The Ancient Regime Part 14

[Footnote 2219: George Sand, "Histoire de ma vie," I.78.]

[Footnote 2220: "Marie Antoinette," by d'Arneth and Geffroy, I. 61 (March 18, 1777).]

[Footnote 2221: D'Argenson, January 26, 1753.]

[Footnote 2222: "Marie Antoinette," III. 135, November 19, 1777.]

[Footnote 2223: Barbier, IV., 155. The Marshal de Soubise had a hunting lodge to which the king came from time to time to eat an omelet of pheasants' eggs, costing 157 livres, 10 sous. (Mercier, XII 192; according to the statement of the cook who made it.)]

[Footnote 2224: Mme. d'Oberkirk, I. 129, II. 257.]

[Footnote 2225: Mme. de Genlis, "Souvenirs de Felicie," 80; and "Theatre de l'Education," II. 367. A virtuous young woman in ten months runs into debt to the amount of 70,000 francs: "Ten louis for a small table, 15 louis for another, 800 francs for a bureau, 200 francs for a small writing desk, 300 francs for a large one. Hair rings, hair gla.s.s, hair chain, hair bracelets, hair clasps, hair necklace, hair box, 9,900 francs," etc.]

[Footnote 2226: Mme. de Genlis, "Adele et Theodore," III. 14.]

[Footnote 2227: Mme. d'Avray, sister of Mme. de Genlis, sets the example, for which she is at first much criticized.]

[Footnote 2228: "When I arrived in France M. de Choiseul's reign was just over. The woman who seemed nice to him, or could only please his sister-in-law the d.u.c.h.esse de Gramont, was sure of being able to secure the promotion to colonel and lieutenant general of any man they proposed. Women were of consequence even in the eyes of the old and of the clergy; they were thoroughly familiar, to an extraordinary degree, with the march of events; they knew by heart the characters and habits of the king's friends and ministers. One of these, on returning to his chateau from Versailles, informed his wife about every thing with which he had been occupied; at home he says one or two words to her about his water-color sketches, or remains silent and thoughtful, pondering over what he has just heard in Parliament. Our poor ladies are abandoned to the Society of those frivolous men who, for want of intellect, have no ambition, and of course no employment (dandies)." (Stendhal, "Rome, Naples, and Florence," 377. A narrative by Colonel Forsyth).]

[Footnote 2229: De Bezenval, 49, 60.--"Out of twenty seigniors at the court there are fifteen not living with their wives, and keeping mistresses. Nothing is so common at Paris among certain people."

(Barbier, IV. 496.)]

[Footnote 2230: Ne soyez point epoux, ne soyez point amant, Soyez l'homme du jour et vous serez charmant.]

[Footnote 2231: Crebillon, fills. "La nuit et le moment," IX, 14.]

[Footnote 2232: Horace Walpole's letters (January 15, 1766).--The Duke de Brissac, at Louveciennes, the lover of Mme. du Barry, and pa.s.sionately fond of her, always in her society a.s.sumed the att.i.tude of a polite stranger. (Mme. Vigee-Lebrun, "Souvenirs," I. 165.)]

[Footnote 2233: De Lauzun, 51.--Champfort, 39.--"The Duc de--whose wife had just been the subject of scandal, complained to his mother-in-law: the latter replied with the greatest coolness, 'Eh, Monsieur, you make a good deal of talk about nothing. Your father was much better company.'"

(Mme. d'Oberkirk, II. 135, 241).--"A husband said to his wife, I allow you everything except princes and lackeys.' He had it right since these two extremes brought dishonor on account of the scandal attached to them." (Senac de Meilhan, "Considerations sur les moeurs.)--On a wife being discovered by a husband, he simply exclaims, "Madame, what imprudence! Suppose that I was any other man." (La femme au dix-huitieme siecle," 201.)]

[Footnote 2234: See in this relation the somewhat ancient types, especially in the provinces. "My mother, my sister, and myself, transformed into statues by my father's presence, only recover ourselves after he leaves the room." (Chateaubriand, "Memoires," I. 17, 28, 130).--"Memoires de Mirabeau," I. 53.) The Marquis said of his father Antoine: "I never had the honor of kissing the cheek of that venerable man. . . At the Academy, being two hundred leagues away from him, the mere thought of him made me dread every youthful amus.e.m.e.nt which could be followed by the least unfavorable results."--Paternal authority seems almost as rigid among the middle and lower cla.s.ses. ("Beaumarchais et son temps," by De Lomenie, I. 23.--"Vie de mon pere," by Restif de la Bretonne, pa.s.sim.)]

