In defense of the unnamed gendarme.

 

One small yet unforgettable detail taken from Rosalie Lamorliere’s two accounts of the queen’s final morning occurs when Marie Antoinette attempted to change into fresh clothing. A gendarme stepped forward and refused to give her privacy. After the queen asked to be allowed to change in privacy ‘in the name of decency,’ the guard replied that his orders are not to let her out of his sight. Marie Antoinette sighed and then resigned herself to changing as quickly as possible to avoid being exposed.

This incident is sometimes used as an example of the humiliation and degradation that was enforced upon Marie Antoinette, in contrast to the more respectful dignity given to Louis XVI in his last moments. 

 Whereas Clery makes a scandal out of the officials not removing their hats in the presence of Louis XVI when they come to escort him to the scaffold, Marie Antoinette was placed in a much more humiliating, helpless position during her final hours; she is not only forced to change her clothing in front of a man, but her hands are bound and her hair is roughly cut before she leaves the Conciergerie in an open criminal’s cart.

But… was this officer attempting to humiliate the queen? Was he relishing her the power he held over a once celebrated, exalted figure? 

 Or was he simply afraid of being denounced and arrested?

The atmosphere in the Conciergerie after the queen’s trial would have been one of tension and fear. At least three people had been arrested for allegedly showing sympathy to Marie Antoinette on the 16th of October alone–her two lawyers were arrested before the trial was even over, for having defended her “too well.” De Busne, another officer employed at the Conciegerie, was arrested for giving Marie Antoinette a glass of water, helping her down some stairs in the dark, and allegedly taking off his hat in front of her.

At least one witness was arrested and at least one person mentioned by a witness was sought out and arrested during the trial. When one of the jurors wanted to be recused on account of having treated Marie Antoinette in the Conciergerie, his request was denied on the grounds that it would be an accusation against him, that he would be so moved by sympathy for the former queen.

Clearly, there is a running theme: any positive association with the accused makes you suspect.

This officer, whose name is unknown but whom Rosalie referred to as a “young man,” was apparently given orders not to let Marie Antoinette out of his sight. Why? It’s possible that, as with Louis XVI when they refused to give him knives after his sentencing, they were worried that she might commit suicide before she was executed. But it’s more likely, in my opinion, that they were worried that someone might attempt another rescue. There had already been one foiled rescue attempt while she was at the Conciergerie, and the truly massive security enacted for her execution was a testament to the fear that she might be saved.

So can we blame this young man, who would have been fully aware of the consequences of showing sympathy towards the accused or allowing anything to happen to her if he lets her out of his sight, for following his orders? I don’t think so.

And maybe I’m wrong. Maybe he was one of the officers who seemed to delight in tormenting Marie Antoinette, in blowing smoke in her face and making crass remarks in front of her. But maybe he just happened to be a young man anxious that he would share the same fate as de Busne: denounced and arrested for showing basic human decency.

Additional Information

The original “declaration of Rosalie,” as included in a work by Lafont d'Aussonne, was published in 1823; based on the years mentioned in his book, it’s likely that his interview with Rosalie took place in about 1822 or 1823.

In the 1823 Declaration, the moment is described thusly:

“Her Majesty went into the little space that I usually left between the folding bed and the wall. She herself unfolded a chemise that had probably been brought to her in my absence and having signed to me to stand in front of her bed so as to hide her from the gendarme, she stooped down behind the bed, and slipped off her dress in order to change her underlinen for the last time. The officer of the gendarmerie came forward instantly, and standing by the head of the bed watched the Queen’s proceedings. Her Majesty quickly threw her fichu over her shoulders, and with the greatest gentleness said to the young man: “In the name of decency, monsieur, elt me change my linen without being watched.”

“It is impossible for me to allow it,” answered the gendarme roughly: “my orders are to keep my eye on you, whatever you are doing.” The Queen sighed, slipped her chemise over her head for the last time as cautiously and modestly as possible, and then dressed herself… I was so much disturbed by the gendarme’s brutality…

 

 In the later 1835 interview as recorded by Madame Simon-Vouet, the wording is changed slightly but significantly. The 1835 recount of the events makes Marie Antoinette’s request more dramatic (Marie Antoinette cries out, rather than speaking with gentleness); it allows Rosalie to act as a protector, blocking the view of the queen with her body; and finally, the guard doesn’t simply stand by the bed as he does in the 1820s version… he insolently leans his elbows on the pillow to look at the queen.

“When she was about to undress she slipped into the space between the wall and the truckle-bed, so as to be out of the officer’s sight; but that young man came forward insolently, and leant his elbows on the pillow in order to look at her. The Queen blushed deeply, and hastily covered herself with her large fichu; then, clasping her hands, she turned beseechingly to the officer. "Monsieur,” she cried, “in the name of decency let me change my linen without being watched.”

([Madame: “The man must have felt very much ashamed of his behavior?”]

