to Kiss There are eight Clerks of the Chappel and Oratory that serve Quarterly two each Quarter before the King or before the Dauphin and his Children They have each 180 l. a year Wages paid by the Treasurers of the Houshold for three Months Service to the King and Diet at the Almoners Table at Court during their said three Months Service 75 l. a piece paid by the Treasurers of the Offrings for Furniture for the Kings Chappel 90 l. Wages or recompense at the Treasure Royal for serving every other year at the Dauphins and their diet at the Serdeau's or Deservers Table at the Dauphins and when no Table is kept half a Pistol a day for their diet as have the Chaplains 100 l. for Furniture for the Dauphins Chappel They have likewise every other year 90 l. recompense paid at the Treasure-Royal for three Months serving the Duke of Burgundy 270 l. for their diet at their quarters end paid at the Chamber of Deniers and 100 l. for the Furniture of that Chappel paid likewise at the Treasure Royal which makes up one year with another 580 l. Revenue yearly besides their diet at Court and some other profits as for Fees due to them from Bishops and others at their taking the Oaths of Allegiance to the King in his Chappel and Oratory c. Besides all this when his Majesty gives Mourning at any time to the Officers of his Houshold and of his Chappel the Clerks of the Chappel and Oratory have an equal allowance with the Chaplains as it was confirmed in 1684. at the Mourning for the late Queen Marie-Teresa of Austria the Clerks of the Chappel having allowed them on that occasion 50 Crowns as well as the Chaplains for every Marriage Celebrated in the Kings Presence his Majesty allows them 20 golden Lewis's paid by the Principal Valet de Chambre then in Waiting which are at present divided between the two Chaplains and the two Clarks of the Chappel who are in waiting at the time of such a Ceremony The Chaplains and Clarks of the Chappel in the absence of the Almoners may perform almost all the Functions which they might do if present being as it were their Vicars by their places You are to observe that of the three Officers last named viz. Of the Almoners Chaplains and Clarks of the Chappel when they go out of waiting with the King there enters into waiting with the Dauphin one Almoner one Chaplain and one Clark of the Chappel and with the Dauphins Children only one Chaplain and one Clark of the Chappel You are likewise to observe that in the general Account-Books of the Kings Houshold the Ecclesiastical Officers are called Masters and in the Book of Accounts of the Chamber of Deniers the first eight Chaplains and the eight other Clarks of the Chappel are equally placed under the Title of the Kings sixteen Chaplains There are two Grooms of the Chappel who have 600 l. a year each The 20th of December 1669. the King Created an Office of Master of the Ecclesiastical Ceremonies of his Chappel and Oratory which is at present vacant He began first to exercise the Functions of his place on All Saints day in 1668. and bore for a mark of his Office a Staff about the length of a Singing Mans Staff covered with Violet-coloured Velvet wrought with Flower de luces and headed with a Crown Royal and used to serve principally at high Masses Vespers and other Ecclesiastical Ceremonies where his Majesty was present or that were performed by his Order He had 1500 l. per annum Wages paid quarterly The 2d of December 1681. The King Created an Office of Vestry-Keeper of his Chappel and Oratory who has 900 l. a year Wages and 1095 l. a year for his Diet and takes an Oath of Fidelity in presence of the Lord Great Almoner Note The manner of taking the Oath of Fidelity is thus The Party who takes the Oath kneeling on his Knees puts his hands joined between the Kings or any other dignified persons hands who receives the said Oath and so pronounces the Oath and after Kisses the Gospels which are presented to him and this is the reason of the French Phrase Prèter serment entre les mains du Roy to take an Oath between the Kings Hands when they speak of taking one to him CHAP. XIII Of the Musick of the Kings Chappel THE Musick of the Kings Chappel is composed of a Master of the Kings Chappel-Musick who is at present the Archbishop of Reims c. and has under the name of Wages 1200 l. and 3000 l. more for his Table at Court paid at the Chamber of Deniers He receives the Oath of Fidelity from the four Chaplains for the High-Masses from five Clerks from the Musick-Masters Organists and Singers and others of the Chappel-Musick Four Masters of the Musick that serve each their quarter The first of these performs all the Ecclesiastical Functions of a Musick-Master during the half year beginning from January and besides during all the same time he has care of the nourishment Education and maintenance of the Pages of the Musick And the second has the like care of them during the other half year You are to take Notice that in the Account-Books of the smaller expences by which all Wages of the Chappel-Musick are payed they are only stiled Under-Masters of the Musick Two Composers of the Musick 50 Crowns Four Organists 600 l. They serve quarterly There are several Musicians that serve all by the half year at the ordinary allowance for Diet and Maintenance of 900 l. a year and the Pages of the Musick c. Two Fouriers or Harbingers of the Chappel of the Kings Musick serving by the half year Two Grooms and one Landrer of the Musick Chappel Of the Clergy of the Kings Houshold and Court in general Thus much of the Ecclesiastical Officers that serve about the King and other Royal Persons There are besides them other Ecclesiastical Officers appointed for the Kings Houshold and the whol-Court in general viz. Six Almoners of the Kings Houshold serving every six Months whereof the last was added in 1670. whereas there were but five before They have for their Wages a Denier being the twelfth part of a penny upon every Liver or twenty pence French out of the Wages of all the Officers Commoners of the Kings Houshold each receiving 331 l. 2 pence and 48 l. besides at the Chamber of Deniers for every half year Formerly they used to Bless the Meat at the ancient Table of the great Master and at that of the Stewards of the Houshold when they had their diet at Court and they likewise rendred thanks there placing themselves at the upper end of the Table At present they eat at Court at the Table called the Almoners Table The Confessor and Preacher of the Houshold or of the Commoners as they are called have an allowance of 300 l. a year and likewise his diet at the Almoners Table He takes an
his Bed-side upon a Cushion laid for him by his Almoner and when he has said his Prayers he comes back and sits down in his Chair where the Master of the Wardrobe draws off his Strait-Coat and Vest and Blue-Ribban as likewise his Cravat There are four Chief Valets of the Wardrobe that wait quarterly they present his Majesty his Socks and Garters in the Morning and at Night tie the Ribbans of his Shirt Their Salary and other allowances from the King amount to 2935 l. yearly and from the Dauphin to 862 l. Sixteen other Valets of the Wardrobe that are allowed by the King a Salary of 520 l. and their Diet at the Valets de Chambres Table and at the Dauphins when they wait there a Gratuity of 260 l. and a Crown a day for their diet Over these there is one Valet of the Wardrobe in Ordinary whose Salary is 1200 l. The Valets of the Wardrobe bring the King his Cloths and their particular Office is when the King rises to give him his Breeches his Stockings and his Boots when he puts on any They always draw off the Shoe Stocking or Boot from his Majesties left Leg. Besides this they give the great Master or the other Masters of the Wardrobe the Cloths they are to dress his Majesty with and present and put them on themselves in their absence or in the absence of the chief Valets of the Wardrobe on all other occasions when the King shifts any of his Cloths in the day time or when he plays at Tennis or comes from Hunting the Valets of the Wardrobe perform the same Duties At Night when the King is going to Bed and in the Morning when he rises before day the Chief Valet de Chambre gives one of the Lords then present that the King names to him the Wax-Light to hold whilst his Majesty is Dressing or Undressing There is one Mail-Carrier who has for Wages Diet and other allowances 2405 l. yearly When the King is on the march he is obliged to mount on Horseback with his Mail covered with a Horse-Cloth Embroidred with his Majesties Arms and Motto in gold In this Mail he carries a Suit of Cloths Linnen Ribbans a loose Gown and other things necessary to shift his Majesty He is mounted at the Kings Stables and has fresh Horses provided for him at every Stage where the King takes any that he may be able to follow him and not be obliged to quit him There are four Yeomen in Ordinary of the Wardrobe they have care of all the Kings Cloths and Linnen they have a yearly allowance of 80 Crowns paid them quarterly at the Treasure Royal and at the years end the Great Master of the Wardrobe gives them the greatest part of the Cloths his Majesty left off that year They also have the keeping of several wearing things set with precious Stones as of Swords garnished with Diamonds Crosses of the Kings Orders likewise set with Diamonds and the like rich Cloths They eat at the Valets de Chambre's Table All the whole Body of the Wardrobe that is all the Officers of it have the priviledge of the first Entry that is they are of the number of those that first enter into the Kings Chamber even before the King is out of his Bed or before he be come out of the Queens Chamber when there is one that they may have in readiness his Majesties Cloths The Taylors Are three in number their yearly allowance counting Wages Gratuities and all things is 1200 l. They make all the Kings Cloths and one of them is to be always at the Kings rising to be ready to do any thing belonging to his Function if there be need and they always put on the Kings new Cloths the first time he wears them There is one Starcher of the Body whose Salary is 600 l. and he has his Diet at Court And two Landrers of the Body serving six Months each whose Salary is 528 l. 15 d. There are besides these several other Officers for the Kings Cloths as Embroiderers Furriers Linnen-Drapers and others that furnish the Silver and Platework His Majesty by a Brief dated the 25th of July 1673. having given leave to the Great Master of the Wardrobe to entertain Tradesmen of all sorts that contribute to the furnishing of the Wardrobe to enter them upon the Books of the Establishment and let them enjoy all the Priviledges of Tablers in the Kings Houshold of which there are about 222 retained all at the rate of 60 l. yearly Salary The Intendants and Comptrollers General of the Chamber-Treasury and Privy-Purse They regulate all the Expences of the Chamber and Wardrobe There are two of them Their Wages and Fees are fixed in the Establishments of the ordinary Expences of the Chamber-Treasury besides which they are allowed 1200 l. yearly each for their Diet which is paid at the Chamber of Deniers They are called Intendants and Comptrollers of the Chamber-Treasury and of the Privy-Purse They examine the particulars of all that is brought into or delivered out of the Chamber-Treasury and the Privy-Purse and all the ordinary and extraordinary Expences thereunto belonging as well for the person as besides the Person of the King and keep a Register of them of which they give an account first before the Chief Gentlemen of the Bed-Chamber and afterwards to the Chamber of Accompts in the accustomed manner according to the Rolls particular Accounts and Acquittances comptrolled The expence for the Kings Person comprehends all Cloths Linnen and Jewels or other Ornaments for his Majesties own Wearing The expence besides his Person comprehends all Furniture and Silver or Plate-work for the Kings Apartments and all Extraordinary Expences made at Balls Comedies Mascarades Carouzels Turnaments and other Divertisements as likewise at Christenings Consecrations and Coronation of Kings and Queens Marriages Funeral Pomps Buryings Services for them when dead and Anniversaries They take the Oath of Fidelity before the Chancellor and at the Chamber of Accounts where they are sworn likewise to return into the said Chamber at the end of every Year their Comptrol of the Receit and Expence both Ordinary and Extraordinary of the Chamber-Treasury and Privy-Purse Of the Officers of the Cabinets or Closets and first of the Closet of Dispatches In the Closet or Cabinet of Business and Dispatches which by way of Excellence is simply called the Cabinet There are four Secretaries which in the Book of Establishment are stiled Secretaries of the Chamber and Closet who have for their Salary Diet and all things 9250 l. yearly They Stile themselves Councellours in Ordinary to the King in his Councils They serve the King in all his private Dispatches The Couriers of the Closet are appointed by the Secretaries of State and sent about on several businesses and dispatches Of the Closet of Books The King has a Closet of Books called otherwise the Library of the Kings Person in the Palace of the Louvre at Paris to which by
