The Life of Marie Antoinette, Queen of FranceYonge, Charles Duke
History
The Life of Marie Antoinette, Queen of France
Yonge, Charles Duke
Marie Antoinette, Queen, consort of Louis XVI, King of France, 1755-1793
It was more to his credit that he at the same time placed in the treasury
a sum of two millions of francs to cover any incorrectness which might be
discovered or suspected in his accounts, and any loss which might be
sustained from the depreciation of the paper money lately issued under his
administration, though not with his approbation. All the rest of his
colleagues retired at the same time, except the foreign secretary, M.
Montmorin. They had recently been attacked with great violence in the
Assembly by a combination of the most extreme democrats and the most
extreme Royalists, the latter of whom accused them of having betrayed the
royal authority by unworthy accessions. But, though, in the division which
had taken place they had been supported by a considerable majority, they
feared a repetition of the attack, and resigned their offices; in some
degree undoubtedly weakening their royal master by their retirement, since
those by whom he found himself compelled to replace them had still less of
his confidence. Two--Duport de Tertre, Keeper of the Seals, and Duportail,
Minister of War--were creatures of La Fayette, and the first mentioned was
notoriously unfriendly to the queen. Two others--Lambert, the successor of
Necker, and Fleurieu, the Minister of Marine--were under the influence of
Barnave and the Jacobins. The only member of the new ministry who was in
the least degree acceptable to Louis was M. de Lessart, the Minister of
the Interior; but he, though loyal in purpose, was of too moderate talents
for his appointment to add any real strength to the royal cause.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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