Audiences and two other Deputies to take informations under the Lieutenants of the Short-Robe in the Field and out of the Kings Quarter and then they are obliged within twenty four hours to put up their informations into the Registry or Recorders Office and to cause their Prisoners to be brought up to be Examined by the Lieutenants of the Long-Robe and in their absence by the Lieutenants and Exempts of the short one who only have power to take cognisance of and judge criminal Causes among the Kings Retainers and in his Quarter All the Officers above-mentioned are Commoners or Tablers in the Kings Houshold and on the four chief Festivals of the year are allowed Bread Wine and Meat Candles on Candlemas and Corpus Christi days and Prayer-Books and Cloth in the Holy Week There are also twelve Proctors called Postulants One Chief Usher and twelve other Ushers that wear the Kings Livery and carry in their hands a blue Wand with Flower-deluces at the end They are Exempt from Taxes Subsidies and Loans and enjoy all the other Priviledges of the Commoners of the Kings Houshold There are likewise two Notaries and Keepers of the Royal Notes that follow the Court And One Usher Trumpeter at 272 l. 10 d. Salary And One Executioner of Criminal Sentences Besides these there are other Officers as they call them of the Short-Robe that are a kind of Medium between Civil and Military Officers which we shall add here viz. One Lieutenant-General Four Lieutenants officiating each two quarters in a year who have a Salary of 400 l. and a gratuity of 600 l. Four other Lieutenants quarterly Waiters The Lieutenant of the quarter beginning in January has the liberty if he will to serve and bear the Staff in the quarter beginning in July he of July quarter in January he of April in October and he of October in April In the absence of the Great Provost they receive Orders immediately from the King When the Lieutenant of the Sword or of the Short-Robe of the Provosts Court has a mind to go up to the Seat of the Audiences at Paris he sits on the right hand of the Lieutenant-General that is of the Long-Robe and that presides there and the Kings Proctor as a Counsellour by his place sits on his left This has been practised several times and lately on Saturday the 30th of August 1681. When the Sieur Barbier Lieutenant-General of the Long-Robe had at his right hand the Sieur Tournier Lieutenant of the Short-Robe and the Sieur Le Roy de Gomberville Proctor for the King on his left and in the absence of the Lieutenant-General of the Long-Robe the Lieutenant of the Sword presides and has the Kings Proctor on his left hand There is likewise another Lieutenant of the Provostship that ordinarily waits on the Chancellour where he has his Diet and 5500 l. Salary and gratuity They are likewise Commoners of the Houshold and enjoy the same Priviledges with other Officers of the same As for the Exempts and Guards belonging to the Provostship we shall speak of them among the Military Officers of the Kings Houshold There are belonging to the Provostship besides these one Chaplain called the Chaplain of St. Barbara One Marshal or Harbinger of the Lodgings Three Treasurers of the Provost-ship that pay all the Officers of it both Civil and Military they serve by turns each one his year CHAP. XXI Of the Great Master the Master and Aid or Assistant of the Ceremonies THE Great Master of the Ceremonies of France is Jule Armand Colbert Marquiss of Blainville he was sworn the 30th of January 1685. His Salary is 3000 l. He is sworn by the Great Master of the Houshold under him there is One Master of the Ceremonies who has 2000 l. Salary and is likewise sworn by the Great Master of the Houshold and One Aid or Assistant of the Ceremonies at 600 l. Salary The Great Master Master and Assistant or Aid of the Ceremonies exercise their Offices jointly at Royal Solemnities bearing in their hands a Staff of Ceremony covered with black Velvet with the handle and top tipt with Ivory The Assistant of Ceremonies is also sworn by the Great Master of the Houshold They are to be present at Coronations of Kings and at the opening of Assemblies of the Estates at Christnings and Marriages of Kings and Princes at the first and last Audiences of Ambassadours both Ordinary and Extraordinary at the conducting of Queens or Princesses and at their Obsequies and Funeral Pomps where they order all and take care to give every one their Rank and Precedence due to their quality They are clad in different habits almost at every one of those different Ceremonies When the Great Master the Master or the Aid of the Ceremonies go to carry any Order or Message to any of the Soveraign Courts after they have saluted them they take their place among the Counsellours but with this difference that if it be the Great Master of the Ceremonies himself he takes place above the last Counsellour but if it be the Master in Ordinary or his Aid he takes his Seat after them all and then upon a sign made to him by the chief President he speaks to them from his Seat with his Head covered his Sword by his side and his Staff of Ceremonies in his hand At the first and last Audiences of Ambassadours the Great Master the Master or Aid of the Ceremonies marches on the right hand of the Ambassadour a little before him from the bottom of the Stairs to the Guard-Chamber where being come he advances before him to give notice to his Majesty There is likewise an Exempt of the Kings Guards appointed to wait at Ceremonies who in the Book of the Establishment is called Major of the first Company of the Guards Commanded at present by the Duke of Noailles CHAP. XXII Of the Introductour of Ambassadours THere were formerly two of these Introductours or Conductours but by the present King they were reduced to one who is stiled the sole Introductour of Foreign Princes and Ambassadours to his Majesty who at present is Monsieur Michael de Chabenat Knight and Count de Bonneville c. His Salary is 1200 l. But he has another under him at a like Salary The Introductour of Ambassadours both for Audiences and all other things relating to his Office receives Orders only from the King He conducts receives and introduces into the Chamber of their Majesties or of the Children of France and Princes and Princesses of the Blood any other Kings Soveraign Princes and Princesses or Cardinals Ambassadours Ordinary and Extraordinary Gentlemen Envoys Residents Agents Heads of the Orders Foreign Deputies bearing any Character or making any publick Figure and generally all Foreign Persons of Quality when they come to the Kings Palace for Audience He likewise Conducts the Wives of any such persons abovesaid to the like Audience of the Queen CHAP. XXIII Of the Secretary of the Houshold and the Treasurers
their Companies and as soon as his Majesty comes the Suisse-Captains put on their Back and Breast-Pieces Note That the Captain either of the French or Suisse Foot-Guards whose turn it is to be upon duty or in his absence one of his Officers it is to take care the Watch-word be received and communicated in convenient time and for that end he is if he be a French Captain to go to the Colonel General of the French Foot-Guards if a Suisser to the Colonel-General of the Suissers to know of him whether he be pleased to go and wait on the King for the Word himself if he Answers Yes he is to wait till he comes back and take it of him if no he is to go and take it of his Majesty Himself and at his return to Communicate it first to the Colonel-General and then to the rest of the Officers concerned to know it When any Souldier of either of these Regiments of Foot-Guards not being upon duty desires to enter into the Kings Palace he is to to leave his Bandiliers or Swivel with the Sentinel at the Gate 4. Of the Musketeers on Horseback of the Kings Guard There are two Companies of Musketeers on Horse-back viz. The first Company called formerly the Great Musketeers which are 250 in number and a second Company formerly belonging to Cardinal Mazarine whose number is not fixed Of the first Company of Musketeers This Company is divided into four Brigades The Officers are a Captain who is the King a Lieutenant-Captain a Deputy-Lieutenant whose pay is 200 l. a Month an Ensign and a Cornet whose Monthly pay is 150 l. to each six Marshals of the Lodgings or chief Quarter-Masters the three first of which have every of them besides the Monthly pay of 75 l. 400 Crowns yearly Pension and the other three only their bare pay One Commissary of the Conduct or Muster-Master four Brigadeers who besides their ordinary pay which to every Man is 20 Crowns a Month or 40 d. a day have every of them a yearly Pension of 500 l. Sixteen Sub-Brigadeers who have the like pay as the former and 300 l. yearly Pension a Major and an Aid-Major two Standard-Bearers who have the same pay and Pension as the Sub-Brigadeers Besides which there are three other Harbingers or Quarter-Masters six Drummers four Hoboys one Almouer or Chaplain one Chyrurgeon one Apothecary one Farrier one Sadler and one Armorer whose pay is but fifteen Crowns a Month or 30 d. a day The pay of the 250 Musketeers is to every Man twenty Crowns a Month or 40 d. a day There are three Treasurers that belong to both the Companies and under them one Pay-Master peculiar to this Company The Musketeers of the first Company have their Hats edged with gold Galoon and those of the second with gold and silver Of the second Company of Musketeers The Officers of this are A Captain who is the King with the like number of other Officers as the first with the like pay bating only the three Fouriers or Under-Quarter-Masters the Sadler and the Armorer which I find not in the List of the Officers of this Company They have likewise a Pay-Master of their own but the Treasurers are the same with those of the former Their present number is above 250. who have the same pay as those of the first Company The Musketeers of the first Company are mounted all on white Horses and those of the second on black ones When the Musketeers do duty or stand Sentinel in any of the passages about the Kings Palace they are allowed their diet in specie that is to say Bread Wine and Portions of Meat Every Night the Lieutenant-Captain the Deputy-Lieutenant or other Commander in chief of the Musketeers for the time being waits on the King to know of his Majesty whether he intends to go abroad the next day that he may give timely notice of it to the other Officers and to the rest of the Company 5. Of the Band of the Hundred Gentlemen Au Bes de Corbin or Gentlemen Pensioners These Gentlemen who are reckoned likewise among the Gentlemen in Ordinary of the Kings Houshold and are commonly called Becs de Corbin or Ravens Beaks from the Falcions so called they carry in their hands were the first of all others instituted and established for the more secure and honourable guard of the Kings Person and because at first and for a long time their number was but 100 though now for several Reigns together they have been augmented to and continued at 200. compleat yet they still return the old name of the hundred Gentlemen Upon days of Ceremony and Solemnity they march two and two before the King with their Swords by their sides and their Falcions called Becs de Corbin or Ravens Beaks in their hands They attended and served in this manner at the Coronation and Wedding of the present King and since at the Ceremony of the Creation and Instalment of Knights in 1661. on which occasion six of them marched two and two before his Majesty and went into the Quire of the Augustins the rest of them marcht on each side of the Knights In any Battel they are always to keep near the Kings Person they are divided into two Companies the old one and the new one who have each of them their Captain Lieutenant and other inferiour Officers CHAP. XXIX Of the other Royal Housholds AFter the Kings Houshold follow the other Royal Housholds which are regulated ad instar or according to the Model of the King 's Both the Queen Mother and the late Queen being dead we shall say nothing of their Housholds save only that their surviving Domesticks and menial Servants as we have already remarked still do and will enjoy their old Priviledges as long as they live Note That the Queen Mother Anne-Marie-Mauritte of Austria of happy Memory died at the Louvre the 20th of January 1666. at the Age of 64 years and the late Queen Marie-Teresa of Austria Daughter to Philip the Fourth of Spain of happy Memory died at Versailles the 30th of July 1683. at the Age of 45 years CHAP. XXX Of the Dauphins Houshold To which belong 1. FIrst or chief Gentleman of his Bed-Chamber and Master of his Wardrobe formerly his Governour who is the Duke of Montausier whose Salary is 4000 l. a Month i. e. 48000 l. per Annum A Sub-Governour sworn by the Governour whose Salary is 7500 l. A Tutour sworn by the King who is the Famous Bishop of Meaux formerly Bishop of Condom his Salary is 12000 l. A Sub-Tutour at 6000 l. Two Gentlemen of the Sleeve who are sworn by the Governour who have each of them a Salary of 6000 l. One Secretary One chief Valet de Chambre or Waiting Man one chief Physician that attends all the year who is Monsieur Petit Doctor Regent of the Faculty of Paris sworn by the Kings Chief Physician In his Patent he is stiled Councellour of State he has for
