[69] “Mémoires du Baron de Besenval,” vol. iii. p. 122.
[70] His depositions are signed “Desclaux.”
[71] “Memoirs of Marie-Antoinette,” by Madame Campan, vol. ii. pp. 17, 19, 291.
[72] “Correspondance Inédite de Marie-Antoinette,” par Comte P. Vogt d’Hunolstein, p. 141.
[73] “Procès de Marie-Antoinette,” Paris, 1865, pp. 40, 64, 65.
[74] “Mémoires pour servir à l’Histoire des Événements de la fin du XVIIIe siècle,” par l’Abbé Georgel, vol. ii. p. 220.
[75] “Memoirs of Marie-Antoinette,” by Madame Campan, vol. ii. p. 42.
[76] “Mémoires Historiques et Politiques du règne de Louis XVI.,” par l’Abbé Soulavie, vol. iii. p. 277, _et seq._
[77] “Mémoires pour servir à l’Histoire des Événements de la fin du XVIIIe siècle,” par l’Abbé Georgel, vol i. p. 269, _et seq._
[78] “Memoirs of Marie-Antoinette,” by Madame Campan, vol. i. p. 65.
[79] “Correspondance Secrète Inédite sur Louis XVI., Marie-Antoinette,” etc., vol. i. pp. 229, 591.
[80] “Life of the Countess de la Motte, by herself,” vol. i. p. 294.
[81] She had informed the cardinal that the queen had deigned to accept of a white Spanish dog which the cardinal had offered to her through the princess. Of course Marie-Antoinette had done nothing of the kind.
[82] “Life of the Countess de la Motte, by herself,” vol. ii. p. 12, Appendix.
[83] “Life of the Countess de la Motte, by herself,” vol. ii. p. 17, Appendix.
[84] A few of these letters are given in the Appendix to the present work.
[85] “Confrontation du Cardinal avec le Père Loth.” The latter described the paper on which Villette wrote as being bordered with “_vignettes bleues_,” and in M. Feuillet de Conches’ unique collection of autographs of Marie-Antoinette are several notes written by the queen on paper with coloured borders.
[86] “Mémoires de la Baronne d’Oberkirche,” vol. i.
[87] “Saverne et ses environs,” par C. G. Klein.
[88] This refers to the year 1866. What changes the former palace may have undergone since Saverne has been under German domination I am unable to say.
[89] “Mémoire pour le Cardinal de Rohan,” p. 24.
[90] The Rue du Jour is a narrow street close to the “Halles Centrales,” and at the western end of the church of St. Eustache. It contains at the present day several _Hôtels meublés_ of a seedy kind, but the “petit hôtel Lambesc,” where Mdlle. Leguay Designy had her small apartment on the _premier étage_, no longer exists under its original name.
[91] The count being, according to Rétaux de Villette, a notorious gambler, the Palais Royal, where the _salons de jeu_ most abounded, would naturally have been one of his accustomed haunts.
[92] More probably towards the end of July.
[93] “Mémoire pour la Demoiselle Leguay d’Oliva,” p. 8, _et seq._
[94] “Histoire anecdotique des Rues de Versailles,” par J. A. Le Roi.
[95] “Deuxième Mémoire pour le Sieur Bette d’Étienville,” p. 17.
[96] “Mémoire pour la Demoiselle Leguay d’Oliva,” p. 16.
[97] “Mémoire pour la Demoiselle Leguay d’Oliva,” p. 16, _et seq._
[98] “Mémoires Justificatifs de la Comtesse de la Motte,” p. 52, _et seq._
[99] “Mémoire pour le Cardinal de Rohan.”
[100] “Mémoires du Comte Beugnot,” vol. i p. 67, _et seq._
[101] In the cardinal’s first “Mémoire” he states the sum to have been sixty thousand livres, but at his examination he fixed it at fifty thousand.
[102] “Histoire de Marie-Antoinette,” par E. et J. de Goncourt, p. 202.
[103] “Mémoire pour la Demoiselle Leguay d’Oliva,” p. 34.
[104] “Mémoires du Comte Beugnot,” vol. i. pp. 33, 34.
[105] “Essais Historiques sur la Ville de Bar-sur-Aube,” etc., par J. F. G., and “Histoire de Bar-sur-Aube,” par L. Chevalier.
[106] An evident allusion to the ancient Roman triumphs.
[107] “Mémoires du Comte Beugnot,” vol. i. p. 35, _et seq._
[108] A pun upon _La Motte_.
[109] “Mémoires du Comte Beugnot,” vol. i. p. 41, _et seq._
[110] There were twenty-four livres or francs in the louis of those days.
[111] This letter of Mademoiselle de Saint-Remi’s has obtained the honour of being preserved among the historical autographs in the National Archives.
[112] “Mémoires du Comte Beugnot,” vol. i. pp. 45, _et seq._, 259, 260, 262.
[113] “Compte rendu de ce qui s’est passé au Parlement,” etc., p. 92.
[114] “Mémoires Justificatifs de la Comtesse de la Motte,” p. 75, _et seq._
[115] This and similar allusions to localities connected with our narrative refer to the year 1866.
[116] “Premier Interrogatoire du Cardinal de Rohan.”
[117] Déposition de Bassenge.
[118] “Life of the Countess de la Motte, by herself,” vol. i. pp. 340, 341.
[119] “Mémoires Justificatifs de la Comtesse de la Motte,” p. 93, _et seq._, and “Life of the Countess de la Motte, by herself,” vol i. p. 344 _et seq._
[120] Madame Campan states that “_Vu bon.—Marie-Antoinette_” was the form in which the queen certified the accuracy of an account.
[121] “Mémoires pour servir,” etc., par l’Abbé Georgel, vol. ii. p. 47, _et seq._
[122] See _post_, p. 120.
[123] “Mémoires pour servir,” etc., par l’Abbé Georgel, vol. ii. p. 50.
[124] “Cagliostro’s Stammbaum” von Wolfgang von Goethe.