On the contrary, he answered roughly that his orders were not to lose sight of the prisoner for an instant. The Queen raised her eyes to heaven … I took up my position so as to hide her as much as possible from the eyes of the officer. Then, kneeling behind her bed, with every precaution that her modesty could suggest, her Majesty succeeded in changing her clothes without even uncovering her shoulders or arms. 

Was Rosalie embellishing the 1835 version, spurred on by Madame Simon-Vouet? Had Rosalie’s memory of the events shifted and become more dramatic on their own? Did the distinctly royalist Madame Simon-Vouet add her own detail? 

 It’s hard to say–but it is definitely worth keeping in mind when comparing and contrasting the two versions of the incident. 

JSTOR Expanded Access: The French Revolution on Film: American and French Perspectives by Casey Harison

JSTOR announced earlier this month that they will be provided expanded access through 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This expanded access includes free read-online access for 100 articles per month through December 31st, 2020.

Note: You will need to log in to a JSTOR account to access this article. Accounts are free, so sign up and enjoy!

 image: a screenshot from La Marseillaise (1938)

The French Revolution on Film: American and French Perspectives by Casey Harison

An examination of the popular and contextual differences of how the French Revolution is depicted in American versus French cinema.

Book Review: Fighting the French Revolution, The Great Vendée Rising of 1793

The uprising in the Vendée has been the subject of many books, scholarly works, debates, rhetoric and interpretations over the past 227 years. Much has been written about the social and political causes of the Vendée uprising, and to this day the events in the Vendée can spark lively and even heated debates. 

But the military events within the Vendée often take a step back in favor of the political and social study of the uprising. The oversight of the military events in the Vendée is rectified in Fighting the French Revolution: The Great Vendée Rising of 1793 by Rob Harper. Fighting the French Revolution is a military history micro-study focusing specifically on the 1793 military campaigns between the armies of the French Republic and the various opposing forces, big and small, during the uprising in the Vendée.

The timeline explored in Fighting the French Revolution is March 1793 through October 1793. The short timeframe allows Harper to provide a solid exploration of the various armies involved in the conflict, Republican and otherwise; along with a chronological look at each military campaign, action and movement. The military movements during this time period are followed closely, sometimes on a day to day basis, depending on the timeline. Throughout the book, Harper provides key information about the core players, troops, along with the most significant factors influencing the outcome during each action.

Harper frequently refers to contemporary letters and reports in discussing the events from March-October 1793, which provides some interesting insight into not only the military maneuvers but the mindset of the people involved in the conflict. In addition to these contemporary quotes, a number of military movements are illustrated with maps and diagrams which provided a clearer picture of troop movements, placements and other pertinent geographical information.

Due to the military micro-focus nature of this book, readers who are looking for a general overview of the Vendée or a book that discusses the social, political, religious and other causes behind the uprising will want to look elsewhere and return to Fighting the French Revolution after reading a more general overview first.

Readers who are interested in learning more about the understudied military history of the Vendée will find the narrow focus of this book an enlightening addition to the study of the Vendée during the revolution and more specifically, the study of the 1793 military response (republican and otherwise) during the uprising. I would recommend Fighting the French Revolution: The Great Vendée Rising of 1793 by Rob Harper as either a standalone read for its military history focus or as a companion book to other studies which explore the wider history of the Vendée uprising.

[A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher]

Book Review: General Sir Ralph Abercromby and the French Revolutionary Wars 1792-1801 by Carole Divall

The French Revolutionary wars ignited within a politically and socially charged Europe. The wars would continue through the rest of the 18th century in some form or another, as the French Revolutionary military gave way to the Napoleonic-era military. One of the most prominent British military figures in the midst of the French Revolutionary wars was General Sir Ralph Abercromby. General Sir Ralph Abercromby and the French Revolutionary Wars 1792-1801 by Carole Divall explores General Abercromby's campaigns--successful and otherwise--during these tumultous years.

Divall's book is not intended to be a biography, which the introduction confirms, as it explains that Abercromby is a "a focal, and increasingly significant participant player in what is essentially a record of British involvement in the first half of what contemporaries would refer [to] as The Great War." Instead, it is an exploration of campaigns--large, small, European and otherwise--in which Abercromby played an increasingly significant role. 

Ambercromby was considered much respected and admired by the men he commanded. Although a later author would deem him the "do-nothing general," the great esteem with which his contemporaries viewed him should be noted. In 1801, the Duke of York--then commander-in-chief of the British army--wrote on Abercromby: "His steady observance of discipline--his ever watchful attention to the health and wants of his troops--the persevering and unconquerable spirit which marked his military career--are worthy of the imitation of all who desire, like him, a life of honor and a death of glory." 

As Divall explores the various campaigns in which Abercromby played pivotal roles, it is easy to see where both opinions, divisive as they are, come into play. While the amount of responsibility Abercromby held for certain failures can be debated, even in campaigns where success was limited, Abercromby's great esteem for his troops and his ability to bolster the confidence of his men is very apparent. Throughout his leadership, Abercromby placed a heavy focus on ensuring that his troops were healthy, well-supplied, and moralized. During a tumultous period during a campaign in the West Indies, Divall notes how Abercromby issued a general order which was clearly meant to bolster demoralized soldiers:

"Although the attack of last night was not altogether so successful as might have been expected, the Commander in Chief has the fullest confidence in the troops he has the honour to command, he hopes they will always have in view the superiority of the British arms and they may rest assured whenever they assert themselves with the vigour and courage that distinguishes Englishmen, that they will be successful..." 