straight well-shaped and very handsome and well complexioned both Men and Women the middle sort of people are generally slight timber'd but indifferently well shaped and complexioned the Men more than the Women as if they had in some sort rob'd the Female Sex of their chief Prerogative Yet the Women there among the Gentry and better sort of Citizens are for the most part tall and well shaped and many of them very fair hair'd and complexiond very white skin'd and blue-eyed which is reckoned there a Beauty and some there are as perfect Beauties as any are in the World But the major part are black or pale yet well featured and are almost all so aiery so well carriaged as we have already remarked and withal so witty and dextrous at their Tongues that they charm without Beauty Those of Normandy Picardy and Brittany are most like the English and Germans but yet at and about Anger 's and Blois are reckoned to be both the handsomest and wittiest Women in all France Those in Languedoc Provence and other Provinces towards Italy and Spain come nearer the temper and complexion of those two Nations And in a word we may say of the whole Nation in general that they are of a Sanguine and airy temper and complexion Their Diet among the Peasants is very miserable who feed on black Bread Sallets and Broth made of a little Salt and Herbs fatned with the rinds of Rusty-Bacon and on Apples and other Fruits and drink Water almost all the Year daring not to eat their own Fowls nor drink the Wine of their own growth for fear of being taxed the more they being very envious one against another and apt to betray one another and carry tales on such occasions to the Assessors of Taxes making them believe their Neighbours are richer than they think and consequently able to bear a heavier burden by which they became the mutual instruments of their own misery But in Towns and Cities Tradesmen and Artificers diet well enough only they eat their meat fresh and fresh having constantly boiled meat and Broth they call Soupe for Dinner made generally of a little piece of Mutton Beef and Veal and sometimes a Fowl and at Night they have commonly a joint of meat roasted or some good Fowl with Fruits and Sallets on Fish-Days they have their meager Broths of Herbs with Fish or Pulse in proportion and always a competent quantity of Wine The Noblemen Gentry and richer sort keep very good Tables though not so profuse as the English they chusing rather to shew their riches in Coaches Horses Liveries Attendants and other Equipage than in Diet Yet at Feasts and Entertainments they are generally more Magnificent than the English They use great variety of Hashes Entries Kickshaws Poignant Sawces and other made Dishes But in Pastry they use only Pasties and no Pies among which the Hare and Wild-Boar Pasties are much in esteem they eat much young Kid but Venison they prize it not They are in general great Eaters of Sallets Fruits and Bread they use no salt meat but Pork and Bacon but they use much Salt and Pepper in their Hashes and other Dishes Those of the Female Sex seldom drink Wine there till they come to be Married Their Attire being so much imitated by the English cannot be unknown whose Nations little or much following of late years their Mode and therefore I shall refer you to your own Eyes for that but this may be said in general of them both Men and Women that are more neat curious and costly in their Habit than in any thing else and put them on after such a manner that they always become them and that they look upon a fair outside as one of the first and most necessary steps to any that would live and make a figure in the World Their Recreations and Exercises are Tennis every Village affording a Tennis-Court and Paris many hundreds Dancing which is natural to them Masques Playes Musick Singing Fencing Riding the Great Horse Vaulting Bowls Biliards Dice and Cards to which they are much addicted It is accounted a mean and scandalous thing to smoke Tobacco at Paris or in any of the Inland Towns and they will drink briskly enough for good Company and Divertisement but seldom to Drunkenness at least the better sort and never drink without eating some good bit Their Gentry use much Hunting and Hawking and for the former sport buy many Horses and Hounds out of England having them in great esteem At Court they use too running at the Ring at a Head and Carousels where these and other nobler Divertisements are practised They have Christen-Names and Sur-Names as in England Their Christen-Names are generally Saints-Names of which they join many times two or more and sometimes a Mans and Womans Name both in one compound as Lewis-Marie or Marie-Lewis Their Surnames have generally the Particles du de la le or la that is to say of of the or the before them and are taken from the name of some Quality Trade or other matter or thing or accident if they be not noble as le Blanc White la Fleur the Flower le Fevre the Smith c. But Noblemens or Gentlemens Names are generally taken from some chief or ancient Land of their Inheritance or Possession and their Sons that are not Heirs to the whole Estate or succeed to any Lordships newly acquired by their Father many times Quit their Fathers Name and take up the Name of that Land or Lordship which they Inherit from him which in process of time breeds obscurity in the Genealogies of Families notwithstanding the help of Heraldry which yet is very much cultivated among them It is to be observed to by the way before we quit this Article that a Woman by Marrying quits not her Name for though in common Conversation she be called by her Husbands Name yet in all Writings and Acts she Signs always her Maiden-Name They number as the English and other Europeans but they compute the Year from the first of January and follow the New or Gregorian Account which is ten days before the Julian or English and denominate their quarters or terms of payment from the first day of every first Month of each Quarter As for Example the Quarter beginning the first of January they call the Quarter of January c. Of the King Royal Family and other Princely Families in France CHAP. III. Of the Present KING and of the Title Stile and Prerogatives of the KINGS of France THE Present King is named Lewis the Great the Fourteenth of that Name King of France and Navarre Son of Lewis the Thirteenth Surnamed the Just and Grand-child of Henry the Great Many have called our Most August Monarch God-given for his happy Birth granted to the Prayers of the French after twenty three years expectation He was Born of Queen Anne of Austria at St. Germans en Lay the 5th of September 1638. and
Office There are likewise twelve of the Kings Life-guard Men Commanded by an Exemt in Ordinary and a Sub-Brigadier that keep Guard every day at the outward Door and lie in the Hall Two of the Kings Footmen wait always in the Anti-Chamber to be in readiness to go where-ever there shall be occasion to send them for the service of the Children of France and they have besides ten other little Footmen If any of the Children of France be carried or Conducted to the Audiences given by the King to Ambassadours they are placed on the Kings right hand The Governess and Under-Governess too enter within the Rails upon the Cloth of State as likewise the Chamber-Maid that holds them in her Arms and the Gentleman-Usher that leads and supports them for fear they should fall Of Monsieur the Kings only Brother and his Family Philip Son of France only Brother to the King Duke of Orleans c. was Born the 22d of September 1640. His first Wife was the Lady Henriette-Anne of England Daughter to the late Charles the First King of Great-Brittain and Sister to the Present King of England to whom he was Married the last day of March 1661. She died the 29th of June 1670. leaving him two daughters Marie-Lewise of Orleans Queen of Spain Born the 27th of March 1662. Married at Fountain-bleau the 31st of August 1679. and Anne of Orleans Dutchess of Savoy Born the 27th of August 1669. and Married at Versailles the 10th of April 1684. His second Wife is Madam Charlotte-Elizabeth of Bavaria Daughter to the late Elector Palatine who was Born the 27th of May or the 17th old Stile 1651. and was Married to him the 21st of December 1671. By whom he has Issue the Duke of Chartres named Philip Born the second of August 1675 and Madamoiselle of Chartres Born the 13th of September 1676. named Elizabeth Charlotte The Duke of Chartres is Colonel of the Regiment of Guienne His Governour is the Marshal d' Estrades who has the same allowance as the Governours of the Sons of France His Tutor is Monsieur de St. Laurent formerly Introductor of Ambassadours to their Royal Highnesses The Governess of their Royal Highnesses Children is the Marshal of Grancy's Lady Monsieur the Duke of Orleans is a Prince of a very lively spirit that delights in great things and that has signaliz'd his Courage in several Rencounters as at the taking of St. Omers at the Battel of Mount-Cassel c. CHAP. VI. Of the Princes of the Blood MOnsieur the late Duke of Orleans who was named Gaston-John-Baptiste Son of France Duke of Orleans c. Died at Blois at the Age of 52 Years the second of February 1660. His first Wife was Marie of Bourbon Daughter and Sole Heiress to Henry of Bourbon Duke of Montpensier and Sovereign Prince of Dombes and to Henriette-Catharine Dutchess of Joyeuse She was Married to him in the Year 1626. and died the 4th of June the next Year being 1627. leaving him a Daughter Born the 29th of May in the said year 1627. Stiled Madamoiselle of Orleans who Signs Anne-Marie-Lewise of Orleans The Countess of Fiesque was her Governess She is likewise Dutchess of Chatelleraud which formerly belonged to the Dukes of Hamilton in Scotland and is still Claimed by them and of Montpensier c. Princess de la Roche-sur-Yon c. and Sovereign Princess of Dombes c. But she hath given the Principality de la Roche-sur-Yon to Francis Lewis of Bourbon at present Prince of Conti and the Soveraignty of Dombes which gives power to Coin Money to my Lord the Duke of Maine reserving only the profits of it during her Life In the year 1632. the said late Monsieur Married for his second Wife Margaret of Loraine second Daughter of Francis Count de Vaudemont and of Christine de Salme and Sister of Charles Duke of Lorrain who was Born in the year 1615. and died at Paris in her Palace of Luxemburgh the 3d of April 1672. By whom he left three Daughters 1. Madamoiselle of Orleans named Margaret-Lewise Born the 28th of July 1645. and Married the 19th of April 1661. to the Prince of Tuscany at Present Great Duke of Florence by whom he has Ferdinand of Medicis Prince of Tuscany Born the 9th of August 1663. and Marie Magdalene of Medicis Born in the year 1665. 2. Madamoiselle d' Alençon Isabel of Orleans Born the 26th of Decem. 1646. She is Dutchess Dowager of the late Duke of Guise by whom she had a Son 3. And Madamoiselle de Valois Francise of Orleans Born the 13th of October 1648. and Married to the Duke of Savoy 1663. She died in 1664. He had likewise a Son by her named John-Gaston Duke of Valois Before we come to the Princes of Condé and Conti we must take notice That Lewis of Bourbon the first of that Name Prince of Condé Brother of Antony of Bourbon King of Navarre who was Father to King Henry the Great Had by Eleonor de Roye Countess of Roucy Marchioness of Conti and Lady of Muret his first Wife Henry Prince of Condé the first of that Name This Henry the first had by Charlotte-Catherine de la Tremoüille Henry the Second who by Charlotte Margaret of Montmorency Daughter to the last Constable of Montmorency and Lewise de Budos his second Wife who died the 2d of December 1650. left three Children and died the 28th of December 1646. 1. Lewis of Bourbon the second of that Name Prince of Condé first Prince of the Blood Duke of the Territory of Bourbon c. and General of the Kings Armies who was one of the most Valiant Princes of Europe or to speak better the Alexander of his Age He was Born the 8th of September 1621 and on the 11th of February 1641. being as then but Duke of Enguyen in his Fathers Life-time Married Clare-Clemence de Maillé Brezé Daughter of the late Marshal de Brezé and of the late Cardinal Duke of Richelieu's Sister By whom he had at Paris the 29th of July 1643. Henry-Julius of Bourbon now Prince of Condé Knight of the Orders of his Majesty Governour of Burgundy c. Grand Master of France or of the Kings Houshold under which Head we shall speak further of him The Late Prince of Condé died at Fountain-bleau the 11th of December 1686. in the 65 Year of his Age. On the 11th of December 1663. The present Prince Married Anne Countess Palatine Dutchess of Bavaria who was Born the 11th of December 1647. Daughter of the late Edward of Bavaria Prince Palatine of the Rhine and of Anne of Gorzague and was adopted only Daughter of Poland By whom he had 1. Marie-Terese called Madamoiselle de Bourbon who was Born at Paris the first of February 1666. and Baptized at the Convent of the Carmelites in the Street called La rue de Bouloy the 22th of January 1670. 2. Lewis of Bourbon Duke of Enguien and Governour of Burgundy Born at Paris the 11th of October
