Tea at Trianon: Tea-time Traditions Now

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, September 26, 2007

Tea-time Traditions Now

Under the Gables has a lovely post about tea-parties. Share

5 comments:

Anonymous said...: +JMJ+

I've been a tea drinker for years, but I've never been to or thrown a tea party . . . :(

I usually drink my tea while reading alone in my room. Nobody shares my ginger snaps except my sister's puppy. What a lot I've missed out on!; September 26, 2007 at 9:00:00 AM EDT
Anonymous said...: Everyone I know would love to revive it, but in this country it is work, work, work. No time is taken to stop and smell the roses.; September 26, 2007 at 12:24:00 PM EDT
Anonymous said...: +JMJ+

Alaughland:

That reminds me of an anecdote familiar to fans of the movie Aliens. James Cameron filmed this movie in England, with American actors, but an English crew. In the middle of the first full day of shooting, the crew suddenly stopped working. It was tea time, you see. As frustrated as Cameron (and his producers) were this unforeseen development, which certainly put a crimp in their filming schedule, they were up against centuries of tradition. The crew got to keep their afternoon tea time. :); September 26, 2007 at 10:47:00 PM EDT
Anonymous said...: I would love to have lady friends over for tea but they are either working or not interested in such 'girly stuff'.

So, I'll have tea with my children and enjoy their sweet company! :) Some fruity herbal tea, sandwiches and cookies would be great. I think they'd love it. They are just old enough now that I think they could sit and 'take tea' for a few minutes. A great opportunity to teach manners and decorum, too.; September 27, 2007 at 4:40:00 AM EDT
Anonymous said...: I don't know who I would be able to get to come over midday, but I definitely like to have friends and neighbors over for dinner.; September 27, 2007 at 3:07:00 PM EDT