[125] “Louis XVI.,” par Alexandre Dumas, vol. iii. p. 154.
[126] “Premier Interrogatoire de Madame de la Motte.”
[127] “Mémoires de la Baronne d’Oberkirche,” vol. i. pp. 129, 144.
[128] “Mémoires pour servir,” etc., par l’Abbé Georgel, vol. ii. p. 59.
[129] See _post_, p. 230.
[130] It is the corner house looking on to the Boulevard Beaumarchais.
[131] “Histoire de la Révolution Française,” par Louis Blanc, vol. ii. p. 82.
[132] “Réponse pour la Comtesse de la Motte,” p. 27.
[133] “Mémoires du Comte Beugnot,” vol. i. p. 59, _et seq._
Cagliostro laid claim to being possessed of the power not only of transmuting metals and curing all diseases, but of calling up spirits from the other world. His evocations were certainly not without an element of art. On one occasion the spirit the company desired to commune with was that of D’Alembert, and from notes furnished by an eye-witness, Lady Mantz, the actor Fleury gives the following account of the ceremony in his _Mémoires_:—
“The spectators or, as Cagliostro preferred to call them, guests sat in arm-chairs along the wall on the east side of the apartment. Before these chairs was drawn an iron chain,” lest some foolish person should be impelled by curiosity to rush upon destruction. “On the other side was placed the chair intended for the reception of the apparition. The Grand Koptha—the name assumed by Cagliostro on such occasions—chose the unusual hour of 3 a.m. for his evocations. Shortly before that time a voice was heard to order the removal from the scene of cats, dogs, horses, birds, and all reptiles, should any be near. Then came a command that none but free men should remain in the apartment; the servants were accordingly dismissed. A deep silence followed, and the lights were suddenly extinguished. The same voice, now assuming a louder and more authoritative tone, requested the guests to shake the iron chain; they obeyed, and an indescribable thrill ran through their frames. The clock at length struck three—slowly, and with a prolonged vibration of the bell. At each stroke a flash, as sudden and transitory as lightning, illumined the apartment, and the words ‘Philosophy,’ ‘Nature,’ and ‘Truth’ successively appeared in legible characters above the empty arm chair. The last word was more brilliant than the others. The lustres were suddenly relighted, how no one could tell. Stifled cries were heard as from a man whose mouth was gagged—a noise like that of a man struggling to break loose from persons detaining him;—and Cagliostro appeared.
“The Grand Koptha wore a costume to which it would be difficult to find anything analogous. Flowing drapery set off his figure to advantage, and the glow of enthusiasm in his face made him look really handsome. He delivered a short but comprehensive address, commenting on the words just seen over the chair. Then, turning successively to the four cardinal points, he uttered some cabalistic words, which returned as if from a distant echo. The lights having been extinguished, he commanded the guests again to shake the chain, and as they did so the strange feeling previously alluded to was renewed. The outline of the arm-chair now became gradually perceptible in the darkness, as though the lines had been traced on a black ground with phosphorus. The next moment, and as if by the same process, a winding sheet could be seen, with two fleshless hands resting upon the arm of the chair. The winding sheet, slowly opening, discovered an emaciated form; a short breathing was heard, and two brilliant piercing eyes were fixed upon the spectators.”
The illustrious philosopher, the author of the Preface to the “_Encyclopédie_,” had been called from the dead. He would answer questions put to him, but Cagliostro alone was privileged to hear him speak. “And what questions were put to him?” asked Fleury of Lady Mantz. “He was asked whether he had seen the other world.” “And what did he say?” “Ah, Monsieur Fleury, it was a terrible reply, especially to one who, like me, looks forward to a better future. He said, ‘There is no other world.’” “And did no one reply?” “Reply! who could venture to reply to the ghost of M. d’Alembert, returned from—ah, whence?” “That is precisely the thing. You should have said, ‘M. d’Alembert, if there is no other world, where may you happen to come from now?’”
[134] According to the official documents relating to the “Affaire du Collier” the correct name of this individual was Desclaux.
[135] “Mémoires Justificatifs de la Comtesse de la Motte,” p. 99.
[136] “Mémoire pour le Cardinal de Rohan,” p. 39. All the persons concerned in the famous nocturnal meeting differed with regard to the date at which it took place. Madame de la Motte, as we have already stated, fixes it on the 28th of July.
[137] Miswritten “Regnier” in the official records. Regnier was another goldsmith with whom the De la Mottes had considerable dealings, bought their service of plate of, etc.
[138] “Premier Interrogatoire de Madame de la Motte.”
[139] “Premier Interrogatoire du Cardinal de Rohan.”
[140] “Histoire du Bois de Boulogne,” par J. Lobet, p. 141.
[141] “Premier Interrogatoire du Cardinal de Rohan.”
[142] “Life of the Countess de la Motte, by herself,” vol. i. p. 350, and “Premier Interrogatoire du Cardinal de Rohan.”
[143] Déposition de Bassenge.
[144] Madame Campan’s memory appears to have been at fault here.
[145] The reader will have observed that specific mention is not made in the jewellers’ letter of the Necklace itself, which Marie-Antoinette, in common with everybody else, had no doubt heard had been sold to the Sultan. Besides, only some two months previously the queen had purchased of Böhmer a magnificent pair of diamond earrings at the cost, it was reported, of 800,000 livres, and why might not this letter in the queen’s mind have borne reference to these rather than to the Diamond Necklace? See “Correspondance Secrète Inédite sur Louis XVI., Marie-Antoinette,” etc., vol. i. p. 562.
[146] “Memoirs of Marie-Antoinette,” by Madame Campan, vol. ii. p. 227.
[147] “Mémoires pour servir,” etc., par l’Abbé Georgel, vol. ii. p. 92.
[148] See Appendix to the present work, p. 394.
[149] “Premier Interrogatoire du Cardinal de Rohan.”
