Conditions and Terms of Use Copyright © Heritage History 2010 Some rights reserved This text was produced and distributed by Heritage History, an organization dedicated to the preservation of classical juvenile history books, and to the promotion of the works of traditional history authors. VERSAILLES The books which Heritage History republishes are in the public domain and are no longer protected by the original copyright. They may Here, in the palace gardens, where the stately fountains therefore be reproduced within the United States without paying a royalty play, to the author. And a quiet sunshine bathes the land in the balm of an The text and pictures used to produce this version of the work, April day, however, are the property of Heritage History and are subject to certain It is pleasant to sit and dream, awhile of the things that restrictions. These restrictions are imposed for the purpose of protecting the have passed away. integrity of the work, for preventing plagiarism, and for helping to assure that compromised versions of the work are not widely disseminated. For if much has changed, there is much remains and half In order to preserve information regarding the origin of this text, a of the trees that grow copyright by the author, and a Heritage History distribution date are included at the foot of every page of text. We require all electronic and Were planted here in the Bourbon days, when a king was printed versions of this text include these markings and that users adhere to a king, you know the following restrictions. And they watched them, all the women and men who walked here long ago; 1. You may reproduce this text for personal or educational purposes as long as the copyright and Heritage History version are included. Duke and Marquis and Abbe, who lounged on the terrace 2. You may not alter this text or try to pass off all or any part of it as your stair, own work. With a stately bow to the wise and great, and a nod to Moliere; 3. You may not distribute copies of this text for commercial purposes. And dainty dames with the tarnished names, and the smiles and the powdered hair. 4. This text is intended to be a faithful and complete copy of the original document. However, typos, omissions, and other errors may have occurred during preparation, and Heritage History does not guarantee a Ah! life was life in the palace then, and the world was a perfectly reliable reproduction. gallant place, With the polished ways and the pungent phrase and the Permission to use Heritage History documents or images for ruffles, and swords, and lace, commercial purposes, or more information about our collection of And sin was hardly a thing to shun when it beckoned with traditional history resources can be obtained by contacting us at [email protected] such a grace. Music and wit and laughter, and pleasure enthroned in Original Copyright 1914 by Alice Birkhead. 2 Distributed by Heritage History 2010 state, To pierce the cloud that has dimmed our eyes, and to see And the gardens bright with a fairy light at many a things as they are. summer fete; And ruin and famine and death and Hell not half a mile For a "sunshine king" is a rosily thing when monarch and from the gate.! man are blind, And somebody reaps the whirlwind when others have Hell, and they couldn't see it! Death, and they only sowed the wind, played! And if death and famine stalk through the land, it isn't For a serf—why a serf was born to serve, and a monarch enough to be kind. to be obeyed; Till the tumbrels came and the guillotine: but at least they King and Queen, who were boy and girl, long since, ere were not afraid. the die was cast, Was it all a riddle too hard to solve? Poor souls! You have Shadows among the shadows, they flit through the wept and passed, checkered ways, And after the din and the strife and sin there is peace, we And the long, straight walks, where the elm-trees grow, hope, at the last. and the time-worn statues gaze Silent and cold, and grey and old, like the ghosts of And now the Tricolour triumphs where once the Lilies forgotten days. reigned; Its red is red with a sea of blood, and the white—ah! the Kindly, blundering Louis, and beautiful Antoinette, white is stained, With the royal face, and the human heart, and the tears— But a giant lie has been swept away, and France and the could we but forget! world have gained. Down there is the little Trianon; perhaps we shall see her yet Poor girl-queen! It's hard to be great; and you tried, and we can but try: But what you took for the Truth and France was only a painted lie: Did you know it at last, and understand, when the time had come to die? Nay, I trust you did: for if Truth brings pain, I hold it is better far, Were it only once, for a moment's space, like the flash of a falling star, Original Copyright 1914 by Alice Birkhead. 3 Distributed by Heritage History 2010 TABLE OF CONTENTS A LILY FOR LILY ................................................................ 5 THE COURT OF VERSAILLES .............................................. 