tle princes of the royal
family was confined to the children or grandchildren of the reigning
sovereign. His nephews and cousins were only princes of the blood.

CHAPTER III.

[1] The word is Maria Teresa's own; "anti-francais" occurring in more than
one of her letters.

[2] Quoted by Mme. du Deffand in a letter to Walpole, dated May 19th, 1770
("Correspondance complete de Mme. du Deffand," ii., p.59).

[3] Mercy to Marie-Therese, August 4th, 1770; "Correspondance secrete
entre Marie-Therese et la Comte de Mercy Argenteau, avec des Lettres de
Marie-Therese et Marie Antoinette," par M. le Chevalier Alfred d'Arneth,
i., p. 29. For the sake of brevity, this Collection will be hereafter
referred to as "Arneth."

[4] "The King of France is both hated and despised, which seldom happens
to the same man."--LORD CHESTERFIELD, _Letter to Mr. Dayrolles_, dated May
19th, 1752.

[5] Maria Teresa died in December, 1780.

[6] Mme. du Deffand, letter of May 19th, 1770.

[7] Chambier, i., p. 60.

[8] Mme. de Campan, i., p. 3.

[9] He told Mercy she was "'vive et un peu enfant, mais," ajouta-t-il,
"cela est bien de son age.'"--ARNETH, i., p. 11.

[10] Arneth, i., p.9-16

CHAPTER IV.

[1] Dates 9th and 12th., Arneth, i., pp. 16, 18.

[2] Marly was a palace belonging to the king, but little inferior in
splendor to Versailles itself, and a favorite residence of Louis XV.,
because a less strict etiquette had been established there. Choisy and
Bellevue, which will often be mentioned in the course of this narrative,
were two others of the royal palaces on a somewhat smaller scale. They
have both been destroyed. Marly, Choisy, and Bellevue were all between
Versailles and Paris.

[3] Mem. de Goncourt, quoting a MS. diary of Hardy, p. 35.

[4] De Vermond, who had accompanied her from Vienna as her reader.

[5] See St. Simon's account of Dangeau, i., p. 392.

[6] The Duc de Noailles, brother-in-law of the countess, "l'homme de
France qui a peut-etre le plus d'esprit et qui connait le mieux son
souverain et la cour," told Mercy in August that "jugeant d'apres son
experience et d'apres les qualites qu'il voyait dans cette princesse, il
etait persuade qu'elle gouvernerait un jour l'esprit du roi."--ARNETH, i.,
p. 34.

[7] La petite rousse.

[8] "De monter a cheval gate le teint, et votre taille a la longue s'en
ressentira."--_Marie-Therese a Marie-Antoinette_, Arneth, i., p. 104.

[9] "On fit chercher partout des anes