[150] “Mémoires pour servir,” etc., par l’Abbé Georgel, vol. ii. p. 80.
[151] This, if true, was a piece of vain boasting on the cardinal’s part, for it is quite certain that he received the thirty thousand livres from Madame de la Motte, who professed to have brought them from the queen.
[152] “Deuxième Interrogatoire du Cardinal de Rohan.”
[153] “Memoirs of Marie-Antoinette,” by Madame Campan, vol. ii pp. 9, 12, 279.
[154] It is important that this date should be noted; for the circumstances which transpired on it, and which are chronicled in the police records, effectually dispose of the theory advanced by certain writers—such as M. Alexandre Dumas, in his “Louis XVI.” (vol. iii. p. 194, _et seq._)—who maintain that Marie-Antoinette really purchased the Necklace, through the instrumentality of the Cardinal de Rohan, and, after keeping it something like three months, returned it to the jewellers by the hands of Madame de la Motte, on finding that she was unable to raise the money to meet the first instalment. While asserting that Madame de la Motte was really the queen’s confidant, the writers referred to are forced to admit that she betrayed her trust, and converted the Necklace to her own use.
[155] See _ante_, p. 44.
[156] Déposition de Vidal, and Déposition de Brugnières, inspecteur de police. Brugnières was the police agent who arrested Mirabeau and Madame de Monnier in Holland, after their elopement from France.
[157] “Mémoire pour Bette d’Étienville,” and Déposition de Bette d’Étienville. See also Appendix, p. 409.
[158] Déposition de Furet.
[159] Déposition de Regnier.
[160] “Premier Interrogatoire de Madame de la Motte.” Also _post_, p. 148.
[161] Déposition de Perregaux, banquier.
[162] Gray’s shop was No. 13, and the largest in New Bond Street. The house, which is within two doors of Long’s hotel, must have been quite a new building at the time the Count de la Motte had dealings with the crack London jeweller of that day.
[163] See _ante_, p. 140.
[164] Which in fact was _not_ a falsehood. See Jefferys’ deposition, given in the “Pièces Justificatives pour le Cardinal de Rohan.”
[165] Déposition de McDermott.
[166] There is evidently some blunder here. This must be the aigrette in the form of a rose, for which Gray charged £60. See _post_, p. 151.
[167] See _ante_, p. 147. The Count there says twenty-eight.
[168] “Mémoires Justificatifs de la Comtesse de la Motte,” p. 194, _et seq._
[169] “Pièces Justificatives pour le Cardinal de Rohan.”
[170] “Confrontation du Cardinal de Rohan avec le Père Loth.”
[171] “Premier Interrogatoire du Cardinal de Rohan.”
[172] Déposition de Perregaux.
[173] See _ante_, p. 148.
[174] Déposition de Regnier.
[175] “Marie-Antoinette et le Procès du Collier,” par E. Campardon. Paris, 1858, p. 98.
[176] “Mémoire pour le Cardinal de Rohan,” p. 49.
[177] “Premier Interrogatoire du Cardinal de Rohan.”
[178] “Mémoire pour le Cardinal de Rohan,” p. 72.
[179] Déposition de Bassenge.
[180] See _ante_, p. 135.
[181] “Memoirs of Marie-Antoinette,” by Madame Campan, vol. ii. pp. 283-4. Madame Campan is the single authority for this reputed interview between Böhmer and the queen. Other accounts agree in stating that the queen invariably refused to see the crown jeweller, under the pretence that his threats of suicide alarmed her. Still, as Madame Campan was so intimately mixed up with the affair at this particular juncture, she could hardly be mistaken on so important a point as this interview. If it really did take place, Böhmer must have kept the cardinal in ignorance of it, for had he known of it he would hardly have counselled the jeweller to attempt to throw dust in the eyes of the astute De Breteuil. See the next page.
[182] “Memoirs of Marie Antoinette,” by Madame Campan, vol. ii. pp. 284.
[183] “Mémoire pour le Cardinal de Rohan,” p. 74.
[184] “Life of the Countess de la Motte, by herself,” vol. i. p. 375, _et seq._, and “Premier Interrogatoire de Madame de la Motte.”
[185] “Mémoire pour le Cardinal de Rohan,” p. 83. Villette evidently lingered for some time on French soil, for his passport for Italy was not dated until August 20, two days after the countess’s arrest.
[186] Déposition de Bassenge.
[187] Déposition du Père Loth.
[188] “Mémoire Historique des Intrigues de la Cour,” etc., par Rétaux de Villette, p. 59.
[189] “Some of the De la Mottes’ fine furniture may still be seen at Bar-sur-Aube, in the _salon_ of the son of a former postmaster of the place, who subsequently bought the house itself of the count. To-day, improvements in the town of Bar-sur-Aube have necessitated the partial destruction of the De la Motte abode, fragments of which exist in no less than three separate streets.”—_Letter from the Curé of Bar-sur-Aube to the author_, 1866.
[190] “Mémoires du Comte Beugnot,” vol. i. pp. 70, 71.
[191] “Authentic Adventures of the Countess de la Motte,” p. 119.
[192] Ibid. p. 120. The author of this work states that he was at Bar-sur-Aube at this particular period, and saw the count riding about in the balloon-shaped carriage above mentioned. Balloons, it should be remembered, were then a recent invention, Montgolfier having made his first ascent in December, 1783, some twenty months previously.
[193] “Mémoires du Comte Beugnot,” vol i. p. 71.
[194] “Mémoires du Comte Beugnot,” vol. i. p. 71, _et seq._
[195] “Mémoires du Comte Beugnot,” vol. i. pp. 76-77.
[196] “Mémoires de la Baronne d’Oberkirche,” vol i. p. 127.
[197] See Georgel, who attributed this movement of the cardinal’s to his firm belief at the time that the queen had really employed Madame de la Motte as her intermediary in the Necklace affair.