Letters Patents of the Month of August in 1658. All Persons that print any Books by Priviledge are bound to bring two Copies of the said Books The Keeper of it has a Salary of 1200 l. He has likewise one Closet of Rarities and a Library left him by his Uncle Gaston late Duke of Orleans and another Library called the Kings Publick Library which are both now kept by one Person under the Title of Intendant and Keeper of the Kings Library and of his Closet of Manuscripts Medals and Rarities both antient and modern who has a yearly Salary of 2400 l. and 1800 l. for his Diet. All that print Books by Priviledge are likewise bound to bring two Copies more of every the said Books to this Library There is likewise one Master of the Library stiled otherwise the Great Master of the Kings Libraries who has a Salary of 1200 l. After the Closets and Libraries of Books it will not be amiss to place the Lecturers Interpreters and Historiographers kept by his Majesty his Governours that brought him up and his Masters of Exercises There are two Lecturers of the Kings Chamber and Closet who are allowed yearly for their Salary and Diet 2600 l. each There are several Interpreters of Languages and Historiographers who have each 500 l. yearly Stipend He who was Governour to this present King in his Minority had a Salary of 48000 l. yearly under whom there were two Under-Governours whose Salary was 7500 l. each He had likewise several Masters for all sorts of Exercises as for Mathematicks Fencing Writing Designing Dancing Vaulting on Horseback playing on the Lute Guitarre c. There is one Master of the Tennis who has a Salary of 1200 l. Next is The Closet of Arms. The Keeper of which is stiled the Guardian and Artillery-Keeper in Ordinary to the King and has a Salary of 400 l. Then The Closet of Antiquities Where there are a great many rare Marble Figures The Keeper of which has 300 l. Salary To this belong One Chief Painter the Famous Monsieur le Brun Director or Super-Intendant of the Kings Closets and Pictures and of the Manufactures at the Gobelins at Paris and Chancellor and Principal Rector of the Academy of Painting and Sculpture who has 1200 l. Salary and 2000 l. for his Diet And One Painter in Water-Colours at 600 l. Salary There are still some other Companies reckoned as belonging to the Chamber as first those that have care of the Greyhounds of the Chamber The Captain or Serjeant of these has for his Salary and keeping the Dogs 1548 l. paid by the Treasurer of the Privy-Purse There are three Yeomen Keepers of the Grey-hounds that have 120 l. Salary and 186 l. Bord-Wages Next are The Birds of the Chamber Consisting of two Flights one for the Fields and another for the Mag-Pie The places belonging to the keeping of which have been Independant of the Great Falkners Office from the time of Henry the Great and upwards To the first Flight viz. For the Fields belong one Chief or Serjeant who is stiled Captain and Chief of the flight of the Kings Chamber for the Fields and has a Salary of 750 l and 323 l. for the keeping of six Birds One Master-Falconer who has 300 l. One Pricker or Marker of the flight at 250 l. Salary One Officer for the buying of Hawks and their Furniture at 490 l. More allowed for the Hens of the flight 140 l. One Groom-Keeper of the Spaniels of the Kings Chamber for the said Flight who has for his Salary and for the maintenance of eighteen Dogs and himself 1900 l. Belonging to the Flight of the Magpie There is likewise one Captain and Chief at 500 l. Salary besides an allowance of 273 l. 15 d. yearly for the feeding of five Hawks at 3 d. a day a piece One Master-Falconer at 300 l. One Pricker at 250 l. Another Pricker at 214 l. One Falconer-Fowler who has for his Salary and for furnishing fresh Birds 450 l. yearly Besides these There was a new Flight of Birds set up in 1676 under the Title of the Falconry in Ordinary for all sorts of Birds to fly all the year and at the Army it self for the maintenance of which the Captain or Serjeant of them is allowed out of the Kings own Cash-Box 16000 l. which is paid by the Chief Valets de Chambre There are likewise The little Dogs of the Kings Chamber Whose Keeper has 1446 l. Salary and 200 l. for a Livery-Coat He keeps the Dogs that are given the King for Hunting as Setting-Dogs and Dogs for Shooting Flying c. The Kings Pastry-Cook delivers out every day seven Biskets for the Kings little Dogs As for those who in their Certificates of Service are called the Trumpeters and Drummers of the Chamber because they are entred in the Books of the Establishment of the great Stable and are sworn by the Great Master of the Horse I shall rather speak of them when I come to treat of the Great Stable Of the Anti-Chamber Before you come to the Kings Chamber there is an Anti-Chamber into which the Usher lets no Body enter but those he has order to let in or that have business there Note That no person ought to walk up and down in the Anti-Chamber When the King eats in publick the Table is commonly spread for him in the Anti-Chamber and there whether it be at Dinner or Supper he is commonly served with Ceremony After having treated of the Bed-Chamber Wardrobe and Bed-Chamber it will be next most proper to speak of the Keepers of the Houshold-Stuff or moveables above Stairs and their under Officers There is one Intendant and Comptroller-General of the Houshold-Stuff and Moveables of the Crown whose Salary by a Brief of the 16th of May in 1667. were fixed at 3600 l. yearly One Keeper-General of the Moveables of the Crown who has for his own Salary and for keeping two men under him 2000 l. Three Yeomen Keepers at 200 l. a piece Two Pack-Carriers and a Porter One Keeper of the Moveables and Furniture for the King and Ambassadours at 600 l. There remain still three Articles belonging to the Chamber which may properly enough follow here viz. The Musick of the Chamber the Gentlemen in Ordinary of the Houshold and the Officers of Health as the Physicians Chyrurgeons c. Of the Musick of the Chamber This Musick serves the King commonly at Nights when he goes to Bed and at his Dinner and at Hymns of Praises and Thanks Sung on Festival Days and on Corpus-Christi Day they alone Play and Sing at the reposing Altars erected for that Solemnity At great Ceremonies it joins with the Chappel-Musick as at the Kings Coronation and Marriage at the Creation of Knights at Funeral Pomps and Tenebras and is placed always on the side of the Epistle There are two Super-Intendants of the Musick that serve by turns half a year a piece who have a yearly Salary of 660 l. and an
allowance of 131 l. 12 d. a Month for their Diet. The Super-Intendant of the Musicks Office is to examine the Voices and Instruments that compose it that so his Majesty may have good Musick All that is to be sung by this Musick is first to be concerted in his presence and he may if he please keep a Page with him There are two Masters of the Children of the Musick who have the charge of keeping and instructing the three Pages of the Musick of the Chamber and have a Salary of 720 l. These Masters in the absence of the Super-intendant officiate for him There is one Composer of the Musick who may if he please be always doing and beating the Measures of his Works before they come to be examined by the Super-Intendant He that now enjoys this place is the Famous Baptist Lully an Italian by Nation whose Salary is 600 l. There are besides several Singers and Players on Instruments belonging to this Musick who have each a Salary of 600 l. and an allowance of 800 l. for their Diet and 80 Crowns for their Horses to follow the Court. There is likewise a Band of Violins called still the great Band of 24 though they be at present 25 who have each a Salary of 365 l. and play at the Kings Dinner and at Balls and Comedies And another lesser Band called the little Violins in number 21 who have each 600 l. Salary They follow the King along the Country and commonly play at his Supper and at Balls and other his Majesties Recreations with whom at certain Ceremonies as at Coronations Entries into Towns Marriages and other great Solemnities and Rejoicings the other Band of the Violins of the great Stables together with the Hoboys and other Musick of which we shall speak in their place are made to play There is likewise one Usher in Ordinary and Advertiser of the Balets and one Keeper of the Musick-Instruments instead of the two Dwarfs which were used to be specified in the Book of Establishment who have each a Salary of 300 l. Note that whether it be to insinuate the Grandeur of the Kings and Sons of France above all other Soveraign Princes or for some other reason is uncertain it is the Custom in the Court of France that when the Musick of the Kings Chamber by his Majesties Order goes to play before any of the Princes of the Blood except the Sons of France or before any other Princes though they be Soveraign if those Princes put on their Hats the Musick of the Kings Chamber put on their Hats too Thus they did before the Duke of Lorrain at Nantes in the year 1626. but at Perpignan in the year 1642. the Prince of Morgues being told of this Priviledge choser rather to hear the Musick Bare-headed The same thing was observed at the Palace of Mazarin before the Princes of Modena and Mantua in presence of the late Cardinal Mazarin Of the Gentlemen in Ordinary of the Kings Houshold They were Created by Henry the Third to the number of 48 but Henry the Great reduced them to 24. They are entred upon the Book of Establishment and divided into two Bodies as serving each their half year although they observe not so exactly that Order in Waiting The last King Lewis the XIII having exiled one of these Gentlemen and given his place to another the Queen Anne of Austria being Regent re-establisht him that was Exiled without Discarding the other that held his place so that and since that another place