Marie Antoinette Dines in Public

IT is with pleasure my dear Sister I inform you of our safe arrival in London. I have so often given you an account of the principal places between this and Berwick, that I do not mean to say a word about them, especially as I expect so soon to have it in my power to give you a description of another Kingdom, for our journey to France is absolutely fixed, and we purpose setting off the 1st of August.

Our party in the coach is to be Mr. Wilkinson, his two daughters, Mr. Clarke and myself; we are to have a servant to attend us on Horseback. I went yesterday to see the Coach, which is very handsome, and so large and commodious for travelling, that with the Imperial and the two trunks we might carry clothes for a twelvemonth; however we do not intend to take more than each a Great Coat to travel in, a dress one for walking in, and a Gown and Petticoat, to wear at Public places, which with a proper quantity of linen we think will be sufficient.

SPA,August.

We drove to Le Cours de Londres, and got there at 2 o’clock; it is reckoned the best hotel in Spa, but by no means answered my expectations, for the rooms are very small and the furniture shabby. There is no ordinaire, so we desired them to get us Dinner as fast as they could, for we determined to go to the Ball as soon as we had done, and it begins very early. We sent for a milliner who soon made her appearance very well loaded, and we got some pretty looking Caps with crimped ribbon. The Friseur made us pay six Lions a piece for Dressing our heads but very indifferently, however he told us a great deal of News, which I suppose he thought it right we should pay for. At six we set off for the Ball, the Rooms are very elegant and the best lighted of any I ever saw, there are a great many Chandeliers, and the dome is so contrived that there are lamps all around it. The Card room serves for Theatre by means of a Floor that moves out and in of the Pit. The Company is really brilliant, you are quite dazzled with Stars, there were five Princes, the two Princes of Montmorency, Prince and Princess of Sens, Prince and Princess of Hesse, and another whose name I have forgot, who is with the Duke and Duchess of Orleans. The variety of dresses looked pretty, they were mostly Jackets of one Sort, and Petticoats of another, the Hats with wonderful high Crowns, and an immense quantity of crimped ribbon. The Duchess of Orleans is, I suppose, five or six and thirty, rather a fine woman, a good height, and large commanding features, but painted too much to be of the least advantage to her appearance. Her dress was a worked Lawn Pierrot, a small Hat with a very high Crown, and a prodigious quantity of Red ribbon and black Cock Feathers stuck in it — the Gentlemen I thought in general very genteel, but the Ladies (to an English eye at least) sadly disfigured with rouge. I never saw dancing in such perfection and whenever the graces are mentioned, it will recall the elegancies of the Spa Cotillions to my remembrance.

I had a great deal of conversation with a very pleasant French woman, she began by admiring my Gown, and I found her very agreeably communicative. She told me great part of the Company and many of the Customs of the place, one thing she mentioned (was) that the Princess of Sens and the Duchess of Orleans had differed about precedence and they gave suppers at each other every night in the Ball room. We waited to see the Tables set out, and I think the Princess’s Company was the most select, for the Duke had really introduced some English people to the Duchess, who were not very creditable acquaintance.

PARIS, August 26th.

We are just returned from Versailles and I think this has been as entertaining a day as any we have had. But I assure you my Pen cannot do it Justice, nor do I think any description upon Paper can convey an idea of this Fairy Land, which comes nearer to the accounts we read in the Arabian Nights entertainments than to any thing I ever saw before, the Labyrinth of Apartments, Gilding, Statues, Paintings &c., which are in the Palace I will not pretend to describe, and shall only mention the things that most struck me and the odd circumstances we met with in this curious excursion. We set off before nine o’clock, and were so fortunate as to have very favourable weather. We went in our London coach with four Horses. The distance is 12 miles, road excellent and we passed a number of Gentlemen’s Houses. There are three noble avenues which lead to the Palace, the middle one is fifty yards wide and those on each side twenty. They made the approach look very grand indeed and the number of carriages that are going backward and forward enliven the scene.

Versailles stands on an artificial eminence in the midst of a Valley. We stopped at an Iron Gate adorned with Trophies; here we left the Carriage and walked across a large Parade, at the end of which we ascended some steps and got into a Court paved with Black and White Marble. One of the guards came to us and offered to be our guide. He told us we had better not go upstairs till after the King went to Mass, but he would shew us the Opera House, which was well worth seeing and close to where we were.

