CHAPTER XXI.
The King visits Cherbourg .-- Rarity of Royal Journeys .-- The Princess Christine visits the Queen--Hostility of the Duc d'Orleans to the Queen .-- Libels on her .-- She is called Madame Deficit .-- She has a Second Daughter, who dies .-- Ill Health of the Dauphin .-- Unskillfulness and Extravagance of Calonne's System of Finance .-- Distress of the Kingdom .-- He assembles the Notables .-- They oppose his Plans .-- Letters of Marie Antoinette on the Subject .-- Her Ideas of the English Parliament .-- Dismissal of Calonne .-- Character of Archbishop Lomenie de Brienne .-- Obstinacy of Necker .-- The Archbishop is appointed Minister .-- The Distress increases .-- The Notables are dissolved .-- Violent Opposition of the Parliament--Resemblance of the French Revolution to the English Rebellion of 1642 .-- Arrest of d'Espremesnil and Montsabert.
It was owing to Marie Antoinette's influence that Louis himself in the following year began to enter on a line of conduct which, if circumstances had not prevented him from persevering in it, might have tended, more perhaps than any thing else that he could have done, to make him also popular with the main body of the people.

The emperor, while at Versailles, had strongly pressed upon him that it was his duty, as king of the nation, to make himself personally acquainted with every part of his kingdom, to visit the agricultural districts, the manufacturing towns, the fortresses, arsenals, and harbors of the country.

Joseph himself had practiced what he preached.

No corner of his dominions was unknown to him; and it is plain that there can be no nation which must not be benefited by its sovereign thus obtaining a personal knowledge of all the various interests and resources of his subjects.

But such personal investigations were not yet understood to be a part of a monarch's duties.