The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1898-09-28
BOURBON BABIES.
The Royal Court Present at the
LyinE-In-Expeasiv Outflta
and q Big Household.

When the birth of royal child was
expected the "Te Deum" was sung in
the churches of Paris, the parliament
sent to congratulate the king and
queen, and public prayers were said.
When the confinement began relics of
st. Margaret were brought from st.
German des Pres, and the Blessed
Sacrament was exposed in all the
churches. The birth itself was to have
many witnesses. In the room of the
queen or dauphine, as the case might
be, was erected great tent, and with
In this lesser tent, in which was the
bed To the outer tent were admitted
princes of the blood, the chancellor, and
later many other witnesses, up to 200
ladies in the time of Henry ". Later
the whole court was admitted, and un-
der Louis XIV. the adjoining rooms also
were crowded with courtiers, many Of
them arriving in haste in their dressing
gowns. In the following reign the
crowd became SO great that Marie An
toinette was almost stifed, and Louis
XVI. pushed through the crowd to the
windows, which he smashed with his
fist. The infant was christened direct
ly 1t was born, but the solemnities Of
baptism were often delayed for many
years. A layette was provided before
hand. This trousseau for the eldest
great-grandson of Louis XVI. cost 12o,.
900 livres, and later on it rose to zoo, 600.
The matter was so important that this
collection of baby clothes was brought
in procession from Paris to Versailles
with an escort of guards. The pope
was accustomed to send second outfit,
Those for the son of Louis XII. arrived
in two cases of red velvet adorned with
silver, and the embroideries of silk, sill
yer, and gold, with the royal and papa1
arms and religious subjects, were an
object of great admiration. They were
always brought by some prelate Of
high rank, with the title Of vice legate.
He was received with the greatest
honors and was accompanied, not like
ambassadors by marshal of France,
but by prince of the house of Lor-
raine. After an audience Of the king he
had another from the royal infant, b.,
fore whom the layette was spread out
Two gentlemen held the ends and the
baby placed his hand upon 1t to take
possession.
Deputations also gravely made
speeches before the infant prince. Balls
were given and festivities of all kinds.
The expenses of the birth of the grand
son of Louis XVI. amounted to 604,477
livres, probably more than 100000
at the present rate Of money. Louis
XVI. and Marie Antoinette turned this
extravaganza into q better channel.
The king gave 100000 livres to the poor,
the queen gave dowries to 100 poor girls
and the good example was widely fol-
lowed throughout France.
Besides a wet-nurse the child had q
remueuse, whose sole duty it was to
rock the cradle at certain hours. OF the
eight bedchamber women four were
appointed by the king, two by the
queen and two by the gouvernante, who
was great lady, usually duchess or
princess, charged with the royal chill
dren until they reached seven years Of
age. For each child the offices were re-
newed, and if one child died all his at
tendants passed on ipso facto to his
brother. 1t happened thus to one
young prince to have so bedchamber
women. The number of other persons
connected with the royal children may
be estimated by the fact that the Aus
trian ambassador, writing to his mis-
tress in ITO, when Louis XVI. had al
yet only daughter of one year old, de-
clares that, in spite of the kings at
tempt to curtail useless expenditure,
the household" Of the princess con-
sisted of 80 persons.-Tablet.