Court had but one ruling idea : to dominate the Queen's mind and direct her conduct. This helpless young woman, with no one to guide or support her, unhappy in her maiTiage, seemed to them an easy prey. They thought here was a place to be besieged and held, and each in his turn made the attempt. The one who should succeed would reign in France. Every coterie that aimed at power had its candidate. Choiseul's faction set its hopes on Lauzun. The Noailles family put forward the Comte de Noailles. Some acted independently, on their o^vn account. The Chevalier de Luxembourg, a man of parts, at first seemed to be attractive ; but his reign was of a day and he disappeared. The Due de Coigny, an elegant courtier, a proud and loyal man of exquisite breeding and the rarest discretion, also joined the ranks. The Prince de Ligne, after some tentative efforts, laughed at his own folly and mthdrew. Besenval, an old Celadon, writes in his Memoirs, with much naivete : " For my part the kindness and confidence extended to me by the Queen, attached me to laer unreservedly : while talking to her in the 71 language suited to a woman of twenty, I aimed only at giving her the consistency proper for her glory, and at securing her happiness. I regarded her as the material which I flattered myself I could work upon.'* On a sudden a new favourite appeared on the horizon, and Court oracles pronounced that she would eclipse all that had preceded her. The Comtesse Jules de Polignac lived quietly away from Court ; simple tastes, and a less than modest fortune, led her to prefer the pleasures of domestic life.^ She was a charming person ; it was impossible to see a woman who combined greater beauty of person with sweetness of expression, charm of voice, and most amiable qualities of heart and mind. The Queen first met her in the month of August, 1775, at a Court fete. Her touching expression of frankness and sensibility appealed to Marie Antoinette. She had ahvays dreamed of having a " bosom-friend " to fill up the void she felt in her life and sympathies. Mme. de Lamballe, Mme. Dillon, and Mme. de Guem^n^e had in turn been her intimate friends, but neither of them had completely satisfied her aspirations. The Queen thought she had found in Mme. de Polignac the trustworthy friend, discreet and reserved, whom she had hitherto sought in vain; her simplicity, her lack of fortune and the obscurity * Nee Polastron. She died in Russia towards tlie end of 1793, aged forfcy-four. 72 of her existence, seemed to guarantee the sincerity of her attachment. The Comtesse Jules' influence was not at first sole and absolute ; she shared it with Mmes. de Guemenee, Dillon, and de Lamballe ; but it was soon very clear that the Queen's preference was wholly for the new favourite. Personally Mme. de Polignac cared little for Court favour, and still less for money. She was simple- minded to the end, and her even temper was free from caprice ; modest in her tastes, indiiFerent to splendour, she preferred obscurity and solitude. She took no part in the intrigues which were plotted under the protection of her influence, and though she received vast sums of money, they were never for herself. But, as we shall soon see, her family and friends abused her weakness and the favour she enjoyed ; their greed was unexampled. In intimate society the Comtesse was a delightful companion : without being remarkably clever she had the grace, refinement and good breeding which may take the place of wit. The little parties at her house were charming, and the hours flew swiftly. Unluckily, she had formed an attachment for the Comte de Vaudreuil, who had entire dominion over her and guided her as he would ; the fact was notorious. M. de Vaudreuil was not a man of parts, but of the highest connections, very fashionable, and of the most elegant manner. " There are but two men who know how to address a woman," said Mme. d'Henin : " de Kain on the stage, and M. de 73 Vaudreuil in society." He was fond of art and letters, and loved to affect the Maecenas. But he was deeply in debt, and, in spite of his agreable manners, he had a violent, domineering temper, and unlimited greed for every form of favour. It may be supposed what a stroke of luck he thought the Queen's sudden affection for Mme. de Polignac. Vaudreuil and Mme. de Polignac tried to form a circle agreeable to the Sovereign, and they succeeded in gathering about them a pleasant and intimate group ; the principal figures in it were theJDuc de Coigny, whom we know, the Baron de Besenval, Comte d'Adh^mar, the Comte de Guines, and some others. We have already made mention of Besenval, a vain, intriguing Swiss, but extremely clever. In spite of his age — he was nearly fifty — he was fascinating and witty ; his white hairs inspired confidence, though he had not, in fact, renounced gallantry. He had a bright expression, at once sentimental and gay, which was attractive to women, and he was notorious for many adventures. " Some- what morose by nature, and surly at home to his people," says the Prince de Ligne, "he was the most lively man with others, and one of the most amiable that I have ever met." He was very brave, and a pleasing anecdote is reported of him. After seeing nearly the whole of his division killed at Annembourg, he was desired to retire with the few men he had left ; but suddenly he reappeared on the field. " What are you doing here, Baron ? " he was asked, '* your work is done." " What the 74 devil should I do ? " he replied. " It is like being at an opera ball : it is a bore, and yet you stay as long as you hear the fiddles going.'* His agreeable conversation and frank manners enchanted Marie Antoinette ; he too, in a way, became a favourite, and was for the moment the man in fashion. These two, Vaudreuil and Besenval, led the Polignac set. The Queen's intimacy with the Comtesse Jules de Polignac was very severely commented on. Mme, Dillon and Mme. de Guemenee, to be sure, led some- what irregular lives, but Mme. de Polignac's liaison with Vaudreuil was a recognized fact ; and to take her into friendship with those other two seemed to the Queen's advisers imprudent to say the least of it. Moreover, the Comtesse Jules' sister-in-law and friend was the Comtesse Diane de Polignac, a canoness whose conduct was a subject of much scandal. To crown all, Mme. de Polignac was supposed to have had her religious views poisoned by the errors of the age, and it was feared lest her influence should have a pernicious effect on the Queen's piety. This new intimacy greatly exercised the Queen's director, the Abbe de Vermond. He repeated, one day, to Mercy, a conversation he had had on the subject with the Queen ; it is a perfect revelation as to the moral tone of the Court. Marie Antoinette, alluding to the Queen of Naples' spiritual director, congratulated herself on not having him for her confessor, because he would have insisted on the 75 practice of religion. " How would he have achieved it ? " replied Vermond. " I have never been able to bring you to reasonable behaviour ; " then, taking advantage of such an opportunity, he gave the Queen this uncompromising lecture : — " You have become very indulgent as to morals and reputation. I could prove to you that such indulgence, at your age, and especially towards women, gives a very bad impression ; however, I will pass over the fact that you make no inquiry as to a woman's morals or reputation, and that you admit her to your society, and make her your friend, solely because she is lovable. That is not indeed the morality a priest can sanction. But that mis- conduct, of whatever kind, indifferent morals, and a spotted or ruined reputation, should be regarded as a title to admission into your circle, does you infinite harm. For some little time, you have not even been prudent enough to limit your intimacy to such women as have preserved some credit for sense and good conduct." " The Queen," added the Abb^, " listened to this sermon with a smile, and a sort of approbation and admission. I spoke in a gentle tone, but with the gentleness of pity and deep regret. What is to be done ? What can be hoped for after such a confession as that, without any wish or intention of amendment ? " The Polignac party were at first hostile to Lauzun. In their eyes he was the representative of the Choiseul faction ; he was moreover the friend of Mme. Dillon and Mme. de Guemenee, and it was very 76 naturally feared that their rival influence might detract from that of the fresh favourite. There were more than enough reasons for his being viewed very- much askance. The Due de Coigny, the Baron de Besenval, and the Comtesse Jules organized an underhand attack, and tried every means to destroy his position by degrees. Besenval even tried impertinence ; but bad taste and want of reticence are not advantageous at Court ; the Baron failed rather ignominiously in his attempts, and Lauzun found ways of curing him of them once for all. Thus the efforts of the new coterie were all in vain, and Lauzun remained in favour for some time yet. But though the struggle was apparently dormant, beneath the surface intrigues and secret cabals were carried on with greater virulence than ever. 11 CHAPTER VI. 1775. Changes in manners — The taste for English ideas and habits — Races — Gambling — Opera balls — Di-ess. Immediately on the death of Louis XV. great changes came over the spirit of the Court and of the nation. Alterations took place in manners, habits, and tastes — transformations which were to have a great influence on the fate of the country itself. It is well to take a brief survey of the new tone of society, to which Lauzun largely contributed. From the first days of the new reign there were two very distinct Courts. The old Court consisted of every one who had a place and occupied a post about the throne. They thought that everything had been quite right in their day and that old customs should be upheld. The young Court, on the other hand, laughed all these traditions to scorn, and scoffed at the haughty reserve of these representa- tives of a past age ; the vexatious etiquette of the old regime was the object of its sarcasm ; it clamoured for innovations and especially for a gay mode of life ; pleasure was its sole aim ; it rushed into it with a 78 sort of intoxication. There was nothing but sports, balls, theatricals, hunting, concerts, entertainments of every description. One of the first innovations aimed at was a change in the national costume. Ballets and quadrilles were devised representing different nations, or personages of past periods. These were performed by young people of the highest fashion. MM. de Lauzun, de Noailles, d'Havre, and de Guemonee figured in them, as well as MM. Durfort, de Coigny, the two Dillons, the two S6gurs, La Fayette, and others, with the prettiest and youngest of the wives. For these quadrilles they adopted the costumes of past times : silk capes, feathers in the hat, and brightly coloured ribands. After this, modern costume struck these young people as quite absurd, and they agreed to adopt that which should be best suited to a warlike Court of chivalry and gallantry. The period of Henry IV. symbolized in their eyes the heroic age, and they decided on adopting its costume. Before long they wanted to compel the whole nation to wear it ; but the King formally vetoed the idea, to the great disgust of the Queen and the Comte d'Artois, who were at the head of the movement. This somewhat childish innovation having been wrecked, a new scheme was devised which was fated to lead to far more serious consequences. For some time past the intercourse between France and England had become much more frequent. Young French noblemen were constant 79 visitors to London, where they were wonderfully well received in society. The Due de Lauzun, the Comte de Lauraguais, the Due de Chartres, the Marquis de Conflans, and many more, had not only made long stays on the shores of the Thames, but had come back full of enthusiastic admiration for English manners and customs, and possessed by the one idea of transplanting them to Paris. As they, the courtiers of fashion, ruled the fashion, nothing could be easier, and after a few timid attempts, all the world was bitten by a perfect Anglomania. They were not satisfied with adopting the close frock in the place of the full and dignified coats of the old Court dress, and the light cabriolet instead of antique coaches ; our parks were to be reformed ; straight paths, symmetrical beds, trees slipped into globes, and regular hedges, gave way to " English gardens." Ladies wore nothing but gowns d VAnglaise, poplins, tabinets, English cloth and lawn ; they sold their diamonds to buy steel beads and English paste. Gobelins tapestry was stowed away in cupboards, and blue English paper took its place. The evenings were devoted to tea-drinking, and eating bread and butter. But while thus borrowing from our neighbours their dress and their habits, we could not but be insensibly led to adopt their customs in more serious and important matters. The part played by the peers in the House of Lords, and the members of the House of Commons, fired the young men who had been to England, and they came back with their 80 heads full of dangerous innovations. They were not content to admire the institutions of free England ; they wanted to ingraft them on France. The position of the English peers and the influence they exerted fascinated the French nobility more than the domestic life of Versailles. " I would rather be the least of the Members of Parliament," wrote Mademoiselle de Lespinasse, "than even King Frederick himself." The authorities saw only the superficial and frivolous aspect of all these changes, and did not seem to suspect the hidden danger that lurked beneath. A complete spirit of revolt seemed indeed to have taken possession of society. From a passion for English customs they soon proceeded to discussing the Government and criticizing everything. The women in their boudoirs, the young men in public, and even in the King's ante-chamber, uttered the most seditious speeches. The nobility, far from opposing a movement which threatened its time- honoured rights, put themselves at the head of it and favoured it by all the means in their power. The "Philosophers" were welcomed and made much of in the drawing-rooms of the aristocracy. Nay, it was there that they found their most fervent adepts. Everybody was carried away by the enthusiasm of new ideas of reform, improvements, liberty, tolerance, and legal equality. The most important modifications were not only in dress and ideas. There were serious changes in 8i G the details of daily life ; the Court took the ini- tiative in dangerous forms of pleasure, such as gambling and racing, and evil consequences rapidly ensued. It was not till the beginning of this reign that a taste for racing seemed to take a serious hold on society. Lauzun, who had often owned racers in England, put himself at the head of the movement ; he won the interests of the Queen and of a part of the Court. We have already seen that in March and October, 1775, he had run horses in the presence of the Royal Family. From that date the fashion was set ; races were frequently held, and almost always graced by the Queen's presence. Lauzun, whose horses were con- stantly engaged, attended the Queen. However, this new amusement gave rise to many protests. The jockey, starved or doctored to diminish his weight, was the subject of much satire, and the severer spirits lamented the ascendency of such low pleasures over the old spirit of chivalry. Nevertheless the taste for horse-racing grew and spread : the Plaine de Sablons became to the French what Newmarket was to the English. An immense crowd collected, arriving in coaches, on horseback or on foot, to be present at these meetings; the betting was as eager as in England, and the passion for gambling infected not the nobility alone but even the humblest citizens. At last the King was provoked by these amusements, over which such large sums 82 chaiigod hands, and he prohibited them almost entirely.^ But Louis XVI. was too good-natured to maintain the interdict ; the very next year races were as much in vogue as ever ; indeed, another race-course was made at Vincennes, and a third at Fontainebleau. The owners were chiefly the same : the Comte d'Artois, the Due de Chartres, the Due de Lauzun, the Marquis de Conflans", the Prince de Gu^menee. Lauzun was the most constant winner, either because he had better horses or secured more experienced jockeys. The Comte d'Artois, on the contrary, was almost always a loser, and his disappointment, which he could not conceal, was a delight to the spectators. For a variety sleigh races were instituted, which amused the Queen very much. The luxury of these little carriages became extravagant ; a 1 The rage for betting had, however, become so great that every- thing was made the subject of a wager. Thus the Due de Chartres, Lauzun, and the Marquis de Eitz- James laid a bet of two hundred louis as to which of them could walk fastest from Paris to Ver- sailles. M. de Fitz- James won by seven or eight minutes. A rather droll wager was laid between the Due de Chartres and the Comte de Genlis. The Comte bet that he would go to f^ontaine- bleau and back in less time than it would take the Prince to prick 500,000 pin-holes into paper : he won by several hours. The Comte d'Artois had in the Bois de Boulogne a little subm^- ban chalet called Bagatelle. He bet the Queen a hundred thousand francs (=£4000) that he would build a palace there in six weeks. Nine hundred workmen were employed day and night. As materials ran short, patrols of the Swiss Guard seized, on the high roads, carts loaded with building stone, lime, plaster, and the like ; they were paid for, but the public were nevertheless very indignant. At the end of the six weeks the Prince entertained the Queen splendidly in his new residence. 83 G 2 sleigh might cost as much as ten thousand crowns. Then donkey races were run, which also gave rise to heavy betting : the winner received a hundred crowns and a golden thistle. The success of racing as an amusement for the popu- lace had become so great that a society was founded at Paris for establishino: an arena for bull-fif]^hts as in Spain. A theatre was to be built to accommodate 25,000 persons, and the men and beasts were to be imported from Andalusia. But racing was not the only fatal passion that pos- sessed the Court ; another and more dangerous fashion was the love of play. Play was indeed no novelty; it had been a favourite diversion during former reigns. Mme. de Montespan played bassett with stakes that might mount up to a million francs. With her, losses of a hundred thousand crowns were not uncommon ; it is said that on a certain Christ- mas night she lost 700,000 crowns ; she staked 150,000 pistoles on three cards. " The passion for play is at the root of almost every misfortune here," wrote the Duchesse d'Orleans in 1720. " I am often told, ^ You are not good for anything, you do not like cards.' " From the beginning of the Regency this taste had turned every brain. The streets of Paris were lighted up at night by the fire-pots in front of the houses of the greatest gentlemen, which were thrown open for gambling to all comers. Walpole had written to "West so early as 1737 : — " You would not guess their notions of honour. I'll tell you one : it is very dishonourable for any gentle- man not to be in the army, or in the King's service H as they call it, and it is no dishonour to keep public gaming-houses; there are at least a hundred and fifty people of the first quality in Paris who live by it. You may go into their houses at all hours of the night and find hazard, faro, etc. The men who keep the hazard-table at the Duke of Gesvres' pay him twelve guineas each night for the privilege." Later than this, play was still the fashion ; but at Court no games of pure chance had been played ; only Cavagnole, a sort of lotto, and the like. High play was to be found in the Mistresses' rooms, but never in the Queen's. In the reign of Louis XVI. the rage for play reached an incredible height. Marie Antoinette first played at Mme. de Guemenee's and at Mme. de Lamballe's ; then one day at Fontainebleau she asked leave of the King to play faro, and to send to Paris for the bankers. The King, weak as usual, objected that games of pure chance were forbidden ; at last, as a great treat, he gave the required permission, but for once only. So they played for thirty-six hours without stopping, and for two nights in succession the Queen sat at the card table till five o'clock in the morning. Thenceforth card playing was an estab- lished thing at Court, and many evils were the result, some of a serious character. The least was the introduction of men of bad repute, whose sole merit was their love of gambling. As soon as such an entertainment was arranged bankers were sent for from Paris, often mere rogues. They began by losing to allure their victims, and then raked in everything laid on the table. An Englishman of inferior birth named Smith arrived in Paris, announcing that he had two hundred thousand louis d'or to lose. He was at once presented to the Queen and Royal Family. He was admitted to play cards with her Majesty, and in a very short time had won more than a million and a half francs from the princes and noblemen who played against him. Of course he became familiar and inso- lent ; he was seen at supper with the Comte d'Artois and the Due de Chartres, his elbows on the table in the most free and easy manner. The Queen frequently lost or won 500 louis d'or in an evening. Once, at Marly, she gained 7000 louis ; the same evening the Comtesse d'Artois lost 25,000 crowns, and Madame lost 50,000 ; the Due de Chartres, at Fontainebleau, lost 30,000 louis, and M. de Chalabrc 42,000 louis in a few hours. On another occasion, the same M. de Chalabre won 1,800,000 francs in one evening. It was chiefly at Marly that the passion for play was most frankly displayed ; etiquette was there much relaxed, anyone might present himself at the Queen's table so long as he had a decent coat on. The drawing-room was very large, and of octagonal shape ; it was roofed by a dome with galleries under it, where ladies who had not been presented could easily get leave to sit and enjoy the sight of this brilliant company. None below the rank of Duchesses had a right to take a place at the Queen's table to play faro or lansquenet. The men stood up behind their chairs 86 and handed tlieir money or notes to the ladies to be staked by them. Rich men and the lovers of high play never failed to appear on these evenings at Marly. They rushed there in crowds en poUsson (like cads), to use the phrase that was applied to them. This reckless gambling led to the most deplorable consequences : one day it was discovered that weighted dice had been introduced. On another occasion Comte Arthur Dillon came to the Queen s table with a pocket book full of Exchequer bills ; in an instant the pocket book had disappeared and it was impossible to find it. There was a talk of searching every gentleman in the room. Several times, at Marly, false louis were substituted for real coin, and the players dared to suspect the ladies of the Court ! The passion of play had become such a mania that no one scrupled to trick the croupiers. The King was severe on this frenzied play, for he only cared for lotto and blind man's buff with forfeits, and by way of games of chance never played any- thing but backgammon and petit s- ecus. The Queen meanwhile staked enormous sums, and he dared not forbid it. Indeed it was done behind his back. High play never began till after he had retired for the night. When he spent the evening with the Princess e de Guemenee, the cards were put away a quarter of an hour before he came in and taken out again after his departure. Nor was it only the habit of gambling that had upset the customs of society. The Court had acquired habits of excessive independence and dissipation. 87 Louis XVI. always went to bed at eleven o'clock. As soon as he withdrew, the Queen and her intimate circle took wing in search of amusement either at Versailles or at Paris. But as they were often in a hurry to be off, some inventive genius hit on the idea of getting rid of the King by putting the clocks forward. This was done ; and they had recourse to this ingenious plan whenever time was pressing. The Queen was constantly escaping from Versailles to go to the masked balls at the Opera. " It is con- sidered very fine when you are crushed there," writes Mercier. " The greater the mob the more you congratulate yourself next day on having been there. Duchesses, bourgeoises, and drabs, all are shrouded under the same domino." The mixture of ranks was complete. The Queen spoke to everyone, walked about Avith a train of young men, and all was done with a taint of familiar liberty which was excessively repugnant. " She fancied she was never recognized,' wrote the Prince de Ligne, " but she always was. Some ball-intrigue was constantly devised to give her the pleasure of her incognito. She was especially eager to puzzle foreigners, which gave rise to much talk. " I did not like her going to these balls, in the first place, on that very account, and also because of the next day. She never was tiresome but on these occasions, for she had so much to tell about the masqueraders and what she had said, and what had been said to her, that it was intolerable. If we had chosen to do the same it might have been more amusing than her so-called adventures." 88 When Marie Antoinette went to these balls she did not get home to Versailles before six in the morning. One night the King in a fury had all the gates shut, and the Queen, on returning from Paris with the Comte d'Artois, could not find admission. The re- sult was an extremely lively scene between the husband and wife, and Louis XVI. as usual suc- cumbed. Hand in hand with the rage for cards, races, and betting of every kind, the passion for dress had as- sumed proportions till now unimagined. Women ruined themselves in dresses, mantles, caps, etc. The Queen, who had a great love of dress, set the example of mad prodigality in such things. The fashion of al- legorical head-dresses had made yet further progress. The women's heads were to be seen surmounted with hill-tops, meadows, windmills, etc.; and an enormous plume supported the structure from behind. Old folks were severe on this fashion. Caps d la bonne maman were at once devised ; they had con- cealed springs to raise or lower them at will ; in the presence of ancestral elders the cap was of ordinary and modest proportions ; out of the reach of a scolding the springs were released, and the cap was of due proportion to satisfy the requirements of fashion and good style. Women of rank wore plumes two or three feet high ; they could not pass under the doorways or go into a box at the theatre. As to riding in a carriage it was only possible by kneeling down. Their faces were seen in the middle of their figures. In short, the most extravagant follies were invented, 89 every week saw the advent of some new device in the way of a head-dress. The outlay on dress exceeded that on the table and in carriages. The Queen's love of dress drove her to expenses far beyond the sum that was allowed her. She had also a passion for jewels and diamonds, and was constantly buying new ones; when her money was spent she took them on credit, and she soon was deeply in debt, to Mercy's despair. The report of all that was going on at Versailles roused the indignation of Joseph II. and Maria Theresa. Joseph said that the Court of France had been turned into a gambling hell. He wrote, I\Iay, 1777, that if somebody could not stop or hinder it, " the revolution would be terrible." ^ The EmjDress wrote to her daughter that she was rushing to her ruin. 1 D'Arneth, Marie Antoinette, Joseph II., et Leopold II., p. 1 1. CHAPTER VII. 1775. Lauzun in favour — His political plans — He lays tliem before the Queen — Correspondence with Catherine of Russia — M. de Luxembourg's schemes — Catherine proposes to Lauzun that he should enter her service — A conversation with the Queen — The heron feather — Lauzun visits Chanteloup — The affaii* of the Due de Guines — Dismissal of Tui'got and Malesherbes — Necker as Finance Minister — M. de Saint-Germain at the War Office — Reforms — The Order of Perseverance — Death of the Prince de Conti. Lauzun's quarrel with Princess Czartoriska had naturally led to a cooling of his schemes with regard to Poland. M. de Vergennes on his part had not carried out the negotiations tentatively begun through Lauzun's mediation. The Empress, who wished to treat with France, had not been pleased at this check to the affair, but, not choosing to put her- self forward, she resigned herself to await events.^ Lauzun was fascinated by what he had heard of Catherine, and dreamed of going to Russia if he should find no standing ground in France, and it occurred to him to take advantage of his favour with 1 We shall not dwell on Catherine's schemes, but refer the reader to M. Wasilewski'a two remarkable volumes, Le Boman d^une Impcratrice and Autoiir cVun Tr6ne. 91 the Queen to reopen negotiations with Russia, in his own person, but on a far more serious basis. " I wanted," he says, "to make Marie Antoinette the monarch of a great Empire, to see her at the age of twenty playing a splendid part, which might have made her for ever famous. In short, I wanted to see her the arbitrator of the fate of Europe." What he does not say, but it may easily be guessed, is that he proposed to play the part himself, the Queen being no more than an instrument in his hands, Lauzun needed first of all to make certain of Catherine's consent. He therefore -wrote to her, proposing to her a formal treaty to the advantage of both nations. This treaty, when signed by the Empress, was to be placed in the hands of Marie Antoinette, who would persuade the King to give his adhesion and carry all before her with a high hand. This settled, there would be nothing more to do but to convince the Council, who would not dare resist the Royal will, and the trick would be done ! What the slow ill-will of the Ministers had so long prevented would thus become an accomplished fact, thanks to the audacity and skill of a mere Courtier. The Empress received Lauzun's proposals with favour, and gave him full powers to draw up a scheme for a formal alliance between the two nations. All that then remained was to get the Queen's consent. This was the easiest thing in the world, or so at least Lauzun thought, for he did not doubt that she would contemplate with rapture the brilliant future he was preparing to offer her. 92 Unfortunately, wben he laid his schemes and hopes before her, with all the ardour and spirit of which he was capable, Marie Antoinette, instead of expressing great enthusiasm, heard them with extreme reserve ; without absolutely rejecting the plans proposed to her, she asked time for reflection. The Due at once perceived that he had made a mistake, and that the Queen was not a woman to rush into such vast political schemes ; her levity and small scope — or perhaps her good sense — would not allow of it. Nevertheless, being unwilling to give up dreams he had so long cherished, Lauzun begged Marie Antoinette not to reply at once, and not to refuse her co-operation till after mature reflection. A short time after, the Chevalier de Luxembourg, who was considered to be one of the Queen's favourites, requested a private audience. Again it was to discuss the aflkirs of Russia and Poland. The Chevalier expatiated on a complete plan for placing the Comte d'Artois on the throne of Poland. The Queen restricted her reply to saying that she would not, on any account, interfere in aflairs of State. But she immediately sent for Lauzun and told him all that the Chevalier de Luxembourg had just said to her. Lauzun took advantage of the circumstance to urge upon her once more the treaty with Catherine, and point out the glory she might derive from it. But Marie Antoinette was so much terrified at the idea of rushing into political intrigues, and showed such a dread of the consequences, that Lauzun under- stood that his plans were irremediably doomed, and 93 that he must abandon them. This was a keen and bitter disappointment. Though Marie Antoinette declined to follow Lauzun in this dangerous path, she was not the less touched by the zeal he displayed for her glory, and the Due was in higher favour than ever. She rode out with him almost every day, invited him to her card table, and addressed him constantly, and she went every evening to Mme. de Guemen^e's rooms, where she was sure of meeting him. Before long she became desirous of securing his future prospects by obtaining for him one of the high posts at Court, and one evening, at Mme. de Guemen6e's, she offered him the reversion of the command of the King's Body Guard, then under the command of M. de Villeroy. Lauzun, much surprised and touched by the Queen's thought for him, when he had asked for nothing, thanked her with effusion and with every mark of the deepest gratitude, but would not accept the promotion she offered. As she asked, in great surprise, the reason for his refusal, he replied with much gallantry, " I should wish to be free to quit the Court on the day when your Majesty may regard me with less favour." Some time later, and again at Mme. de Guemenee's rooms, the Princesse de Bouillon was rallying Lauzun about the passion he was cherishing in his heart. The more he denied it the more she persisted. At the end of all arguments Lauzun at last exclaimed : " But at any rate tell me the name of the lady who is the object of my devotion ! " 94 " The Queen," replied the Princesse in a whisper, putting her finger to her lips. Lauzun, really uneasy as to the possible conse- quences of such perfidious gossip, went to Marie Antoinette ; he told her that a base interpretation was given to his attachment to her, that the kindness with which she honoured him was blamed, and he implored her to permit him to present himself less often in her circle. The Queen, much agitated, declared that she would never yield to insolent insinuations, and when Lauzun proposed to leave the country she forbade it. Lauzun, indeed, in his Memoirs records a highly emotional scene, which we think it well not to treat too seriously, since we have never met with any other document which either proves or disproves its veracity.