We then sent Clairmont to order Dinner for us at the Hotel Monsieur Touillée had recommended and followed our Conductor to the Theatre. It is not large but beautifully decorated and the gilding and Chandeliers make it showy; it is only made use of when any Foreign Princes visit the Court and the King orders an opera to be performed in compliment to them. The Guard told us there had not been one for three years, but everything is kept in such order that you would imagine it was made use of every week.

As we had still near an hour before Mass we went into the Gardens; they are most strikingly beautiful indeed, laid out in a very different manner from any I ever saw before. The Palace fronts this way and is seen to great advantage, and the Statues, Fountains, stately Trees and spacious walks give this place quite the appearance of enchantment. All the Steps that lead to the different parts of these Gardens are of beautiful Marble, and many of them 5 yards wide. It is impossible to convey the least idea of this Fairy Land, and while the eye is charmed with a view so delightful the Ear is pleased with the warbling of the Birds, the murmur of the Cascades, and the sound which proceeds from the Marble and Copper Statues that spout up Water in different forms, which falls into Marble Basins of exquisite workmanship.

I was so enchanted with the Scene that I felt a degree of concern when the Guard told us the King was going to Mass. He led us into a large Gallery in which were several people waiting to see him pass. It is incredible the State and Pageantry of the French Court, the guards who walk before make a most splendid appearance, they are tall handsome men above six feet high, and are dressed in Gold and Blue Embroidery, their Caps are so loaded with ornaments that I wonder they can bear the weight. As soon as his Majesty passed we went to the Chapel which is extremely handsome. The Guard got us a place in the gallery where we had a full view of the whole Church as well as of his Majesty. The Altar is of the finest Marble and the King’s Gallery faces it. All his Cushions are Crimson Velvet trimmed with deep Gold Fringe. He knelt in the middle and Monsieur¹ was on one side and the Count d’Artois² on the other. The gallery where we were runs all around the Chapel, and is ten feet wide. It is paved with Black and White Marble, and supported by sixteen Pillars of the Corinthian Order.

I can give but little account of the Prayers; as soon as his Majesty entered the Music (of which there was a considerable band consisting of Fiddles, Hautboys, Bass Viols, etc.) began to play; this continued for about ten min-

utes, and then the Guard came and ordered us all to kneel. As soon as the whole congregation were on their knees the Priest said a short Prayer in Latin, and when he had done the Music began again and we thought we might rise, for the Marble was rather uneasy and except in the Royal Pew there were no cushions for any body. However we had only made a little move to get up, when the Guards came and ordered us down again, and one of them stood with his Bayonet over us during the rest of the service. I took a little peep now and then at the King to see if he was very devout, but he looked quite unconcerned and kept playing time on the Cushion to the Music.

The whole was over in about half an hour and our Guide came and conducted us back to the gallery, where we saw the King return in the same state, and soon after the Queen passed to Mass attended by two Duchesses. Her Guards are as handsome and are dressed as splendid as his Majesty’s, but her Livery is Blue and Silver with Scarlet Silk Stockings, Waistcoats and Breeches. She is a fine-looking woman, but so painted, as well as the Ladies of her Court, that I absolutely started when they entered the gallery; the White is laid on quite thick, and the Red is splashed on it, without the least imitation of nature, and except at a Puppet Show, I never saw any thing like it in England; nevertheless she is so stately and elegant that she looks like a Queen. The Guards walked before her, the Duchesses on each side, and she had two beautiful little Pages who held up her train.

We were obliged to leave the Gardens sooner than we wished, for our Guide told us the Queen’s Mass was nearly finished, and as we intended seeing the Royal pair at Dinner we had better be in the Palace in time. We had not been more than a few minutes in the Gallery, when her Majesty and the Duchesses returned. Our Guard told us he was sorry to say our Gentlemen could not be admitted to see their Majesties at Dinner as they had neither Bags nor Swords on; they also had Capes to their Coats, which was considered quite an undress.