Divall explores the most significant campaign's of Abercromby's career with a clear narrative and well-chosen quotations from contemporaries as well as orders and personal letters from Abercromby himself. The book also contains a few pages of black and white images, including portraits and maps., which serve as illustrations.

I personally found the chapter on Abercromby's involvement--and ultimate resignation--from a post in Ireland to be the most intriguing, although it primarily involves local politics rather than the external threat of French Revolutionary forces.  Divall quotes Abercromby in a letter from January 1799, whne writing to an Irish friend, "... Long observation has convinced me, that all your misfortunes, that all the evils with which you are threatened, proceed from the illiberal, the injust, and the unwise conduct of England. Your legislature and your Executive Government partake of course, of the vices flowing from the wretched system of English domination." 

With this letter in mind, it is no wonder Divall notes deftly that the critical question regarding the "failure" of Ireland was not what Abercromby should or should not have done, but rather why the government sent him to Ireland, knowing his sentiments, in the first place.

 Abercromby was not always successful. But his dedication to his troops and his willingness to serve in military commands even at an age and point in his career when a quiet post would have been accepted, is something that his contemporaries admired. Divall also demonstrates how Abercromby made an exceptional name for himself--for better or worse, depending on how you view the strategical consequences of such actions--with his willingness to fight in the midst of his troops rather than protected positions. Ultimately, Abercromby was fatally wounded during the Battle of Alexandria in 1801. 

Despite the negative moniker given to him by later historians, and the fact that the French Revolutionary wars as a whole have often been eclipsed by studies of the Napoleonic wars that followed, there can be no doubt that Abercromby was much beloved and respected by his contemporaries. After writing on the events of his death, Divall skillfully weaves many of the letters and other statements made by those that knew him. In addition to prose that praise his military career, his dedication to his troops, and his selflessness, there is a tragic and mournful note in a letter written by Henry Dundas, lamenting the loss of an imagined shared future:

"I flattered myself that after closing our political and military service, we might for some years have lived in happy society together, surrounded by our families, anticipating the happiness and growing prosperity of those who were to come after us. These dreams must now pass away, but you cannot be surprised if I find it difficult at once to banish the delusion."

I recommend General Sir Ralph Abercromby and the French Revolutionary Wars 1792-1801 by Carole Divall for anyone interested in reading more about a significant yet often ignored figure in the French Revolutionary wars.

[A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher]

Book Review: Madame Tussaud: Her Life and Legacy by Geri Walton

Madame Tussaud's life and legacy are shrouded in mystery and a highly calculated image that Madame Tussaud herself cultivated as she embraced a peculiar type of notoriety after the turn of the 18th century. Was she a tormented artist, forced to make heads of murdered aristocrats and politicians during the French Revolution? Did she hobnob with French Royalty? In Madame Tussaud: Her Life and Legacy, Geri Walton explores the life and legacy of a woman whose morbid and notorious claims to fame have permanently cemented her legacy in the form of waxworks museums still thriving around the world.

Most of the book is about the world around Madame Tussaud rather than the titular subject herself. The beginnings of the French Revolution, the political twists and turns of 1789 to 1792, the Reign of Terror, even the wedding and reign of Queen Victoria--a lengthy series of historical characters, events and vignettes are covered deftly, in a way that provides context for the world that Tussaud inhabited. But due to the scarce information about Tussaud's life, aside from what she presented in her memoirs, the reader is typically left with a stronger impression of these side characters and events in Tussaud's life than of Madame Tussaud.

The most engaging sections in the book are not the ones that focus heavily on historical events and weave Tussaud in and out for a moment to keep the narrative on track, but those that rely on sources outside her memoirs to provide brief yet compelling insights into the woman behind the wax. These moments are heavier towards the end of the book, when the aging Tussaud dealt with potential scammers and others who wanted to take advantage of her. These tidbits, such as a letter written by one of her sons towards the end of her life, are (to me) much more interesting than anything Tussaud might have claimed in her memoirs. Another interesting section that I sorely wished was longer was the chapter on Tussaud's legacy and the reception of her museums both by her peers and contemporary visitors.

Overall, while the book itself did not quite live up to the title thanks to the general mystery surrounding Tussaud's life, I think that Madame Tussaud: Her Life and Legacy could make a good companion read to any series of biographies about 18th century figures.

[A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher]

Book Review: Walcheren to Waterloo, The British Army inthe Low Countries During French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars by Andrew Limm

Much has been made of the greatest successes of the British army during the French Revolutionary and subsequent Napoleonic wars--but what of the campaigns which tend to be glossed over due to their relative and sometimes catastrophic failures? In Walcheren to Waterloo: The British Army in the Low Countries during French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars 1793–1815, Andrew Limm tackles a period often ignored by military and social historians alike in favor of Britain's symbolically glorious battles: the British army's failures in the Low Countries, spanning from 1793 through 1815.