was added by way of recompense to a Gentleman for Voyages he had made to Constantinople both which places are still continued so that there are at present 26 but the number to which Henry the IV. reduced them was but 24. They ought to keep near the Kings Person to receive his Commands and when the King has any business to negotiate in Foreign Countries any Troops to be conducted to the Army or to be disposed of into Winter-Quarters when he has occasion to have his pleasure Communicated in the Provinces of his Kingdom and in the Parliaments and Soveraign Courts he commonly makes use of these Gentlemen in Ordinary He likewise makes use of them in all Complements of Congratulation or Condoleance he has a mind to send to other Kings and Sovereign Princes upon any subject of Joy or Affliction befallen them or when he would sound their intentions in any actions that seem to have been done by their Ministers and owned by them as also when he is pleased so far to honour any of the Princes and great Lords of his Kingdom so far as to send to visit them or to present them any Dignities Offices or Marks of Honour from him When the King goes to the Army they have the honour to be his Aids de Camp and if any Prisoners of note be taken his Majesty charges them with the Conduct of them so far as to the Fortresses where his pleasure is to have them kept They are also appointed by the King to attend on Princes and Princesses Exiled that come into France At the Funeral Solemnities of any Children of France they have the Honour to hold up the Corners of the Pall. The King usually commits to them the Government of some young Prince or other They have every of them a Salary of 2000 l. a year which is paid them at the Treasure-Royal upon an establishment apart They had formerly too a Table to themselves but at present they eat at the old Table of the Great Master otherwise called the Table of the Masters of the Houshold They had once a Chief over them who was the Constable of Luynes who had been one of them but they desired his Majesty they might have no more Nor has this Order of Gentlemen onely produced one Constable but several Marshals of France and Knights of the King Orders as the Marshal de Toiras the Marshal de Marillac and several others And because in all Books of Establishments made for the Kings Houshold the Physicians and other Officers relating to the preservation or recovery of health are always placed next after those of the Chamber we shall therefore observe the same Order and speak now Of the Kings Physicians and other Officers of Health Under these two Titles are comprehended First The Physicians 2. The Chyrurgions 3. The Apothecaries 1. The Physicians are The Chief Physician has a Salary of 3000 l 2000 l. Board-Wages at the Chamber of Deniers 16000 l. for his Maintenance 3000 l. for his Coach and abundance of other Gratuities and Perquisites He has a very great Power and can License any to practice Physick though they never passed the formalities of taking Degrees in that Science Note That the Chief Physician sometimes gives Orders in the Kitchin what Diet shall be provided for his Majesty and how when he is under a Course of Physick The first Physicians of the King the Queen the Dauphin and Dauphiness though they be not Doctors of the Faculty
though they have not the Stage that is the usual time of Residence and Officiating there from which they are exempt The Priviledges of the Chyrurgions By a Declaration of Lewis the Thirteenth in favour of his Chyrurgions viz. to his Chief Chyrurgion in Ordinary and to eight other Chyrurgions in Ordinary quarterly Waiters they are priviledged to keep or cause to be kept open Shop and set out a Chyrurgeons Sign with the Kings Arms Exclusive to all Chyrurgeons who are forbid to molest them under pain of being fined 3000 l. and paying all Costs Dammages and Interest in Case of Contravention which concludes thus Given at Paris the 26th of August in the year of our Lord 1636. and of our Reign the Twenty Seventh Signed Lewis and Lower De Lomenie And on the side is written the Registring of it in the Parliament of Paris the 28th of March 1637. Collationed or Compared and Signed Farcette Which is confirmed by a Decree of Verification in Parliament the 18th of July 1637. There is a Declaration of the late Queen Mother for her four Chyrurgions of the 20th of October 1637. Verified by a Decree of the 20th of April 1638. Another Declaration of the late Duke of Orleans for five of his Chyrurgeons of the 26th of February 1638. Verified by a Decree of the 7th of September 1638. And lastly Another Declaration of the late Prince of Condé for four of his Chyrurgeons of the 29th of January 1639. Verified by a Decree of the 23d of March following Besides which there is an Order of the Court for the Master-Chyrurgeons at Paris Importing a Confirmation of the Declarations made in their favour in 1642. The Priviledges of the Life-guard Men. By a Decree or Order of the Privy-Council bearing date the 27th of June 1651. given against the Court of Aids of Rouen after several Suits of Law the Kings Life-guards are maintain'd in their Quality of Squires and in their exemption from Taxes and all other Impositions A like Sentence was given by the Council of State the 4th of June 1653. in favour of the Guards of the Gate Other Priviledges belonging to all the Officers of the Kings and other Royal Houses All the Officers and menial Servants of the Kings and of other Royal Housholds excepting a few whose Offices are too mean are noble that is are Gentlemen by their Places if they be not so otherwise as long as they are in Place and may bear a Crest above their Coats of Arms. All the Officers of the seven Offices of the Chamber and others wait always with their Swords by their sides unless it be when they are troublesome to them and may wear them always both in the Louvre and elsewhere Most of the Officers have the Quality of Squires if they be Sword-men or of Counseller if Gown-Men and are called Officers in Ordinary though they are but Quarterly or Half-yearly Waiters They enjoy all the Priviledges of Gentility Safeguards exemption from Taxes and other Duties Committimus c. as we have shewn above CHAP. XXVII Of the Military Officers and Troops of the Kings Houshold THE Kings of France have always kept several Guards for their Security and to preserve a Life that is the Lives of their Subjects We read in Gregory of Tours in the eighth Chapter of his seventh Book that Gontran King of Orleans or of the Burgundian part of France seeing his two Brothers Sigebert King of Mets or Austrasia being that part of France towards Germany including Lorrain and the Neighbouring Provinces and Chilperic King of Paris and of Soissons had been assassinated placed a great Guard about his Person about the year 587. without which he never went to Church or to his Recreations So upon different occasions the Guards have been reinforced and augmented Philip Augustus being in the Holy Land in the year 1192. established Serjeants at Arms or Mace-Bearers as may be seen in the Great Chronicles where the Old Historian La Montagne speaking of the Assasines or rather Arsacides a Desperate sort of people of Syria whom their Princes used to send to assasinate the most couragious and active Princes among the Christians uses these words When the King says he heard this news be began to be fearful of himself and by advice of his Council resolved to have his Person well guarded and chose Serjeants with Macis well armed and accoutred who were night and day to attend him to guard his Person The said King made use of the said Serjeants at the Battel of Bouvines who behaved themselves that day so valiantly that St. Lewis in the year 1229. founded for them in memory of that action the Church of St. Catharine du Val of the Scholars of Paris according to an Inscription to be seen upon two Stones at the entring into the said Church which contains these words At the intreaty of the Serjeants at Arms Monsieur St. Lewis founded this Church and laid the first stone of it for Joy of the Victory obtained at the Bridge of Bouvines in the year 1214. The Serjeants at Arms then in being had the keeping of the said Bridge and vowed to God that if he would give them the Victory they would found a Church and dedicate it to St. Catharine which was performed accordingly Where it is remarkable that there are four Serjeants at Arms represented upon those two Stones but in a different manner There are two upon one of them holding in their hands their Maces at Arms and armed Cap-a-pee to represent the Serjeants at Arms as they were in the Army and upon the other stone there are two more whereof one is Clothed with a Coat with great Sleeves cut in Labels wearing a Collar hanging down upon his Breast and I suppose that signifies the Usher at Arms Waiting at the Door of the Chamber for still to this day the Ushers of the Chamber bear Maces on Festival days to guard the Kings Person in the Day-time The other is wrapped up in a long Cloak well furred with shaggy furr with a Bonnet on his Head and his Mace in his hand which represents the Serjeants at Arms that watched by night And Du Tillet in his Chapter of the Marshals pag. 282. writes that some of them were appointed to carry Maces before the King in the day time and were called Vshers at Arms whose place is now supplyed by the Ushers of the Kings Chamber and others to guard his Chamber in the night time These Guards then took their name from the Arms they used and so when they quitted the Mace to take the Bow they were called Archers Charles the Seventh entertained a Guard of Scotch selected out of the Auxiliary Forces brought over to him by the Earls of Bucan Douglas and other Scotch Lords to drive the English out of France Philip de Comines calls them the Silver Guards because their Coats or Jackets called Hoquetons were set with spangles of Silver and Goldsmiths Work Lewis the Eleventh being at Puiseaux on the 4th
