The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1892-04-08
LOUIS XIV.

LOUIS hiii uSd', vi IdtIleT JUST pre-
vious to the demise of his father. IN
early youth he developed positive
character. There had sp.ung up a
deadly feud between the court, headed
by the Cardinal Minister Mazarin up
on the one side, and the Parliament
upon the other. There were riots in
Paris. Affairs looked threatening.
Mazarin led with the young king and
regent to St. German and surrounded
the court with troops. Parliament de-
clare Mazarn an enemy. Now two rival
courts in France. There were two
factions, the Mazarins and Frondes.
Mazarn ly fraud and extortion acct
mulated an immense fortune. He was
stripped Of this by the Frondes. There
was but a superficial reconciliation and
Mazarin escaped. There was great
tumult thinking the king was carried
away with him. The attempt was
made but without success. At the age
of I3 Louis XIV was made the abso
lutte king of France, and there were
conflicts between the forces of the
king and Parliament The carnage
was dreadful. The king got rid of his
Cardinal and there was reconciliation
between king and Parliament, that last
ed but a short while, for the king de
nounced the leaders of the Frondes
and hostilties were renewed between
the king and the Frondes. NIazarin
turns up successful and again controls
the king and France. The king mar
ries Maria Theresa of Spain before the
Spanish and French Courts. This
brought reconciliation between France
and Spain, as these nations had been
quarreling and fighting. Louis sole
object was to aggrandize himself by
promoting the splendor, the power,
and the glory OF the monarchy. To
maintain this reckless and utterly use
less extravaganza of the king and the
Court the millions of the peasantry of
France were compelled to live in mud
novels, 10 wear the coarsest garbs, to
eat the plainest food, while their wives
and their daughters toiled barefooted
IN the fields. They were compelled
to help drag the plough with donkeys
hitched along side of them. This was
the Bourbon dynasty that ruled France
tor four hundred years at least DO
we wonder, at the French Revolution2
Mazarin was the monster that ruled
the king, the Court and France. MAJ
arin died while his body was subjected
to the most extraordinary convulsions
He not only supported the Court in
the most wanton expenditure but robb-
ed the nation to replenish the mon
strous expenditures of his own pocket
book; had been virtually monarch of
France for IS years
Fouquet held the keys of the treas
ury, and sought his own advancement
and really lived in grander style than
the king by robbing the treasury. The
king and courtiers were invited to the
chateau of Fouquet and then he found
that its magnificence outrivalled his
own palaces. The king was thoroughly
informed of the rascality Of Fouquet
and he was imprisoned, and all his
property conhscated and came near
losing his life-all this helped not the
peasantry. Louis invested with abso-
lutte power with all the Court bowling
before him in the most abject homage,
had gradually begun to think himself
god For some time he had been ex-
ploring sites for a palace that would
transcend in grandeur anything ancient
or modern. He lit upon Versailles.
Is miles away where the palace should
be surrounded with dense forests. This
place outrivalled in gaieties and festiv-
ltles all Europe: the expenses were
enormous, and came from the bone
and sinew of enslaved France. The
stupendous pile of buildings eclipsed
all other palaces ever reared upon the
globe, the kings palace costing 5000
900. The plans for the palaces came
from Mansard-our Mansard roofs are
named after him. Over thirty thous-
and soldiers were employed years
helping the workmen.
Mansard was the eminent architect
of 18th century The laying out of
the grounds the work upon them and
the multitude, ,vastness and splendor of
the palaces cost the modest sum of
trO hundred million dollars 1t
was all finished in IS years. Here
the royal family and court resided till
the Revolution of 1850. The fetes,
festivals and tournaments of 7 days
the size of the court was about thou
sand mobiles and ladies-their cost is
not counted in the above millions.
The marriage of Louis and Maria
Theresa was one Of political policy,
and was not happy one. He mani
Tested great fondness fol his maids of
honor from time to time, aud they had
children and he was the father We
are not to suppose there is any more
virtue and happiness in high life than
In lower life Poverty nor riches or