While we were canvassing this matter at the end of the Gallery, we were struck all at once with the Sound of an English Tongue, and turning immediately to see where it came from, we saw an Old Gentleman sitting on one of the Benches and two Ladies standing by him, who seemed to be disputing whether they should come to us or not. We heard one of them say, ’I tell you Sister I will go, I know they come from dear England and will be kind enough to let us join them.’ She immediately broke away from them and came running up to us. ‘Gentlemen and Ladies I beg your pardon, but we really are in sad distress; I am sure I wish I had never seen Paris, for we have been in a Peck of troubles ever since we got our Feet on this nasty French Ground; for my part I have done nothing but cry, for I can neither get a thing I can eat, nor a creature to speak to. I come from Newcastle, my Father was twice Mayor of that Town, and we had very pretty Fortunes; that is Mr. White my Husband, and that Lady is my Sister.’

The poor Woman’s Eyes were quite swelled with weeping, and the Sister, whose appearance was much more in her favour, was moving slowly towards us. I went forward to meet her and said I was sorry their Jaunt had been so unpleasant. She replied they had only themselves to blame, for that Mr. White was in an indifferent state of health and ordered to Margate to Bathe, that they were walking by the Seaside when the Vessel was getting ready to Sail for Calais, and Mrs. White said the day was so inviting she should like to go in it, and she believed the Voyage would do Mr. White as much good as Sea Bathing. He laughed and told her if they could pack up their Clothes in time he was willing to try, and in this unthinking manner they had set off without recollecting that not one of them could speak French, that it was impossible to imagine the difficulties they had laboured under from that circumstance and even since they got to Versailles they could not make a creature understand them.

Just as Miss S—had done speaking our Guide came to tell us we must now try to get into the room where the King and Queen were at Dinner, and he brought one of the Queen’s Guards who he said would endeavour to get us admittance. Mrs. White took hold of my Gown and vowed she would stick by me whether I was offended or not, for the Guards she said understood more of my French in one minute than they did of her Husband’s ever since they had been at Versailles.

When we got to the Door of the Room where their Majesties were at Dinner we were stopped by a Gentleman very elegantly dressed, and I thought by the conversation that passed between him and the Guard that he did not seem willing to let us in, but he told us very politely we were late, and he was extremely sorry he could not open us the door till some of the attendants came out, as their Majesties were seated, but he hoped we should not have long to wait. At this time the Newcastle Ladies were close by us, and Mrs. White made her observations on all she saw so loud, and with the broad Northumbrian accent, that I was obliged to beg of her to speak lower.

In a very few minutes one of the attendants came out, and we were instantly in the Royal Presence. The room is about 20 feet square and perfectly plain, I was surprised to see it so small; the door by which we entered was at the side, directly facing us were their Majesties, for they do not sit at the Head of the Table but at the side. As we stood the bay Window was on our left hand and on our right that is to say at the bottom of the Room were two Chairs on which the two Duchesses who attended her Majesty were sitting. There was a most profound silence for some time, and the Queen and their Graces seemed to look as much at us as we did at them. To be sure the scene is truly absurd, and they must feel that the Exhibition is ridiculous. I got fortunately placed behind a Gentleman and saw charmingly over his Shoulder; but he was so polite he moved off, and I was then so very near the Table I could not stare half so comfortably.

The Dinner was served without the least regularity, but the Desert was set out in Form. When we went into the room the King was eating a standing Pie, and on the Table were Fowls, Partridges, poached Eggs and Fricandeaux and Pastry, all served on beautiful Gold Dishes. His Majesty seemed to do them great justice, mixed the different sauces, turned them about with a piece of bread, and ate in what I thought a very greedy manner. The Queen did not touch a bit but played with a Napkin which was very prettily folded, and sometimes with the Gold Plate that was before her. Mrs. White who could never be quiet begged I would look at the shabby Diaper Table Cloth, and said she was sure if they had dined with her at Newcastle she would have given them a better. I acknowledged it was coarse and looked as if it had been very often washed. The King concluded his very hearty meal by devouring three Poached Eggs, which he covered with gravy, and then the Desert was brought in. It was prettily set out partly on Silver and partly on very beautiful China; as soon as it was put down the King called for a Glass of Wine, bowed to us all, arose, washed his hands in a Golden Bason and walked immediately off, the Queen followed him, and what became of the nice desert I don’t know.

