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October 8th； nothing 。 。 。
October 12th； nothing； the stag hunted at Port Royal。
Shut up in Paris； held by the crowds； his heart is always with the
hounds。 Twenty times in 1790 we read in his journal of a stag…hunt
occurring in this or that place； he regrets not being on hand。 No
privation is more intolerable to him； we encounter traces of his
chagrin even in the formal protest he draws up before leaving for
Varennes； transported to Paris； shut up in the Tuileries； 〃where； far
from finding conveniences to which he is accustomed； he has not even
enjoyed the advantages common to persons in easy circumstances；〃 his
crown to him having apparently lost its brightest jewel。
VI。 UPPER CLASS DISTRACTIONS。
Other similar lives。 … Princes and princesses。 … Seigniors of the
court。 … Financiers and parvenus。 … Ambassadors； ministers； governors；
general officers。
As is the general so is his staff； the grandees imitate their
monarch。 Like some costly colossal effigy in marble； erected in the
center of France； and of which reduced copies are scattered by
thousands throughout the provinces； thus does royal life repeat
itself； in minor proportions； even among the remotest gentry。 The
object is to make a parade and to receive； to make a figure and to
pass away time in good society。 … I find； first； around the court；
about a dozen princely courts。 Each prince or princess of the blood
royal； like the king； has his house fitted up； paid for； in whole or
in part； out of the treasury； its service divided into special
departments； with gentlemen； pages； and ladies in waiting； in brief；
fifty； one hundred； two hundred； and even five hundred appointments。
There is a household of this kind for the queen； one for Madame
Victoire； one for Madame Elisabeth； one for Monsieur； one for Madame；
one for the Comte d'Artois； and one for the Comtesse d'Artois。 There
will be one for Madame Royale； one for the little Dauphin； one for the
Duc de Normandie； all three children of the king； one for the Duc
d'Angoulême； one for the Duc de Berry； both sons of the Comte
d'Artois： children six or seven years of age receive and make a parade
of themselves。 On referring to a particular date； in 1771；＇55＇ I find
still another for the Duc d'Orléans； one for the Duc de Bourbon； one
for the Duchesse； one for the Prince de Condé； one for the Comte de
Clermont； one for the Princess dowager de Conti； one for the Prince de
Conti； one for the Comte de la Marche； one for the Duc de Penthièvre。
… Each personage； besides his or her apartment under the king's roof
has his or her chateau and palace with his or her own circle； the
queen at Trianon and at Saint…Cloud； Mesdames at Bellevue； Monsieur at
the Luxembourg and at Brunoy； the Comte d'Artois at Meudon and at
Bagatelle； the Duc d'Orléans at the Palais Royal； at Monceaux； at Rancy
and at Villers…Cotterets； the Prince de Conti at the Temple and at
Ile…Adam； the Condés at the Palais…Bourbon and at Chantilly； the Duc
de Penthièvre at Sceaux； Anet and Chateauvilain。 I omit one…half of
these residences。 At the Palais…Royal those who are presented may come
to the supper on opera days。 At Chateauvilain all those who come to
pay court are invited to dinner； the nobles at the duke's table and
the rest at the table of his first gentleman。 At the Temple one
hundred and fifty guests attend the Monday suppers。 Forty or fifty
persons； said the Duchesse de Maine； constitute 〃a prince's private
company。〃＇56＇ The princes' train is so inseparable from their persons
that it follows them even into camp。 〃The Prince de Condé；〃 says M。 de
Luynes； 〃sets out for the army to…morrow with a large suite： he has
two hundred and twenty…five horses； and the Comte de la Marche one
hundred。 M。 le duc d'Orléans leaves on Monday； he has three hundred
and fifty horses for himself and suite。〃＇57＇ Below the rank of the
king's relatives all the grandees who figure at the court figure as
well in their own residences； at their hotels at Paris or at
Versailles； also in their chateaux a few leagues away from Paris。 On
all sides； in the memoirs； we obtain a foreshortened view of some one
of these seignorial existences。 Such is that of the Duc de Gèvres；
first gentleman of the bedchamber； governor of Paris； and of the Ile…
de…France； possessing besides this the special governorships of Laon；
Soissons； Noyon； Crespy and Valois； the captainry of Mousseaux； also a
pension of 20；000 livres； a veritable man of the court； a sort of
sample in high relief of the people of his class； and who； through his
appointments； his airs； his luxury； his debts； the consideration he
enjoys； his tastes； his occupations and his turn of mind presents to
us an abridgment of the fashionable world。＇58＇ His memory for
relationships and genealogies is surprising； he is an adept in the
precious science of etiquette； and on these two grounds he is an
oracle and much consulted。 〃He greatly increased the beauty of his
house and gardens at Saint…Ouen。 At the moment of his death；〃 says the
Duc de Luynes； 〃he had just added twenty…five arpents to it which he
had begun to enclose with a covered terrace。 。 。 。 He had quite a
large household of gentlemen； pages； and domestic of various kinds；
and his expenditure was enormous。 。 。 。 He gave a grand dinner every
day。 。 。 。 He gave special audiences almost daily。 There was no one at
the court； nor in the city； who did not pay his respects to him。 The
ministers； the royal princes themselves did so。 He received company
whilst still in bed。 He wrote and dictated amidst a large assemblage。
。 。 。 His house at Paris and his apartment at Versailles were never
empty from the time be arose till the time he retired。〃 2 or 300
households at Paris； at Versailles and in their environs； offer a
similar spectacle。 Never is there solitude。 It is the custom in
France； says Horace Walpole； to burn your candle down to its snuff in
public。 The mansion of the Duchesse de Gramont is besieged at day…
break by the noblest seigniors and the noblest ladies。 Five times a
week； under the Duc de Choiseul's roof； the butler enters the drawing
room at ten o'clock in the evening to bestow a glance on the immense
crowded gallery and decide if he shall lay the cloth for fifty； sixty
or eighty persons；＇59＇ with this example before them all the rich
establishments soon glory in providing an open table for all comers。
Naturally the parvenus； the financiers who have purchased or taken the
name of an estate； all those traffickers and sons of traffickers who；
since Law； associate with the nobility； imitate their ways。 And I do
not allude to the Bourets； the Beaujons； the St。 Jameses and other
financial wretches whose paraphernalia effaces that of the princes；
but take a plain associé des fermes； M。 d'Epinay； whose modest and
refined wife refuses such excessive display。＇60＇ He had just completed
his domestic arrangements