[198] “Memoirs of Marie-Antoinette,” by Madame Campan, vol. ii. pp. 13, 14, 15, 286-7. Madame Campan has extracted the foregoing narrative, nearly word for word, from a newspaper of the time—the _Journal des Débats_. See the Abbé Soulavie’s “Mémoires Historiques et Politiques du règne de Louis XVI.,” vol. vi. p. 81, _et seq._, where the same account will be found quoted.
[199] “Mémoires du Baron de Besenval,” vol. iii. p. 127. The baron adds that he heard the whole of this detail told to the queen, but nothing was said of the contents of the paper written by the cardinal.
[200] It is No. 6 in the Rue des Réservoirs. _Vide_ “Histoire Anecdotique des Rues de Versailles,” par J. A. Le Roi.
[201] There are other versions of this incident: we have, however, preferred to follow the Abbé Georgel’s. See “Mémoires pour servir,” etc., vol. ii. pp. 103-4. Madame Campan says that the cardinal borrowed the pencil which he used from the sub-lieutenant into whose custody he was given, and who, when reprimanded for having permitted the cardinal to write, excused himself by saying that the orders he received did not forbid his doing so; and that, moreover, being himself in great pecuniary difficulties, he thought the unaccustomed summons, “In the king’s name, follow me,” addressed to him by the Baron de Breteuil, concerned him personally, which for the moment so unnerved him that he hardly knew what he was doing. See “Madame Campan’s Memoirs,” vol. ii. pp. 15, 16, 284.
[202] “Mémoires du Comte Beugnot,” vol. i. p. 79.
[203] “Essais Historiques sur la ville de Bar-sur-Aube,” par J. G. F.
[204] “Mémoires du Comte Beugnot,” vol. i. pp. 79, 80.
[205] “Mémoires du Comte Beugnot,” vol i. p. 80, _et seq._
[206] “Anecdotes du règne de Louis XVI.,” vol. i. p. 385.
[207] “Premier Interrogatoire de Madame de la Motte.”
[208] “Mémoires du Comte Beugnot,” vol. i. pp. 85, 86.
[209] “Mémoire pour le Comte de Cagliostro contre Maître Chesnon fils et le Sieur de Launay,” p. 4, _et seq._ In several of the earlier documents filed in the “Affaire du Collier,” the prefix “Count” has been marked through with a pen, both where it occurs in the body of the instrument and also as part of Cagliostro’s signature. After a time, the registrar or reporter seems to have grown tired of making this excision, and to have allowed the disputed title to pass unobliterated.
[210] “Mémoires pour servir,” etc., par l’Abbé Georgel, vol. ii. pp. 49, 108.
[211] M. Feuillet de Conches has, among his curious collection of autographs relating to the affair of the Diamond Necklace, a series of reports from the Marquis de Launay to the Baron de Breteuil, which give, day by day, a list of the persons who visited the cardinal during his confinement in the Bastille.
[212] “Correspondance Secrète Inédite sur Louis XVI., Marie-Antoinette,” etc., vol. i. pp. 600, 616.
[213] “Life of the Countess de la Motte, by herself,” vol. i. p. 389, _et seq._
[214] “Life of the Countess de la Motte, by herself,” vol. i. p. 408.
[215] Ibid. vol. i. p. 416.
[216] Autograph letter of Madame de la Motte’s in the National Archives.
[217] Anonymous autograph letter of Madame de la Motte’s in the collection of M. Feuillet de Conches.
[218] M. F. Barrière.
[219] “Histoire de Marie-Antoinette,” par E. et J. de Goncourt, pp. 39, 102.
[220] “Memoirs of Marie-Antoinette,” by Madame Campan, vol i.
[221] “Correspondance Secrète Inédite sur Louis XVI., Marie-Antoinette,” etc., vol. i. p. 233.
[222] “Correspondance Secrète Inédite sur Louis XVI., Marie-Antoinette,” etc., vol. i. p. 339.
[223] “Les derniers jours de Trianon,” par M. Capefigue, p. 25.
[224] See _ante_, p. 50.
[225] “Weber’s Memoirs of Marie-Antoinette,” vol. ii. p. 263.
[226] “Lettres et Documenta Inédits de Louis XVI. et Marie-Antoinette,” par M. Feuillet de Conches, vol. iii. p. 318.
[227] “Souvenirs de la Marquise de Créqui,” par le Comte de Courchamps.
[228] “Correspondance Secrète Inédite sur Louis XVI., Marie-Antoinette,” etc. vol. i. p. 355.
[229] “Louis XVI.,” par Alexandre Dumas, vol. iii. p. 167.
[230] “Histoire de Marie-Antoinette,” par E. et J. de Goncourt. Most of the foregoing particulars respecting the queen’s society at the Little Trianon have been derived from this work.
[231] “Mémoires Posthumes du Feld-Maréchal Comte de Stedingk,” vol. iii. pp. 17, 74.
[232] “Life of the Countess de la Motte,” by herself, vol. i. p. 312, _et seq._
[233] “Memoirs of Marie-Antoinette,” by Madame Campan, vol. i. p. 242.
[234] “Histoire de Marie-Antoinette,” par E. et J. de Goncourt, to which interesting work we are indebted for the larger portion of the present chapter.
[235] “Correspondance Secrète Inédite sur Louis XVI., Marie-Antoinette,” etc., vol. i. pp. 238, 330.
[236] Ibid. vol. i. p. 315.
[237] “Les derniers jours de Trianon,” par M. Capefigue p. 84.
[238] M. de Lescure, in his “La Vraie Marie-Antoinette,” brings forward evidence of the existence of a private printing press in the cellars of the Palais Royal, at which these foul libels were struck off.
[239] “Carlyle’s Critical and Miscellaneous Essays,” vol. iv. p. 36, _note_.
[240] “Correspondance Secrète Inédite sur Louis XVI., Marie-Antoinette, la Cour et la Ville,” vol. i. p. 587.
[241] “Mémoires du Comte Beugnot,” vol, i. pp. 97-8.