-^ Lauzun's negotiations with the Empress Catherine had meanwhile become talked about. Whether the Queen had not kept his secret, or by some other means, M. de Vergennes was informed of all that had taken place ; he had mentioned it in high ^vrath at a meeting of the Council, and had even spoken very seriously of treating Lauzun as a State criminal, and consigning him to the Bastille. This somewhat high- handed method of procedure would have had the ^ "Do you think," said the Queen, "that I will not defend you ? " "I request, I dare even to insist, as the sole reward of my devotion, that your Majesty must not be compromised by uphold- ing me. I can defend myself. . . . Ah, Madame, can the private interests of a mere subject be compared with the great interests of a Queen ? " ** But such a subject as you, Lauzun ! " Her eyes were full of tears. {Memoir es de Lauzun.) 95 advantage of bestowing out of the way a too active personage, whose favour at Court disturbed and in- convenienced a great many gentlemen. At this juncture, Lauzun, who had warned Catherine that she could not count on the Queen's support, received a most amiable letter from the Empress, pressing him to enter the Russian service with exceptional advantages.^ On receipt of this letter Lauzun requested an audience of the Queen in Mme. de Guemen^e's rooms. He laid the whole situation before her ; he told her that in France he was in danger of being arrested at any moment, and that in Russia a brilliant position awaited him. " At the same time I will not quit France as a criminal," he added, " and I will not give up the King's service without his permission ; if I am attacked, I will justify myself, but afterwards I shall go to Russia." In vain did the Queen endeavour to make him give up this plan of action ; all she could obtain was that he would ask the Empress to grant him six months for his preparations. " Give me a year ? " said the Queen, " and I hope to find means of keeping you here." Then in her anxiety to give him a January lOtb, 1776. ^ Monsieur le Due, — Having for some time formed a plan for regularizing and disciplining the different Cossacks, Turks, and Bashkirs in ray service, I hereby offer you the chief command of those troops as well as of the regiment of horse guards which I propose to select of those mixed nationalities. You may engage as many foreign oflficers as you may deem desirable. This post, one of the most important in the Empire, will secure you the consideration of my successor' if God should not prolong my days on earth. (Bibliotheque Nationale, MSS.) 96 j)lace that would make him care to remain in France, she offered him the reversion of the ajDpointment of chief Equerry, held by M. de Tesse. Lauzun replied that such a nomination would seem to justify the slanders of which he was the subject, and also cast a doubt on his disinterestedness. He refused, provisionally, but he consented to wait a year before accepting the Empress Catherine's proposals. The Queen as she retired spoke a few words in a low voice to Mme. de Guemenee. A few days previously Lauzun had come to the Princesse's in uniform, wearing the finest white heron's plume it was possible to conceive of. This plume was the object of the Queen's desires, and she had begged the Princesse to ask him to give it her. Lauzun sent an express messenger to fetch the precious feather and gave it to Mme. de Guemenee. Next day, at dinner, the Queen wore the heron's plume in her head-dress. It needed no more to show Lauzun that his influence might henceforth be paramount. But the Queen's imprudence was talked about ; it gave rise to much excitement at Court, and the Due de Coigny especially put himself at the head of a cabal to overthrow his favoured rival. Lauzun, not a little uneasy at the turn events were taking, and anxious not to expose himself to a notorious fall after a too rapid rise to fortune, was still planning to get away. He proposed to travel, to go to Italy for a few months, and give these Court broils time to calm down. But the Queen and 97 H Mme. de Guemenee so strongly urged him not to leave France that he yielded to their opinion, and contented himself with paying a visit to Chanteloup, where the Choiseuls still lived in their magnificent retirement. He was not fated to find there the peace of mind he had hoped for. No sooner had he arrived, and been warmly welcomed by everyone at the Chateau, than Mme. de Gramont took him in hand, and very seriously. The Duchesse was thoroughly informed of all that had been going on at Versailles ; she knew of all the Court intrigues, and had heard all the gossip, good and bad ; she, consequently, knew very well all that had been surmised or reported with regard to Lauzun, and the splendid fortunes which were freely predicted on his behalf. As she was not a person of rigid virtue — for, indeed, morality for its own sake was a matter to which she seems to have been indifferent — she was by no means dismayed at the indiscreet rumours current as to her young relation's conduct ; she regarded it as of no consequence, excepting so far as some benefit might be obtained from such a stroke of luck. As Lauzun, by his intimacy with the Queen, enjoyed so much influence, he must be made to use it in favour of the Due de Choiseul, and, conse- quently, to her advantage, since she was her brother's despotic ruler. Madame de Gramont, eaten up by ambition, could not reconcile herself to the fact that she no longer held the reins of power. She 98 thought the moment had come for seizing them again, and she had a very precise explanation with Lauzun, in the course of a long interview soon after his arrival. After congratulating him on so flattering a con- quest as that which was attributed to him, she told him very plainly that in his position nothing was impossible for him, and that he ought to employ his influence to secure Choiseul's recall. Lauzun earnestly protested against the lady's audacious inferences. He said that the Queen certainly treated him with distinction, but nothing more. "And, moreover," he added, "I have no pretensions to any influence, and am quite deter- mined never to ask for anything, either for myself or for others." The Duchesse complimented him on his discretion, but assured him that she knew what she knew. " The Queen's liking for you," she said, " is patent to all, and will no doubt lead to its natural result. At the propitious moment you must have M. de Choiseul recalled as Minister." Lauzun again assured Mme. de Gramont that there was no ground whatever for her suppositions, and added, " I am not in a position to attempt such intrigues, and if I were I would not do it. No one is more devoted than I am to M. de Choiseul, and I believe I could do him no worse service than by helping his return to the conduct of affkirs. No man in Europe has enjoyed so much consideration or so high a reputation ; he is the only Minister who ever saw the King who banished him deserted by 99 H 2 his own courtiers in favour of an exile. He could only be a loser by a return to power." The imperious lady flew into a rage, indignant at his refusal to make his influence subserve the aggrandize- ment of his family, but Lauzun remained inflexible. M. and Mme. de Choiseul, being informed of the ground of quarrel, thought their nephew in the right. But Mme. de Gramont could never forgive his opposition, and from that day forth she was his implacable enemy. Lauzun stayed a little longer with his relations, but after these lively disputes he felt less at his ease than in former days. M. and Mme. de Choiseul were always delightfully kind to him, but the Duchesse de Gramont, on the contrar}/, made herself so disagree- able that he determined on abridging his stay and returning to the capital. During the Carnival, Mme. de Guemcnee gave a ball for the Queen every Saturday. There was dancing in some of the rooms, and card-]3laying in others, to suit all tastes. One Saturday evening Lauzun was seated at the card-table with the Comte d'Artois, the Due de Chartres, and two others ; they were playing Fifteens. On a sudden Mme. de Guemenee came in greatly agitated ; she signed to Lauzun to rise at once and come to speak with her. Lauzun thought that his hour had come, and that he was to be consigned to the Bastille. His political scheming and the favour he enjoyed might at any moment bring down such a catastrophe on him. Happily it was not he who was implicated. The Comte de Guines was the person in difficulties. He had just been recalled from London, where he was Ambassador, in consequence of the scandal caused by certain revelations made by his secretary, Tort, who accused him of having introduced smuggled goods under cover of diplomatic privilege, and also of having gambled in the funds, by taking advantage of the information he was enabled to procure. On arriving from England, M. de Guines had gone straight to Mme. de Boufflers (the Idol). She was giving a great supper at which were present the Prince de Conti, the Due de Choiseul, Mme. de Gramont, Mme. de Luxembourg, Mme. de Lauzun, and some others. He informed his friends of his misfortunes ; all the Choiseul coterie, whose creature he was, were greatly alarmed, and it was decided that Lauzun must be warned without loss of time. His influence alone seemed equal to the task of averting the storm which threatened the Ambassador. Mme. de Guemenee, in a few words, explained the state of affairs ; she implored him to save M. de Guines, and added that there was not an instant to be lost. The Queen was conversing with the Due de Coigny in an adjoining room. Lauzun did not hesitate ; he went to her at once and laid the case before her. M. de Coigny was of opinion that she ought not to interfere in the matter ; Lauzun on the contrary declared that she could not desert a man in whom she had sho^vn her interest, that such neglect would have a very bad effect, and he finally won the day. ^' I am convinced lOI and resolved," said the Queen ; " I ^vill act on M. de Lauzun's opinion," and she graciously added, turning to him : "I will gladly do whatever you think best in the matter." She then went back to the ball- room. The Queen's influence was soon perceptible. The trial was ended, and Tort was condemned to a heavy penalty for libel. But the rehabilitation of the Am- bassador was not yet complete. Marie Antoinette persuaded the King, in spite of his resistance, to create the Comte, Due de Guines, and the monarch announced the honour in a letter which the Queen made him re-"\vrite three times, because she did not think it sufficiently flattering. Nor was this all. The Queen demanded the dis- missal of all who had opposed her action. D'Aiguil- lon, the hated leader of the old cabal, was the first to be sacrificed. Malesherbes and Turgot, who had caused the recall of the Ambassador, shared the Due d'Aiguillon's fate. *'The Queen would have liked," Mercy writes to the Empress, "that the Sieur Turgot should be dismissed and, moreover, put in the Bastille, the same day when the Comte de Guines was created Due. Only the strongest and most urgent representations availed to prevent the results of her anger." On hearing of these events Mme. de Choiseul writes to Mme. du Defiant in the highest spirits : " I, like you, was transported with joy at M. de Guines' success ; it seems to me that the disgrace of the two Ministers, which followed on it, makes him 1 02 seem like a Roman in triumph dragging his slaves in his train." The whole Court rejoiced to be rid of Turgot. " On the day when this Minister was banished," writes Mercier, " the King was enthusiastically cheered as he passed along the corridor. This is the highest praise ever bestowed on Turgot. It was as if an or- ganized body of highwaymen were rejoicing over the disbanding of the road-side police. Their joy seemed so outrageous to the Neapolitan Ambassador that he said : " I feel as though I were looking on while a rich man dismissed his honest steward, and the insolent subordinates dared rejoice in their master's presence, because the honest steward had kept a bridle on them." He also said to one of his friends who spoke with dissatisfaction of these changes : *^ Basta ! Do not be uneasy, these are the King's milk-teeth." Turgot's place was filled by M. de Clugny, M. Amelot took that of Malesherbes. This very in- different selection made the Prince de Ligne wittily exclaim : "In the country where most men of parts are to be found, the ministers are always chosen among men who have none." The most important outcome was the appointment of M. Necker to be Minister of Finance. It was the first time since the reign of Henri IV. that a Protestant had sat on the King's Council. Necker had the clergy against him on account of his creed, the lawyers on account of his calling, and the financiers on account of his schemes; but he was 103 ambitious, and uniquely conceited ; he believed it to be liis mission to save the State, and by dint of assertiveness he succeeded for some years in making the world believe that he was capable of doing it. Then, after all these changes which disturbed the administration, came the necessityfor a new War Minister. In the month of October, 1775, M. de Muy having died, his place was given to M. de Saint- Germain, a mediocre and very devout man. He distinguished himself on taking up his appointment by considerable alterations, most of them for the worse. Among other things he declared that he was about to reform the army ; to this end he took it into his head to introduce corporal punishment of soldiers, beating with a stick as was customary in the German armies. Being anxious to make sure of the efficacy of the system, he consulted a Major of an Infantry regiment of Nassau, who had been a soldier in the ranks, asking him what he thought of the thrashings. " Monsieur le Comte,'* said the officer, " I have taken many and I have given many, and I never was the worse for it.'* Strengthened by this assurance, M. de Saint-Germain promulgated his decree, but it gave rise to unanimous remonstrance. He was bitterly charged with having attempted to degrade the French military spirit by giving it a German tone. Old Marechal de Luckner, a Bavarian Avho had been a Colonel of Prussian Hussars, said, " They may do what they will and torture their men : happily for them they can never make Prussians of them." T04 At the beginning of 1776, M. cle Saint-Germain, pursuing his innovations, decided on reforming all the legions. Lauzun went therefore to join the Legion under his command. By the Queen's desire M. de Saint-Germain offered him a regiment of twelve hundred light horse, then that of the Schomberg Dragoons, then the Chamborant Hussars ; but the Minister's ill-will hindered Lauzun' s acceptance of either of these proposals. Finally M. de Saint-Germain proposed that he should take the regiment of Royal Dragoons, which was supposed to be the most insubordinate of the whole army. Lauzun, offended at the treatment he had been subjected to, at once refused, but the King having sent for him and urged him to accept it, he gave way. The Minister was to leave him the choice of a station, and though the price of the regiment was forty thousand cro^vns, he was to have it for nothing. In the spring of 1776 races were again instituted, to the great delight of the Paris world. Lauzun spent large sums on his stables, and always had horses in the field. The Queen, following his ex- ample, took constantly increasing pleasure in this form of amusement, and was always present at the races on the Plaine de Sablons ; she wished to have a racing establishment of her OAvn, but the King would not allow it. In the month of April, a match was run between Lauzun and the Due de Chartres : enormous sums were laid in bets. The Queen was aware of this and 105 feared a defeat for her favourite. "I am so afraid that if you lose I shall cry ! " said she. Lauzun won, and the populace, who admired his chivalrous and adventurous character, expressed their satisfac- tion by hailing him with applause. The Queen on her part made no secret of her joy. A few days later, during a hunting party in the Bois de Boulogne, Marie Antoinette observed a very pretty horse belonging to Lauzun : " Is it quiet ? " she asked. "Is it safe for a woman ? " On receiving an affirmative reply : " Then I should like to have it, '* said she. Lauzun laughed and said lie did not wish to part with it. " Then I shall take it, " she said also laufi^hinn^. The Due de Coigny, who was charged by the Polignac faction to keep an eye on the Queen, over- heard the last words : he immediately repeated them, and much petty mischief ensued. Not long after, the Queen heard that Mme. de Lamballe was ill of the measles at Plombieres. She was much distressed, for she still had a sincere attachment to her ; she was afraid that her friend's real state might be concealed from her, and longed at any cost for some direct news. Lauzun, seeing her grief and anxiety, offered to go to Plombieres and learn the truth himself, so as to send the Queen exact information as to the progress of the complaint. She gratefully accepted the offer. He found Mme. de Lamballe much better, and had the pleasure of letting the Queen know at once. He then took advantage of his journey to Lorraine to take leave of 1 06 his old regiment. His soldiers, whom he had always treated kindly, and who loved his frank and loyal nature, gave him many touching proofs of affection and regret. Having fulfilled this duty, he went to Sarrelouis, where his new regiment was quartered. He there had an unpleasant surprise : M. de Saint- Germain, who had promised him the Colonelcy of the Royal Dragoons without payment, now demanded forty thousand crowns. This surprise was all the more painful, because Lauzun was beginning to be much straitened for money. During his stay at Sarrelouis Lauzun received from Mme. de Gu^menee a long letter telling him that Mme. de Polignac had begged of the Queen the reversion to her husband of the post of First Equerry, then held by the Comte de Tesse. But Marie Antoinette, who had some time since offered the prospective appointment to Lauzun, would not pledge herself without his consent. Somewhat surprised that she should propose to give away a place which had been offered to him, and which he had not positively refused, Lauzun saw clearly how seriously threatening to his interests the influence of the Polignacs was becoming. He would not, how- ever, betray his secret feeling. " I replied, as was my duty, " he says, " to the Queen and to Mme. de Gu^men^e, that I had never had the smallest inten- tion of obtaining the appointment, and that I was delighted that her Majesty should dispose of it in her friend's favour. I did my utmost to make my letter 107 express exactly and lightly that the proposed arrangement was in no way displeasing to me." So Comte Jules de Polignac was nominated. Lauzun's apprehensions were only too well founded. The Queen could refuse her favourite nothing.^ M. de Vaudreuil was made High Falconer ; the Comtesse Diane, in spite of the improprieties of her conduct, became lady-in-waiting to Madame Elizabeth ; M. d*Adhemar was appointed Minister to the Court of Brussels. Lauzun had returned to Versailles by the beginning of October. He proceeded next day to Choisy, where the Court then was. The Queen received him very kindly, expressed great joy at seeing him again, and conversed with him for a long time in an undertone. As he withdrew after this audience, he had time to overhear the Due de Coigny say to the Queen : *' You have not kept your word, you promised to speak to him but little, and to treat him like every- body else." The Polignac faction watched Lauzun's favour with daily increasing jealousy, and tried by every means to undermine his influence. They were always afraid lest he should so completely overrule the Queen as to bring about Choiseul's reinstatement. They therefore organized a complete system of espionage ; the Queen herself was a victim to their remonstrances, 1 Madame de Polignac grew in favour as time went on. Mercy tells ns that in the years 1779-1780 she received 400,000 francs to pay her debts, the promise of an estate worth 35,000 francs a year, 800,000 francs in money for her daughter's marriage portion, etc. io8 and their comments. So much so, that feeling her- self surrounded by malignant eyes — or rather by friends who kept her in order — at last, for fear of a scolding, she dared never speak to Lauzun in public. He often bantered her on the subject, and she laughingly admitted it. In the month of November a very interesting race was to be run by two horses belonging to the Comte d'Artois and the Due de Chartres. The Comte d'Artois' horse, called King Pippin, had cost him seventeen hundred louis, in England. The Queen bet against the Due de Chartres, and Lauzun against the Comte d'Artois. King Pippin was beaten, and the Queen in a first impulse of annoyance ex- claimed to Lauzun : " Monster ! you were certain to win ! " This unfortunate speech was overheard, and the familiar tone was a shock to the Polignacs. They fancied that Lauzun was in greater favour than ever, and all redoubled their efforts to effect his ruin. By degrees they achieved it ; circumventing the Queen and representing to her the dangers and dis- advantages of such a liking. The Due had been in favour for nearly eighteen months — really a long time for Court favour to endure. He soon had unmistakable proof that his influence was fast waning. Two ladies of fashion, Mme. de Genlis and Mme. Potocka, in a moment of vanity took it into their heads to found an order of chivalry. The idea was quite in keeping with the sentiments at that time fashionable in Society. The idea indeed was no novelty. At the beginning of the century 109 the Duchesse du Maine had founded the Order of the Honey-Bee. In 1 770, at Bas-sur- Seine, the Order of Constancy had been revived, an ancient foundation of a Comtesse de Champagne. And another Order of Felicity had been created under the auspices of the Due de Bouillon. The Order devised by Mine, de Genlis was called the Order of Perseverance : to give it some status it was said to have existed formerly in Poland, where it was held in high honour. Mme. de Genlis naturally drew up the statutes. She chose the handsomest costumes of ancient chivalry ; she added various romantic details of her own invention, and some academic practices. Members were admitted only by ballot ; they passed certain tests, but all merely intellectual ; they had to guess enigmas and answer questions in morality propounded by the president. Subsequently they had to read or make a speech in praise of some virtue. The president replied in a little moral homily and administered the oaths. Members pledged them- selves on all occasions to defend oppressed innocence or weakness, and to bring to light every noble action they could discover. The Knights and Dames were also obliged to adopt a motto. Each Knight chose a Brother-in-Arms and each Lady a Sister. A Lady might choose a Knight or not, as she pleased, but if she took one, he was always chosen in such a way as to give no cause for malicious comments. The uniform was white and light grey, bound with silver, and a violet scarf. The Knights on being no admitted received a gold ring with the motto of the Order in enamelled letters — " Gandeur et Loyaute, courage et bienfaisance, vertu, bonte, perseverance,'' ^ There were a number of ceremonies, all remarkably childish, but they amused the idlers of Paris society. Lauzun was one of the first Knights enrolled in the new Order. Among the members were the Duchesse de Chartres, Mme. de Bourbon, and several ladies of the Court ; the Comte d'Artois, the Due de Chartres, etc. The Order became very numerous, very fashion- able, and included people of the highest rank. Every- body wished to join ; the idea was even suggested of getting permission for the members to wear the violet scarf over their Court uniform, even when attending on the King. It then occurred to Lauzun to ask the Queen to join the little company ; he undertook to get her to do so as Grand Mistress of the Order. Marie Antoinette, captivated by the childish ceremonies of these knights and ladies, accepted with pleasure. But the Polignac coterie rose in wrath, protesting against it, and with so much effect that the Queen, for the sake of peace, gave up the idea. This was serious to Lauzun, and unquestionable proof that his rivals were gaining ground and by degrees leaving him behind. He continued, nevertheless, to be one of the most energetic members of the new order. Indeed, it * " Candour and loyalty, courage and beneficence, virtue, kind- ness, perseverance." Ill was in the garden of a small house he had taken at Montrouge that the knights and ladies met, once a fortnight, to hold high council on the subject of Honour, and to eat cakes. A large marquee had been pitched there and called the " Temple of Honour." The glory of the Order of Perseverance was brief. Those who had not joined made jokes at the expense of the initiated, turning them into ridicule with their tests, emblems, and ceremonies. Before long it was forgotten. Fashion had played long enough at chivalry. In the course of the year 1776, Lauzun had the sorrow of losing his old friend the Prince de Conti, with whom he had always remained on intimate and affectionate terms. The Prince had quarrelled with the Queen ; hence, since Lauzun had been in such high favour at Court, he had somewhat neglected his friend. But in former days he had paid long visits to 1' Isle- Adam under the kindly hospitality of the Prince.^ M. de Conti fell ill in June, 1775. Mme. de Luxembourg, Mme. de Boufflers, her daughter-in- law, and Mme. de Lauzun never left him, and nursed him with the tenderest care. His state soon grew worse, and the end was evidently near. He died on August 2, at the age of fifty-eight. The Prince had no religious feeling. Seeing his chaplain and his treasurer walking together one day, he remarked, with a laugh, to the friends who were 1 See The Due de Lauzun and the Court of Louis XV., cliap. ix. 112 with him : " There go the two certainly most useless members of my household." However, when his state was evidently desperate, an attempt was made to get him to see Mgr. de Beaumont, Archbishop of Paris. The Prince, startled by this unexpected visitor, exchanged a few words with the prelate ; he then showed him the door, and when, on two occasions, the Archbishop tried to bring the sacra- ment to the dying man, the gates were pitilessly closed against him by the porter. The crowd which collected in the street saw this insult to one of the heads of the Church, and the scandal was of course very great. The Archbishop was blamed for not saving appearances by going into the courtyard at any rate, closing the gates, and leaving the people to suppose that he had been admitted to see the dying man. Mme. de Boufflers, who had lost a fiiend with whom she had lived for years, was in the deepest grief. To her it was real widowhood. She retired to Auteuil, whither Mme. de Luxembourg like a true friend accompanied her, with Mmes. de Lauzun, de Virville and de Barbentane. Somewhat later *' the Idol " settled at Aries, where she had arranged a very pleasant residence. From thence she wrote to Mme. du DefFant, who estimates her letter with the peculiar warmth we know to be her characteristic ! ^' I have had a letter from ' the Idol,' from Aries, very weU written and very pathetic. I allowed myself to be touched by it, but then I remembered her behaviour to the late demoiselle de Lespinasse and 113 I my heart closed against her. You are right ; we should be made of stone and ice, and above all never esteem any one enough to trust them. All that may be done without either hatred or misanthropy." fi4 CHAPTER VIII. 1777. The Emperor Joseph II. 's visit — Its consequences. In 1777 serious intrigues divided and disorganized the Court of France. Two powerful families, the Choiseuls and the Rohans, were waging implacable war. Trusting to the support given them by the Queen under all circumstances, the Choiseuls and their partisans were making more strenuous efforts than ever to seize the reins of power. A visit to Paris from the Emperor Joseph was projected, and the Choiseuls founded high hopes on the sovereign's presence. The second centre of intrigue was formed by the family of Rohan. This cabal was the most virulent and dangerous at Court, for they hesitated at no means to secure their aims ; the old Comtesse de Marsan was at their head. Marie Antoinette had no great liking for the Rohans, and she did not conceal the fact ; so Mme. de Marsan was confessedly hostile to the Queen. Long ago Louis XV. had promised the Rohan family that the office of High Almoner of France 115 I 2 Bhoukl be conferred on Prince Louis at the death of Cardinal de la Roche- Ay men. Louis XVI. on his accession confirmed the promise. But the Choiseuls had made a stir, and the Queen, at their instigation, had induced the King to pledge his word that Prince Louis de Rohan should never be High Almoner. In 1777 Cardinal de la Roche- Ay mon fell seriously ill, and Mme. de Marsan reminded the King of his promise. What was her rage on learning that her enemies had undermined and destroyed the edifice she had so painfully built up. All the Rohans took up the matter ; at last they won over M. de Mau- repas, and persuaded Mme. de Gu6m(^n6e to take some steps; while Mme. de Marsan, at a private audience of the King, showed so much determina- tion, that Louis XVL yielded, and promised to nominate Prince Louis, but for one year only. Cardinal de la Roche- Aymon did not disappoint the hopes of the Rohans. He died of a violent attack of gout. Although he enjoyed an income of more than six hundred thousand francs (£24,000) he left such enormous debts that his estate did not suffice to pay them all off. So Prince Louis fell heir to the office of High Almoner, and was also promised a Cardinal's hat. A few days later the King, on the road to Fontaine- bleau with the Comte d'Artois, met the High Almoner in a carriage ; sitting by his side was a young Abb6 with a pretty face, his hair carefully powdered and tied : *' If only he wore rouge I could ii6 swear it was a woman ! " exclaimed Louis XVI. ^' 1 should think so indeed ! " replied the Comte d'Artois. " It is the Marquise de Marigny." It was she in fact — a natural daughter of Louis XV. who had married Mme. de Pompadour's brother. Everything seemed to concur to aggrandize the fortune of the Rohans ; dignities and riches were heaped on them. The Prince de Guemenee received from the King, in the course of the year, the investi- ture of all the fiefs of Alsace, and he won a law- suit against the Crown which made him owner of the port of Lorient. Peace and union prevailed as little between the Royal couple as they did at Court. Not- withstanding advice, the Queen grew no less un- reasonable. Differences of taste and incompatibility of temper had inevitably led to a complete estrange- ment of the husband and wife; they lived quite apart, inhabiting separate rooms, which roused the wrath of Mercy and of Maria Theresa. This strained situation suggested to some of the courtiers who were eager to better their fortunes, the idea of reviving a Court function which had lapsed since the death of Louis XV. — that of King's Mistress. They cast their eyes on Mademoiselle Contat, who had a pretty face, artless graces, and a delightful voice ; but they did not know their ground ; their hints were 'indignantly repelled. The Queen was not satisfied with devoting herself to a life of pleasure ; she wished to have the bestowal of every office in the kingdom. Her favourites of 117 both sexes worked upon her disgracefully, taking advantage of her influence and power to obtain scandalous privileges. Such favour, unjustly granted to a narrow set, the Queen's love of racing, her passion for games of chance, and her entire contempt of etiquette, produced deplorable results. The rumours of the disgraceful scenes which took place at Versailles or at the King's country residences, gravitated with exaggerated details to the level of the populace. The Queen was the object of extreme disapprobation, and when she appeared in public, instead of being greeted mth cheers, as at first, she was received in gloomy silence. Maria Theresa, much concerned at the accounts she received, and seeing all her advice absolutely wasted, determined on sending her son, the Emperor Joseph II., on a visit to France, that he might try to remedy a state of things which was becoming alarming. Joseph II. reached Paris in April, 1777, under the name of Count Falkenstein, and preserved a sort of half incognito. The ^ French Court was greatly excited by this visit, especially the Queen, for she foresaw a severe lecture. Joseph, wishing to form his own judgment as to the situation, begged his sister to introduce him to her private circle. The Emperor disapproved greatly of the Princesse de Lamballe, and made no secret of it. The Queen, who for the last two years had seen less and less of her former favourite, con- fessed that she had been mistaken in her, and ii8 regretted having given her the post she held ; but that mischief was done and no change could be made. One evening Joseph accompanied his sister to Mme. de Guemenee*s rooms. Faro was of course played, and the Emperor was invited to take a place at the table : " No/' said he stiffly, '' I am not rich enough ; besides, cards bring into the drawing-room many persons whose place is in the ante-room." The gambling went on, and presently, notwithstand- ing the Queen's presence, one of the players spoke insultingly to Mme. de Guemenee as to the suspicious style of her play. The Emperor withdrew in disgust, and told his sister that the house was nothing better than a gambling hell, and that the bad style of the company and general appearance of license had horrified him. At midnight he took leave of the Queen, who at once went back to Mme. de Guemenee's rooms to finish the game. But it was to Mme. de Polignac that Marie Antoinette more particularly clung, and she did her utmost to place her in a favourable light in her brother's eyes. The Emperor very wisely observed that he did not dispute the admirable qualities with which the lady might be gifted ; but, he added, she was too young, and the persons about her were of too doubtful a character to make her competent to advise his sister. The Emperor, pursuing his inquiries, wished to be present at a horse-race ; though his presence imposed some reserve, he was shocked at the prodigality, and 119 the excessive familiarity attending this kind of amusement. He lectured his sister a good deal on the unseemliness of her conduct, on the dangers of such society as she gathered about her, and the con- sequences to which her levity must inevitably lead. They had some very stormy altercations. Finally Marie Antoinette, bowing to her brother's authority, promised amendment. Notwithstanding his severe censure, Joseph II. did not think ill of her ; he did justice both to her good qualities and to the difficulties of her position : " She is amiable and charming," he wrote. " I have spent hours with her without knowing how they had slipped away. Her virtue is spotless ; she is even austere, but by instinct rather than from reason. She is a sweet and virtuous woman, rather young, rather heedless, but with a foundation of honesty and virtue which in her position are really admirable. And with it all an intelligence and clear-sightedness which often amazed me.'