“Memoirs of Madame du Barri” by Baron de Etienne-Léon Lamothe-Langon – Ch. 17
Commonplace Book – Pages 125-126
“Memoirs of Madame du Barri” – Chapter 17: An Affair of Jealousy
- The Baron de Sugere tells du Barri that the Duc de Cosse has been visiting this girl named Celine
- “She is the daughter of the woman who lets out the chairs at St. Sulpice.” The Abbe de Boisgelin took her into his care, but the Marquis de M___ took her away. The Abbe Terray then takes her, but gives her up to the Farmer-general Soulot.
- Comte Jean du Barri then visits her and speaks more of Celine. “She was called Javotte” when with Abbe de Boisgelin; “Mademoiselle Albert” when with the Marquis de Vaudreuil; “Madame Laurent” with Abbe Terray and the “Baronne de Merfleur” when with Soulot.
- Comte Jean formulates a plan. “I have told Celine that upon my return to Paris I was accompanied by a young relation, who had a most ardent curiosity to behold all the beauties of the day, and that I wished she would assist his desire. I mean you to play the part of my cousin.”
- du Barri, dressed as a man, meets Celine twice and “seduces” her. Duc de Cosse walks in, and while Celine is embarrassed, du Barri claims that “he” was indeed giving her “tender endearments.” du Barri tells the Duc de Cosse that “his” name is Vicomte Henri de Beauselle. Duc de Cosse challenges “Henri” to a duel, but du Barri declines, saying “I always refuse on principle.” They then argue, and Duc de Cosse sees through the disguise when she begins crying. Duc de Cosse is forgiven.
“Memoirs of Madame du Barri” by Baron de Etienne-Léon Lamothe-Langon – Ch. 10
Commonplace Book – Pages 120-121
“Memoirs of Madame du Barri” – Chapter 10: Strange Stories
- Madame du Barri, Prince de Soubise take up a cause against the Duc de Richelieu after he forbids Mademoiselle Guimard and the French comedians from appearing elsewhere than on the boards of their own theatre.
- She holds a fete and several pieces are played, from Pandora, an “opera” the words of which were written by Voltaire; then a ballet.
- du Barri promises Mademoiselle Guimard “that his majesty will bear her in mind. M. Buimard thus contracts fresh debts, but the King only gives her an annuity of 1,500 livres, so Barri gives her a pearl necklace and 10,000 livres.
- Comte Jean du Barri wants to marry off his nephew, Vicomte Aldolphe du Barri, to one of the King’s daughters, Mademoiselle de Saint Andre.
- The King’s illegitimate children were fixed a sum of 500,000 livres at birth, and the interest would accumulate until they came of age.
- M. Yon: Guardian of Mademoiselle de Saint Andre; grave; formal; proud of his job
- Yon tells the King that he cannot support the marriage, and reminds him that she ahs already been promised to the M. de la Tour du Pin la Choise.
-Mademoiselle de Tournon: “most beautiful and nobly-born”; “one of the very poorest”; allied to nearly all the Court; related to the Prince de Soubise; incalculable advantage; also related to the Prince de Conde; 17 yrs old
- The Prince de Conde, for his consent, demands liquidation of his debts (a sum of 1,500,000 livres), the purchase price of his palace in Paris and admission into the council as a minister of State.
- The King and the Prince de Conde come to an agreement, but 100,000 “shall be divided between” the Marechale de Mirepoix and the Princesse de Monaco. The marriage was celebrated at St. Roch.
- Du Barri then receives a note from a mysterious lady, saying for her personal safety, she should come to the Baths of Apollo at one o’clock.
- The woman tells her of a plot between the Jesuits and Parliamentarians to kill her and the King. Du Barri “will receive four bottles of orange-flower water, bearing the usual appearances of having come from your perfumer…but it is mingled with a deadly poison.”
- The woman demands 2000 crowns, which will be divided between her and her supporter and the “day after tomorrow” she asks for 100,000 francs.
- The Duc d’Aiguillon is notified and so is M. de Saint Florentin, M. Quesnay (first physician), Messrs Thiebault and Varennes (visiting physicians), M. de la Mortiniere (surgeon), and Messrs Ducor and Prost (apothecaries)
- The woman’s name is Lorimer, she was a widow. Her informant is a Swiss named Calbert (30 yrs). Calbert is arrested, but says he has been the “victim of an enraged woman.” Three days after his admission into the Bastille, he died of violent convulsions. Lorimer is than too arrested, but “at the end of a fortnight” she dies by poison. They cannot find any suspicion or proof against the Jesuits, Father Corbin, Berthier, and Cerutti, or the Parliamentarians. The 100,000 livres promised to Lorimer were never given and had been forgotten in M. de Sartine’s drawer.
“Memoirs of Madame du Barri” by Baron de Etienne-Léon Lamothe-Langon – Ch. 2
Commonplace Book – Pages 113-114
“Memoirs of Madame du Barri” – Chapter 2: A Gay Life
- In Paris, she goes to the house/salon of the Demoiselles Verriere
- Chevalier de la Morliere: “a wretch dishonoured by a thousand villainous transactions, and who was received because he was a desperate fencer”; tyrant of the pit of the Comedie Francaise; pocketed money won but didn’t hand over money lost; became an enemy
- Prince de Soubise: immense fortune; witty; mildness of temper; intimate confidence of the King; not esteemed in city or court; “always to be found where there was estimation to be lost and contempt gained”; he supported notorious places
- M. Radix de Sainte-Foix: small financier; great filch; gallant; witty; agreeable; his company disgusts her
- Jean du Barri: known as the Comte de Serre; about 40 or 45 yrs; bad health; bad humor; not wealthy – incurred debts in Paris; he had a bad temper; gambled; fond of women; very generous; fine tastes for arts
- She lodged with Comte Jean in the Rue des Petits-Champs, opposite the Rue des Moulins
- Winter, 1767: She is approached by an unknown individual who proclaims her fir to be ‘Queen of France’
- M. Morand: “tall, thin man, nearly six feet, with a broad flat face, neck like a crane, legs of an ostrich, grey eyes fringed with red, a mouth which opens from ear to ear to show five or six teeth, and a vile nose crammed with snuff. Wears a coat of mulberry velvet, breeches of the same; a waistcoat covered with silver, a sword as long as Charlemagne’s, and shoes laden with large silver buckles, ornamented with paste.”
- M. the Prince de Salm, M. de la Harpe the author, the vicar of the Archbishop of Toulouse, Mademoiselle Guimard of the Opera, M. Morand, and Comte Jean all eat with Madame du Barri.
- M. Lebel: gallant; gay; fervent adorer of the fair sex; intimate friend of M. Morand
- Comte Jean credited it that Madame du Barri was married to one of his several brothers in Languedoc – she was titled Comtesse in December of 1767
- M. Lebel: “man of no particular mark”; “certain air of easy living”; “nothing distinguishing in his manners”; “highest nobility sought his friendship”; “the valet de chambre”