[242] Unpublished autograph letter of Louis XVI. in the collection of M. Feuillet de Conches.
[243] “Souvenirs de M. Berryer, doyen des avocats de Paris, de 1774 à 1838,” vol. ii. p. 51.
[244] Ibid., vol. ii. p. 49.
[245] “Mémoires pour servir,” etc., par l’Abbé Georgel, vol. ii. p. 127.
[246] “Mémoires pour servir,” etc., par l’Abbé Georgel, vol. ii. p. 138, _et seq._
[247] “Mémoires pour servir,” etc., par l’Abbé Georgel, vol. ii. p. 143.
[248] Ibid., vol. ii. p. 145.
[249] “Correspondance Inédite de Marie-Antoinette,” par Comte P. Vogt d’Hunolstein, p. 133. It should be mentioned that the majority of the letters in this collection are considered to be of doubtful authenticity.
[250] “Life of the Countess de la Motte, by herself,” vol. i. p. 426.
[251] In the French State paper office a minute description is preserved of the documents, put in on behalf of the prosecution in the “Procès du Collier.” An epitome of this will be found in the appendix to the present volume.
[252] This name occurs as Filliau in the written record of the proceedings, preserved in the National Archives.
[253] “Premier Interrogatoire de Madame de la Motte.”
[254] Cagliostro’s wife was known by this designation.
[255] This was an alias of Rétaux de Villette’s. See _post_, p. 243.
[256] “Interrogatoire du Sieur de Cagliostro.”
[257] “Correspondence Secrète Inédite sur Louis XVI., Marie-Antoinette, la Cour et la Ville,” vol. i. p. 592.
[258] As an example of Cagliostro’s audacity in this respect, it may be mentioned that, when first questioned by the lieutenant of police, who, in allusion to the Necklace affair, inquired if he had nothing to reproach himself with—he coolly replied, Nothing but the death of Pompey, and that even with regard to this he acted under the orders of Ptolemy. The lieutenant of police, not taken in the least aback, quietly observed they would refrain from going into any matters that occurred under his predecessors in office. See “Correspondance Secrète Inédite,” etc., vol. ii. p. 18.
[259] We have been unable to fathom the meaning of this allusion. All we have succeeded in discovering about Madame Böhmer is, that she was the “famous Demoiselle Renaud,” but whence she derived her celebrity we are left in the dark.
[260] “Premier Mémoire pour la Comtesse de la Motte,” p. 27, _et seq._
[261] Autograph Report of the Marquis de Launay, governor of the Bastille, in the collection of M. Feuillet de Conches.
[262] “Life of the Countess de la Motte, by herself,” vol. ii. pp. 19, 20.
[263] Confrontations du Cardinal de Rohan avec Madame de la Motte.
[264] “Life of the Countess de la Motte, by herself,” vol. ii. p. 30.
[265] Ibid., vol. ii. p. 41.
[266] Ibid., vol. ii. p. 40.
[267] “Life of the Countess de la Motte, by herself,” vol. ii. p. 55.
[268] “Mémoires pour servir,” etc., par l’Abbé Georgel, vol. ii. p. 185.
[269] Confrontations de la Dame de la Motte avec les témoins.
[270] “Mémoire pour le Cardinal de Rohan,” p. 47.
[271] Confrontations de la Dame de la Motte avec les témoins.
[272] “Compte rendu de ce qui s’est passé au Parlement,” etc., pp. 75-6.
[273] Confrontations de la Dame de la Motte et du Cardinal.
[274] “Mémoires Justificatifs de la Comtesse de la Motte,” p. 235.
[275] “Mémoire pour la Demoiselle Leguay d’Oliva,” p. 34.
[276] “Mémoire pour le Comte de Cagliostro,” p. 46.
[277] “Mémoires Justificatifs de la Comtesse de la Motte,” p. 238.
[278] “Mémoires Justificatifs de la Comtesse de la Motte,” p. 241.
[279] “Mémoire pour le Cardinal de Rohan,” p. 50.
[280] Autograph Letter of the Abbé Georgel, in the collection of M. Feuillet de Conches.
[281] “Correspondance Secrète Inédite sur Louis XVI., Marie-Antoinette,” etc., vol. ii. p. 31.
[282] “Carlyle’s Critical and Miscellaneous Essays,” vol. iv. p. 57.
[283] “Requête pour le Sieur Marc-Antoine Rétaux de Villette,” p. 5. See also “Correspondance Secrète Inédite sur Louis XVI., Marie-Antoinette,” etc., vol. ii. p. 26.
[284] “Mémoire Historique des Intrigues de la Cour,” etc., par Rétaux de Villette, p. 60.
[285] Premier Interrogatoire de Rétaux de Villette.
[286] If this statement was true it is difficult to conceive how the cardinal and the jewellers could have been deceived by the signature affixed to the contract, for there is not the slightest resemblance between Villette’s bold upright style of penmanship as it appears in the numerous signatures appended to his depositions, etc., and the cramped, slanting, handwriting of Marie-Antoinette. Even if the cardinal was unacquainted with the precise character of the queen’s handwriting at this epoch, it is most improbable that Böhmer was in a like state of ignorance.
[287] “Compte rendu de ce qui s’est passé au Parlement,” etc., p. 103.
[288] Deuxième Interrogatoire de Rétaux de Villette.
[289] “Mémoire Historique,” etc., par Rétaux de Villette, pp. 65-72.
[290] Confrontations de Madame de la Motte avec Rétaux de Villette.
[291] “Sommaire pour la Comtesse de la Motte,” pp. 17, 18.
[292] See note, p. 164, vol. i. of “Lettres et Documents Inédits de Louis XVI. et Marie-Antoinette,” par M. Feuillet de Conches.
[293] “Life of the Countess de la Motte, by herself,” vol. ii. p. 330.
[294] Ibid. vol. ii. p. 329, _et seq._
[295] “Requête pour le Sieur Marc-Antoine Rétaux de Villette,” p. 10.