* If the Queen's immediate circle caused the Emperor some anxiety, the Royal Family pleased him but little. " Monsieur is an indescribable creature," he says, " he is even more deadly cold than the King. Madame is coarse and ugly ; it is not for nothing that she is Piemontese, full of intrigue, etc." ^ Of the Comte d' Artois, whose intimacy with the Queen he disapproved of: ^* He is a fop in every sense of the word. His wife, who only has children, is absolutely idiotic." He told the Queen that this 1 Marie ThSrese und Joseph II. A. d'Arneth, vol. ii. p. 134. 1 20 Prince's reputation was ruined by his debauchery, his recklessness and his bad manners, and that she would do herself the greatest mischief by allowing him to continue on such terms of intimacy. Of all the Royal Family the King was after all the personage he liked best. " The man is weak," he writes, *^ but not imbecile. He has ideas and judgment ; but his body and mind are alike apathetic. He talks rationally, he has no taste for information, no curiosity ; in short the fiat lux has never come to him ; matter is still in gloom.'' The Emperor had not, however, been sent to France merely to take his sister to task ; he was ex- pected to pronounce thatj^a^ lux and persuade the King to abandon the platonic attitude he had chosen to assume with the Queen. The possible promise of an heir to the throne had, to be sure, always filled the Empress-mother with alarm : '* I should always fear for the mother and the child, " she wrote to Mercy, " both before and after its birth. The most atrocious crimes are held of no account in a country where irreligion is carried to the greatest excess." (October 1st, 1777.) Such a reflection speaks volumes as to the conduct of the French Court. Mercy, however, to reassure her, writes as follows : "The Court is certainly full of rascals, but at this juncture they are not of a type to commit great crimes. For that some courage in wickedness is needed, and here there are none but mean intriguers." Joseph II. carried out successfully both the 121 missions entrusted to him, and bad every reason to congratulate himself on having come to France. Were the factions which divided the Court ever to see the hopes realized which the Emperor's visit had led them to form ? The Choiseuls hoped great things, and had made every preparation to profit by the Emperor's stay at the French Court. Unluckily, as soon as he arrived, Joseph announced that he would have nothing to do with any questions of politics ; he met Choiseul with pleasure, but avoided any serious conversation ; nay, having by chance mentioned the former Minister to the King, he spoke of him with little approbation. A still greater disappointment awaited Choiseul. Joseph II., on his way from Paris, was to pass very near Chanteloup. Nobody for a moment doubted that he would do the owner the honour of visiting him. Choiseul himself was the first to hope for such a mark of favour, and he had arranged for a mag- nificent reception ; relays of fine horses were laid on the road, and a splendid company were in attendance at the chateau. Entertainments and fetes had been prepared. But the Emperor, out of consideration for the King, for M. de Maurepas and the other Ministers, did not stop. Choiseul and his party were in consternation, and the blow was all the greater because the expected visit had been announced with much clamour and ostentation. Choiseul' s enemy, Prince Louis de Rohan, was no better off. He implored an audience of the Emperor, to make, as he said, an important communication on 122 matters of the highest interest ; but he did not even receive a reply. For a time after her brother's return home, Marie Antoinette was careful enough as to the reforms he had enjoined. Not only did she give up her too flagrant dissipations, her drives to Paris by night, and Mme. de Guemenee's card parties, but she was very attentive to the King, accompanying him with much regularity on his hunting expeditions and his residences at Saint-Hubert. Unfortunately her good resolutions were not very lasting. Before long, not knowing how to spend her days and nights, the Queen took to gambling again, at first in her own apartments with her own circle, then at the public Court drawing-room held three times a week, and finally, from old habit, at Mme. de Guemenee's once more. This passion, with the long late evenings, again resulted in the King and Queen living apart, the habit which had so much distressed Maria Theresa and Mercy. The Queen in vain declared that the King preferred it ; Mercy says it was not so, that the truth was that the King loved early hours and the Queen liked to sit up late. Then, in spite of her promises, the Queen would again go to the opera-balls, and this misconduct brought upon her this severe lecture from her brother : " Have the kindness only to think of all the disagreeable adventures you have already met with at these balls, and which you yourself related to me. 123 Why these scenes, this vulgarity ? Why mix your- self up with a mob of libertines, low women and strangers, and listen to such things as you must hear, and perhaps say such things yourself? How unseemly ! I may tell you frankly that this is the thing which most scandalizes all who love you and who think respectably. The King is left to spend the night alone at Versailles while you are mixing in society, and lost among the riff-raff of Paris." In spite of Joseph's remonstrances, the Queen now took up her life of dissipation where she had left it. Her folly and recklessness were the same. In 1779 the Queen had the measles. She desired to have for her attendants MM. de Coigny, de Guines, Esterhazy and de Besenval. The request was outrageous, but as the Queen insisted, the King, weak as usual, gave way ; and there was the strange spectacle of a Queen of France surrounded by four young men who waited upon her from seven in the morning till eleven in the evening. They even tried for permission to spend the night in her rooms, but Mercy, hearing of their demand, rebelled and gained his point. At the same time, on the pretext that the malady was infectious, the King was not allowed to see the Queen. The results were vexatious scandal and pleas- antries in the worst taste. The Court all laughed, and the town laughed too. The ladies were named who might nurse the King if he should fall ill. 124 CHAPTER IX. 1776—1778. LauzTin's debts —Difficulties with his wife and family — Generous offers from M. de Voyer and from Lady Barrymore — The Queen refuses to intervene — Arrangement with M. de Guemenee — Mme. de Guemenee slanders Mme. de Lauzun — Choiseul's indignation — His interview with Mme. de Guemenee. At the end of the former volume we saw how pre- carious Lauzun's financial position had become. From that time there had been no improvement in his affairs ; he had continued to fling money about in handfuls, without ever thinking of the future. His extravagant expenditure, his racing stables, his constant journeys, had all contributed to add con- siderably to the schedule of his debts. In 1777 he was but thirty years of age, and he owed more than two million francs (£80,000). Several of his creditors having shown some impatience, it occurred to Lauzun that it would perhaps be well for him to see his position clearly, and he desired his man of business. Pays, to audit the accounts. The steward made certain of the creditors abate their claims by threatening them with criminal proceed- 125 ings, and after long disputes the Due's debts were reduced to the modest total of 1,500,000 francs (about £60,000). Lauzun was far from troubling himself about such a trifle ; he was the heir to a vast fortune, and he thought it but natural that he should spend it while he was young, thinking, not without reason, that our needs diminish with added years, and that it is only prudent to enjoy the goods of this world while we are able to appreciate them. As to his creditors, he was amazed that they should not feel perfectly secure, as they were certain to be paid sooner or later. Unfortunately the persons whose interest it was to injure him bought up a large proportion of the bills out against him, and called upon him with legal formalities to pay without delay. His situation was critical ; he was in danger of nothing less than imprisonment for debt, or at the least of outlawry. The Mardchale de Luxembourg was especially relentless; she spouted fire and flames, telling everybody that Lauzun was a wretch, that he was not content merely to neglect her granddaughter, but that he had ruined her as well. He had no- thing to hope for from his family. Mme. de Lauzun positively refused to help him, so did Mar^chal de Biron. M. De Gontaut, who had just come into his brothers, the Abb^ de Biron's fortune, could have lent him money without inconvenience, but he did nothing of the kind. The whole family made it unmistakably plain that they meant to keep 126 quite clear of the whole business. The most ill- natured reports were spread ; it was said that Lauzun had devoured his wife's fortune, and he had also drawn bills in anticipation of his father's death, of M. de Biron's, Mme. de Choiseul's and Mme. de Luxembourg's. At this painful phase of his life our hero not only did not find in others the helpfulness on which he had a right to count ; he also met with ingratitude from some persons to whom he had been of service. He had the grief of seeing the Choiseuls, their partisans, and M. de Guines, whom he had saved, all turn against him. Choiseul and Mme. de Gramont especially were excessively stem in their treatment. Indignant at this cold rejection, which he certainly had not deserved, for he had in various circumstances shown his strong attachment to his relations, he broke with them completely. It was a real grief to him to see no more of his aunt, Mme. de Choiseul, for whom he had entertained a sincere affection of many years' standing, and she had always shown him the greatest interest and been very indulgent to his follies. Lauzun was, happily, not forsaken by all ; he had the comforting satisfaction of finding that some faithful friends yet were left to him, even in mis- fortune. M. de Voyer, with whom he had been intimate from his early youth,^ led a retired life on his estate of Les Ormes, near Tours ; he did a great deal of good there, and he also received the most 1 See Lauzun and the Court of Louis XV., p. 72. 127 brilliant society of the Court and of Paris. At the first news of his friend's disasters he hurried off to see him, and addressed him in these words : " My dear Duke, I have an estate called La Guerche, at about four leagues from Les Ormes. The house is very comfortable and well enough furnished. The estate and income are at your service for as long as you please. If the worth of the land is of more use to you — I am offered a million francs for it — I will give it you, and you can do as you like with it." Lauzun was deeply touched by so generous an offer, but he refused it, not needing it, as he declared. A few days later be received a mark of attachment of which he was deeply sensible. His connection with Lady Barrymore had been quite ephemeral. The fair Englishwoman had returned home. On hearing that he was ruined she came back to Paris and sent for him at once. " Listen," said she " and do not interrupt me. I am told that you are ruined. I am rich, young and independent. I have come to offer to share your fate and hand you over my fortune. I will travel with you wherever and for as long as you like. Do not fear the levity of my nature. There is nothing that offers me the prospect of so much pleasure and happiness as this plan. You are to assume all the authority of a despotic husband ; I will never try to evade it." Lauzun, much moved by an offer he was so far from expecting, thanked the lady very warmly. He explained to her that his duty was to stay and defy 128 the storm, and that indeed his position was by no means so desperate as was reported by malicious tongues. He therefore declined the offer made to him with so much heartiness. Lady Barrymore expressed herself deeply disappointed, and returned to England. As to the Due de Chartres, whose fortune was enormous, and who had for years received from Lauzun every mark of the most entire devotion, he seemed to be perfectly unaware of his friend's embarrassment, and did not make him the smallest offer of assistance. Lauzun, on his part, was too proud to ask it ; and he does not seem for an instant to have thought it the Prince's obvious duty to help him. Meanwhile, his imminent ruin caused the greatest excitement. The most vexatious and exaggerated misrepresentations were current, and produced a very bad effect at Court. Not choosing to let them pass uncontradicted, Lauzun drew up a very exact statement of his fortune and of his debts, and went to beseech the Queen to lay this document before the King that he might not judge him on mis-infor- mation. But Marie Antoinette had fallen under the influence of the Polignacs ; they had persistently and incessantly attacked Lauzun : his urgent need of money and his disputes with Mme. de Lauzun had served as the pretext for endless perfidious and spiteful insinuations, and the Queen had not been able to hold her own. She received Lauzun coldly, and expressed some hesitation when he begged her 129 K to speak to the King for him. However, she seemed interested in his misfortunes, and offered him her protection, but with so much haughtiness that the Due, deeply hurt by a tone he had had no reason to expect, rose, and without further words took his leave of the sovereign. " I ask your Majesty's pardon," said he, ^* for having troubled you with my private affairs,'* and he withdrew. Being still anxious that the King should know the truth as to his pecuniary position, and not be deceived by calumny, he called on M. de Maurepas, and begged him to do him the service he had failed of obtaining from the Queen. The old Minister at once consented ; laid the statement in question before Louis, who, always good-natured, offered Lauzun a pension ; the idea was even mooted of sending Lauzun as Ambassador to England, as some compensa- tion for his disasters. But Lauzun, hurt and offended by the coldness shown him by the Queen, did not choose to owe anything to the Court, and refused all that could be offered to him. To escape from the desperate difficulties with which he was struggling, Lauzun, by a deed of April 17, 1777, gave to Pays, his steward and agent, a power of attorney, authorizing him to administer his fortune and pay his creditors. He reserved only 100,000 francs a year ; 40,000 for personal expenses, and 60,000 for those of Mme. de Lauzun. Pays set to work, but his efforts to restore order in his master's affairs were not crowned with success. The creditors proved refractory, and Lauzun, to put an end to a state of things which each day made more inextricable, came to an arrange- ment with his friend the Prince de Gu^menee ; ^ he made over to him everything of which he stood possessed for an income of 80,000 francs (£3,200 a year). At the time when his financial difficulties had fallen on Lauzun, a painful mortification awaited him in domestic life. Though he always lived apart from Mme. de Lauzun, and their intimacy was restricted to certain social amenities, their official union had never been severed, and they dwelt under the same roof. In short, they got on no worse together than many, or most, fashionable couples of that day. When the Due's creditors made the vexatious public scandal of which we have heard, Mme. de Lauzun showed much patience and gentleness, but she declared that she had had enough of their life together, and that she meant to take up her residence with Mme. de Luxembourg. Her husband vehe- mently opposed this plan. In the first place he hated the Marechale, who returned the sentiment 1 By a deed signed in the presence of Maitre Lebrun, notary of Paris, March 11, 1778, Lauzun sold to M. and Mme. de Guemenee "the lands of Le Chatel, and of Carman, with all their depen- dencies, the possession of a house at Montmorency, the whole of his emoluments derived from the Colonel's perquisites in the regiment of Royal Dragoons, and all the dividends and revenues accruing from the effects handed over to them by this sale, 3,908,000 francs in all, of which the estates of Le Chatel and of Carman represented 3,500,000." In return M. and Mme. de Guemenee undertook to pay all his debts and all pensions and allowances due from Lauzun to other persons. They were also to pay him 65,000 francs a year for life, and 15,000 a year to him and his heirs for ever. 131 K 2 witli interest, and he also thought that Mme. de Lauzun's departure would do him harm in the eyes of the public. Unfortunately he had neglected to pay the rent of the house she occupied, and she ran the risk, at any moment, of seeing her furniture seized. Under these circumstances he was obliged to consent to her going to live with her grand- mother. Mme. de Luxembourg received her with joy ; she was infinitely kind to her, and tried to make her forget her griefs and her husband's neglect by the constant affection she showed her. She made a little society for her, composed of the Comtesse de BouflBiers, Mme. de Choiseul, Mme. du DefFant, and some other intimate friends. The Mar^chale, who till Louis XV. 's death had played so conspicuous a part, had during the last few years seen her circle rapidly thinned ; and in the Salon, once so famous, only the survivors of the old Court now formed a diminished group. Li this choice but restricted society the two women lived with quiet dignity. After this separation, Mme. de Lauzun had no further intercourse with her husband excepting on matters of business. Some little time later she sent him a memorandum relating to the arrangements to be made in the future, as a result of their separation, in the event of her inheriting property from any of her relations. The lawyer employed to treat with Lauzun constantly repeated in his conmiunications this same formula : " Mme. de Lauzim's solicitor does not know why M. de Lauzun should do this or 132 that" — "Mme. de Lauzun's solicitor is surprised that M. de. Lauzun," etc. The husband, irritated by this silly iteration, wrote to the lawyer : " M. de Lauzun informs Mme. de Lauzun's solicitor in the first place that he is an impertinent fellow, and in the second that he does not know what he is talking about, and finally, to be rid of him once for all, that he, M. de Lauzun, agrees with all his heart to anything that Mme. de Lauzun may wish, whatever it may be." During these painful family quarrels Lauzun's friends took his part ; those of the Duchesse on the other hand defended her with vehemence. She was in general greatly pitied as being the innocent victim of her husband's prodigality. Lauzun's friends, however, thought it incumbent on them to defend him, and they sometimes did it with an energy and virulence which raised a tornado. Thus Mme. de Guemen^e, in a moment of vindictive- ness, so far forgot herself as to say that Mme. de Lauzun was a disgraced woman. This speech, maliciously repeated, roused all the family to such a point that the Due de Choiseul, who was sincerely attached to his niece, determined to go and demand an explanation of the Princesse. Being at Versailles in the month of January, 1778, for some Court ceremony, he requested an in- terview with Mme. de Guem^nee and went to her the following morning. Here is their conversation as reported by Mme. de Gramont, who had it from her brother : — 133 *' You know the ties which attach me to Mme. de Lauzun, and which her misfortunes have drawn closer. It has come to my knowledge that you said that you had in your pocket evidence enough to dis- honour her. The idea distresses me deeply. The more positive the statement the more crushing it is. Can it be possible that Mme. de Lauzun should have deceived her family and the world ? It is on this point, Madame, that I have come to beg you to enlighten us." ** I see very plainly," said Mme. de Guemen^e, " that this is to pick some fresh quarrel relating to M. de Lauzun's bargain with M. de Guemenee." " It has nothing to do with that bargain ; it con- cerns only Mme. de Lauzun, and your having said that you had in your pocket evidence that would dishonour her." ** But, Monsieur, what is the meaning of all this?" " A little patience, Madame. Let us see what it is that dishonours a woman. She is disgraced — or dis- honoured — for instance, not by having a lover, I suppose ? But by having several at once, or in such rapid succession, that she cannot be supposed to feel any real attachment. She is dishonoured when she is rash in her choice, and flaunts them or throws them over without regard to decency ; when she does not deserve to retain them as friends or acquaintances. This, Madame, does indeed disgrace a woman ; but I can hardly believe that you ascribe such conduct to Mme. de Lauzun. You cannot 134 even suppose that she has a lover. Still, if you have the proof in your pocket — " " It is not that." ^' Again, a woman is dishonoured if she does not regulate her expenditure by her income, and buys things on credit ; it is common enough I know, but it is none the less dishonourable, because it is unjust, and entails disastrous consequences — does it not, Madame ? But I do not fancy that Mme. de Lauzun can be accused of that. Her grandmother gives her everything she can want — and besides, I hardly suppose that you have your pockets full of her tradesmen's bills. '^ I know of only one other thing that can disgrace a woman, and that is lying ; but the lying that is dishonourable is not, I may say, lying for the sake of an amusing story — that is wrong and silly, but it is not dishonourable ; it is lying to injure another, to insult virtue in misfortune, to ascribe her own vices to those who have none. That, Madame, is what brings a woman to disgrace and dishonour, from which she can never rise again ! But Madame de Lauzun talks so little and is so honest ! It is not of that that you can accuse her." Mme. de Guemenee could only find a few em- barrassed words in reply ; she could only criticize Mme. de Lauzun for having parted from her husband, thinking her to blame, and so forth. Finally Choiseul left her in triumph, saying, — " I did not come here to defend Mme. de Lauzun, who is high above anything that spite can invent 135 against her; but I wished to make you feel that honesty, decency, and even self-interest, should have made you more careful." If Choiseul was right to take Mme. de Lauzun's part against unjust attacks, he had every conceivable motive on the other hand, to be indulgent to his nephew's extravagant folly, for he was coming to the same, and even worse, straits. In fact, in spite of his years, he was not any wiser, and spent without reckoning, running daily into enormous debts. He lived in the Rue de Richelieu, at Paris, in a mansion built for him by La Borde in the Maison du Chatel. He there received every Wednesday and Friday ; from seven to ten in the evening there was a concert where the best musicians in Paris were the performers. The whole Court assembled at his house, where he also welcomed lawyers, men of letters, and men of business of the first class. But the life of magnificence led by the Choiseuls after their return to Paris ended in a catastrophe. In 1784 their position was such that they were forced to sell their splendid hotel. Some time later they were compelled also to part with Chanteloup, and Louis XVI. was obliged to lend the former Minister four 'millions of francs to meet his most pressing calls. 136 CHAPTER X. 1778. Lanzun sets out for Vaucouleurs — He takes a holiday and visits England — Preliminaries of the American War — Franklin in Paris — Lanzun recalled to Paris — He returns to London — Rupture with England — Lauzun goes to Ardres— Colonel of the foreign Marine forces — Nominated to go to India — Naval battle — Lauzun's last interview with the Queen — A visit to Hautefontaine — Mme. de Martainville — Masquerade at Court. As soon as he had settled his private affairs, Lauzun, much depressed by all the mortifications he had endured, and saddened by the Queen's attitude, which he had been far from expecting, made up his mind to return to his regiment and live in peace, devoting himself to his military duties. So he set out for Vaucouleurs, the " dullest spot in all Champagne and, consequently, in the whole universe." His only amusement was to go from time to time to Nancy, either for military manoeuvres, or for more frivolous reasons. At this juncture he heard that the post of French Minister to Warsaw had fallen vacant. His desire to go to Poland was, no doubt, much less eager than of yore ; but he lulled himself with U7 the hope that if he could sojourn there he would easily recover his former influence over Princess Czartoriska, and re-unite the ties of which the memory was still dear to him. He therefore wrote the follo^ving melancholy letter to M. de Vergennes, to solicit the appointment at Warsaw : — " Yaucouleurs, July 3rd, 1777. " Monsieur le Comte, — I hear that M. de Mont- morin has just been appointed Ambassador to Spain, and that consequently he no longer can lay claim to the post at Warsaw. I venture to beg you to call to mind all you once did me the honour to say on this matter. The moment when the King must name his representative to the King of Poland can- not be far off; he would wish, no doubt, to send some one who would be agreeable to him, and to name the person he might select, if in all respects suitable. Pray, Monsieur le Comte, have the kindness to lay before the King the opinion you have of me, and to ask him, after receiving his com- mands, whether it would be fitting that I should approach the King of Poland, and request him to speak in my favour to the French Court. If the prejudice which you believe the King to feel against me proves stronger than the report you would be so good as to make to him in my favour, I request it of your kindness that you will let me know. I should then certainly never regret the fortune and time I might have spent in his service, since I should have displeased him, but I shall give up to peace and to 138 the comfort of doing nothing, in perfect independence, the rest of a life which I had gloried in devoting wholly to him." ^ M. de Vergennes did not send a favourable answer. Disgusted with the service, and the injustice of which he was the victim, Lauzun asked leave of absence to go to see his friends in England, among others Edward Dillon, who had married Fanny Harland.^ He set out in the month of September, 1777. A fresh grief awaited him ; on landing he received news of the young wife's almost sudden death. Everything combined to harass him. Hunted by his creditors, blighted in his prospects, in his dreams of the future, even in the loss of those he had loved, he felt that fortune, so long favourable, had turned against him. He sighed for solitude to recover himself, and went to Bath, where he lived in complete seclusion. Bath was a fine city of picturesque beauty ; built in part on the side of a high hill, its splendid houses stood out against the sky with magical effect. From every part of the lower town beautiful views were to be seen. At the season when Lauzun went thither there were no visitors, and he could give free course to his plans for isolation and solitude. It was while he was still there that he heard of a probable outbreak of hostilities between Russia and Turkey. He at once wrote to the Empress Catherine 1 Foreign Affairs, England, 1778. 2 See The Due de Lauzun and the Court of Louis XV., Chap, xxiii. to ask her for employment, and she confirmed his appointment to the command of the horse which she had formerly given him. M. de Maurepas applied for leave for Lauzun to serve abroad, and the King granted it. He was making arrangements to start for Russia in the course of December when he received a letter from M. de Maurepas. The old Minister told him that matters were looking badly in America, and desired him to remain in England, where he would ere long be required for employment. Lauzun replied without delay : — *' London, January 2Brd, 1778. ^' Monsieur le Comte, — I received with respect- ful gratitude the letter with which you have honoured me, and the tokens of kindness which you never cease to bestow on me. I have the same wish as ever to go to Russia, but it must be entirely subordinate to circumstances, and to the faintest hope of proving my zeal in the King's service. You know. Monsieur le Comte, that danger and distance have no terrors for me. Here, there seem to be some fears of an expedition [French] to India; I have long been ambitious of being thus employed. I venture to urge this request if the occasion should arise. I would stipulate for no con- ditions ; whatever you approve will meet my views. I only ask for some opportunity of justifying the interest you condescend to take in me." ^ 1 Foreign AfEairs, England, 1778. 140 What, then, was happening in America and in England ? An incident, most trivial in its beginnings, was about to rouse the clatter of arms, and it proved to be the prologue to a complete social revolution in the Old World. England had laid on her North American colonies a yoke from which many of them were hoping to free themselves. In 1765 an Act of the London Parlia- ment levied a stamp-tax, which the colonists refused to pay. A congress was held at New York in No- vember to resist this exaction : the tax was repealed in the following year, but in its stead a tax was put on tea, which was not more successful in its working. Several English vessels with cargoes of tea having entered the port of Boston, about thirty of the residents, disguised as savages, got on board the ships and threw three hundred cases of tea overboard. This, in its naked simplicity, was the act that led to the war. The town of Boston and the neighbouring pro- vinces rose in arms ; England determined to reduce its rebellious colonies by force. The English troops were first defeated in April, 1775. Fired with enthusiasm by some small successes, the Americans chose as their leader George Washington, whose name was to become so famous, and they determined to break irrevocably with the mother-country. On the fourth of July, 1776, Congress pro- claimed the independence of the States of North America. 141 The news of these great events in America roused general admiration in France ; the courage and daring of the " rebels *' electrified men's minds, more especially those of the young, eager for novelty and fighting. All the nobility — and such was the state of the public mind that no one was surprised — took part with a populace in revolt against its King ; every one loudly expressed sympathy with the cause of the '' rebels." The Bostonians, who had given the signal for revolt, became in a single day the height of fashion. Whist was supplanted in every drawing-room by a no less serious game called Boston. The American colony very soon perceived that they could not hope to shake themselves free by their own unaided strength, and they sent Doctor Franklin to Paris to interest the French Government in their cause. He arrived in December, 1776, with a small party of friends. He was a handsome old man, with a youthful countenance ; he wore a sable fur cap which he never took ofi", and which fell almost as low as his spectacles. His dress was of rustic simplicity, that of an American farmer. His appearance, which at any other time would have excited curiosity, and perhaps laughter, produced the wildest enthusiasm. No one else was talked of. Gowns, caps, stuff's, were all a la Franklin, the prettiest women of the Court and the town sued for the favour of being allowed to kiss him — and he, very gallantly, yielded to their wishes. 