Memoirs of the Comtesse Du Barry, with intimate details of her entire career as favorite of Louis XV, written by herself (HC, 2 volumes, in poor shape, written in the late 1700s, this edition published in (?) early 1900s, $2 for the pair.)
The Comtesse Du Barry must have been a hoot. You can tell by the way she writes her memoirs. She was born illegitimate, possibly the daughter of a rather randy friar. After being educated in a convent, she worked for short periods at a string of different jobs. Somehow where ever she worked, wives started to worry about their husbands. Discovered by the owner of a casino, she learned high class manners. Sleeping her way through King Louis XV's ministers and courtiers, she was eventually noticed by the king himself. He wanted her to become him official royal mistress, but as a commoner she was ineligible. Not to worry- her casino friend offered up his brother, a count, to be her husband. They were married, she with a false birth certificate, and under a false name. No one seemed to care. The king was ecstatic. She was ecstatic with the king's gifts- some of the most expensive gowns and jewels in the world.
Marie Antoinette, the wife of the king's grandson, hated her. People in the court hated her because they were jealous. The French people hated her because she was costing the country so much money.
After the king died of small pox his grandson became king, and soon the Comtesse was living in a convent. After two years she was given an allowance and permitted to leave the convent, but her freedom would be short lived. She was guillotined in 1793, and there the story ends.
Even so,what a life she'd had! Look for this book on the new non-fiction table. (L. Fr.)
(Note these books are in awful shape. The interiors are not the problem, just the covers that are free standing. But hey, you get 6 items for the low price of $2- 2 front covers, 2 back covers, and 2 interiors!)
