The Duke of Bourbon is the fourth Governor of Burgundy, of the Conde Family; to which this Government is a Sort of Appenage. This Prince never comes to Dijon, but to hold an Assembly of the States. The Count de Tavannes, who is Lieutenant-general of the Province, commands there in his Absence. There is an Intendant, and all the Sovereign Courts. Notwithstanding so much Company, I thought Dijon a melancholy Place; and I have seen a great many Towns in France of less Note, which to me had a more gay and agreeable
Appearance. There is a public Concert here, to which I was forc’d to go, whether I would or not; I thought, before I went, that it would be but indifferent, and so indeed I found it. The Hall was magnificent, the Company numerous and splendid, and the Concert would have been very good, if there had been Musicians; but as it was, it resembled the Butchers Concert of Marrow-bones and Cleavers.
From Dijon I went to Auxerre and Sens, of which the last is the See of an Archbishop; and that’s all I can say of it, because I only staid there to change Horses. When I came to Auxerre, I found the whole Street where the Post-house stands in an Uproar, it being full of Mob, and especially of Women, who all seem’d very much enrag’d. This was owing to a Transaction the Night before, when the Wife of a Baker qualify’d her Husband for one of the chief Posts in the Seraglio: The Motive which induc’d her to this barbarous Action was Jealousy: Her Husband, who was about twenty Years old, and a very likely Man, was (at least, as the scandalous Chronicle of Auxerre said) a little too intimate with a Pastry Cook Woman, who was young and handsome. The Baker’s Wife, who was old and ugly, not being able to bear the Thoughts of her Husband’s Inconstancy, had taken Care to lay a Razor under her Bolster; and at the very Time when her Husband was giving her the Marks of his Tenderness for her, she made him a second Abelard. This Tragedy having happen’d just as I arriv’d at Auxerre, the Inhabitants were all very much incensed against the Baker’s Wife, and hurry’d the poor Wretch to Prison. The Women curs’d her heartily, yet in their serious Imprecations there was something perfectly comical. I verily believe, that if they had
had her at their Mercy, they would have tore her to Pieces.
Fontainebleau, a Royal Palace which I pass’d thro’, is fourteen Leagues from Paris. There’s a great Village belonging to it, which stands in the Middle of a large Forest, wherein a great Number of long Roads is cut, for the Conveniency of Hunting. The Palace is irregular, because all the Kings from Francis I. to Lewis XIV. have made very considerable Additions to it; nevertheless the Apartments are grand and magnificent. There’s a great Number of Cielings painted by celebrated Masters, whom Francis I. sent for on purpose from Italy. The Gallery of the Stags is noted for the cruel Action committed there by Christina, Queen of Sweden; who caus’d her Master of the Horse, and her Favourite Monaldeschi, to be assassinated there before her Face, after having shewn him some Letters, which he had the Indiscretion to write, and reproach’d him for his Treachery, in the Presence of the Minister[40] of the Order of the Holy Trinity, whom she had sent for to give the poor Man Confession, and who in vain solicited his Pardon. Lewis XIV. was very much disgusted at an Execution thus committed in his Palace, and, as it were, under his Nose: Indeed, rather than be oblig’d to manifest his Resentment, he chose to keep a profound Silence; but tho’ he dissembled it as much as possible, Christina perceiv’d, that she had staid too long at his Court, and resolv’d to retire to Rome, where in 1689 she died.
But Fontainebleau has lately been the Scene of an Action more pleasant, grand and glorious, viz. the Ceremony of the Marriage of King Lewis XV. The Duke of Orleans having marry’d the Queen by
Proxy, at Strasbourg, the Princess came by short Days Journies to a Place about a League from Moret; where she was met by the King, and the Princesses of the Blood. I had the Pleasure of being an Eye-witness of this Interview. When the Two Coaches of the King and Queen came in Sight of each other, they advanc’d a few Paces upon the Trot, and then stopp’d; when their Majesties alighted, and walk’d to each other upon Carpets. When the Queen came near to the King, she kneel’d down upon a Cushion of blue Velvet, seeded with Fleurs-de-Lys of Gold. The Dukes of Orleans and Bourbon rais’d her up again, when the King saluted her, but said nothing to her: The Princes and Princesses saluted her also, and she receiv’d them with such a good-natur’d, modest Air, as prepossess’d the whole Court in her Favour. Then the King went into his Coach, where the Queen seated herself on his Left-hand; and the Princes and Princesses having plac’d themselves according to their Rank, they thus proceeded to Moret. I heard the late Duchess of Orleans say, that there was a very great Silence observ’d in the Coach for some time, because all that were in it, out of Respect to the King, waited for him to speak first: But as he said nothing, the Duchess of Orleans, who had seen the Queen in Germany, and at Metz, was the first that broke Silence; and, by degrees, the Conversation became general. When they arriv’d at Moret, the King and the Queen, attended by the Princes and Princesses, went into the Queen’s Closet: There the King talk’d; and after having stay’d about an Hour, he return’d to Fontainebleau, with the same Train that attended him when he set out from thence.
The next Morning, at Eight o’Clock, the Queen arriv’d at Fontainebleau, without any other Retinue than what she had during her whole Journey. Being
in an Undress, she went strait to her Apartment, and sat down to the Toilet; when she was dress’d, Word was brought to her, that the King was arriv’d; who, in a few Moments after, made his Appearance, in a Mantle of Gold Brocade, trimm’d with Spanish Point of Gold, the whole enrich’d with Diamonds. His Majesty, having saluted the Queen, walk’d the same Instant towards the Chapel, and the Queen follow’d immediately after him, supported by the Dukes of Orleans and Bourbon: She was dress’d in a Blue Velvet Gown, seeded with Fleurs-de-Lys of Gold; her Petticoat, and the Tail of her Gown, were fac’d with Ermin, and adorned with Diamonds; and her Royal Mantle, which was like her Gown, was held up by the Princesses of the Blood. She had the Royal Crown on her Head; and ’tis certain, that every thing about her was truly magnificent, and made a very grand Appearance. The Chapel was adorn’d with a rich Suit of Hangings, of blue Velvet, imbroider’d with Gold. The Elector of Cologne, the Electoral Prince of Bavaria, now Elector, the Duke Ferdinand, and the Bishop of Freisingen and Ratisbon, were present incognito at the Ceremony. The Cardinal de Rohan gave their Majesties the Nuptial Benediction. The Queen happening to be out of Order during the Mass, the Duke of Bourbon, who perceiv’d it, gave her some Balm-water, by which her Majesty found immediate Relief.
After Mass was ended, they return’d in great Ceremony to the Queen’s Apartment; and soon after was the Royal Feast, when the Princes and Princesses din’d with their Majesties. All this was very fine, but the Room was so much too small, that they who were in it were ready to be smother’d, and three-fourths of the People could not get in.