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Ch. 16: The Duchess of Burgundy, Pt. 1 · Women of Versailles: The Court of Louis XIV

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Section twenty one of Women of Versailles. The Court of Louis the fourteenth by
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our tour Leon Ambert de Saint Ammo, translated by Elizabeth Gilbert Martin. This
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librovox recording is in the public domain. Read by Pamela and Agami. Chapter
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sixteen, The Duchess of Burgundy, Part one. The court was all agog
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because a little girl of eleven years had just arrived in France. This child
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was Maria a Delide, future Duchess of Burgundy, daughter of Victor Amadeus,
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the second Duke of Savoy. On Sunday, November fourth, sixteen ninety six,
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the town of Montargi was all fete. The bells were ringing with all
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their might. Louis the fourteenth, leaving Fontainebleau in the morning, had come
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to meet the young princess destined to his spouse's grandson, and all eyes were
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bent on the first interview between her and the son King. He received her
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as she was alighting from the carriage and said to donjo will you allow me
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to fill your post for to day? Donjou with chevalier of honor to the
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princess. The newcomer charmed the king from the first moment. By the distinction
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of her manners, her native prettiness, her little responses full of grace and
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spirit. Louis the fourteenth embraced her in the carriage. She kissed his hand
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several times while ascending the staircase that led to the apartment she was to occupy.
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When the king returned to his chamber, Doanjo took the liberty of asking
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him whether he was contented with the princess. I am too much, so
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I can scarcely contain my joy. Then, turning toward Monsieur, he added,
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how I wish that his poor mother could be here a few moments to
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witness the joy we are having. He wrote afterwards to Madame de Mantineau.
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She let me speak first, and afterwards she answered me very well, but
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with a little embarrassment that would have pleased you. I led her to her
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chamber through the crowd, letting them see her from time to time by bringing
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the torches near her face. She stood this walk and the lights with grace
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and modesty. She has the best grace and the most beautiful shape that I
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ever saw, dressed fit to be painted, and her hair also very bright
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and beautiful eyes with admirable black lashes, complexion very smooth, white and red
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as one could wish, and the great quantity of the finest fair hair that
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one ever saw. She has failed in nothing, and has conducted herself as
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you might have done through her mother. Marie Ada Laide, was the granddaughter
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of that beautiful Henrietta of England, whose life and death have been immortalized by
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Bassuet in her funeral oration. She was about to revive the charm of this
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greatly regretted princess, and her presence at Versailles renewed the joy and animation of
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happier days. She was installed immediately on her arrival in the chamber formerly occupied
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by the Queen and afterwards by the Bavarian Dauphiness. The King made her a
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present of the beautiful Menagerie of Versailles, which is opposite the Trianon Palace.
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Never was a grandfather more tenderly affectionate toward his granddaughter. He took pains to
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contrive amusements and recreations for her. Madame the Princess Palatine wrote November eighth,
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sixteen ninety six, everyone is becoming a child again. The process d'arcour and
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Madame de Pontchartrain played at blind Man's buff day before yesterday with the Princess and
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Monsieur de Dauphin. Monsieur the process de Comte, Madame de Vntardeur, my
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two other ladies and myself played it yesterday naturally. Madame de Mantinan was charged
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with finishing the education of the little Princess. The first time she took her
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to Saint Cyr, she had her received with great ceremony. The superior complimented
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her. The community in long mantles awaited her at the door of the cloister.
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All the pupils were ranged in double lines, through which she passed on
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her way to the church. Little girls of her own age recited a dialogue
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tinctured with delicate praise. The Princess was delighted and asked to come again.