I had a full view of the Royal pair. The Queen is above thirty, a good height, rather embonpoint, but has a great deal of Majesty in her appearance. Her eyes are light Blue her Nose large, and her Teeth beginning to lose their colour. Her Dress was a short Green suit of Clothes, trimmed with the same pinked; her Hair was quite à l’Anglaise with only one Curl; a Gauze Handkerchief pinned on her Head, not better than what we buy for eighteen pence a piece, and another of the same round her Neck. She had a very elegant Bouquet made of Jewels in her breast and a beautiful diamond Necklace round her Neck. Her Hands and Arms are very handsome and were finely ornamented with Bracelets and Rings. His Majesty is very dark, rather shortnecked, has a large Face with very little expression of countenance, his dress Blue and Silver and he had a blazing Diamond Star at his Breast. During Dinner he observed to one of the Duchesses that dining in that way was very disagreeable; she answered it is certainly, but your Majesty must allow it is very soon over. The Queen lolled upon her Chair and conversed about the weather and other subjects with the Comte d’Artois who came into the room just before they went off. The Duchesses were a poorlooking Couple, very thin, dreadfully rouged and not young. They had black Lace Lappets pinned on their heads, and shabby dark-coloured suits of Clothes on.

As the Newcastle Party had seen the Palace before they went to Chapel we recommended them to take a look at the Gardens and they went off for that purpose with their guide. It was now past 2 o’clock, and as we had really seen a great deal we began to think of going to the Hotel where Clairmont had ordered Dinner to be ready before three. Mr. Wilkinson went with us in the Coach, but Mr. Clarke said he preferred walking and he would loiter another Quarter of an hour. When we got to the Hotel the Cloth was laid and they told us Dinner would be ready shortly. We had hardly got in before there was a very heavy Shower. I sate down at the Slab, and was scribbling in my Pocket Book some account of what I had seen, when Mr. Clarke came running in, and said he hoped we would forgive him for intruding the Newcastle Party upon us, but when he was coming from the Palace he saw these poor people walking about the Marble Court in the greatest distress; it was raining and they had lost their Valet de Place and could not make the guard understand at which of the doors they had left their Coach. Mr. Clarke asked them if they had ordered Dinner, Mrs White answered, ‘Not us indeed, Lord help us we did not know there was a bit of Dinner to be had in Versailles; do God bless you tell us what is become of the Ladies.’ He said we had set off before it began to rain, that our Dinner would be near ready and they were welcome to join us.

I had sent Clairmont with an Umbrella for Mr. Clarke, and he luckily found out their Carriage. They arrived at the Hotel a few minutes after, and as my Husband had brought them, I thought it incumbent on me to receive them civilly, tho’ we could all have excused their joining us. I went to the top of the Stairs to meet them and Mrs. White began Bawling the moment she saw me, ’O dear Ma’am your Husband’s an Angel, I am sure we are much obliged to him for if it had not been for him, we might have staid in that nasty Palace till we had been starved. When we came from the Gardens not a soul was to be seen but the guards, and they did not understand a word we said.’

The Sister Curtseyed and passed me in silence but looked uneasy and her countenance seemed to say, we have no business here. Mr. White hobbled up the Stairs and when he got to the top assured me he was ashamed to intrude in such a manner, but he hoped we would excuse them and make allowances for English People who were glad to meet with a party from their own Country. I begged he would make no apologies, that the Room would contain us very well and I was sure there would be sufficient Dinner for us all. They soon brought it up; it consisted of a number of Stews and some very good boiled Fowls. Mrs. White declared [it] was the first Dish she had eaten in France with the least degree of appetite.

Our conversation ran chiefly on our accommodations in Paris, the Shops which she declared were full of nothing but Trash and that she thought all the people in Paris could speak English or she never would have come near it, that she had been there nearly a fortnight, and had cried every day to get home, and if she were ever so happy as to see dear England again, the next time they caught her in France, she would give them leave to hang her. It was easy to see the Lady was extremely vulgar tho’ her Father had been twice Mayor of Newcastle, but not being able to speak the Language of the Country made her so cross that she was out of all patience and silly enough to abuse the whole Kingdom because they did not load her with kindness, when she had been so rash as to enter it without being recommended to anybody, or knowing where to go, but as the Postillion from Stage to Stage directed.