Tea at Trianon

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, February 5, 2009

Apparitions in Rwanda

Mary Jo Anderson recalls the supernatural occurrences which foretold future catastrophes.

Visions reported by the girls during 1981-84 included horrific images of "a river of blood, people killing each other, abandoned bodies but no one to bury them, corpses minus their heads." Despite the messages from heaven, strife in the country deepened. During his visit to Rwanda in 1990, Pope John Paul II begged his listeners to heed the Virgin's example and to pray fervently for peace among political and ethnic factions.

Eden's Outcasts

"Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents," grumbled Jo, lying on the rug.

"It's so dreadful to be poor!" sighed Meg, looking down at her old dress. ~ from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

The opening lines of Little Women will never again have the same meaning for me after reading John Matteson's Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of Louisa May Alcott and her father, Bronson Alcott. Eden's Outcasts describes the very real poverty experienced by the Alcott sisters, upon whom the four March sisters in Little Women are based. The girls often did not have enough to eat; the family was always inundated by debts. In spite of living in near destitution, the girls received a classical education. It was very odd how they would go from studying German and Latin and discussing philosophy to a meager supper of squash and apples. All of this was due to their father's desire of pursuing Utopian projects at the expense of his family's well-being.

Bronson Alcott was not a Christian; he did not accept the divinity of Christ and thought that every child was divine. He deemed it possible to create a heaven on earth by subduing human nature and by divesting oneself from the desire for material possessions. There is much of what he believed that mirrored Christian asceticism except that Christ was not the goal. It was not for the love of God that he embraced such austerity but for self-improvement. In his quest for perfection he forgot that his main duty was to feed his children and provide them with shelter and safety.

It was his wife Abba Alcott, upon whom "Mrs. March" is based, who kept the family together. Although Mrs. Alcott struggled with her temper she managed to maintain a spirit of cheer and grace in the household, working like a beast of burden so that her girls could have a decent life. The happiness amid poverty that abounds in Little Women was a reflection of the reality, and it was a reality created by their mother. However, such dire poverty made all of the girls, except for Elizabeth who died young, resolve that they would never live the way their mother had been forced to live. It gave an edge to Louisa's determination to support the family through her writings, and give her mother a comfortable old age.

I always loved "Jo" who is Louisa herself, and after reading Eden's Outcasts I love her even more. She was the wild tomboy daughter, never able to please her father, at least not until she almost died being an army nurse during the Civil War. It was only then that Bronson came to appreciate Louisa's inner strength and goodness. She was a deeply spiritual person and although she was raised outside of any denomination (their father is a "clergyman," but the March sisters never set foot in a church) she prayed, seeking the truth. Her wrestlings with her own unruly self gave her an intense insight into human nature which shines in her novels. Most of all, Louisa seemed to grasp the sacramentality of family life, of the rough-hewn personalities who shape each other under the guidance of loving parents. Although "Mr. March" was improvident he nevertheless formed his children's views of the world. Louisa and her father shared the same birthday and died a few days apart from each other. Eden's Outcasts analyzes that rather unusual relationship as well as the other influences which made Louisa one of the great American writers. For anyone who has ever been a guest of the March family, it is a "must" read.

File:King Charles I by Antoon van Dyck.jpg

Royal World reminds us of the execution of King Charles I of England, who was also an ancestor of Louis XVI. Share

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Market Day

They sat down together, the grass it was green.
The day was the fairest that ever was seen.
"Oh the look in your eye beats a mornin' o' May,
I could sit by your side till the next market day."
This young maid went home and the words that he said,
And the air that he played her still rang in her head.
She says, "I'll go find him by land or by sea
Till he larns me that tune called "The Next Market Day."
~"The Next Market Day," an old Irish song

Most of the little towns in Pennsylvania still have open air farmers' markets in the summer and fall where fresh produce can be found. At the Amish markets, there are breads and pies and homemade canned goods. Most large cities have a marketplace. From time immemorial, in almost every culture, there have been open air markets in city, town or village squares and often a specific day when the farmers and peasants would bring their goods to sell. Market day was (and is) a time to gather with friends, hear the news, seek out bargains, stock up on certain items and discover treasures.

I want to thank all the readers who have visited the Trianon Tea Room. The books are selling better than anything else; the tea things are starting to go as well. Thank you very much! I am also grateful to those who have made purchases through the Amazon search box. May God reward you!