The heavy focus on the British military success during its decades-long skirmishes with France has its history, as Limm notes in his introduction, in a sweeping histiographical tradition which began in the 19th century; this tradition is rooted in the need to boost British morale and paint a picture of the British military in all of its triumphs, not its failures. Subsequently, the battles that were lost, the campaigns which failed, and the sometimes shocking lack of preparation are swept aside in favor of Hollywood-esque portrayals of the grand victories that have been the subject of dozens of books. Walcheren to Waterloo is therefore a notable and sometimes sobering contrast that provides a critical look at the failures which led to defeat after defeat in the Low Countries.

The first few chapters of the book lay down the foundational context for the campaigns covered in the second half. Some readers may quickly note that only four of the six British campaigns in the Low Countries are covered in this book. Although I wish the other two have been covered for completion's sake, since the book itself errs on the succinct side, the four campaigns covered work well enough as an introduction and readers who want to know more about the remaining two engagements will be able to springboard from 'Walcheren to Waterloo' into further reading.

Limm's analysis is frequently punctuated by contemporary accounts of these battles which have not been frequently studied or published in comparison to accounts from Britain's more successful campaigns. These accounts provide a compelling and necessary ground view of the Low Countries campaigns. In his exploration of the 1799 Anglo-Russian campaign into the Helder, Limm provides a quote from Sir John Moore (1761-1809) that deftly summarizes many of the problems that would plague the Low Countries campaigns as a whole:

"My brigade, as a consequence of five hours' constant movement and action in so broken a country, were dispersed and infinitely fatigued and from the absence of some of the regiments which had not been able to keep up on the left, the enemy had struck upon the flank of the 25th Regiment, which was the mmost forward. The fire was extremely galling. Three companies of the 92nd regiment were sent to their support; but coming in so incautiously into so hot a fire, they suffered prodigiously, and the whole began to give way..."

Moore was shot soon after and he noted that "Just before I received this shot I saw the impossibility of rallying or stopping my men under such hot fire."

While Limm's text is largely readable, there were some occasions where I did need to do some quick online research to clarify an unexplained name, battle or unit number.  I feel that readers who already have a solid knowledge in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars may not need to do as much searching as I did, but I admittedly am not well-versed on the technical aspects of French Revolutionary and Napoleonic military campaigns.

Overall, Walcheren to Waterloo: The British Army in the Low Countries during French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars 1793–1815 by Andrew Limm (Pen and Sword Books) is a compact yet interesting piece often missing from the larger puzzle of British military campaigns during this chaotic time period. I recommend this book to anyone who wants an introduction to this often-ignored aspect of Britain's military engagements with France from 1793 through 1815.

[A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher] 

Museum Sunday: The Royal Family's Prayer Book

Museum Sunday: a day for highlighting objects, books, and other items from the collections and lives of Marie Antoinette and her contemporaries.

[image credit: Millon et Associés Paris, via Auction.fr]

The above book, which was auctioned in 2017, is a prayer book from the collection of Marie Antoinette, which accompanied her and the royal family to the Temple after their imprisonment. According to one of the previous owners, who gifted it to the comte de Chambord, the book’s spine was prone to opening on pages 138, 310, and 364; meaning, these were pages that Marie Antoinette and the royal family frequently returned to during their captivity.

The book has been kept closed for preservation for more than 150 years and has almost entirely lost this feature, but upon inspection for the auction, it was discovered that it still opens to page 310, which includes the passage: 

“Scarcely is he [Jesus] raised to the sight of all these people, that he is insulted, and charged on all sides with curses and reproaches. In the end, he makes one last effort to raise his eyes to Heaven: My Father, he exclaims, forgive them, I pray you, because they know not what they do.”

One can easily imagine the royal family finding meaning and comfort from this particular passage. 

Upcoming Fiction and Non-Fiction Books to Look For in 2020

Due to some personal events I've fallen behind on my book reviews for this year, but as I work on catching up to review the books still waiting on my shelf, I've started a collection of some notable fiction and non-fiction books that I think readers of this blog will enjoy in the coming year. This is by no means a comprehensive list, as I mostly working on what is showing up for me on Amazon, and I will update periodically when new books are added.

If you have any books you think would work well on this list, please feel free to comment or send them to my email.

Fiction Books

In the Shadow of the Sun by EM Castellan [February 2020]

A YA historical fantasy book set in the 17th century; in 17th century France, Louis XIV enlists the help of the magic-wielding Henriette of England to help defeat a dark force threatening the king's authority and his desire to build a new palace as the seat of France's power: Versailles.

The Rose of Versailles by Ryoko Ikeda (Volumes 1-3) [Various dates, 2020]

The much-anticipated English translation of Ryoko Ikeda's 'The Rose of Versailles' is set for publication in 2020. The series will be released as 3 omnibus volumes. Volume 1 is due for publication in January 2020, Volume 2 in February 2020 and Volume 3 will be released in May 2020.


