Robert Darnton
An Early Information Society
[Page 8]
Figure 3: A schematic model of a communication circuit. From Robert Darnton, The Forbidden Best-Sellers of Pre-Revolutionary France (New York, 1995), 189.
public about her dominance of the king. It is dated March 20, 1773: "There is a report, carefully spread about by some courtiers, which proves that Mme. du Barry has not lost any favor or familiarity with the king, as some had suspected. His Majesty likes to brew his own coffee and, by means of this innocent amusement, to get some relief from the heavy burdens of government. A few days ago, the coffeepot began to boil over while His Majesty was distracted by something else. 'Hey France!' called out the beautiful favorite. 'Look out! Your coffee's buggering off.' [La France, ton café fout le camp.] We are told that 'France' is the familiar expression utilized by this lady in the intimacy of the king's private chambers [petits apartements]. Such details should never circulate outside of them, but they escape, nonetheless, thanks to the malignity of the courtiers."12
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