Tea at Trianon: Henri IV en famille

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

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Henri IV en famille

A painting of the first Bourbon monarch playing with his children. (Via Tiny-Librarian.) They include the future Louis XIII, Henrietta Maria, Charles I's queen, and Elisabeth, future Queen of Spain. Share

2 comments:

Unknown said...: Dear Mrs Vidal,

I noticed that Neumann Press is going out of business, which is sad for many reasons, not the least of which being, they publish your books. How will this effect you? I hope we will still be able to buy your books, particularly with the beautiful bindings that Neumann provides. They make such nice gifts. I want everyone to read your books!

In Jesus and Mary,

RJH; August 1, 2013 at 5:25:00 PM EDT
elena maria vidal said...: Thank you for your kind words, RJH. I am so sorry that the beautiful hardcover editions were unique to the Neumann Press and when they sell out, they will be gone. The books will still be available in paperback from Amazon. And in ebook form as well.; August 1, 2013 at 8:01:00 PM EDT