I Am Louis XIV

  Chapter 486 The Wedding of the French Dauphin (Part 2)

Compared with the various calculations and calculations of the Portuguese King Pedro II, not to mention Louis XIV of Versailles, even the Parisians who always hold their heads high are not at all concerned. The wedding is different. This marriage is the icing on the cake for France. When people talk about this marriage, they will only say that the Portuguese princess is really a lucky lady. The nobler than her has not been born, and the richer and pendulous than her. Old, her father is cruel enough - now people know that he is a vicious brother murderer, but only in this way, Isabella is eligible to join the ranks of the French dauphin.

   There are also people who criticize Princess Isabella's origin, but with the voice of Versailles Palace, this problem is not a problem.

   Anyway, after the crown prince becomes His Majesty the King, can he still have a royal wife? At that time, the queen's flaws in her birth will be an advantage.

In this case, it also comes from the good news from the southern foothills of the Pyrenees (Catalonia) and the battles of the Gulf of Saint-Malo and the Gulf of Seine, and because the victories in these two places came from France The two old enemies - Spain and the United Kingdom, took it from France to the Queen Mother and the humblest peasant. They were all rejoicing and triumphant. A grand celebration was like champagne bubbles brewing in a wine bottle. When the king gives an order, it will burst out loudly.

In the Palace of Versailles, the shadows that covered people's hearts because of the passing of the Duchess of Orleans have long since faded away. The Queen Mother, who is over seventy years old, is like an old tree, and she begins to meet the Queen, the Duchess of Montpensier, and the King in good spirits. Mrs. Montespan, the royal wife, worked together with her grandson's marriage. Just like the king will hold a meeting before starting a war, developing and building, and assigning various important affairs to generals and ministers, even scholars and craftsmen, the queen dowager also determines the responsibilities of each person in the meeting of the ladies. The above four A noble lady is just a guide, and the lady who is in charge of all the details is their favorite.

Among them, Mrs. Farayette accepted the work of preparing poems and essays, which were recited aloud to the guests by maids or attendants during banquets in the palace, before each dish was served, and also in music. The gap between the party and the dance is used as a connection or transition program. It should be noted that, for example, the poetry at the banquet needs to revolve around the theme of the banquet - for example, this time, the theme is to praise the king, praise victory, music The same goes for the short programs between parties and dances.

   Generally speaking, when nobles hold banquets, small concerts, or watch theatrical performances, they do not need to invite people to write new works, they just need to choose from the works of previous writers. But for the coming bride of the Dauphin, the king's farewell before another imperial expedition, and the French people's desire for a grand celebration ceremony - the whole process, every detail, can not appear any perfunctory situation .

Mrs. Lafayette has completed two novels before, namely "Princess of Monbonssiere" and "Child", and is working on a new novel "Princess Clive", of course the ladies in the court are her The first reader of the book, the Duchess of Montpensier, said that this lady's work is no less than that of Racine, Corneille or Molière. Even the most jealous Madame Montespan has to admit that, Madame Lafayette's talent was almost as unparalleled as her beauty.

In addition to two novels, Mrs. Lafayette also published many comments, small articles or poems in newspapers and magazines. After being invited by the king to become a teacher at the Women's College, she also led many students to Her own words become ink words and Kim Louis - if she is just a low-class woman, she may be criticized by some people, because before them, women may be able to write, but this behavior cannot be regarded as a job. Do.

What makes modern people amused is that it is quite a pervert for a well-born woman in this day and age to live on her own hands and her head, because for the hard-headed, the only women who need work are women workers , Maid and "Ming Shu", please note that these three are morally the same for most people - the female worker will pick up the skirt for the overseer at any time, and the maid must also endure the nuisance of the male master at any time, no matter what Are they willing.

But Madame Lafayette is not only Madame Falayette, she is beautiful, noble, and talented. More importantly, she has the Queen Mother, Queen Teresa, Duchess of Montpensier and other Versailles pyramid tips behind her. The ladies on top support, and behind these ladies is Louis XIV. There is only a slight flaw in her reputation, the fact that she was once bewitched by an Italian, but that flaw has long since turned to dust - someone the king never mentions, who at Versailles means he doesn't exist.

But even with the support of the king, those slanders and criticisms hidden in the dark were slowly worn away by time. In the final analysis, it was because Mrs. Lafayette and her comrades did come up with irrefutable results. - She and her students even mischievously published articles and poems under male pseudonyms, and when these wonderful words were spread around, it was announced that the author would appear at a salon - imagine the anticipation of those who, People who thought they could see a male writer like Molière and Racine have ushered in a lovely lady or a beautiful lady...

In the end, when Molière was also tricked, the gentlemen finally lamented and admitted that they had lost the battle, but they also said that the ladies might be able to match or even surpass the gentlemen in literature. , but not necessarily in mathematics, physics, chemistry and philosophy - Madame Lafayette just smiled at this, why should she care, women are indeed one step behind men in the latter, but since the king allows girls and boys to accept With the same education, the gentlemen came to a conclusion a little earlier.

The tempering in the past twenty years has not only broadened the mind of this lady, but also sharpened her nib, and strengthened her spirit. The burst of vitality makes her look like an ageless Clio, Euterpe or Melpomene (three of the nine muses, the main history, poetry and tragedy).

She is confident that she can meet the requirements of the ladies, but she also humbly proposes that in order to make this work more perfect, she hopes to invite a friend of hers, also a widowed lady, and Madame Sevigny to prepare with her. In this matter, Mrs. Sevigny's name is often seen in the newspapers and on the desks of ladies, and the Queen Mother readily agreed.

