Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-12-11
VERSAILLES: STORY
OF FAMOUS PALACE
Legends Connected With The Hall OF
Mirrors Where ENJOYS
VIII SIT

place in the Hall of Mirrors at
the Palace of Versailles, which re-
calls the story OF how Marie An
toinette gazed into one Of the mir
rors and saw the headless refiec-
ton OF herself OF this famous
hall the Kansas City Star prints
the following:
Following the grooves of history
comes the suggestion that the peace
conference take place in the Hall Of
Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles.
The story of the palace is the history
of France but no part of it has been
more closely associated with the rise
of democracy that the Galerie de Glace,
which was built by Louis XVI, one of
the greatest opponents of monarchies.
Since the States General met and made
it's demands here the French have re-
garded it as their cradle of liberty"
The Galerie de Glaze served well the
monarch Louis XVI, as room that
reflected the glories of France in the
days when the arts were the hand
maidens of kings to tell of their glory
1t was built to look out on a vista Of
beautiful gardens; the entire length
Gao feeD is lighted by II windows in
marble arcades, commanding a view of
the gardens. Opposite each window
is an arcade filled. with Venetian mir
rors that reflected the play of foun-
tains without, and the dazzling white
ness of the marble columns which is
relieved by the exquisite colorings of
other marbles used in the interior.
vaulted roof that is the wonder of
architectural art is the work of Man
sart. Although less than 80 years old
and child of the very dregs of the
people, he managed to bring his I'M
finished sketches to the vain old King
and decoyed him into thinking that it
was only the royal suggestion that
could reflect them. So cleverly did he
fiatter the old Kings vanity by seem
ing to depend on his judgment that
Mansart had access to the royal pres
ence at any hour of the day. The
vaulted roof is a work of perfection
due to the fact that this artist had a
free hand and royal favor to carry out
every detail of his plan.
Among the French triumphs de-
picted is the passage Of the Rhine,
which has special significance at
this time. Above the archway to the
Salon de la Guerre is a painted al
lance of Germany. Spain and Holland
In the light of present-day affairs it
might be replaced by symbol of Ger
many who has made war upon all civil
lization. The picture over the en-
trance to the Salon de la Paix is of
Holland vanquished and separating
from her allies.
Toward the close of his reign Louis
XVI. moved his throne into the Galerie
de Glace just before receiving the Per-
sian envoy. Mehenet Ria Big. The
ladies of the court were all there,
wearing a dazzling amount of dia-
monds to impress the Turkish Am
bassador, who was to report on the
ACCESSIBILITY of lending Louis XVI
money
In this same brilliant gallery a few
years later the lovely Marie Antoinette
stood beside her loyal father-in-law,
Louis XIV, and looked for the first
time into the lighted garden below on
gathering of men and women whose
lives, like her own, were to be caught
in the whirlpool of the Revolution.
She and the old King stood in the
shelter of an iron grating, unseen by
the crowd, while the eager eyes of the
young girl beheld for the first time
her future enemy, Nine. Du Barry, a
blond beauty, who that night was
clothed in silver tissue and rose-col-
ored satin. Her future friend a bril-
liant brunette by the name of Julia de
Polignac, also was pointed out to the
future queen.
Not less interesting is the story of
the Dauphine seeing herself headless in
the great mirrors as she passed out
TO the garden. and returning, saw the
same sight, foreshadowing of her un-
happy fate.