Non-Fiction

Death and the crown: Ritual and politics in France before the Revolution by Anne Byrne [March 2020]

A study of several significant ceremonial royal events in pre-revolutionary France, including the deathbed and funeral of Louis XV, the lit de justice held in November 1774, and the coronation of Louis XVI in 1775.

The Creation of the French Royal Mistress: From Agnès Sorel to Madame Du Barry by Tracy Adams and Christine Adams [May 2020]

A look at the historical development of the French mistress, a unique position which took on an entirely different political and social role than other European royal mistresses.

The Last Libertines by Benedetta Craveri [April 2020]

A book detailing the lives of a group of the "last libertines," as Craveri deems the group of aristocrats who embodied a unique way of life that walked the line between enjoying a life based on privilege while embracing Enlightenment ideals of social change and justice.

The Candle and the Guillotine: Revolution and Justice in Lyon, 1789–93 by Julie Patricia Johnson [May 2020]

A study of the revolutionary and political events that shaped the history, and ultimately the civil war, of Lyon during the revolution's formative years.

Versailles: My father's Castle by  Maïte Labat, Jean-Baptiste Veber and Alexis Vitrebert (Illustrator) [June 2020]

An illustrated historical biography based on the life of Henri de Nolhac, the son of the famous Pierre de Nolhac, who was one of the most important figures in the restoration of Versailles during the 19th and early 20th centuries. 

Life in Revolutionary France edited by Mette Harder and Jennifer Ngaire Heuer [September 2020]

A collection of essays from international academics and scholars on many different facets--social, political, environmental and more--of life in revolutionary France.

What They Said Saturday: "I will write to you soon–if I can."

'What They Said' Saturday: a day for quotations of all kinds, including excerpts from letters written by Marie Antoinette and her contemporaries, memoirs, non-fiction, novels and everything in between.

 In the immediate aftermath of the royal family's failed flight to Montmédy, their friends and loved ones who either knew about the flight or had heard about it when the news broke out in Paris were left with great uncertainty as to the royal family's fate. As with any incident involving the royal family, rumors abounded. Were they to be killed? Imprisoned? As soon as they were able, the members of the royal family had letters sent (or in some cases, smuggled) out of the Tuileries to let their closet friends know that they were still alive. Uncertain--but alive.

On June 29th, Elisabeth sent this short note to the marquise de Raigecourt, acknowledging the uncertainty of their current position:

"I hope, my heart, that your health is good, and that it does not suffer from the situation of your friend. Hers is excellent; you know that her body is never conscious of the sensations of her soul. This latter is not what it should be towards its Creator, the indulgence of God is its only hope of mercy. I neither can nor will I enter into details as to all that concerns me; let it suffice you to know that I am well, that I am tranquil, that I love you with all my heart, and that I will write to you soon–if I can."

In a letter written to the marquise de Bombelle (her "dear Bombe") on July 10th, Elisabeth did offer some details about the recent events, remarking on the family's return from Varennes in the crowded coach with Barnave and Pétion:

"Our journey with Barnave and Pétion went on most ridiculously. You believe, no doubt, that we were in torture; not at all. They behaved well, especially the first, who has much intelligence and is not ferocious as people say. I began by showing them frankly my opinion as to their actions, and after that we talked for the rest of the journey as if we ignored the whole thing. Barnave saved the gardes du corps who were with us and whom the National guards wanted to massacre. "

'The family of pigs brought back to the barn,' June 1791.

Following the failed flight to Montmédy, the popularity of the royal family--which was already fairly delicate--plummeted to extreme lows. While Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette bore the brunt of the satirical and extremely negative cartoons that flooded Paris in the days and weeks to come, the rest of the royal family was not spared ridicule, even the children. This particular illustration, titled "The family of pigs brought back to the barn," depicts the royal family as pigs being led back to Paris in a hay-filled cart.

[image: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie]

[image: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie]

"In those days women strove to do and dare..."

"In those days women strove to do and dare what their fathers and brothers and husbands were doing, and many a stirring speech delivered in the Assembly or at the great political debate clubs had been born in the brain of a woman. They did not content themselves with a passive part, they were full of ardor, sinking individual aims and affections in the general conflict, and, ready to sacrifice all for their cause; they rushed into the battle of the nation impetuously and eagerly, and claimed the privilege of fighting for their country side by side with men. Olympe de Gouges expressed the general feeling of her sex when she said: 'Women have as good a right to mount the tribune as they have to ascend the scaffold.'"

 --Jeannette Van Alstine

9 Biographies About Women in the French Revolution

Many women made a mark during the French Revolution; for some, that mark culminated in their death on the scaffold, and for others it defined the rest of their lives as they attempted to navigate a changing France and a changing Europe. The following are 9 biographies about women who made a mark in the French Revolution--some new, some old, and hopefully all will help you find out more about some of the women made famous, or infamous, during the revolution.

