She asked for nourishment, and ate
with some relish the wing of a fowl that was brought to her. After
that she made her toilet--the toilet of death!
At the request of the queen, the wife of the turnkey gave her one of
her own chemises, and Marie Antoinette put it on. Then she arrayed
herself in the same garments which she had worn at her trial, with
this single change--that over the black woollen dress, which she had
often mended with her own hand, she now wore a cloak of white pique,
Around her neck she tied a simple kerchief of white muslin, and as
she would not be allowed to ascend the scaffold with uncovered head,
she put on a plain linen cap, such as was in general use among the
people. Black stockings covered her feet, and over these were shoes
of black woollen stuff.
Her toilet was at last ended; she was done with all earthly things!
Ready to meet her death, she lay down on her bed and slept.
She was still sleeping when it was announced to her that a priest
was there, ready to meet her, if she wanted to confess. But Marie
Antoinette had already unveiled her heart before God: she wanted
none of those priests of reason whom the republic had appointed
after it had banished or guillotined the priests of the Church.
"As I am not mistress of my own will," she had written to her sister
Elizabeth, "I shall have to submit if a priest is brought to me; but
I solemnly declare that I will not speak a word to him, and that I
shall treat him as a person with whom I wish to have no relations.
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