FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   >>  
is hand to every one present; and his happiness carried away his habitual reserve. Cheerful and affable, he was incessantly taking occasion to introduce the words, "my son," or "the Dauphin." As soon as the Queen was in bed, she wished to see the long-looked-for infant. The Princesse de Guemenee brought him to her. The Queen said there was no need for commending him to the Princess, but in order to enable her to attend to him more freely, she would herself share the care of the education of her daughter. When the Dauphin was settled in his apartment, he received the customary homages and visits. The Duc d'Angouleme, meeting his father at the entrance of the Dauphin's apartment, said to him, "Oh, papa! how little my cousin is!"--"The day will come when you will think him great enough, my dear," answered the Prince, almost involuntarily.--[Eldest son of the Comte d'Artois, and till the birth of the Dauphin with near prospects of the succession.] The birth of the Dauphin appeared to give joy to all classes. Men stopped one another in the streets, spoke without being acquainted, and those who were acquainted embraced each other. In the birth of a legitimate heir to the sovereign every man beholds a pledge of prosperity and tranquillity. [M. Merard de Saint Just made a quatrain on the birth of the Dauphin to the following effect: "This infant Prince our hopes are centred in, will doubtless make us happy, rich, and free; And since with somebody he must begin, My fervent prayer is--that it may be me!" --NOTE BY THE EDITOR.] The rejoicings were splendid and ingenious. The artificers and tradesmen of Paris spent considerable sums in order to go to Versailles in a body, with their various insignia. Almost every troop had music with it. When they arrived at the court of the palace, they there arranged themselves so as to present a most interesting living picture. Chimney-sweepers, quite as well dressed as those that appear upon the stage, carried an ornamented chimney, at the top of which was perched one of the smallest of their fraternity. The chairmen carried a sedan highly gilt, in which were to be seen a handsome nurse and a little Dauphin. The butchers made their appearance with their fat ox. Cooks, masons, blacksmiths, all trades were on the alert. The smiths hammered away upon an anvil, the shoemakers finished off a little pair of boots for the Dauphin, and the tailors a little suit of the uniform
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   >>  



Top keywords:
Dauphin
 

carried

 

acquainted

 
apartment
 

Prince

 

present

 

infant

 

considerable

 
tradesmen
 
Versailles

doubtless

 

centred

 

insignia

 

artificers

 

rejoicings

 

prayer

 

fervent

 

Almost

 

splendid

 
EDITOR

ingenious
 

masons

 
blacksmiths
 

appearance

 

butchers

 

highly

 

handsome

 
trades
 
tailors
 

uniform


finished
 

smiths

 

hammered

 

shoemakers

 

chairmen

 

interesting

 

living

 

picture

 

arranged

 

arrived


palace

 

Chimney

 

sweepers

 
chimney
 

perched

 

smallest

 

fraternity

 

ornamented

 

dressed

 

education