Madame de Lamballe by Georges Bertin

Women's Rights and the French Revolution: A Biography of Olympe de Gouges by Sophie Mousset

Madame Du Barry by H. Noel Williams

Theroigne De Mericourt: A Melancholic Woman During the French Revolution by Elisabeth Roudinesco

Madame Roland by John S.C. Abbott

The Celebrated Madame Campan by Violette M. Montagu

Charlotte Corday by Jeannette Van Alstine (Mrs. R.K. Van Alstine)

Marie Antoinette: The Tragic Queen by Dorothy Moulton Mayer

Madame Tallien by Louis Gastine

7 Books about Women and the French Revolution

From royalty to seamstresses to prominent Salon hostesses, women played a significant role in the events and even politics of the French Revolution. I've complied a list of 7 books about women and the French Revolution--if you're looking for biographies, don't fret! That list is coming later on this month.

Compelled to Witness: Women's Memoirs of the French Revolution by Marilyn Yalom (2015 edition; initially published as Blood Sisters: The French Revolution in Women's Memory)

Rebel Daughters: Women and the French Revolution by Sara E. Melzer and Leslie W. Rabine

Liberty: The Lives and Times of Six Women in Revolutionary France by Lucy Moore

Women and the Limits of Citizenship in the French Revolution by Olwen Hufton

The Women of Paris and Their French Revolution by Dominique Godineau and Katherine Streip

Women of the French Revolution by Linda Kelly

Out of the Shadows: Women and Politics in the French Revolution, 1789-95 by Shirley Elson Roessler

And Marie Antoinette Said: "I was a queen, and you took away my crown..."

Marie Antoinette did not say "Let them eat cake!" 

Yet "Let them eat cake!" isn't the only phrase frequently attributed to the last queen of France. A quick cursory search on Google or numerous social media platforms reveals many quotes supposedly said by Marie Antoinette. But did she really say them? Where did these quotes come from? In this new post series, 'And Marie Antoinette Said...' we will be taking a closer look at some of the most famous quotes attributed to the queen  (yes, including "Let them eat cake!") to uncover their origins and hopefully their veracity.

"I was a queen, and you took away my crown; a wife, and you killed my husband; a mother, and you deprived me of my children. My blood alone remains: take it, but do not make me suffer long."

This popular quote is credited as having been said by Marie Antoinette at her trial. In addition to being frequently shared online, the quote was commonly included in 19th century history books and can be even found in books published in the last hundred years. The short speech is usually placed after Marie Antoinette's death sentence is read or when she is asked if she has anything to say in her own defense before the jury begins their deliberations.

It is a moving, novel-worthy quote to be sure--something that evokes a hauntingly elegant image of the burdened former queen, slowly rising in her tattered mourning gown, addressing the Revolutionary Tribunal with all the grace and wit of a daughter of the Caesars.

But did she actually say it?

Thankfully, a written record of the queen's trial was published by the revolutionary government shortly after her execution. This record was translated into English and published by a London press immediately thereafter.

In these trial records, when Marie Antoinette is asked if she has anything to add in her own defense, both the original French and English translation remark the queen as having said:

"Yesterday, I did not know the witnesses; I knew not what they were going to depose against me; and nobody has produced against me any positive fact. I finish by observing that I was only the wife of Louis XVI, and it was requisite in me to conform myself to his will."

Marie Antoinette was then led out of the hall while Fouquier de Tinville gave a speech to the jury, who deliberated and returned with their verdict. The queen was led back into the hall and told to listen to the judgment of the Tribunal, which was a guilty sentence with the punishment of death. Fouquier de Tinville then asks if she any objection to make against her sentence.

Here, the original French record and the London translation differ very slightly. The French transcript records the queen's reaction as: "Antoinette shakes her head as a sign of the negative." The English London publication translated this as: "Antoinette bowed her head."

The French record's afterword is a description of Marie Antoinette being led to the scaffold. The London edition, not surprisingly, contains a lengthy afterword condemning the Revolution. This afterward slightly contradicts the English transcript preceding it by writing that Marie Antoinette replied with the word "nothing" after having been asked if she had any objections to make.

However, in neither the original French publication or the translated trial record does the "I was a queen, and you took away my crown" quote appear at any point.

Claude François Chauveau-Lagarde, one of Marie Antoinette's defenders, wrote an account of her trial in 1816. In his recollections, Chauveau-Lagarde said that Marie Antoinette did not say anything in response to her sentence.

So, where did the quote come from?

The phrase has its origins in a 1794 publication called Marie Antoinette d'Autriche, Reine de France, ou Causes et Tableau de la Revolution. The book was written by Chevalier Nicolas de Maistre, a French noble officer who was living as an émigré in Austria when he wrote and published the volume. Maistre's book is a condemnation of the Revolution told through the tribulations and eventually the trial of Marie Antoinette.