and their Attendants and First Of the Great Almoner of France THE Present Great Almoner of France is the Cardinal of Boüillon who by his Place is Commander of the Kings Orders He was named to this Office of Great Almoner of France the 10th of December 1671. And after having taken the usual Oath on that occasion to the King accordingly took possession of it the 12th of the same Month. He succeeded therein the late Cardinal Barberin Nephew to Pope Vrban the VIII High Chamberlain of the Holy Church Archbishop and Duke of Reims and first Duke and Peer of France who died the 3d of August 1671. He has of ancient standing Wages fixed in the general pay-Pay-Book of the Houshold 1200 l. a year and 1200 more under the name of a Pension 6000 l. for his Table and Livery 3000 l. paid him by the Treasurer of the Mark of Gold on the 1st of January and 3000 more by the same Treasurer as Commander by his place of the Kings Orders making in all 14400 l. French which is about 1108 l. Sterling The Great Almoner of France is by vertue of his Place Commander of the Kings Orders And He or his Great Vicars are commonly appointed to make the Inquests of the Lives and Manners of the Knights of those Orders and to receive their profession of Faith Roillard and Loiuseau and some other Authors affirm that he is an Officer of the Crown This Office is in France the Solstitium honorum or highest Pinacle of Ecclesiastical Honour and has accordingly been almost always honoured with the Purple and possest by Cardinals Though in all times there always was a Head of the Court-Clergy yet he never bore the Title of Great Almoner of France tell the time of Francis the First who Created Antony Sanguin Gardinal of Meudon Great Almoner of France though even in the time of Charles the VIII Geffrie of Pompadour Bishop of Perigneux began to take that Title as appears in the Chamber of Accounes by the Account he gave of the Kings Alms in the year 1489 but was not followed in it till the said Reign of Francis the First The Great Almoner takes an Oath of Fidelity to the King He gives the usual Certificates of the Oaths of Fidelity taken by all new Archbishops and Bishops in France and in partibus infidelium as likewise by any General of the Order by Grand Priors of the Order of Malta in France who are Grand Priors of France by those of St. Giles or of Provence of Champagne of Aquitain and of Auvergne and by some Abbots for formerly all Abbots and Abbesses did likewise take Oaths of Fidelity to the King He likewise presents to the King the Book of the Holy Gospels when he is to swear solemnly to any Alliance as appeared in the Church of Nostre Dame at Paris at the Renewing of the Aliance with the 13 Swisse-Cantons performed the 18th of November 1663. He marches at the Kings right Hand in all Processions and when the King permits any Officers to sit down in his Presence during Sermon or other Church-Service the Great Almoners Seat is on his Majesties right Hand The Great Almoner has the Charge of Goal Deliveries usually made by Kings at their coming to the Crown at Kings and Queens Coronations at their Marriages at their first Entries into any Cities of the Kingdom at the Birth of any Children of France at the great Annual Festivals at Jubilies upon any signal Victory or Conquest and upon other occasions 'T is he that Disposes of the Revenue appointed for the Kings Alms and that gives Order for the making the necessary Ornaments ordinarily used in the Chappel he goes when he pleases and performs the Service as at the Kings rising and going to Bed to assist at the Kings Prayers at Royal Feasts or at the Kings ordinary Meals to crave a Blessing and give Thanks and at Mass where he takes the Kings Prayer-Book from the Clerks of the Chappel of the Oratory to present it to the King as likewise the springsing Brush when Mass is done to give the King some Holy Water He Accompanies the King when he goes to the Offertory from his praying Desk to the Altar The same Functions are also performed by the Chief Almoner or in his absence by the other Almoners He does likewise other Functions if he please to be present at all the Ceremonies that are done as on the days the King touches for evil He administers the Communion to his Majesty and other Sacraments of which he has need He is the Bishop of the Court as the Abbot of Peyrat one of the Kings Almoners shows in his Antiquities of the Chappel Royal and performs several Episcopal Functions in any Diocess where-ever it be that the Court is without asking leave of the Bishops of the places He Baptizes the Dauphins the Sons and Daughters of France the Princes and all others for whom the Kings and Queens or any Children of France are please to stand Godfathers or Godmothers for whether in person or by Proxy He affiances and marries in the Kings Palace Princes and Princesses You are to observe that on a Communion-day the Great Almoner with his Crosier and Miter gives the Absolution without asking leave of the ordinary or else appoints another Bishop to do it in his stead according to the practise used in Cathedrals 'T is he if he be in the Chappel that gives the King the Gospel and the Pax to kiss on certain Festivals and when his Majestry Communicates He gives the Ashes to their Majesties and the usual Dispensation for eating Eggs and Flesh in Lent The Abbot of Peyrat in his Book of the Antiquities of the Chappel Royal brings Examples to show that the Great Almoner gives permission to the Court Clergy to Contract and Marry and Officers in the Kings Service without any need of their going to a Parish Church He apoints those of the same Clergy to hear the Confessions of the Kings Officers especially on the great Festivals of the year and at Easter and to administer the Sacraments to them when they desire it and when they are sick The power of the great Almoner extends it self yet further out of the Kings Chappel and Household He has the disposing of all places in the Hospitals of France and he has power to appoint Vicars throughout all the Provinces and Diocesses of the Kingdom to take an account of the Revenues of the said Hospitals but he appoints one Vicar General who has power over the rest The Great Almoner has likewise power in the University of Paris over the 17 Lecturers of the Royal Colledge over the Colledge of Mr. Gervase and over that of Navarre He has the gift of the Scholars and Principals Places in those Colledges where he has the right of Visiting He has also the Super-Intendance of the Hospital of the Fifteen-score blind People at Paris of that of the sixscore blind at Chartres and of
that under the said Count of the Stable or Constable took care of the Horses For some time there were several of these Squires or Master of the Horse of equal Command in the Kings Stables as in the time of Philip the Long when there was no Great Master but only four Masters of the Horse entred in the Book of the Establishment for though the same King in 1319. made one Henry de Braybant Great and Chief Marshal of his Stables yet he had not the Title of Great Master neither do we find any mention of the said Title till the reign of Charles the Seventh who made Pothon de Saintrailles and Tanneguy du Chatel Great Squires or Masters of the Horse of France The Great Master of the Horse or Grand Squire or Querry of France for so his Title imports in French carries as a Mark of his Office the Royal Sword in the Scabbard with the Belt both which are covered with Purple-Velvet set with Flower deluces of Massy Gold and the Handle of it is of Massy Gold with Flower-deluces of the same the Buckles of the Belt are likewise of Gold And he bears the Figure of the said Sword on each side of his Coat of Arms. He takes the Oath of Fidelity to the King Himself and he receives it from almost all the rest of the Officers of the Stables He has by his place the power of Deposing of almost all the vacant Offices in the great and little Stable of the Haras or Nursery of Horses and their Dependencies As of the Places of Gentlemen of the Horse or Querries of his Majesties Great Stable of Bearers of the Swords of State of Heralds and Pursuivants at Arms of Cloak-Carriers and Carriers of Gabans or Felt-Coats or Cloaks of Governour Under-Governour and Tutor of the Pages of the Stables of the Almoners Chief Valets Harbingers Coach-men Farriers Great Foot-men Grooms and other places of Officers that actually serve in the great and little Stables and in the Haras or Nursery of Horses of the Ordinary and Extraordinary Riders of both Stables of the Hoboys Violins Bag-Pipers Trumpeters Drummers and Flutes and of all Tradesmen and Workmen that make or furnish any thing to either of the Kings Stables And though the Great Master happen to be imployed elsewhere out of Court or out of France it self nay though he should happen to fall under the Kings Displeasure and be made a Prisoner of State yet till the very Day of his Death he has ever been known to retain the power of Disposing of the said places the Respect of the Kings of France to the dignity of this Office being so great that they have not yet taken it from any in possession of it till they took their Lives as was well seen in the time of the late King Lewis the Thirteenth during the Disgrace of Monsieur de Belle-garde and the Imprisonment of Monsieur de Cinq-mars The Great Master of the Horse has the management of all Monies allowed for the Expences of the Kings Stables and Nursery of Horses as likewise for the maintenance of the Gentlemen-Querries Pages and Officers serving and retained in the Stables and of the Great-Horses Race-Horses and Horses belonging to the Kings Coaches and Waggons and for the Wages Fees Gratuities and Payments of all the Officers of the Stables and of the Merchants or Tradesmen for necessaries they have furnished for any use thereunto belonging as also for Liveries and other Cloths order'd for any of the said Officers and for the Hoquetons or Coats Strait-Coats and Cloaks of the Kings Life-guard-men for the Coats of his Guard of 100 Suissers for the Strait-Coats of Guards of the Gate for the Coats called Hoquetons of the Guards of the Provost of the Houshold and for the Campagn-Coats of the Musketeers and lastly for the Expences of Coaches Waggons and Coverings of the Mules of the Kings Chamber and of the other Offices of his Houshold All the Officers above-named are sworn by him and cannot enjoy any Priviledges and Exemptions annexed to their places till they be Entred upon the Establishments that are fixed and signed by him No Querry or Professor of Horsemanship can set up an Academy to instruct young Gentlemen in Warlike Exercises or any other things proper for noble persons to learn without the Order and Permission of the Great Querry or Master of the Horse of France first obtained The Office of Post-Master General was annexed to that of Great Master of the Horse but was dismembred from it by Henry the Great and still remains so being at present enjoyed by the Great Secretary of State Monsieur Louvois who has as Post-Master General 1200 l. a year Board-Wages paid at the Chamber of Deniers The late King had once promised Monsieur Cinq-mars then Great Master of the Horse to re-annex the Post-Masters Office to that of the Great Master of the Horse but the said Monsieur Cinq-mars being afterwards Imprisoned and Executed for High-Treason that intention came to nothing The Great Master of the Horse has the Honour to have place in his Majesties Coach next the Princes of the Blood and when he is abroad on Horseback he rides next his Person He makes use of the Pages Footmen and Horses of the Kings Stables at his pleasure When the King is on the march for any Warlike Expedition or in the Body of an Army the Great Stable is lodged nearest him before the little Stable but in any Journey wherein he marches not upon any Warlike design nor in a Body of an Army the little Stable is placed nearest his Majesties Lodgings When the King makes his first Entry on Horse-back into any City within his Kingdome or into any Conquered Town where he is to be received with great Ceremony the Great Master of the Horse rides directly before the Kings Person carrying his Majesties Royal Sword in a Sheath of Purple-Velvet set with Flower-deluces of Massy Gold hung in a Belt of the same Stuff and Colour and on a Horse Caparison'd with the same And the Canopy born over his Majesties Head on that occasion is his Fee He rode in this manner at the Solemnity made for the Majority and at the Entry of their Majesties into Paris and it is to be noted likewise that at the Ceremony of the Majority he took his Seat in the Palais or Parliament-House on the right hand of the Great Chamberlain who always sits at the Feet of the Kings Bed of Justice He also bears the said Sword at Funeral Solemnities At the publick Entries of Kings and other great Solemnities He Orders the Trumpeters Hoboys Violins Flutes Tabourins Sackbuts Cornets and Drums to sound and Play for the greater State and Solemnity of the Feast At the Kings Death all the Horses of the Stables and Nursery and all the Harness and Furniture belonging to them fall to the Great Master of the Horse Every time the King Orders any Money for making any new Coaches for himself he
