Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-05

of the Apollo Fountain, 'replanting o.
trees.
Work Directed by Experts.
The workmen, painters. plasterers anc
artists have worked under the direction
Of experts competent to give minute d.
rections as to histoN'cai details anc
technical processes employed by the
lone-dead folk who made the great cha
teaux pavilions. connecting galleries
gardens, fountains and theaters that
men call Versailles. Famous watch
pable of, repairing a clock constructed
200 years ago; celebrated art experts
were requisitioned for their best car
penters, picture cleaners, retouchine
men, tapestry weavers and restorers. In
the great state rooms restorers worked
with gilt and paint mixed, according
to recipe 200 years old.
The actual job of discovering how
things stood in the day of Marie An
toinette was not so difficult. Most of
the records of the successive building
operations exist in the museums and
state archives. The grand monarch
himself drew up in his own hand an
itinerary which is preserved in the Paris
National Library.
AI1ClC was UIlC gap record. Inc
plan OF the missing steps in the Grand
Trianon garden, which lead from the
pll1ared portico to the old pool called
the Mirror Basin, could not be found.
1t looked as If the architects would
have to rely on guesswork. But. sud-
denly, persistent search was rewarded
the lost plans were discovered under
piles of dusty papers in one Of the
state archives, and from these exact
THnltfaS raaaA he
dens of the Grand Trianon, raised by
Louis Philippe, down to the level of
Louis XV's time, was only a question
of money and labor-the details of the
original layout exist
So far, around $4,000, 900 francs have
been spent. A lot, but nothing to what
the original cost, although materials
and labor were cheap then. The seed
from which Versailles bloSsomed mon
strously was the hunting lodge of the
moroSe Louis XIII, who built it as a
refuge from Paris court life which he
deteSted. When his son, who became
King at the age of and reigned for
q years, shook himself free from the
leading strings of a maSterful mother.
he started to transform the little two
stored building into country residence
70 which he could take Queen and
court. This was in 1862.
Married to the fair, fat, inoffensive
Marie Therese> of Spain, Louis XIV
found his new country seat a most con-
venlent place in which to entertain his
mlstreSses by fetes oStensibly given in
honor of the Queen. His first big af-
fair was In 1664-the fetes of the lie
Enchantee which celebrated his amor
Gus union with the delicate De la VAL
here. The festivities lasted a week.
Decides on Real Palace.
AaA
pretty women passed through the royal
cabinets Of the Kings new country
nome. He had such jolly week there
with a new love in 1858 that he de-
clded to make real palace Of the
place, and to bring the government into
1t from Paris. At his gesture architects
sculptors, painters, goldsmiths, garden
eTs. came running: There was plenty
of money. He had the entire resources
OF the nation to play with.
still. 1t was a big job. and they were
stu busy on it 10 years later, although
at one time $4,000 men were laborin9 in
the domain. It was a marvellous Alad-
dins palace-Gobelin tapestries, elabo-
rately painted ceilings, a sea of mirrors
IN the celebrated Galerie des Glaces.
silver furniture by BALM in the state
apartments IAN empty treasury and war
demands later compelled Louis to send
that silver furniture to the mint.
The state rooms were so vast that
their occupants had to huddle around
the f1res in Winter to warm themselves:
and In March, 1895, 1t is recorded that
the wine froZe in the glasses on the
royal dinner table.
Not that the dependents. servants
omctals and other small fry could COM
plain Of too much space. Mime. de
Staal. femme de chambre to the OUCH
esSe du Maine, came there from Sceaux
Sceaux had been pretty bad. She had
there IAN entreSol, so low and dark
that had to stoop when I walked,
and feel my way about" and in the
daytime she had to share this "hovel"
with premiere femme de chambre,
who passed her nights in the duchesse's
bed room.
The palace of Versailles should have
struck her like the Ritz-Carlton after
a park bench. But it did not. my
room at Versailles was even more
intolerable. No ray Of sunlight had
ever penetrated into It," Smoke some
times compelled her to leave the room
altogether. There was also Q had
smell.
Cramped Quarters Inevitable.
Cramped quarters for the rag-tag
and bob-tan were inevitable even in
that enormous chateau for the entire
court had to be crammed in. The
whole country was run now from the
palace, where the minister and all the
departments OF state were uuartered,
along with the great mobiles, the Condos,
the Guises, the Rohans, courtiers and
court functionaries princes and prin-
cesseS, ladies Of the palace. maids of
honor, dukes, marquises, bishops and
abbes-in all, 10000 people.
But the vast painted halls he con-
sidered an appropriate frame for the
man who was the state incarnate OPP
pressed Louis at times Besides, there
was no privacy. He dressed and I'M
dressed, prayed, ate and took medicine
In public. CA century later, at the
birth Of his first child, Louis XVI had
to fight his way through the throng
In the Queens bed room to open a
So one finds him slipping away to an
attic above the royal suite on the north
side Of the Cour de Marbre, where the
du Barry had her tiny apartment. He
liked to inclose himself with this
charmer In the small, stuffy nest, and
himself cook a tasty little supper for
them both. He was human.
For some years he was content u
escape thus to the little apartments &C.
cupied by the favorite beauty of the
moment. But at the height of his pas
sion for de Montespan-who bore hin
five children-he hit on the happy ides
of buying up hamlet mile of anc
building there a miniature porcelain
palace In which to enjoy the inperiou:
SIRENS charms.
Loses Charm for King.
When the freshness of his ardor fol
Nine. de Montespan wore of, the porce.
lain love nest lost its charm for thu
King. 1t boasted only one story. /
was not glorious enough. He had i
pulled down. In its place went up
regular palace Of marble and porphyry
with statues, fountains and gardens II
.ln.ac.