[296] Confrontations du Cardinal de Rohan avec Madame de la Motte.
[297] “Compte rendu de ce qui s’est passé au Parlement,” etc., p. 97.
[298] “Compte rendu de ce qui s’est passé au Parlement,” etc., p. 85.
[299] “Life of the Countess de la Motte, by herself,” vol. ii. pp. 31, 71.
[300] Ibid. vol. i. p. 408.
[301] Ibid. vol. i. p. 449.
[302] Ibid. vol. ii. pp. 18, 51, 77; and “Mémoires Justificatifs.”
[303] “Life of the Countess de la Motte, by herself,” vol. ii. pp. 24, 27, 29.
[304] “Mémoires Justificatifs,” p. 237. To have tampered with the records, would have been exceedingly difficult, as the reader will perceive by referring to the extract from the National Archives, given at p. 395 _et seq._ of the Appendix to this volume.
[305] “Life of the Countess de la Motte, by herself,” vol. ii. p. 90.
[306] Ibid. vol. ii. p. 109.
[307] Ibid. vol. ii. pp. 66, 67.
[308] Arrêt du Parlement. “Collection complète de tous les Mémoires qui ont paru dans la fameuse Affaire du Collier,” etc., p. 24.
[309] This refers to its condition in the year 1867. It has since been renovated.
[310] “Life of the Countess de la Motte, by herself,” vol. ii. p. 93, _et seq._
[311] The “Tournelle” was the Chamber that had the judging of criminal matters.
[312] “Mémoires de Marie-Antoinette,” by Madame Campan, vol. ii. p. 290.
[313] Correspondance Inédite de la Comtesse de Sabran et du Chevalier de Boufflers (Paris 1875), p. 121.
[314] “Mémoires pour servir,” etc., par l’Abbé Georgel, vol. ii. pp. 179, 196.
[315] “Life of the Countess de la Motte, by herself,” vol. ii. p. 96.
[316] “Compte rendu de ce qui s’est passé au Parlement,” etc., p. 114.
[317] “To-day,” writes M. Berryer, in 1837, “when my fancy carries itself back to fifty years or so ago”—the very date of the Necklace trial—“towards the Palais de Justice, I recognize neither the same antique structure, nor the same internal divisions, nor those innumerable jurisdictions of which it was the seat, nor that inconceivable flood of persons interested, whose tumultuous waves were agitated every day for hours together, and more especially from noon until two o’clock.
“Outside the edifice was a large staircase, crowded with shops piled one above the other, flanked by the offices of writers, starting from the angle of the handsome railings, on the side of the Pont-au-Change, extending to the circle of the old Cour du Mai, and serving as a girdle to the Sainte-Chapelle, a confused mass of steps and stalls pictured with such animation in the Lutrin of Boileau. Who does not recollect the inquiry made by the countryman of an _avocat_, laden with several bags of briefs, on catching sight of this grotesque staircase, ‘Sir,’ said he, ‘will you be kind enough to tell me what that building is?’ ‘It is a mill,’ replied the over-worked _avocat_. ‘Ah! I guessed as much,’ remarked the countryman, ‘from seeing so many donkeys carrying their sacks to it.’
“Under the immense vaulted galleries, and also surrounding all the columns of the great hall, were more rows of shops filled with merchandise of all kinds, which had caused the name _Palais Marchand_ to be given to this temple of justice. The Parliament alone occupied seven large halls—the grand chamber, the _tournelle_, the three halls of inquests, and the halls of requests. The grand chamber, with its arched roof springing from gilded brackets, was an austere-looking place. Perched above were two galleries reserved for the accommodation of great personages, and which I have seen occupied, among others, by the Emperor Joseph II., the unfortunate Gustavus, king of Sweden, and by the Count and Countess du Nord, since Emperor and Empress of Russia.”—_Souvenirs de M. Berryer_, vol. ii. p. 25, _et seq._
[318] “Life of the Countess de la Motte, by herself,” vol. ii. pp. 96-9.
[319] “Compte rendu de ce qui s’est passé au Parlement,” etc., p. 115.
[320] Nothing of the kind is to be found in the records of the countess’s examinations.
[321] “Compte rendu de ce qui s’est passé au Parlement,” etc., p. 115.
[322] “Life of the Countess de la Motte, by herself,” vol. ii. p. 100, _et seq._
[323] “Life of the Countess de la Motte, by herself,” vol. ii. p. 118.
[324] “Anecdotes du règne de Louis XVI.,” vol. i. p. 410.
[325] “Mémoires pour servir,” etc., par l’Abbé Georgel, vol. ii. p. 197.
[326] “Anecdotes du règne de Louis XVI.,” vol. i. p. 400.
[327] “Compte rendu de ce qui s’est passé au Parlement,” etc., p. 118.
[328] “Correspondance Secrète Inédite sur Louis XVI., Marie-Antoinette,” etc., vol. i. p. 615.
[329] “Correspondance Inédite de la Comtesse de Sabran et du Chevalier de Boufflers” (Paris 1875).
[330] “Memoirs of Marie Antoinette,” by Madame Campan, vol. ii. p. 295. In the doubtful Memoirs of the Princess de Lamballe, we find that Princess asserting she had had in her possession documentary evidence of the immense sums spent by the Princess de Condé in corrupting the judges and other persons. More than a million francs were expended, she says, by the families of Rohan and Condé in this way. See “Mémoires relatifs à la Famille Royale de France,” etc., vol. i. pp. 306-7.
[331] “Anecdotes du règne de Louis XVI.,” vol. i. p. 412.
[332] Extract from the Imperial Archives given in M. Campardon’s “Marie-Antoinette et le procès du Collier,” p. 149.
[333] “Mémoires du Baron de Besenval,” vol. iii. p. 135.
[334] “Correspondance Inédite de la Comtesse de Sabran,” etc., p. 123.
[335] “Compte rendu de ce qui s’est passé au Parlement,” p. 123.