1668 who Married Madamoiselle of Nantes Lewise Francise of Bourbon legitimated of France the 24th of July 1685. 3. Anne-Lewise of Bourbon called Madamoiselle of Enguien Born at Paris the 11th of August 1675. 4. Lewise-Benedicte of Bourbon called Madamoiselle de Condé Born the 8th of November 1676. and 5. Marie-Anne of Bourbon called Madamoiselle de Montmorency Born the 24th of February 1678. The King Restored to the Prince at the time of the Pyrenean Treaty the County of Clermont Steney and Dun and that of Jamets and since he has given him the Domain of the Country of Bourbon being the ancient Patrimony of this Royal Branch before it came to the Crown This Princes only Brother was the late Armand of Bourbon Prince of Conti Governour of Languedoc Knight of the Kings Orders he was Born at Paris the 8th of October 1629. and died at Pezenas the 21st of February 1666. He Married Anne-Marie Martinozzi Niece to the late Cardinal Mazarine who died the 3d of February 1672. by whom he left two Princes who were brought up with the Dauphin which were 1. The late Prince of Conti Lewise-Armand of Bourbon Born the 4th of March 1661. and Baptized the last of February 1662. The King and the late Queen Mother being his Godfather and Godmother who named him Lewis he died at Fountain-bleau the 9th of November 1685. on the 16th of January 1680. he Married Madamoiselle de Blois Marie-Anne legitimated of France The King gave then to this Prince 50000 Crowns ready money and a yearly Pension of 25000 Crowns and to the Princess a Million of Livers ready money with a yearly Pension of 100000 Livers and many Jewels besides the Dutchy of Vaujours she had besides as Heiress all that was left by her Brother the late Count of Vermandois High Admiral of France 2. The Prince de la Roche-sur-Yon Francis Lewis of Bourbon at present Prince of Conti Born the 30th of April 1664. The King has given him a Pension of 20000 Crowns a year 3. Anne-Genevieve of Bourbon only Sister to the present Prince of Condé was Born the 27th of August 1639. and died the 15th of April 1679. She Married Henry the second of that Name Duke of Longueville There still-remains of the Family of Bourbon the Princess of Carignan named Marie de Bourbon-Soissons Born in 1606. Wife of the Deceased Prince Thomas and Mother of Prince Emanuel Philbert Prince of Carignan in Savoy of the late Count of Soissons Eugenius-Maurice of Savoy and of the Princess of Baden And Lewis Son of Lewis of Bourbon Count of Soissons Cousin German of the late Henry the Second of that Name Prince of Condé who died in 1641. He is called Knight of Soissons being Knight of Malta and Abbot de la Couture in Manse We have hitherto named only those Princes in France which are such without being obliged for that honour to any thing else but their Birth but the Princes of Courtnay pretend they ought likewise to be comprised having made great instances to that purpose under the reign of Henry the Great Representing that they were descended in a direct Male Line from Peter of France Seventh Son of King Lewis the Sixth Sirnamed the Grosse which because they have not as yet been acknowledged such we shall pass by and speak of some other Princes and Princesses descended from the House of France who because they are natural Children or their Descendants of the Royal Family Born out of Legal Matrimony have need of Letters of Legitimation or of a publick act by which they may be acknowledged of Royal Issue and enjoy the Rank of Princes which the Kings Natural Children so Legitimated and their Descendants have always had in France CHAP. VII Of the Legitimated Children of the Present King 1. THE first Legitimated Child of the Present King is Marie-Anne of Bourbon Legitimated of France Natural Daughter of the present King and of Lewise-Francise de la Baume le blanc de la Valiere Dutchess of Vaujour c. formerly one of the Maids of Honour to the late Dutchess of Orleans Henriette-Anne of Great-Brittain who is at present a professed Nun in the Great Convent of the Carmelitesses into which Order she entred the 4th of June 1675. under the Name of Sister Lewise of Mercy This young Princess was Born in October 1666. and as we have already remarked is now the Widow of the late Prince of Conti to whom she was Married the 16th of January 1680. having had no Children by him Her Letters of Legitimation were verified in Parliament the 14th of May 1667. 2. Her Brother by the same Mother was the late Lewis Legitimated of France Count of Vermandois and High-Admiral or Grand-Master of the Seas Head and Super-Intendant General of the Commerce and Navigation of France who was Born the 2d of October 1667. and died at Courtray the 18th of November 1681. at five a Clock in the Morning and was Interred in the Cathedral Church of Arras leaving all he had to the said Lady his Sister His Letters of Legitimation bear date the 20th of February 1669. in which he is stiled Duke of Vermandois Other Legitimated Children of France by Madam de Montespan 1. Lewis-Augustus of Bourbon Legitimated of France Duke of Maine Soveraign Prince of Dombes and Colonel General of the Suisses and Grisons c. Born the last of March 1670. and Legitimated the 19th of December 1673. The Soveraignty of Dombes was given him by Madamoiselle Anne-Marie of Orieans in the Month of March 1682. reserving only the profits to her self during her Life 2. Lewis Caesar of Bourbon Legitimated of France Count de Vexin Born in 1672. Legitimated the 19th of December 1673. 3. Madamoiselle of Nantes named Lewise-Francise of Bourbon Legitimated of France the 19th of December 1673. who was Married to the Duke of Bourbon the 24th of July 1685. 4. Madamoiselle de Tours named Lewise-Marie-Anne of Bourbon who was Legitimated of France in January 1676. and died in September 1681. 5. Lewis-Alexander of Bourbon Earl of Toulouse and at present Great Admiral of France and Colonel of the Regiment of Toulouse Bornthe 6th of June 1678. and Legitimated of France in Novem. 1681. 6. Madamoiselle of Blois Francise-Marie of Bourbon who was also Legitimated of France in November 1681. CHAP. VIII Of the Legitimated Children of Henry the Great and their Descendants 1. BY the Lady Gabriele d' Etrées Dutchess of Beaufort one of Henry the Great 's Mistresses during his first Marriage he had First Caesar Duke of Vendome Born in the Month of June 1594. The second Alexander of Vendome Grand Prior of France who died in the Wood of Vincennes and the Third Catharine-Henriette who Married the Duke of Elbeuf last deceased The deceased Caesar of Vendome Duke of Vendome c. was Born in the Month and Year abovesaid at Coucy-le Chateau His Majesty Legitimated him in 1595. and gave him the Dukedom and Peerage of Vendome in 1598. and caused
him to take both that Name and the Arms belonging to it The same Year a Marriage was treated off between him and Françise of Lorrain of Mercoeur only Daughter and Heiress Apparent of Philip-Emanuel of Lorrain Duke of Mercoeur and of Marie of Luxemburg Princess of Martigues who died the 8th of September 1669. which Marriage was Consummated in 1609. He took the Oath of Duke and Peer in Parliament in 1606. He was Governour and Lieutenant-General for the King in Brittany which Place he Resigned in favour of the Queen Regent in the Month of May 1650. for that of High Admiral of France The Crosses and disgraces this Prince had met withal having nothing abated his Zeal for the service of the King and State He died in his Palace at Paris the 22d of October 1665. leaving three Children behind him 1. Lewis Duke of Vendome and Mercoeur Governour of Provence c. and afterward Cardinal who before he was Cardinal Married in the year 1651. Victoria-Mancini Niece to the Late Cardinal Mazarine who died the 8th of January 1657. And died himself at Aix the 6th of August 1669. leaving two Sons by this Marriage of whom we shall speak below 2. His Brother Francis of Vendome Duke of Beaufort Peer of France Knight of the Kings Orders High Admiral or Grand Master of the Seas Head and Super-intendant General of the Commerce and Navigation of France was Born at Paris in the Month of January 1616. and was in April 1669. declared by his Holiness General of all the Forces of Christendom sent to the Relief of Candia and never could be found or heard of since that unhappy attack given by the French to the Turks the 25th of June 1669. He was never Married 3. Their Sister was named Isabel of Vendome and died in May 1664. being the Widow of the late Duke of Nemours Charles-Amedeus of Savoy by whom she left two Daughters as we shall remark afterward The two Sons of the abovesaid Cardinal Duke of Vendome during his said Marriage are yet living and are 1. Lewis-Joseph of Vendome Duke of Vendome c. Great Senechal and Governour of the Country and County of Provence c. was Born the first of July 1654. He won the prize at running at Heads performed at St. Germains in February 1680. and that at running at the Ring the 2d of May the same year 2. Philip of Vendome Grand Prior of France Knight of St. John of Jerusalem c. was Born the 22d of August 1656. The same Henry the Great had during his second Marriage by the Lady Henriette of Balsac D' Antragues Marchioness of Vernueil a Son and a Daughter being 1. The late Henry of Bourbon Duke of Vernueil c. who on the 29th of October 1668. Married Charlote Seguier Dutchess Dowager of Sully who died without Children the 28th of May 1682. 2. The late Gabriele of Bourbon first Wife to the Deceased Duke of Epernon by whom she had the Duke of Candale who died at Lyons and a Daughter who is a Carmelite Nun. By the Lady Jaqueline de Bueil Countess of Moret he had Antony of Bourbon Count of Moret who was killed at the Battel of Castelnau d' Ary in 1632. Lastly By the Lady Charlotte of Essars Countess of Remorantin his fourth Mistress the said King had two Daughters viz. The Lady Joan-Baptist of Bourbon Abbess and Chief of the Order of Fontevrault who was Born in 1608. and died the 16th of January 1669. and the Lady Marie-Henriette of Bourbon Abbess of Chelles who is likewise dead CHAP. IX Of the House of Longueville THE late Henry of that Name Duke of Longueville c. Died at Roan the 11th of May 1663. at the Age of 69 years He Married as we have said the present Prince of Conde's Sister by whom he had two Sons viz. 1. John-Lewis-Charles of Orleans of Longueville called The Abbot of Orleans Duke of Longueville and d' Estouteville Count de Dunois or the Country of Dun c. was Born the 12th of January 1646. and took the Order of Priesthood in 1669. 2. Charles of Orleans Duke of Longueville Count of St. Pauls his Brother was killed at the memorable passage of the Rhine near Tolbuys in Holland the 12th of June 1672. leaving only a natural Son called the Chevalier Longueville who was Legitimated the same year Their Sister by the Fathers side by a former Wise was Anne-Marie of Orleans who was Born the 5th of March 1625. being Widow of Henry of Savoy last Duke of Nemours This Family descended in a direct Male Line from John Natural Son to Lewis of France Duke of Orleans Brother to Charles the Sixth This Count de Dunois did such brave Exploits in the reign of Charles the Seventh against the English under the Names of the Bastard of Orleans and of Count de Dunois That he obtained for his Posterity very singular Priviledges and such as never before or since him were ever granted to any Natural Children but those of the Kings themselves After the Princes of the Blood and those which are Legitimated I thought good to subjoin those Families that the King suffers to enjoy some particular honours which other Dukes and Peers are not allowed which are called Stranger-Princes CHAP. X. Of Stranger-Princes THese Princes though born in France and truly French by Nation yet are called Strangers because they are originally descended from a Foreign House and Principality and bear its Name As those of the House of Lorain Savoy and others of which we shall here speak It is almost impossible to regulate the point of Precedence among the Soveraign Families setled in France and therefore not to meddle with those disputes I shall follow the Order of the time of their respective setling here And since the Branches of the House of Lorain that for these many Ages have been setled in this Kingdom have longer enjoyed the Bank of Princes in France than those of the House of Savoy I hope none will take it ill that I give them the first place for as for the Precedence of some other Houses there being as yet almost nothing determined in France on that subject I shall leave it wholly to the Reader to think of that point what he pleases Of the House of Lorain The better and more distinctly to describe to you all the Princes and Princesses of the House of Lorain that are at present living I shall divide the Family into five Branches and accordingly shall speak first Of the first Branch of Lorain The late Charles the Third of that Name Duke of Lorain who died of a Feaver at Cologne the 17th of September 1675. at the Age of 75 Years Married on the 22d of May 1621. his Cousin-German Nicole of Lorain eldest Daughter of the deceased Henry Duke of Lorain This Charles Duke of Lorain was detained a long time Prisoner in Spain which was the cause that the Princess Nicole Dutchess of Lorain not being willing to fall into the same Misfortune
