The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1897-07-14
MocKlNo A KING.
Marie AntOinette's Cruel Practical
Joke on n Little Deformed King.

sfarie Antoinette's Cruel Practical
Joke on a Little Deformed King.
.The Kingdom of Yyetot" is the title
of an article by Gerald Brennan In the
st Nicholas. Mr. Brennan says: When
the Inflated Louis XVI. assembled the
throne. the Queen of Yvetot. Julie l..
and her husband, Claude, Marquis
d'Albon de Saint Marcel. came TO pay
their respects at the frivolous court.
The poor little queen was almost
dwarf: her husband who called himself
king was hunchback. But they
were both very proud indeed OF their
royalty, and did not see that the court
iers were making fun of them, as
Henry Tvs courtiers hadsmade fun OF
their ancestor King Martin. At this
time Queen Marie-Antoinette (who
later died pitIful death on the guillo-
tine was thoughtless girl fresh from
the seclusion of an Austrian convent.
She joined in the ridicule leyeled at the
s0vereigns OF YvetOt. Louis XYI.. al
gentleman, protested pityingly; hut
Marie Antoinette excused her actions
by pointing out that since Queen
Julie" and king Claude were too
proud TO see that they were being
Knocked, there was no cruelty in the
mockery.
This is rather sad chapter in the
history of Yvetot. True it is that we
tots sovereignty from the very first
had been only huge joke. But then it
was n very old joke indeed in Louis
NNI.'s time. The crown, which was
really only cap and bells, had been
worn for so long time, that its an
tiquity might have hallowed it in the
| eyes of these merry courtiers, very few
Of whom could show lineage so noble
as that of Julie, Queen Of Yvetot, or OF
her husband, the Marquis d'Albon de
st. Marcel. But, cruel or justifiable.
the fun was kept up at the expense OF
the dwarf queen and her hunchback
husband.
One especially bitter jest is recorded.
for which, it must be sadly confessed.
Marie-Antoinette herself was respon-
sible. A great bal masque was project
ed; and the young queen of France
caused word to be conveyed TO the Mar
quis d'Albon and his wife that it was
to he Fools Ball" Every guest, she
stated. was required to appear in the
familiar guise of court jester.
The supplemented Queen of YvetOt
and her spouse took the bait, and OH
| the Sinn I'm nnactinn taA
themselves at the Tuileries in the caps
and bells OF court testers. To their
establishment their entry was met with
a roar of laughter; and on glancing
'ound they observed that no other guest
wore the testers motley. The Joke"
was completed by the entry of mock
herald with two tinsel crowns, which
he placed on the heads of Queen Julie
and the Marquis d Albion. The poor lit.
tie queen would have fed from the ball.
room, but her husband. too much of a
gentleman to show that he had been
wounded, prevented her. Smilingly he
remarked. so that all might hear: Her
that the kingdom of Yvetot was won
by jest. But she should remember
that the jest was good one"
This apt reply came to the ears of
Louis XVI. who FASTENED to make
amends to the deformed king of Yyetot.
Sire" replied the little sovereign, ''it is
, quite superfiuous for the queen to pre-
, sent us with crowns. There were kings
Of Yvetot before her ancestors became
counts of Hapsburg."