It is in Maistre's version of the trial that when Marie Antoinette is told "The sentence of death is pronounced. What have you to answer for your defense?" she replies:

"In my defense! Nothing. For your scruples! Much. I was a queen, and you dethroned me. I was a wife, and you killed my husband. I was a mother, and you tore me from my children. Only my blood remains: you are thirsty. Drink it. Hasten to meet it that you may drink it."

The French version of this quote had some traction in the 19th century, but not very much. It is in English books from the 19th century that a slightly revised version of the quote, which omits the first and last sentences, gained much more popularity in that same time period.  It can be found in some histories of Marie Antoinette as well as many books about queens, women in history and historical anecdotes. This discrepancy between its French and English popularity could be related to the fact that the English translation of her trial was not given new editions in the 19th century, whereas the French record of her trial was republished several times throughout the 1800s, so the circulation of this anecdotal quote ran wilder with English publishers.

Verdict:

It is safe to say that Marie Antoinette did not say this quote, moving as it is.

Nicolas de Maistre was not present at her trial and no records from her trial include any version of this quote; one of Marie Antoinette's defense lawyers confirms that she did not say anything; nor has the quote been so much as paraphrased by anyone who was present at her trial or would have had access to someone who was a witness. Its origins are an émigré noble's pro-monarchy book and Maistre, like many authors of the day, included invented details to make things more dramatic, more interesting, and more eloquent.

Further Reading

• Procès de Marie-Antoinette, ci-devant reine des Français, ou Recueil exact de tous ses interrogatoires, réponses, dépositions des témoins, suivi de plusieurs anecdotes sur sa mort. (1793; 1865 reprint.) 
• Authentic Trial at Large of Marie Antoinette, Late Queen of France, Before the Revolutionary Tribunal at Paris. (1793)
• Marie Antoinette d'Autriche, Reine de France, ou Causes et Tableau de la Revolution; Nicholas de Maistre. (1794) 
• Note historique sur les procès de Marie-Antoinette d'Autriche, reine de France et de Madame Elisabeth de France (M. Chauveau-Lagarde) (1816)

Five of My Favorite French Revolution Films

The French Revolution has been the subject of film since the dawn of motion pictures; naturally then, it should come as no surprise that there are countless films about the revolution and its players--nor should it surprise you that the revolution continues to fascinate filmmakers today!

I compiled 5 of my current favorite films set in the French Revolution, which I've shared below.

Note: The 5 films chosen for this list are available in English or with official English subtitles, hence the exclusion of certain famous titles, such as La Revolution Francaise (1989). If you're looking for more 'Marie Antoinette' films, check out my other list!

 

L'Anglaise et le Duc (2001)

Inspired by the embroidered memoirs of Grace Elliot, the Scottish mistress to the duc d'Orleans, who was caught up in the turmoil of the French Revolution. Grace and Orleans' relationship is played against the backdrop of the Paris during the Terror, where political loyalties--including those of the royalist Grace--can become a life or death matter. 

Danton (1983)

A downfall of Danton, adapted from a play by director Andrzej Wajda, whose decision to draw parallels through then-contemporary Polish events and the conflict between Danton and Robespierre makes for an intense--if polarized--look at the ultimate fate of some of the revolution's major players. Gerard Depardieu gives a particularly stand-out performance as Danton.

 Les adieux à la reine (2012)

Les adieux à la reine, based on a novel by Chantal Thomas, has a micro-focus that sets it apart from the more typical revolution films that span years. The story follows Sidonie, a young reader to Marie Antoinette, as she navigates the tension, panic and confusion of the palace over a several day period--before, during and after the fall of Bastille. (I have more thoughts on the film, particularly how it differs from the novel, here.)

 Orphans of the Storm (1921)

 A melodramatic but undeniably entertaining silent film about two sisters, Louise and Henriette, who travel to 1780s Paris and find themselves prey to political turmoil, poverty, the attentions of a violent aristocrat, and a revolution that threatens to divide the sisters forever. The story is based on a play which had already been adapted into film two times before 1921!

La Marseillaise (1938)

A sweeping epic from Jean Renoir that threads together the many stories of the French Revolution--from arguments in the boudoir of the king and queen to political speeches that helped turn the tide of history to the lives of the people who took to the streets of Paris and Versailles during the early years of the revolution. 

 

The Captive Queen, an Elegiac Ode by Edmund Eyre

After the deaths of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, many British writers who turned to the pen to published odes, elegies, plays and other literary treatments of the royal family. These British works were published as early as 1793, after the death of the king. Edmund Eyre was one of these British writers who felt inspired by the events in France to take up his pen. Eyre's ode to Marie Antoinette, which I have transcribed below, was published in a collection in 1797.

--

The Captive Queen, an Elegiac Ode.

Scarce had the night her shadowy curtain spread,
To hide the blush of eve;
Than gloomy Silence cast a solemn dread,
And Nature seem'd to grieve:
But Cynthia soon o'er half the globe
Display'd her star-bespangled robe,
Emitting forth her silver-ray
To cheer the trav'ller's lonely way,
And guide him to the social cot,
Where all his sorrows are forgot--
Oblivious slumber, with Lathaean-pow'r
Snatches the lapse of time, and rules the mid-night hour.

