New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-24
MARIE ANTOINETTE.
Ak UNHAPPY AND UNCONQuERbD
QUEEN.

This volume contains the pathetic story OF
beautiful and unhappy woman-a storF to''
with sympathy but with less sen'imen'a"'!
than we might expect from feminine '"'o"-
icler Miss Tschudi. in her laudabie ehor' 10 o.
tust TO both the Queen and her detrac'o's' mas
corsu,ted most available authorities and has
watched their statements and opinions IN the
scale Of common sense. she has. for example
so DEITY disentangled the lies OF that dirty TEL
low. the Duo de Lsuzun. as to show In sen
tence the foolishness well as the shameiu'-
ness Of his tales. She has stated with FAIRNESS
the case against Marie Antoinette, ana 'he STU
dent Of eighteenth century history VIII "s'ee
with her that while the royal lady did much to
bring upon herself cruel fate. the causes so
far as proven did not Justify results
The pretty little Arch-duchess Antonio OF Aus
trja. Youngest daughter Of Maria Theresa was
=, her fourteenth YEAR when she entered France
as the bride Of the eldest grandson OF Louis
Ky. She was Of an impetuous, impulsVe nat
M. and she was singularly ignorant Inc
rrea, Empress had tried 10 do her duty In super
vis,rr her children's education but the cares OF
State had forced her 10 leave too mucn 10 'he
discretion Of lazy and ndulgent tutors anu so'-
ernesses The consequence was that the cap"-
waiting little girl went 10 her new nome Win "o
real knowledge Of anything save music Ha"a"
and French: and the serious counseis OF he'
,ro.hs- foil unon a mind able enough by nature
but too youthful still and too unframed Tor apt
consideration Who could expect a ch,ld not
vet af.een unless she were princess roih
FARMLAND 10 calmly meet and overcome WIN
unvarying wisdom such a sea OF diincuitles dS
that which spread before her dancing rect! Inc
French Court was a hotbed Of intrigue ana con-
.n,racv moved by the meanest self-nterest. the
ivy
nv Nine Du Barry. and gave the child no help
md protection His sisters the Dauphlns
sunts. we're narrow-minded TO the last degree
.cs,dal-nonCers and jealous Of any other FEM
,n,ne influence than their own at Court. AT
Gre, thev drew Marie Antoinette into their cir
Gle made little Of her position and so used her
unguarded frankness and fun as 10 preJuoice
people against her. In short. they tried 70 man
age and dominate the future Queen. and when'
with eyes opened by her wiser mother she
realized into what an unworthy and impossio'e
corner they were pushing her, she openly re-
VOTED. The natural result was that the three
sour and malicious gossips hated her ever after
and their apartments became nests of lies about
her and plots against her Three hard. back
biting old maids and one rash. sensitive mex
perienced. beautiful girl Of fifteen! II was
sorry contest 1t was old Nine Adelaide, the
crueest, cleverest and most ambitious OF the
sisters who gave her the nickname OF the
Austrian" which years after. was shouted at
the Queen as she went. white-haired. bowed and
broken hearted TO the scaffold.
The Dalphin was less than a broken reed to
his young wife. He was Of slow. dull and un-
nistakably bourgeois nature his early life IN
the country and the neglect with which he was
treated had made him timid awkward. weak
in Will and coarse In tak-a boor. in fact His
erea. physical strength called for bodily exer-
else which made him take 10 manual labor. He
had tower built and fitted UP as a smithy
60 that the odor OF the workshop. not that Oh
the Court, pervaded his whole person and his
grimy hands. Nine. du Barry called him that
fat fl-mannered boy Count Mercy Arsen-
teau. the Austrian Ambassador. relates that he
was nearly always busy at the forge. doing
mason's work, or carting materials and that
he left his occupation bathed in perspration
and looking az exhausted as II he had just come
from battlefield His voice was nara
when 1t was not shrD his hair stuck out on all
\ sides. as he had habit Of necessarily running
J his fingers through it; he was generally seen
with dirty clothes and black hands, and more
over. he was entirely wanting in those per-
sonal advantages one expects 10 find in the
descendant Of an old and noble race. He
avoided women their society worry 70
him. and when his feelings at last reused
toward her who was chosen 10 share his des-
tiny, his love was barely strong enough to mas
ter his sbyness" For years the young pair
lived terms Of merely polite acquaintance
ship. and Il was not until long after they had
assembled the throne that the Queen received
from her husband pale. IL genuine. affection.
1T would be difficult" says Miss Tschud. with
truth. TO meet with characters that offer a
greater contras, TO each other 1t was as though
fire and water had been united: not only OPP
poste characters. but different races. tastes
opinions. sympa,hies. wishes and feelings were
IN collision"
In the early years o. their reign-and IT be
gan when Marie Antoinettc not nineteen
nor Louis twenty-five latter left his wife al
most entirely unguided and unprotected. Dur
ing her I'VE years as Dauphiness her life had
been thing or dull routine. In every way
gloomy and restricted; II is not strange that
the hieh-sprlted girl. when her opportunity
came showed herself hungry for amusement
and hasty. thoughtless and imprudent in seeking
IL. There was famine among the poor in France
and their Queen spent vast sums In entertain
ments. IN gambling and in gifts TO her favorte'
among the calculating women OF rank wn'
formed her household and preyed upon her
She had apparently but one unsclfish woman
friend. the Inflated Princes.e de Lamballe. Thu
others, with few exceptions. used the Queen
warm affection the means Of filling thei
pockets and those Of their relations, and In re
turn abused and villiled her. There was. more
over a clique al Court ready 10 misinterpret he
most innocent actions TO tempt her into de
rogatory positions. and 10 defame her as thor
oughly as possible. Its leaders were the King
younger brothers. the Conlte de Provence an
the Com,e dArtos, two youths who had a!
ways been Jealous OF Louis's place as heir I
the throne and who delighted in disparagin
him. The Savoyard wives OF the two prince
iWere bitter and envious as their husband
SAnd the Kings aunts helped TO swell the chorr
" detraction. The beginning of the scendaiou