[12] “Mme. Adelaide ajouta, ’On voit bien que vous n’etes pas de notre sang.’”—­ARNETH, i., p. 94.

[13] Arneth, i., p. 95.

[14] “Finalement, Mme. la Dauphine se fait adorer de ses entours et du public; il n’est pas encore survenu un seul inconvenient grave dans sa conduite.”—­Mercy a Marie-Therese, Novembre 16, Arneth, i., p. 98.

[15] Prince de Ligne, “Mem.” ii., p. 79.

[16] Mercy to Maria Teresa, dated November 17th, 1770, Arneth, i., p. 94.

[17] Mercy to Maria Teresa, dated February 25th, 1771, Arneth, i, p. 134.

CHAPTER V

[1] See the “Citizen of the World,” Letter 55.  Reference has often been made to Lord Chesterfield’s prediction of the French Revolution.  But I am not aware that any one has remarked on the equally acute foresight of Goldsmith.

[2] Letter of April 16th, 1771, Arneth, i., p. 148.

[3] Arneth, i., p. 186.

[4] Maria Teresa to Marie Antoinette, July 9th, and August 17th, Arneth, i., p. 196.

[5] “Ne soyez pas honteuse d’etre allemande jusqu’aux gaucheries....  Le Francais vous estimera plus et fera plus de compte sur vous s’il vous trouve la solidite et la franchise allemande.”—­Maria Teresa to Marie Antoinette. May 8th, 1771, Arneth, i., p. 159.

[6] Walpole’s letter to Sir H. Mann, June 8th, 1771, v., p. 301.

[7] Mercy to Maria Teresa, January 23d, 1772, Arneth, i., p. 265.

[8] The Duc de la Vauguyon, who, after the dauphin’s marriage, still retained his post with his younger brother.

CHAPTER VI

[1] Mercy’s letter to the empress, August 14th, 1772, Arneth, i., p. 335.

[2] Mercy to Maria Teresa, November 14th, 1772, Arneth, i., p. 307.

[3] Marie Antoinette to Maria Teresa, December 15th, 1772, Arneth, i., p. 382.

[4] Her sister Caroline, Queen of Naples.

[5] Her brother Leopold, at present Grand Duke of Tuscany, afterward emperor.  His wife, Marie Louise, was a daughter of Charles III. of Spain.

[6] They, with several of the princes of the blood and some of the peers, as already mentioned, had been banished for their opposition to the abolition of the Parliaments; but now, in the hopes of obtaining the king’s consent to his marriage with Madame de Montessan, a widow of enormous wealth, the Due d’Orleans made overtures for forgiveness, accompanying them, however, with a letter so insolent that it might we be regarded as an aggravation of his original offense.  According to Madame du Deffand (letter to Walpole, December 18th, 1772, vol. ii., p. 283), he was only prevented from reconciling himself to the king some months before by his son, the Due de Chartres (afterward the infamous Egalite), whom she describes as “a young man, very obstinate, and who hopes to play a great part by putting himself at the head of a faction.”  The princes, however, in the view of the shrewd old lady, had made the mistake of greatly overrating their own importance.  “These great princes, since their protest, have been just citizens of the Rue St. Denis.  No one at court ever perceived their absence, and no one in the city ever noticed their presence.”