[11] “Ils paraissent si excedes du grand monde et des fetes, qu’avec d’autres petites difficultes qui se sont elevees, nous avons decide qu’il n’y aurait rien a Marly.”—­Marie Antoinette to Mercy; Marie Antoinette, Joseph II., and Leopold II., p. 27.

[12] “No fewer than five actions were fought in 1782, and the spring of 1783, by those unwearied foes.  De Suffrein’s force was materially the stronger of the two; it consisted of ten sail of the line, one fifty-gun ship, and four frigates; while Sir E. Hughes had but eight sail of the line, a fifty-gun ship, and one frigate,” See the author’s “History of the British Navy,” i., p. 400.

[13] Weber, i., p. 77.  For the importance at this time attached to a reception at court, see Chateaubriand, “Memoires d’Outre-tombe,” i., p. 221.

CHAPTER XVIII.

[1] Joseph to Marie Antoinette, date September 9th, 1783.—­Marie Antoinette, Joseph II., and Leopold II., p.30, which, to save such a lengthened reference, will hereafter be referred to as “Arneth.”

[2] She was again expecting a confinement; but, as had happened between the birth of Madame Royale and that of the dauphin, an accident disappointed her hope, and her third child was not born till 1785.

[3] Date September 29th, 1783, Arneth, p. 35.

[4] Ministre de la maison du roi.

[5] Arneth, p. 38.

CHAPTER XIX.

[1] “Le roi signa une lettre de cachet qui defendait cette representation.”—­Madame de Campan, ch. xi.; see the whole chapter.  Madame de Campan’s account of the queen’s inclinations on the subject differs from that given by M. de Lomenie, in his “Beaumarchais et son Temps,” but seems more to be relied on, as she had certainly better means of information.

[2] See M. Gaillard’s report to the lieutenant of police.—­Beaumarchais et son Temps, ii., p. 313.

[3] “Il n’y a que les petits hommes qui redoutent les petits ecrits.”—­ Act v., scene 3.

[4] “Avec Goddam en, Angleterre on ne manque de rien nulle part.  Voulez-vous tater un bon poulet gras ... Goddam ...  Aimez-vous a boire un coup d’excellent Bourgogne ou de clairet? rien que celui-ci Goddam.  Les Anglais a la verite ajoutent par-ci par-la autres mots en conversant, mais il est bien aise de voir que Goddam est le fond de la langue.”—­Act iii., scene 5.

[5] “Gustave III. et la Cour de France,” ii., p.22

[6] Ibid., p. 35.

CHAPTER XX.

[1] “De par la reine.”

[2] Madame de Campan, ch. xi.

[3] “‘La legerete a tout croire et a tout dire des souverains,’ ecrit tres justement M. Nisard (Moniteur du 22 Janvier, 1886), ’est un des travers de notre pays, et comme le defaut de notre qualite de nation monarchique.  C’est ce travers qui a tue Marie Antoinette par la main des furieux qui eurent peut-etre des honnetes gens pour complices.  Sa mort devait rendre a jamais impossible en France la calomnie politique.’”—­Chambrier, i., p. 494.