After the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, Louis XVI went to Paris to reconcile with his subjects. Marie-Antoinette dreaded that he would be killed. When he returned safely, a contemporary writer, Lemaire, described her reaction:
This princess, as virtuous as she was amiable, whom monsters later on accused of having never loved her husband, was absolutely in despair. As soon as she heard the King's carriage entering the Cour Royale she ran towards him holding the Dauphin in her arms, then breathless and almost fainting she fell into those of the King who was no less moved than she was. Holding out one hand to his children who covered it with kisses, with the other wiping the tears from the eyes of Marie-Antoinette and Madame Elisabeth, Louis XVI smiled again...he kept on repeating: "Happily no blood was shed, and I swear that not a drop of French blood will ever be shed on my orders."
~ Histoire de la Revolution Francaise (3 vol.) by M.H. Lemaire, 1816 Share
5 comments:
So good a King and Queen, which France spurned. A day will come when France will call again to the desendent of this King to return.
+JMJ+
I was moved by just reading it!
I am sorry that I have not metioned this before, but I thank you for the artilces you add about their Majesties. The calmunies and distortions have been present far too long. This being July it will be of course the anniversary of the Indepence of the US and France.
1 "Let every person be subordinate to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been established by God.
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Therefore, whoever resists authority opposes what God has appointed, and those who oppose it will bring judgment upon themselves.
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For rulers are not a cause of fear to good conduct, but to evil. Do you wish to have no fear of authority? Then do what is good and you will receive approval from it,
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for it is a servant of God for your good. But if you do evil, be afraid, for it does not bear the sword without purpose; it is the servant of God to inflict wrath on the evildoer.
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Therefore, it is necessary to be subject not only because of the wrath but also because of conscience.
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This is why you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, devoting themselves to this very thing.
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Pay to all their dues, taxes to whom taxes are due, toll to whom toll is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due."
Thank you, Monsieur. Thanks for the scripture quote.
BTW, if this picture of Marie-Antoinette has something iconic about it, the artist, Madame Vigee-Lebrun, spent some time in exile in Russia during the French Revolution. She painted this picture of Marie-Antoinette from memory, after the queen's death. I wonder if she was influenced by the Russian icons when painting it.
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