Produced by David Widger MEMOIRS OF THE COURT OF MARIE ANTOINETTE, QUEEN OF FRANCE Being the Historic Memoirs of Madam Campan, First Lady in Waiting to the Queen LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Duchesse du Barry Princesse de Lamballe The Parisian Bonne Louis XVI. and Marie Antoinette Beaumarchais The Reveille Madame Adelaide as Diana The Bastille Opening of The States General Louis XVI. Marie Antoinette on the way to the Guillotine Madame Campan PREFACE BY THE AUTHOR. Louis XVI. possessed an immense crowd of confidants, advisers, and guides; he selected them even from among the factions which attacked him. Never, perhaps, did he make a full disclosure to any one of them, and certainly he spoke with sincerity, to but very few. He invariably kept the reins of all secret intrigues in his own hand; and thence, doubtless, arose the want of cooperation and the weakness which were so conspicuous in his measures. From these causes considerable chasms will be found in the detailed history of the Revolution. In order to become thoroughly acquainted with the latter years of the reign of Louis XV., memoirs written by the Duc de Choiseul, the Duc d'Aiguillon, the Marechal de Richelieu, [I heard Le Marechal de Richelieu desire M. Campan, who was librarian to the Queen, not to buy the Memoirs which would certainly be attributed to him after his death, declaring them false by anticipation; and adding that he was ignorant of orthography, and had never amused himself with writing. Shortly after the death of the Marshal, one Soulavie put forth Memoirs of the Marechal de Richelieu.]