142 His friends were not less well received. All the world was crazy over the '^ rebels," especially the women ; to wear a Quaker dress was enough to secure their good graces. They invented a new head-dress aux Insurgens, in which the struggle between America and England was symbolized by an ingenious allegory. The Doctor, who lived at Passy, was desirous, although a Protestant, of presenting bread for the sacrament ; he had thirteen brioches made — the number then of the United States — the first was stamped with the word " liberty ; " they had a wild success and people almost fought for them. The little house in which he lodged became an object of pilgrimage ; it was invaded by visitors from morning till night ; the road was blocked with carriages ; all Paris must do homage to the illus- trious stranger. Franklin's visit transported the aristocratic classes with joy, and without suspecting that they were undermining with their own hands the foundations of the old monarchy, they were ready to give the cue for the applause which welcomed the Doctor and his friends. All the young men of fashion only asked to fly to the support of the Americans ; the repre- sentatives of the oldest families were ready to shed their blood for the rebels. Franklin was overwhelmed with applications to serve in the American army. Joseph II. of Austria was more clear-sighted than the French nobility. During his stay in France he 143 replied very drily to a lady who was crying up the Americans, " My business, Madame, is to be a Royalist." Under his apparent simplicity Franklin had great shrewdness. He arrived at Paris almost unknown, and managed so well that in a short time, notwith- standing the complaints of the English Ambassador, he was received by all the Ministers and making terms with them. He showed great art in utilising the ideas then current in France to the advantage of his countrymen. At this moment there was general discontent in all military circles ; peace had prevailed for many years, and the army only longed for some fighting. This further contributed to increase the enthusiasm in favour of the Americans. And then the French counted on some glorious revenge for the defeats of the Seven Years' War and the humiliating treaty of 1763. The American agents, on their part, were not satisfied with purchasing in France munitions of war, in spite of the prohibitions of Government and the expostulations of the English ; they did all they could to induce French ofiicers to go to America with or without leave. Several had gone already, but in secret, and their departure had not been observed. The relations between France and England showed increasing tension, and it could plainly be seen that a rupture was impending. War had begun indeed in the papers and in the drawing-rooms. In 1777 Lord Suffolk, in the House of Lords, 144 spoke in very offensive terms of the quality of the French troops. A few days later the Marechal de Biron met Lord Stormont, the English Ambassador, in the great gallery at Versailles. " Write to his indiscreet lordship," said he proudly, " that there are in France twenty thousand gentlemen, and I glory in being one of them, who are quite ready to meet you half way, to teach your nation better to appreciate ours." This same Marechal de Biron was the hero of an adventure which shows that the chivalrous spirit of the French had not decayed since Fontenoy. At this time Admiral Rodney happened to be imprisoned for debt in Paris. An English paper did not hesitate to say that we detained him because we were afraid of his skill. The Marechal, indignant at such a suspicion, flew to Versailles and asked the King's permission to pay Rodney's debts. "I envy you for having thought of it," said the King. " It is worthy of France and of you." The Marechal had brought the necessary sum with him ; he hastened to the prison and released Rodney. This generous action was to cost France dear. While the situation was thus growing more and more serious in England, the struggle was going on in America. After many vicissitudes of successes and reverses, the rebels won a decided victory. An English army commanded by General Burgoyne was surrounded by the rebel militia and forced to surrender (1777). The excitement in Europe was extreme on hearing of the triumph achieved by planters and farm-hands, whose military inexperience, H5 ^ destitution and want of discipline had been so much laughed to scorn. Lauzun wrote to M. de Vergennes from London, December 19, 1777 :— " Monsieur le Comte, — The consternation is exces- sive here at the defeat of General Burgoyne. But the King of England maintains his opinion and his authority with the greatest firmness, and there will be no change in the ministry, it would seem. Prepara- tions are being made, on the contrary, for continuing the American war with greater vigour than ever, and for making prodigious efforts to open the campaign of 1 778 with a formidable force. New levies are to be raised in Scotland and Ireland ; as they certainly will be insufficient, foreign troops are being everywhere inquired for, and there is much talk of a treaty with Russia. I have the honour to send you. Monsieur le Comte, a report on the present state of affairs ; it will show you that in my absence I am employed on the matters that interest you, and that if I have lost all ambition, I have at any rate preserved the desire to be of some use. "You know, Monsieur le Comte, that wherever the King may order his army, to the Atlantic, to India, for or against the Turks, nothing will frighten me, and that I shall undertake anything with zeal ; but, if there is nothing that can be given me to do, I beseech you to relieve me from the dismal situation of a Colonel in time of peace, and obtain the King's leave for me to go to Russia. When once I am at Saint Petersburg the Empress will allow me to fight 146 in a campaign with her army, if, as I believe, hostilities against the Turks recommence next spring, and this would certainly be refused me if I asked it in France — I have no object in view but not to remain in idleness. " I make bold to beg you not to order me back to Paris if I can be of use elsewhere. Excellent reasons make me wish to remain at a distance for some time." ^ To occupy his leisure, Lauzun had set himself to study the colonial policy of the English, and he sent notes very regularly to M. de Maurepas and M. de Vergennes. In March, 1778, he laid before them a very full report of the state of the English defences at home, and in all the English possessions in the four quarters of the world. ^ These reports at last made their impression on the Council of State ; Lauzun was ordered to Versailles, he was listened to, and he even had several inter- views with the King on this subject. M. de Maurepas, who had a great affection for him, recommended him warmly to M. de Vergennes. They both begged him to return to England to watch the course of events, and they promised him that, if matters settled themselves, he should fill the post of Ambassador to London. Before taking up his new office Lauzun had to endure a fresh mortification, and not the least bitter. It had always been understood that he was to 1 Foreign Affairs, England, 1777. 2 Foreign Affairs, England, 1778. 147 L 2 succeed his uncle, the Marechal de Biron, in the com- mand of the French Guard ; Louis XV. had formally- promised him the appointment, and though he had not been actually nominated to the reversion, that was solely out of regard for the old Marechal. In March, 1778, Lauzun was distressed to hear that the Due du Chatelet would take his uncle's post, and fill an appointment which had become almost hereditary in the family of Biron. Certainly his favour and his good fortune were quite at an end ; fate pursued him with inexorable harshness. He had but just got back to London when he heard, with deep regret, all the details of the ceremony of his fortunate rival's triumph. The regiment of the French Guard had been enroUed by Charles IX., in April, 1563. The anniversary of the day was chosen for a grand review by Louis XVI. in the Plaine des Sablons. The weather was beautiful, and the heat extra- ordinary for the month of April. The Queen arrived in a magnificent coach, and wearing a dress that repeated the uniform of the regiment. The review was splendid, the crowd immense, and all went oiF as well as possible. The King granted the officers all that the Due du Chatelet asked for them ; he distributed two thousand crowns to the soldiers, and donations to officers of fortune. Then, turning to M. du Chatelet, he very graciously said : " I see no one who has been forgotten but yourself, but I believe I shall do you pleasure by granting you, from this time forth, the reversion of the Mardchal de 148 Biron's appointment as Colonel of the French Guards." 1 Tents had been pitched on the plain and the Colonel- designate gave a dinner, which cost him more than a hundred thousand francs, to the King, the Royal Family, and the Court. That the rank and file should have their share of the rejoicings, M. du Ch^telet gave them fifty oxen, and the King, on his part, sent a turkey, two fowls, and two bottles of wine for every four soldiers. The grief and vexation felt by Lauzun on receiving the account of this ceremony may be imagined. He was happily diverted from his dejection and gloomy thoughts by the mission he had to fulfil, and the sight of the preparations being made to fight the French, and punish them for what the English called their insolent provocations. In fact, the successes of the rebels had tilted the scale in their favour, and public opinion asserted itself so resolutely as to be irresistible ; the French Government had to follow. In December, 1777, the preliminaries were signed of a treaty of - com- merce and friendship with the American delegates, and France soon after concluded a definite alliance with America. On hearing this, the King of England flew into a violent passion, and bitterly reproached our Ambassador, M. de Noailles. This functionary had ^ To avoid Imrting tlie old Marechal's feelings, M. dn Chatelet had to be satisfied with the King's word ; the reversion was not r^stered with the other gifts. 149 just received instructions to quit London without taking leave. Lord Stormont, Ambassador from England to Paris, received similar orders from his Government.^ The recall of the French Ambassador caused the greatest excitement in England, and Lauzun gives an account of it. At the same time he announces to Vergennes that he will prolong his stay so as to keep him informed and send him all the news. He writes on March 18, 1778:— " I am not such a coxcomb as to believe that I have contributed to the present state of things, but it is a great satisfaction to me that I foresaw what you have carried into effect. Consternation is general throughout England ; there is no misfortune that is not apprehended, and this nation, long blind to the position, at last realizes its horror, and foresees the disastrous issue without any remedy or consola- tion." The greatest joy was felt in France at hearing that the independence of America was fully recog- nized. "It could not have been g^reater over our own salvation," wrote Segur. to' ^ He had the following strange announcement posted about Paris: — Notice to the Public. As- the English Ambassador is about to leave Paris, he begs all those who have any claims against him to call at once at the Embassy, and he hereby formally declares that he will admit no claims that shall not have been presented by the 20th of this month. Paris, Tuesday, March 17, 1778. Printed and posted by license. — Lenoir. Franklin was presented to the King on March 20. For this occasion he consented to abandon his Quaker's costume and fur cap. He wore a suit of dull gold-coloured velvet, white stockings, his hair untied, his spectacles on his nose, and carried a white hat under his arm. The Comte de Provence, more clear-sighted than his contemporaries, did not share the general enthusiasm ; he confessedly regarded the conduct of the American colonies as rebellion and revolt. When he heard that Franklin had been presented at Court : " Here is Mandrin come to great honour," said he. '' Now it only remains to raise trophies to Cartouche Washington." ^ Preparations for war were made on both sides. There was a plan for sending part of the regiment of French Guards to Dunkirk. M. de Monbarrey asked the Marechal de Biron : " If I give you a fortnight's notice, can your regiment be ready to start?" "It is now one o'clock," replied the Marechal, looking at his watch. '' If the King com- mands it, his regiment of guards will march out in fighting order this afternoon at four." Lauzun remained yet a month longer in London, in conformity with M. de Vergennes' instructions. But out of respect he sent to ask of his Majesty King George III. whether he objected to his presence there. The King sent him word with much kindness that he might remain as long as he chose ; he invited Lauzun to ride out with him on the Richmond road, 1 Mandrin and Cartouche were famous French highway robbeis — (Translator). 151 on the following Wednesday at eight in the morning, to talk over events. The Due attended punctually. *^ The King came to meet me," he says, " and told me that he was glad to assure me of his interest and good feeling before I should quit England ; that it rested with me to stay, or to return whenever it suited my convenience, if I had no fear of its doing me an injury in my own country ; that I \vas too well known ever to be regarded with suspicion. He personally was much offended by the conduct of France, and saying it was perfidy, he spoke \\dth so much heat that I had to remind him that I was a Frenchman. He ended the conversation by telling me that no one would be more agreeable to him than myself to discuss terms of peace, or as ambassa- dor, when circumstances should allow it, and that he would then, with pleasure, take any steps that I might think necessary." After this frank and candid conversation, Lauzun could not with any decency prolong his stay in England ; he remained about a month and then set out for Dover, whence he sailed for France. From thence, however, he wrote to M. de Ver- gennes : — " Dover, April 4, 1778. "Monsieur le Comte, — I could wish that my talents, as well as my zeal, might justify the honour the King does me in reading what I write, his kindness in being pleased and in permitting you to tell me so. 152 "I am leaving England with regret, and the orders you gave me to remain in London as long as I could, still further increase my grief at departing at a moment when I still might be of some use ; but I did not think that I ought to wait to act till I was an object of suspicion, and by prolonging my stay, risk the confidence and consideration I enjoy here, which will some day perhaps not be lost to the service of the King. " The Militia are called out, all officers are to join their regiments. I began to feel out of place among so many hostile uniforms. All the Ministers without exception have lost their heads. Each one has been dishonest as to the state of his own department, and is anxious to postpone the moment when it will be proved against him. They live literally from hand to mouth. " I am sending a special messenger to receive your orders the sooner, and shall await at Ardres, with my regiment, the messenger's return. I shall not leave my regiment, where my presence is needful, unless I should be more usefully employed elsewhere in the King's service." As he announced in this letter, Lauzun rejoined his regiment, stationed at Ardres, a small town near Calais. As war with England seemed inevi- table, many regiments had been moved to the coast, and that of Lauzun among the number. Lauzun did not come from England unaccompanied ; he had made the acquaintance in London of a certain Miss Paddock, and the lady's patriotism had not been so ^53 ardent but that she had been willing to follow him to France. She brought with her a younger sister, a charming girl, whose grace and innocence Lauzun respected. He put her to school at Calais, and after- wards saw her suitably married to a man she loved. This good deed must be set down to the credit side of our hero's account, and was indeed rare enough in his life to deserve mention. At Versailles, meanwhile, a thousand schemes of conquest were discussed, each day a new plan saw the light to be abandoned on the morrow. As men of courage and determination were indispensable, Lauzun's name was constantly mentioned, and he was spoken of for various expeditions. One day the talk was of seizing Jersey and Guernsey ; the next, of taking possession of the Isle of Wight and Portsmouth, and destroying the chief depots of the English Navy ; then the Bermudas were to be taken, or St. Helena, and it was always Lauzun who was to be sent on such expeditions. Towards the end of May he was ordered to quit Ardres with his troops, and join the army at the Camp at Vaucieux. Hardly had he arrived there when he was bidden to proceed to Versailles without delay. He there learnt that a fleet was to be sent to the Indies to stir up a general revolt there. Lauzun was offered the second command of the army and he accepted it joyfully. He was also authorized to levy a corps of foreign soldiery four thousand strong, to be under his orders, and known as the Foreign Marine Volunteers. He resigned the regiment of Royal Dragoons, which by his intervention was given to the Marquis de Gontaut, and he devoted himself to enlisting the corps of which he was to have the command. While he was working energetically at this, hostili- ties had begun. M. d'Estaing was sent to America with a vast fleet. On one hand the Comte d'Or- villiers collected at Brest thirty-two men-of-war and eight frigates. The Due de Chartres was in command of one division. When the fleet sailed out of port it was almost immediately met ofi* Ushant by Admiral Keppel, who had come out to engage it. The battle was a hot one and many lives were lost ; but not a ship was taken, and both sides withdrew without any decisive result. The French fleet retired into Brest to repair damages, and the Due de Chartres went to Versailles to carry the news of what the French accepted as a victory. After paying his devoirs to the King, the Due went back to Paris ; he was hailed by the public with acclamations. The Court and the town were in the greatest excitement. This more than modest victory inspired M. de Maurepas — younger than ever and ready to laugh at everything — with this little satire : " Do you know what is a sea-fight ? I will tell you. Two squadrons sally forth from two hostile ports ; they manoeuvre, they find each other ; they fire guns, some masts are cut down, some sails are riddled, some men are killed, a great deal of powder and ball is consumed ; then each of the rival forces retires, asserting itself master of the field ; each believes itself the conqueror. 155 The Te Deum is sung on both sides — and the sea is as salt as ever ! " The enthusiasm which awaited the Due de Chartres was of no long duration. The Prince was said to have misunderstood a signal instructing him to cut through the enemy's line, and epigrams followed hard on praises. The Prince had hoped to be appointed High Admiral, but the King refused to name him, and gave him nothing but a nomination to be Colonel- General of Hussars. The Due de Chartres was rancorously offended by this affront. A most unexpected event, which had been re- garded as hopeless, became known in the month of April, to the great joy of the Court. The Queen was expecting an infant. This happy event made Ver- sailles gayer and more brilliant than ever. As the Queen was compelled to lead a sedentary life, little agreeable to her tastes and habits, every kind of amusement was devised for her. A theatre was built at Marly to give her the pleasure of seeing plays. At Trianon, garden-fetes and allegorical entertainments were arranged; there was singing and dancing, with the attributes of fecundity, of beneficence and of motherly love. Then coffee parties were invented ; ladies and gentlemen met in the morning in d^shabill^ ; etiquette was banished. They sat at little tables and asked for what they pleased. A fair was held in the park ; the ladies of the Court held the booths ; the Queen, dressed as a lemonade seller, had a coffee house ; there were theatres and processions. This little amusement cost more than 400,000 francs. 156 So tlie war with England, it may be seen, made no difference whatever in the imperturbable serenity of this light-hearted Court, and money was still flung about in handfuls with the most engaging reckless- ness. Lauzun, before leaving France to go so far away, perhaps for ever, wished to take leave of the Queen, whom he had not seen for nearly a year ; he had been a long while absent, and since his return he had not visited Versailles. He thought, however, that it would be in bad taste to depart without bidding her good-bye, and he craved an audience, which was immediately granted. He told the Sovereign that he felt it due to the kindness with which she had formerly honoured him to announce to her in person his departure for the Indies with M. de Bussy. Marie Antoinette seemed greatly surprised, and even distressed ; she tried to induce Lauzun to change his mind, but he replied that his decision was irrevocable : " No, Madam, that is impossible," said he ; ^^ I am bent on this course, whatever it may cost me to carry it out. I venture to believe that in such a distant land, my zeal and my small talents will find fewer adverse circumstances, and meet with more justice ; that they will have less intrigue and calumny to con- tend with." The King then came in, and Lauzun withdrew, after a few usual compliments. That evening the Queen and Lauzun met at Mme. de Guemenee's rooms, for she was still in favour. The Princesse, who had an honest and sincere affection for Lauzun, had done everything in her power to induce him to change his purpose, but could not succeed. ^57 In vain did she hold out hopes of a splendid career at Court if he would remain ; she begged the Queen to add her entreaties, but without effect. Lauzun, hurt by the Queen's coldness and almost neglect, after a period of such distinguished favour, made it a point of vanity to show that he asked for nothing, and could well dispense with royal condescension. While all this was going on, Lauzun was not losing time. In less than two months he had raised, armed and equipped a splendid body of two thousand men. His reputation for courage and daring had brought him hundreds of volunteers ; men were eager to serve under him. In a short time his complement was made up, and with brilliant officers. All the companies forming the legion were concentrated on the He d'Oleron. While awaiting M. de Bussy's departure, Lauzun, who had nothing to detain him in Paris, and who found there only subjects of vexation or discourage- ment, decided on seeking a little solace and true affec- tion in the beloved precincts of Hautefontaine, where he formerly had spent so many delightful hours.^ For some years his constant journeys, the care of his regiment, and Court intrigues had kept him far away from that pleasing spot, which recalled to him perhaps the tenderest and most delightful scenes of his early youth. He found at Hautefontaine all the party we have already spoken of in a former volume. There was the 1 See The Due de Lauzun and the Court of Louis XV., chap, xxii. 158 kind Archbishop of Narbonne, always amiable and indulgent to human frailty ; Mme. Dillon, Mme. de Rothe and M. de Guemenee. They were all sincerely attached to him, all appreciated his worth, his warm and generous heart, his delightful wit. M. de Guemenee, bound to him by the ties of true friend- ship, could not bear to think of his going abroad. Mme. Dillon, who, though she had not been in love with him, had always preserved him in her tender regard, had tears in her eyes whenever she thought of the long voyage and the dangers that might ensue from it. All vied with each other in giving their friend the most affectionate consideration, in showing him how dear he was to them, and how deeply they were grieved at the thought of his departure. Lauzun, greatly touched by these tokens of friend- ship, felt his resolve melting and his courage paling in the midst of these many warm and loving hearts. To divert his mind from gloomy thoughts, he found at Hautefontaine a certain pretty and charming Mme. de Martainville. Seeing all the rest of the company grow pathetic over the young man's fate, she thought that she too ought not to be indifferent to this hand- some youth and the dangers he might run into ; she, like the rest, expressed her interest ; her heart was free, and she at once bestowed it on so amiable and unfortunate a gentleman. Lauzun spent all the time he could spare at Hautefontaine. He never reappeared at Court but on one occasion, and that was in the month of 159 November, when the King gave a grand masquerade as a surprise to the Queen. Marie Antoinette had spoken the melancholy reflection : " The Carnival will be nothing to me this winter ! " The King wished to give her an agreeable surprise. In twenty- four hours, and in perfect secrecy, by the help of the stores of the Menus Plaisirs^ the whole Court was travestied and in masks. At eleven, the Queen, being asked whether she would like to see some mas- queraders, replied, " With great pleasure," and the King at once came in, in his usual dress, followed by the Ministers and the gentlemen and ladies attached to the Court, all in splendid character costumes. M. de Maurepas appeared as Cupid and Mme. de Maure- pas as Venus ; M. de Sartines was Neptune wielding a trident ; M. de Vergennes bore a globe on his head, a map of America hanging in front of him, and a map of England over his back ; the Prince de Soubise was a Chinese Bonze ; the Mar(^chal de Richelieu, as Cephalus, led in the old Marechale de Mirepoix as a Huron Indian squaw ; and the couple danced a minuet with as much grace and lightness as youths of twenty. The Due de Coigny appeared as Hercules, the Mar^chal de Biron was a Druid, and the Due de Lauzun a Sultan. Other ladies and gentlemen formed quadrilles of Rabbis, soldiers, hussars, sailors, hunts- men, and so forth. All the pages were dressed as jockeys. When the clock struck one the King gave the signal for retiring and conducted the Queen to her room. Everyone was " refreshed " with chocolate and iced drinks. 160 This was Lauzun's last appearance at Court. The entertainment over, he at once took the road to Hautefontaine, to await, at Mme. de Martainville's feet, the call of glory to the field of battle. I6l M CHAPTER XL 1778. The conquest of Senegal — Lauzun returns to Paris. One evening, on reading in his rooms the '' London Magazine," Lauzun learnt from that journal the state of the English possessions on the coast of Africa. The idea struck him that it would be an easy matter to seize them, and so to ruin an important branch of English commerce. Captivated by the subject, he took up his pen to draw up a proposal for destroying the forts on the Guinea coast, and the numerous factories which carried on an important trade ; he proved to demonstration how easy it would be to snatch these ill-defended settlements from the English, and the great profit to be derived from success. The report finished, he took it to M. de Sartines.' Some days after, in another audience of the Minister, he further insisted on the advantages of his scheme ; nothing could be simpler than its execution. While the squadron sailing to India was taking in water at the Cape de Verde Islands, a few ships with 1 This report is preserved among the National Archives, T. 1527. 162 Lauzun in command, were to be told off to seize the Senegal coast and the Gambia, destroying all the English settlements. M. de Sartines allowed himself to be persuaded ; it was agreed that Lauzun should have the command of the expedition, and that if M. de Bussy should not go to the Indies — for that matter was again under discussion — Lauzun was to return to France after the conquest of Senegal. Lauzun was to be commander-in-chief on land. The fleet was in charge of M. de Vaudreuil, and he was responsible for all manoeuvres and operations at sea. Lauzun and Vaudreuil were not merely to attack Senegal, they were to get possession of the coast as far as Sierra Leone, where the English had three impor- tant factories. Finally they were to drive the English out of Goree, which had been French, and transport to Senegal the garrison, the munitions and the negroes.^ Lauzun was full of joy and enthusiasm at the thought of getting away, and realizing at last those dreams of glory which he had so long had at heart. He set out in high hopes at the end of November, 1778, for the Island of Oleron, where his foreign naval volunteers had assembled ; the troops were a fine body and ready to embark. From thence he went to Landerneau. He had not been there more than three hours when a courier followed him from M. de Sartines, ordering him to Versailles. He was there 1 These instnictions are to be found in the National Archives, T. 1527, and in the papers at the Ministry of Marine, B^, 149. They bear the date November 20, 1778. The instructions to M. de Vaudreuil are dated November 28, 1778, and are signed by the King. They are at the Ministry of Marine, B*, 149. 163 M 2 informed that the idea of sending M. de Bussy to India was abandoned ; but Lauzun nevertheless obtained permission for the Senegal expedition, and set out once more. As his mission was a secret one, and it was important that no one should have any knowledge of it, he travelled incognito as the Chevalier de Saint-Pierre. After more than a hundred hours in a post-chaise our hero reached Morlaix, November 29. He there found the officers who were to accompany him — the Vicomte d'Arrost, Miewkowski, Robert Dillon and Sheldon. The two last were nephews of the Arch- bishop of Narbonne. They were to have embarked at Brest ; but after various delays of no interest, Lauzun at last joined the fleet at Quiberon. The squadron was composed of the men-of-war the Fendant and the Sphinx, two frigates, three corvettes and a schooner. Lauzun and Vaudreuil were on board the Fendant. Before they set sail a courier brought the news of the Queen's having given birth to a daughter, December 19, 1778. Mme. de Gu^m^n^e, as governess to the Royal children, had taken charge of the infant princess, and her position at Court was more important than ever. The squadron finally weighed anchor, December 25, 1778, and sailed for Senegal. Lauzun had not long been on board when he had the vexation of discovering that, from neglect or dishonesty on the part of the subordinates, nothing of what M. de Sartines had promised had been supplied ; there was not even a pilot to steer them over the bar. 164 The voyage was without mishap. By January 1 they were in the latitude of the Canaries and spoke with a Spanish vessel. Lauzun could not let the occasion slip of sending his congratulations to Mme. de Guemenee, and more especially to the Queen ; but, not to infringe his orders, which enjoined absolute secrecy, he sent his letters to be forwarded by the Minister of Marine.-^ From the day when the flotilla reached the Senegal Lauzun kept a diary of events as they happened, till he found himself in France again. This diary cannot be quoted in extenso on account of its length and the technical character of the details, but we will give an abstract of the contents, and base our account of Lauzun's short campaign on this original and indisputable docimient.^ On Thursday, January 28, 1779, the squadron sighted the coast. The Marquis de Vaudreuil hoisted the English flag on all his ships, hoping that the garrison of Fort Saint Louis would take them for the relief they were expecting. At the same time he sent M. Eyries, in command of the corvette Lively, to go as close under the fort as possible and make certain signals agreed upon, that pilots might be sent out to take the ships over the bar. The only response from the fort was a blank salute from a cannon. Next day, at three in the afternoon, the troops to be landed were placed in fourteen boats, and an attempt was made to cross the bar of the Senegal river. This operation, 1 Ministry of Marine, B*, 149. 2 The diary is preserved in the National Archives, T. 1527. 165 which would have been attended by great loss of life if the enemy had opposed it, was achieved with perfect success. Lauzun, with his aides-de-camp, Dillon, Sheldon and Miewkowski, were the first to pass in the launch of the Fendant, Vicomte d'Arrost immediately followed in that of the Sphinx. Some of the boats ran a little risk, but all got into the river. Night meanwhile had come on, and the cold was so bitter that Lauzun made his men land in order that they might bivouac for the night and make fires. On the following day the fishing tribes of negroes, whose huts were to be seen along the river shore, came with great demonstrations of joy on hearing that the new-comers were Frenchmen ; then came several chiefs to ofi'er their services and to sell cattle ; and finally an envoy from the King of Cayor, who sent his brother to compliment Lauzun, and begged to form an alliance with France. He was escorted by a numerous train of negroes mounted on horses and camels. From the people of the country Lauzun received the strangest information. Only two days before his arrival the English troops, having mutinied, had driven the Governor of the Fort, named Fall, out of the place ; they had killed or wounded many of the inhabitants who had taken his part and given the command to a certain Gilbert Stanton. It was also said that the mortality during the winter had been unexampled, that more than a hundred white men had died of fever, so that there were not above a Score of English remaining in the town. 1 66 While Lauzun was hearing this, M. de Vaudreuil, who had returned on board, fired fifty shots on the fort ; after returning fire the garrison hauled down their flag, and an envoy was sent out to parley with the invaders and propose the terms of a capitulation. Lauzun demanded the surrender of the garrison at the King's mercy. This was agreed to. The capitu- lation was signed the same evening, and Lauzun entered the fort at eight that night ; ^ everything there was in the greatest confusion, for during the mutiny the place had been completely pillaged. The soldiers and non-commissioned officers were transferred, as prisoners, on board the Fendant, On Sunday, January 31, Lauzun attended Mass, escorted by all the French officers. The inhabitants showed the greatest pleasure at the restoration of the functions of the Catholic Church. The Due after- wards received them, and confirmed in their appoint- ments all who had shown any attachment to the French rule. On the same day the frigates sailed with instruc- tions to destroy every English settlement on the coast. Lauzun, following his instructions, gave the necessary orders for the destruction of Fort James and for evacuating the Island of Goree. On Monday, February 1, the new governor received a visit from Sidi Mouctar, the chief inter- preter to Alicury, the Moorish King, with whom the French bargained for cattle, slaves, and gum. He came to assure Lauzun of his chiefs friendship, and his desire to live on good terms with the French. 