this Family still maintain a Rank comformable to their Extraction as they formerly did enjoying the same Honours and Prerogatives as the fore-mentioned Families This Family has had several Alliances with our Kings with the Emperours and with the Kings of England Scotland Spain Arragon and Navarre and if Anne the Heiress of Brittany who was afterward Queen of France and Wife both to Charles the VIII and Lewis the XII had died without Children there was no Family nearer to succeed to that Dutchy than this But the better to particularize in Order those which at present remain of this Illustrious Family we shall make this Observation That they descend all from these three following Heads or Chiefs 1. From the late Henry Duke of Rohan 2. From the late Peter Prince of Guémené 3. From his late Brother Hercules of Rohan Duke of Montbazon 1. The late Henry Duke of Rohan Prince of Leon left by Margaret of Leon his Wife Daughter to the late Duke of Suilly Margaret of Rohan his only Heiress who died the 9th of April 1684. In her the Dutchy of Rohan as well as the Vicounty of Leon fell to the Distaffe as they call it in France She Married Henry Chabot Lord of St. Aulaye the last in Rank of the Barons of Jornac and Grand-Child to Admiral Chabot and died the 27th of February 1655. by whom she had a Son and three Daughters viz. 1. Lewis de Rohan-Chabot Peer of France of whom we shall speak among the Dukes and Peers 2. Anne Chabot de Rohan Married the 16th of April 1663. to Francis of Rohan Prince of Soubize 3. Margaret Chabot of Rohan Widow of the Marquiss of Coëtquen Governour of St. Malo who died the 24th of April 1679. 4. Joan-Pelagia Chabot of Rohan called Madamoiselle of Leon She was Married to the Prince d' Epinoy the 11th of April 1668. II. The late Peter of Rohan Prince of Guémené Count of Montauban Elder Brother of the late Duke of Montauban Married Magdalene of Rieux Daughter to the Lord of Chateau-neuf by whom he had Anne of Rohan who was Married to the late Lewis of Rohan her Cousin-German as we shall show further in due place III. The late Hercules of Rohan Duke of Montbazon Count of Rochefort Knight of the Kings Orders Peer and Great Huntsman of France Governour of the City of Paris and Gentleman-Usher to Queen Marie of Medicis who died in the year 1654. Married to his first Wife Magdalene of Lenoncourt Daughter and sole Heir of Henry of Lenoncourt and the Lady Francise Laval and to his second in the year 1628. Marie of Brittany Daughter of the Count of Vertus By both which he had the Children following His Children by the first Wife were 1. Lewis of Rohan the Seventh of that Name Prince of Guémené Duke of Montbazon Peer and Great Huntsman of France Knight of the Kings Orders who died the 19th of February 1667. in the 68th year of his Age He Married Anne de Rohan Princess of Guémené his Cousin-German above-mentioned who died the 14th of March 1685. by whom he had one Son viz. Charles de Rohan Duke of Montbazon Peer of France Count of Rochefort and of Montauban who Married Joan Armanda of Schomberg Daughter and Sister of the two late Counts and Marshals of that Name by whom he has these following Children 1. Charles of Rohan Prince of Guémené Duke of Montbazon who Married to his first Wife Madamoiselle de Luyne Marie-Anne d' Albret who died the 21st of August 1679. and to his second on the 2d of December the same year Charlotte-Elizabeth de Cochefilet called Madamoiselle de Vauvineux 2. John-Baptist-Armandus of Rohan called The Abbot of Rohan 3. John of Rohan called the Prince of Montauban who in 1682. Married N .... de Bautru Nogent Widow of the Marquiss of Ranes Lieutenant General of the Kings Armies 4. Anne of Rohan called Madamoiselle of Guémené 5. Elizabeth of Rohan called Madamoiselle of Montbazon Born the 25th of March 1643. 6. And Madamoiselle of Montauban 2. The late Marie de Rohan Dutchess Dowager of Chevreuse who died the 13th of August 1679. was Daughter to the same late Hercules of Rohan by the same Wife She was first Married to Charles D' Albot Duke of Luyne Peer Constable and Great Falconer of France Knight of the Kings Orders Principal Gentleman of the Kings Bed-Chamber and Governour of Picardie who died in 1621. By whom she had Lewis-Charles d' Albert Duke of Luyne who was first Married to Lewise-Marie Seguier Daughter of the Marquisse d' O by whom he had several Children and since to the abovesaid Madamoiselle of Montbazon The same Marie of Rohan after the Death of the said Constable of Luyne was Married again as we have said to Claudius of Lorain Duke of Chevreuse and had by him three Daughters of whom there remains only Henriette of Lorain Abbess of Joüare The Children of the said late Hercules of Rohan by his second Wife were one Son and two Daughters viz. I. Francis of Rohan Prince of Soubize Count of Rochefort in Iveline Lieutenant-Captain of a Company of the Kings Gens d' armes Governour of Berry and Lieutenant General of the Kings Armies who on the 16th of April 1663. Married his Cousin Madamoiselle de Rohan Lady of Honour to the Queen By whom he has had several Children the Eldest of which is 1. Lewis of Rohan of Soubize who was Baptized at the Royal Chappel at St. Germains en Laye the 16th of February 1675. Their Majesties being pleased to stand for his Godfather and Godmother 2. Hercules-Meriadec of Rohan Abbot of St. Taurin of Evreux called the Abbot of Rohan 3. Anne-Margaret of Rohan of Soubize who is a Nun in the Convent of the Benedictin Nuns of Nostre Dame de Consolation in the Street called the Rue de Chasse-midy in the Suburbs of St. Germain at Paris 4. Madamoiselle de Frontenay N. ◠de Rohan 5 6. Two Boys more II. Constance Emilia of Rohan who was Married by Proxy on the 18th of May 1683. to Don Joseph Rodrigo de Camara Son of Don Miguel de Camara Count de Ribeyra-grande Grandee of Portugal This Don Joseph-Rodrigo de Camara is of the Privy Council to the present King of Portugal Governour and Captain-General and Lord of the Island of St. Michael and of the Town de Poule-Delgade The Ceremony of the Espousals was performed the day before at Versailles in the Kings Great Cabinet in Presence of their Majesties of my Lord the Dauphin and my Lady Dauphiness of Monsieur and Madame and of all the Princes and Princesses and principal Lords of the Court She arrived in Portugal in the Month of October 1683. Of the Family of Tremoille I. The late Prince of Tarente Charle-Henry de la Tremoille Duke of Thoüars Peer of France Knight of the Order of the Garter bore Arms in Holland and was General of the Cavalry of the States of the United Provinces and Governour of Bois le
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-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 of the Haudriettes at Paris which are now the Nuns of the Assumption It will not be amiss to place here the Form of the Oath of Fidelity or Allegiance which the Bishops in France take to the King upon the Holy Gospels The Form of the Oath of Allegiance taken by the Bishops I Swear Sir by the Most Holy and Sacred Name of God and Promise to your Majesty That I will be to you as long as I live a Faithful Subject and Servant That I will procure your Service and the good of your State with all my power That I will never be present in any Counsel Design or Enterprize to the prejudice of either and that if there comes any thing of that kind to my Knowledge that I will make it known to your Majesty So help me God and these Holy Gospels CHAP. XII Of the first Almoner and other Almoners according to their Quarters THE first Almoner when he pleases in the absence of the Great Almoner performs all the same Functions and he Administers the Oath of Fidelity to the other Officers of the Chappel and of the Oratory which the other Almoners do not do In the absence of the Great Almoner he likewise gives to Bishops and other Ecclesiastical Dignitaries a Certificate of their having taken the Oath of Fidelity or Allegiance to the King during Mass He has 1200 l. per annum Wages paid by the Treasurer of the Houshold and 6000 l. more for his Table at Court paid by the Masters of the Chamber of Deniers On Sundays if he be at Chappel he presents Holy Bread to the King to the Queen to the Dauphin and Dauphiness to Monsieur the Kings Brother and to Madame Then the Almoners of that Quarter give it to the other Princes and Princesses of the Blood or to those that are Legitimated which are near the Kings Foot-Cloth The first Almoner and another of that Quarter hold the two Corners of the Communion Napkin on that side next the Altar when the King receives and commonly two Knights of the Orders or two other Lords hold the two other Corners on his Majesties side But if the Dauphin happen to be there then he only is to hold the Communion Napkin on his Majesties side The Master of the Oratory has 1200 l. per annum Wages paid by the Treasurers of the Houshold and 3600 l. more for his Table at Court paid him by the Masters of the Chamber of Deniers The Kings Confessor who is the Reverend Father la Chaise a Jesuit has 1200 l. a year by Name of Wages 2654 l. at the Chamber of Deniers and 3000 l. more to maintain his Coach On the great Festivals of the year and when the King Communicates the reverend Father Confessor is always at Church near his Majesty Clothed with a Surpliss under his Mantle On other days he assists if he pleases at the Kings Mass but without a Surpliss By an Order of Philip the Long made at St. Germain en Laye in the Month of June 1316. The Kings Confessour has power to Order all Letters for Collating of Benefices to be made ready for the Royal Signature and Seal and the Great Almoner those of Royal Gifts and Alms according to Mr. Tillet Tom. 1. f. 434 435. By a Charter of the same Philip the Long made at Bourges the 16th of November 1318. All persons were forbidden to speak to the King while he was hearing Mass except his Confessour who might speak to him only about things concerning his Conscience And after Mass he might speak to him about the business of Collating of Benefices The King has eight other Almoners whereof two wait every Quarter and of those two at least he that is to wait that Day is to be present at the Kings Rising Dinner and Mass during which last the Almoner of the Quarter or some other is to hold his Majesties Hat and Gloves or in their absence the next Chaplain or Clerk of the Chappel to be found in the way is to receive them The Almoners are to be afterward at the Kings Supper and at his going to Bed to perform the following Ceremonies as to open the Nave on the Table if there be one and to take it away when Supper is done to crave a Blessing and to give thanks The Almoners are present on solemn Festivals and when the King Communicates Clothed with Rotchets under their Mantles both at Mass and at Vespers They Preach in Rotchets both before the King and else where They administer the Communion to the King They go and present the Holy Bread they also deliver Prisoners give Dispensation in Lent to eat Eggs and Flesh give Ashes to the King Queen and other Royal Persons they give Holy Water to the King and Queen when Mass is done and in fine in the absence of the Great or the first Almoner perform all Functions which they should do They have each a Salary 300 l. a piece for serving the King and their Diet at the Table called the Almoners Table And for serving at the Dauphins by turns one year in two they have half the Wages they have in the Kings Service and half a Pistol a Day for their diet which one year with another makes 600 l. to each besides their diet at Court I shall not mention those many titular Preachers and Almoners that the King is pleased to admit only ad honores because they have no rank here There is one Chaplain in Ordinary who has 1200 l. a year under the name of Wages and 1098 l. for his diet at the Chamber of Deniers Besides whom there are eight Chaplains that serve quarterly two to each Quarter Who are to say every day excepting the High-Mass dayes a low Mass before the King they serve commonly Weekly and he that is not in Waiting any Week in the Kings Service may if he pleases when he is present at the Kings Mass kneel in Mass-time next behind the Almoners on the Kings right hand They serve also the Dauphin and his Children They have each 240 l. Wages a year for three Months waiting in the Kings Service and their diet at the Almoners Table during their said three Months Service and 120 l. to serve by turns at the Dauphins and their diet at Court at the Deservers or Water-Servers belonging to the Dauphin They have likewise 120 l. Recompense for serving every other Year at the Duke of Burgundies and 270 l. for their diet at the end of their quarter And besides you are to take notice that at the Dauphins they are allowed half a Pistol a day a piece for their diet every day there is no Table kept which one year with another makes 495 l. yearly Revenue to each besides their diet at Court and some other profits The Chaplains besides the ordinary Ceremonies go before they begin Mass and give their Majesties Holy Water and when Mass is done they present the Corporal on which they have Celebrated to their Majesties
