earliest ideas with an attachment, which the many recent sacrilegious violations of her fame have kindled into enthusiasm. During the whole of these five years, I beheld the Queen pursuing her beneficent career, not only at the two interesting periods of her confinement, which she particularly hallowed by her charity, but in her common course of life; nor did she select her objects merely from the lower and more indigent ranks, but from those also of a higher class in society, who were struggling with misfortune. I have myself witnessed her bounteous distributions, among all denominations of persons, of every age, and of both sexes; one deserving person she would settle in a comfortable retreat from the world; another she would enable to retrieve the dignity of his luble was the tie, how enthusiastic the attachment, that bound to the cause of their princes and chiefs, the children of those nurses by whom they had been suckled. Tu quoque littoribus nostris, Eneïa nutrix, And thou, O matron of immortal fame, The nurse of great Æneas' infancy. En. b. vii. v. 1, 2. ancestors; maternal feeling, conjugal affection, filial piety, and fraternal love, all by turns interested her concern. I have seen her also give support to whole families, portion young women in marriage, and educate children; even the audience she so readily granted to all, was in itself a benefit; so promptly did she meet the views, so willingly did she listen to the reasons, so anxiously did she always endeavor to bring about the success of the applicant, or to lessen disappointment by some consolatory compensation, whenever such success was opposed by obstacles not easily to be overcome. I have seen the compassion of this unwearied benefactress of her people, passing even the boundary of Europe to free the wretched from their misery. In the year 1785, three hundred and seventeen captives, at Algiers, owed their liberty to the joint beneficence of the sister Queens of France and Naples. Nor did the generous MARIA-ANTOINETTA ever know a difference between an enemy, or one of her own subjects, when called on to dry the tear of grief, or to prevent unmerited disaster; to restore a brother to a sister's hope, or to give back a son to a mother's embrace. When Washington, that he might observe a principle of retaliation, which though most cruel was yet deemed indispensable, had with regret, but with inflexibility, passed sentence upon the young and brave Asgill, the Count de Vergennes made his appeal for mercy in the name of the mother of the Dauphin of France, and prevailed over the genius of war and policy, in behalf of the mother of Asgill. I have also witnessed the Queen, while anxious to increase the glory of the King, and full of the tenderest wishes to have him universally beloved, ascribe to him, as to whom they were alone due, those acknowledgments which, through the means he had put into her possession, had been paid to herself. I have both seen and heard her speak with affectionate exultation of the peace he gave to the world, and of the numerous blessings which he heaped upon his people. My eye watched her amiable solicitude for his Majesty's success when he set out for Normandy in 1786*; and I beheld the joy with which her heart overflowed, when this good Prince wrote to her an account of the pro * During the route, the King gaily observed: "The Queen “has enjoined me to make my voice as soft as I cun when I speak." fuse testimonies of affection that he met with wherever he went; I saw her transports also, when he returned to her arms, enraptured with his country's love. Ah! if at that instant an angel from above (for no human foresight could have effected it) had foretold to me that in three years' time a revolution would take place, I should then have myself predicted that affectionate support which MARIA-ANTOINETTA rendered to Louis XVI. amid all his dreadful sufferings. How often too have I seen her Majesty, when yet in the early day of youth, turn from its impetuous pleasures, and dissipated delights, by first substituting, for the brilliant balls of Versailles, the rural assemblies of Trianon, which were ever producing some new mark of her goodness; from which time it was every day more and more evident, how her attention was taken up with the cares and duties of a mother. Sometimes, unaccompanied by her attendants, she would walk with her children in her gardens, the decorations of which she had converted into mediums of charity*; sometimes, in * As appears from those twelve rustic habitations, which were built at Trianon by the Queen's orders, and in which she settled twelve poor families, taking upon herself to pro her own apartments, either mingling in their infant sports, or busily employing herself in needlework. And, as the mind of Madame Royale gradually expanded, I have beheld her Royal Mother indefatigable in her efforts to implant and cultivate, in her tender breast, all those eminently good qualities which graced her own; and especially enforcing, with all her influence, a regard for every virtuous qualification, recollection of services performed, love of human nature, compassion for the unfortunate, moderation in high estate, charity, kindness, and forbearance. Truth is the guide of my words, and many a proof exists to corroborate the faithfulness of this description; but the fruits which this day grace the world, are of themselves sufficient to mark the excellence of the culture; vide them with constant maintenance. Here, Misfortune found a refuge, and Charity chose her seat; here, in those very gardens, which base and ignorant calumny to this day dares to represent as the theatre of the most licentious scenes! such indeed as are to be read of in loose romances, and which the infamous plagiarist has obtruded upon the world as facts of history. We will not so outrage the memory of MARIAANTOINETTA, as to enter into farther vindication of her from such offensive falshoods, while the publications that propagate them can reflect disgrace on none but him who writes, and him who reads, and on the government that connives at such miserable productions, |