VERSAILLES

Otago Witness, Issue 3556, 9 May 1922, Page 25

VERSAILLES

LOUIS XIV AND “ THE GOLDEN AGE.” 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 muofe literary skill and grace and with piquant touches of humour that were a constant delight. In opening Dr Thompson explained that by “ The Golden Age ” of France he meant the golden age both in its history and in its 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 Granu Monarque ” “Le 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 longest in all history. The great culmination of regal splendour and magnificance was in this age 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 XIY. 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. Out of the confusion that followed his 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 tfie nobles and destroyed the power of the Huguenots, whom he disliked for their political aspirations. Richelieu’s one 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 XIH died at about the same time, and Louis XIV became King at the age of five. Cardinal Mazarin was nominated as Richelieu’s successor, arid he carried out the same colicy 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 Tfiouis. XIY 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 Ace.” It was said of Louis XIY that through every pore of his skin there breathed authority and 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, he 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 do what he liked with—“ L’et-at, 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 the gorgeous magnificence of the grounds and palace of Versailles., At one time 56,000 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. One of the pictures showed Moliere as one of the king’s valets de chambre making the royal bed. Racine was also attached to the king’s person. Bessuet 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 world-famed galleries and apartments, was next described. Among historic stories briefly reviewed were Louis’s breaking of Fouquet, his minister of finance, and the .unfathomed mystery of “ the man with the iron mask.” It was said that this secret would never be divulged till the Vatican gave up its secrets. It was certain that the man confessed before he died, arid 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 the Huguenots. This caused many of the host eitizens 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 the 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, ho briefly touched on the three dramatic events ssociated with the hall of glasses, Bismarck enforcing his terms after the Franco-Prus-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 oenturies round the palace of Versailles. Ho was accorded an enthusiastic vote of thanks.