Oath to the Great Almoner Besides these there are the Almoners belonging to the great and little Stables and to the other Bodies of the Kings Houshold and the Chaplains belonging to the several Companies of Guards and of the Gentlemen-Musqueteers and others of which we shall speak in their places The New Chappel of the Louvre was Consecrated the 18th of February 1659. by the late Bishop of Rhodes since Archbishop of Paris and that of little Bourbon pull'd down in the Month of August the same year The Kings Ecclesiastical Officers keep always on his Majesties right hand in the Chappel and the Bishops Abbots and Ecclesiastical Officers of the Queen on his left Now on his Majesties right hand the Great Almoners Place is next to the Kings Person then follows that of the first Almoner on the right hand of the Great Almoner As for the Kings Father Confessour he places himself at the Great Almoners left hand more within the Kings Praying-Desk The Master of the Chappel-Musick takes his place on the left hand next adjoining to the Kings Praying-Desk The rest of the Almoners rank themselves to the right-hand-ward from the foot of the Kings Praying-Desk toward the Altar and after them the Chaplains and Clerks of the Chappel and Oratory and the other Clergy of the Kings Houshold every one in their Order CHAP. XIV Of the Great Master of the Kings Houshold and those who depend on him and of the Stewards of the Houshold THE Prince of Conde is at present Grand Master of the Kings Houshold and his Son the Duke of Enguien has it in Reversion The Grand Master has yearly under the name of Wages 3600 l. for Liveries 42000 l. paid quarterly for his Collations 1200 l. and 1800 l. for his Steward Under the first Race of our Kings the Great Master of France was called the Mayor of the Palace who was a Lieutenant-General over the whole Kingdom and according to the ancient Disposition of the State as there was a Duke placed over twelve Earls and sometimes a Duke over whole Provinces so the Mayor of the Palace was the Duke of Dukes and stiled himself Duke or Prince of the French His Authority was not confined only within the Kings Houshold where he disposed of all Offices but he had a great power over all Officers of War and Justice over the Managers of the Revenue and Treasury and indeed over all Affairs of State and grew so great at last that it Eclipsed the Kings and gave Pepin who was but Mayor of the Palace opportunity to assume the Crown which having done and fearing that if he continued any longer any such great Authority as this in an Officer his own practice might be returned on him and his Successors he suppressed this Office of Mayor of the Palace and Erected in its stead that of Seneschal for the Government only of his Household reserving all the other powers of that former Office to himself Yet it has happened since that the Seneschal for all that has taken upon him some Command in the Armies even so far as to have the Guard of the Kings Person Some have called him the Great Gonfanonïer or Standard-Bearer This Office became Hereditary to the Counts of Anjou from the time of Geffry Grisegonelle to whom King Robert gave it about the year 1002. and those that exercised it about the King held it in Fee of those Counts to whom they did Homage for it and paid certain acknowledgments as going to meet the Count of Anjou when he came to the Palace Lodging him letting him serve the King c. and furnishing him in the Armies with a Tent big enough to hold a hundred Knights as Hugh de Cléries reports at large This Officer also retained still a part of the power of the Mayors of the Palace in other things and decided all differences arising among the Attendants of the Court and among the Officers of the Houshold After the Kings Death he throws his Staff upon the Coffin before all the rest of the Officers Assembled together to show that their Offices are expired but the succeeding King ordinarily restores them out of his special Grace and Favour The Great Master Regulates every year the expence of the Mouth of the Kings Houshold He has an entire Jurisdiction over the seven Offices the most part of which places he disposes of and the Officers thereof take the Oath of Allegiance to the King between his hands Nevertheless the Great Masters have voluntarily resign'd the Office of Intendant of the Gobelet and of the Mouth into the Kings hands ever since Monsieur de Soissons Great Master of the Kings Houshold under Henry IV. refused to trouble himself any longer with the care of them He receives the Oath of Allegiance from the first Master of the Houshold from the Master of the Houshold in Ordinary and from twelve Masters of the Houshold that wait Quarterly from the Great and Chief Pantler Cup-Bearer and Carver from the thirty six Gentlemen Servitors from the three Masters of the Chamber of Deniers from the two Controulers-General from the sixteen Controulers Clerks of Offices from the Master of the Kings Chappel-Musick and from the Master of the Kings Oratory from the Almoners of the Kings Houshold from the Great Master the Master and the Aid of the Ceremonies from the Introductor of Ambassadours and from ........ from the Kings Master of the Horse in Ordinary and of the twenty other Masters of the Horse that serve quarterly from the four Lieutenants of the Guards of the Kings Gate from the Keepers of the Tents c. When he serves in Ceremony and that he goes along with the Meat he marches nearer the Kings Meat than all the Stewards of the Houshold carrying his Staff strait and bolt upright like a Scepter and the other Masters of the Houshold hold theirs more downward in his presence It is he likewise that at all Great Ceremonies presents the first wet Napkin to the King The Office called the Kings Office or Counting-House is kept under the Authority of the Great Master CHAP. XV. Of the first Master of the Houshold and of the other Masters under him THE first Master of the Houshold is at present the Marquiss de Livry who has a Jurisdiction over the seven Offices as far as relates to their Service but has not the disposal of their places He may also receive the Oath of Fidelity from the Offieers of the Cup or Goblet and of the Mouth and of the other Officers and in the Great Masters absence of those other Officers which ought to perform that Ceremony to him He has his Lodging in the Louvre and has yearly for Wages 3000 l. for Liveries 7968 l. and for the Counters 60 l. He keeps the Great Chamberlains Table and has the last course of it for his Fee The priviledge of the said Table is an acquisition that has been made to this Office by some preceding First Masters of
his hand marches at the head of them some steps before whom goes the Usher of the Hall with his Wand in his hand which is the mark of his Office and when the Meat is brought to the Table guarded by three of the Life-Guards with their Carabines on their Shoulders The Master of the Houshold makes a bow to the Nave and the Gentleman-Waiter that carried the first Dish sets it on the Preparatory-Table and having received an Essay of the Gentleman-Waiter that makes the Preparatives he eats it and sets his Dish upon the said Table after which the Gentleman-Waiter that makes the Preparatives takes the rest of the Dishes out of the hands of the Comptroller and others that brought and places them likewise on the said Table giving every Man a tast of the Dish he brought which done the other Gentlemen-Waiters take the said Dishes off the Preparatory-Table and carry them to the Kings Table The first Course being thus served up upon the Table the Master of the Household with the Usher of the Hall going before him with his Wand in his hand goes and gives his Majesty notice the said Master of the Houshold when there carries his Staff as a mark of his Office but in his absence the Gentleman-Waiter that officiates his place carries only for a mark of his present Function a wer Napkin between two golden Plates that his Majesty may see by that the Meat is on the Table then he comes back marching before the King to the Table where his Majesty being arrived the Master of the Houshold or in his absence the Gentleman-Waiter presents him the said wet Napkin to wash withal according to an Order of the King for that purpose of the 5th of September 1676. upon occasion of the dispute that happened thereon in the Queens Houshold the said Master of the Houshold or Gentleman-Waiter ought likewise when he takes the said wet Napkin of the Officer of the Goblet to make him make trial of it Thus much for the first course as for the others you may observe that the Gentleman-Waiter that has the charge of the Preparatory-Table continues all along to make the Officers of the Mouth and Goblet tast of every thing they bring up at each course which the other Gentlemen-Waiters come and take and serve up to the Kings Table when his Majesty calls for them But the other Gentlemen-Waiters after they have brought up the first course go no more down to the Office but having washed their hands with Water given to them by the Officer of the Goblet at the Side-Bord in the Anti-Chamber or some other place come back and wait at the Kings Table on that side opposite to his Majesty and not behind where commonly Noblemen and Ladies stand Upon New-Years-Day in the year 1674. his Majesty having been pleased to Order that for the future none but the Gentlemen-Waiters should serve him at Table and that they should wait five at a time that the Service might be the more exactly performed Since that time one of them always waits at the Preparatory or Testing-Table as we have said till the last course be served up after which he quits it and going to the Officers of the Goblet or Buttery he takes of them the second wet Napkin after he has made them make trial of it and holds it ready for the King to wash his hands with at the end of his stepast and the other four wait always at the Kings Table while his Majesty is eating He that serves as Cup-Bearer when the King askes for Drink cryes out presently aloud Some Drink for the King and then bowing to his Majesty goes to the Side-Bord and takes from the hands of the Chief Butler of the Mouth a golden Plate on which are placed a Glass with a Cover and two Caraffes or larger Glasses of Christal one of Water and one of Wine and then comes back the Chief Butler and his Aid or Assistant of the Goblet of the Mouth going before him to the Kings Table where being all three come and having made Obeisance to the King the said Chief-Butler steps on one side and presents a Vermilion-Taster to the Gentleman-Waiter who likewise turns himself toward him and pours out of the two Caraffes some Wine and Water into the said Taster being a little Cup of Vermilion gilt in the Chief-Butlers of the Goblets hands after which the said Chief-Butler pours out the half of what was filled into the Taster in his hands into another like Vermilion presented him by his Aid or Assistant then giving the first into the Gentleman-Waiters hands and taking the other out of his Assistants he drinks that off first after which the Gentleman-Waiter drinks his and returns it to the Chief-Butler who returns them both to his said Assistant Having thus tasted the drink in the Kings sight the Gentleman-Waiter bows again to his Majesty and giving him the Glass takes off the Cover and presents him at the same time the Plate or Stand on which are the Caraffes out of which his Majesty fills himself Wine and Water or Wine alone as he likes and when he has drunk sets the Glass on the Stand again which the Gentleman-Waiter covers again and taking up the Stand with what is upon it bows once more to the King and then gives it back into the Chief Butlers hands who carries it to the Side-board It is to be remarked that when the Nave is placed on the same Table on which the King eats when the King asks for drink the Gentleman-Waiter goes to the Side-board with a Guard before him and fetches the Plate or Stand with the Glass as aforesaid If the Nave be placed on the same Table at which the King eats every time the King changes Napkins which is at every course at least after the Almoner has opened the Nave one of the Gentlemen-Waiters is to lift up the sweet or perfumed Bag which lies over them to make room for another of his Companions to take them out after which the first Gentleman is to put in the Sweet-Bag again and the Almoner to shut the Nave He that Officiates for the Chief-Carver after he has washt his hands and taken his place as is abovesaid at the Table is to present to his Majesty the Dishes to uncover them and to take them off when his Majesty makes him a sign so to do to the Serdeau or Water-Server and gives the King clean Plates from time to time and Napkins at the coming in of any Inter-Messes or choice Dishes twixt Course and Course and Carves the Kings Meat unless he please to carve it himself At Great Ceremonies when the Great Pantler Great Cup-Bearer and Great Usher-Carver serve in Person they do all the forementioned Duties themselves From the time the Cloth is laid till his Majesty rises from Table the Usher of the Hall is to keep the Door of the Room where his Majesty Dines in Publick at Home and if the Nave be there
