as to seek the
company of my own countrymen. In 1789 and 1790 Rome was full of French
refugees, whom I knew for the greater part, and with whom I soon made
friends. We saw the Princess Joseph de Monaco and the Duchess de
Fleury arrive, and a host of other notabilities. The Princess Joseph
de Monaco had a charming face, and was very sweet and charming.
Unfortunately for her, she did not stay in Rome. She returned to Paris
to attend to the small amount of property remaining to her children,
and she was there during the Terror. Thrown into prison and condemned
to death, she was taken to the scaffold.

The arrival at Rome of so many people bringing so much news made me
undergo different emotions every day. Often they were very sad, but
sometimes very sweet. I was told, for instance, that a little while
after my departure, when the King was begged to have his picture
painted, he had replied: "No, I shall wait for Mme. Lebrun to come
back, so that she may make a portrait of me to match the Queen's. I
want her to paint me at full figure, in the act of commanding M. de la
Perouse to make a journey round the world."

CHAPTER V

NEAPOLITAN DAYS

NAPLES -- A SLEEPY AMBASSADRESS -- THE REMARKABLE LIFE OF LADY
HAMILTON -- BEING THE STORY OF A FRIVOLOUS FLIRT FOND OF BEER --
MORE ROYAL MODELS -- EXCURSIONS TO POSILIPPO -- MLLE. LEBRUN
WRITES A NOVEL AT THE AGE OF NINE -- THE QUEEN OF NAPLES SITS TO
THE AUTHORESS -- THE WEDDING OF THE DOGE OF VENICE WITH THE SEA.

I had been in Rome eight months or thereabouts, when, observing that
all foreigners were leaving for Naples, I was seized with a great
desire to go there likewise. I confided my plan to the Cardinal de
Bernis, who, while approving, advised me not to go alone. He spoke to
me of a M. Duvivier, the husband of Voltaire's niece, Mme. Denis, who
proposed to make the journey, and who would be charmed with my
company. M. Duvivier came to me, repeating everything that the
Cardinal had said, and promising to take care of my daughter and
myself. He added, thus tempting me the more, that he had in his
carriage a sort of stove, for cooking fowl, which would be very useful
to us, seeing how bad the fare was in the best inns of Terracina. All
his offers suited me to a marvel, and so I started with this
gentleman. His coach was very large; my daughter and her governess sat
in front, and there was another seat in the middle. A huge man-servant
sat on i