Tea at Trianon: Taking the Waters

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Taking the Waters

An historic spa, newly restored, opens for business in Bedford, PA. Since ancient times people have found "taking the waters" to be beneficial to health. Marie-Antoinette's daughter Marie-Thérèse-Charlotte would go to the baths at Vichy at least once a year, and later would visit the spa at Carlsbad in Austria. Here is the history of the Bedford Spa. Share

4 comments:

Anonymous said...: Did you ever go to Saratoga with Grandpa? I know Tim made a trip or two to get the "stinky water" (as Tim called it.)

I'd bet those trips were ten kinds of fun.

-Ian B.; August 29, 2007 at 1:53:00 PM EDT
elena maria vidal said...: Ian, I used to go to Saratoga a lot. Grandma and I would go to see the NYC ballet every summer at SPAC. Once, we took Norah. (I think I've even been there with YOU.) But I never went to the spa. It is a great town.; August 29, 2007 at 2:03:00 PM EDT
Anonymous said...: I wondered if you were from the Blair Bedford area after reading your blog. My husband and I have created a website ILoveAltoona.com that is all about highlighting what is great about Altoona and its surrounding areas. We would like to feature people who have incite into various aspects of this community. We also are planning on launching a section for Artisans in the area and I wondered if you had any incite into what would be useful features.; August 30, 2007 at 9:32:00 AM EDT
elena maria vidal said...: Thanks, Christina, I'm in Centre County. I'll get back to you on this....; August 30, 2007 at 9:38:00 AM EDT