make the second Trusse of his Bed that is they sold the second and third Quilt of the Kings Bed after the Gentlemen of the Bed-Chamber have folded the first and the Sheets 'T is their right to put the Dauphin to Table he having no Table-Carrier When the King or the Dauphin have occasion to wash either their Feet or their whole Bodies in a Bath the Fuel-Officers are to heat and pour in the Water and while the King or Dauphin are in the Bath when any Perfumes are to be burnt one of the said Officers is to hold the hot Pan on which the Perfumes are cast When any Officer of the Kings Houshold is Arrested or made Prisoner the Fuel-Officers are charged with the Prisoner and the Fuel-Office is made their Prison 'T is at this Office that the Kings Visits the Poor on Maundy-Thursday By his Chief Physician and others and the Chyrurgion of the Houshold wipes their Feet If the King happen to eat with another King or Queen the King of France as performing the Honours due from a Person in his own House to a Stranger his equal will yield to that Crowned Head his Cadenat that is his own Plate and Service which is the greatest piece of honour of the Table together with his Captain of the Guards and his Chair and then it would be the Fuel-Officers Duty to put the King of France to Table that is to say to present his Most Christian Majesty a Chair and take it away again when he rises from Table as it was determined at Fountainbleau at the Marriage of the Lady Marie-Lewise of Orleans to the King of Spain who in Quality of Queen of Spain eat several days with the King Besides these there is at the Fuel-Office one Deliverer of the Wood one Porter that serves the Chamber with Wood and three Servants of the Office The Kings Table-Carriers and those of the Houshold eat at the Fuel-Office The Kings Table-Carrier likewise gives the King his Chair when he Dines in Publick The two Table-Carriers of the Houshold have 200 l. Wages paid by the Treasurers of the Household and 600 l. more each at the Chamber of Deniers for their ordinary Furnitures There is likewise one Joyner in Ordinary who among other things furnishes Box-Branches on Palm-Sunday at the Kings Chappel Two Chair-men for business In all these Offices there are some Servants All the Officers of the seven Offices have always priviledge to wear a Sword in the Louvre or elsewhere and to wait with their Swords by their sides if they please The five Offices of the Houshold are composed as you see of Chiefs Aids and Grooms and are regulated after the same manner as those immediately belonging to the King Besides the seven Offices there is a new Kitchin which was established in the Month of September 1664. called the Little-Common Kitchin to serve the Great Masters and Great Chamberlains new Table Of which we shall now name the Officers Other Officers belonging to the seven Offices There are still some others that may be reckoned as belonging to or dependant on the seven Offices as the Deliverer out of the Ice who has his Place by Commission and receives at the Chamber of Deniers for Wages Diet and all together half a Crown a day paid by way of Extraordinary He distributes Ice not only for the Kings Table but for all the Tables of the Houshold and to the Princes and great Lords of the Court. There are four Barber-Chyrurgions belonging to the Houshold that are Sworn by the Chief Gentlemen of the Bed-Chamber who have 200 l. a piece yearly Wages on the Book of the smaller Accounts and 150 l. for dressing on occasion the Pages of the said Chamber They shave the poor Men on Maundy-Thursday and wash their Feet They Accompany the Chief Physician when he visits the said poor Men. After these we may place the Purveyors and the Merchants that furnish necessaries which are the Bakers the Vintners the Linen-Drapers and others who keep to the bargain they have made with the Kings Officers so long as they please and so long as no body offers to do it cheaper but if they furnish any thing that is not so good as it should be the Masters and Comptrollers of the Houshold and other Head-Officers may buy more elsewhere and bate or cause it to be bated in the said Merchants Bills The Baker has 150 l. at the Chamber of Deniers for Covertures There are three Purveyors who have 200 l. likewise at the Chamber of Deniers for Covertures A Customary allowance called a Parists for what he ordinarily furnishes is paid to the Baker Vintner and Purveyor when they are obliged to go further from Paris than the distance specified in their Bargains The Vintner is likewise allowed for following the King or Dauphin out of the Kingdom when they stir out of it according to what is agreed on in the Contract made with them I shall add this one Remark that when the Court is upon the march there is allowed for the House where the Goblet is lodged 3 l. or a Crown for the Kitchin of the Mouth 5 l. for the two Common-Kitchins both Great and Little 3 l. each for the Pastry-Cooks lodging 20 pence and the like price for the Housing taken up by the Common-Pantry Buttry and Pastry as likewise by the Fruitry and Fuel-Office which is called paying the De Roy or allowance due from the King for House-room for his Offices The Officers of later Creation for the service of the Great Masters and Great Chamberlains Table are A Master of the Houshold Waiting at the Great Masters new Table who has 1000 l. yearly Another Master of the Houshold Waiting at the Great Chamberlains new Table at 600 l. This latter has an Ordinary of Bread and Wine allowed him in the Establishment of the Houshold and he takes his Ordinary of Meat upon what is served off from this Table He has inspection over the Officers of the Little-Common Kitchin and of the Fruitry and over the Merchants that furnish the necessaries as far as concerns the service of the Great Chamberlains Table Four Ushers of the Little-Common Kitchin serving each three Months by turns He that serves the first quarter beginning from New-Years-Day has 400 l. at the Treasurers and 100 l. at the Chamber of Deniers He that serves the second quarter has 500 l. all at the Treasurers of the Houshold He that serves the third quarter has likewise 500 l. at the same Treasurers and he that serves the last has 400 l. at the said Treasurers and 100 l. at the Chamber of Deniers There are two Aids in Ordinary at 400 l. Wages These Ushers and Aids make ready the Meat for both the said new Tables Besides which there are One Porter belonging to the Little-Common Kitchin who has for Cords Pails and Brooms six pence a day One Servant of the Little-Common who has 100 l. a year extraordinary Wages allowed him upon the
as soon as the King has changed his Shirt he lets in the Nobility and the Officers in order as he sees them more or less qualified If any speak too loud in the Chamber the Usher Commands Silence They carry Flambo's overlaid with Vermilion gilt before his Majesty when he goes out or in any where or from Chamber to Chamber or when he goes up or down Stairs in any of the Apartments of the Louvre but when he goes any further into the Courts they quit him at the Door and leave only the Pages to light him to whom it only belongs The Ushers have the Priviledge to wait with their Swords by their sides and their Cloaks on their Shoulders Upon the Annual Festivals and on all Dayes of Solemnity as at Te Deums on the Dayes of the Kings Majority Coronation or Marriage when he touches for the Evil when he follows the Processions when he fits on his Bed of Justice in Parliament or at the Creation of the Knights of his Orders and at all the Kings first Entries into any Towns two of these Ushers carry before his Majesty two silver guilt Maces letting the tops of the said Maces lean gently on their Shoulders and every time they carry these Maces there is due to them a Fee of 150 l. which is punctually paid them by express Order at the Treasure-Royal But when the King goes to Parliament besides the 150 l. they have out of the Treasure Royal the Chief President Orders a like summe to be paid them out of the Fines In like manner at the Kings first Entry into any Cities there is due to them from the Officers of the said Town a Mark of Gold being the value of 400 l. besides their said constant Fee of 150 l. out of the Treasure Royal. These two Maces are carried every where after the King in the Chests of the Wardrobe At Coronations and Creations of Knights the two Ushers that bear the Maces are habited in white Sattin Doublets with Sleeves slashed in several rows and their Shifts swelling out of the said slashes with Trunk-Breeches and Cloaks of the same with silk Pearl-Colour'd Stockings Shoes covered with white Sattin and white Velvet or Sattin Caps or Bonnets They have their share in the Fees and Presents given by Governours and Lieutenants of Towns or Provinces Great Officers of the Crown and those of the Kings Houshold the Chief Presidents of Parliaments the Eschevins or Sheriffs of Paris or others when at their several admissions they take the Oath of Fidelity to his Majesty 'T is the Ushers Duty to make them that are in the Chamber get out of the way whether it be to keep them from standing in his Majesties light when he is Dressing or Undressing him or to clear his passage when he goes from his Chair to his Praying-Desk from that to his Closet or when he goes from one side of his Chamber to the other No Body ought to have his Hat on in the Kings Bed-Chamber though it be at certain hours when there is but two or three Officers there And the Ushers are to see too that no Body Combs themselves there or sit down upon the Seats the Table or the Rails of the Alcove They have their Ordinary at the old Table of the Great Master which is now that of the Masters of the Houshold and those four that are in Waiting have every day to their Breakfast a Bottle of Wine and a Loaf They are allowed every day out of the Eruitry a Flambo of white Wax of half a pound weight On Council-Days if the Council be held in the Bed-Chamber they go from his Majesty to give notice to the Secretaries of State and in the absence of the chief Valets de Chambres they keep the Doors of the Council-Chamber They have the Honour to carry in their Arms the Children of France during their Infancy The two Ushers of the Chamber that wait at the Dauphins have each of them a Crown a day for their Diet one of the four Ushers that are in Waiting at the Kings goes every day and waits on the Duke of Burgundy and he that stays with that Prince in the Kings absence has a Crown a Day for his Diet and the Officers of the Kings Counting-House or Green-Cloth diminish so much as his Ordinary comes to at the Table he should otherwise eat it and discount it to his Majesties profit Another Usher likewise appointed to wait on the Duke of Anjou has the like allowance which will be the rule for all the Children the Dauphin shall have When the Usher asks any one that would come in his Name whoever he be he ought not to take it ill because he is obliged by his Office to know who he lets in It is to be observed that any person that would enter into the Bed-Chamber the Anti-Chamber and the Closets when the Doors are shut must scratch gently at the Door and not knock hard and when he would go out he is not to open the Door himself but to call to the Usher to open it for him When the King any Queens Children of France and their Wives or any Ambassadors that go to or come from Audience come in or go out of the Chamber the Usher presently opens to them both the Leaves of the Door the same is done by the Usher of the Anti-Chamber and by the Sentinel at the Door of the Guard-Chamber There are besides two Ushers of the Closet that wait six Months each who have 660 l. Salary and a gratuity of 600 l. at the Treasure Royal. They eat at the Masters of the Housholds Table If on a Council-Day the Council be held in any of the Closets then 't is the Usher of the Closets Duty to give notice of it from the King to the Secretaries of State There two Ushers of the Anti-Chamber who have a yearly Salary of 500 l. each They eat at the Valets de Chambrés Table and are allowed Bread and Wine too for their Breakfast At New-years-tide the Queen when there is one gives for a New-Years Gift 4 l to the Ushers a 100 l. at each Station that is to say 100 l. among the Ushers of the Anti-Chamber as much to him that keeps the Closet and as much among those of the Bed-Chamber By which means he that keeps the Cabinet that day and that is in waiting the first half year beginning in January has as much alone as the two Ushers of the Anti-Chamber and the four Ushers of the Bed-Chamber And formerly when the two Ushers of the Anti-Chamber waited by turns each their half year he whose turn it was to wait at New-years-tide had the whole 100 l. to himself but since they have been both made ordinary and serve all the year round the said summ is usually parted among them which Order was made about twenty years ago The Porte-Manteau ' s or Cloak-Carriers Are twelve in number and serve quarterly three each quarter and have yearly 660 l.
