Madam of Barry

Its life

Jeanne Long-beaked of Cantigny young lady of Vaubernier, was born with Vaucouleurs. She is the natural girl of a monk, Jean-Jacques-Baptist Gromard de Vaubernier, known as Frère Angel, monk of the convent of Picpus to Paris, and Anne Bécu, young lady of Cantigny.

She profits from an excellent education at the ladies of Saint-Maur starting from 1753 thanks to Nicolas Ranson de Montrabé, receiver of Gabelles, that his/her mother married in 1749. She leaves in 1758 and enters from there to the service of a family of farmers general, which enables him to observe the Parisian high society. She is then saleswoman in a shop of mode very in sight with Paris, the Toilet .

The count Jean-Baptiste of Barry, known as Coiled, adventurer of high flight, the remark whereas it is 19 years old. Become its mistress, it makes of it a courtesan of luxury under various names, in particular Miss Lange and Miss de Vaubernier. At the time of a dinner, Jean-Baptiste of Barry speaks in praise of the young woman to a manservant of the King. Louis XV then wishes to meet it in 1768. Jean-Baptiste of Barry and Richelieu had undoubtedly the project to make the mistress of the king of it so that it encourages it to return Choiseul, their old enemy. Thus the king meets one charming young woman whose personality was refined by courses of philosophy, literature, etc with the best Masters.

The old king, Louis XV, struck its beauty, falls under its charm to the first meeting. He insists that it has a title. She is then married to give him a row to the Court, to the count Guillaume of Barry which lives in the Hôtel of Barry, to Toulouse, and is the obliging brother of Jean-Baptiste, who is already married to him with Miss Dalmas de Vernongrese. September 1st 1768, it thus becomes countess of Barry, titrates that it used already illegally. She can thus be officially submitted to the Court in April 1769.

If Jeanne of Barry brightens the directions of the old monarch, unlike Pompadour, it will not seek to play of political role. She profits from a mirific Rente and receives sumptuous jewels and fields (Louveciennes, close to Marly-the-King, and Saint-Vrain). She endeavors to be pleasant with all, and Voltaire to which she sent two kisses by the post office, sends to him this famous quatrain by return of mail:

What, two kisses on the end of the lifetime!

Quel passport you condescend to send to me!

Two, it is too of one, adorable Égérie,

I will have died of pleasure to the first.

However, Choiseul frankly posts its hostility with respect to the favorite news. It lets diffuse (it holds the Surintendance of the stations) or about it causes songs grivoises and even Libelle S pornographic ( the Training of a girl of modes, or the Apotheosis of the king Pétaud ). It approaches the devout party then. But Choiseul appears untouchable. It is him which concluded the marriage from the new dolphin Louis and of Marie-Antoinette. The latter dedicates a major hatred to him since she knows the nature of her relation with the king (1770). In 1771, at the top of its favor, Jeanne obtains the reference of Choiseul and the fact of replacing by the duke of Pivot, which increases the feeling of hatred of Marie-Antoinette in her connection. She receives also the honor to organize the marriage of the count de Provence with the princess of Savoy.

When the king understands that it is reached small Vérole, it sends Jeanne to the abbey of Bridge-with-Ladies, where she lives in a great piety. It leaves later two years, in October 1776 and settles from there definitively in its castle of Louveciennes. It carries out a peaceful, and almost marital life to it since it will have two long connections sincerely in love. In 1789, it looks after indifferently wounded republicans and royalists at the time of the first disorders of the Revolution. On this occasion, it will receive a letter of its enemy old woman Marie-Antoinette, thanking it for having looked after royalist partisans. Its past makes it suspect to the eyes of the republicans, but it approves the political changes publicly without it being known if it is sincere and it is hardly worried. However, at the time of its stay in London, learning death from Louis XVI, it will carry mourning, fact which does not fail to be raised by the republican spies.

In 1791, one flies to him of the jewels. Without probably realizing of the danger that makes him run, it leaves no stone unturned to find them, ordering the opening of an investigation, promising rewards, and spreading out thus imprudently its immense fortune. One finds his jewels in London and it makes several voyages in this city considered to lodge aristocrats fleeing the Revolution. Its fortune, its bonds supposed with the emigrants, his old condition of royal mistress make of it a perfect target for the revolutionists. It quickly becomes suspect, is declared enemy Revolution after a long lawsuit predetermined, and guillotinée the December 8th 1793 after having, in the hope to obtain its grace, revealed to the torturer where its last jewels were hidden. Its last words with the torturer were “Of grace, Mister the torturer, still a small moment. ”

Anecdotes

The nickname of Mrs. of Barry for her royal lover was “France”. It is told that one day, the king, who did not scorn to prepare on the occasion his coffee itself, let it one day “fly away”, attracting itself this apostrophe of Mrs. of Barry: “He, France! Your coffee fout the camp! ”

Another day, after having lost a large amount of money to the plays, one will allot this swearword to him which suits him like a glove: “I am fried! ”, and with a court gentleman to answer him “You must know each other Madam there. ”

Marie-Antoinette, who hardly appreciated it, will write with her mother Marie-Therese of Austria: “It is most stupid and impertinent creature which is conceivable”. Later, having received the council of its mother to be a little more flexible with Madam of Barry, it will launch end of the lips by crossing the favorite one: “There is well world today in Versailles”.

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