167 To do honour to this Embassy, Lauzun would have offered him refreshment, but in view of the hard times prevailing, only sugar and water could be served. The Marabout who accompanied Sidi Mouctar was bidden to share this banquet. The visit was, in fact, opportune, for the troops were in the greatest necessity ; there were no pro- visions of any description in the fort ; for five months they had been out of flour; their nourishment consisted of some remains of mouldy biscuits, millet- bread, and very bad water. " I owe it in justice to the King's forces,*' says Lauzun, '^ to state that no mark of impatience ever escaped them, though they lacked everything." On Sunday, April 7, Lauzun had a solemn De Beum sung in the presence of the whole garrison. A salute of artillery was fired, and three volleys of musketry ; then Lauzim had himself officially recog- nized as Governor in the presence of the troops. At this juncture, several boats conveying the men ran aground in crossing the bar, and were wrecked on the coast ; a considerable number of sailors were drowned, and all the merchandise, victuals, medicines, and property were stolen by the negroes, of whom King Damel was the chief, he asserting that every- thing that came to shore, whether vessel, cargo, or fittings, was his by right. Lauzun demanded an interview with Damel. It took place in a tent which the Due had prepared for the occasion. The Chief appeared with his army, and a following of about two thousand men on horse- i68 back ; but all the time was spent in compliments and ceremonial, and it was impossible to get the King to talk of business. Damel dined with Lauzun ; he ate and drank in moderation, but the Queens he had brought with him absorbed great quantities of brandy. Next morning at daybreak the " palaver " was held. For eight hours the Chief held out against Lauzun, who demanded restitution of all that had been stolen, and at last, under the threat of an immediate and ruthless invasion, Damel yielded. Immediately, and as a sign of rejoicing, the King and his favourite Queen drank off twenty glasses of brandy. Nor was this all. '' The Queen," says Lauzun, " sent me as a present her favourite female slave, assured me of her liking for white men, and particularly for me ; she also gave me a fine ox. I responded to these attentions by sending her a drum, an instrument she dearly loves." Next day Lauzun despatched the Lively to France, instructing M. d'Arrost to carry to the Minister the news of their conquest, and the official report con- taining the details here epitomized. We read in the last lines how modestly the Due speaks of himself, and with what emphasis he supports the officers under his command, always effacing himself to give them the palm, and asking nothing for himself, but only for them. " M. le Vicomte d'Arrost will have the honour of giving you this letter ; he is better able than any one to enter into all the details that may interest you ; it 169 is rare to find so much intelligence, talent and activity combined ; to these he adds indefatigable zeal, and such patience as is of essential use in the King's service ; he has been most valuable to me, and I part from him with regret. " As to myself, Monsieur, you know that only my attachment to you brought me here ; it is in perfect good faith that I say I have no pretensions to any- thing, and do not wish for anything for myself. In- deed I would perhaps rather obtain no favours than accept such as may be offered me. I confess that I set a far higher value on what kindness you may be able to do to M. Robert Dillon and M. Sheldon, my aides-de-camp. These two young men, charm- ing fellows both, whose ardour and activity have contributed greatly to the rapidity of our operations, were entrusted to me by their relations, who are the best and most intimate friends I have in the world, and there is nothing nearer my heart than the pleasure it would be to contribute to their advance- ment and their military prospects. The only reward I wish for the difficult task I have under- taken, is that you should give M. Robert Dillon the rank of colonel, and procure from M. le Prince de Montbarrey a written promise of a colonelcy for M. Sheldon on the day when he is three-and-twenty. I beg you also to bestow the Cross of Saint Louis on M. Miewkowski, Captain of Hussars, my present aide-de-camp. This officer is a man of the highest distinction." Lauzun also pointed out to the Minister what was 170 necessary to secure possession of the conquered ground — gunners, bombardiers, victuals, etc. He wrote by the same opportunity to his father, to the Marechal de Biron, and to Mme. de Guemenee. If Lauzun could have heard the comments to which the reception of his dispatches gave rise he would have been bitterly mortified. His easy conquest was laughed to scorn, and that he should have had no greater difficulties was regarded as his fault. His own family only tried to decry his achievement, and M. de Choiseul, who stayed quietly at Paris, living on the fat of the land and plotting intrigue, thought it amusing to make fun of his nephew who was trying to be of use. Mme. du Deffant wrote to Walpole, March 21, 1779 :— " M. de Lauzun, with two ships and a very small body of troops, has taken your Senegal, which was your emporium for negroes ; M. de Choiseul yester- day was telling us that M. de Sartines, reading the report of this expedition to the King, hesitated as to giving all the details. M. de Maurepas would not allow him to omit anything ; the King was accord- ingly informed that the English garrison consisted of four men, three of them sick, and M. de Choiseul said that the one who remained surrendered, as it would seem with a good grace, and that no doubt he had been granted the honours of war. If, in the course of this exploit, M. de Lauzun should have discovered a few gold-mines, that would be as good a thing for him as any glory he is likely to have earned." 171 On March 2, M. de Vaudreuil, whose position was precarious, and who had more than four hundred sick on board, decided to sail for Saint lago ; he rejoined M. d'Estaing in time to take part in the capture of Grenada.^ When Lauzun had organized the colony he con- sidered that he had no more to do in Senegal ; he fitted out a merchant- ship with a flag of truce, to return to France with his prisoners. Before de- parting he wished to leave some money to pay the garrison and supply the colony for a little while ; unfortunately the money he had brought with him was already spent in the King's service, and he had none left. He had indeed been provided with a treasurer, but the supply of treasure had been for- gotten. The ingenious idea occurred to him to borrow of the English prisoners, who lent to him personally all they had. He took advantage of the last days of his sojourn in Senegal to conform to his instructions by re- instating the existing forts ; he had them repaired as far as possible, as well as the batteries commanding the bar, which were of the first importance. When he thought he had done enough to secure the defence of the country, and reorganized the administration, he placed the command in the hands of M. d'E5rries, 1 On March 1, Lauzun had from the Chevalier de Pontdevez news of the taking of Fort James on the river Gambia. The fort surrendered at discretion, the garrison consisting, however, of only three officers, twenty-eight soldiers and fifteen marines. M. de Pontdevez had also wrecked all the forts and English dep6ts on the Gambia and the Sierra Leone rivers. 172 in obedience to the instructions he had received, and set sail for France. After a voyage of thirty- six days he reached Lorient, on Monday, April 19. It was high time, for there was neither food nor water left on board.^ 1 Lauzun was not alone in his desire to win laurels. Arthur and Edward Dillon, the Marquis de Coigny, the Yicomte de ISToailles served under the orders of M. de Bouille and M. d'Estaing. Bouille conquered Dominica, and took the island of Saint Lucia by surprise. D'Estaing seized St. Vincent's and Grenada with three thousand men. (The islands were restored to England hj the Peace of Versailles, 1783.) The Vicomte de Noailles and Arthur Dillon distinguished themselves greatly in the attack on the town. Dillon's arm was broken at the begin- ning of the engagement, but he fought on till victory was assured ; his arm was badly set, and had to be broken again eight times. When d'Estaing waited on the Queen for the first time after this campaign, he came in on crutches, accompanied by several other wounded officers, and the only thing she thought of saying to him was: "Monsieur le Comte, were you satisfied with little Laborde?" 173 CHAPTER XII. 1779. Lanznn is ill-received at Versailles — A game at faro — Mme. de Coigny's generous conduct — Lauzun resigns his commission — He is appointed Inspector- General of Prisoners of War — Plans for invading England — Lauzun and M. de Vaux — Camps at Parame and at Vaucieux — Returns to Paris — Intimacy between Mme. de Coigny and Mme. Dillon — Creation of the Lauzun Hussars. As soon as he landed at Lorient, Lauzun jumped into a post-chaise and set out for Versailles to report the success of the expedition. When he arrived there the Court was at Marly ; thither he went in hot haste. If he expected to be complimented on the way in which he had conducted the expedition entrusted to him, he was cruelly undeceived. The Minister re- ceived him very coldly, and the King scarcely spoke a word to him. The Senegal expedition had not been approved of, and its author was out of favour for having undertaken it. The luckless conqueror had the grief of being even worse treated by the Queen than by the King. In the face of such notorious discredit courtiers could not hesitate. Lauzun found himself alone. He understood even more clearly the disfavour of which 174 lie was the object when he perceived that his wife was the close ally of Mme. de Polignac, and of all the coterie who feared and hated him. Notwithstanding the difficulties of the situation he determined to make head against the storm, and in the evening he appeared as a matter of course in the Queen's circle. They were playing faro. Lauzun, not to look too awkward, took his stand behind M. de Fronsac and staked a few louis ; no one spoke a word to him, which was extremely embarrassing. The young Marquise de Coigny was sitting next to M. de Fronsac, but Lauzun scarcely knew her, and did not venture to speak to her. But the young Marquise was touched by the cowardly desertion to which Royal contempt had brought him ; she pre- sently turned round and addressed him, and con- tinued talking to him. Moved beyond expression by this proof of courage, Lauzun immediately credited Mme. de Coigny with wit and much grace. Indeed, her intervention was salvation to him. He recovered his presence of mind, tried to be charming to the amiable lady, who had not hesitated to compromise herself for him, and succeeded. Then, having got into the vein and feeling himself supported, he mixed in the general conversation, addressed the Queen, and was so lively and amusing that Marie Antoinette could not hold out, and began to chat with him as in the high days of his favour. The end of the evening saw his triumph ; he had recovered all his prestige. He preserved a tender recollection of this evening 175 at Marly, which had ended so unexpectedly well. Mme. de Coigny, by her magnanimity, had struck him to the heart, and that impulse of compassion, which indeed showed a generous soul, was the first cause of our hero's last " grand passion." This charming lady filled his thoughts ; he fancied he had never seen her like, nothing so perfect. Who then was Mme. de Coigny, of whom we have not yet had occasion to speak, and who had given to the whole Court such signal proof of an independent and rebellious spirit ? Louise Marthe de Conflans, the eldest daughter of Louis Gabriel, Marquis de Conflans, and of Jeanne Antoinette Portail, was born in 1760. Her mother hated society ; she never went to Court, and she inspired in her daughter, from her earliest years, tastes which led her to sympathize with the citizen class rather than with the nobility. The Marquis de Conflans, her father, was remark- ably handsome, distinguished and tall, and was skilful in all physical games and exercises. He was a man of rare acumen, a great deal of intelligence and wit, and excessively frank in his speech, but he paraded more vices than he really had ; he was immoral on principle, and chose to set his face against everything that he called prejudice ; he told lies without being false, drank hard without caring for wine, and was profligate without passion. This eccentric man was acceptable at Court without ever gaining anything by it ; everyone spoke ill of him, and yet was delighted to see him. In excess, as in 176 everything else, he would never allow himself to be outdone. The Due de L^vis has a story that, at a mess dinner, seeing an old officer of hussars empty a glass holding nearly a pint, he took off one of his boots and filled it with wine, which he drank off to the officer's health. The Comte de Lautrec had a wolfs cub to follow at his heels, by way of a dog ; M. de Conflans at once procured a bear that had been taught to dance, and made it stand solemnly behind his chair, in a hussar's jacket, holding a plate in its fore-paws. Marthe de Conflans all her life retained traces of the ideas inculcated in her infancy, and the examples she had before her eyes. In 1775 she was married to the only son of the Due de Coigny. The story goes that at the time of the marriage several family supper parties were given. When they were being arranged the Due de Coigny said to the Marquis de Conflans : " Do you know I feel very awkward." — " Indeed. Why ? ''—" Well, I never supped with your wife before." — " Faith ! Nor I neither. We will go together and support each other." The anecdote suggests that of the executioner who, as he led a poor wretch to the gallows, said : " I will do my best, but it is only fair to tell you that I never hanged a man in my life." — "And I never was hanged before," said the patient ; " but we will each do all we can, and get through it somehow." The young couple had no affection for each other ; they lived on terms of cool politeness, not however neglecting the rules of '^ good form"; for Mme. de 177 N Coigny in 1778 had a daughter, Antoinette Fran9oise Jeanne, whom she never called by any name but Fanny. The Marquis de Coigny did not present his wife at Court till 1779. She was soon a brilliant figure there, in spite of her youth. Tall and well made, her beauty was dignified and imposing, with an air of disdainful pride and arrogant self-will : ^^ Hers was aristocratic beauty in its highest expression." Her wit was original, biting, and formidable, but she overflowed too with ingenious ideas, delicate judgment, and graceful speeches. Every one was repeating her retorts and sallies, and she at once made herself a position in society, and that a brilliant one. We have seen how promptly she had come to the rescue of Lauzun, whom she hardly knew. Lauzun in his memoirs speaks of Mme. de Coigny in quite a different tone from that he adopts in re- gard to the other ladies of his adoration. There was an excellent reason for this ; namely, that he wrote them for Mme. de Coigny to read. It was therefore quite natural that he should write but lightly of the other women he had loved — that could not fail to be aoreeable to his new friend — and that he should on the contrary display a respectful reserve when she herself was in question. It is indeed quite certain that he loved her as he had loved no other woman ; his attachment from the first was both tender and delicate, and it endured for thirteen years ; that is. till his death. Though for a 178 very long time Mme. de Coigny bestowed on him no smallest favour, not even a lock of hair, was his affec- tion at all the less ? Far from it. Between him and the lady there was a deep affinity of heart and mind ; they were sister souls, understanding each other, and linked by the bond of delicate sentiment. And thus for years Lauzun, the professed roiie^ lived with no idea in his heart but a romantically pure affection for the woman to whom he dreamed of devoting his life. Meanwhile Lauzun had had various interviews with M. de Sartines ; the Minister gave him neither promotion nor increased pay, but he offered him a sum of money down, which Lauzun very handsomely refused. Indeed, he asked nothing for himself ; he only demanded some recompense for his aides-de- camp. M. de Sartines had broken all his pledges. In spite of the most express promises, he had scattered in every direction the corps of Foreign Volunteers that the Due had so carefully recruited. Lauzun, in his indignation, declared to the Minister that,- though he made no complaints, at any rate he would no longer serve the King, and he sent in his papers. The King, however, refused to accept his resignation. " I intend that you shall be well treated and satis- fied," he said to Lauzun, " and I shall give orders to that effect." The Minister did indeed promise to Lauzun that he should be appointed proprietory and inspecting Colonel of a legion, consisting of eighteen hundred foot and six hundred horse ; he also promised him 179 N 2 that he should be made permanent head of the first foreign cavalry regiment which might fall vacant or be incorporated by the War Department. This the Due accepted.-^ He begged, meanwhile, to be appointed Inspector- Oeneral of Prisoners of War. These prisoners were treated in France with extreme barbarity, and a considerable mortality was the result. Lauzun, touched with pity, wanted to remedy this state of affairs. The Minister shared his views, and gave him the necessary authority, not only to amend the condition of these unfortunate prisoners, but to check abuses and dishonesty. While awaiting the moment when he must take up his new duties, Lauzun went to Hautefon- taine ; he was gladly welcomed, his return was celebrated with rejoicings, and pleasure at seeing a well-beloved friend lighted up every counte- nance. Life at Court had not remained unaltered during Lauzun's absence. The Queen's enforced retirement had involved considerable changes. Before and after the birth of the Princess there were no balls and but little card-playing ; but the Comte d'Artois had drawn on his fertile imagination for new amusements, and fresh means of filling up his useless existence. Among other occupations he learnt to dance on the tight-rope. He took lessons ^ A decree of Jnne 25, 1779, amalgamates the Foreign Marine Volunteers with the Volunteer Corps of Nassau; the Nassau regiment did not alter their uniform, but their buttons were changed, the arms of Nassau being replaced by an anchor. 1 80 of an acrobat named Placide, and performed some- times to a select party. As soon as the weather was warm the evening . was spent out-of-doors on the terrace at Versailles. All the Court walked and sat there till one or two in the morning, listening to the bands of the French and Swiss Guards. The Prince de Ligne speaks of these pleasant and innocent evenings^ which looked like an opera-ball : " We listened and conversed, we made mistakes and were mistaken ; I often gave the Queen my arm, and she was charmingly lively. We sometimes had the band among the shrubs in the orangery, where, high up in a niche, there is a bust of Louis XIV. M. le Comte d'Artois would sometimes say as he passed, ' Good evening, grandpapa ! ' One evening I agreed with the Queen that I would stand behind the statue and answer him ; but the fear that they might not bring a ladder for me to get down, but leave me there all night, made me give up the notion. There was often more Court intrigue than love intrigue in all this." . What the Prince omits to say is that all Versailles was at liberty to promenade on the terrace ; ladies of the Court, waiting- maids, citizens' wives, women of the town, everybody in short, elbowing each other in the Park. The Royal Family mingled with this mob, and much annoyance ensued. Subsequently, and again owing to the Comte d'Artois' inventive genius, these assemblies altered in character. Innocent games were introduced, a i8i throne of fern was made in an arbour, and they made-believe King and Queen like children. Then they played at cross-questions, at soldiers, at blind man's buff, and above all at descampativos. Paris adopted the mania, and the rage for playing soldiers and descamjpativos became general. Mercy well understood how unsuitable and ill- considered these amusements were, how rash it was thus lightly to defy the suspicions of a disaffected public by lingering in the arbours of Versailles till two in the morning ! The disastrous affair of the diamond necklace had its beginnings in this alone. While Lauzun was away, Mme. de Polignac's influence, far from diminishing, had constantly increased. The Queen could not do without her favourite. " Alone with her I am no longer Queen,*' said she, " I am myself." At all times and in all places she loaded her with excessive marks of favour. She went every evening to her friend's rooms, where she received the King and the Court. The company met in a large wainscotted drawing-room at the further end of the Palace ; in it there was a billiard table, to the right a piano, to the left a table for playing ' fifteens.' Here the evenings were spent. Very often the Queen dined with Mme. de Polignac, and, to make up for the increased expense, she added sixty thousand francs to her salary. Mme. de Polignac was not, by nature, exacting. But she had about her a sister-in-law, the Comtesse Diane, an ambitious and greedy woman, who wanted to secure every favour for herself and her family ; l82 then there was the Comte de Vaudreuil, drowned in debt, who took advantage of her influence to rob the treasury, and who made a scene when Mme. de Polignac was not -prompt in acceding to his demands. The favourite at last objected so strongly that she was reduced to sobs when urged to take such steps. But she yielded at last, and the Queen, always kind and easily worked upon, seeing her friend in tears, at once took measures for checking them. Mercy declares that for four years the Polignacs obtained in salaries and in gifts more than 500,000 francs a year (£20,000). Nor had the Polignacs alone grown in favour since Lauzun's disappearance from Court, A young Swedish nobleman. Count Fersen, had taken the place the Duke had left vacant ; in a short time he had become a great favourite ; nothing else was talked of at Court. Count Axel Fersen was born at Stockholm in 1757/ On finishing his studies he travelled, as did every Swedish nobleman, through England, Ger- many, and Italy ; he had then come to France, where he had been appointed lieutenant (supernumerary) in the Royal Bavarian regiment. He was tall and well- built ; his features noble, aristocratic and melancholy, his temper romantic. " He had," says M. de Levis, ^' more judgment than wit ; " but he concealed ^' a burning soul under a mask of ice." He was very well received at the French Court. In 1779 he was ^ His father was field marshal, and had been leader of tho opposition at the beginning of the reign of Gustavus III. i«3 high in favour ; he was admitted to the Queen's most intimate circle ; there were whispered rumours of assignations, of long interviews at the opera-balls and the soirees at Trianon ; the Queen had been seen at the harpsichord, gazing at him while she sang the impassioned lines from the opera of Dido : — How happily was I inspired When I received you at my Court ! But to return to Lauzun, whom we left in pleas- ant retirement at Hautefontaine. He was about to begin his tour of inspection of the prisoners of war when he heard that an army was being assembled for the purpose of invading England. He at once applied to the King to be sent on active service, and was appointed to the vanguard under M. de Vaux, who was in command of the land forces. Two camps were formed, one at Param^, in Brittany, and the other at Vaucieux, in Normandy. The enthusiasm was indescribable, the War Office was besieged by young men, by all the Court, eager to be shot at. It was thought the greatest misfortune to be left in- active in a garrison ; every one thirsted for danger and glory. M. de Vaux' forces, numbering only thirty thousand men, had an immense staff of officers. Here are sketches of some of the generals from Lauzun's own pen : — " M. de Vaux was, as he always is, pedantic, dull and second-rate ; under an affectation of authority the basest adorer of favour. ^' The Marquis de Cr^quy, confidential aide-de- 184 camp to the Commander-in-cliief, abetted him in ^ supplying us with poisonously bad food, and spent the rest of his time in playing little ill-natured tricks, some of which were funny enough. " The Marquis de Langeron, Lieutenant-general, was a loyally tiresome old fellow, great at small jokes. In asking you to dinner he would say : ' Will you come and share with me an egg carved for four on the back of a tin plate ? If there is not enough, I will serve myself up in a dish.' " M. de Rochambeau, Marechal de camp, who was in command of the van, could talk of nothing but feats of war ; he was always manoeuvring and plan- ning military dispositions on the field, in his room, on the table, on your snuff-box if you took it out of your pocket ; he thinks of nothing but his business, and knows it wonderfully well. " The Comte de Caraman, the trimmest of dandies, softly, and minutely particular, would stop a man in the street if his coat were buttoned crooked and give him some little military instruction with much interest ; he always showed himself an admirable officer, full of knowledge and energy. ^^M. Wall, Marechal de camp, fed well, drank punch all day, always thought others right, and in- terfered in nothing. " M. de Crussol, Marechal de camp, had a crooked neck and not too straight a mind.'' At Parame the days were spent in drilling, evolutions, sham attacks and defence, landing from boats, and military reconnoitring. These manoeuvres 185 were in fact great shows ; spectators collected from all the neighbouring towns ; fine ladies came even from Paris, and seats were reserved for them to look on in comfort. When there were no manoeuvres, there was dancing. Mme. de la Chatre would come, Mmes. de Simiane, de Navaris, de Coigny, de Villequier and others. The men danced in boots, and in the evening capital suppers were given. The thing most clearly proved by these perform- ances was that France had no General officers ; they all betrayed their extreme newness and ignorance. All these elaborate preparations ended only in a huge bubble. M. de Maurepas had never been under any illusion as to the final collapse of M. de Sartine's project, and was always making fun of the invasion. Spain meanwhile had formed an alliance with France to fight the English. The Spanish fleet of thirty-four ships joined the French, of thirty- two. M. d'Orvillers, at the head of this formidable squadron, sailed in pursuit of Admiral Hardy ; but the Englishman evaded him very cleverly and retired into Plymouth.^ M. d'Orvillers was about to blockade the harbour when a fearful squall dispersed the ships, and obliged them to make for Brest in all haste ; he was glad to escape with no worse harm done. This, however, was not all ; sickness broke ^ A caricature represented M. d'Orvillers as a colossus with one foot on the Isle of Usshant and the other on the Scilly Isles, look- ing which way the wind was blowing, while Hardy's fleet sailed in between his legs. i86 out in the fleets ; it was evident that no fighting could be done, and the allies separated. While the English were conspicuous for the care taken of their sailors and the admirable standard of health that resulted, the French were no less neglected with fatal indifference, and were decimated by sickness. This was the reason why most of our naval enterprises failed of success. Admiral Hardy's fleet was uninjured ; it held the seas and put any attempt to invade England out of the question. The scheme had therefore to be given up ; and the campaign announced with so much flourish, and prepared so elaborately, ended contemptibly enough. Indignation was general ; the two camps rang with recriminations, and the Ministers were severely blamed. M. de Choiseul is credited with the bitter remark : " M. de Maurepas is, it must be admitted, a wise Minister ; but his watch is six months slow." — " The Due is right, perhaps," retorted the witty old man. " But then — his watch has stopped ! " The camps at Parame and Vaucieux, being of no further use, were broken up in the month of November, and all the coming conquerors, who had seen their dreams of glory and battle vanish into thin air, made their way back to the capital somewhat sheepishly after their discomfiture. On his return to Paris Lauzun renewed his ac- quaintance with Mme. de Martainville ; and they often were together at Hautefontaine ; but Mme. Dillon and she were no longer on very friendly 187 terms. On the other hand, Mme. Dillon had become very intimate with Mme. de Coigny, which suffi- ciently explained Mme. de Martainville's bitterness. She was, in fact, keen enough to understand that she was supplanted in Lauzun's affections, and she owed Mme. Dillon a mortal grudge for her politeness to her rival. As a result of her intimacy with Mme. Dillon, Mme. de Coigny was soon a constant visitor to Mme. de Gu^men^e, and here too Lauzun frequently met her. But Lauzun was now two-and-thirty, and no longer thought himself irresistible. He even went so far in his bashfulness as to forbid himself the pleasure of gazing at her and listening to her. At this juncture the idea occurred to him of strengthening the ties of affection which already bound Mme. de Coigny and Mme. de Gu^m^n^e, by arranging a marriage between Mme. de Coigny' s sister and the Prince's son. He spoke of the matter to Mme. de Coigny, who was enchanted, and entrusted the negotiation to Lauzun. He had great influence over his friend Guemenee, and obtained his consent without difficulty. It was a splendid match for Mademoiselle de Conflans, for the Due de Montbazon, who was but eighteen years old, was the future head of the house of Rohan. Mme. de Marsan and the Cardinal de Rohan highly disapproved of the marriage and strongly opposed it, but M. de Guemenee left them to themselves ; the ceremony was fixed for May 29, 1780. Lauzun, who ha3 been treated with such cruel in- i88 justice and ingratitude, at last obtained from M. de Sartines an appointment as Colonel-proprietory and Inspector of a corps of eight hundred infantry and four hundred cavalry, to be designated as '' Lauzun's Foreign Volunteers." This new corps was enrolled by royal patent of March 5, 1780, and the same document disbanded the foreign marine corps of 1778.^ 1 The corps was to consist of five companies of infantry, two of fusiliers, one of grenadiers, one of artillery, and one of light chasseurs ; and of two squadrons of hussars, each containing one company. The uniform was to be the same as that fixed by the regulations of September 1, 1778, for the foreign Marines. The hussars were to adopt the same uniform as that of the regulars. The staff of the corps included the Due de Lauzun, Colonel-pro- prietory and Inspector of the regiment, with twenty thousand francs a year; Vicomte d'Arrost, Colonel commanding, with twelve thousand francs ; Comte Dillon, Lieutenant-colonel, with six thousand francs ; Comte de Podereczky, Major ; d'Exclent, Captain of hussars ; Le Loing, Captain of grenadiers ; de Blon- deau. Captain of artillery ; de Trentinian, Captain of chasseurs ; de Miewkowski, Captain of hussars. 