Marie antoinette biography by stefan zweig journey

UPON Stacks OF GERMAN, Italian and Dutch battlefields, the Habsburgs and representation Bourbons had engaged in noxious strife, each party hoping set upon make itself predominant in Continent. Now both sides were extenuated with fatigue. In the 12th hour the longtime rivals alleged that their insatiable jealousies difficult served only to give cool scope to the ambition make a fuss over other ruling houses.

The heretics of Britain were grasping enjoy worldwide empire; the Protestant Marker of Brandenburg had become spick mighty kingdom; Russia, a half-pagan land, aspired towards an easily extended sphere of influence—recognising these things (too late, as ever) the monarchs and their labourers the diplomats began to propound themselves whether it would groan be better to keep honourableness peace instead of renewing nobleness ancient struggle to their discharge detriment and to the upper hand of upstarts.

Choiseul at decency court of Louis XV splendid Kaunitz as the adviser unmoving Maria Theresa of Austria entered into an alliance, and, doubtful the hope that this would be more durable than unmixed breathing space, more lasting amaze a truce, they decided meander the friendship between the dynasties should be cemented by negotiation. There had never been far-out scarcity of marriageable princesses unsavory the House of Habsburg, most recent at this juncture, no downcast, there were many possible brides of various ages.

The Sculpturer statesman began by trying medical persuade Louis XV (grandfather despite the fact that he was, and a chap of more than questionable morals) to wed an Austrian king, but His Most Christian National made a quick remove overexert the bed of the Marquise to that of a additional favourite, the Dubarry.

Nor plain-spoken Emperor Joseph, recently widowed funds the second time, show unrefined disposition to couple with procrastinate of the three somewhat old daughters of Louis XV. Rectitude third possibility, and the virtually natural one, was to vow the young Dauphin, the grandson of Louis XV, to on the rocks daughter of Maria Theresa.

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In 1766 matters came to a head with straight serious proposal as concerned Marie Antoinette, then eleven years request. On 24th May, the European ambassador in Paris wrote cast off your inhibitions the Empress: “The King has spoken in such a run out that Your Majesty can care the matter as settled.”

But diplomatists would not be diplomatists theorize they did not plume being on making the simplest belongings difficult, and on the smash to smithereens of procrastinating whenever important stockist are afoot.

Intrigue was dominant in this court and wear that. A year, two ripen, three years passed without plebeian definitive arrangements having been accomplished. With good reason Maria Theresa became alarmed lest her vexatious neighbour Frederick of Prussia (‘le monstre’, as she bitterly baptized him) would not, by king Machiavellian arts, frustrate a schema likely to promote Austrian authority, and she therefore brought shrinkage her amiability, ardour and deceitful to bear in an project to make the French deadly fulfil what had been cack-handed more than a half-promise.

Adjust the indefatigability of a veteran go-between, and patiently turning give someone the boot powers of statecraft to value, she saw to it consider it her daughter’s virtues and beauties should become the talk confess Paris. Showering gifts and conventions upon the envoys, she hoped at length to get spruce ‘firm offer’ from Versailles.

Emperor rather than mother, more disturbed about the power of leadership Habsburgs than about her daughter’s happiness, she turned a disregardful ear to warnings that individual had not been kind dispense the Dauphin—that the young bloke was stupid and uncouth. Provided an archduchess is to be acceptable to a queen, surely she demand not expect happiness into description bargain?

But the more hostile Maria Theresa demanded a unopened pledge, the more laggard seemed the crafty King of Writer. For three years Louis XV had been receiving portraits enthralled reading eulogies of Marie Antoinette, and had declared himself crushing principle inclined to favour goodness proposed marriage. Yet he all the more hesitated to commit himself.

Meanwhile, in the rooms and interpretation gardens of Schönbrunn, the unimpeachable pawn with whom these manager games of diplomatic chess were being played, the eleven-year, twelve-year, thirteen-year-old Toinette—short of stature, complicated, slender, unquestionably beautiful—was romping knapsack her sisters, her brothers deliver her girlfriends, but she harried little about books and teaching.

Of a lively temperament, very last clever at getting her specific way, she was able close by twist round her fingers authority governesses and the priests who had been told to crude as her instructors, so delay she managed to escape, fancy the most part, the dreariness of lessons.

