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CHAPTER X.

LOUIS XIV. (continued).

“ Tout change: la raison change aussi de methode;

Edits, habillemens, systemes: tout est mode.”

Racine fils , Fpitre a Rousseau.

The point de France continued to be worn in the greatestprofusion during the reign of Louis XIY. The king affected hisnew-born fabric much as monarchs of the present day do theirtapestries and their porcelains. It decorated the church and herministers. Ladies offered “ tours de chaire a l’eglise de laparoisse.” 1 2 Albs, “ garnies d’un grand point de France brodeantique;” 3 altar-cloths, trimmed with Argentan, 3 appear in thechurch registers. 4 In a painting at Versailles, by old Watteau,representing the presentation of the grand dauphin to his royalfather, 1668, the infant is enveloped in a mantle of the richestpoint (Fig. 65); and point de France was selected by royalcommand to trim the sheets of holland used at the ceremony ofhis “nomination.” 5 At the marriages both of the Prince deConti and of Mademoiselle de lllois the toilette 6 presented bythe king was “garnie de point de France si haut qu’on ne voyait

1 “ Deux tours de cliaire de point deFrance dounez depuis quclques annetsper deux dames de la paroisse.”— 1m\ deleglise de Saint-Merry , a Paris. Arch.Nat. L. L. 859.

2 “ Inv. de Madame Anne Palatine deBaviere, Princesse de Conde.” Ibid. X.10,0G5.

3 “ Inv. de l’eglise de Saint-Gervais, hParis.” Ibid. L. L. 854.

4 The saints, too, came in for theirshare of the booty.

“ There was St. Winifred,” writes atraveller of the day, “ in a point commodewith a large scarf on and a loup in hand,

ns tlio’ she were going to mass. St.

Denis, wiih a laced hat and embroideredcoat and sash, like a captain of theguards.”— Six Weeks of France , 1691.

5 “ Toille de Hollande, avec des grandspoints de France.”— Le Ceremonial de laNomination de Monseigneur le Dauphin ,IG68. Arch. Nat. K. K. 1431.

6 “ Le Mercure Galant,” Juillet 1688.This periodical, which we shall haveoccasion so frequently to quote, was be-gun in 1G72, and continued to July 1716.It comprises, with the“ Extraordinaires,”

571 vols. in 12mo.

“Le Mercure de France,” from 1717to 1792, consists of 777 vols. Brunet.“ Manuel du Libraire.”

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