grants out a Warrant for a thousand Crowns to the Great Master of the Horse for a new Coach for him too All new Horses that are brought to Paris do or ought to go and do homage to the King at his Great Stables that is ought first to be carried and shown to the Great Master of the Horse before they are offred to Sale who retains such of them as he thinks his Majesty may have need of or that may be useful for his Service paying very justly a good price for them to the Owners There are as we have already hinted two Stables a greater and a lesser we shall first speak Of the Great Stable He that has charge of the Great Stable next under the Great Master of the Horse and Officiates in his absence is called the first or chief Querry or Master of the Great Stable He has a Salary of 600 l. and 265 l. Board-Wages He is Sworn by the Great Querry or Master of the Horse and is put in by him as are the other Officers of the Kings Stables in the Book of Establishment He is stiled only Querry or Gentleman of the Horse in Ordinary of the Great Stable He has his Lodgings in the Buildings belonging to the Great Stable The other Officers of the Great Stable may be divided into three ranks or sorts 1. The persons and Officers that daily serve at the Great Stable 2. Those that belong to the Haras or Nursery of Horses And 3. The Officers of Ceremony or those Officers of the said Great Stable that are made use of only at Great Ceremonies 1. Then the Officers actually serving at the Great Stables are Three Querries or Gentlemen of the Horse in Ordinary who have each a Salary of 400 l. and 500 l. Board-Wages They instruct and teach the Pages and one of them had the Honour to teach the Dauphin to ride There are a great number of others so called but seldom any are seen to serve but these Three Under-Querries Nineteen Pages for there is pay allowed but for so many in the Books of the Establishment though there be commonly many more that they be augmented and diminished at pleasure The Pages are instructed in Riding Fencing and all other Exercises fit for Gentlemen One Governour in Ordinary of the Pages Two Under-Governours One Tutor in Ordinary One Almoner or Chaplain in Ordinary They have besides for other things A Master of the Mathematicks a Master to teach them Fencing and other Warlike Exercises a Dancing-Master a Vaulting-Master for both Stables a Writing-Master and a Master to teach them to design One Cash-Keeper and Provider And one Genealogist of the Stables This last Office was Created by Letters Patents bearing date the 22th of September 1643. To draw up and examine the proofs of all the Pages admitted into the Kings great or little Stable Which Letters express that his Majesty had set up that Office to prevent for the future the introducing of any abuses in the admission of the Querries and Pages that the service and honour of his Royal House obliged him to retain in his Stables and to know by that means the true Extraction of all such as should present themselves to be admitted who by the Exercises there practised were to add the happiness of being useful to him and the State to the goodness of their Birth that so according to the intention of the Kings Predecessors no person might be admitted into that Body unless he were a Gentleman both by Name and Arms at least by four Paternal Descents or Generations Next there are Four Chief Valets or Waiting-men of the Pages Two Ushers of the Kitchin with their Two Aids or Helpers One Chief or Head of the Office with his Aid or Helper Forty two Great Footmen of the Great Stable who serve two quarters in the year by turns twenty one every other quarter having a Salary for every quarter they serve of 250 l. 10 d. a piece so that in all they have every one 501 l. a year These Footmen sometimes carry up the Kings Meat as in the Army at little Huntings or Huntings of small Game and on all Days and occasions of Ceremony as on Twelfth-Day and when the King treated the Popes Legat and the Suisser Ambassadours and then the Pages fill the Drink and serve as Cup-Bearers Eight Harbingers who have a Salary of 165 l. Ten Coachmen and Conductors of Waggons and Coach-Waggons at 180 l. Salary and three Postilions who are allowed 2600 l. for their Cloaths and eight Farriers Forty Masters or Head-Grooms at 180 l. and fifty Aids or Helping-Grooms and several Riders There are besides many other Officers and Retainers belonging to the Kings Stables as Physicians Chyrurgions Apothecaries Fencing-Masters Vaulters Cooks Landrers and others There are 160 Horses in the Great Stable the keeping of which with what is expended in Medicines for them and Spurs Shoes Harness Sadles Caparisons Horse-Cloaths Bits Bridles and other Furniture must needs amount to a very considerable summ There is one Keeper of the Moveables of the Great Stable and a vast number of Tradesmen that furnish necessaries to both Stables as Horse-Merchants Sadlers Coach-Makers Wheel-wrights Armorers Sword-Cutlers Drapers Taylors Linnen Drapers and others Some Officers of the Houshold have Livery Horses kept for them at the Great Stable as the Mail-Carrier or else they are allowed Money for their Horses and Stabling as the Conductor of the Hackny the Advertiser the Yeoman or Groom of the Bottles the Groom of the Vessels and the Groom of the Fruitry 2. The Haras or Nursery Of Horses consists of a great number of Horses of the Kings own Breed and reared under the care of his Officers for that purpose viz. of Stallions Mares Colts and others which are kept at a place called St. Leger near Montfort L' amaury Over these there is one Chief Querry or Master who is called the Captain of the Haras or Nursery of Horses Fourteen Keepers of the Haras or Nursery who have 130 l. 18 d. yearly Salary two Grooms at 128 l. 15 d. and their Aids or Helpers and the Farriers that shoe the Horses who have each 50 l. Chyrurgions and Apothecaries at 100 l. and several other Officers of the Nursery and one Physician of the Officers 3. The Officers of Ceremony or that serve at Ceremonies are First The Heralds at Arms who are thirty in number whereof the first is King at Arms and is Stiled Mont-joye St. Denis The other twenty nine are Dukes at Arms and take the Names of several Provinces in the Order following Titles of Heralds Of Burgundy Of Alençon Of Brittany Of Poitou Of Artois Of Angōuleme Of Berry Of Guienne Of Picardie Of Champagne Of Orleans Of Provence Of Anjou Of Valois Of Languedoc Of Tolouze Of Auvergne Of Normandie Of Lyonnois or the County of Lyons Of Dauphiné or the Dauphinate Of Bresse Of Navarre Of Périgord Of Xaintonge Of Tourain Of Bourbonnois or the Country of Bourbon Of Alsatia
Company two Gallons of Table-Wine twelve Loaves out of the Kings own Pantry a Side of Veal a whole Sheep and four Fowls And in the Holy Week they have prayer-Prayer-Books and Linnen-Cloth given them and on Candle-mass and Corpus-Christi Days Wax-Gandles they enjoy the same Priviledges as Commoners of the Kings Houshold and are Squires by their Places that Quality having been confirmed to them by several Declarations and Decrees Of the Guards called the Guards de la Manche or of the Sleeve They are twenty five in number counting the Chief or first Man at Arms of France who has 300 l. Salary The other twenty four have 570 l. yearly allowance and their Diet at the Kings Serdeau's or Water-Servers Table They are divided into six Brigades allowing six to each Brigade When any of these Guards de la Manche fail to come and do Duty the King causes their Places to be supplied by some of the Gentlemen of his Life-Guards They wait two and two always at the King's Sleeve whence they have their Name only at Great Ceremonies they are six They are chosen out of the Scotch Company of Guards Their particular Functions are as follows When the King is to go to any Church or Chappel to hear Mass Vespers Tenebres or Sermon or to assist at any Christning or Marriage two Guards of the Sleeve or Manche always goes thither before and wait for the King in their white Hoquetons or Jackets set with Gold and Silver Spangles with Partisans fringed with silver in their hands with Damaskt Blades When his Majesty is come they keep on each side of him always standing but only just at the time of the Elevation with their Faces towards the King to have an Eye on all sides upon his Sacred Person When the King eats in publick at home either alone or with the Queen or any other Royal Person whether at Dinner or Supper two Guards of the Sleeve Habited and Armed after the same manner keep always on each side of him in the same posture that is to say standing upright with their Faces turned towards his Person Every two Nights in three one of the Guards de la Manche or of the Sleeve goes at Midnight to the Principal Gate of the Louvre or of any other of the Kings Palaees some time before the Watch is called that is to say the Officers and Guards that are to compose the Court of Guard that are to do Duty that Night at the Gate where he receives the Keys from the hands of one of the Guards of the Scotch Company to whom only the Guards of the Gate deliver the Keys at six a Clock every Night And he is to keep these Keys till the Watch be called and then he is to shut all the Doors and when he is called by the Clerk of the Watch to answer in Scotch I am here and at the same time to present the Keys to the Captain of the Guards then in Waiting if he be present when the Watch is called or in his absence to the Commander in Chief But it often happening that after the Watch is called there are still several persons to go out of the Louvre The Guard of the Sleeve opens it to all that would go out and shuts it again till it be time to shut it for good and all which being come after the Brigadier with a Torch in his hand and accompanied by the Aid-Major has visited all places and warned every one with a load Voice to go out the Guard of the Sleeve shuts all the Doors and then taking with him the said Brigadeer that carries the Torch and the Aid-Major He carries all the Keys to the Captain then in Waiting or in his absence to him that supplies his place and puts them under his Bolster in their presence I say they do this every two Nights in three because every third Night 't is a Scotch Brigadeer that does those Duties and then the Guards of the Steeve begin again till it come again to the Brigadeer and so all along It is likewise a Scotch Brigadeer that goes and takes the Keys again of the Captain or Commander every Morning at six a Clock The Guards of the Sleeve wait Monthly two every Month. On Maundy-Thursdays they wait for the King at the Door of the Hall where the usual Ceremony of the Day is performed keeping always on each side of his Majesty during the time of the Sermon and Absolution and following him along the Hall while his Majesty is washing the poor Peoples Feet and serving up their Meat to the Table When the King assists at any Processions as on Corpus Christi Day Candlemas Palm-Sunday and at the Assumption of our Lady and when he touches for the Evil two Ushers of the Chamber bearing Maces march only before his Majesty but the Guards of the Sleeve march close by his sides and when the Sacrament was carried in 1666. to the Queen Mother Anne of Austria these Guards Accompanied the King all the way as he went on Foot from the Louvre to the Church and back again At Extraordinary Ceremonies as when his Majesty is pleased to appear in an Extraordinary manner in Parliament at the Creation or Instalment of Knights at Coronations and Marriages of Kings at the Christning of their Children and at Royal Funerals When his Majesty is minded to sit in Parliament they go to the Palace and wait at the Door at the top of the Great Stairs called the May-Pole Door and conduct him as far as the Entry of the Bar in the Great Chamber And when the King hears Mass at the Holy Chappel as he commonly does before he goes to Parliament they wait on him at his sides in the manner above-described and when Mass is done conduct him thence to the Great Chamber where they stay for him at the Entry of the Bar of the said Chamber whence when he comes out they reconduct him to the top of the said Great Stairs or else to his Coach At the Creation or Instalment of Knights six of these Guards wait for the King three days one after another at the Door of the House where the Assembly of the Knights is held and Accompany the King step by step from thence to the Church and every time he moves from his place they march always close by his sides At the Coronation of any King six Guards of the Sleeve having under their Hoquetons or upper Jackets short-truss'd white Satin-Coats with Bonnets and Silk stockings answerable wait without the Door of the Kings Chamber from eight in the Morning till his Majesty comes out to go to Church whither and where-ever else he goes they continually accompany him At the Kings Wedding they have new and very rich Hoquetons or Jackets At the Kings Funeral they wear Mourning Suits under their Hoquetons or Jackets and keep guard night and day about the Body or Effigies of his Majesty as long as it lies in State They onely are to put