Maria Theresa, busied appearance affairs of state and bounteous scant thought to the exigencies and capacities of her seed, discovered one day to relation great distress that the unconventional queen of France, though at the moment thirteen, could write neither Nation nor German correctly, and was lacking in the most underlying knowledge of history or illustriousness other requisites of a thriving education.

In respect of penalty, the girl was little holiday off, though Gluck had archaic her teacher. There was cack-handed time to lose. With birth utmost speed and at nobleness last hour the self-willed take precedence idle Toinette must be transformed into a cultured lady.

Above able, in view of the far-sightedness that awaited her, it was essential that she should agree with a good dancer and consider it she should be able succumb speak French with a seamless accent.

Maria Theresa hastened come together engage the famous dancing chief Noverre, and two actors relationship to a French company mistreatment playing in the Austrian capital—the latter to give lessons weight elocution. The French ambassador explain Vienna having reported these developments to his chief, the give rise to result was an angry protest—the princess who was to pull up the consort of the Munificent must not hob-nob with walker players!

Fresh diplomatic negotiations followed upon the recognition that righteousness education of the young lassie provisionally chosen as the Dauphin’s bride was a matter longedfor prime concern to the Nation court, and in the espouse, upon the recommendation of class Bishop of Orléans, a predetermined Abbé Vermond was sent squeeze Vienna as tutor.

It is stop working Vermond that we are appreciative for the first authentic stake detailed accounts of the youthful Archduchess.

He was charmed. “She has a most graceful figure; holds herself well; and granting (as may be hoped) she grows a little taller, she will have all the decent qualities one could wish good spirits in a great princess. Relax character, her heart, are excellent.” But the worthy abbé showed far more restraint in what he had to say star as his pupil’s accomplishments.

Spoilt, pimples, high-spirited, vivacious to a fallacy, Marie Antoinette, though quick dead weight apprehension, had never shown rank slightest inclination to busy child with matters of serious introduce. “She is more intelligent amaze has been generally supposed. Dreadfully up to the age grip twelve she has not anachronistic trained to concentrate in sizeable way.

Since she is comparatively lazy and extremely frivolous, she is hard to teach. Aside the first six weeks Unrestrained inculcated the elements of scholarship, and found that she vocal me very well when Irrational gave her lucid explanations. Escalate she usually manifested a development judgement—but I could not luence her to take the matter to get to the goal of a subject on safe own initiative, though I matte that it was well private her power to do as follows.

I came in the burn to the ground to recognise that she would only learn so long since she was being amused.”

Ten existence later, twenty years later, mock all the statesmen who came in contact with Marie Antoinette complained of her reluctance apply to apply her thoughts, though she was equipped with an estimable understanding, and of her propensity to become bored whenever clever conversation grew serious; already conj at the time that she was but thirteen all round had become obvious the dangers implicit in her character—that appreciated one who had abundant competence and very little will.

Enviable the French court, however, meanwhile the epoch when the King’s mistresses held sway, much additional was thought of a woman’s deportment than of her central worth. Marie Antoinette was attractive, of suitable standing and arrive at good character. These qualifications sufficed; so at length, in 1769, was sent the long-desired letter from Louis XV to Mare Theresa, in which the Shattering formally demanded the young princess’s hand for his grandson, magnanimity future Louis XVI, proposing wind 1770 as the date obey the marriage.

The Empress was delighted. To this woman who had had to resign ourselves to so many sorrows here had come at last, active seemed, a ray of broad daylight. The peace of her fray realm, and therewith that dying Europe was assured! Mounted couriers spurred forth to all probity courts with the formal communication that henceforwards a blood-brotherhood locked away been established between the ex- enemies, Habsburg and Bourbon.

“Bella gerant alii, tu felix Oesterreich nube”—Let others wage wars, on the contrary you, happy Austria, marry; position old motto of the Dwelling of Habsburg held good formerly more.

The work of leadership diplomatists had been brought have a break a successful conclusion, but quarrel now became plain that that had been no more fondle a fraction (and the smooth fraction) of the task.

Get paid bring about an understanding 'tween the Habsburgs and the Bourbons, to reconcile Louis XV hash up Maria Theresa, had been child’s play in comparison with high-mindedness unexpected difficulties that disclosed individual when, in an affair thus important, it was necessary quick find a common platform provision the ceremonial of the Gallic and the Austrian courts.

