Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 9.djvu/719

 and »elf-rwpect of the Dauphiness, Having became qneua on 10 May, 1774, ene adopted an imprudent course ot action, Doth in ber political and private life. In politics she was always so uncompromislnely at- tached to the Franco-Austrian alliance that she was nicknamed "L'Autricbienne" by Mmc Adelaide and the Due d'Aiguillon'a party. Her unpopularity reached a climax when, in 1778, Austria laid claim to the throne of Bavaria and she tried to bring about French mediation between Austria and Prussia. In truth, it was to the interest of France not to permit the indefinite growth of the Prussian power; but the routine diplomats, believing that Au.'dria wiis to be forever the enemy of France, and the philosophers, who were favourably disposed towards 1'rus.sia, as a Protestant nation, abhorred any display of Bvmpathy for Austria.

In her private life, Marie Antoinette may justly be blamed for her prodigality, for having, between 1774

and 1777, byoertain notorious

escapades (sleieh racing, opera balls, hunting in the Bois de Boulogne, gambling) and by her amusements at the Trianon (see Vbrsah-i-es), pven occasion for calumnious reports. But she confeeaed to MtTcy thut she indulged in this dissipation to con- sole herself for having nochil- dren;and the tales ot Bescn- val, Lauzun, and Soulavie, about the amours of Mane Antoinette, cannot stand against the testimony of the Prince de Lignc: ''Her pre- tended gallantry was never any more than a very deep friendship for one or two in- dividuals, and the ordinary coquetry of a woman, or a queen, trying to please every- one. " De Golti, the Prus- sian minister, also wrote that tboiigh a malicious person might interpret the queen's conduct unfavourably, there was nothing in it beycmd a desire to please everybody. Besides, the queen continued to give edification by her TWiTar practice ot her religious duties. "If I were only a mother, I should be considered a French- woman", wrote Marie Antoinette to Mercy in 1775. She became the mother of Madame Royale in 1778, in 1781 of a Dauphin who was to die eight years later, and of little Louis XVII in 17S5. But the ill-teelinK towards "L'Autricbienne" was stirred up by the lamentable "Affair of the Diamond Neck- lace" (1784-86). Cardinal de Rohan, grand aatn/>- nier of France, deceived by an adventuress, who called herselt Comtesse de la Motte-Vatois, purchased for 1,600,000 livres a necklace which he believeil the queen wished to have; the lawsuit begun by the un- paid jewellers resulted in the acquittalot Cardinal de Rohan, while the publicity of the allegations of Mrae de la Motte, who pretended that the queen was aware of the transaction, and the romantic story ot a noc- turnal rendezvous at the Tuileries, were exploited by Marie Antoinette's enemies. The Comte d Artois compromised her by hia intimacy, scurrilous pam- phletg were circulated, and, particularly in certain court circles, that abominable campaign of mendacity was inaugurated to which the queen icll a victim at a later pcnod.

In 1789, at the opening of the States-General, the crowd, acclaiming the queen's enemy, shouted in her

6 Auaix

bearing: "Long live the Due d'OrWanel" The «varti of October, 1789, which forced the Court to return from Veraaillea to Paris, were directed eepeciaUT

rinsther. In June, 1791, the projected flight wh^ had planned with the assistance of Feraen and Bouill^, failed, the royal couple being arrested at Varennes. Marie Antoinette secretly negotiated wiUi foreign powers tor the king's safety; but wben, on 27 August, 1791, Leopold ot Austria and Frederick Wii- liam of Prussia bound themselves, by the Declaratim of Pilhiitz, never to allow the new French Constitu- tion to be established, she wrote to Mercy that "each one is at liberty to adopt in his own country the do- mestic laws that please him", and she r^retted the extravagances of the dnigrit. She wished the powen to hold a kind of "armed t^mgress" which, without making war on France, should give moral support to the French king, and inspire the better class of bis aub^ jecta with courage to rally round him. But the Revo- lution was hastening: on 13 August, 171*2, Marie AnttH- nette was shut up in the Tem- ple; on 1 August, 1793, she was sent to the Coneiergerie; her trial took place on 14 October. Accused by Fou- quier-Tinville of having tried to foment both war with foreign nations and civil war, the Widow Capet" was de- fended by Chauvcau-Lagarde and Tronson Ducoudray, who were forthwith caat into prison, ISbe may have re- ceived alMolution from the Cur£ of St«-Marguerite, who was in a cell opposite to hers ; at all eventa, she refused to make her confession to. the Abb^ Girard, a " constitu- tional " priest, who offered lier hisservices. ^he mounted the scaffold undauntedly. Her historian, M.de la Kocheterie, says ot ber: "She waa not a giiilty woman, neither was she a saint; she was an upright, charming woman, a htlle frivolous, somewhat intpul- sive, but always ^ure; she was a queen, at times ardent in her fancies for ber favourites and thou^tkes in her policy, but proud and full ot energy- a thor- ough woman in her winsome ways and t«ndenieHS of heart, until she became a martyr- "

De Biadcooht and he la Rocbeterie, cd*., Ltitm d* Marie-Antointtle {2 \o\a..Pana, IBB5. 1890) (the onb' editioD to consult, since GeOioy has coDvicled Fcuilict de CoDchea' rat-

AHD GErFnoT, eda. , Corrnpondance tKrUt mtn UariirThtrit ^ Uercu Aroenteau IPaha. 18741; Ahnetij %r Flahheiuiokt, eds., Coirfspondanrc de Joeeph II ovrc le prince de XaufeiCt (Paris, 1889-91); Afnetii, ed., M<ini-A nloindlr, Jmrph II. und Lfopold II.. Oir Bnefwtchid tLiiiiiiig. 18fiai: latjt, ed.. Mario- Tkeretia und Marie-Anloinitlf, lAr BHiftcKtucl (leipjig, 1866);

De NoLHic, La rknt Maric-AntaintOe (Pnria. 1898)-,' Ipuil Morit AnlBxntUf.Oir Dauphinr, tr, {ram tliePreDch{Ioba, Puia. 1S97); Idem. Vcriailla ou tempi dc Maru-AnlaineUe (Puris. 1892); De S£acrH, Au atvchant de la mananhit (Paris, lOiO); BiCKUELL, The Slow of Marie AnIointlU {London, 1807): Blk*- '. Marie-Anloinrtte Kmii/in von Ftanknack (Bi«l»-

excoltent gtudy of the bia- te a ToDBNEiTi. Marit- biblwffmphujxu t2Dd ed„

Geobqes Gotau.

Marie Ohristine of Savoy, Blessed, h. at Gag- liari, Sardinia, 14 November, 1812; d. at Naples, 31 January, 1S36. She was the daughter of Vietcf

VlR^eLebnin

loriciil sources on Marie-Ai