[336] “Memoirs of Marie-Antoinette,” by Madame Campan, vol. ii. p. 293.
[337] “Compte rendu de ce qui s’est passé au Parlement,” etc., p. 121.
[338] “Anecdotes du règne de Louis XVI.,” vol. i. p. 412.
[339] Spite of this express order the document is not to be found among the other papers relating to the “Affaire du Collier,” preserved in the National Archives.
[340] The letters G A L, with which Count de la Motte was sentenced to be branded, were doubtless intended as an abbreviation of the word _Galérien_, or galley slave.
[341] This branding of the Countess with the letter V, was designed to signify _Voleuse_, or thief.
[342] “Arrêt du Parlement,” preserved in the National Archives, X2 2576.
[343] “Mémoires Historiques et Politiques du règne de Louis XVI.,” par l’Abbé Soulavie, vol. vi. p. 73.
[344] “Life of the Countess de la Motte, by herself,” vol. ii. pp. 120-1.
[345] “Correspondance Secrète Inédite sur Louis XVI., Marie-Antoinette,” etc., vol. ii. p. 63.
[346] “Memorial for the Count de Cagliostro.”
[347] “Correspondance Inédite de la Comtesse de Sabran,” etc., p. 125.
[348] “Compte rendu de ce qui s’est passé au Parlement,” etc., p. 153, _et seq._
[349] “Memorial for the Count de Cagliostro,” p. 27.
[350] “Mémoire Historique des Intrigues de la Cour,” etc., par Rétaux de Villette, p. 70.
[351] “Memorial for the Count de Cagliostro,” p. 27.
[352] Hon. W. Eden to Mr. Pitt, in “Lord Auckland’s Journals and Correspondence,” vol. i. p. 132.
[353] “Memoirs of Marie-Antoinette,” by Madame Campan, vol. ii. p. 293.
[354] Autograph letter from Marie-Antoinette to the Duchess de Polignac, in the collection of M. Feuillet de Conches.
[355] An inadvertent mistake has been here made by the queen. It was the cardinal who received the rose. This incidental error of the queen’s furnishes a convincing proof, if any were needed, that she played no part in the midnight interview with the cardinal.
[356] “Lettres et Documents Inédits de Louis XVI. et Marie-Antoinette,” par M. Feuillet de Conches, vol. i. p. 161.
[357] “Memoirs of Marie-Antoinette,” by Madame Campan, vol. ii. p. 23.
[358] Ibid., vol. ii. p. 291.
[359] “Correspondance Inédite de la Comtesse de Sabran et du Chevalier de Boufflers,” p. 125.
[360] “Compte rendu de ce qui s’est passé au Parlement,” etc., p. 157.
[361] “Journals and Correspondence of Lord Auckland,” vol. i. p. 126.
[362] “Memorial for the Count de Cagliostro.”
[363] “Life of the Countess de la Motte, by herself,” vol. ii. pp. 139-142.
[364] “Journals and Correspondence of Lord Auckland,” vol. i p. 132. A wit of the time observed, in allusion to the countess’s descent from an illegitimate branch of the Valois, “that she ought not to have been marked on the left shoulder, as it was on this side that she hung on to the Bourbons.”—See “Correspondance Secrète Inédite sur Louis XVI., Marie-Antoinette,” etc., vol. ii. p. 52.
[365] “Correspondance Inédite de la Comtesse de Sabran et du Chevalier de Boufflers,” pp. 142-3.
[366] “Anecdotes du règne de Louis XVI.” vol. i. p. 415, _et seq._
[367] “Mémoire Historique des Intrigues de la Cour,” etc., par Rétaux de Villette, p. 69.
[368] “Mémoires du Baron de Besenval,” vol. iii. p. 140.
[369] “Mémoires Justificatifs de la Comtesse de la Motte,” p. 134.
[370] Autograph letter from the officer of the marshalsea at Boulogne to the Baron de Breteuil, in the collection of M. Feuillet de Conches.
[371] See the Countess’s “Mémoires Justificatifs,” and “Mémoires Inédits du Comte de la Motte.”
[372] Report dated September, 1785, in the archives of the French Police, quoted by Louis Blanc in his “History of the French Revolution.” Brussels, vol. ii. p. 129.
[373] “Compte rendu de ce qui s’est passé au Parlement,” etc., pp. 65, 66.
[374] “Mémoires Justificatifs de la Comtesse de la Motte,” pp. 103, _et seq._
[375] “Correspondance Secrète Inédite sur Louis XVI., Marie-Antoinette,” etc., vol. ii. p. 33.
[376] “Life of the Countess de la Motte, by herself,” vol. ii. pp. 393-4.
[377] “Mémoires Justificatifs de la Comtesse de la Motte,” pp. 152, _et seq._
[378] “Life of the Countess de la Motte, by herself,” vol. ii. p. 143, _et seq._ The Salpêtrière at the present day is a refuge for aged and infirm women, and accommodates no less than 4369 inmates. Madame de la Motte’s cell is one of the lions of the place shown to visitors.
[379] “Journals and Correspondence of Lord Auckland,” vol. i. p. 397.
[380] _Morning Chronicle_ newspaper, December 29, 1786.
[381] “Life of the Countess de la Motte, by herself,” vol. ii. pp. 143-197. We suspect the whole of this key business to be fudge.
[382] “Lettres et Documents Inédits de Louis XVI. et Marie-Antoinette,” par M. Feuillet de Conches, vol. i. p. 171.
[383] “Life of the Countess de la Motte, by herself,” vol. ii. pp. 205, 212.