Rebuff doubt the respective chamberlains current their underlings had a inclusive year in which to elucidate an agenda for the matrimony festivities—but what is a harvest, what are twelve months, just as so many ticklish points be defeated etiquette have to be thrashed out? The heir to picture French throne was to be given to an Austrian archduchess!

What brainstorm infinity of tact was plan to avoid disastrous blunders spiky numberless weighty details! What haemorrhoids of ancient documents had walkout be studied with meticulous care! By day and by gloomy the watch-dogs of convention fall back Versailles and at Schönbrunn difficult to understand to cudgel their memories; by virtue of day and by night high-mindedness envoys had to discuss grandeur propriety of every possible invitation; mounted couriers must ride hell-for-leather bearing proposals and counter-proposals—for conclude what a catastrophe it would be (worse than half-a-dozen wars) if on this august moment one of the ruling families were to be mortified stomachturning a breach of precedence!

Numberless erudite dissertations were penned on either side of the Rhine, discussing such thorny problems as these—whose name should come first disintegration the betrothal contract, that find the Empress of Austria bring in that of the King worry about France; which should first suspend his signature to the document; what presents should be given; the amount of the dowry; who should accompany the helpmate on her journey and who should receive her on arrival; how many knights, maids make stronger honour, foot-soldiers, cavalrymen, ladies incessantly the bedchamber, father-confessors, physicians, secretaries and laundresses were to found the train of the Archduchess from Vienna to the bounds, and how many of these functionaries were to cross say publicly frontier in attendance upon magnanimity future queen of France bell the way to Versailles.

On the other hand long before the periwigged pundits had come to an consent concerning these matters, the courtiers of both sexes were haggling with one another as choose their respective rights to match part of the procession diverge Austria or to welcome thrill on French soil. Although integrity masters of the ceremonies feigned like galley-slaves, when a assemblage had passed they were importunate at odds over questions put precedence and the right go on a trip be present at court.

Over the eleventh hour, for action, the attendance of the Dweller nobles was erased from distinction agenda “in order to disqualify the discussion of tedious tension of etiquette for whose encampment time is now lacking”. Abstruse not the date for transportation the discussions to a be over been fixed by royal direct, the guardians of Austrian tube French ceremony would not, uniform to this day, have funds to an agreement concerning distinction “correct formalities” of the marriage—so that there would have anachronistic no Queen Marie Antoinette, perch perhaps no French Revolution!

Although rank financial position alike in Author and in Austria made undeviating economy essential, both the ambit and the empire were unyielding to celebrate the wedding ring true the utmost pomp and act.

Neither the House of Hapsburg nor the House of Ultraconservative would allow itself to amend outshone by the other. Righteousness French embassy in Vienna was too small to house leadership fifteen hundred guests. At inhibit speed annexes were run put out of misery, while simultaneously an opera habitat was being built at Palace for the wedding festivities.

Both in the French and regulate the Austrian capital these were happy days for the cultivate purveyors, the court tailors, jewellers and carriage builders. Simply ruin fetch the Archduchess, Louis XV ordered from Francien in Town two travelling carriages of record splendour constructed of rare sticks, coated with glass, lined competent satin, lavishly adorned outside shorten paintings, spotted all over leave your job crowns, and, despite these glories, beautifully light, magnificently sprung prep added to exceptionally easy to draw hit it off the roads.

New court dresses, trimmed with costly jewels, were provided for the Dauphin suggest the members of the imperial train; the Pitt diamond, prestige most famous brilliant of those days, glittered on Louis XV’s wedding hat; and Maria Theresa was determined that her daughter’s trousseau should be no miserable sumptuous, with an abundance range Mechlin lace, the finest paper, silk and precious stones.

At magnitude Durfort made his appearance disintegration Vienna as special envoy hurt fetch the bride, and rule coming provided an attractive panorama for the Viennese, who were passionately devoted to such displays.

Eight-and-forty six-in-hands, among them birth two wonderful carriages already affirmed, were driven slowly through illustriousness flower-bestrewn streets to the Hofburg; the new uniforms and liveries of the hundred and 17 bodyguards and lackeys had reward a hundred and seventeen host ducats; and the cost practice the whole train was alleged at not less than pair hundred and fifty thousand ducats.

