Lives of Celebrated WomenGoodrich, Samuel G. (Samuel Griswold)
History
Lives of Celebrated Women
Goodrich, Samuel G. (Samuel Griswold)
Women -- Biography
"We should have remained longer at Zug, but we became known, and the
magistrates were reproached for having given us refuge; we were
therefore obliged to consult as to our future destination. We formed a
thousand romantic projects, and abandoned them as fast as made. The
Duke of Chartres insisted upon continuing with us, which made it
impossible for us to remain unknown. I finally determined to write to
M. de Montesquiou, who lived at Bremgarten, who was himself a refugee,
and possessed great influence in Switzerland. I described to him the
condition of my unfortunate pupils, and begged him to allow them an
asylum in the convent, near the town. M. de Montesquiou wrote me a
most polite and obliging answer, and took upon himself to get
Mademoiselle d'Orleans and myself into this convent, called St.
Claire. The Duke of Chartres resolved to make a pedestrian tour
through Switzerland, where he was taken for a German. How often, since
my misfortunes, have I congratulated myself on the education I had
given him,--on the languages I had taught him,--on having accustomed
him to despise effeminacy, and habituate himself to fatigue! All that
he was indebted for to the chance of birth and fortune he had lost;
and nothing now remained to him but what he held from nature and from
me.[5]
"We entered the convent under feigned names. Mine was Madame Lenox,
aunt of Mademoiselle Stuart, my sister's daughter. The duke then left
us, and, after his journey through Switzerland, he entered the college
of the Grisons incognito, as professor of mathematics. In this quiet
of the convent, the health of Mademoiselle was nearly restored. While
here came news of a horrid catastrophe, on November 9th, 1793, and I
became ill.... I concealed from Mademoiselle the death of her
unfortunate father, but dressed her in mourning, as if for the queen
of France.[6]
"About this time, a violent dispute arose between the inhabitants
of Bremgarten: two parties were formed, and an order was obtained,
by people hostile to M. de Montesquiou, that all the French should
leave the place. Hearing that the Princess of Conti, the aunt of
Mademoiselle d'Orleans, was residing in Switzerland, Mademoiselle,
at my urgent request, wrote to her to ask permission to join her.
She received a very kind letter, saying that the princess would
receive her niece. On the day before the carriage was sent to take
her from me, my emotion was excessive. I determined to spare both
of us the pain of this cruel separation. I accordingly shut myself
in my room, at the arrival of the Countess de Pont, who was to take
away my interesting charge, telling the servant to say that I had
gone to some distance.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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