FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   2393   2394   2395   2396   2397   2398   2399   2400   2401   2402   2403   2404   2405   2406   2407   2408   2409   2410   2411   2412   2413   2414   2415   2416   2417  
2418   2419   2420   2421   2422   2423   2424   2425   2426   2427   2428   2429   2430   2431   2432   2433   2434   2435   2436   2437   2438   2439   2440   2441   2442   >>   >|  
nument, and recollect the following inscription "TO MARIE ANTOINETTE." "Lovely and good, to tender pity true, Queen of a virtuous King, this trophy view; Cold ice and snow sustain its fragile form, But ev'ry grateful heart to thee is warm. Oh, may this tribute in your hearts excite, Illustrious pair, more pure and real delight, Whilst thus your virtues are sincerely prais'd, Than pompous domes by servile flatt'ry rais'd." The theatres generally rang with praises of the beneficence of the sovereigns: "La Partie de Chasse de Henri IV." was represented for the benefit of the poor. The receipts were very considerable. When the fruitless measure of the Assembly of the Notables, and the rebellious spirit in the parliaments, [The Assembly of the Notables, as may be seen in "Weber's Memoirs," vol. i., overthrew the plans and caused the downfall of M. de Calonne. A prince of the blood presided over each of the meetings of that assembly. Monsieur, afterwards Louis XVIII., presided over the first meeting. "Monsieur," says a contemporary, "gained great reputation at the Assembly of the Notables in 1787. He did not miss attending his meeting a single day, and he displayed truly patriotic virtues. His care in discussing the weighty matters of administration, in throwing light upon them, and in defending the interests and the cause of the people, was such as even to inspire the King with some degree of jealousy. Monsieur openly said that a respectful resistance to the orders of the monarch was not blamable, and that authority might be met by argument, and forced to receive information without any offence whatever."--NOTE BY THE EDITOR.] had created the necessity for States General, it was long discussed in council whether they should be assembled at Versailles or at forty or sixty leagues from the capital; the Queen was for the latter course, and insisted to the King that they ought to be far away from the immense population of Paris. She feared that the people would influence the deliberations of the deputies; several memorials were presented to the King upon that question; but M. Necker prevailed, and Versailles was the place fixed upon. The day on which the King announced that he gave his consent to the convocation of the States General, the Queen left the public dinner, and placed herself in the recess of the first window of her bedchamber, with her face towards the garden. Her chief butler followed h
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   2393   2394   2395   2396   2397   2398   2399   2400   2401   2402   2403   2404   2405   2406   2407   2408   2409   2410   2411   2412   2413   2414   2415   2416   2417  
2418   2419   2420   2421   2422   2423   2424   2425   2426   2427   2428   2429   2430   2431   2432   2433   2434   2435   2436   2437   2438   2439   2440   2441   2442   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Assembly

 

Notables

 
Monsieur
 

virtues

 

General

 

presided

 

people

 

meeting

 

States

 

Versailles


resistance

 

orders

 

monarch

 

respectful

 

window

 

openly

 
blamable
 

recess

 

authority

 

dinner


offence

 

information

 

receive

 

argument

 
forced
 

jealousy

 

degree

 
throwing
 

butler

 
administration

discussing
 
weighty
 

matters

 

defending

 

bedchamber

 

inspire

 

garden

 
interests
 
public
 

insisted


question

 
capital
 
prevailed
 

leagues

 

Necker

 

influence

 
deliberations
 

deputies

 

feared

 

presented