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
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
Of Chorolois Of Roussillon Their Wages are different There are besides several Pursuivants whose Salaries are likewise different At all publick Ceremonies the King at Arms and the rest of the Heralds are clad with their Coats of Arms of Violet-Coloured Velvet died upon Crimson set before and behind with three Flower deluces of Gold and as many on each Sleeve whereon the name of their Province is Embroidered in Letters of gold And the King at Arms Mount-joye St. Denis wears on his Coat for distinction a Crown Royal over the said Flower-deluces They wear Bonnets of Black-Velvet with a golden Hat-band and in Ceremonies of Peace they use only Buskins but in those of War they wear Boots At Funeral Pomps of Kings or Princes they wear over their said Coats of Arms long Mourning Robes trailing on the ground and bear a Staff called a Caducée covered with Blue-Velvet and Embroidered with Flower-deluces of gold They also bear every of them one of the Kings Medals about their Necks The Pursuivants are habited almost in the same manner only they bear no Staves as having no Commands themselves but being only the Aids and Assistants of the Heralds Their Office is to Declare War or publish Peace to Summon Towns to yield to assist at solemn Oaths in the general Assemblies of the three Estates at the Swearing of Treaties of Peace and renewing of Alliances at Coronations where they bestow Largesses on the People of Gold and Silver Pieces and at Funeral Solemnities of Kings Queens Princes and Princesses of the Blood They march before the King when he goes to make his Offering on his Coronation-Day They assist at all Marriages of Kings and Queens at the Ceremonies of the Knights of the Holy Ghost at Royal Feasts as also at all Christnings of the Children of France where likewise they make Largesses to the people of pieces of gold and silver And at the Obsequies of Kings or Royal Persons there are always two Heralds that wait day and night at the Feet of the Bed of State where the Body of the Deceased or his Effigies in Wax lies to present the sprinkling Brush to the Princes Prelats and others of the Quality required for that Ceremony that come to throw holy Water on the said Body or Effigies They have likewise many other Functions at those Funerals There is likewise one Judge of the Arms and Blasons of France who is likewise Yeoman at Arms in the great Stable in which latter quality he has a Salary of 450 l. yearly Secondly There are several Sword-Bearers of State who have each a Salary of 500 l. Cloak-Carriers who have 300 l. and Porte-Gabans or Felt-Cloak Carriers who have 220 l. yearly Salary Thirdly There are twelve Trumpeters called the Trumpeters of the Chamber as likewise are the Drummers of which there is a like number who have every one 180 l. and the Cromorns or of the Chamber twelve Violins Hoboys Sackbuts and Cornets at the like pay Eight Players on Flutes Tabours and Bagpipes serving two every quarter at 120 l. one Player on the Base Cromorne and Trumpet Marine and one Treble Cromorne They have all Livery-Coats and are employed at all Balls Balets and Comedies and in the Apartments of the Kings House or elsewhere where there is occasion There are also two of them in the Musick of the Chappel at present the six Cromornes are 1. The Basse-Cromorne 2. The Counter-Tenour-Cromorne 3. The Treble-Cromorne 4. The Tenour-Cromorne 5. The fifth of Cromorne 6. A Base-Cromorne Of the little Stable and first Of the first or chief Querry or Master of the Horse and of the other Querries or Gentlemen of the Horse quarterly Waiters The first or chief Querry or Master of the Horse here has the charge of the Kings lesser Stable that is to say of all the Horses Coaches Caleches running Chairs drawn by Men and Sedans that he uses upon his daily and ordinary occasions He Commands the Pages and Footmen of the little Stable and makes use of them as he pleases He takes the Oath of Fidelity to the King himself This Office is almost as antient as that of the Great Querry or Master of the Horse it self For as we find that under Charles the Seventh one Pothon de Santrailles was made Great-Querry or Master of the Horse so we read too that Lewis the Eleventh his immediate Successour had at his Coronation in 1461. one Joachim Rouauld that was his Chief-Querry or Gentleman of the Horse The present Salary of the Chief-Querry is 3000 l. and 876 l. more Board-Wages The other Querries or Gentlemen of the Horse are One Querry in Ordinary who has 1200 l. Salary upon the Establishment of the Houshold and 1765 l. at the Great Stable Board-Wages for himself and two Pages and a Pension of 2000 l. at the Treasure Royal. Twenty Querries Quarterly Waiters who have every one a Salary of but 350 l. though they are Entred on the Books at 700 l. They wait five every Quarter and are Sworn by the Great Master of the Kings Houshold The Querry that is in Waiting is to attend at the Kings waking to know of his Majesty whether he will please to ride out that day or no And if the King be to ride a Hunting and to wear Boots he is to put on his Spurs and he likewise pulls them off most commonly As soon as his Majesty has his Spurs on it belongs to the Querry in Waiting to take his Sword when he puts it off as we have already mentioned in speaking of the Cloak-Carriers The Querry in Waiting together with the Lieutenant or Ensign of the Guards eat at the old Table of the Great Master as do the rest of his Companions during their Quarters Waiting and he that waits on the Dauphin has his Diet at his Highnesses Serdeau's or Water-Servers They follow the King all the day long and enter with him every where unless it be into the Council Chamber or when his Majesty has a mind to be private in a Chamber by himself and then they wait in the next Chamber to it When the King rides abroad a Horse-back or in a Coach the Querry follows next after the Kings Horse or Coach that in case his Majesty should fall or otherwise need his help he may be ready to help him up and remount him or lend him his hand when he has a mind to alight or remount which is his peculiar Office so that when his Majesty passes through any narrow passage whether it be in Hunting or otherwise the Querry is to follow immediately after the King and to pass in those Rencounters before the Captain or Officer of the Guards himself then upon Duty The Querry likewise often leads his Majesty when he is walking Upon a day of Battel 't is the Querries Office to put on the Kings Armour At Funerals of Kings one of the Querries carries the Spurs another the Gantlets a third the Coat of Arms of France Encompassed with the Collars of
Religious Men whereof five are to be Priests and are allowed 300 l. apiece yearly for their Cloaths besides their Diet But the Reverend Father Minister takes care generally to keep a greater number there especially when the Court is there The said Reverend Father Minister is titulary so of St. Saturnins Chappel which is the low Chappel in the Oval-Court and in that Quality has his ordinary allowed him in specie when the Court is at Fountain-bleau There is one Keeper of the Court of the Kitchins one Keeper of the Lord Chamberlains Pavillon or House behind the said Court at the Corner of the Garden-Plot of the Tyber who has a Salary of 900 l. for keeping the one half of the said Garden-Plot one Keeper of the Foundery or Founding-House belonging to the said Palace or Castle-Royal One Keeper of the Hotel or House of Condé joining to the said Foundry or Founding-House One Keeper of the Buildings of the Gate towards the Pell-mell at the end of the Causey of the Moat or of the House of the Colonel-General of the Infantry since the suppression of the said Office in 1661 who is allowed 900 l. for maintaining the other half of the Garden-Plot of the Tyber and 50 l. for maintaining the Causey This Pavillon or Body of Building was formerly called the Constableship and was the Lodging of the Lord High Constable One Keeper of the little Stable one Keeper of the Hounds and Dog-Kennel and a Keeper of the Pell-mell One Gardiner of the Gardens of the Moat and of the Pines and Keeper of the Hotel or House of St. Aignan in the same place One Gardiner of the Gardens of the Queens Stables formerly called the Gardens of the Trout-Ponds or Canals round about the Fountain that gives the name to Fountain-bleau and one other Gardner of the Gardens of the Queens Stables behind the said Fountain and one cleanser of the Channels or Canals of the Garden of Pines and of the said Gardens of the Queens Stables One Keeper of the Hotel of the Great Ferrara towards the great Gate of the Court of the White-Horse where lodge several Officers of Monsieur the Kings Brother One Keeper of the Hotel de Guise where the Intendant Comptroller and Treasurer of the said Buildings lodge One Keeper of the Queens Stables in the Burrough One Keeper of the Chancery-House on the back of which are several Shops of which one of the Kings Officers has the letting One Keeper of the Great Falconers Lodging and Office called La Coudre which joins to the Park and is without the Walls of it towards the Borough or Town of Fountain-bleau The Great Stable which used to be placed at La Coudre is now lodged at the Heronrie In the Park There is one Porter and Keeper of the Park There are eight Gates to go into the Park and in it are these Buildings 1. The Heronrie where the Great Stable is of which there is one Keeper The Great Falconer lodged there formerly but now at La Coudre 2. The Mid-Way House or the Pheasant-House where the Hay made in the Park is laid up of which there is a Keeper under the Captain of the Castle 3. The House of the Gardner of the Fruit-Trees of the Park 4. The Menagerie or Bird-House of the Park of which there is a Keeper who is likewise Master of the Game or Chace of Cormorants There is likewise a Gardiner of the Great Palisado's of the Park that lodges at the Heronrie 5. At the end of the Canal towards the Parish of Avon is the House of the Fathers of the Charity there are ordinarily in it four religious men and two extraordinary when the Court is at Fountain-bleau and a single man Gardiner There are six Beds founded and maintain'd for sick people There is a Captain of the Boats upon the Great Canal who is Keeper also of the Flags Ornaments and other necessary moveables for the said Vessels Besides There is one Keeper of the Antiquities one Painter to take care of all the Pictures there who is lodged with the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs one Glasier one Joiner one Lock-Smith one Plummer and one Mason and Coverer Besides the abovesaid Buildings the Kings of France have built several Hotels or Houses designed for the residence of several Offices or Bodies of Offices as the Hotel or House for the Life-guards on one side of the Chancery the Scotch-House behind the Church for the first Company of the Life-guards which is still called the Scotch-Company and Colonebrie The Kings Gensd ' armes or Men at Arms have likewise a House at Fountain-bleau The Guards of the Provostship of the Kings Houshold have likewise a House at Fountain-bleau which was given them by some former Kings and is called the Hotel or House of the Provost-ship The Officers of the said Guards have nothing to do with the said House but it belongs only to the Souldiers of that Guard that put in a Keeper who is to look after it and do all smaller Reparations to it the said Keeper has the profit arising by the disposal of the vacant places in the Stable thereunto belonging and when the said Keepers place comes to be vacant the Guards quarterly Waiters for that quarter dispose of it The Officers for the Game and for Hunting are One Lieutenant of the Game Another Lieutenant in Brie where there is a particular Court of Justice under the Captain of the Game or Chaces of Fountain-bleau for the Commodity of those that cannot so conveniently come to plead at Fountain-bleau A Deputy-Lieutenant of the Game at 400 l. Salary The Forest of Fountain-bleau or of Biévre is divided into eight several Cantons or Quarters every one of which has its particular Keeper of the Wood for the Game There was formerly too a particular Wolf-Hunter for the Forest of Biévre The Officers for the Waters and Forests are A Lieutenant A Proctor for the King A Hammer-Keeper A Register or Recorder A General-Keeper of the Woods and Forests or Serjeant Traverser at 300 l. Salary A Fountaneer to look after the Fountains Grottes and Cascades one Keeper of the Swans and Carps in the Canals Ponds and Basons there Forty six Guards viz. Sixteen Horse and thirty Foot whereof the Horse are paid an allowance of 300 l. and the Foot 60 l. each yearly by the Captain and One Usher Auditor called otherwise the Serjeant dangerous The Castle of Compiegne Was Rebuilt by Charles the Bald in the year 876 because his Father Lewis the Debonnaire or the Gracious his Grand-Father Charles the Great and his Great-Grand-Father Charles Martel used often to reside there It appears too that even before that Clotaire the first Grand-Child to Clovis retired into the Town of Compiegne and died there in the year 564. There are belonging to it a Captain who is called Captain Keeper and Governour of the House City and Castle-Royal of Compiegne and Captain of the Game or Chaces of the Forest of
