[80] “It would be necessary,” says the Prince de Ligne, “to prevent the ladies at Court from harming the Government by intrigues in love, in politics, and in society; and also advisable to attract the great lords by all sorts of amusements and distinctions. It would then be possible to retain in the kingdom all the money which the pettiest noble, as soon as he has cut his mustachios and left off his long respectable coat, thinks necessary to carry off to Paris, and spend with women, tailors, hotels, and hairdressers, and in gambling and paying off the police, with whom he is always getting into trouble.” Unfortunately the King himself set the example of thus abandoning the ancient Polish customs in favour of the French.
[81] See the Memoirs of Lauzun, whose authenticity, however, one can by no means be certain of.
[82] The King’s eldest sister, Louise Poniatowska, married Count J. J. Michel Zamoiski, by whom she had one daughter, Ursule Zamoiska. Madame Geoffrin wrote as follows to King Stanislaus on 25th March 1776:—“Society at Warsaw is more brilliant than ever—at least I hear of a great many marriages. Your niece, Mademoiselle Ursule Zamoiska, is marrying a Count Potocki, brother-in-law of a Countess Potocka who is here.”
[83] La Feinte par Amour, The Counterfeit of Love, comedy in three acts and verse by Dorat, played for the first time on 13th July 1773.
[84] Ursule Zamoiska, Count Potocki’s first wife.
[85] Comte Auguste de la Marck, second son of the Duchesse d’Aremberg. A friend of Mirabeau, he played an interesting part in the commencement of the Revolution.
[86] The great Polish ladies were always accompanied by some young girl or young married woman, who belonged to the lesser and poorer nobility; their position was that of a companion or even head lady’s-maid.
[87] Hélène’s notes, many of which were insignificant, were docketed and carefully kept by the Count.
[88] Madame Jean Potocka, the Count’s niece.
[89] We have found this letter amongst the Count’s papers. Hélène probably forwarded it before she determined to join him.