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Afterwards. Madame de Mantinan took her regularly to Saint Cyr, two or three
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times a week, to spend the entire day and follow the lessons of the
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Red class. There was no more etiquette. Marie A de l'aide wore the
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same uniform as the pupils, and was called Mademoiselle de lastique. She was
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good, affable, gracious to everybody, occupying herself with the different affairs of
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the ladies and with all the works and studies of the pupils, subjecting herself
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frankly to all the practices of the house, even to silence, running and
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playing with the reds in the long alleys of the garden, going with them
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to choir, confession and catechism. At other times she put on the habit
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of the ladies and did the honors of the house to some illustrious visitor,
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notably the Queen of England. Readers note Mary of Modina, wife of James
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the Second back to main text. Louis the fourteenth, charmed with the princess,
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decided that she should be married the very day she was twelve years old,
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December seventh, seventeen ninety seven. She espoused Louis of France, Duke
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of Burgundy, who was fifteen and a half years old. The bridegroom wore
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a black mantle embroidered with gold and a white doublet with diamond buttons. The
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mantle was lined with rose satin. The bride had a robe and under petticoat
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of cloth of silver bordered with precious stones, and she wore the crowned diamonds.
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Cardinal de Coislin gave the young couple the nuptial benediction in the Chapel of
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Versailles. After Mass, there was a grand banquet for the royal family in
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the room known as the anti chamber of the Queen's apartment. In the evening,
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the court assembled in the Salon of Peace to witness the fireworks set off
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at the end of the Swiss Lake, and then to take the supper,
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served like the banquet in the anti chamber of the Queen's apartment. After supper,
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they passed on into the sleeping chamber of the Duchess, where there was
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a bed of green velvet embroidered with gold and silver, which was blessed by
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Cardinal to Quaislin. A moment later, the king sent all the men out
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of the room. The Duke of Burgundy disrobed before the ladies, and the
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Queen of England handed him his shirt. As soon as the couple had been
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put to bed, Louis the fourteenth summoned the ambassador of Savoy and showed him
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that they were lying down. The ambassador immediately sent a gentleman to carry this
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news to Victor Amadeus. Nevertheless, this marriage concluded amidst so many splendors,
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was as yet merely for form's sake. Seeing that the pair were so extremely
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youthful, the king would not permit his grandson to kiss even the tip of
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the duchess's finger until they should actually come together. Hence, the young Duke
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rose again at the end of fifteen minutes, dressed himself in the chamber,
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and returned to his own room through the hall of the guards. There was
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a grand ball in the gallery of mirrors December eleventh. The pyramids of candles
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glittered eas even more than the lusters and girandole. Louis the fourteenth had said
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that he would be pleased to have the court display great luxury, and himself,
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though for a long while he had worn none but very simple costumes,
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had put on a superb one. It was who should surpass the others in
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richness and invention. There was hardly silver and gold enough to be had.
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The king, who had encouraged all these expenses, said, notwithstanding that he
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could not understand how husbands could be foolish enough to let themselves be ruined by
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their wives dresses. Two days after the marriage, the Duchess wanted to show
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herself in state dress to her friends at Saint Cyr. She was all in
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white, and her robe was so heavily embroidered with silver that she could hardly
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bear the weight of it. The community received the princess in great pomp and
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conducted her to the church, where hymns were chanted. The separation of the
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young spousest for two years after the ceremony of their marriage, and according to
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Donjou's journal, did not end until toward the close of sixteen ninety nine.
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Until then, the Duke of Burgundy came to see the Duchess every day.
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They were even allowed to chat together, but there were always ladies in the
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room during their interviews. The amiable Princess is now one of the most attractive
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of women. Without her, all would wither at this court, which would
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resemble a magnificent convent. The flowers would be less fair, the fields less
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gay, the dreams less clear. Thanks to her seductive charm, everything revives,
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all lights up under the rays of a vernal sun. She loves Louis
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the fourteenth. Sincerely one cannot approach this exceptional man, for whom the word
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prestige would have to be invented if it did not exist, and who is
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as affectionate, good and affle as he is majestic and imposing. The admiration
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professed for him by the young Princess is sincere grateful and flattered by the kindness
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he shows her. She venerates him as the most glorious representative of divine right.
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And while she venerates, she amuses him. She flings her arms about
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his neck at any time she sits down on his knees. She diverts him
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by every sort of badinage. She looks at his papers, she opens and
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reads his letters. In his presence, a continual succession of pleasure, parties
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and entertainments goes on, followed by a train of women of twenty. The
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Princess loves to sail in a gondola on the Grand Canal of the Park of
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Versailles, and to remain there several hours of the night, sometimes until sunrise.
