Memoirs of the Comtesse Du Barry

This delightful (piquant, the comtesse would say) pseudonymous work was in fact written not “by herself” but by Baron Etienne Leon Lamothe-Langon (1786-1864). The persona created is that of a woman who always tells the truth as she sees it, but it is made clear to the reader that what the narrator sees is very seldom exactly the objective truth. The author ends as well as begins in medias res (in the middle of the action), thus creating an illusion of a slice of a journal but simultaneously giving the reader the uneasy feeling that the first and last chapters seem to be missing.

The French-style quotation marks have, for ease in typesetting and use, been changed to American-style quotation marks, and the dot after the name of Louis XV has been removed to conform to American punctuation. Captions of illustrations are omitted because the illustrations themselves cannot be inserted. A few minor editing errors have been silently corrected. No other changes have been made; the irregularity in italicizing or not italicizing, in translating or not translating French words, and in punctuating quotations of letters, is in the text itself.

Notes are identified as coming from author, tr. (translator), editor, or Gutenberg editor.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

Letter from Lebel--Visit from Lebel--Nothing conclusive--Another visit from Lebel--Invitation to sup with the king--Instructions of the comte Jean to the comtesse

CHAPTER II

A slight preface--Arrival at Versailles--“La toilette”--Portrait of the king--The duc de Richelieu--The marquis de Chauvelin--The duc de la Vauguyon-Supper with the king--The first night--The following day--The curiosity of comte Jean--Presents from the king--How disposed of

CHAPTER III

The king’s message--Letter from the countess--A second supper at Versailles--The duc d’Ayen--A short account of M. de Fleury--The duc de Duras--Conversation with the king--The next day--A visit from the duc de Richelieu--Visit from the duc de la Vauguyon--Visit from comte Jean--Visit from the king--A third supper--Favor

CHAPTER IV

The duc d’Aiguillon--The duc de Fronsac--The duchesse de Grammont--The meeting--Sharp words on both sides--The duc de Choiseul--Mesdames d’Aiguillon--Letter from the duc d’Aiguillon--Reply of madame du Barry--Mademoiselle Guimard--The prince de Soubise--Explanation--The Rohans--Madame de Marsan--Court friendships

CHAPTER V

The duc de la Vauguyon and the comtesse du Barry--The marquis de Chauvelin and the comtesse--M. de Montbarrey and the comtesse--Intrigues--Lebel--Arrival of the du Barry family--The comte d’Hargicourt--The demoiselles du Barry--Marriage of the comtesse--The marquis de Bonrepos--Correspondences--The broken glass

CHAPTER VI

Journey to Choisy--The comtesse du Barry and Louis XV--The king of Denmark--The czar Peter--Frederick II--The abbé de la Chapelle--An experiment--New intrigues--Secret agents-The comtesse and Louis XV--Of the presentation--Letter of the comtesse to the duc d’Aiguillon--Reply--Prince de Soubise

CHAPTER VII

The comtesse and the duc d’Aiguillon--M. de Soubise--Louis XV and the duc d’Aiguillon--Letter from the comtesse to the king--Answer of the king-The “Nouvelles a la Main”--The comtesse and Louis XV--The supper--The court ladies mystified--The comtesse and M. de Sartines

CHAPTER VIII

The sieur Ledoux--The lettre de cachet--The duc de la Vrillière--Madame de Langeac--M. de Maupeou--Louis XV--The comte Jean

CHAPTER IX