189 CHAPTER XIII. 1780. An army to be sent to America — Lauzun and his legion to form part of it — Fersen also joins — ^The strang-e adventnre of M. Dillon — Across the Atlantic — A naval battle — They reach Rhode Island. All this time the Americans, left to their own resources, saw their affairs looking but badly; the enthusiasm of the first outbreak was failing, and the rebellion was not making good progress. They reproached us, with justice, for having for- gotten our promises and neglected their interests. In view of this position the Ministry at last made up its mind to act, and in the course of the winter of 1780 it was decided that an army corps should be sent to America to reinforce the troops of the Con- gress. As soon as it was made known, this news caused a frenzy of enthusiasm in the French nobility, always eager and valiant. The younger men es- pecially, all holding rank in the army, could not contain themselves for joy at the thought of reap- ing glory at last on a field of battle. They asked nothing better than to leave home, pleasure, wives and 190 sweethearts, to rush into peril and danger. Lauzun, Fersen, the Dillons, Noailles, Segnr, and many more, vied with each other in imploring to be sent to fight for American freedom. It was a strange and a new thing to see a despotic Government assisting a nation in revolt against its legitimate sovereign. But it was perhaps even more extraordinary to see the Government sending forth all its young aristocracy to imbibe notions of independence and liberty which they would subse- quently import into France. The Royal personages were so completely blinded that, when La Fayette returned to Versailles in 1779, the Queen said to him: ''Now give me some news of the good Americans — of our dear republicans." The little French army was placed under the com- mand of the Comte de Rochambeau. Lauzun at once craved the favour of being sent out with his little corps of volunteers ; this was immediately granted, thanks to M. de Rochambeau's intervention. The Due was to join his regiment at Brest Before leaving he wished above all things to see Mme. de Coigny once more ; but he would not go to her house. He fortunately met her at Mme. de Gon- taut's ; he asked permission to bid her farewell, and she laughingly appointed a meeting at the Tuileries for next day. She kept the appointment, but accom- panied by her friend the Comtesse de Durfort. Lauzun writes of her with real feeling : "I under- stood that day how much I might love her, and ten times I was on the point of telling her so ; at the J91 moment when we were parting, perhaps for ever, I felt that I could risk nothing by opening my heart to her. I did not value life, and she might have made it dear to me. But I dared not. The thing we feel most deeply is often that which it is hardest to utter.'* Two days later Lauzun left for Brest. It had been settled that the whole expedition should as- semble at Brest and sail on April 5. At first it was proposed to send as many as 12,000 men, to be augmented possibly to 20,000 ; but the figure was subsequently reduced to 7500. However, the trans- ports were not ready ; the resources of the navy had been exhausted in sending out a considerable force to the Antilles with M. de Guichen. The indolence and ineptitude of the officials were beyond anything that is conceivable. Finally, for lack of transport ships, hardly five thousand men could be sent oiF. It was determined that the ten thousand men left behind should form a second contingent, and follow the first as soon as possible. A great deal of artillery was shipped, a consider- able siege-train, victuals for four months at sea and as much on land ; but the troops wanted for every- thing. In some regiments the men had neither stockings, shoes nor shirts ; all these had to be pro- vided. There was a great deal of bad feeling among them, and discipline was ill-maintained. The fleet was commanded by Vice-admiral Comte de Temay.^ He wished at all costs to conceal his 1 It consisted of seven line of battle sliips : the Due de Bourgogne, 80 gnns ; the Neptune, 74 ; the Conquer ant, 74 ; the 192 departure from the English, for he knew that Admiral Graves was at Portsmouth completing the armament of a squadron expressly commissioned to pursue him and give battle. Lauzun's foreign volunteers had gone to Brest with their officers in order to embark, but space was limited ; for lack of room and to Lauzun's deep chagrin — for he was in despair at seeing his legion incomplete — it was decided that the two companies of fusiliers should be left behind to form part of the second convoy. The troops to go now embarked on April 5. Among the officers who went with them may be named Comte Dillon, the Vicomte d'Arrost, the Baron de Viomenil, Chastellux, the Vicomte de Noailles, the Vicomte de Custine, the Due de Castries, the Marquis de Deux-Ponts, the Marquis de Laval- Montmorency, the Comte de Saint-Mesmes, M. de Montesquieu, and the Vicomte de Rochambeau. • Fersen, handsome Fersen, was also one of the elect. Perhaps it was prudence that bid him leave, to silence the rumours caused by his presence at Versailles. His departure was remarked upon. The Comte de Creutz wrote to Gustavo III., April 10, 1779 : — "I confess I cannot help thinking that the Queen had a weakness for him ; I have seen symp- toms too certain to doubt. Young Count Fersen' s conduct has been admirably modest and discreet ; Jason, 64; the EneilJe, 64; the Provence, 64; the Ardent, 64; the Surveillante, and the Amazone. There were transports besides, and the whole convoy made up thirty-four ships. 193 especially wise is his determination to go to America. By going away he has obviated all risk, but it evidently needed a firmness beyond his years to resist temptation. The Queen could not take her eyes oiF him these last days ; they filled with tears when- ever she looked at him." When Fersen's departure was announced the Duchesse de Fitz James said to him : " What, Monsieur, can you bear to abandon your conquest ? *' " If I had made a conquest, I would never abandon it," replied the young man. ^' I go a free man, and unfortunately leave no regrets." The Commander-in-chief, M. de Rochambeau, was on board the Due de Bourgogne ; Lauzun sailed in the Provence, All the preparations were made under great difficulties. Several transports ran aground by the blundering of the merchant captains, whose ignorance was complete ; some of the vessels sprang a leak and were obliged to unload ; the Conquerant even let in water and had to be pumped three times a day. There were a number of sick. The signal for weighing anchor was given several times, but it was always the moment seized for going on shore by the ships' officers, and even the commanders ; they could not be got to sleep on board. At last, on April 13, all was ready. Every one came on board, and anchor was to be weighed on the 15th. But the sea was rough, and the convoy, after getting to sea to wait outside for the fleet, returned to the harbour on the 17th. 194 At the last moment Vicomte Dillon, Edouard Dillon's brother, who was second in command of Lauzun's legion, was not to be seen. He had gone on shore in good health and spirits to put some letters in the post, and had not been seen again. The whole army could talk of nothing but this sudden disappearance ; some with ill-nature accusing the young officer of cowardice ; others, and the greater number, believing that he had met with some accident. Lauzun, who was much attached to Dillon, defended him through thick and thin, living, however, in mortal anxiety, till after three days' absence the colonel quietly came on board with a sword cut in his body and two in his arm. His absence was then explained. On joining at Brest he had seen at a post-house a chaise which he had loudly and severely criticized ; the proprietor of this vehicle, a retired gendarme, took offence at his remarks, and called him to account for them. Dillon politely apologized for his random remarks and each drew his sword. But the gendarme on arriving at Nantes boasted of having put to flight '' a certain Dillon " who was on his way to embark with his regiment. This was reported to the Vicomte, who, taking his chance of what might ensue, followed up his adversary and wounded him severely, while he himself got three sword cuts. Dillon, who in spite of his wounds had ridden without stopping from Nantes, not to miss his ship, was put under arrest by M. de llochambeau. This adventure gives some idea of the importance 195 2 attached to such a point of honour, since it was great enough to make an officer risk being a deserter on the eve of a campaign. The wind continued contrary till the end of the month. At last, on May 2, the fleet and convoy made sail. All the officers, with the exception of M. de Rochambeau and M. de Ternay, were in ignorance of their destination. On the 15th the fleet had not yet doubled Cape Finisterre, and already there was much to repair. We will cross the Atlantic, making the long voyage in Lauzun's company ; will see what reflections were suggested to him and to his companions by the life on board, and the various incidents of the voyage. The first thing that struck the officers of the army was the want of discipline among the naval officers ; it was beyond anything they had conceived of, and their pride, too, was unexampled and unjustifiable. " In this corps everything breathes jealousy and insubordination ; every one who has not begun as a naval cadet is hated and despised, and every officer in particular — even such as have most talent — is full of prejudices which could never be eradicated but by entirely reconstructing and reforming the corps." The captain and officers of the ship on which Lauzun found himself were full of perfectly intolerable and odious pride, airs and insubordination, and they would say the most incredible things : one of them said : " When a Minister dares to send us an order that does not suit us, we send it back and 196 do not obey it." In speaking of the supernumerary officers whom they had been obliged to engage M. de Basleroi said, to close a discussion : " Besides, gentlemen, though it may be to the interest of the State that we should have some, it is not to ours, so it is not to be endured." The officers, too, hated each other ; those of Brest called those who had come from the Mediterranean " fresh-water sailors." Was this insolence compensated for by solid know- ledge? By no means. To give some idea of the ignorance of the naval officers on board the Provence^ we need mention but two facts : one of them mistook a map of the Black Sea for that of the Mediterranean ; another asserted that the Tiber passed the walls of Constantinople ; he was with great difficulty made to understand that it flows past Rome, and discussed the matter for more than an hour before he would believe that this was true. Life on board was fearful for the men; six or seven hundred of them packed into a small ship could scarcely move. They had bad sleeping quarters, breathed a poisonous atmosphere, and had only vile food to eat and water gone brown with staleness. They were devoured by " lice, bugs and fleas." The sick were at the mercy of an inefficient surgeon, who had not even the necessary remedies to cure them. This is how they took their meals : " All these poor, ill- clad sailors collected in the galley aft, sat down on the ground, and the rations were served out in mangers, as if they were horses ; five times a week 197 hard biscuit in the morning, sometimes uneatable, and a little wine ; at noon much the same meagre repast, excepting that a little salt meat was added ; at five in the evening some broth made of beans or of sour-crout. It would be far better to give them these vegetables separately, but this is not the custom on board ship — besides, it would give the officers some trouble; so they prefer not to think about it." All kinds of amusements were devised to vary the monotony of the voyage. When the weather was fine a launch was lowered, and the officers paid visits to their friends sailing in other ships. Lauzun had with him the band of his regiment, and he gave a concert every day on board the Provence to his companions on the voyage. As soon as the instru- ments were heard the other ships approached. This was the chief entertainment, the only thing that brought a little cheerfulness into the life of these unfortunate beings during a long voyage, while sick- ness was beginning to reduce their numbers. On June 11, a small vessel loaded with hen^ings, oil and biscuit, was captured. This was a great event for all the fleet. Each ship of war was licensed to send for a share of the booty ; it was a horrible scene of pillage, and the men even fought with each other, drawing their cutlasses. In the heat of the fray a sailor fell overboard, and was saved with the greatest difficulty ; of course he could not swim. On June 18, an English corvette of eighteen guns was captured ; the prisoners were completely stripped 198 of everything they had. The evening was fine and warm, and Lauzun's band played for the delectation of the fleet. On June 20, the squadron was south-west of the Bermudas, when six English ships came in sight. All hands were called on deck. It would be a pity not to record here the short and suggestive address spoken before the fight by the Capuchin father on board the Frovence : " You have an excellent captain who has given proof of courage and skill. Confess your sins ; God forgive you all. Give no quarter." The battle began. But at dusk, in spite of superior strength and favouring conditions, M. de Ternay refused to continue the fight. He allowed the enemy to get away, and held on his own course. This conduct on the Admiral's part led to vehement recrimination, and even to remonstrance on the part of the ofi[icers and men under his orders. It was asserted that we might have destroyed the English ships, and that the commander's incapacity had robbed us of a certain victory. This criticism was utterly unjust. It was not generally known that M. de Ternay 's orders were to avoid fighting on the high seas, and to escort his convoy as quickly as possible to America. If he had lost only a few hours his way would have been crossed by Admiral Graves' fleet, which was in full pursuit, and missed the French by only twenty-four hours. This affair, which might have brought us glory, added to the depression which was gradually gaining 199 on the crews and soldiers. They had now been two months on the seas from Brest; victuals were running short, and becoming daily worse ; the number of sick constantly increased — there were 250 down on board the Oonqueranty as many on board the Jason and the other ships. Most of the cases were of scurvy. M. de Temay did nothing to keep up the men's spirits. Never was so gloomy an Admiral, or with so little initiative. He never spoke to anyone, and his dejection had at last infected the officers ; they were all suffering from melancholy and ennui, and many of them were on the sick list. On July 4, in the evening, two English frigates came in sight, and a few shots were fired, but again we avoided fighting. On the 6th, a transport, the Jeanne-Marie, was missing ; it carried the cooks and bakers for the army. At last, on July 7, land was sighted. All the captains of ships were assembled to hold council of war with M. de Rochambeau and M. de Chastellux ; it was decided to disembark the men at Rhode Island. On the 8th, another transport was missing in the fog, the Isle de France, with three hundred men on board from Bourbonnais. On July 11 the fleet at length cast anchor in the roadstead of Newport. It was high time ; the voyage had lasted seventy-two days, and neither food nor water was left on the ships. The number of sick was considerable, but above all the men were 200 wearied out : dulness and depression had broken the spirit of the stoutest. The sight of land, the smell of earth, the hope of victory were enough to revive the spirit and courage of the young officers ; and they were fated to want them more than ever. 201 CHAPTER XIV. 1780. The Americans receive them badly — The camp at Newport — Depression of the troops at the delay — August 15 — A visit from Indians — Rochambeau goes to see Washirgton — Life at Newport — Winter quai'ters — Lauzun and Feraen — Rocham- beau returns to France — Lauzun is sent to Lebanon. If M. de Rochambeau and his companions expected to be hailed with enthusiasm, they were soon undeceived. Hardly had the ships anchored in Newport roads when the General landed with his staff. He found no one awaiting them ; the streets were empty, not a face was to be seen at the windows : the few in- habitants they met looked sullen and dismayed. Rochambeau and his suite had to put up at the inn. This reception, so far from what they had looked for, threw the French into fresh depression. On the next day, however, Rochambeau saw the Governor of the town and the principal inhabitants. He explained to them that his little force was only the forerunner of a much larger army, that the King of France had determined to support them with all his power, and that, with his help, their ultimate success was certain. By degrees his hearers warmed up, and the 202 residents proposed to express their satisfaction by some display of rejoicing. In the evening the houses, streets and church-towers were illuminated, and there were even a few fireworks in honour of the French. By arrangement with the Governor a place for a camp was decided on outside the town, so as to inconvenience the inhabitants as little as possible, and on the following day the troops were landed. The sick were carried to the hospital at Newport, and the sound marched to the camping ground, where they ran up huts. But it was not enough to make a camp ; it must also be placed in a state of defence. An attack from the English was to be feared at any moment, and during the first few days would infallibly have been successful; we had not more than four thousand men fit to put under arms, and many even of those were in a very poor state of health. It was therefore necessary to construct redoubts, and to fortify the island, to avoid the risk of serious disaster. Rochambeau placed Lauzun in command of the coast, and of everything within shot of the spots where it was possible to land. Lauzim, without a minute's delay, set to work to construct defences for the part of the island under his command. On July 21 an English fleet of twenty-one ships came in sight in the offing ; the French were not yet in a position to make effectual resistance, and for some days they lived in great apprehension. Happily the English Admiral Arbuthnot was waiting for the 203 co-operation of the land forces before attacking the camp. When at last he did so, it was too late ; Lauzun had erected so many earthworks and batteries that they afforded us perfect protection. But, though we were in a position to defend ourselves, we kept very slack watch, as the following anecdote proves. On August 9 an English officer came off in a launch with a flag of truce, to discuss an exchange of prisoners. He got to the Due de Bourgogne without meeting a single boat on the look-out, and without his approach being even signalled. M. de Rochambeau, in anticipation of a probable attack, had urgently begged Washington to send him some militia to reinforce him in the fight ; the Ameri- can General had therefore drafted off four thousand men, " They are splendid soldiers, and all ready and willing,'* wrote Lauzun. " There are whole squads of negroes, and the outposts of black men with white shirts, such as they wear in this country, look exactly like the negi'o harlequins on the stage." Rhode Island, in spite of the devastation of war, of ruined houses and forests felled, was a lovely spot ; rye, maize, and every kind of corn grew and ripened wonderfully, and the trees bore much the same class of fruit as in France. All the men rejoiced at finding themselves in this Eden ; but the heat proved excessive during the month of August, and our soldiers, un- accustomed to a high temperature, suffered severely. The town of Newport, the only one on the island, had but two main streets ; it had been a rather pretty and busy place before the war. Three-fourths of the 204 houses were small farms of most attractive appearance. Between Newport and the mainland the straits were quite a league across, and the passage was not always very safe. The horses were ferried over on large, flat boats. The spot chosen for the French camp was healthy and well protected. The troops were obedient to very strict discipline, which astonished and rejoiced the inhabitants, accustomed as they were to be pillaged both by the English and by their own troops. Everything requisitioned was paid for at once, and in money. M. de Rochambeau was a firm and up- right man, a great disciplinarian, and by his example and authority compelled every man to respect most scrupulously the rights, property, customs and practice of our allies. " Discipline was so well maintained that fowls and pigs roamed among the tents undisturbed, and there was within the limits of the camp a field of maize, of which not a leaf was touched." The good conduct of the troops was all the more meritorious because they were far from content, they lacked most necessaries, and were very badly fed. It is difficult to form an idea of the reckless want of care with which preparations were even then made for distant expeditions. M. de Temay writes to the Minister of Marine to ask for wine and brandy : " The barrels shipped on the merchant transports not having been hooped with iron, almost all leaked." He applies for blankets, mattresses and clothing for soldiers and sailors. Most 205 of the men of the Picardy regiment have no breeches, no coat ; nothing but an old cloak. ^ M. de Rochambeau had brought gifts for the wild Indians from the King, and clothing for the colonists. Unfortunately, in the confusion of shipping, the bales had been badly made up and everything was missing. In the country the distress was very great ; the island had been laid waste by the English, who had held it for three years, and then again by the rebel troops. Paper money was at a discount of sixty per cent. Rochambeau paid for everything, even rent for the camping ground. But he had no money and was forced to borrow, for he could get nothing on credit. Fersen, in speaking of the colonists, says : '' Their greed of money is unequalled : money is their god ; virtue, honour — nothing in the world is of any account but the precious metal. In all the dealings we have had with them, they have treated us as foes rather than as friends .... They sell food to the English, who pay dear for it." This rapacity did not tend to make Rochambeau's situation less critical. Meanwhile the second division of the army — for which they were impatiently waiting to begin hos- tilities — did not arrive, nor was there anything to suggest a hope that it was on its way. Rochambeau and his force were left absolutely to themselves ; since leaving Brest they had had no news from home of any kind. The General, fully aware of the insurmountable difficulties of his position, would attempt no action 1 Ministry of Marine, B*, 183. 206 till the second division should arrive. But weariness was preying on all, and inaction gave rise to dismal reflections. The ofiicers could but wonder whether it was worth while to come from France to camp out for the fun of it at Newport. They had started for America to win laurels, and not to grow lean in a useless stockade. Fersen echoes their feelings when he writes this delightful letter to his father : — "You know the French well enough, my dear father, and what we call men of the Court, to picture the despair of all our young men of that class who find themselves compelled to spend the winter quietly at Newport, away from their mistresses and the pleasures of Paris ; no suppers, no theatres, no balls ; they are desperate ; but they need only the word of command to march against the enemy, to comfort them." Dejection fell on all. The season was advancing ; it would soon be too late to undertake anything. They began to think that they must winter at New- port, and there seemed no worse fate possible. Their situation also was becoming more and more pre- carious. Sickness spread daily ; it was ascribed to the foggy climate, which checked perspiration and caused inflammatory colds on the lungs. M. de Rochambeau, seeing with grief the disastrous eflfects on his little army, of inaction, discontent and sickness, tried by every means in his power to amuse his men and raise their broken spirits ; unluckily amusements were few. 207 However, on August 24, the eve of Saint Louis' day, the forces celebrated the King's name-day. All the regiments turned out under arms, three volleys of musketry were fired, all the batteries fired a salute, and M. de Rochambeau reviewed the troops with General Heath, Military Governor of Newport. The Americans were much struck by the splendid drill of the French. The festival was continued on the morrow. A dinner was given to the Knights of Saint Louis. M. de Temay gave a great dinner on board his flag-ship, healths were drunk to all the great powers, and salutes fired from every vessel. On August 30, a deputation of thirty Indians came to pay their respects to the General. As a rule they wore no clothes, but in honour of the event they were in gala costume — a shirt, stockings and shoes. On entering the presence of M. de Rochambeau they woi;^ only one shoe as a mark of respect. They were well received, in the hope of securing their friendship and preventing their allying themselves with the English. Presents were given them in the King's name, humble enough it is true, of a shirt and a blanket; but the gift was repeated each day. M. de Rochambeau invited them to a grand meal ; at first they were astonished and embarrassed, but by degrees became quite at their ease, and smoked their pipes very happily. To avoid making them drunk, they had wine much diluted with water. The General had ordered for them some of the delicacies of French cookery. " Well," said he afterwards to one of the party, " have you had a good dinner ? " 208 — " Very good," said the Redskin ; then laying his hand familiarly on M. de Rochambeau's arm, he added : ^' but, believe me, all that was not to com- pare with the English cook we ate the other day." After dining they visited the cantonments ; all the regiments were marched past, but what above all else excited their admiration was a charge of Lauzun's hussars. When the Duke rode past at a gallop fol- lowed by all his men they yelled with delight, uttering cries " which were more like the howls of beasts than the voices of men." One of the things that most astonished the Indians was seeing apple trees loaded with fruit overhanging the tents of the soldiers. They, living solely on rapine, could not understand such respect for the property of others. In the evening they performed a dance before the officers. They might have been taken for wild beasts ; hideous yells and howls preceded the dance ; some beat the tattoo on a tub covered with a skin, for a drum, others rattled pieces of wood together ; they thus excited each other while others executed steps and figures in time to the clatter. On September 1 the Indians went to take leave of M. de Rochambeau. In the evening they were taken to see an acrobat performing on a tight rope, and this amazed them greatly. Next day they left to rejoin Washington's army. Everybody regretted their departure, for they had amused the men, and had afforded valuable entertainment, breaking the dull and monotonous life of the camp. 209 p On September 8 a duel was fought about some trivial difference, between M. Dillon and the Vicomte de Noailles. M. de Noailles was wounded. M. de Rochambeau was now very anxious to meet General Washington, and talk over the situation and the steps that should be taken. He proposed to meet him at Hartford ; he set out for that place, escorted by his son, M. de Ternay, Fersen, and M. de Damas. They thought the country they travelled through the finest in the world ; it was well cultivated, the landscape was picturesque, and the inhabitants seemed well-to-do. The party met with a singular adventure. One night a wheel came off the carriage in which were Rochambeau and Ternay. Fersen went in search of a wheelwright ; at a distance of about a mile he found one, but he was ill with fever. To Fersen's entreaties he merely replied, " If you were to fill my hat with guineas you would not get me out of bed this night." The French General followed in person to beg the man to come to their assistance, but it was of no use. "Well," said Rochambeau, "all I can say is that General Washington expects me, and you will make me miss my appointment. You must be responsible to the country." — " Why did not you say so sooner ? " said the wheelwright. " If it is a matter of public service I will do it." He got up and went to mend the wheel, at the risk of his life. Rochambeau reached Hartford on September 27, and there found W^ashington. The French ofiicers had been very anxious to make the acquaintance 2IO of the famous American General. He made the deepest impression on them and roused them to the highest enthusiasm. " He has the look of a hero," writes Fersen. " His face is handsome and majestic, but at the same time kind and benignant ; his smile is pleasant, his manners are simple without being familiar." " Everything about him proclaimed him the hero of a republic," says Segur ; " he inspired rather than commanded respect. He modestly strove to evade the homage which it was a pleasure to pay to him ; at the same time no one better knew how to receive and reply to it. He listened with obliging attention to those who addressed him, and his countenance answered before he spoke." In the course of this conference with Washington, M. de Rochambeau positively refused to leave Newport before he was joined by the second division of his army. But it was agreed that if by October 15 he should have received no news of it, he was to send a frigate to France, with an officer charged to ask for reinforcements, and to explain to the Minister what superior forces by sea and land held the gallant little French corps in check. It was on his return from this meeting that Washington discovered the treachery of General Arnold, who was plotting to surrender West Point to the English, with all the depot of the American army. A few hours' delay and American indepen- dence would have been hopelessly at an end. Washington's army, between two hostile forces, would have been destroyed, and the French corps must 2I£ P 2 apparently have shared its fate. Arnold escaped to the English lines and became the most virulent foe of his countrymen/ All this while the French forces were vegetating in the most odious and intolerable idleness. The enemy could be seen, but could not be got at. In another way, indeed, the service was hard and fatiguing, for watch had to be kept night and day, and the force was small. M. de Rochambeau found himself in a cruel dilemma. If he left Newport, the fleet would immediately be taken and destroyed. If, on the other hand, the fleet were sent ofl*, the land force would be surrounded and attacked by superior numbers. So long as there were no reinforcements they could only hold on in this wretched position. All the army were miserably depressed, and M. de Temay foresaw the moment when his fleet would be absolutely without food. M. de Rochambeau made up his mind to send an officer home to lay the situation before the Minister. Since his arrival on the American continent he had received neither letters nor despatches, nor instruc- tions of any kind. The other Generals all wished that he should send Lauzun, whose intimacy with M. de Maurepas might have been of great service. However, he preferred to send his son. He gave ^ Till this time Arnold's conduct had been excellent, and in a previous fight he had been badly wounded in the leg". A story tells that later in the war, being in Virginia and closely pursued, he asked an American prisoner of war what his fellow citizens would have done to him if he had been caught. " We should have cut off the leg that was wounded in the service of your country," said the soldier, " and have hanged the rest." 212 him urgent letters to the Minister and the officials. M. de Ternay also wrote to the Minister a note of serious complaint. Lauzun, finally, pressingly insisted that the remainder of his legion, left in France, should be sent out to join him ; he pointed out that his men were continually at the outposts and were harassed with fatigue, etc., and he ended by demanding fifty recruits to fill the places made vacant by illness and wounds.^ Pending the arrival of the young Vicomte de Rochambeau at Versailles, and his success in forward- ing the cause he had gone to represent, the army went into winter quarters. Rhode Island, where the army was established, was well populated, the resources of society were not lacking ; our young officers were invited to charming parties where the American ladies shone with grace and beauty. There were dances and suppers which delighted the residents and helped the French officers to endure the gloom of exile. Lauzun was the idol of these meetings. Venturing to be somewhat bold, at least in speech, with one of the young ladies: "Your words amaze me, M. le Due," said the damsel, " for I am told that in France you are married." " Married ! " said the Due with a laugh. " Yes . . . but so little — so very little that it is scarcely worth mentioning." •Lauzun, guided by his good star, found himself from the first in a very agreeable circle. Mrs. Hunter, a widow of six-and-thirty, had two charming 1 Ministry of Marine, October 1, 1780. 213 daughters, admirably brought up. They lived in great retirement and saw no company. Lauzun, by some accident, had made their acquaintance imme- diately on landing in Rhode Island, and they took a great liking for the gay, witty and amusing French- man. He soon was a constant visitor at the house, and was treated as one of the family. He fell ill. Mrs. Hunter took him into the house and took the kindest care of him. Lauzun himself expressly says that he never was in love with the Misses Hunter ; " but if they had been my sisters," says he, " I could not have been more fond of them." The elder, without being regularly pretty, had a bright and intelligent countenance, and much grace in her movements ; she also dressed very well. Her sister Nancy " was a perfect rosebud, her temper was cheerful, her face always smiling, and her teeth beautiful, a rare thing in America.'