d to increase her unpopularity.

Among her personal friends was the Princesse de Lamballe, whose
influence was preponderant for several years; she was not a
conspicuously wise woman, but one of spotless character. Her
ambitions, personal and for her relatives, often caused much trouble,
for she became the mouthpiece of her allies and her clients, for whom
she "solicited recommendations with as much pertinacity as if she had
been the most inveterate place hunter on her own account." Her favors
were too much in one direction to suit the queen, for, much attached
to the memory of her husband, the princess naturally sympathized with
the Orleans faction. As superintendent of the household of the queen,
replacing the Comtesse de Noailles, she gave rise to much scandal.
Her salary, through intrigues, had been raised to fifty thousand ecus,
while her privileges were enormous; for instance, no lady of the queen
could execute an order given her without first obtaining the consent
of the superintendent. The displeasure and vexation which this
restriction caused among the court ladies may be imagined; complaints
became so frequent that the queen tired of them, and her affection for
her friend was thus cooled.

She sought other friends, among whom Mme. de Polignac was the favorite
and almost supplanted the Princesse de Lamballe in the regard of the
queen. To her she presented a large grant of money, the tabouret of
a duchess, the post of governess to the children of France; and her
friends received the appointments of ambassadors, and nominations to
inferior offices. She was not by nature an intriguing woman, but was
soon surrounded by a set of young men and women who made use of
her favor and took advantage of her influence; the result was the
formation of a regular Polignac set, almost all questionable persons,
but an exclusive circle, permitting no division of favor, and undoing
all who endeavored to rival them. This coterie of favorites may
be said to have caused Marie Antoinette as much unpopularity and
contributed as much to her ruin, and even to that of royalty, as did
any other cause originating at court. Mme. de Lamballe was no match
for her rival, so she retired, a move which increased the influence
of Mme. de Polignac, to whose house the whole court flocked. The queen
followed her wherever she went, made her husband duke, and permitted
her to sit in her presence.

By spending so much of her time at the salons of Mme. d