large/12344/historyoffrance_1807_librivox_64kb_mp3/historyoffrance_07_yonge_64kb_73
large/12344/historyoffrance_1807_librivox_64kb_mp3/historyoffrance_07_yonge_64kb
English
12344
Necker, a Swiss banker, was invited to take the charge of the finances, and large loans were made to Government, for which he contrived to pay interest regularly; some reduction was made in the expenditure; but the king's old minister, Maurepas, grew jealous of his popularity, and obtained his dismissal. NECKER A SWISS BANKER WAS INVITED TO TAKE THE CHARGE OF THE FINANCES AND LARGE LOANS WERE MADE TO THE GOVERNMENT FOR WHICH HE CONTRIVED TO PAY INTEREST REGULARLY SOME REDUCTION WAS MADE IN THE EXPENDITURE BUT THE KING'S OLD MINISTER MOPPA GREW JEALOUS OF HIS POPULARITY AND OBTAINED HIS DISMISSAL
frightful outbreak of the pent-up masses below. His queen, Marie Antoinette, was hated for being of Austrian birth, and, though a spotless and noble woman, her most trivial actions gave occasion to calumnies founded on the crimes of the last generation. Unfortunately, the king, though an honest and well-intentioned man, was totally unfit to guide a country through a dangerous crisis. His courage was passive, his manners were heavy, dull, and shy, and, though steadily industrious, he was slow of comprehension and unready in action; and reformation was the more difficult because to abolish the useless court offices would have been utter starvation to many of their holders, who had nothing but their pensions to live upon. Yet there was a general passion for reform; all ranks alike looked to some change to free them from the dead-lock which made improvement impossible. The Government was bankrupt, while the taxes were intolerable, and the first years of the reign were spent in experiments.  DEDLOCK ABOVE WITHOUT CAUSING A FRIGHTFUL OUTBREAK OF THE PENT UP MASSES BELOW HIS QUEEN MARY ANTOINETTE WAS HATED FOR BEING OF AUSTRIAN BIRTH AND THOUGH A SPOTLESS AND NOBLE WOMAN HER MOST TRIVIAL ACTIONS GAVE OCCASION TO CALUMNIES FOUNDED ON THE CRIMES OF THE LAST GENERATION UNFORTUNATELY THE KING THOUGH AN HONEST AND WELL INTENTIONED MAN WAS TOTALLY UNFIT TO GUARD A COUNTRY THROUGH A DANGEROUS CRISIS HIS COURAGE WAS PASSIVE HIS MANNERS WERE HEAVY DULL AND SHY AND THOUGH STEADILY INDUSTRIOUS HE WAS SLOW OF COMPREHENSION AND UNREADY IN ACTION AND REFORMATION WAS THE MORE DIFFICULT BECAUSE TO ABOLISH THE USELESS COURT OFFICES WOULD HAVE BEEN UTTER STARVATION TO MANY OF THEIR HOLDERS WHO HAD NOTHING BUT THEIR PENSIONS TO LIVE ON YET THERE WAS A GENERAL PASSION FOR REFORM ALL RANKS ALIKE LOOKED TO SOME CHANGE TO FREE THEM FROM THEDLOCK WHICH MADE IMPROVEMENT IMPOSSIBLE THE GOVERNMENT WAS BANKRUPT WHILE THE TAXES WERE INTOLERABLE AND THE FIRST YEARS OF THE REIGN WERE SPENT IN EXPERIMENTS
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