Marie-Antoinette is frequently associated with shopping, but how did she shop? It is often forgotten that Versailles, being open to the public, was a place of commerce; vendors set up their stalls in the courtyards and galleries of the palace. As for the Queen, she would usually receive tradesmen in the morning while her hair was being dressed. However, she always sought ways to celebrate the life of the ordinary French people, particularly the peasants whose industry fed the nation. In September, 1777 Marie-Antoinette had a farmers' market in the park at Trianon to inaugurate the opening of her new gardens. The Queen wore peasant attire and served at an outdoor "tavern." Pierre de Nolhac describes the market thus:

A market-place was set up on the lawn...where the baker, the confectioner, and the purveyor of charcuterie dispensed their wares...and even the cook's shop was busy in the open air. All these stalls were connected by a garland of roses....

There were shows of all sorts....Actors...gave several performances on an improvised stage....The avenues leading to Trianon were lined with the booths of Paris shopkeepers who had been engaged to come, their expenses being paid.
(Pierre de Nolhac's Marie-Antoinette, 1905, pp.226-227)

Le Jour de Marche by Victor Gabriel Gilbert

Market Day by Victor Gabriel Gilbert

Marie-Antoinette à la paysan . Share

Monday, February 2, 2009

Candlemas Day

Adorn thy bridal chamber, O Sion, and receive Christ the King. Salute Mary, the gate of Heaven; for she beareth the King of Glory, Who is the new Light....
—Antiphon for feast of the Presentation of the Lord

On the fortieth day after Christmas we celebrate the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple, where He is offered by His Mother and St Joseph to the Eternal Father for the sins of the world. Many prophecies were fulfilled that day, unknown at the time except to Mary and Joseph, Simeon and Anna, all persons of prayer and of special consecration to God. In a time of great darkness there was suddenly and quite publicly a great light, to be received only by those whose hearts were open. A small Child is the ultimate sacrifice for the redemption of humanity, but He is not alone; He is with His family. The Holy Family stand between us and utter chaos and despair. Like the Child Jesus, we do not make our offering alone, we make it with Mary and Joseph, we make it in the context of our own families.

Behold this child is set for the fall, and for the resurrection of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be contradicted; and thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that, out of many hearts, thoughts may be revealed. --St. Luke 2:34-35

The "Purification of Our Lady" as the feast is traditionally called, is a feast of the Virgin as well as the Virgin's Son. We marvel at the humility of Immaculate Mary who submits to the ritual of purification for all Jewish mothers, although she herself had no need to be purified. It is also known as Candlemas Day because since early times, candles have been blessed and carried in procession in honor of Christ, the Light of the World.

At Christmas, we adored Him with the shepherds at dawn; at Epiphany, we rejoiced in the brightness of His manifestations to the nations; at Candlemas, with the aged Simeon, we take Him into our arms. With the prophetic words of Simeon, the day also becomes a preparation for Lent and the Passion of Our Lord. We must offer ourselves with Jesus to the Father; we must embrace our own purification.

This feast day links Christmas with Lent, the joyful mysteries with the sorrowful mysteries. Mary's Heart is pierced as Simeon's prophecy is uttered, for a mother suffers for her child, especially when that Child is God. Fr Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, O.C.D. wrote so magnificently of this feast in his book Divine Intimacy:

O Jesus, through the hands of Mary, I wish to offer myself today with You to the eternal Father. But You are a pure, holy, and Immaculate Host, while I am defiled with misery, and sin....O Virgin Most pure, lead me along the way of a serious and thorough purification; accompany me yourself, so that my weakness will not make me faint because of the roughness of the road.

Emperor Worship

It appears to be a trend in pagan cultures. Share

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Inside Petit Trianon

Paris Atelier has some marvelous photos of the interior of Petit Trianon, showing the detailed craftsmanship, as well as glimpses into Marie-Antoinette's boudoir and private rooms at the main palace.

Here are some details of the Queen's curtains at Versailles, as described in Trianon:

Catholic Writers Conference Online

The Catholic Writers Conference Online begins tomorrow. Guests are welcome. Many writers and professionals from the publishing industry will be giving presentations. It should be quite a learning experience. I will be holding a chat on writing historical fiction on Saturday, February 7, from 3 to 4 pm. Join in if you can! Share