[384] “Journals and Correspondence of Lord Auckland,” vol. i. p. 420. There are certain discrepancies with respect to the date of the duchess’s visit. Mr. Storer, writing to the Hon. Mr. Eden, on May 11, 1787, says, “the Polignacs have arrived; on Tuesday they went to the opera,” etc. In contradiction to this we have a letter written by Marie-Antoinette, and dated April 11, exactly a month previous, evidently addressed to the duchess while she was in England, and inquiring whether she had found any benefit from the Bath waters. It is possible that a wrong date has been affixed to the last-mentioned letter subsequently to its having been written, for Marie-Antoinette left most of her letters undated. See “Lettres et Documents Inédits de Louis XVI. et Marie-Antoinette,” vol. i.
[385] “Correspondance Secrète Inédite sur Louis XVI., Marie-Antoinette,” etc., vol. ii. p. 157.
[386] It was commonly believed at the time, that the authorities not only connived at the countess’s escape, but abetted it. It is said that at the moment of her departure from the Salpêtrière, the superior jokingly said to her, “Farewell, Madame, take great care you are not remarked” (meaning also re-marked with the branding-iron).
[387] Nogent-sur-Seine in the department of the Aube.
[388] It will be noticed that the countess makes no mention of how she obtained the necessary funds to undertake this journey.
[389] “Life of the Countess de la Motte, by herself,” vol. ii. pp. 219-230.
[390] “Mémoires du Comte Beugnot,” vol. i. p. 43.
[391] “Life of the Countess de la Motte, by herself,” vol. ii. p. 230, _et seq._
[392] “Mémoires Justificatifs de la Comtesse de la Motte,” p. 210.
[393] “Life of the Countess de la Motte, by herself,” vol. ii. p. 26.
[394] “Life of the Countess de la Motte, by herself” (see title-page).
[395] “Correspondance Secrète Inédite sur Louis XVI., Marie-Antoinette,” etc., vol. ii. p. 155.
[396] See _ante_, p. 303.
[397] “Correspondance Secrète Inédite sur Louis XVI., Marie-Antoinette,” etc., vol. ii. pp. 157, 166.
[398] “Life of the Countess de la Motte, by herself,” vol. ii. p. 412.
[399] See “Julie Philosophe, ou le Bon Patriote,” vol. ii. p. 17.
[400] “Correspondance Secrète Inédite sur Louis XVI., Marie-Antoinette,” etc., vol. ii. p. 237.
[401] “Journals and Correspondence of Lord Auckland,” vol. i. p. 304.
[402] “Mémoires Inédits du Comte de la Motte,” par L. Lacour.
[403] “Memoirs of Marie-Antoinette,” by Madame Campan, vol. ii. pp. 107-8.
[404] “Correspondance Secrète Inédite sur Louis XVI. Marie-Antoinette,” etc., vol. ii. p. 163.
[405] “La Princesse de Lamballe: Sa Vie—Sa Mort,” p. 246.
[406] “Mémoires relatifs à la Famille Royale de France,” vol. i. p. 315, _et seq._
[407] Husband and wife here contradict each other point blank. The count in his posthumous “Mémoires” maintains that the MS. was not surrendered to Calonne; the countess says it was—in all probability another falsehood, concocted by her, to induce the public to believe that the MS. had not been already sold to the French court.
[408] “Mémoires Inédits du Comte de la Motte-Valois,” Paris, 1858. This work, edited by M. Louis Lacour, is stated by him to have been printed from a duplicate copy of the manuscript Mémoires written by M. de la Motte in 1825, at the instigation of the French minister of police. Everything referring to the Necklace affair had been abstracted from these manuscripts while they were in possession of the authorities. See _post_, p. 366.
[409] “Correspondance Secrète Inédite sur Louis XVI., Marie-Antoinette,” etc., vol ii. p. 481.
[410] “Histoire de Marie-Antoinette,” par E. et J. de Goncourt, p. 293.
[411] See _ante_, p. 45.
[412] Autograph letter from Count de la Motte to Louis XVI., in the collection of M. Feuillet de Conches.
[413] See the judgment of the first tribunal, _post_, p. 356.
[414] “Vie de Jeanne de St.-Remi de Valois, Comtesse de la Motte, écrite par elle-même.”
[415] Extract from an autograph letter from Count de la Motte to Louis XVI., in the collection of M. Feuillet de Conches.
[416] “Mémoires Inédits du Comte de la Motte,” pp. 237-9.
[417] The work was really printed in London, and, with the exception of its supplement, before the death of the countess in August, 1792.
[418] “Memoirs of Marie-Antoinette,” by Madame Campan, vol. ii. p. 194, _et seq._
[419] “Mémoires Secrets pour servir à l’Histoire de la dernière année du règne de Louis XVI.,” par A. F. Bertrand de Moleville, vol. ii. p. 218, _et seq._
[420] “Memoirs of Marie-Antoinette,” by Madame Campan, vol. ii. p. 194.
[421] “Procès de Marie-Antoinette,” p. 117.
[422] “Life of the Countess de la Motte, by herself,” vol i. p. 221.
[423] “Carlyle’s Critical and Miscellaneous Essays,” vol. iv. p. 37.
[424] “Life of the Countess de la Motte, by herself,” Supplement, vol. ii. p. 58. The Princess de Lamballe was in England in June 1791, and not improbably set on foot the negotiations here referred to.
[425] “Mémoires Inédits du Comte de la Motte,” par L. Lacour, p. 190, _et seq._
[426] “Life of the Countess de la Motte, by herself,” vol. ii. Supplement, p. 61.
[427] “Gentleman’s Magazine,” vol. lxi. p. 783.
[428] “Life of the Countess de la Motte, by herself,” vol. i. p. 442. “Mémoires Inédits du Comte de la Motte,” p. 322.
[429] Autograph letter from Madame de Bracque, Abbess of Jarcy, in the collection of M. Feuillet de Conches.
[430] “Life of the Countess de la Motte, by herself,” vol. ii. p. 377.
[431] “Mémoire Historique,” etc., par Rétaux de Villette, p. 3.
[432] “Correspondance Secrète Inédite sur Louis XVI.,” etc., vol. ii. p. 346.
[433] “Lettres et Documents Inédits de Louis XVI. et Marie-Antoinette,”