[Footnote 2235: Sainte-Beuve, "Nouveaux lundis," XII, 13;--Comte de Tilly, "Memoires," I. 12; Duc de Lauzun, 5.--"Beaumarchais," by de Lomenie, II. 299.]

[Footnote 2236: Madame de Genlis, "Memoires," ch 2 and 3.]

[Footnote 2237: Mme. d'Oberkirk. II. 35.--This fashion lasts until 1783.--De Goncourt, "La femme au dix-huitieme siecle, 415,--"Les pet.i.ts parrains," engraving by Moreau.--Berquin, "L'ami des enfants," pa.s.sim.--Mme. de Genlis, "Theatre de l'Education," pa.s.sim.]

[Footnote 2238: Lesage, "Gil Blas de Santillane": the discourse of the dancing-master charged with the education of the son of Count d'Olivares.]

[Footnote 2239: "Correspondance." by Metra, XIV. 212; XVI. 109.--Mme.

d'Oberkirk. II, 302.]

[Footnote 2240: De Segur, I. 297:

Ma naissance n'a rien de neuf, J'ai suivi la commune regle, Mais c'est vous qui sortez d'un oeuf, Car vous etes un aigle.

Mme. de Genlis, "Memoires," ch. IV. Mme. de Genlis wrote verses of this kind at twelve years of age.]

[Footnote 2241: Already in the Precieuses of Moliere, the Marquis de Mascarille and the Vicomte de Jodelet.--And the same in Marivaux, "L'epreuve, les jeux de l'amour et du hasard," ete.--Lesage, "Crispin rival de son maitre."--Laclos, "Les liaisons dangereuses," first letter.]

[Footnote 2242: Voltaire, "Princesse de Babylone."]

[Footnote 2243: "Gustave III," by Geffroy, II. 37.--Mme. Vigee-Lebrun, I. 81.]

[Footnote 2244: George Sand, I. 58-60. A narration by her grandmother, who, at thirty years of age, married M. Dupin de Francuiel, aged sixty-two.]

[Footnote 2245: Mme. de Genlis, "Souvenirs de Felicie," 77.--Mme.

Campan, III. 74.--Mme. de Genlis, "Dict. des Etiquettes," I. 348.]

[Footnote 2246: See an anecdote concerning this species of royalty in "Adele et Theodore, I. 69" by Mme. de Genlis.--Mme. Vigee-Lebrun, I.

156: "Women ruled then; the Revolution has dethroned them. . . This gallantry I speak of has entirely disappeared."]

[Footnote 2247: "Women in France to some extent dictate whatever is to be said and prescribe whatever is to be done in the fashionable world."

("A comparative view," by John Andrews, 1785.)]

[Footnote 2248: Mme. d'Oberkirk, I. 299.--Mme. de Genlis, "Memoires,"

ch. XI.]

[Footnote 2249: De Tilly, I. 24.]

[Footnote 2250: Necker, "Oeuvres completes," XV, 259.]

[Footnote 2251: Narrated by M. de Bezenval, a witness of the duel.]

[Footnote 2252: See especially: Saint-Aubin, "Le bal pare," "Le Concert;"--Moreau, "Les Elegants," "La Vie d'un Seigneur a la mode,"

the vignettes of "La nouvelle Heloise;" Beaudouin, "La Toilette," "Le Coucher de la Mariee;" Lawreince, "Qu'en dit l'abbe?"--Watteau, the first in date and in talent, transposes these customs and depicts them the better by making them more poetic.--Of the rest, reread "Marianne,"

by Marivaux; "La Verite dans le vin," by Colle; "Le coin du feu,"

"La nuit et le moment," by Crebillon fils; and two letters in the "Correspondance inedite" of Mme. du Deffant, one by the Abbe Barthelemy and the other by the Chevalier de Boufflers, (I. 258, 341.).]

[Footnote 2253: "Correspondence inedite de Mme. du Deffant," published by M. de Saint-Aulaire, I. 235, 258, 296, 302, 363.]

[Footnote 2254: Mme. de Genlis, "Dict. des Etiquettes," II. 38. "Adele et Theodore, I, 312, II, 350,--George Sand, "Histoire de ma vie," I.

228.--De Goncourt, p. 111.]

[Footnote 2255: George Sand, I. 59.]

[Footnote 2256: "A comparative view," etc., by John Andrews.]

[Footnote 2257: Mme. Vigee-Lebrun, I. 15, 154.]

[Footnote 2258: Chateaubriand, I. 34.--"Memoires de Mirabeau,"

pa.s.sim.--George Sand, I. 59, 76.]

[Footnote 2259: Comptes rendus de la societe de Berry (1863-1864).]

[Footnote 2260: "Histoire de Troyes pendant la Revolution," by Albert Babeau, I. 46.]