The Ancient Regime Part 11

[Footnote 2133: "Paris, Versailles et les provinces au dix-huitieme siecle," II. 160, 168.--Mercier, "Tableau de Paris," IV. 150.--De Segur, "Memoires," I. 16.]

[Footnote 2134: "Marie Antoinette," by D'Arneth and Geffroy, II. 27, 255, 281. "--Gustave III." by Geffroy, November, 1786, bulletin of Mme. de Stael.--D'Hezecques, ibid.. 231.--Archives nationales, 01, 736, a letter by M. Amelot, September 23, 1780.--De Luynes, XV. 260, 367; XVI. 163 ladies, of which 42 are in service, appear and courtesy to the king.

160 men and more than 100 ladies pay their respects to the Dauphin and Dauphine.]

[Footnote 2135: Cochin. Engravings of a masked ball, of a dress ball, of the king and queen at play, of the interior of the theater (1745).

Customes of Moreau (1777). Mme. de Genlis, "Dictionaire des etiquettes,"

the article parure.]

[Footnote 2136: "The difference between the tone and language of the court and the town was about as perceptible as that between Paris and the provinces." (De Tilly, "Memoires," I. 153.)]

[Footnote 2137: The following is an example of the compulsory inactivity of the n.o.bles--a dinner of Queen Marie Leczinska at Fontainebleau: "I was introduced into a superb hall where I found about a dozen courtiers promenading about and a table set for as many persons, which was nevertheless prepared for but one person. . . . The queen sat own while the twelve courtiers took their positions in a semi-circle ten steps from the table; I stood alongside of them imitating their deferential silence. Her Majesty began to eat very fast, keeping her eyes fixed on the plate. Finding one of the dishes to her taste she returned to it, and then, running her eye around the circle, she said "Monsieur de Lowenthal?"--On hearing this name a fine-looking man advanced, bowing, and replied, "Madame?"--"I find that this ragout is frica.s.se chicken."--"I believe it is' Madame."--On making this answer, in the gravest manner, the marshal, retiring backwards, resumed his position, while the queen finished her dinner, never uttering another word and going back to her room the same way as she came." (Memoirs of Casanova.)]

[Footnote 2138: "Under Louis XVI, who arose at seven or eight o'clock, the lever took place at half-past eleven unless hunting or ceremonies required it earlier." There is the same ceremonial at eleven, again in the evening on retiring, and also during the day, when he changes his boots. (D'Hezecque, 161.)]

[Footnote 2139: Warroquier, I. 94. Compare corresponding detail under Louis XVI in Saint-Simon XIII. 88.]

[Footnote 2140: "Marie Antoinette," by d'Arneth and Geffroy, II. 217.]

[Footnote 2141: In all changes of the coat the left arm of the king is appropriated by the wardrobe and the right arm to the "chambre."]

[Footnote 2142: The queen breakfasts in bed, and "there are ten or twelve persons present at this first reception or entree. . . " The grand receptions taking place at the dressing hour. "This reception comprises the princes of the blood, the captains of the guards and most of the grand-officers." The same ceremony occurs with the chemise as with the king's shirt. One winter day Mme. Campan offers the chemise to the queen, when a lady of honor enters, removes her gloves and takes the chemise in her hands. A movement at the door and the d.u.c.h.ess of Orleans comes in, takes off her gloves, and receives the chemise. Another movement and it is the Comtesse d'Artois whose privilege it is to hand the chemise. Meanwhile the queen sits there shivering with her arms crossed on her breast and muttering, "It is dreadful, what importunity!"

(Mme. Campan, II. 217; III. 309-316).]

[Footnote 2143: "Marie Antoinette," by d'Arneth and Geffroy, II. 223 (August 15, 1774).]

[Footnote 2144: Count D'Hezecques, ibid., p. 7.]

[Footnote 2145: Duc de Lauzun, "Memoires," 51.--Mme. de Genlis, "Memoires," ch. XII.: "Our husbands, regularly on that day (Sat.u.r.day) slept at Versailles, to hunt the next day with the king."]

[Footnote 2146: The State dinner takes place every Sunday.--La nef is a piece of plate at the center of the table containing between scented cushions, the napkins used by the king.--The essai is the tasting of each dish by the gentlemen servants and officers of the table before the king partakes of it. And the same with the beverages.--It requires four persons to serve the king with a gla.s.s of wine and water.]

[Footnote 2147: When the ladies of the king's court, and especially the princesses, pa.s.s before the king's bed they have to make an obeisance; the palace officials salute the nef on pa.s.sing that.--A priest or sacristan does the same thing on pa.s.sing before the altar.]

[Footnote 2148: De Luynes, IX, 75,79, 105. (August, 1748, October 1748).]

[Footnote 2149: The king is at Marly, and here is a list of the excursions he is to make before going to Compiegne. (De Luynes, XIV, 163, May, 1755) "Sunday, June 1st, to Choisy until Monday evening.--Tuesday, the 3rd to Trianon, until Wednesday.--Thursday, the 5th, return to Trianon where he will remain until after supper on Sat.u.r.day.--Monday, the 9th, to Crecy, until Friday, 13th.--Return to Crecy the 16th, until the 21st.--St. July 1st to la Muette, the 2nd, to Compiegne."]

