Tea at Trianon: Fireplaces

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

Sunday, March 21, 2021

Fireplaces

From Country Life:

The end of winter might seem an odd time to think about a fire; actually, though, it’s the ideal time. If you don’t get around to ordering until you actually need it in Autumn, you’ll be lucky to get it delivered and installed in time for Christmas. Get it sorted out now and you can choose at your leisure, and any work (for installing flues etc) can be done while the weather is drier.

But what should you go for if you don’t yet have one? Our round up of the best log burners is an ideal place to start— and if you’re not sure whether you want a log burner or open fire, read our ‘grate debate’ (ho ho) on open fires v wood-burning stoves. Once you have your fire set up, you’ll want accessories to really make the most of it. Here’s some suggestions to get you started. (Read more.)