按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
servants； much more numerous than nowadays。〃 Through this mutual and
constant attention the most rustic nobles lose the rust still
encrusting their brethren in Germany or in England。 We find in France
few Squire Western and Barons de Thunder…ten…Troenck； an Alsatian
lady； on seeing at Frankfort the grotesque country squires of
Westphalia； is struck with the contrast。＇82＇ Those of France； even in
distant provinces； have frequented the drawing…rooms of the commandant
and intendant； and have encountered on their visits some of the ladies
from Versailles； hence they always show some familiarity with superior
manners and some knowledge of the changes of fashion and dress。〃 The
most barbarous will descend； with his hat in his hand； to the foot of
his steps to escort his guests； thanking them for the honor they have
done him。 The greatest rustic； when in a woman's presence； dives down
into the depths of his memory for some fragment of chivalric
gallantry。 The poorest and most secluded furbishes up his coat of
royal blue and his cross of St。 Louis that he may； when the occasion
offers； tender his respects to his neighbor； the grand seignior； or to
the prince who is passing by。
Thus is the feudal staff wholly transformed； from the lowest to the
highest grades。 Taking in at one glance its 30 or 40；000 palaces；
mansions； manors and abbeys； what a brilliant and engaging scene
France presents！ She is one vast drawing…room； and I detect only
drawing room company。 Everywhere the rude chieftains once possessing
authority have become the masters of households administering favors。
Their society is that in which； before fully admiring a great general；
the question is asked； 〃is he amiable？〃 Undoubtedly they still wear
swords； and are brave through pride and tradition； and they know how
to die； especially in duels and according to form。 But worldly traits
have hidden the ancient military groundwork； at the end of the
eighteenth century their genius is to be wellbred and their employment
consists in entertaining or in being entertained。
_____________________________________________________________________
Notes：
＇1＇。 〃Mémoires de Laporte〃 （1632）。 〃M。 d'Epernon came to Bordeaux；
where he found His Eminence very ill。 He visited him regularly every
morning； having two hundred guards to accompany him to the door of his
chamber。〃 … 〃Mémoires de Retz。〃 〃We came to the audience； M。 de
Beaufort and myself； with a corps of nobles which might number three
hundred gentlemen； MM。 the princes had with them nearly a thousand
gentlemen。〃 … All the memoirs of the time show on every page that
these escorts were necessary to make or repel sudden attacks。
＇2＇。 Mercier； 〃Tableau de Paris。〃 IX。 3。
＇3＇。 Leroi； 〃Histoire de Versailles；〃 Il。 21。 （70；000 fixed
population and 10；000 floating population according to the registers
of the mayoralty。）
＇4＇。 Warroquier； 〃Etat de la France〃 （1789）。 The list of persons
presented at court between 1779 and 1789； contains 463 men and 414
women。 Vol。 II。 p。 515。
＇5＇。 People were run over almost every day in Paris by the
fashionable vehicles； it being the habit of the great to ride very
fast。
＇6＇。 153；222；827 livres； 10 sous； 3 deniers。 （ 〃Souvenirs d'un page
de la cour de Louis XVI。；〃 by the Count d'Hézecques； p。 142。） … In
1690； before the chapel and the theater were constructed； it had
already cost 100；000；000； （St。 Simon； XII。 514。 Memoirs of Marinier；
clerk of the king's buildings。）
＇7＇。 Museum of Engravings； National Library。 〃Histoire de France
par estampes；〃 passim； and particularly the plans and views of
Versailles； by Aveline； also； 〃the drawing of a collation given by M。
le Prince in the Labyrinth of Chantilly；〃 Aug。 29； 1687。
＇8＇。 Memoirs； I。 221。 He was presented at court February 19； 1787。
＇9＇。 For these details cf。 Warroquier； vol。 I。 passim。 … Archives
imperiales； O1； 710 bis； the king's household； expenditure of 1771。 …
D'Argenson； February 25； 1752。 … In 1772 three millions are expended
on the installation of the Count d'Artois。 A suite of rooms for Mme。
Adelaide cost 800；000 livres。
＇10＇。 Marie Antoinette； 〃Correspondance secréte；〃 by d'Arneth and
Geffroy； III。192。 Letter of Mercy； January 25； 1779。 … Warroquier；
in 1789； mentions only fifteen places in the house…hold of Madame
Royale。 This； along with other indications； shows the inadequacy of
official statements。
＇11＇。 The number ascertainable after the reductions of 1775 and
1776； and before those of 1787。 See Warroquier； vol。 I。 … Necker；
〃Administration des Finances；〃 II。 119。
＇12＇。 〃La Maison du Roi en 1786；〃 colored engravings in the Museum
of Engravings。
＇13＇。 Arcchives nationales； O1； 738。 Report by M。 Tessier （1780）；
on the large and small stables。 The queen's stables comprise 75
vehicles and 330 horses。 These are the veritable figures taken from
secret manuscript reports； showing the inadequacy of official
statements。 The Versailles Almanach of 1775； for instance； states that
there were only 335 men in the stables while we see that in reality
the number was four or five times as many。 … 〃Previous to all the
reforms； says a witness； I believe that the number of the king's
horses amounted to 3；000。〃 （D'Hézecques； 〃Souvenirs d'un page de Louis
XVI。；〃 p。 121。
＇14＇。 La Maison du Roi justifiée par un soldat citoyen；〃 （1786）
according to Statements published by the government。 … 〃La future
maison du roi〃 （1790）。 〃The two stables cost in 1786； the larger one
4；207；606 livres； and the smaller 3；509；402 livres； a total of
7；717；058 livres； of which 486；546 were for the purchase of horses。
＇15＇。 On my arrival at Versailles （1786）； there were 150 pages； not
including those of the princes of the blood who lived at Paris。 A
page's coat cost 1；500 livres； （crimson velvet embroidered with gold
on all the seams； and a hat with feather and Spanish point lace。）〃
D'Hézecques； ibid。； 112。
＇16＇。 Archives nationales； O1； 778。 Memorandum on the hunting…train
between 1760 and 1792 and especially the report of 1786。
＇17＇。 Mercier； 〃Tableau de Paris；〃 vol。 I。 p。 11； vol。 V。 p。 62。 …
D'Hézecques； ibid。 253。 … 〃Journal de Louis XVI；〃 published by
Nicolardot； passim。
＇18＇。 Warroquier； vol。 I。 passim。 Household of the Queen： for the
chapel 22 persons； the faculty 6。 That of Monsieur； the chapel 22；
the faculty 21。 That of Madame； the chapel 20； the faculty 9。 That of
the Comte d'Artois； the chapel 20； the faculty 28。 That of the
Comtesse d'Artois； the chapel 19； the faculty 17。 That of the Duc
d'Orléans； the chapel 6； the faculty 19。
＇19＇。 Archives national； O1； Report by M。 Mesnard de Choisy；
（March； 1780）。 … They cause a reform （August 17； 1780）。 … 〃La Maison
du roi justifiée〃 （1789）； p。 24。 In 1788 the expenses of the table are
reduced to 2；870；999 livres； of which 600；000