* Mr. Champlein, a wealthy and influential man, had a rarely beautiful daughter ; she had fine eyes, a pleasing mouth, a lovely complexion, a pretty figure and very elegant style ; she dressed her hair with taste and spoke French well. Fersen was her particular admirer and paid her great attention. Miss Sprindly and Miss Silven were also much admired by the French officers. And while speaking of the youthful beauties of Rhode Island we must not omit to mention the fascinating Polly Leyton. She was not to be seen at balls and entertainments, for she was a Quakeress, but she nevertheless made a great impression. " She is 214 the goddess of grace and beauty, Minerva in person," says the Prince de Broglie ; "a masterpiece of nature." " Never was there such a combination of graces and simplicity, of so much elegance and propriety," writes Segur. " Her dress was as white as herself ; the muslin of her fuU kerchief, the envious cambric which scarcely allowed me to see her fair hair, all the innocent embellishments of a pious maiden, strove in vain to hide an exquisite figure and conceal the most bewitching charms. Her eyes, like twin mirrors, seemed to reflect the gentleness of a pure and tender soul; she welcomed us with an artless confidence which delighted me, and the use of ^ thee ' and ^ thou,' as prescribed by her sect, gave our new acquaintance the ease of old friendship. In our conversations the guileless originality of her questions amazed me. " ' Hast thou then no wife nor children in Europe,' said she, ' that thou art come from thy native land to make wicked war ? ' " ^ But it is for your sake,' replied I, ^ that I have come away from all I love, and it is to defend your liberty that I am fighting the English.' " ' The English,' said she, ^ have done thee no harm ; and as for our liberty, what concern is it of thine ? It is always wrong to interfere in other people's con- cerns except to make peace and prevent bloodshed.' " * Aye,' replied I, ' but my King ordered me to carry arms for him here against your enemies and his." " ' Well,' said she, ' if thy King bid thee do what is 215 unjust, and inhuman, and against God's command- ments, thee should obey thy God and disobey thy King, for he is made King to save life, and not to slay. I am sure that if thy wife has a good heart, she is of my mind.' " ^ From the time of their arriving at Rhode Island Lauzun had been on intimate terms with Count Fersen. So strange a thing is destiny ! Thrown to- gether by the chances of life in this remote solitude, they had grown into genuine esteem for each other, and had become inseparable friends. They had been mutually attracted by similarly romantic tempera- ment, and many tastes in common, and they spent all the time together which was not claimed by their duties in the service. The conversations between two such men may be imagined ; both noble, generous and chivalrous ; both having felt an ardent devotion to the same woman. If we could doubt the loftiness of Lauzun's sentiments or the dignity of his character, these lines from his friend's pen would surely be convincing. How should Fersen, who lived with him almost exclusively for so many long months, have mistaken him, or cheated himself so greatly ? He was the depositary of all his secrets, he heard all the griefs, all the disappointments that * During the American war a Scotchman, as Chamfort tells us, said to a Frenchman, as he pointed to some American prisoners : '* You fought for your master ; I for mine. But for whom were these men fighting ? " This is as funny as the story of the King of Pegu, who thought he should die of laughing when he was told that the Venetians had no King. 2l6 weighed on his mind, and this is what he says of him: — " I am on the friendliest terms with the Due de Lauzun. Opinions differ with regard to him ; you will hear of him both good and evil ; the former is right, the evil is in the wrong. If his detractors could know him, they would change their opinion and do justice to his good heart." Not long after he writes again : " I cannot tell you, my dear father, how greatly I am attached to the Due de Lauzun, and how truly I love him ; he has certainly the noblest and most sterling soul I know. I should never have done if I were to tell you of all the polite and delicate actions I know of him." During their long hours of intimacy and conversa- tion Lauzun had confided to Fersen the story of all his mortifications, and his determination to quit the service. Then one day, charmed by the young Swede's chivalrous temper, he ofibred to give up his legion in Fersen's favour. Fersen accepted the proposal with enthusiasm and wanted to come to some agreement with his friend as to the price he should pay ; but at the first words Lauzun, smiling sadly, replied : " I do not sell men, my dear Fersen, "though I have sometimes bought them." Then, pressing his hand with afi'ection, he added : " I, for my part, would rather pay to find a man to whom I can leave my corps, whom I love as if they were my children, in such perfect confidence as to you." Fersen, overcome by so much generosity and magnanimity, threw his arms round Lauzun's neck, 217 and they both wrote to the Queen requesting her to use her influence that the transfer might be effected without difficulty. In the month of November, as there was no forage to be had at all, M. de Rochambeau decided on sending Lauzun's legion to Lebanon in Connecticut, thirty leagues inland, where they were to spend the winter. It was not without regret that he left his friend Fersen behind him, and the amiable Hunter family, who had received and treated him as one of themselves. At Lebanon, as everywhere else, he gained the liking of the residents by his delightful and elegant manners; he succeeded to admiration in all the business he was called upon to transact, either with the old Governor Trumboldt, or with other members of the legislative body of the State. An anecdote is told of him, showing the natural affability of his character. A worthy American of Lebanon asked him one day what trade his father plied in France: "My father," said he, "does nothing ; but I have an uncle who is a Mar^chal " (a shoeing-smith), alluding to the Marechal de Biron. — " That is well," said the American, wringing his hands as hard as he could, " it's a very honest calling," and the Due gaily accepted the compliment. Lebanon was not an agreeable residence ; it could only be compared to Siberia. The town, one of the largest in the district, consisted of at least a hundred houses, but they were scattered far apart at distances of four or five hundred yards from each other, in 218 the heart of an immense forest. Lauzun faced ill-luck with a brave heart. He found his chief amusement in the Governor of the place, an old fellow named Trumboldt, extremely fussy and full of his own consequence. " He has all the simplicity of dress, all the self-importance, the pomposity which belong to the head of a little republic. The effect may be imagined when this little old man, in the costume of the early settlers in this country, bustles up to a table where a score of hussar officers are already seated, and without being put out of countenance or losing the rigidity of his demeanour, pronounces in a loud voice a long prayer by way of henedicite. Do not suppose that he excites the laughter of his audience ; they are far too well bred ; on the contrary, picture twenty amens spoken at the end from under twenty moustaches, and you will have' an idea of this little scene.'* * Lauzun has endless stories of Trumboldt, whose whimsicalities he has wittily recorded and whom he loved to laugh at. Happily for Lauzun he had many visitors. Chastellux several times spent a few days with him ; the Due indeed showed him some squirrel-hunts, a sport very popular in that part. These squirrels were much larger and had far finer fur than the European species; but, like them, they were agile in leaping from tree to tree, and then clinging so closely to the boughs as to be almost invisible. They were often wounded without being brought down ; but that was a trifling difficulty. An ^ Souvenirs de Chastellux. 219 obliging woodsman was called to bring his axe and the tree was soon felled. During the winter the young officers travelled about for amusement. The Comte de Custine, the Vicomte de Noailles, the Comte de Damas and others went to pay their respect to Washington, and all stopped at Lebanon to spend a few days with their friend. 220 CHAPTER XV. 1781. Mutiny in Pennsylvania — Death of M. de Temay — Washington's visit to M. de Rochambeau — Arrival of the Astree — News from France — M. de Montbarrey's place taken by M. de Segur; M. de Sartines' by M. de Castries — Marriage of the Due de Montbazon to Mile, de Conflans — Death of Mme. de Mazarin; and of Lady Barrymore — M. de Rochambeau's return — The campaign of 1781 — Lauzun's distinguished service — The siege of York (U.S.A.) — Cavalry encounter between Lauzun's hussars and Tarleton's dragoons — York capitulates — Lauzun is sent to Versailles with the news. Lauzun remained quietly at Lebanon till the beginning of January, 1781. On the 11th, General Knox arrived with a message from Washington, announcing a mutiny among the militia of Pennsylvania and New Jersey ; they complained of being ill-fed, ill-clothed, treated too hardly, and above all of not getting their pay. The revolt had assumed serious proportions ; the men had killed their officers, seized the field guns, and chosen new leaders by ballot. The consequences of this outbreak might be disastrous, for it was known that the English General Clinton had made the most dazzling oiFers to the rebels if only they would serve under his 221 flag. Lauzun at once mounted and rode off to warn M. de Rochambeau of this serious affair. But it was not in the General's power to go to Washing- ton's assistance; he himself had no money, and only procured food with the greatest difficulty. Happily the mutineers repelled the proposals of the English with indignation, saying they were not traitors, but soldiers asking for justice. Congress intervened, did justice to the legitimate demands of the men, and all was quiet again. Washington wrote on this subject to Rochambeau: "I flatter myself they will continue to put up with the same inconveniences that they had hitherto endured, which I cannot help admitting to be beyond the limits of human patience." Rochambeau took advantage of Lauzun's visit to send him to New Windsor with despatches for Washington. The American General welcomed the Due cordially ; he detained him for some days, explaining his plans, his schemes for the future, and promising him an important post as soon as military operations should begin. Washington, who was always obliged to employ an interpreter when talking to the French officers, was delighted to be able to converse with Lauzun in his mother-tongue ; this knowledge of English might be of the greatest value to Lauzun, and do good service when the French and American armies should combine. After a short visit, which Washington had done his utmost to render pleasant, Lauzun left the American head-quarters and returned to Lebanon. 222 His journey was not devoid of danger ; he narrowly escaped drowning when crossing the North River ; it was covered with ice floes carried down by the stream at great speed; it was soon impossible to steer the boat, which was evidently doomed to destruction. Happily for Lauzun an enormous floe lay at a short distance ; he and his companions succeeded in getting on to it, and by leaping from one block of ice to another they at last reached the shore, but only with the greatest difiiculty and at the frequent risk of their lives. On arriving at Lebanon Lauzun found his legion in good order; but he heard of the death of the Admiral, the Chevalier de Temay. The unhappy commander had died of grief : his men were almost naked, and he did not know how to procure food for them. To all his pressing applications and entreaties the Minister had not even vouchsafed a reply. Not a crown had been sent out, not a sack of com, not a blanket. To be sure the land forces were in the same plight ; it was ten months since they had left France, and not a letter had reached them, nor assistance of any kind. All M. de Roch- ambeau s demands and urgent representations had remained unanswered. It is impossible not to be amazed by such utter neglect. It would seem that once out of sight the little army was completely out of mind. At Court and in the Government Ofiices no one had a care or a thought for their fate. 223 After spending some clays at Lebanon, and having taken proper measures for regular supplies to reach his men, Lauzun placed the command in the hands of M. d'Arrost and returned to Newport for the rest of the winter, attracted thither by the pleasant society of which we have spoken. He had been there but a few days when General Washington arrived on a visit to M. de Rochambeau, and took the opportunity to review the French army. He came on March 6, and was received with the honours paid to a Marshal of France. He reviewed the forces and was present at the rejoicings held in his honour. This interview was really a great occasion to both the Generals ; the French were all eager to see the hero of freedom. His noble presence, the simplicity of his manner and his gentle gravity, surpassed general expectation and won him all hearts. He left on the 13th and returned to head-quarters at West Point, whither, to do him honour, Rocham- beau ordered Lauzun and some other officers to escort him. The first night they arrived at Providence ; all the population had come out to meet them beyond the suburbs ; a swarm of children carrying torches gathered round the General and his escort, echoing the acclamations of their seniors ; every one wanted to touch the man whom they addressed in loud shouts as their father, and crowded about him till they hindered his progress. General Washington, much moved, stopped for a few minutes ; then, turning to the French officers, he said : " We may be beaten by the English, that, 224 gentlemen, is the chance of war ; but this is the army they will never conquer." At last, in the month of April, a ship came in from France, the frigate Astree ; for ten long months the little French army had not had a word from the mother country. But the Astree, unhappily, had not on board any of the assistance for which the General had so urgently begged— neither men, money, nor provisions. However, the news was various and important. In the first place Maria Theresa had died on November 29, 1780, and her death had placed the French Court in mourning. Then the Queen was expecting the birth of another child. Finally, MM. de Montbarrey and de Sartine had retired from office. M. de Montbarrey' s downfall had been caused by the insatiable greed of his mistress. Mile. Renaud, who blackmailed officers of every rank. She extorted money for promotions, for the Cross of Saint-Louis, for commissariat appointments. This woman was a disgrace to the Minister ; an attempt was made to force him to get rid of her ; he refused, and was requested to retire. His successor was the Comte de Segur, and the choice was a very happy one. It was partly due to the Queen's influence ; she was much attached to the Segur family. M. de Segur, who had lost an arm at the battle of Minden, was the best of men and excellent company. His mind was solid and well-graced, and he was a master of every subject bearing on military matters. 225 Q ' Honest, loyal, and patient, he had all the qualities needed for reducing the anarchy he found supreme in the War Office. No man could carry to a higher pitch both physical and moral courage. Wounded severely on several occasions, he had faced death in battle with perfect composure. He was a man of character, and of noble character. M. de Sartine's place was given to M. de Castries. If there was much to be done at the War Office, naval affairs were, if possible, in still worse confusion. In- subordination was more than ever rampant. It was carried to such a point that M. d'Estaing refused to take a command, saying : "A degree of daring, of which I am quite incapable, is indispensable for the conduct of a French squadron of ships." ^ These changes in the Ministries of War and naval affairs were a real joy to Rochambeau and his officers ; they hoped that the new men in authority would be rather more attentive than their prede- cessors to their duty towards the little French force abandoned on Rhode Island. Lauzun had the satisfaction of finding in the AstrSes mail-bags several letters addressed to him- self. First there was one from M. de Maurepas. The old Prime Minister, in reply to his urgent demands, 1 All the men hated each other. The pride and jealousy of the officers as regarded their chiefs were unexampled. They would obey no orders, and were indifferent to a repulse. A captain said quite unreservedly, in speaking of M. de Grasse : " That man must be made to feel all the madness, all the despair of a general who has no one to second him." 226 assured him that it was impossible to send him the rest of his legion ; as he expressed in the bantering tone he was so fond of : "I have not been able to achieve what you wish. You had only the King and myself on your side ; that is what comes of keeping such low company ! " A letter from Mme. de Guemenee announced her son's marriage to Mile, de Conflans.^ We have seen how greatly Lauzun was interested in this match, which was, to some extent, of his making. He was sincerely glad, regarding it as a link between him- self and Mme. de Coigny. Then he was informed of the death of the Duchesse de Mazarin, the eccentric lady of whom we spoke in the former volume.* She was one of the handsomest and most profligate women of the Court, and though she was but forty-two years old, she had lived at least eighty-four. She had grown enormously stout, and was compared to the tun of Heidelberg, but she laced so tight that she died of it. " She will die to-night or to-morrow," wrote the Chevalier de I'lsle. " The worst of it is that she refuses the Sacraments." In fact, though the Cure of the parish went to her house several times, she constantly refused to see him. The family got^him in by force to prevent a scandal, but the dying woman dismissed him without listening to him. ^ Louise Aglae de Conflans. Mairied May 29th, 1781, to Charles Alain Gabriel, Prince de Rohan-Guemenee, Due de Mont- bazon et de Bouillon. ' The Due de Lauzun and the Court of Louis XV., chapter xxi. . 227 2 By the same opportunity Lauzun also heard of the death of Lady Barrymore, the beautiful English- woman with whom he had been in love for a whole winter, and who, at a critical moment, had given him such solid proof of her attachment. She had died at the age of thirty of a cold on the lungs. But what had become of the Vicomte de Rocham- beau, who had been sent by his father in the month of October last to explain to the ministers the wretched position in which he found himself? The Astree brought news of him ; unfortunately, not very satisfactory news. The Vicomte had been well re- ceived, but when he attempted to discuss business he found no one to talk to.-^ There the matter ended ; no one troubled them- selves any further about him or about America. The appointment of the new ministers made no difference in the situation. Nothing was to be done for Roch- ambeau s army ; it must get itself out of the scrape as well as it could. The General was even refused the reinforcement of the second division, which had been waiting at Brest for the last ten months. The young Vicomte, in despair, sailed in the month, of April, on board a frigate, the Concorde ; he landed 1 His arrival gave rise to this epigram : Le roi demande a Rochambeau *' Qu'apportez vous done de nouveau ? " *' Sire," ltd dit-il al'oreille, " Mon pere se porte a merveille.'* His Majesty asked Rocliambeau " What recent news have yon to tell ? " " Sir," he replied, and whispered low, " I left my father very well." 228 at Rhode Island early in May, and informed his father of his failure. Rochambeau forthwith wrote to M. de S^gur this dejected letter, which, however, bears the stamp of great dignity. "Newport, May 13,1781. " Sir, — My son has returned very forlorn to this country. Whatever may be the result, the King must be served according to his wishes, and I am about to begin this second campaign with all the zeal, I ven- ture to say the passion, that I feel for his person and his service, doing my best with the very small means he places at my command." The General communicated to Washington the decision of the French Ministry, and they prepared to commence operations. It was arranged that the French forces should advance as far as the North River and join the American army, and that the united troops should get forward towards New York as soon as possible. The French were in great joy when they were told that at last they were to be active, and leave the quarters where they had so long been pining. The officers, no doubt, had some regrets at leaving Newport and the amiable residents who had received them so well ; but they had left their country to gain glory, and not to linger in barren idleness ; the idea that they were at length to measure themselves against the English filled them with joy. The army quitted Newport in high spirits on June 229 12, and marched on in the most perfect order and discipline. Lauzun and his Hussars covered their advance, and their duty was a hard one. There was no other cavalry corps, and they were at work without pause or rest. Lauzun was expected to do everything ; he was pioneer, he protected the flanks and the rear, he kept the look out for fear of surprises, he escorted the baggage train ; he was often required to make long reconnoitring expeditions ; nothing could exhaust his energy or his desire to distinguish himself. The safety of the whole colunm depended on him, on his activity and constant watchfulness. He was fully aware of his responsibilities, and showed himself in every respect worthy of the General's confidence. Thanks to him and to his Hussars, the march, though not without risk, was accomplished without misad- venture ; the French and American armies were at last united, and encamped on White Plains, not far from New York, which was the point they aimed at. On July 8, Washington reviewed the combined armies. He was highly satisfied, and addressed the men and ofiicers in words of warm encouragement. On the 11th, he inspected Lauzun's Hussars and legion. He knew that their colonel had distinguished himself greatly on the march, that they had given constant proofs of courage and devotion, and done eminent service ; he bestowed on them many compli- ments and praises. Lauzun was appointed to the com- mand of the two corps of the vanguard, and was also 230 made Commissary-General for the supply of forage. Washington, appreciating his intelligence and inde- fatigable energy, intrusted to him several important reconnoitring expeditions ; he acquitted himself brilliantly, and was always the first in the front when they met the enemy ; he was always to be seen full of spirit, keeping up the temper of his troops by his own courage and energy ; fatigue seemed to have no effect upon him. The campaign, however, was a hard one for him ; he got no rest day or night. Wash- ington on various occasions spoke of him and of his Hussars in the highest terms. After lingering on White Plains for six weeks, the army marched on Philadelphia. Before reaching the town they had to cross frightful swamps, where they would certainly have been destroyed if the enemy had then thought of attacking them. At last, on September 3, they marched into Philadelphia, where they were hailed with enthusiasm. The French brigade was reviewed by Congress. At the moment when the troops marched past, the President asked M. de Rochambeau whether he would be expected to salute them or no. The General replied that when the troops marched past the King, his Majesty always kindly condescended to do so. As the same honours were paid to Congress as to the King, " the thirteen members composing it lifted their thirteen hats at each dip of the standard, and each official salute." The regiment that was most admired was the Soissons brigade, with facings of rose-colour, and 231 wearing Grenadiers' hats with a rose and white feather, " which struck the beauties of the town with amazement." Philadelphia was a large town of at least forty thousand inhabitants, and very gay. The ladies of the place inspired one of the young officers with the following reflections : — " The ladies of Philadelphia, though their clothes are handsome enough, are not generally dressed with much taste ; their heads and hair are dressed with less grace and lightness than those of our French ladies. Though well made, they lack gracefulness, they cour- tesy badly, nor do they excel in the dance. But they know how to make good tea ; they bring up their children with care ; they pride themselves on absolute faithfulness to their husbands, and many of them have a good deal of mother-wit." At this juncture news was brought that the French Admiral, M. de Grasse, had come to an anchor in Chesapeake Bay with more than thirty ships of the line, and that the Marquis de Saint- Simon had landed at the head of three thousand men of the land-force. This unexpected reinforcement made Rochambeau decide on an attack on the English General Lord Cornwallis, who held Yorktown with a detachment cut off from the main army of the English. Cornwallis, awaiting reinforcement, had entrenched himself in York ; the town was cut into two parts by the York river ; one, on the right bank was called York, 1 that on the left shore was known as Gloucester and was fortified as an outwork. The Eaglish General 232 had barred the river with moored ships and some sunken craft. The town was almost entirely protected by swamps, and was defended by trenches and palisades covering a fort with bastions and two redoubts with a wide abattis in front of them. Washington and Rochambeau sat down before York, while Lauzun and M. de Choisy were sent to blockade Gloucester. Three thousand Militia had taken up a position in front of Gloucester, under the com- mand of General Weedon. This officer had been an innkeeper who, in the course of events, had risen to be a general.^ He was a very good man, but had no love of war, and still less of cannon shots. He allowed Lauzun to direct everything, and remained quietly in his own camp. At the beginning of the siege Lauzun covered himself with glory in a cavalry engagement with Colonel Tarleton of the English Dragoons. Tarleton told all comers that he wished above all things to "shake hands with the French Duke." Lauzun soon gave him the opportunity he desired. The English cavalry was three times the more numerous ; three times Lauzun charged with the greatest determination at the head of his Hussars ; at the third charge Tarleton's Dragoons gave way, and, in spite of the infantry fire which supported them, Lauzun pursued them into the trenches of Gloucester, A In the American army rank was conferred on all classes of men, or, to be accurate, the military profession was not a career ; a shoe- maker might be a colonel. The Americans often inquired of the French officers what business they followed in France. 233 Tarleton was severely wounded, and many of his men killed or taken prisoners/ As Lauzun was returning with his victorious troopers, he saw one of his Hussars, who had been left behind and was defend- ing himself against two of Tarleton's Dragoons, Without saying a word to any one, Lauzun put his horse to a gallop, rushed down on the dragoons, beat them off with two sabre-cuts and rescued his man. This brilliant skirmish, in which the Due had shown so much courage, was immensely talked about at the time; it is still spoken of with respect in treatises on the use of cavalry. As a result of this success the outposts were pushed forward to within a mile of Gloucester. In this new position the patrols were constantly firing at each other, and the noise was so great that Lauzun complained of being unable to sleep. The regular siege began early in October. During the night of the 6-7th, the trenches were opened above and below the York river. Washington's army held the right side of the trenches, Rochambeau defended the left and centre. A few days later an attack was made on the redoubts ; more eager emulation, greater ardour and courage, and better discipline were never seen. The regiment of Gatinois Grenadiers, seconded by the Auvergne Regiment, was to lead the attack. M. de Rochambeau, addressing the soldiers, said : " My children, I hope you will never forget that we once 1 Three captains of the legion were wonnded, MM, Billy, Dillon and Dutertre. Robert Dillon and Sheldon distinguish ed th emselves greatly. served together in the brave regiment of ^ Blameless Auvergne.' " The soldiers replied, that if the General would promise to get them back their old name, they would stand to be killed to the last man. And they kept their word, for they charged like lions, and lost a third of their complement. The King restored them to the title of " Royal Auvergne." Comte Charles de Lameth was the first to leap the ramparts of the English redoubt, and received two severe wounds. The Marquis de Saint-Simon, though ill, was carried at the head of the attacking columns, and was wounded; so also was Comte Guillaume de Deux-Ponts. MM. de Lauzun, de Noailles, de Custine, de Chastellux, and Dillon covered themselves with glory. The two redoubts were carried and occupied by the allies. Lord Comwallis several times attempted to make a sortie, but was always repulsed. The circle en- closing him drawing closer and closer, he proposed to capitulate. Lauzun was sent to treat with the English as to the terms of their surrender ; he went forward alone, waving his white pocket-handkerchief. The chivalrous Due de Lauzun did nothing like other men. The garrison marched out, between the allied armies, with drums beating and carrying arms, which were subsequently piled, with a score of flags. M. de Rochambeau was eager to inform the Minister at once of the success of the allied armies. 235 For this agreeable errand he chose the man who, from the beginning of the campaign, had always been the bravest and most zealous — the Due de Lauzun. His choice was approved by the whole army. Comte Guillaume des Deux-Ponts accom- panied him to give full details. This is the letter written to the Minister by M. de Rochambeau : — " Camp before Yorkto^vn, October 20, 1781. "Monsieur, — I have the honour of sending to you the Due de Lauzun to carry to the King the news of the taking of Lord Comwallis and his army corps. Comte Guillaume de Deux-Ponts is the bearer of a duplicate and of the list for honours. These are the two superior oflB.cers who have achieved the greatest distinction, as you will see in the journal, which will inform you of all the details. " I have got over my fever, partly in bed, and partly in the trenches ; but I desire nevertheless to have papers of leave in my pocket, in case my health should break down in the climate of this country. " I hope His Majesty may give the Due de Lauzun a good reception. The news of which he is the bearer is, I believe, of capital importance under existing circumstances. From the generals down to the humblest private soldier there has been, night and day, but one voice to do everything within possibility in His Majesty's service, and to en- 236 deavour to satisfy a master who is adored by this little army. " I have the honour, etc. " P.S.— We have 8000 prisoners, of which 7000 are regulars and 800 sailors; and 214 pieces of cannon, 75 of them of cast metal ; also 22 flags." Lauzun placed the command of his legion in the hands of Robert Dillon, and embarked in the royal frigate, la Sicrveillante, with the Comte de Deux- Ponts and some other officers who wished to spend the winter at Versailles, and return in the follow- ing spring, when operations should be begun again. After a voyage of twenty-two days they landed at Brest.^ 1 The year 1781 was a fortunate one for France. She and her alHes had won several victories over the English ; M. de Bouille had taken the island of St. Christopher, and Barras that of Montserrat [both subsequently restored to England]. — Admiral Don Salano and General Don Galvez had conquered Florida and taken possession of Pensacola. [Florida was ceded by Spain to the United States in 1820-21.] 23; CHAPTER XVI. 1781—1782. Lauzan's arrival in France — Death of M. Manrepas — M. de Segur's bad treatment of Lanzun— Mme. de Coigny and the Guemenees — '^ Perdita " in Paris — Birth of the Dauphin — The dinner at the Hotel de Ville — M. de Coigny leaves for America — Lauzun is ordered to rejoin his legion. Lauzun went straight to Versailles. No sooner had he alighted from his post-chaise than he presented himself at M. de Segur's, and he, after a brief interview, took him to the King. Louis XVI. seemed to take the greatest interest in the young hero's narrative, and after congratulating him warmly, he desired M. de Segur to conduct him to see M. de Maurepas, that the old Minister might also rejoice in this success. M. de Maurepas was dying ; however, Lauzun was allowed to see him. When the Duke was announced : "I am no longer of this world," was his reply. But he collected all his strength to receive him, and gave him a touching welcome ; he desired, he said, to hear from his own lips the details of the French successes, and as Lauzun proceeded with his narrative, Maurepas said from time to time : 238 * Good, good ! " But after saying this several times, he exclaimed, " I am dying, and I do not know to whom I have the honour of speaking." On the following day he had again a few lucid moments, and took advantage of them to recom- mend Lauzun to the King and the Ministers, im- pressing on them that he should be liberally rewarded for all the services he had rendered. M. de Maurepas did not recover ; a very curious letter, written by Mme. de Coislin, shows with what sentiments courtiers looked forward to the ap- proaching end of an old statesman. "November 13, 1781. " M. de Maurepas is going to die, gangrene has set in and the disease is incurable. There are great complaints that he is being left to die without the Sacraments, in the arms of his cousin the Archbishop of Bourges, and I have been told that Mme. de Maurepas has been urged to prevent such a scandal. The poor woman is to be pitied, and does more than she can ; it is only since yesterday that we have ceased to delude ourselves as to M. de Maurepas' condition ; and now there is already a sort of wish to be rid of him. We talk in a breath of his very near end, and of the ball to be given next month by the Body-Guards. What a country is ours ! What friends, what hearts, what minds ! " M. de Maurepas died two days after. His extinction made no serious dilFerence to the State, but he had still kept the Court together, 239 which gave rise to the saying that when he died " the world lost more than he was worth.'