Mute is the warbling concert of the air--
Save the sad minstrel of the night;
Whose trilling-notes, responsive to despair,
Vibrate on Echo's rapid flight!
And, hark, what breathing groans transpierce
the solemn scene!
Ah! 'tis the mourning sorrows of a Captive-Queen!

Borne on Fancy's eagle-height,
I see her pictur'd to the sight
Immur'd within a dungeon's bloom,
Invoking Heav'n to change the doom--
Her rosy-cheeks, of crimson-hue,
Now moisten'd by Affliction's dew,
Fading, have wither'd, by a wintry blight,
And, in despair, the roses red--have chang'd to white.

Her eyes, that with Promethean glow,
Warm'd the chill'd breast, congeal'd by woe,
Sink in their sockets, griev'd to see
Th' unpity'd tears of Misery:
Her voice, that once diffus'd around
The magic-harmony of sound,
Now faintly murmurs, like an Aeolian lyre,
Whose sounds charm most--just as the notes expire.

Ah, what avails the pomp of state,
The envy'd glories of the great,
Or, e'en Ambition's great-stride
When bold Rebellion rushes forth,
And like the pestilential North,
Nips all the blossoms of our pride.
Life is, alas! an evening breeze at best,
That blows still sun-set, and then sinks to rest.

What, is the cruel lot decreed,
And must the Royal-Mother bleed?
Ah, heard I not the fleeting groan,
Breathed in Sorrow's deepest tone?
Hark, 'tis the din of Discord's roar,
Her dart's besmear'd with clotted gore!
yet, fears, vaunt--wan Terror fly--
Death's but a passport to eternity!

Confin'd by treason, and the will of Fate,
A Royal captive, mock'd with idle state,
(Shame to the annals of historic-page,)
Expires a victim to republic rage!

The sigh that heav'd the parting knell--
The tear that bade a long farewell--
The Mother's pangs--the Children's cries,
No friend to grace her obsequies--
Shall cause the Muse's stream to flow
In all the energy of woe,
Whilst they record amidst a nation's sighs,
In Death's cold shade a murder'd Princess lies.

Be mute, my lyre--thy elegy refrain--
Megara rife, and breathe a bolder strain--
Avenging Nemesis, at whose decree,
Tyrants are taught to bend the stubborn knee,
Inrob'd with justice, send thy missile dart,
To drive rebellion from the canker'd heart;
Scourge those who brought a Monarch to the tomb,
And thunder in their ears Lycaon's doom.--
Inspire each breast with patriotic zeal
To guard the safety of the public weal;
Bid us avow Religion's holy cause,
Adorn out country, and protect her laws--
Such god-like cares all British hearts must own;
And ev'ry honest man support the Throne.

--

Eyre's elegies to Marie Antoinette and later, Louis XVI, were only somewhat well received in his day. They were described in one contemporary review as "not destitute of poetical imagery." Hardly a glowing review! But at least his odes were published: Eyre had a rather unfortunate history when it came to getting his 1794 play, first called The Maid of Normandy and later retitled The Death of the Queen of France, cleared past the British censors. But that's a topic for another day!

Bicentennial Art by Jean-Baptiste Morlet

I received a few more postcards released during the bicentennial of the French Revolution this week and knew I had to share!

These cards feature art by Jean-Baptiste Morlet. I really love the use of color in these paintings, especially the contrast between the fire and the skirts of the peasant women in the second image.

image: The Cart by Jean-Baptiste Morlet

credit: my collection

 image: The Fire at the Chateau by Jean-Baptiste Morlet

credit: my collection

image: Nobles in Prison by Jean-Baptiste Morlet

credit: my collection

A Few Interesting (And Sometimes Slightly Macabre) Postcards from the French Revolution Bicentennial

I was browsing for postcards earlier this month and came across various postcards and commemorative cards released in 1989 for the bicentennial year of the French Revolution. Amidst the expected variations on Marianne and the occasional modelesque illustration of a woman giving Tyra Banks-worthy eye smiles while sporting revolutionary gear were some interesting, if a bit strange, illustrations. I like strange things, and this admittedly sometimes includes the macabre--so I couldn't resist snapping up a several of these postcards, including a few which are slightly grim.

Artist: Desclozeaux

credit: my collection

 Artist: Loup

credit: my collection

Artist: Ronald Searle

credit: my collection

 Artist:Ronald Searle

credit: my collection

 Artist: Ronald Searle

credit: my collection

Artist: Ronald Searle

credit: my collection

'The family of swine brought into the barn.'

The royal family's failed flight to Montmédy marked a downturn in the reputation of the royal family; the escape attempt and its aftermath inspired a torrent of pamphlets, caricatures and other libels which targeted the family from Louis XVI to his young children.

The caricature below, titled 'The family of swine brought into the barn,' represents the royal family as pigs being brought back to the Tuileries Palace after their escape attempt. Notably, Marie Antoinette is depicted here in the nude with her breasts bared, while the rest of the family is given clothing.

 [credit: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie]