VERSAILLES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18512, 24 March 1922, Page 3

VERSAILLES

LOUIS XIT AND “ THE GOLDEN AGE.” LECTURE BY DR G. E. THOMPSON. After the formal business had been disposed of at the annual meeting of the University Literary Society on Wednesday night, the gifted president, Dr G. E. Thompson, held the large audience fascinated for nearly two hours with an illustrated account of the glories of the golden age of France. Dr Thompson is thoroughly master of the subject, and exploited its rich romance with much literary skill and grace and with piquant touches of humour that were a constant delight. In opening Dr Thompson explained that bv The Golden Age ”of France he meant thft golden age both in its history and in fts literature. He recalled the romantic scenes and figures summoned up by the name of "Old France.” Her geographical situation gave her a paramount influence in Europe so that the history of France was the history of Europe. The central figure of this age was Louis XIV, “Le Giana Monarquo ” - “Lo Roi Soleil,” the ruler who carried to a greater height than any other ruler of history the principle of personal monarchy. His reign of 72 years is the longesi in all history. The grea.t culmination of regal splendour and magnificence was in this ago not an accident, but was the outcome of long preparation. To make this clear Dr Thompson briefly outlined French history prior to the reign of Louis XIV. The first picture thrown on the wall was of " Le Grand Monarque” in the prime of life. The suggestion that all his influence lay in his gorgeous attire was not sufficient to account for his extraordinary power and influence. The curse of France at that time was that the kings came to the throne in their minority. The result was that the power was in the hands of the queen mother and was usually by her transferred to a foreign favourite. Young Louis XIII fell under the evil influence of an Italian favourite who formed the design of getting possession both of France and of the King, Cut of the confus’on that followed Ilia plottings emerged Cardinal Richelieu, the greatest, strongest, and wisest/ statesman that France ever knew. He ruled France for 17 or 18 years with a rod of iron, and the results of his policy were skilfully and clearly outlined. Richelieu destroyed the power of the nobles and destroyed the power of the Huguenots, whom ho disliked fur their political aspirations. Richelieu’s one weakness was literary ambition, and he aspired to be a great dramatist. He founded the French Academy which long held sway over the literary circles of France. Richelieu and Louis XIII died at about the same time, and Louis XIV became King at the ago of five. Cardinal Mazarin was nominated as Richelieu’s successor, and he carried out the same policy of aggrandisement of royal authority. The Government had for a time to yield to popular outbursts against Court aggression. Mazarin died in 1661, and young Louis XIV then announced to an astonished Court that he would have no Minister or Chancellor, but would rule himself. This marked the real beginning of “the Golden Ape.” It was said of Louis XIV that through every pore of his skin there breathed authority ond dignity. It was an extraordinary fact that during the 50 years of his reign there were more great names in all lines of life than in all the rest of the history of France put together. Among the great figures, lie specially mentioned were Conde Moliere, Racine, La Fontaine Bessuet, Mde De Sevigne, Descartes, Borleau, Fenelon, Pascal, La. Bruyere, and la Rochefoucauld. From boyhood Louis XIV was taught that the people were his to db what he liked with—“ L’etat, e’est moi.” The Louvre to him was associated with unpleasant memories of rioting people, and so he selected Versailles, about 10 miles from Paris, where he might have everything round him of his own creation. A number of excellent slides, well described, gave a vivid idea of tho gorgeous magnificence of the grounds ana palace of Versailles. At on© rime 36,000 workmen were employed upon it, and the cost even in those days was about £25,000,000. Inside the buildings splendour ran riot. It was not only the nobility of France, but also the litterateurs of the nation that were gathered in this vast palace. Ono of the pictures showed Moliere a* on© of tho king's valets de chambre making the royal bed. Ravine was also attached to the king’s person. Bossuet and Fenelon were tutors at the palace. After describing life in the palace. Dr Thompson illustrated and described the lavish and ordered beauty of the great park about the palace, with its wondrous fountains, statues, lawns, and walks. The gorgeous interior of the palace, with its wond-famed galleries and apartments. was next described. Among- historic stories briefly reviewed were Louisa breaking of Fouquet. his minister of finance, and iho unfaihomed mystery of " the man with the iron mask.” It was said that this secret would never b© divulged till the Vatican gave up its secrets. It was certain that tho man confessed before he died, _ and the record of this must be in the Vatican. Towards the close of his reign Louis revoked the Edict of Nantes, the charter of freedom of tho Huguenots. This caused many of the best citizens of France to fly to Flanders and to England to the permanent enrichment of those countries. The lecturer preceded to trace the decline of Versailles from tho death of Louis XIV to the Revolution. Its history was long determined bv the female favourites ,of Louis XV, after whom came the fatuously luxurious and ill-fated Marie Antoinette. To round off the history of Versailles, he briefly touched on the three dramatic events associated with the hall of glasses, Bismarck enforcing his' terms after the Franco-Prua-sian war, the crowning of the King of Prussia as Emperor of Germany, and the signing of the Versailles Treaty. In conclusion the lecturer briefly summed up the immense treasures of historic romance centred in two and a-quarter centuries round the palace of Versailles. Ho wa b accorded an enthusiastic vote of thanks.