The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody (Nonpareil Books) by Will Cuppy

Author:Will Cuppy [Cuppy, Will]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781567924732
Publisher: David R. Godine, Publisher
Published: 1998-01-06T06:00:00+00:00

MADAME DU BARRY

JEANNE DU BARRY was a dear friend of Louis XV for about six years, from 1768 until his death in 1774. At first glance this would seem to be nobody’s business, except possibly Jeanne’s and Louis’s, yet it is part of history and should be written up every so often to show how foolish people were in those days. They believed we were put here to have a good time.

Jeanne was the daughter of Anne Bécu, a seamstress of considerable industry and skill.1 Anyhow, she owned a couple of fur coats. In the way of business she met one Jean-Baptiste Gomard, who proved to be like all the men, and little Jeanne was born on August 19, 1743. This made the baby a Leo character with a mere touch of Virgo.

As a young girl Jeanne was no loafer. She tried several jobs as companion or domestic but had trouble in holding them. She was always getting thrown out on her ear by the lady of the house. Since she was poor, she had never been taught to behave properly, the way the upper classes behave.2 And we really shouldn’t blame her for having ash-blonde curls, enormous blue eyes, and a perfect disposition.

Sometimes the going was rather lively. When she was fifteen, a young hairdresser spent so much time teaching her the tricks of the trade that his mother raised a row, calling Jeanne’s mother some dreadful names. Anne Bécu took the woman to court on a charge of slander, and the judge advised her to drop it. Police records do not support the story that Jeanne also worked for Madame Gourdan, the worst old lady in Paris. The fellow who started it after Jeanne had become a success said he had seen her at Madame Gourdan’s with his own eyes. By the way, what was he doing there?

At seventeen Jeanne was employed at the Maison Labille, a millinery shop frequented by gay young blades and oglers of all ages.3 One of her acquaintances at this period was Monsieur Duval, a clerk in the Marine,4 whom she soon threw over for Monsieur Radix de Sainte-Foix, treasurer of the Marine.5 Thenceforth Jeanne’s deeper infatuations always seemed to concern gentlemen of a certain age and standing in the financial world. Older men say such interesting things, and Jeanne was always a good listener. Anything you said was news to her.

She also met at this time the bogus Comte Jean du Barry, a roué who ran a gambling house for noblemen and wealthy citizens. I am afraid Jeanne moved into this establishment and stayed there several years. Even her detractors agree, however, that she was only a friend to the count, as he was not in the best of health, anyway. Among other things, he suffered from inflammation of the eyes and for this complaint generally wore two baked apples on the top of his head, holding them in place with his hat. I never heard how the treatment turned out.

Du Barry

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