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Hunt's collations, comedies, serenades, illuminations, sailing parties, fireworks.
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Every day a new diversion is organized. The King wishes that the Duchess of
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Burgundy should please herself in this court, of which she is the ornament and
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the hope. She must smooth out the wrinkles of the monarch, who is
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weary of fame and pleasures. She must be the good genius, the enchantress
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of Versailles. The mirrors of the Great Gallery must reflect her splendid toilets,
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her dazzling ornaments. She must appear in the gardens like an armida, in
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the forests, like a nymph on the water, like a siren. In
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the hall of the Queen's guards. There may be seen at present a full
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length portrait of the Princess. She is standing dressed in a robe of cloth
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of silver, and holds in her left hand a bouquet of orange flowers.
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A woman in polish costume is holding up the train of her lilied mantle.
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In front of her, a cupid is holding a cushion on which flowers are
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lying. At the back of the picture one sees a garden and a pedestal,
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on which is the signature of the painter Santerre seventeen o nine. What
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the artist has done so well with his brush, Sassimon has done still better
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with his pen. The sarcastic Duke and Pierre becomes an enthusiastic admirer a poet
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when he describes the charms of the princess, her eyes the most beautiful and
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speaking in the world, her gallant, gracious, majestic pose of the head,
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her expressive smile, her gait like that of a goddess on the clouds.
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He admires her moral qualities no less, even while finding defects in her.
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It pleases him to recognize that she is sweet, accessible, candid,
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though with due reserve, compassionate, grieved to cause the least sadness, full
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of consideration for all who come near her, gracious to those about her,
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kind to her domestics, friendly to her ladies, and the soul of the
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court which adores her. All is lacking to everyone in her absence, all
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is replenished by her presence. Her extreme kindness makes her infinitely depended on,
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and her manners attach all hearts. Nevertheless, Calumny does not spare her.
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People accuse her in a whisper with certain inconsistencies which Malice brutes about and exaggerates.
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They go so far as to pretend that two lovers Monsieur de mau Levrier
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denies are extremely well treated by her. They wish to discover serious faults in
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what is nothing but the desire to please natural to all pretty women. Madame
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de Queylus says concerning the passion attributed to the Duchess for Monsieur de Nonges,
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I am convinced that this intrigue was carried on by looks, or at most
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by letters. I am persuaded of this for two reasons, one that Madame
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the Dauphiness was too well guarded, and the other that none Gjiess was too
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much in love with another woman who watched him closely, and who has said
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to me that at the times when he was suspected of being with Madame the
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Dauphiness, she was very sure that he was not, because he was with
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her. It was much rather a gallantry than a passion. Surrounded by a
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court of witty, gossiping and often light young women, the Duchess of Burgundy
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must more than once have been attacked by malevolent insinuations and the little perfidies which
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the jealousy inherent in the feminine character allows itself against princesses as well as against
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private persons. The Duchess understood it perfectly, and was moved and afflicted by
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it. Other causes for sadness through their shadows over in existence, apparently so
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fair and joyous. Victor Amadeus had quarreled with France, and the House of
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Savoy was incurring the greatest dangers. The Duchess of Burgundy was obliged to conceal
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her sentiments for her former country in the depths of her heart. But the
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more necessary it was to hide them, the more vivacious they became. What
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a grief to know that her pregnant mother, her infirm grandmother, her sick
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brothers, and the Duke her father were wandering on the Piedmont Road, threatened
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with utter Ruin June twenty first, seventeen o six, she wrote to her
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grandmother, the widow of Charles Emmanuel, Judge, what is my anxiety about
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all that is happening to you? Loving you so tenderly and having all the
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affection possible for my father, my mother, and my brothers, I cannot
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see them in such an unfortunate condition without having tears in my eyes. I
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am in a sadness which no amusement can diminish, and which will not depart.
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My dear grandmother, until your sorrows do send me news of all that
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is dearest to me in the world. End of section twenty one