Symbol and satire in the French Revolution . lost histhrone? On October 15th Fouquier gave his summing Antoinette was a Messalina, a Brunhilda,a Fredegunda, a Marie de Medicis. She had beena scourge, a leech to the French people. She hadcorrupted the morals of her own son and Fouquiercharged her with abominable doings, the mereidea of which makes one shudder with the worst of it was that such a confession asFouquier wished had been extorted from the littleDauphin who could not in the least have knownthe import of what he was saying. Marie An-toinettes only answer was, Could
Symbol and satire in the French Revolution . lost histhrone? On October 15th Fouquier gave his summing Antoinette was a Messalina, a Brunhilda,a Fredegunda, a Marie de Medicis. She had beena scourge, a leech to the French people. She hadcorrupted the morals of her own son and Fouquiercharged her with abominable doings, the mereidea of which makes one shudder with the worst of it was that such a confession asFouquier wished had been extorted from the littleDauphin who could not in the least have knownthe import of what he was saying. Marie An-toinettes only answer was, Could a mother havedone such things? All the different accusations were finally con-centrated in the charge that she had attemptedto destroy budding Liberty. The jury rendereda unanimous verdict of death within twenty-fourhours. The next morning before dawn she wrote aqueenly letter to Madame Elizabeth. It wasnever delivered, but was placed among the publicdocuments and thus has been preserved. Noone can read it to-day without feeling a tugging. / /•,S ./,..,/-/>-,y/„.,/ai/,7:^,,/ 0^^,,/^i^ /:,^//cy^^^ Jl^A^V Plate 162. A sketch of Marie Antoinette made by David as she passed hiswindow in the death-cart on her way to execution. 387 388 The French Revolution at the heart-strings. She has been condemned,she says, to death, but not to shame—that is onlyfor criminals. Her own conscience is free fromreproach. But how she regrets leaving those poorchildren! You know I only lived for them andyou. She prays that they may remain unitedthrough life and that Madame Elizabeth may bespared to watch over them. She expresses humility,religious fervour, and contrition for her shortcom-ings and ends pathetically with: Farewell, my good and gentle sister. May this letterreach you! Think of me always. With my whole heartI embrace you and those poor dear children. My God,how heart-rending it is to part from them forever! Farewell,farewell! I shall give myself up to my spiritual I am
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectcaricat, bookyear1912