  ———

"I said I could do it myself," said Mrs. Lafayette. "It's not twenty years ago." Twenty years ago, only the strongest and savage, roughly as men, would be alone. Walking down the street, people will throw dead cats and dogs at people in fancy dress. Now, the king has supported Parisians for 20 years, and the poorest and humblest people here can dress up like a master, not to mention the confidence and satisfaction brought by sufficient food and stable work.

   People like this don't risk destroying everything they own to be a criminal.

"Even if I want to stay with you a little longer, mother," said Mrs. Lafayette's son, the young Marquis de Lafayette, twenty-three years old, in his prime, with a military career. After graduating from the academy, Mrs. Lafayette got him a position in the Guards. He inherited his father's bravery and his mother's intelligence. The young man was promoted very quickly in the army. also has his name on the team.

   Indeed, Mrs. Lafayette had to go with him. But as Madame Lafayette said, there is little danger in walking the streets of Paris these days—especially now that it is noon, and the streets are bustling with people, walking arm in arm, or stopping in shops. In front of glass windows, or in and out of theaters, libraries and clubs.

   The police officers in dark blue and nearly black uniforms are either on horseback or on foot, like a reef hidden in the colorful waves, which makes people feel at ease-of course, this is only for those who keep their own rules.

These policemen were originally a group of despicable and cowardly villains, but since the king gradually injected the new blood of retired soldiers into them, as in the past, they either colluded with the thugs, or wanted to extort the weak, or both. It's much less. Under their stewardship and rectification, Paris is getting quieter, more beautiful, and more prosperous by the day, and if you sit in the tavern, some of those complaints about the king—mainly because the king moved his court from Paris to Versailles , also disappeared, although sometimes they still correct the outlanders sourly - it's Paris-Versailles, not Versailles-Paris.

  Paris-Versailles, Versailles-Paris, Madame Lafayette thought with a smile, there really isn't a big difference. Foreigners call these two cities so because the king has been building roads between the two cities for twenty years, erecting various buildings, and slowly connecting them together, especially in the old buildings of Paris. After the city wall was completely dismantled due to the need for the expansion of the city, it and Versailles looked like a dumbbell-shaped conjoined body. It is not surprising that some people said that they were in Paris when they arrived at Versailles, and they said that they were in Versailles when they arrived in Paris. Even Parisians are too lazy to argue and explain.

   But Paris must be ahead.

   Madame Sevigny greeted her friend with joy. When she saw the Marquis de Lafayette, she could not help laughing, and with a little regret, Madame Lafayette knew what she was thinking. Madame Sevigny and Madame Lafayette were good friends. Their children were about the same age, and they belonged to each other. Of course, she hoped that the young Marquis would become her son-in-law, but the Marquis firmly believed that he should make some achievements. Considering the matter of starting a family and starting a business, Madame Sevigny could only regretfully marry her daughter to the Count of Grignan.

The Count of Grignan was also a young and promising man, unfortunately, he was about to go to Provence, where he worked for the king, and Madame Sevigny couldn't let go of her work in Paris - she founded a newspaper of her own, so she did not Law followed them, and since Madame Sevigny's husband passed away eight years after their marriage, she and her daughter were saddened by the fact that the mother and daughter had depended on each other for more than ten years.

Mrs. Sevigny was very happy to hear that Mrs. Lafayette said that the Queen Mother had given the job to her friend. After hearing that Mrs. Lafayette had recommended her to the Queen Mother, she was even more delighted. While a little nervous, at the same time a little excited, the regret for the Marquis de Lafayette was thrown into the clouds, and the people who held Mrs. Lafayette tightly, walked with her into the study, and moved out of her own room. Poems and book collections were discussed intensively with her.

   Compared with the product of inspiration, this kind of work with specified content and intention requires more experience and reference.

They might remember the Marquis de Lafayette at first—many books were placed high or too heavy, but after talking about it, the young Marquis became a cloud of air, and he looked up at the sky and touched it. Touching his nose, he went out of the study against the wall and came to the kitchen.

"Is there anything to eat?" Because his mother and Madame Sevigny were very close, the Marquis was not a stranger here. He knew every servant here, especially in the kitchen. He ordered the cook to prepare dinner, while Pick up the sandwich bread in the basket and eat it, but don't underestimate the appetite of a soldier! While he was drinking beer, he heard the housekeeper sigh.

"It's been a long time since I've seen my lady so happy," said the housekeeper, who had accompanied her even longer than her husband and daughter: "good sir, why don't you marry our lady, she is a great What a girl."

   "You are right, ma'am," said the marquis politely: "I can only say that love has not yet reached my heart. I long for the army more than the family, and the horse more than the lady."

   "Joining the army does not prevent you from having love and marriage. Even if you have never been shot by Cupid's golden arrow, you should also consider your mother. If you can have a child, how beautiful it would be."

   "My mother has many children," said the Marquis: "Monboncière and Childe, and a Clive."

   "Quickly sew up your mouth with a needle and thread," said the housekeeper bluntly, and the Marquis was just a little rascal she had grown up with: "Let your mother hear you, and I'm going to slap your ass."

   "Is there anyone in Paris who doesn't know about these three children?"

   "There are always people who like to do nothing wrong." The housekeeper said, she paused: "Don't talk about other people's affairs, your classmates are all married. Don't you have a girl you like?"

"I don't think so," said the Marquis, and what he didn't say was that he rejected Madame Xavier's offer precisely because Madame Xavier's daughter was the type of woman most people admired—shy, pious, conformist —Not the kind of woman he longed for.

   As soon as he saw the girl who had turned against her mother, he knew that if they got married, it would be painful for both parties.

   (end of this chapter)