A libelle about Marie-Antoinette and the king’s brother (1789)

The 1789 libelle titled L’Autrichienne en Goguettes ou l’Orgie Royale (translated as ‘The Austrian Bitch and her Friends in the Royal Orgy’) focuses on Marie Antoinette. It implies that the Count of Artois (the king’s brother) is both her lover and the father of her children.

Characters:
Louis XVI
The Queen
The Count of Artois
The Duchess of Polignac
Bodyguards

The action takes place in the apartments.

Guard: To arms, there comes Her Majesty.

Another guard: There will be an orgy tonight. The female Ganimede is with the Queen.

Another guard: Artois, the beloved one, there he is between vice and virtue. Guess who the vice is.

Guard: You do not need to guess. I can only see that this God is multiplying.

Scene II

The Queen (to Madame de Polignac, who steps aside to let the Queen go): Come, come in my good friend.

The Count of Artois, slightly pushing the Queen and pinching her buttocks: Come in too. What a nice bottom! So firm!

The Queen (whispering): If my heart was as hard, wouldn’t we be good together?

The Count of Artois: Be quiet you crazy woman, or else my brother will have another son tonight.

The Queen: Oh no! Let’s have some pleasure, but no more fruits.

The Count of Artois: All right. I will be careful, if I can.

Madame de Polignac: Where is the King?

The Queen: What do you worry about? Soon he will be here to annoy us.”