New-York tribune., 1910-03-26
Literary .NeSe,S and Criticism


t.on. without being pretty. she had
, the magnetic charm and elegance which
were 50 completely lacking 70 Louis.
she talked easily snd Wittily. but had
very Ettle SQUAD knowledge. There Is
no doubt, moreover. that her excessive
frivolity neutrsliEe6 the real good thst
was in her. According 20 the "souve-
Mrs" 81 Moreau. who had had frequent
opportunities for observing her closely.
she had the manners and the tone of
badly brought up child" II was
solely The ambitious foily ~ her friends
which n last vanquished her great
natural Incidence and forced her 90
take a hand in the political game for
which she had no inclination and bat
little natural capscity. But the men,
hers of tho Kings family who by their
attitude most Copiouslv contributed to
and hastened his discontinue Ohe
Marquis Dc Segur is the first historian
of ihe French Revolution 90 give the
necessary relief 20 fhis factl were his
four maiden aunts. the surviving sisters
81 Louis Ky.
The eldest ~ them. Nine. Adelaide.
completely dominated the other three.
and they followed her lead In ali things.
She was tan. withered old lady. With
q huge Roman nose. sn imperious air.
s sharp. unsympathetic voice. brief of
speech. brusque in manner and terribly
severe in an matters of etiquette. She
had practically brought up her nephew,
the orphaned little Dsuphin. and he had
retained after his accession 20 his grand
fathers throne sonne - his old fear ~
her. mingled with 4 certain amount ~
affection. Nine Vicioire. the second
sister. had once heen beautiful 90 look
unon. but she had lost all pretensions
- gNod looks. and. in character, was
mere zero. Nine sophie. who
csme next I'm order ~ age. Was ''of
/ rare Ueliness." end 80 timid that she
produced the impression of being men
tally wanting. Nne. Louise. the
1 youngest. Who hs6 become a Carmelite
nun, vas pious and well inlentioned.
lut her retirement from the world did
not prevent her from constantly Pester-
/ Ing the Kings ministers with advice
on political questions. From the start
these old prinCesses found themselves
4 in = state ~ latent suspicion If and
. diss greenent with the brilliant Young
4 archduchess from the court ~ Aus
tris This opposition soon after Louis's
+ accession developed into almost undis-
guised hatred u WAS they Hho gave
% the unfortunate Marie Antoinette
the nickname ~ 'rAutruchienne,' -
which the maddened people were after
ward 10 use 50 savagelv against her:
IL Was they who helped a. spread about
ana m some cases 20 invent the out
rageous accusations of immortality
which the public 50 eagerly accepted
and which Feuquier- Tinville repeated
against the Queen ~ her tTisl before
the Revolutionary Tribunal But az no
time vas their counsel more fatal 70
the King than on the very first day
of his reign
The singularly dramatic incident which
then took place Is now related by the
Marquis DE- Segur for the first time.
Louis. conscious that he was larking in
the necessary knowledge and experience
tor selecting a ministry. had decided 20
oonfde this task 20 De Machault. an ad-
niinistrstCr of tried ability and scknONl-
edged probitv. but highly unpopular
with the clergy and the corrupt hangers
on 81 the court He had already dis
patched a page with letter requesting
De Machault 10 accept post as his con-
hdential adviser. when the influence ~
his sunts Influenced in their turn b.
. priests, induced him 10 alter his decision
and 10 send a Second messenger 90 get
hack the letter n the page had not al
ready started. n happened that the
o page had lost spur. and in the brief
DELAY caused by his procuring another
% one the second messenger was able "a
= deliver the second message FIRST Marie
; Antoine'te hes herself left on record her
D conviction thst unless the hrst mes
p ssnger had been orertaken the King
= would have shides hv hiE original plan
p Thus the neEli gene - psge changed
3 the whole course - Frer~r his'o~,-. FOR
he Machsut vss . mar - biood and
iron. Nho would never have allowed the
King 20 fsu hv hts orn weakness or he
. rlonsrchv - hec~rne the victim - court
anarchv and foreign intrigue louis
after series ~ unfortunate experience
WIN MINISTERS 70. OH NC llfAFl 10 NlIl NN
his busyhodv relations hnally returned
~ his primitive ides ~ governing with
the cid cf q Chancellor who vas an al
mitted Liberal sne al experienced msu
- business into the tsrgain. and ~
selected Turgot. ono ~ the mest illus
trious of French economists. she prscur.
scr of Adam Smith as Propounder a
free trade ideals. But n vss too late -
; save the situation, and much OF n. Do
Segur's vslus hle work is devoted 20 2
careful analysis of the circumstances
most ~ which were quite independent oi
the monsrch's or TuTgot's sincere ~.
forts 10 come 10 an understanding, which
made their cooperation impossible 4
second volume. which is IN preparation
viii describe Ike equally futile efforts Of
Necker 40 come 80 Tho rescue 81 the
throne. after which the King. abandoned
20 his own feeble resources. Was little
. better situsted Tor the rest ~ his reign
than the proverhisl OK who goeth 30 the
slaughter. q. = p.
rfuNrr. rFTsVTrnr0.