Memoirs of the Comtesse du Barry | Page 3

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Memoirs of the Comtesse du Barry With Minute Details of Her Entire
Career as Favorite of Louis XV
"Written by Herself"
by Baron Etienne Leon Lamothe-Langon

with a special introduction by Robert Arnot, M.A.

Gutenberg Editor’s note: This delightful (piquant, the comtesse would
say) pseudonymous work was in fact written not "by herself" but by
Baron Etienne Leon Lamothe-Langon (1786-1864). The persona
created is that of a woman who always tells the truth as she sees it, but
it is made clear to the reader that what the narrator sees is very seldom
exactly the objective truth. The author ends as well as begins medias res> (in the middle of the action), thus creating an illusion of a
slice of a journal but simultaneously giving the reader the uneasy
feeling that the first and last chapters seem to be missing.
The French-style quotation marks have, for ease in typesetting and use,
been changed to American-style quotation marks, and the dot after the

name of Louis XV has been removed to conform to American
punctuation. Italics are indicated by placing <> around the word or
phrase italicized. Captions of illustrations are omitted because the
illustrations themselves cannot be inserted. A few minor editing errors
have been silently corrected. No other changes have been made; the
irregularity in italicizing or not italicizing, in translating or not
translating French words, and in punctuating quotations of letters, is in
the text itself.
Notes are identified as coming from author, tr. (translator), editor, or
Gutenberg editor.
TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER I
Letter from Lebel--Visit from Lebel--Nothing conclusive--Another
visit from Lebel--Invitation to sup with the king--Instructions of the
comte Jean to the comtesse

CHAPTER II
A slight preface--Arrival at Versailles--<"La toilette">--Portrait of the
king--The duc de Richelieu--The marquis de Chauvelin--The duc de la
Vauguyon-Supper with the king--The first night--The following
day--The curiosity of comte Jean--Presents from the king--How
disposed of

CHAPTER III
The