200 l. One Chyrurgeon in Ordinary and two other Chyrurgeons waiting by the half year at 120 l. Salary every one One Apothecary of the Body who has 300 l. Salary for himself and 80 l. for his Servant and one Apothecary for the Houshold at 300 l. Of the Masters of the Houshold and other Officers of the Houshold and of the Offices called the seven Offices The Chief Master of the Houshold is the Count de Chamarande under whom there are One Master of the Houshold in Ordinary whose Salary is 600 l. Four other Masters of the Houshold quarterly Waiters at 500 l. each One Gentleman-Waiter in Ordinary 800 l. Twelve other Gentlemen-Waiters waiting quarterly four every quarter who have every of them 400 l. Salary Two General Comptrollers waiting half-yearly 350 l. each One Comptroller in Ordinary who has 400 l. standing Wages 1800 l. Board-Wages his Diet at Court all the year round and 240 l. as a Fee for Paper and four Comptrollers of the Offices at 200 l. each In the Offices called The seven Offices are these Officers 1. In the Office of the Goblet which consists of the Pantry of the Mouth and the Buttry of the Mouth are these Officers To the Pantry of the Mouth or her Highnesses own Pantry belong Four Chiefs at 180 l. yearly Salary to each Four Aids or Helpers 120 l. each Four Grooms 150 l. each One Landress of the Goblet and Pantry of the Mouth at 120 l. Salary In the Buttry of the Mouth are Four Chiefs four Aids and four Grooms who have the same pay as those of the Pantry and four Wine-Couriers at 75 l. each 2. In the Kitchin of the Month or the Dauphinesses own Kitchin are Two Ushers in Ordinary waiting by the half year 400 l. each four other Ushers quarterly Waiters at 160 l. each two Master-Cooks 140 l. each four Boiling and four Rosting-Cooks 120 l. each four Pastry-Cooks 100 l. each four Children of the Kitchin at 60 l. each four Galopins or Under-Cooks in Ordinary at 60 l. each one Keeper of the Vessels in Ordinary who is to give security for and to make good what Vessels shall be lost four other Ushers 60 l. each two Grooms or Yeomen in Ordinary 300 l. each One Landress to wash the Linnen belonging both to the Kitchin of the Mouth and the Common Kitchin of the Houshold whose Salary is 120 l. Four Serdeau's or Water-Servers 80 l. each One Master of the Houshold to take care of the Table of the Chief Master of the Houshold or the Dauphinesses Table of Honour whose Salary is 400 l. 3. In the Common Pantry or Pantry of the Houshold are Eight Chiefs at 160 l. and eight Aids at 120 l. yearly Salary to each One Groom or Yeoman in Ordinary at 300 l. and one Landrer at 120 l. 4. In the Common Buttry are Eight Chiefs and eight Aids who have the same pay as the former one Groom or Yeoman in Ordinary of the Vessels and one Groom or Yeoman in Ordinary of the Bottles at 300 l. each 5. In the Common Kitchin are Four Ushers at 160 l. each four Masters or Head-Cooks at 140 l. four Boiling-Cooks and four Rosting-Cooks all at 120 l. each four Children of the Kitchin and two Galopins or Under-Cooks in Ordinary at 60 l. each four Porters who serve by the half year viz. Two each half year whereof one waits at the Great Common and the other at the little Common with each of them a Servant they have each of them a Salary of 30 l. paid by the Treasurers of the Houshold and an allowance besides of 6 l. a Month and Bread and Wine Two Verduriers or Herbmen serving by the half year at 80 l. each and one Herbman in Ordinary that waits all the year and holds his place by Commission who has 30 l. yearly paid by the Treasurers of the Houshold 9 l. a Month and Bread and Wine all the year one Keeper of the Vessels who is to give security and make good what is lost at 360 l. four other Ushers of the Kitchin 60 l. each one Yeoman or Groom of the Cupboard and one Yeoman of the Spits 300 l. each and one Merchant Brasier or Tinker 60 l. Note That the Officers of the little Common or little Kitchin of her Highnesses Houshold dress the Meat for her Highnesses Table of Honour kept by the Chief Master of her Houshold for that of the Ladies of Honour and for that of Mrs. Besola Waiting-Gentlewoman to her Highness 6. In the Fruitry are Eight Chiefs at 100 l. eight Aids at 60 l. and one Yeoman in Ordinary at 300 l. Salary 7. In the Wood-Yard or Fuel-Office are Four Chiefs at 100 l. eight Aids at 60 l. and one Chair and Table-Carrier in Ordinary at 360 l. Salary After the seven Offices it will not be improper to place the following Officers viz. One Baker at 60 l. one Captain or Master of the Carriage belonging to the seven Offices and to the Chamber of Deniers at 60 l. four Ushers of the Hall at 120 l. four Ushers of the Office or Counting-House at 100 l. two Marshals of the Hall of the Maids of Honour at 80 l. one Marshal of the Women belonging to the Maids of Honour at 60 l. one Usher of the Hall of the said Maids of Honour at 60 l. and four Taylors belonging to the Maids of Honour who have also 60 l. each Of the Officers of her Hignesses Stable Though the Knight of Honour or Chief Gentleman Usher to her Highness belongs properly to her Privy-Chamber yet because his Function of handing her Highness is sometimes performed by the Chief Querry or Master of the Horse and other Querries belonging to her Stables and because he not only receives the Oath of Allegiance from the Querry in Ordinary and the other Querries and on certain occasions gives Orders to the Officers of the Stables he likewise may be reckoned the Chief Officer there as well as in the Privy-Chamber and her Highnesses whole Houshold The Knight of Honour or Chief Gentleman Usher receives likewise the Oath of Allegiance from the Master of the Houshold in Ordinary and from the other Masters of the Houshold or Stewards quarterly Waiters from the Gentlemen-Waiters in Ordinary and those Waiting quarterly from the General-Comptrollers and from the Comptrollers-Clerks of Offices waiting both in Ordinary and Quarterly from the Almoner of her Highnesses Houshold called the Almoner of St. Roch from the Marshals of the Lodgings or Chief Harbingers from the other Harbingers both of the Body and of the Houshold and from the Porters and in the Book of the Establishment of her Highnesses Houshold he is placed before the Chief Master of the Houshold and is the first Officer of the Masculine Sex belonging to her Highness The Chief Gentleman or Master of the Horse to her Highness has a Salary of 800 l. and is at present Marshal of Bellesonds He keeps four Footmen in the Dauphinesses Livery
their chief Commanders or Generals at Sea All Ships of War are to bear their Admirals Colours and the Admirals own Ship bears a square White Flag upon her Main-Mast and a Lanthorn in his Poop He has a Sovereign Command over the Seas of France especially over all that part of the Ocean and of the Mediterranean near the Coasts of France and over all the Ships of War and Naval Forces The first Admiral that we read of was one Lehery or according to some one Rotland under Charles the Great called by Eginard Praefectus Maris This Office was formerly held only by Commission and the first that possest it by Patent as a standing Office was Enguerrand Sire or Lord of Coucy under Philip the Hardy in 1273. though according to some others it was not made a standing Office till the year 1369 under Charles the Fifth and the first Admiral according to that account was Amaury Vicount of Narbon There were several Admirals belonging to France whilst the Kings of France remained unpossest of many of the Maritime Provinces for there were the Admirals of Normandy Brittany Guienne and Provence the Admiral of Normandy who was since the Re-union called the Admiral of France Commanded from Callis to St. Michaels Mount He of Brittany from St. Michaels Mount to Raz He of Guienne from Raz to Bayonne and he of Provence from Perpignan to the River of Genua About this Admiralty of Provence there arose a great contest in the last Kings time between the Duke of Guise who pretended to that Admiralty and the Cardinal of Richelieu who put an end to the Dispute by prevailing with the King totally to suppress the Office of Admiralty and to Erect instead of it another under the Title of Great Master Chief and Super-Intendant General of the Navigation and Commerce of France which he did by a Declaration in the Month of January 1627. The said Cardinal gave it afterward by his Will and Testament to the Son of the Marshal de Brezé Duke of Fronsac who when he took the accustomed Oath for it in Parliament in the year 1648. reassumed the Title of Admiral but he being killed at the Siege of Orbitello this Office was exercised in the Name of the Queen Regent under the Title of Great Master of the Navigation of France but since that the Title of Admiral has been reannexed to those other newer ones The Admiral of France as having Command over two Seas viz. the Ocean and the Mediterranean bears as a mark of his Dignity two golden Anchors passed Salteir-wise behind his Coat of Arms hanging upon and fastened to two Cables the Vice-Admiral likewise bears the same The Great Admiral has 30000 l. yearly appointment raised out of the duties of Anchorage and other Revenues Next to the Admiral there is likewise a Vice-Admiral of France who is at present the Marshal d' Etrées and his Son in Reversion There are three Lieutenant-Generals of the Naval Forces viz. 1. Abraham du Quêne Marquiss du Bouchet Valgrand under the name of Du Quêne 2. The Marquiss de Preuilly d' Humieres 3. The Chevalier de Tourville And seven Chiefs or Commanders of Squadrons viz. 1. Monsieur Gabaret 2. The Count de Chateaurenaud Great Prior of Brittany of the Order of St. Lizarus 3. The Marquiss d' Amfreville 4. The Chevalier de Sourdis 5. The Chevalier de Bethune 6. M. Villette de Murcé 7. M. Forant who was lately the eldest among the Captains of single Vessels Besides the Marquiss de Seignelay who as one of the four Principal Secretaries of State has the Maritime Affairs under his department there are two Intendant Generals of the Marine Affairs under whom there