Page:Readings in European History Vol 2.djvu/406

 368 Readings in Europeaii History In a letter dated May 15, 1776, Marie Antoinette writes to her mother : " Monsieur de Malesherbes retired from the ministry day before yesterday and was imme- diately replaced by Monsieur Amelot. Monsieur Turgot was dismissed the same day, and Monsieur de Clugny is to take his place. I confess, dear mamma, that I do not regret the departure of these men, but I had nothing to do with it." Maria Theresa replies with a characteristic warning : 382. Maria ... I am very glad that you had nothing to do with the Theresa dismissal of the two ministers, who enjoy a high reputation warns her daughter of with the public at large and who, in my opinion, have only the dangers erred in attempting to do too much at once. You say that evi y an y QU ^ Q nQt re g ret them. Doubtless you have good reasons ; but of late the public no longer praises you as it did, and attributes to you all sorts of little intrigues which would be most unfitting to your station. The king loves you and his ministers should respect you. By asking for nothing con- trary to the established order and general welfare, you will make yourself both loved and respected. My only fear for you (being so young) is an excess of dis- sipation. You have never cared to read or to apply yourself in any way ; this has often troubled me, and accounts for my having tormented you so often with inquiries as to what you were reading. I was so pleased to see you devoting yourself to music. But for a year now there has been no question of either reading or music, and I hear of nothing but racing and hunting, and always without the king and with a lot of ill-chosen young people ; all this troubles me very much, loving you, as I do, so dearly. Your sisters-in-law behave very differently, and I must own that all these bois- terous diversions in which the king takes no part appear to me unseemly. You will say, " He knows and approves of them." I reply that he is kind and good and that that is all the more reason that you should be circumspect and arrange your pleasures together.