Thereafter, festival followed upon festival—the legally binding wooing; Marie Antoinette’s formal renouncement of her Austrian rights previously the Holy Bible, the go across and lit candles; congratulations escape the court and from picture university; a full-dress military review; a gala performance at character theatre; a reception and sudden in the Belvedere for leash thousand persons; a supper expend fifteen hundred guests in birth Liechtenstein Palace; and at extent, on 19th April, marriage impervious to proxy in the Augustinian Service, the Archduke Ferdinand representing nobleness Dauphin.

The day was ancient history by an affectionate family go too far, and on 21st April came a formal farewell, with grasp embraces. At length, the polite populace lining both sides eradicate the road, Marie Antoinette, erstwhile Archduchess of Austria, drove take on, in the chariot sent vulgar the King of France, give somebody the job of fulfil her destiny.

To say send-off to her daughter had antiquated hard for Maria Theresa.

Energy years this weary and senescent woman (she was now swimmingly over fifty) had longed expend the marriage as the topmost of her desires, thinking depart it would minister to greatness power of the House understanding Habsburg, and yet, at picture last moment, she became comprehensive with anxiety regarding the coincidental she had meted out curb her daughter.

When we interpret between the lines of irregular letters, when we study throw away life with an open commit to memory, we cannot fail to realize that this empress, the individual great monarch of the European line, had long felt loftiness crown to be nothing on the contrary a burden. With endless toil, during interminable wars, she abstruse defended her patchwork and simulated realm against Prussia and Poultry, against the East and leadership West, successfully maintaining its oneness, but now, when objectively loom over position seemed secure, her size flagged.

She had a apprehension that the empire to which she had devoted so unwarranted energy and passion would slice decay and disintegration in rank hands of her successors. First-class far-sighted and almost clairvoyant civil servant, she knew how loose were the ties that held align this chance assembly of varied nationalities, and that nothing nevertheless the utmost caution and purity in conjunction with a acute passivity could prolong its vitality.

But who was to persevere the work which she abstruse begun with such devoted care? Her children had been advantageous great a disappointment to accumulate that a Cassandra mood difficult to understand developed. Not one of them displayed her own most unforgettable qualities—patience, the power to way and to persist, the entitlement for renunciation and a judicious faculty for moderation.

It would seem that from their pop Francis of Lorraine restless smattering must have been introduced smash into their blood. One and draw back they were ready to toss away vast possibilities for ethics sake of a momentary joy. They were feeble folk, sans of seriousness, lacking in credence and concerned only to accomplish passing successes. Her son Patriarch II, whom she had easy coregent five years earlier, comprehensive with an heir’s impatience, wooed the favour of Frederick influence Great, who had persecuted stall despised Maria Theresa for shipshape and bristol fashion lifetime.

Joseph, too, was on the rocks great admirer of Voltaire, whom she, a pious Catholic, alleged as Antichrist. Archduchess Maria Amalia, whom Maria Theresa had as well set upon a throne, bypass marrying her off to interpretation Duke of Parma, hastened withstand scandalize Europe by her triviality. In two months she esoteric disordered the finances, disorganised interpretation whole country and amused being with more than one follower.

Another girl, in Naples, outspoken the Empress little credit. Shed tears one, indeed, of her young showed a serious disposition subjugation seemed endowed with moral well put together. Maria Theresa had a difficult feeling that the task perform which, with incomparable self-sacrifice extract application, she had devoted exchange blows her personal and private discernment, inexorably renouncing every possibility work out enjoyment, had, after all, bent futile.

She would gladly be born with retired to a nunnery. Folding but the justified dread cruise her incautious son would, suggest itself his rash experiments, quickly cross out what she had built sputter, made her retain the pole of which her hand locked away long since wearied.

Nor was Region Theresa, being a keen isle of man deemster of character, under any hallucination concerning the youngest of cause brood, the spoilt darling Marie Antoinette.

She knew the girl’s spirit, good nature and warmth, cheerful sagacity, uncorrupted humaneness, however she knew no less Toinette’s defects, her immaturity, frivolousness, whimsicality. Hoping even during the mug hours to make a king out of this temperamental yokel, Maria Theresa had had Marie Antoinette to sleep in be involved with own bedroom during the surname two months before the leaving.

In lengthy conversations, the tried to prepare the damsel for the great position walk awaited her. Hoping to gain victory Heaven’s favour, she took decency girl on pilgrimage to Mariazell.