are two Intendants of the Levant or East who are M. Brodard for the Galliet residing at Marseilles and M. Girardin Sieur de Vauvray residing at Toulon likewise four Intendants for the Western Sea or Ocean viz. 1. M. Arnoux de Muin residing at Rochefort Rochelle and Broüage 2. M. de Champy Desclouzonne residing at Brest in Brittany 3. M. Patoüillet at Dunkirk and 4. M. de Fargis Montmor at Havre de Grace The Secretary General of the Admiralty or Maritime Affairs is M. de la Grange The Treasurers General of the Admiralty are 1. M. Lubert for the Men of War and 2. M. de Bellinzani for the Gallies There are likewise Comptrollers of the Admiralty The Admiral has upon any Vacancies hapning by Death or otherwise the nomination of all Judges Lieutenants general or particular Counsellors Receivers Advocates Proctors Registrers or Recorders Serjeants and other Officers of the Admiralty both at the Supreme Court of Admiralty held at the Marble Table and at the particular ones held in Picardy Normandy and Brittany The King has at present 150 Ships of War and 30 Gallies besides tenders c. The Royal Docks for Building Ships in France are only at Brest Rochefort and Toulon For the better furnishing the Royal Fleet with Almoners or Chaplains the King has established a Community or Seminary of Priests in the Burrow of Folgoet in Brittany CHAP. XX. Of the General of the Gallies THE Kingdom of France being washed with two Seas viz. on one side with the Great Ocean and on the other towards the South with the Mediterranean upon this last are kept the Gallies as a more proper Shipping for that Sea whose Port and Harbour is Marseilles over which there is a Chief called the General of the Gallies The General of the Gallies is sometimes called the Admiral of the Levant or East as says the Sieur de la Popeliniere who has composed a Book particularly of the Admiral of France The present General of the Gallies is Lewis Victor de Rochechoüard de Mortemar Duke de Vivonne Marshal of France Governour of Champain and late Viceroy in Sicily during the Revolutions of Messina He is as such stiled General of the Gallies and Lieutenant-General in the Seas and Naval Armies of the Levant he was sworn General of the Gallies in the Month of December 1669. His Son the Duke of Mortemar Married a Daughter of the late M. Colbert Minister of State has the Reversion of his Fathers Place and in the year 1681. Commanded alone himself the Gallies of France Charles the Ninth by an Order of the 6th of April 1562. Verified the 8th of June 1563. Declared Messire René of Lorrain General of the Gallies as well in the Levant as in the Western Seas making him Chief General of all his Gallies Galiots Fregats Fusts and Brigantins and giving him Command over all Vessels and Ships whether long or round and authorising him to cause due obedience to be given him by all manner of ways and in all places where it should concern the Duty of his Office The Lieutenant-General of the Gallies is the Chevalier de Noailles Knight of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem c. Thus having treated of the Military Officers we come now to the Officers of Justice in the Kings
several Offices are become Hereditary upon condition of paying every year a certain Duty or Fee which is therefore called the annual Duty or the Paulette But if it happen that any Officer having not paid the aforesaid Duty die before he resign his Office or survives not forty days after his Resignation of it then the Treasurer of the Parties Casual has power to dispose of the Office for the Kings profit The Sieur Peter Richer Treasurer of the Kings Casual Revenues at present exercises alone the three forementioned Offices CHAP. XLIX Of the Universities of France 1. PAris is the most famous University in the whole Kingdom whether it be for Divinity Law Physick the Arts or several other Exercicises after Paris are reckoned these following Universities viz. Those 2. Of Toulouse 3. Bourdeaux 4. Poitiers 5. Orleans famous for the Civil Law 6. Bourges 7. Anger 's 8. Caen. 9. Montpelier famous for Physick 10. Cahors 11. Nants 12. Reims 13. Valence 14. Aix 15. Avignon 16. Pont à Mousson 17. Perpignan 18. Douay 19. Dole 20. Fribourg in Brisgan And besides these there are several other Towns in the Kingdom where there are very good Colledges though they bear not the Title of Universities as at Rouen Tournon and la Flêche where the Jesuits or other Communities instruct Youth There is one likewise at Juilly managed by the Fathers of the Oratory who have divers others in several Towns But to inform you of the exercises performed in all these Universities it will be enough to give you the Description of those done in the University of Paris which is the Mother of the Rest after whose pattern the others are model'd Of the Exercises used in the Vniversity of Paris In this University are reckoned four distinct chief Faculties which are called the four Faculties which are 1. The Faculty of Theology or Divinity 2. The Faculty of Law 3. The Faculty of Physick And 4. The Faculty of Arts. We shall speak CHAP. L. 1. Of the Faculty of Theology or Divinity THeology has always flourished in this University ever since its first Institution but it has been more especially in recommendation since the time of Peter Lombard Bishop of Paris that died in 1164. who is commonly called the Master of the Sentences because he composed a Book of them It flourished much too here in the time of St. Thomas Aquinas about the year 1265 who composed a Summary of Divinity and several other works and now in Vogue and Reputation more than ever Although they have priviledge to teach Divinity in other Universities yet there are no where more Renowned Schools for that Faculty than in the Colledges of the Sorbonne and Navarre The greatest part of the Doctors have not fixed in any House or Colledge yet there are many of the House and Society of Sorbonne and many of the House of Navarre But those that only take their Degrees there are only Doctors of the Sorbonne or of Navarre and not of the House There are some likewise that have only the priviledge to claim Hospitality in the House of the Sorbonne who are called either Sorbonici Hospites Sorbon-Guests or è familia Sorbonica of the Family of Sorbonne but not Socii Fellows of the Society of Sorbonne As the House of the Sorbon founded in 1254. in the time of St. Lewis by one Robert de Sorbonne is the most famous in its kind for persons of most Eminent Learning and Vertue that compose its Society the Beauty of its magnificent Building adds a Luster to it The admirable Structure of its Grand Halls where Acts are kept and Lectures Read as well as that of the whole Body of the House but more especially of its Church in which there is a Dome of a very extraordinary and lofty height sufficiently set forth the Magnificence of the late Cardinal Duke of Richelieu who has immortalised himself by this work and made of it as 't were a Temple Dedicated to his Memory He lies there Buried having been Provisour of the said House The Provisour both of the House of Sorbonne and of that of Navarre at present is the Archbishop of Paris CHAP. LI. 2. Of the Faculty of Law IN ancient time all Churchmen and Councellers were Commanded to instruct themselves well in the Canonical Constitutions for fear they should ignorantly offend against any of them The Schools called the Decretal Schools where at the present the Canon Law is taught and of late time the Civil Law too are in the Street called la Rue de St. Jean de Beauvais There are six Regents that read publick Lectures viz. Three on Mornings and three in the Afternoons The present King has newly set up a Chair for the teaching of the French or Municipal Law at Paris in the Colledge of the three Nations Mr. Launay one of the ancient Advocates is the Lecturer having sworn by the Chancellour in the Month of November 1680. At Bourdeaux there is likewise another Professour of the French Law established in the Month of July 1681. And there is another at Cahors CHAP. LII 3. Of the Faculty of Physick THE third Faculty is that of Physick which is as ancient as the Institution of the University Several eminent Persons have made this Science flourish in this University since its Institution and among others the Learned Fernelius Chief Physician to King Henry the Second The Physick Schools are in the Rue de la Bucherie where they have been ever since the year 1469. and in the year 1608. a Great Anatomical Theatre was Erected there There is besides one Demonstratour and Operatour of the interiour parts of Plants and of all other Medicines and of Chyrurgical Operations at the Kings Physick-Garden at Paris who is Joseph du Verney Physician of the Academy of Sciences CHAP. LIII 4. Of the Faculty of Arts of the Rector and of the four Nations THE Faculty of Arts is the Mother of all the Rest and for which Schools were first Founded The Head of the whole University who is called the Rector is always chosen out of this Body and never out of the other Faculties This Rector has so great a power over the other Faculties that he can make them cease all publick Acts and Lectures and on the days he makes his solemn Processions which is four times a year he forbids the Preachers to go up into the Pulpit For these solemn Processions all the Faculties assemble in the Maturins Convent in the Rue St. Jaques and from thence march in order to the Church appointed by the Rector who is accompanied thither by the Doctors of the three superiour Faculties by the Masters of Arts and a great number of Religious Men. He being the Head of that University which the Kings of France treat as their Eldest Daughter as it is reported takes place of all sorts of Persons excepting the Princes of the Blood and ought at publick Acts in his University take place of the Popes Nuntio of Ambassadours Cardinals
of Paris as very frequently they are not yet when they go to the Physick School at Paris in their White-Sattin Robes are received at the Door by the Dean of that Body accompanied with some Batchellors of Physick with the Beadles before them There is one Physician in Ordinary who is to attend on the Kings Person in the absence of the Chief Physician who has 1800 l. Salary upon the Establishment paid at the Treasure Royal and 1500 l. Board-Wages paid at the Chamber of Deniers And eight other Physicians serving two every Quarter who have each of them a Salary of 1200 l. paid at the Treasury Royal and 1098 l. Bord-Wages at the Chamber of Deniers at the rate of a Crown a Day These in their several turns of Waiting are always to be present at the Kings rising and going to Bed and at his Meals though he be never so well And when the King touches for the Evil and washes the poor peoples Feet on Maundy-Thursday they or their Superiours are first to visit the Persons that present themselves for Cure And every time the King Touches these Physicians have at the Chamber of Deniers each of them an allowance of 17 l. 9 d. and 4 Deniers in lieu of a former allowance of a dozen of Bread two Quarts of Table-Wine and six Larded Fowls There are besides four Spagyrical or Chymical Physicians who have each a Salary of 1200 l. and several Honorary or Titular Physicians 2. The Chyrurgions are 1. The Chief Chyrurgion who is like wise Guardian of the Charters and Priviledges of the Chyrurgions and Barbers of the whole Kingdom and has a very great Power He has a Salary of a 1000 l. paid by the Treasurers of the Houshold and 1277 l. Board-Wages paid at the Chamber of Deniers besides large and frequent Gratuities and License-Money and Presents