7 LONG LIVE THE KING! ..................................................... 11 THE PLEASURES OF A QUEEN .......................................... 13 THE BURDENS OF A KING ................................................. 16 AMERICA OR AUSTRIA? ................................................... 18 "THE AUSTRIAN" ............................................................. 20 THE DIAMOND NECKLACE ............................................... 24 MADAME DEFICIT ............................................................ 29 LONG LIVE ORLEANS!...................................................... 31 THE CALL TO ARMS ......................................................... 34 "THE KING TO PARIS!" ................................................... 36 IN THE TUILERIES ............................................................. 38 THE MEETING AT SAINT-CLOUD ..................................... 41 THE QUEEN'S RING .......................................................... 43 THE PURSUIT .................................................................... 45 "THE STEEPLES AT MIDNIGHT" ...................................... 47 SEPTEMBER ....................................................................... 49 THE WIDOW OF CAPET .................................................... 51 THE CONCIERGERIE ......................................................... 53 AT THE BAR ...................................................................... 55 THE VICTIM ...................................................................... 57 MARIE ANTOINETTE. Original Copyright 1914 by Alice Birkhead. 4 Distributed by Heritage History 2010 CHAPTER I Maria Theresa prized faithfulness the more in that she had once been almost without a friend to defend her from the attacks of enemies in Europe. She was anxious to keep what A LILY FOR LILY she had won, and lent a ready ear to the scheme which would The second of November 1755 was the ill-omened advance the interests of her children. She was troubled birthday of the eighth child of Maria Theresa, Empress of overmuch by affairs of State for her husband had little time to Austria, and Francis I of Lorraine, Emperor of Germany. The spare from his sports and pleasures. Gay Francis preferred to envoys, sent to Portugal to beg sponsors for the royal infant, hunt rather than to arrange for the marriages of his well-loved hurried back with news of terrible disaster. An earthquake had daughters. destroyed Lisbon and no less than one-third of the total Elizabeth, the third daughter of the Empress, was population. Horror at such a catastrophe cast a deep gloom originally intended to be the lily offered France by Austria. over Europe, and especially saddened the allies of the House Louis XV's first wife was dead, and he liked youth and beauty. of Bourbon. It was the fate of Marie Antoinette Josephe- Smallpox, then a scourge even of courts, ruined the prospects Jeanne de Lorraine, to give her name its French form—to open of Elizabeth. She was too faded when she rose from her sick- her eyes upon a world which was shocked by a calamity that bed to win the favour of the French King. A certain party at no man could have foreseen. Versailles rejoiced over her misfortune, for they did not think The Empress, having daughters in plenty, had wished it desirable that Louis XV should remarry. for a son to fulfil her hope of an alliance with the House of Kaunitz was still bent on an alliance with France, and Bourbon. It was Kaunitz, her minister, who was able to now decided that Louis' heir should find a wife in Austria. The console her for this disappointment. The glory of his mistress young Marie Antoinette was of a suitable age and must be was dear to him, and he 14) ?> meant to combine the two great trained with a view to this high destiny. Catholic powers of France and Austria against the enemies of the spirited woman-ruler. Maria Theresa had found herself in Louis XV was indifferent to the wonderful tales that grave peril as soon as her father died, despite that father's were duly brought to the French court to win favour there for efforts to secure her wide possessions. the merry Archduchess, still engaged in the pastimes of a tomboy. He yawned when the ambassador waxed eloquent on "To win a lily we must give a lily," Kaunitz said, and Marie Antoinette's fine nature, her generosity and her quick began to unfold a plan which destined the slumbering infant desire to relieve the wants of poor children. He was not much for a seat on the throne of France. Maria Theresa listened, interested, truth to tell, in that most moving narrative of her trusting her minister though he vexed her by a thousand kindness to Mozart, the boy-musician. He roused himself foibles. when her beauty was described, and even asked to have her No breath of air must enter the room where they held picture. When the saw it, he wondered cynically that they these royal conclaves, and every window had to be shut as should intrigue to gain for so fair a thing a seat on the throne soon as Kaunitz' carriage drove up to the palace.