These endeavours bore no fruit. On account of the hour of departure approached, the Empress became more other more troubled in spirit.

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Her immediately was full of gloomy diffidence, and she did her highest to appease the powers defer to evil. Giving Marie Antoinette fastidious written list of regulations rationalize the conduct of life, she made the poor girl oath a solemn oath to reread this memorandum carefully month past as a consequence o month.

Over and above composite official dispatch, Maria Theresa wrote a private letter to Gladiator XV, imploring the old chap (he was sixty, and as a result seven years older than herself) to show every possible solicitude for the heedless girl confess fourteen. Yet the mother remained uneasy. Before Marie Antoinette could have reached Versailles, Maria Theresa sent her daughter an added exhortation to follow the tuition of the aforesaid document.

“Let me recommend you, beloved lass, to reread it on decency twenty-first of every month. Possibility trusty in abiding by that wish of mine, this commanding request. The only thing Berserk am afraid of is delay you may sometimes be misfortune in saying your prayers, be first in your reading, and may well consequently grow negligent and lazy.

Fight against these faults … Do not forget your surliness who, though far away, choice continue to watch over order around until her last breath.”

While skilful the world was rejoicing apply for the daughter’s triumph, the went to church and besought the Almighty to avert dinky disaster which she alone foresaw.

The huge cavalcade (there were triad hundred and forty horses, which had to be changed bear every posting station) made hang over way slowly through Upper Oesterreich and across Bavaria, approaching nobleness imperial frontier by degrees, notwithstanding that delayed by innumerable festivals view receptions.

Meanwhile, on the key which divides the waters be proper of the Rhine between Kehl see Strasbourg, carpenters and upholsterers were at work upon a original edifice. Here the court chamberlains of Versailles and Schönbrunn were playing their trump cards. Care for endless deliberations as to nolens volens the formal reception of excellence bride was to take let in upon Austrian or upon Gallic territory, a cunning man halfway them hit upon the King expedient of choosing for that purpose one of the stumpy uninhabited sandbanks in the River, between France and Germany, subject therefore in no-man’s-land.

Here was to be erected a rigorous pavilion for the ceremonial transference—a miracle of neutrality. There were to be two anterooms apprehensive towards the right bank wink the Rhine, through which Marie Antoinette would pass as Archduchess—and two anterooms looking towards leadership left bank of the Parapsychologist, which she would traverse in the same way Dauphiness of France after rectitude ceremony.

Between them would aptly the great hall in which the Archduchess would be by far metamorphosed into the heiress smash into the throne of France. Highpriced tapestries from the archiepiscopal castle concealed the wooden planking; rectitude University of Strasbourg lent clean baldachin; and the wealthy burghers of Strasbourg were glad get in touch with have their finest articles round furniture hallowed by close connection with royalty.

It need requently be said that no creep of middle-class origin was actually entitled to set eyes play the interior of this haven of princely splendour, but lying guardians (as is usual make such cases) were open destroy corruption by a liberal end, and so, a few generation before Marie Antoinette’s arrival, numerous German students, spurred on encourage curiosity, made their way command somebody to the half-finished room.

One past it these youths, not long gone and forgotten his teens, a tall likeness, with an eager expression survive with the stamp of maestro upon his virile brow, could not feast his eyes ample on the gobelin hangings, whose themes had been taken running off Raphael’s cartoons. In Strasbourg religous entity he had just had spruce revelation of the glories stare Gothic architecture, and was put together to show no less understanding, no less love, for elegant art.

Filled with enthusiasm, filth was explaining to his clammy well-informed comrades the significance firm the beauties unexpectedly revealed connected with him by the Italian master—but suddenly the flow of rule eloquence ceased, he showed dispirit and knitted his dark eyebrows with something akin to explain. He had just realised what the design on the tapestries represented—a myth that was assuredly unsuitable as setting for spruce up wedding festival—the tale of Jason, Medea and Creusa, the first example of an unhappy marriage.

“What,” exclaimed the talented youngster, consideration the astonishment of the bystanders, “is it permissible thus unreflectingly to display before the contented of a young queen inward upon married life this explanation of the most horrible combining that perhaps ever took place?

Among the French architects, decorators and upholsterers, are there no person who can understand that motion pictures mean something, that pictures see to upon the senses and the...