from all the Chyrurgions of the Kingdom He has an Apartment in the Kings own Lodgings One Chyrurgion in Ordinary who has a Salary of 1000 l. paid by the Treasurers of the Houshold and 500 l. Board-Wages at the Chamber of Deniers Eight Chyrurgions waiting quarterly two every quarter who have every of them 600 l. Salary 300 l. gratuity at the Treasure Royal and 200 l. Board-Wages at the Chamber of Deniers Besides what is paid them by those that rent the Shops of them they have Priviledge to keep in Paris or in any other Town they shall chuse their dwelling House in And every time the King Touches they have the same allowance that the Physicians have as we have said on the same occasions The Chyrurgions are likewise to be present at the Kings Meals and at his rising and going to Bed as are the Physicians and besides are obliged to follow his Majesty on Hunting for fear of any accident and when he is upon the march into the Country or the Field they are always to keepnigh the Kings Coach There is one Chyrurgion-Major of the Kings Armies and Camps and many others that are only Titular and never wait as such The Kings Chyrugions and Apothecaries have the Priviledge to keep open Shop in Paris or elsewhere which they commonly let out as we have said to others 3. The Apothecaries Are four Chiefs who have a Salary of 1000 l. and 600 l. more allowed them for their Groom They serve quarterly every one their quarter and have every one his Aid or Helper These Aids or Helpers being likewise four have every one of them a Salary of 200 l. paid by the Treasurers of the Houshold and 266 l. 13 d. four Deniers Board-Wages at the Chamber of Deniers Note That a Denier is the twelfth part of a penny or the third of a farthing Besides which both the Chiefs and they have other allowances as followeth 1. The Head or Chief Apothecary that waits the first quarter of the year beginning at Newyears Tide is allowed instead of his Diet and some other things he used to have 1070 l. in Money and 42 l. more for furnishing Sugar to the Kings Kitchin on the 42 Fish-Days that happen in his quarter at 20 d. a day and his Aid 180 l. Augmentation Money at the Chamber of Deniers 2. He that waits the second quarter is allowed for the same Considerations 940 l. and 43 l. for furnishing Sugar to the Kings Kitchin on the 43 Meager or Fish-Days that happen in his quarter at the rate of 20 d. a day and his Aid is paid 182 l. at the Chamber of Deniers 3. He that waits the third quarter has upon the account aforesaid 940 l. and 29 l. for Sugar on the 29 Fish-Days in his quarter His Aid has 184 l. at the Chamber of Deniers 4. He that waits the last quarter has for Board-Wages and other things as abovesaid 1000 l. and 29 l. for Sugar for so many Fish-Days happening in his quarter And his Aid has an augmentation of 184 l. at the Chamber of Deniers It is only since 1682. that the Ordinary formerly allowed the Apothecaries in specie was turned into Money The Apothecary that attends on the Duke of Burgundy or any other of the Dauphins Children is allowed during the time of his Waiting 100 d. a day for his own and his Mans Diet. Note That in the Books of the Establishments the Physicians Chyrurgions and Apothecaries are stiled only Maitres or Masters which is a Title beneath that of a Gentleman so much less esteem do they put upon the Science of Physick in France than they do in England The Apothecaries furnish not only Medicines but also some kind of Comfits into the Coffers of the Chamber and other Compositions of Aniseed of Fennel and of Citron-Peel and Spirit of Wine and some other necessary Liquors without being obliged to the Formality of tasting any of them They make Sweet-Bags for the Kings Cloths Linnen and Perriwigs There is always a Carriage of Apothecaries Ware that follows the King There are besides these several Apothecaries Distillers and other Supernumeraries who have no certain times allowed them for waiting but only serve occasionally And many Operators Herbalists and others Of the Barber-Chyrurgions c. that serve the Houshold and the Chamber we have already spoken CHAP. XVII Of the Great Master of the Horse and of the Kings Stables THE Present Great Master of the Horse is Louis de Lorrain Count of Armagnac his Standing Salary is 3600 l. besides which he has 2400 l. Board-Wages upon the Establishment of the Great Stables and 6000 l. Board-Wages more upon the Establishment of the Chamber of Deniers and many other Fees and Perquisites It was formerly the Great or High Constable of France that had the Super-intendance over the Kings Stables who therefore was called Comes Stabuli that is Count of the Stable but when that Great Officer came to be entrusted with the general Command of the Armies the Care of the Kings Horses was wholly left to him who then was called Escuier that is Usher or Squire who was an Officer
of September 1474. established a Company of a hundred Lanciers for his Guard under the Command of one Hector de Golart who were every one of them to have in their Retinue one Man at Arms and two Archers But afterwards he discharged the Lanoiers of their Archers and took them to himself composing of them a little Life-guard of two hundred Archers making one Lewis de Graville their Captain In the year 1479. when the same King began to grow Melancholy and suspitious he set up another French Company of Guards of which one Claudius de la Chatre was Captain The same Lewis the Eleventh too at the Recommendation of Charles the Seventh retained the Suissers in his Service and in the year 1481. being at Tours he made an Alliance with them and took a Company of that Nation for the Ordinary Guard of his Person Charles the Eight in 1497. set up a new Company of French Guards of which James of Vendome Vidame of Chartres was Captain Francis the first likewise in the year 1514. raised another Company of sixty Archers to which the next year he added forty five more under the Command of Raoul de Vernon But at length all these Companies were reduced to those now in being whose Denominations differ as much from the others as the Arms now in use from those then in Mode The Kings Guards now in being may be divided into two Bodies according to their Posts viz. Into the Guards within the Louvre or Palace and the Guards without the Louvre The Guards within the Louvre are 1. The four Companies of the Life-guards both Scotch and French 2. The Company of the hundred Suissers who also are Guards in Ordinary of the Kings Body 3. The Guards of the Gate and 4. The Guards of the Provost of the Houshold The Guards without the Louvre are 1. The Company of Gensdarmes or Men at Arms. 2. The Company of Light Horsemen The Foot are 1. The two French and Suisse Regiments of Guards 2. The two Companies of Musketeers on Horse-back besides which 3. There is a Band of a hundred Gentlemen called the Gentlemen au bec de Corbin or of the Ravens Beak so called from the Cutle-Axes they carry which are like our Gentlemen Pensioners Of the Guards within the Louvre and first of the Life-Guards There are four Companies of Life-Guards that wait by turns every one their quarter The first of these is the Duke of Noailles who is likewise Captain of the Scotch Company which is the first and antientest Command in the Kingdom the second is the Marshal Duke of Duras the third the Marshal Duke of Luxemburg and the fourth the Marshal de Lorges The year in France beginning always from New-Years-Day the Duke of Noailles Commands the first quarter that begins then and the rest successively the other three quarters in the order they are above-named in Under them There are twelve Lieutenants waiting quarterly three every quarter besides two others whereof the first is a Major received as a Lieutenant who precedes all the other Lieutenants admitted since himself and twelve Ensigns serving in like manner three every quarter Note That the Ensign or Lieutenant of the Guards keep generally the old Table of the Great Master of the Houshold jointly with the Usher that day in Waiting and that the Officers above-named viz. The Major the three Lieutenants the three Ensigns and the two Aid Majors then in Waiting and four Exempts eat at the said Old Table of the Great Master or at that of the Masters of the Houshold But the Lieutenant or Ensign that waits at the Dauphins is allowed half a Pistol a Day for his Diet There is also Diet allowed at the Kings Serdeau's or Water-Servers Table for one Exempt more of the Life-Guards and for two Guards de la Manche or of the Sleeve and the Dauphins Serdeau's for the Exempt of the Guards that waits on him The Lieutenants and Ensigns are heads of Brigades in their Company There are two Aid-Majors and four other Aid-Majors Exempts of the Guards Forty eight Exempts being twelve to each Company as many Brigadeers and as many Sub-Brigadeers There are several reformed Exempts which yet enjoy the Priviledges of their Places during their Lives and receive the same pay but cannot sell their Places These Guards wear Bandiliers of the same Colour with the Banners of their Company For those of the Company 1. Of Noailles wear White Bandiliers 2. Of Duras Blue 3. Of Luxemburg Green 4. Of De Lorge Yellow There are four Comptrollers Clerks of the Watch and Secretaries of their Companies who have sometimes their Servants under them who call the Watch every Night Every one of the said Clerks receives at the Chamber of Deniers 160 l. standing Wages and 240 l. augmentation Money for Straw Straw-Beds and paying the Carriage and Passage of themselves and their necessary things There are twenty Trumpeters five to every Company whereof sixteen remain in the said Companies and the four others called the Trumpeters of the Kings Private-Pleasures always follow the Watch about his Majesty and never stir from him five Kettle-Drummers in Ordinary of which one always follows the Watch about his Majesty the four others being equally distributed one to each Company One Almoner in Ordinary to the four Companies One Chyrurgeon in Ordinary to the same Companies who has 400 l. Salary and Priviledge to keep open Shop and Four Treasurers or Pay-Masters viz. one to every Company The four Companies being thus described we shall proceed to shew next what Order they observe in doing duty To take away all suspition and to make it impossible for a Captain to have intelligence or any secret Combination with all the people he has with him they are so intermixed that the Captain that is in Waiting has the Lieutenants and Ensigns of another Captain and the Guards themselves are composed of a Medley of a certain number of Souldiers taken out of every Company to serve that quarter The Captains the Major the Lieutenants Ensigns Aid-Majors and Exempts of these Companies bear all a Staff of Command in their Hands in the Kings House and accompany his Majesty all the day long a Foot and a Horseback The Brigadeers have Partizans Note That those that were formerly Great Exempts had besides their Wages and Gratuity an allowance of fifty Crowns which they went and received at their quarters end at the Epargne or Spare-Treasure The King allows the Guards every day twenty four Quarts of Wine and twenty four Loaves which the Clerk of the Watch of every Company causes to be brought them which was formerly distributed to them by equal Portions Morning and Night viz. Twelve Quarts of Wine and twelve Loaves every Morning and as much every Night when the King was in Bed but now it is all dealt out to them in the Morning which Wine is called the Watch-Wine They have allowed them besides this on the four Great Feasts of the year to every