* No one filled his place. Vergennes became the acting Prime Minister, but without ha^dng the title. However, the news brought by Lauzun caused real joy at Court. The King showed genuine satisfaction ; he saw Lauzun again and again, and asked him many questions — among others whether he pro- posed to return to America. When the Due said that he should start in a fortnight : " You may assure my army," said the King, " that it shall be splendidly rewarded, better than any other has been yet. You yourself shall be the bearer of the honours." M. de Sdgur was present and undertook to have the lists made out without delay. But Lauzun had no reason to be satisfied with the way in which he was treated. The Minister wrote to him that in consideration of his services he might keep up his regiment in time of peace on the footing of a Hussar regiment. This was rather less than he had been promised before the war, since he was to have had the connnand and profits of the first foreign regiment that might fall vacant or be created ; nay, it was less than he actually had, since he was inspect- ing officer of his corps. Lauzun was deeply hurt by the injustice of which he was the victim. M. de Segur treated the American army no better. Lauzun, who had bowed in submission when he alone was concerned, was furious at the mean way in which his comrades' services were rewarded, and refused to be the bearer of such honours. 240 He had no better cause for satisfaction with the new Minister of Marine, M. de Castries. Instead of send- ing the four hundred men of Lauzun's legion, left at Brest, to America, he had despatched them to Africa, to Demerara, and to Annamboo, the most unhealthy spots on earth. M. de Castries did not bestow the smallest honour on Lauzun's regiment, not even on those officers who had most distinguished themselves. The public were less ungrateful than the govern- ment. Lauzun could not show himself without being hailed with cheers ; but indeed this was the case with all the officers who had come back from the New World. This, then, was the whole outcome for our hero of his first campaign in America. Not- withstanding his zeal, his courage, his deeds of daring, a jealous fate seemed to pursue him and turn to ill everything that ought to have carried him to the foremost rank. Let us see if his love affairs were more prosperous than his military career. While he was fighting so gallantly for the '* rebels,'* Mme. de Coigny had almost retired from Court. Only at rare intervals, when it was a matter of obligation, did she appear at Versailles or at Marly. On the other hand, since her sister's marriage to the Prince de Montbazon, she hardly ever quitted the Hotel de Soubise, the residence of M. and Mme. de Gu^m^n^e : there she spent her evenings in the midst of a delightful circle where her bright, refractory spirit had free course. She became more and more 241 R intimate with those who were Lauzun's friends, and with whom she could talk in full confidence. Lauzun, who throughout his long absence had never ceased to think of Mme. de Coigny, found her more amiable and fascinating than ever; she allowed him to see the interest she took in him, and it was impossible to resist the feeling which attracted him to her. " I never had met with so much wit,'* says he, " so many charms which were so wholly unlike the wit and charm of other women. I told myself that to love her was absurd, that it could only make me unhappy, but no happiness pleased me so well. I was constantly told that Mme. de Coigny was a coquette, that she was frivolous, that she would laugh most unmercifully at anyone who dared to love her. I was never for an instant frightened by all this ; her feeling soul had struck me as quickly as her cleverness. I did not hope to attract her ; if my heart were laid bare to her, she could only pity me. I kept my secret, but the idea of departure began to distress me, and she could have no difficulty in guessing the reason." At this time a famous English actress arrived in Paris, Mrs. Mary Robinson, well known by the name of Perdita, as having been the mistress of George, Prince of Wales. She was wonderfully well received by Fren ch Society ; fetes were organized for her, entertainments to which the most illustrious personages accepted invitations. The Due de Chartres, Lauzun, all the most attractive men of fashion about the Court, wished to make the fair 242 foreigner's acquaintance. The Due de Chartres, who was seriously in love with her, got up some races in her honour on the Plaine de Sablons. He did more, he gave a garden party by night in the gardens of Mousseaux, which were magnificently illuminated. Coloured lamps, wreathed with leaves and artificial flowers, were disposed so as to figure on the trees the fair Perdita's initials. The actress was bright, lively, straightforward — a good-humoured child. Lauzun having been introduced to her, as he could speak English, she was soon on very intimate terms with him. He laid himself out to attract, and being at the moment a kind of hero, everyone was praising his courage and doing him honour. Mrs. Robinson found him irresistible. Mme. de Coigny was far too clever a woman to be jealous, but his former ac- quaintance, Mme. de Martainville, made his intimacy with Mrs. Robinson the ground of a quarrel. On his return from America he found that this lady had broken with her friends Mme. Dillon and Mme. de Gu^m^n^e : this did not surprise him, as they were on very distant terms before his departure. But Mme. de Martainville desired that he too should give up the society of these two ladies. He absolutely refused, declaring that he was, and should always remain, afi*ectionately devoted to them, that nothing in the world could make him give up his friends ; and he went more than ever to Mme. Dillon's. Mme. de Martainville was vindictive, and on hearing of his in- timacy with Perdita she made a violent scene, which ended in a rupture. Perdita, however, was obliged 243 B 2 to return to England. She requested Lauzun to escort her to Calais, and he was too gallant to refuse. His feeling for Mme. de Coigny was, however, so completely a thing apart that he writes of her in these terms of devotion, as genuine as they are respectful : — " I saw many men who admired her, and some were such as I might well be afraid of. I was well aware of my own disadvantages ; I had neither the grace nor the liveliness of youth ; but I had a heart that she knew well, and which had many points of resemblance with her own. ... I was prudent, patient, ready to make any sacrifice rather than in any way compromise her ; and this was not thrown away on that heavenly nature ; she felt and rewarded it aU." Who can call the man a Lovelace who speaks in these terms of a woman he loves, and from whom he hopes for nothing ? Meanwhile, he never went to her house and hardly ever saw her alone ; he scarcely dared to write that he loved her ; however, she allowed him to write, and when they happened to meet he would slip a note into her hand. The position of the Gu^m^ndes, with whom Lauzun was so intimate, was more splendid than ever. The office of Governess to the Children of France, was no longer an empty title. The Princess, born in 1779, had, in accordance with etiquette, been entrusted to the Governess. From her infancy she was knoA\Ti as La petite Madame , and she had such a sad little face 244 tliat persons who were on terms of sufficient intimacy called her Mousseline la serieuse. On October 22, 1781, shortly before Lauzun s re- turn from America, a Dauphin was born, to the great joy of the Court and country, and the child was baptized by the High Almoner, the Cardinal de Rohan. Mme. de Guemen^e's duties were now of the first importance. They required her to sleep in the Prince's room ; and she had arranged her bed- room in such a way that from her bed, through a plate of glass in the wall, she could see into the infant Dauphin's nursery ; when what was called le remuer took place — the changing, that is to say, of the infant's swaddling clothes every morning in the presence of the physicians — thick curtains were drawn across this window, and Mme. de Gu^menee began her night's rest. Until then, after coming very late to bed, she had remained awake reading and writing. In the summer she would often dine in her little house in the Avenue de Paris, and thither the children accompanied her. One day, when they were return- ing to the Palace with an escort of the body guard, someone rashly commented on this splendid display for a baby in swaddling clothes. Mme. de Guemenee replied very drily : " It is a matter of course since I am his Governess." The Governess of the Royal Children could not sleep away from Versailles without a permit written entirely by the King s hand. She never asked leave but to go to Hautefontaine to see her husband and Mme. Dillon. 245 For many years M. and Mme. Guemenee had each led a most sumptuous existence. They had an immense fortune ; still, considerable as it was, their regal grandeur, their excessive luxury and extravagance, had at last made serious inroads on it. The Prince's affairs had now for some little time been in great confusion ; then, instead of paying the tradespeople and the actors, singers and musicians who came to his house, he thought it would be more economical to give them annuities. Then, he had borrowed at high interest or sunk his capital in life annuities ; and numbers of people, attracted b)^ his reputation and name, came to lend him their money. Have we not seen Lauzun giving up his whole possessions for an annuity for life of eighty thousand francs ? The Prince was far too fine a gentleman to trouble himself about his financial difficulties ; he left .the care of them to his steward, one Marchand. For his part he went on leading a reckless life, firmly per- suaded that by one means or another Pactolus still would flow into his money-box. Was he not much too great a man by right of birth for it to be other- wise? The Princess vied with her husband in prodigality. She gave magnificent entertainments to which she invited all the Court, and in her dress she eclipsed all the ladies of Versailles. The social obligations of her office necessitated indeed enormous expenditure ; and finally, being unable to pay everything out of her income, she, like her hus- band, met her difficulties by agreements for life 246 annuities, which accumulated till the day of the great crash. The birth of the Prince, in October, 1781, was the occasion of universal rejoicing. All France testified to the Royal Family an affection which had never seemed more loyal and sincere. There were several grand entertainments ; one especially magnificent at the Hotel de Ville, January 21, 1782. The Queen, after going to Notre-Dame and Sainte-Genevieve, went to the Hotel de Ville, where she was received by the Court. She was radiant with happiness. Lauzun was present, and so was Mme. de Coigny ; Lauzun was cheered by the people, as were all the officers who had returned from America. The dinner was splendid. Chance, so often kind to lovers, gave Lauzun the seat next to the lady of his present adoration. He took advantage of the opportunity to pay her court. Mme. de Coigny, who was beautifully dressed, wore a tall black heron's plume on the right-hand side of her stomacher. Lauzun, seeing this plume, either from mere fancy or some reminiscence, at once desired to possess it. Lover-like, he imagined it to be a talisman that would bring him luck. " Never," says he, " did a knight- errant desire anything with purer ardour." But Lauzun had turned so bashful that he dared not ask for it, for fear of a refusal which would have driven him to despair. Just at this time M. de Coigny applied to be sent out to America. Mme. de Coigny was deeply dis- tressed. Lauzun saw her tears, and it was a bitter 247 grief to him to see how truly the lady was attached to her husband. He was indeed compelled to defend her before others, for the couple had not been re- garded as fond, and Mme. de Coigny's regrets were taxed with exaggeration, affectation and insincerity. It was even worse when she set out to accompany her husband to Lorient, so as to be with him till the last. The Chevalier de I'lsle accompanied them, and escorted the young wife back to Paris. The world set upon her, attacking her with pitiless sarcasm. It was then that she wrote a note to Lauzun, beginning with these words, " Know how to defend her whom you so well know how to love." The injunction was not needed. Lauzun constituted himself his lady's champion ; he defended her against every charge, in the face of every accuser, and so proclaimed to any who still were in ignorance the mad passion that possessed him. From this time Mme. de Coigny, gi^ateful for the devotion he had shown her, allowed Lauzun to call at her house. Before long he was a daily visitor, and they spent hours in a delightful intimacy. He also constantly met her in the drawing-rooms of Mme. de Guemenee, Mme. Dillon, and Mme. de Gontaut, and he would always be urging on her his passion and hopes ; she listened amiably to his protestations, but never allowed him to cross the limit line of platonic sentimentality. Lauzun was, none the less, very happy ; merely to see her every day and constantly to talk to her seemed to him supreme felicity. Unfortunately 248 this charming existence could not last. At the moment when he least expected it, orders came to him from M. de Segur to set out immediately and rejoin his troops in America. 249 CHAPTER XVII. 1782. Lauzun sails for America on the Gloire — Mme. de Coigny's grief — A storm obliges the Gloire to put into Paimbceuf — Lauzun re-embarks on the Aigle — Detention at the Azores — Received by the French Consul — Visit to a Port^iguese convent — A sea fight— Lauzun's illness — Arrival in America — M. de Rochambeau returns to France. Lauzun earnestly wished that his departure might be postponed. His attachment to Mme. de Coigny was a very deep feeling, and he did not want to be sent to a distance from her. But the advances he made in the hope of procuring a delay were not well received by the Minister ; M. de Segur thought that Lauzun's prolonged absence could only be detrimental to the interests of the army, and he insisted on the Due's immediate departure. Lauzun might, however, have brought high influence to bear and have procured a postponement ; there was a general feeling of disgust at the way in which the Ministers had treated him. Moreover, the Gu^menees urged him to remain for the festivity at the expected birth of an infant to the house of Montbazon. But honourable motives led the Due to submit to M. de Segur's orders, and to set out at once, at 250 whatever cost to his feelings. " I was strongly tempted to remain for Mme. de Coigny's sake," he says. " For her sake I went." Fearing the keen eyes of the world, he thought his real reasons for lingering in France would become known, and he sacrificed his happiness to the good repute of the woman he loved. Mme. de Coigny was sincerely grieved at his departing; but even on the occasion of their last meeting, when taking leave, it might be for ever, the impassioned Lauzun could not conquer her dignified reserve. Still, he might carry away with him the belief that at any rate she shared his feelings, though he could wring from her no such confession. " The evening we parted," he writes, " I cut off a lock of her hair ; she asked for it back, and I gave it up with- out hesitation. She looked at me as she took it, and I saw the tears in her eyes ; all was not lost ! " He was heart-broken at leaving her. " She alone could form any idea of my despair when I had to quit her presence ; she alone could make me comprehend how miserable or how blest I could be. I came away ; I never did anything so hard, my heart was full of love, despair, and trust in her." Lauzun reached Brest at the end of April, 1782. He found several frigates awaiting him, and a numerous convoy of merchantmen and transport ships, to sail under their escort. There were also two battalions of recruits, intended to reinforce Rochambeau's army. On the very day when Lauzun arrived at Brest, an English squadron came in sight and cruised outside the roadstead. A convoy sailing for India 251 thought they might escape the vigilance of the enemy ; they stole out, but were captured within twenty- four hours. This vexatious incident suggested greater prudence to the vessels still in port, and they waited for better times. This mattered the less as the wind wa^ contrary. Lauzun, far from fretting at this delay, was glad of it. Anything that could keep him near the lady of his love seemed to him a mercy from Heaven. He wrote to Mme. de Coigny by every mail, and these letters, full of burning love, carried her the expression of his tender passion. He tried to make them short, but could not succeed ; words overflowed in spite of himself. Mme. de Coigny as regularly replied. " I lived on her letters," says Lauzun, " I never opened one without joy and gratitude beyond expression." One day he implored her to give him that heron s plume which she had worn at the Hotel de Ville, the plume he had then so longed to possess, and to which he attached so many dreams of happiness. "I cannot possibly satisfy your wish," wrote Mme. de Coigny. " Some day perhaps I may tell you why." Lauzun was a good deal disappointed by this refusal, but he could forgive the hand that dealt the blow. " I was fully convinced that she was sorry not to give me the souvenir," says he ; " still, I could not console myself for not possessing it." At last the wind changed; but as the English squadron was still cruising in the roads, Lauzun was ordered to leave the convoy at Brest and embark 252 with the officers of his company on board the Gloire, a frigate of thirty-two guns. The chief of the officers about to join Rochambeau's forces, were the Prince de Broglie, son of the Marshal, Baron de Montesquieu, grandson of the author of L'Esjprit de Lois, Alexandre de Lameth, the Comte de Lomenie, and the Vicomte de Segur, son of the Minister of War. All the young men of the Court, envious of the laurels their friends had gathered, were eager to set out for America ; they all aimed at being " little La Fayettes." Just as they were setting sail news was brought of the defeat of M. de Grasse. This Admiral, with thirty-three ships of the line, was escorting to Saint- Domingo some troops intended to reinforce the Spaniards. Admiral Rodney stopped the way. The struggle was long and terrible, M. de Grasse was taken prisoner and eight French vessels were seized. This was a fearful blow to our navy. But this disaster, far from quelling the spirit of the young officers, on the contrary inflamed their ardour. They all rejoiced in thinking that they were to sail with Lauzun. " It would be difficult to find a more delightful travelling companion," says Segur ; " his temper was easy, his nature generous, his charm quite original and to no pattern." The signal to sail was at length given, and the Gloire weighed anchor on May 17th ; a fresh gale was blowing, and they had good hopes of escaping the English. But they were hardly out of the narrows when a violent storm blew up, and the frigate was 253 in the greatest danger. At last she got out to sea. Unluckily the English caught sight of her and gave chase ; she was forced to hug the coast very closely to escape the enemy. For four days they lived in this alternative of being taken, or of being wrecked on the rocks where the Venus had quite recently gone to pieces. " I confess for my part," says Lauzun, " that I should have been delighted to be taken. I should have seen Mme. de Coigny once more, and no war nor glory is worth so much as that." His desires were not fulfilled. The tempest died away, but the Gloire had suffered serious damage, and was obliged to run into Paimboeuf. The officers on board of course made haste to land and run over to Nantes, to amuse themselves till they should be able to continue their interrupted voyage. Lauzun at once wrote to Mme. de Coigny to inform her of this happy mishap, and besought her to grant him an interview, were it but for half an hour, to see her once more and bid her a last farewell. He begged her to address her reply Poste restante, to Tours or to Orleans, whither he would go to fetch it. At the same time, though he asks the favour, he would not be importunate, and begs her to refuse unhesitatingly if she sees any objection to his request. "Ask nobody's advice," he says, "you alone can command me. Take the wisest course, even if it be the more cruel." The Due went to Tours full of hope. Nothing. He went on to Orleans. Nothing. He waited, 254 eating his heart out with impatience and uneasiness. At last came a note from the Chevalier de I'lsle, informing him that " Mme. de Coigny would be delighted to see him, but thought he would be wiser not to come to Paris ; however, she left the decision to him." This was a heavy blow to her lover. What ! not a word, not a single word in Mme. de Coigny's hand- writing ! "It would have been so easy for her to refuse but to comfort me," he writes. " She would not even command me ; she had not been kind enough to say ^ I will not have it.' She employed a third person ! She had not written to me, and this was more than enough to rend my soul. I have suffered many things, but no misfortune have I felt more keenly." The same obliging correspondent informed him that Mme. de Coigny had been at Versailles for a month, nursing her sister, Mme. de Montbazon, who had given birth to a daughter. He also said that as soon as the " little sister " was recovered, all the party — Mme. Dillon, Mme. de Montbazon, and Mme. de Coigny — would be leaving for Spa, where they expected to enjoy themselves vastly. In sincere dejection under the shock of so cruel a disappointment, for more than a fortnight Lauzun did not write to Mme. de Coigny ; at last, however, he broke a silence that was so painful to him, but he could not control his complaints and grievances. Her reply was mild and calm — she explained that she could not sanction an imprudence, but left him to infer that her sentiments were unchanged. And, 255 by degrees, peace was restored to the impassioned lover. After a visit to La Rochelle, where he saw his old friend M. de Voyer, Lauzun returned to Lorient, where the Gloire was finishing her repairs. No sooner was she ready for sea than an order from the Minister sent him to Rochefort, to embark on the Aigle, a frigate of forty guns, which had on board 2,500,000 francs in coin for M. de Rochambeau. The Aigle was under the command of M. de la Touche, a well-educated man, brave, witty and amiable, but who had only lately entered the navy. They set sail on June 14. Though the Aigle was much the faster ship, the Gloire had constantly to take in sail to wait for her. The officers wondered what could be the cause of so strange a state of things, when they noticed a merchantman sailing in the rear, which, as it could not keep up with a man-of-war, the Aigle had taken in tow. The mystery was soon explained. M. de la Touche had a mistress to whom he was greatly devoted; she had accompanied him to Rochefort. As the regulations did not allow of her sailing on board a ship of war, he had not hesitated, whatever might be said or thought of it, to freight a merchantman so that she might come with him to America. This encumbrance, and frequent calms, made their progress very slow. One evening in the course of this interminable voyage, Lauzun, leaning against the bulwarks, was 256 chatting with M. Bozon de Talleyrand. They were discussing their friends in Paris, the absent world, and more particularly its absent wife, each giving free course to his thoughts, when Bozon suddenly and very innocently mentioned Mme. de Coigny. He praised her in the highest terms, and Lauzun was far from contradicting him ; but Bozon presently hinted that M. de Chabot was very much in love with her, that she knew it, and had even given him many marks of favour. This was a terrible blow. Happily the night was dark, Lauzun could conceal his feelings. Reflection, and his perfect confidence in Mme. de Coigny, presently soothed his mind ; he told himself that she could not be so false and perverse; he went on writing to her, intending to forward the letter on the first opportunity. One ofiered before long. Sickness broke out among the crew ; some deaths occurred every day, and water was running short. They had been three weeks at sea and were only sighting the Azores. M. de la Touche decided that they must put in to Terceira, one of the chief towns of the Archipelago, to get fresh provisions. On the day after their arrival M. de la Touche, escorted by all the officers on board the two frigates, went to call on the Governor ; he was ill and not visible, but his son, Don Jose Mendo^a, took his place and had the officers served with refreshments. To do honour to his guests he had dressed himself out in a most eccentric costume : an old scarlet coat, 257 s worn threadbare but covered with gold lace, a huge and not less magnificent hat with a broad brim, a blue waistcoat with long flaps, and a pair of yellow breeches, making him look grotesque beyond words. Don Jose, enchanted with the effect he produced^ returned M. de la Touche's visit, accepted an invita- tion to dinner, asked for a drum to amuse himself^ and to the great delight of the crew thumped it pitilessly for half an hour, saying it was his favourite instrument. Terceira was a place of about twelve thousand inhabitants, of which six to seven hundred belonged to religious orders. "Devotion and profligacy are here mixed in a way as indecent as it is ridiculous,'* writes the Prince de Broglie, " and nothing is more common in society than to see the grossest flirtations of courtezans interrupted by genuflections and repeated crossing themselves as the Angelus rings.** The men were supposed to be excessively jealous, and all the windows were carefully closed with shutters- and iron bars. All the officers from the Royal frigates, enchanted at finding themselves on land for a few days, hurried on shore to visit the town and the neighbourhood, each following his fancy or his convenience. The worthy S^gur thought he could not do better than call on the representative of his native country, and he persuaded his comrades to go with him. The French Consul's name was Perez. Having had occasion as a. young man to go to Terceira on business, he had married and settled there. He was delighted to 258 see his fellow countrymen, and invited them to dinner. The meal, though simple, seemed excellent to the young travellers: a very good joint, capital fish, delicious wine and fresh spring water, delighted them. To do honour to his guests Perez made his w^ife dine at table with them — an amiable native of the town of about five and thirty, and very dark, who had never in her life eaten in the presence of strangers. " Her glee was really touching," says M. de Broglie, " and she expressed herself entirely in Portuguese, which necessitated much vivacity in the eyes, both hers and ours." In this style of conversation Lauzun distinguished himself above his companions, and the Senhora Perez soon began to favour him with very languishing looks. After dinner the Consul led the party to a little house in the midst of a lemon garden, where they took a siesta, and where new milk and fruit were served. But the worthy Perez was a man of limited accomplishments, and soon bored his guests beyond endurance, particularly Segur, for whom he took an immense liking, never leaving him for an instant. Lauzun, hindered by a sudden indisposition from leaving with his fellow officers, remained in the town with Mme. Perez. In the evening Segur returned on board out of spirits and tired, declaring that he would go on shore no more for so little fun, when he saw Lauzun looking, on the contrary, very content. He spoke to him of the little pleasure he had derived from his visit to the Consul. 259 s 2 " ' I see/ said tlie Due, laughing,^ ^ that you were not mucli amused ; but it is your OAvn fault. What possessed you that you should go to the French Consul? I went elsewhere and found a better way of driving out melancholy and gratifying my curiosity. Come with me and you shall see what is best in Terceira ; good cheer, a hearty welcome, a merry host eager to please, smart and pretty women, obliging Sisters, coquettish school-girls, and a bishop who dances a fandango to perfection.' " ' You are mad,' said I. ' Who is this wonderful man who has displayed on a sudden so much active and obliging friendliness ? ' " ' The English Consul,' said he. "'Why!' said I, 'what are you thinking of? We are at war with the English, and it is to their Consul's house that you go to take your pleasure ! ' " ' Wait a little,' said he. ' Do not judge too hastily. Mine host is to be sure English Consul, and our foe ; but he has a plurality of offices, for he is at the same time Spanish Consul, and the Spanish are our own allies ; and to crown all he is neither an Englishman nor a Spaniard, but a Frenchman and a Proven9al.' " ' The only thing lacking,' said I, ' to combine in him every possible function is that he should be a familiar of the Inquisition.' " ' Well, my dear fellow,' said Lauzun, laughing, ' I believe he lacks nothing.' " ' If that is the case,' said I, ' I have no further 1 It is Segur who tells the tale. 260 objections to offer. Let us go and see this wonderful man who wears so many coats and plays so many parts.' "So we set out : Lauzun, the Prince de Broglie, the Vicomte de Fleury and I, with two or three others of our fellow soldiers, and we were shown into the English Consul's drawing-room. He kept his word, for he gave us excellent tea, very good porter, a capital supper, a pleasant company of amiable women, and, as we were curious to see the fandango, famous for being the most gravely indecent and the most gloomily voluptuous of dances, a young Portuguese, coadjutor to the Bishop of Agra, was kind enough to perform it for us without too much pressing. " The obliging Consul took us next day to a Con- vent, where we made the acquaintance of some indulgent nuns and very pretty school-boarders. Their complexion, though somewhat sallow, did not detract from the charm of their fine black eyes, their white teeth and their fine figures. Their appearance consoled us for the ponderous double grating which separated the parlour from the inner precincts. The Mother Superior, with a score or so of boarders, came solemnly to the inner grating, exactly like the pic- tures of abbesses of the thirteenth century, in costume, figure and face ; nothing was wanting, not even the crozier, for she carried one in her hand with much dignity. After the first compliments, when the ladies had seated themselves, our encouraging Consul told us that we might flirt as much as we pleased, for that devotion and gallantry had all times 201 gone hand-in-hand in the cloisters of chivalrous Portugal. " So each of us chose the damsel we thought most attractive, and who, as we thought, was most respon- sive to our glances ; each had soon set up a flirtation, but very innocently and with strict propriety, in the presence of the double grating and the Mother Abbess. It may seem difficult to understand how, when the ladies knew nothing of French and we nothing of Portuguese, we could express ourselves at all ; but nothing was impossible to our officious Consul ; he undertook the part of interpreter. " The signal was given by a young lady, the Sen- hora Dona Maria Emegilina Francisca Genoveva di Marcellos di Connicullo di Garbo. Struck by Lauzun's good looks, his intelligent face, and his uniform — that of a hussar — she smilingly threw him a rose through the gratings, asked his name, and offered him a corner of her handkerchief, which he caught, and which she then pulled tight as if draw- ing him to her. *' We all eagerly did the same ; handkerchiefs were fluttered and flowers thrown on both sides, and as our young Portuguese friends seemed to long to get through the screen we felt bound to return the com- pliment by kissing our hands to them, not without some fear lest the Abbess should think us over bold. But the jest did not seem to disturb her gravity or be too much for her indulgence ; so we continued to kiss the corners of the fair ones' pocket handkerchiefs, and they on their part kissed the end they had hold of. 262 *^ Presently the worthy Superior, observing per- haps that our pleasure was mingled with a good deal of surprise, made us a little speech, interpreted to us by the Consul. ^ Pure love,' said she, ' was highly acceptable to God. These young persons,' she added, * to whom I am permitting you to pay your court, having had this practice in pleasing, will by-and-by be more agreeable to their husbands ; those who enter a religious life, having exercised the sensibilities of their soul and the fervour of their imagination, will love God all the more truly. On your part, such gallantry, which was held in honour of old, cannot fail to be useful to youthful warriors. It will fill you with the spirit of chivalry, and incite you to merit by noble deeds the hearts of the fair ones you love, and to do honour to their choice by covering yourselves with glory.' I know not whether the Consul translated her faithfully, but the fire of the Lady Abbess's eye, her dignity, her person and her crozier made me admire her eloquence, and convinced me that I was in some old enchanted island of Ariosto's in the good tiays of the Paladins. '' Thus encouraged, the handkerchief by which I