Saturday, September 3, 2011

The Political Creed of Louis XVI

The king distributing alms during the winter of 1784 by Philbert-Louis Debourt (1785)
Written when he was a boy. (Via Vive la Reine.)
Everything a father owes his children, everything that is due from a brother to a brother and from a friend to a friend, a prince owes his subjects; and every action of the crown must be of benefit to humanity. (Read entire post.)
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2 comments:

May said...

He was so idealistic and hopeful as a young man.

lara77 said...

I think if the French had been reasonable and looked across the channel at how the English had "done" constitutional monarchy they might have succeeded. King Louis XVI would have been the first and best constitutional monarch simply because he loved his people and wanted the best for them. The problem was not the king but the fanatics who took control of the Assembly; reason and compromise were thrown to the winds. Sad for France , sad for a good King and even more tragic for Europe which had to deal with Napoleon and all the bloodshed that ensued.