The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-29
HOW BOURBON BABIES WERE BORN.
Court Present at the Lying Ink
pensive Outfits and Big Household.
The Tablet

The Tablet.
When the birth of royal child was ex
churches of Paris, the Parliament sent to
congratulate the King and Queen, and pub
lie prayers were said. When the contine-
ment began relics of ST. Margaret were
brought from St. German des Press 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 a great tent, and within this a
lesser tent, in which was the bed. 10 the
outer tent were admitted princes of the
blood the chancellor, and later many other
witnesses, up to two hundred ladies in the
time of Henri ~. Later the whole court
was admitted, and under Louis XIV the adj
joining 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
Antoinette was almost sttfied, and Louis
XVI pushed through the crowd TO the WIN
dows, which he smashed with his fist. The
infant was christened directly it was born
but the solemnities of baptism We're often
delayed for many years. A layette was pro-
vided beforehand This trousseau for the
eldest great-grandson of Louis XIV cost
10000 hvres, and later on it rose to 100000.
The matter was so important that TINS col
lection of baby clothes was brought IN pro-
ceSSon from Paris to Versailles with an
escort of guards. The Pope was accustomed
to send second outfit. THOSE Tor the son
of Louis XIII arrived in two cases OF red
velvet adorned with silver, and the embroi-
deries Of silk, silver and gold, with the
jects, 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 ambaSSa-
doris, by a marshal of France, but by
prince of the house of Lorraine. After an
audience of the King he had another from
the royal infant, before whom the layette
was spread out, Two gentlemen held the
ends and the baby placed his hand upon 1t
to take possession The vice legate made a
complimentary speech to the baby and gave
his blessing. it was usual for the King to
obtain for him in return a cardinals nat
DeputationS also graYely made speeches
before the infant prince. Balls We're given
and festivities of all kinds The expenses
of the birth of the grandson OF Louis XIV
amounted to GOA AT livres, probably more
than 9100 600 at the present rate of money.
Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette turned this
extravaganza into a better channel Ihe
King gave 100000 liVreS to the poor, the
Queen gave dowrieS to one hundreu poor
girls and the good example was widely fol-
lowed throughout France.
Besides a wet nurse, the child mad re-
mueuSe. whose sole duty 1t was to rock the
cradle at certain hours. OF the eight ped
chamber women. four were appointed by
fhe King. two by the Queen and two by the
gouVernante, who was great lady usual
~ a duchess or princess, charged with the
royal children until they reached seven
wears of age. For each child the offices
were renewed and if one child died all his
attendants passed on ipso facto to MS
brother. Tt happened thus to one young
prince TO have thirty-two bedchamber Wom-
en-. The number of other persons connected
with the royal children may be estimated
by the fact that the Austrian ambassador,
writing to his mistress in 1873, when Louis
XVI had as yet only a daughter OF one year
old declares that, in spite of the Kings at
fen1Dt to curtafl useless expenditure the
household" of the princess consisted OF
eighty perSJns