Last Days of Marie Antoinette (English Edition) [Kindle-editie] beoordelingen het boek quotes

Last Days of Marie Antoinette, Written by Lord Ronald Sutherland Gower, and published in Boston in 1886. Lord Gower also wrote biographies of Michael Angelo and Joan of Arc, and a history of the Tower of London. Very interesting description of the last 76 days of the Queen's life and imprisonment. (182 pages) The Publisher has copy-edited this book to improve the formatting, style and accuracy of the text to make it readable. This did not involve changing the substance of the text. Some books, due to age and other factors may contain imperfections. Since there are many books such as this one that are important and beneficial to literary interests, we have made it digitally available. Preface: ...There is nothing new relating to the last days of Marie Antoinette in the following sketch. At one time I had intended writing the whole story of her life; but this I have relinquished. ...The Queen's life becomes chiefly interesting as it approaches its end, and is chiefly remarkable by showing how a woman, whose early years were trifled thoughtlessly away, and who in later life — most unfortunately for her family, herself, and her adopted country — mixed herself in politics, where women are ever mischievous, was raised through suffering to an heroic level. ...As the clouds of adversity gathered around, Marie Antoinette displayed a patience and a courage in unparalleled sufferings such as few saints and martyrs have equalled. ...The pure ore of her nature was but hidden under the dross of worldliness: and the scorching fire of suffering revealed one of the tenderest hearts and one of the bravest natures that history records. To this is owing, I believe, the universal interest felt in her life and in her misfortunes. ...Among a crowd of others, my authorities for the following pages have been Campardon's "Marie Antoinette a la Conciergerie" and Saint Amand's work on the same subject. Excerpts: ...On the 2d of August, 1793, the widow of Louis XVI., Queen of France and Navarre, and Archduchess of Austria, the once brilliant sovereign of Versailles, now a prisoner, torn from her children and treated like a common felon, was removed from the prison of the Temple to that of the Conciergerie, there to linger until her release from human barbarity on the 16th of October. ...I propose writing an account of those last seventy-six days of a life once so bright, now brought to the lowest depth of moral and physical suffering. ...The Conciergerie is one of the most curious and interesting monuments of ancient Paris. A fortress in the days of Eude, Count of Paris, who here defied the Normans, it was enlarged by Robert the Pious, and from his time to that of Charles the Wise was the principal dwelling-place of the French kings. Later occupied by the Parliament, it became transformed into a State prison, although a portion of the building was still reserved for the use of the Parliament, the State Exchequer, and other judiciary bodies. ...After being out of court an hour, the jury returned into the audience chamber. The chief juryman gave an affirmative answer to all the four counts of the indictment. ...The Queen, who had left the hall at the same time as the jury, was now led in again. The President read the declaration of the jury aloud. Fouquier-Tinville then announced that, in conformity with the two rules laid down by the application of criminal law, Marie Antoinette is sentenced to death; her goods, if any, to be confiscated to the Republic; and that the just judgment be carried out within twenty-four hours in the Square of the Revolution. Herman inquired if the accused had any observation to make regarding the application of the law as invoked by the public prosecutor. For answer the Queen merely shook her head. The sentence of death was then delivered. ...It was ten minutes past four in the morning of the 16th of October. The Queen had, with hardly an interval, endured this trial more than twenty hours. ...