[Footnote 2150: "Marie Antoinette," by d'Arneth and Geffroy, I. 19 (July 12, 1770). I. 265 (January 23, 1771). I. III. (October 18, 1770).]

[Footnote 2151: Marie Antoinette," by d'Arneth and Geffroy, II, 270 (October 18, 1774). II, 395 (November 15, 1775). II, 295 (February 20, 1775). III, 25 (February 11, 1777). III, 119 (October 17, 1777). III, 409 (March 18, 1780).]

[Footnote 2152: Mme. Campan, I. 147.]

[Footnote 2153: Nicolardot, "Journal de Louis XVI," 129.]

[Footnote 2154: D'Hezecques ibid. 253.--Arthur Young, I. 215.]

[Footnote 2155: List of pensions paid to members of the royal family in 1771. Duc d'Orleans, 150,000. Prince de Conde, 100,000. Comte de Clermont, 70,000. Duc de Bourbon, 60,000. Prince de Conti, 60,000.

Comte de la Marche, 60,000. Dowager-Countess de Conti, 50,000. Duc de Penthievre, 50,000. Princess de Lamballe, 50,000. d.u.c.h.ess de Bourbon, 50,000. (Archives Nationales. O1. 710, bis).]

[Footnote 2156: Beugnot, I. 77. Mme. de Genlis, "Memoires," ch. XVII. De Goncourt, "La Femme au dix-huitieme siecle," 52.--Champfort, "Caracteres et Anecdotes."]

[Footnote 2157: De Luynes, XVI. 57 (May, 1757). In the army of Westphalia the Count d'Estrees, commander-in-chief; had twenty-seven secretaries, and Grimm was the twenty-eighth.--When the Duc de Richelieu set out for his government of Guyenne he was obliged to have relays of a hundred horses along the entire road.]

[Footnote 2158: De Luynes, XVI. 186 (October, 1757).]

[Footnote 2159: De Goncourt, ibid., 73, 75.]

[Footnote 2160: Mme. d'Epinay, "Memoires." Ed. Boiteau, I. 306 (1751).]

[Footnote 2161: St. Simon, XII. 457, and Dangeau, VI. 408. The Marshal de Boufflers at the camp of Compiegne (September, 1698) had every night and morning two tables for twenty and twenty-five persons, besides extra tables; 72 cooks, 340 domestics, 400 dozens of napkins, 80 dozens of silver plates, 6 dozens of porcelain plates. Fourteen relays of horses brought fruits and liquors daily from Paris; every day an express brought fish, poultry and game from Ghent, Brussels, Dunkirk, Dieppe and Calais. Fifty dozens bottles of wine were drunk on ordinary days and eighty dozens during the visits of the king and the princes.]

[Footnote 2162: De Luynes, XIV. 149.]

[Footnote 2163: Abbe Georgel, "Memoires," 216.]

[Footnote 2164: Sainte-Beuve, "Causeries du lundi," VIII. 63, the texts of two witnesses, MM. de Genlis and Roland.]

[Footnote 2165: De Luynes, XV. 455, and XVI. 219 (1757). "The Marshal de Belle-Isle contracted an indebtedness amounting to 1,200,000 livres, one-quarter of it for building great piles of houses for his own pleasure and the rest in the king's service. The king, to indemnify him, gives him 400,000 livres on the salt revenue, and 80,000 livres income on the company privileged to refine the precious metals."]

[Footnote 2166: Report of fixed incomes and expenditures, May 1st, 1789, p. 633.--These figures, it must be noted, must be doubled to have their actual equivalent.]

[Footnote 2167: Mme. de Genlis, "Dict. des Etiquettes," I. 349.]

[Footnote 2168: Barbier, "Journal," III, 211 (December, 1750).]

[Footnote 2169: Aubertin, "L'Esprit public au dix-huitieme siecle," 255.]

[Footnote 2170: Mme. de Genlis, "Adele et Theodore." III. 54.]

[Footnote 2171: Duc de Levis, 68. The same thing is found, previous to the late reform, in the English army.--Cf. Voltaire, "Entretiens entre A, B, C," 15th entretien. "A regiment is not the reward for services but rather for the sum which the parents of a young man advance in order that he may go to the provinces for three months in the year and keep open house."]

[Footnote 2172: Beugnot, I. 79.]

[Footnote 2173: Merlin de Thionville, "Vie et correspondances." Account of his visit to the chartreuse of Val St. Pierre in Thierarche.]

[Footnote 2174: Mme. de Genlis, "Memoires," ch. 7.]

[Footnote 2175: Mme. d'Oberkirk, I. 15.]

[Footnote 2176: Mme. de Genlis, 26, ch. I. Mme. d'Oberkirk, I. 62.]

[Footnote 2177: De Lauzun, "Memoires," 257.]

[Footnote 2178: Marquis de Valfons, "Memoires," 60.--De Levis, 156.--Mme.

d'Oberkirk, I, 127, II, 360.]

[Footnote 2179: Beugnot, I, 71.--Hippeau, "Le Gouvernement de Normandie,"