Houses Royal as also of those which are to be made upon the Portals and of Triumphal Arches and other Works for the solemn Entries of their Majesties into any Towns or upon any other account whatsoever He has a Salary of 1800 l. paid Quarterly at the Treasure Royal. CHAP. XIX Of the Great Marshal of the Lodgings or Knight-Harbinger and of the other Marshals of the Lodgings and Harbingers THE Great Marshal of the Lodgings is Monsieur Lewis Doger de Cavoye he has 3000 l. Salary 4000 l. Board-Wages at the Chamber of Deniers 600 l. a Month extraordinary allowance and several other perquisites His Office is to receive the Kings Orders concerning his Lodging and those of his Court and to communicate them to the other Marshals of the Lodgings and Harbingers There are twelve Marshals of the Lodgings or chief Harbingers who have every one a Salary of 800 l. a yearly gratuity of 400 l. and 900 l. extraordinary and when the Court is on the march a hundred pence a day for their Diet which is paid them from the day they have Orders to set out They serve quarterly three every quarter and in the time of their Waiting have their Diet at three different Tables the first at the old Table of the Great Master the second at the Table of the Masters of the Houshold and the third at the Almoners Table They have besides in the Armies every one their rations or allowances of Ammunition-Bread They are sworn by the Great Marshal of the Lodgings or Knight-Harbinger and bear in the Kings House Canes after the fashion of a Majors Staff or else a Staff garnished with Silver at top and bottom with the Arms of his Majesty on the Pommel and this Inscription N ..... Marshal of the Kings Lodgings The Staff of the Great Marshal of the Lodgings is garnished with Silver both on the handle and the top having on the Pommel or Handle the Arms of France and the rest of the Handle set with Flower-deluces wrought in Diamonds Three Marshals of the Lodgings or chief Harbingers and four other Harbingers when they come out of Waiting with the King enter into Waiting with the Dauphin and have there the same allowance they had with the King There were formerly four Harbingers of the Body but they were suppressed in 1680. in whose room the King established eight Harbingers in Ordinary quarterly Waiters who wait two every quarter so that whereas there were before but forty there are now forty eight Harbingers quarterly Waiters serving by twelve a quarter which have every of them a Salary of 240 l. 120 l. gratuity 450 l. extraordinary and when the Court is on the march a Crown a day for their Diet from the day they set out and in the Armies their rations of Ammunition-Bread The places of all these are in the Kings Gift and they are all sworn by the Great Marshal or Knight-Harbinger of the Lodgings At the beginning of every quarter the three Marshals of the Kings Lodgings in Waiting agree together to separate the twelve Harbingers for that quarter into three Bands allotting four to each Band. 1. One of these Harbingers who is ordinarily the eldest or Foreman makes according to the stile of this Court the Body or the Gross that is to say 't is he that in the presence of the Marshal of the Lodgings or chief Harbinger marks out with Chalk First The Kings or the Kings and Queens joint Apartments Secondly The Offices Thirdly The eating Halls or Dining-rooms and Fourthly The Apartments of those that are preferred in the Kings Lodgings First By the Kings Apartments are meant the Kings Bed-Camber Anti-Chamber Closet Wardrobe Guard-Chamber and other necessary Apartments for the Kings or Queens persons Secondly By the Offices are meant the seven Offices as the Goblet the Kitchin c. afore-described Thirdly By the Eating-Halls or Dining-rooms are meant the Hall of the new Table of the Great Master otherwise called the Hall of Monsieur the Duke and that of the Great Chamberlains Table which two Tables ought to be within the Kings Lodgings when there is room enough or else as near as may be Next the Hall of the Great Masters old Table and that of Masters of the Housholds which are sometimes called the first and second Tables of the said Masters The Serdeau's Hall or the Kings voiding Hall the Almoners Hall the Quarterly Waiters Valets de Chambers or Bed-Chamber-mens Hall There was likewise the Chief Valets de Chambres or Bed-Chamber-mens Hall but it was taken away on the first of January 1681. Fourthly Under the name of the Preferred in the Kings Lodgings are comprehended the Great or High Chamberlain the Chief-Gentleman of the Bed-Chamber the Great Master of the Wardrobe the Captain of the Guards and the Master of the Wardrobe In case the Lodging be so scanty that after the King is Lodged there remain but one single Apartment the Captain of the Guards ought to have the preference of it before all others and if there remain two then the Chief-Gentleman of the Bed-Chamber is to have the First and the Captain of the Guards the second but if there be three then the Great Chamberlain is to have the preference before the two others When the Queen marches with the King the Marshals or chief Harbingers of the Kings Lodgings after they have given Order for marking out Apartments for the Queen are to cause other Apartments to be Chalked out in their Majesties Lodgings for her Ladies in this Order viz. First For the Super-intendant or Stewardess of the Queens Houshold Secondly For the Lady of Honour Thirdly For the Tire-Woman or Dressing-Lady Fourthly For the Ladies of the Palace Fifthly For the Chief-Gentlewoman of the Bed-Chamber And sixthly For the other Gentlewomen of the Bed-Chamber And if after the Queen be lodged there remain but one Apartment more then the Chief-Gentlewoman of the Bed-Chamber ought to have it before any of the other Ladies and Female-Officers The Harbinger which makes the Body when there is room enough marks out to in the same House Apartments for the Chief-Physician Chyrurgion and Apothecary of the Body The Harbingers of the Queens Body or of the Dauphins or Monsieurs cannot Chalk out any thing that belongs to that they call the service of the Body But it belongs to the Kings Harbinger that makes or heads the Body to do it so that they cannot mark any places for the seven Offices but those that are appointed them by the Kings Harbinger that makes the Body that is as is above explained that is the Eldest or Foreman of the Band or Company 2. Another Harbinger is to take care to chalk out all the Ranks and Preferred without the Kings Lodgings By the Ranks are meant First The Lodgings for the Princes Secondly For the Great Officers Thirdly For the Dukes and Peers Fourthly For the Marshals of France the Secretaries Ministers of State and other Persons of Quality And by the preferred without the Kings
Lodgings are meant those Lords or other Great Persons who are recommended to be lodged in the Town by the Kings express order Note That the same Harbinger that makes the Body very often marks to the Lodgings for the Ranks and abovesaid preferred persons 3. Another Harbinger marks out the Ordinary of the Kings Houshold that is Lodgings for the Officers of it viz. For the first or chief Almoner for the chief Master of the Houshold for the Master of the Houshold in Ordinary for the Captain of the Guards of the Gate for the Lieutenant and Ensigns of the Life-guards and generally for all the other Officers of the Kings Houshold It often happens that besides the Harbinger that marks out the Stables in the Town there is another that takes up Stables in the Neighbouring Villages and provides Lodgings for the Equipages The King generally is prevail'd on with much facility to grant to the Marshals of his Lodgings and his other Harbingers Reversions of their Places in favour not only of their Sons but of their Grand-Sons Sons-in-Law Brother and Nephews He also grants them Briefs impouring them to retain or stop a certain summ to be deducted out of the yearly Revenue of their places and paid by their Successours for their Wives if they have no Children for their Daughters if they have no Sons or if they have neither Wives nor Children for the younger Brethren of their Family At the first Entries made by Kings into any Cities of their Kingdom the Officers of the Town are to pay a certain summ as a Fee to the Marshals and Harbingers of the Kings Lodgings or else the one half of the profits of the Triumphal Arches Porches Tapistries and all the Decorations is to fall to the Marshals and the other to the Harbingers of the said Lodgings The Marshals of the Queens Lodgings and of those of the Dauphiness of Monsieur of Madame and the particular Harbingers of the Princes of the Bloud of the Chancery and of other Bodies as also the Men or Messengers sent by other Princes Dukes and Peers and other great Lords to take up their Lodgings receive their Quarters or Lodgings from the Marshals and Harbingers in Ordinary of the Kings Houshold Whenever Monsieur or Madame happen to be travelling in Company with the Queen or the Dauphiness when the King is not there then the Marshals or Harbingers of the Queen or Dauphinesses Lodgings are to appoint Monsieurs or Madams Harbingers what Lodgings and Quarters they are to take up The Marshals and Harbingers in Ordinary of the Kings Lodgings are reputed to be of the Body of the Kings Gend'armes or Men at Arms as having been formerly drawn out of the antient Companies of the said Gend'armes and the late King Lewis the Thirteenth who under-stood exactly well the original of all the different Offices of his Houshold gave the Marshals of his Lodgings place in and incorporated them into his Company of Gend'armes at the Head of which his Majesty usually fights on a day of Battel or on any other occasion and made the Harbingers serve in his Company of Musketeers at the Siege of Corbie to which service he summoned all his whole Houshold that is the Arrire-ban of his Houshold which he placed by themselves in his Army This said number of Gend'armes detached out of the antient Companies was usually sent before to provide Lodging and Quarters for his Majesty and the Troops that were with him And still to this day the Marshals of the Kings Lodgings both in Town and Country give out the Orders for the quartering of the French Life-guards of the hundred Suissers of the Gend'armes of the light Horse of the Musketeers of the Regiments of the French and Swisse-guards when all the said Troops attend the King in his march And in effect the Marshals of the Lodgings in France are what the Quarter-Masters are in Germany who rise to the Highest Commands in Armies The Marshals and Harbingers of the Kings Lodgings were formerly likewise Marshals or Quarter Masters of the Camps and Armies and the same persons that provided Lodgings for the Kings Houshold always took up Quarters to for the Armies as have done several of them that are still living But some of their Body in the time of the late King Lewis the Thirteenth got themselves made Marshals peculiarly of the Camps and Armies and got Patents of it as of a distinct Office notwithstanding which the Marshals and Harbingers of the Lodgings of the Houshold serve still in the Armies either in the absence of the others who have Patents as is said for being Camp-Marshals or Quarter-Masters or when the number of these others is not sufficient for all the Armies the King has on Foot When the King is in an Army the Marshals of the Lodgings of his Houshold have priviledge to take at least two thirds of the room to lodge his Majesty and all the Officers of the Royal Houses and it was Ordered by the King that the remaining third should be disposed of by the said Marshals of the Lodgings or Quarter-Masters of the Camps and Armies for the general Officers and other Officers in the Army necessary to be near his Majesties Person I say the Marshals of the Kings Lodgings have power to take up at least two thirds for the King because if after they have divided the whole into three equal parts there should remain two or but one Lodging over and above those one or two so over and above or supernumerary are to be taken up likewise for his Majesty and his Court that they may be scanted As for Example It is true that where there is but thirty Lodgings the Marshals of the Lodgings of the Houshold are to take but twenty and the general Officers of the Army are to have the other ten but of fifty Lodgings or Lodgments the Marshals of the Kings Lodgings will take thirty four and the general Officers of the Army will have but sixteen and of forty Lodgments the Kings Marshals will have twenty seven and leave the general Officers but thirteen By the antient Order according to the Rules made for that purpose none but the Kings Harbingers can mark out Lodgings with white Chalk those of the Princes and others being obliged for distinctions sake to mark out theirs with a yellow Crayon with this further difference that the Kings mark only is put upon the Street-Doors and the others only upon the Doors of particular Chambers within side the House The Order observed in Quartering in an Army In an Army where the King is Present the first Quarter is for him or where he is not for the General and the next belongs to a Marshal of France to chuse or if there be two Marshals of France there together then he that Commands that Day or Week is to have the Choice for sometimes they agree to Command by turns one one Day or one Week and another another But if there happen to
be more than two together without having any Command there then they chuse their Quarters according to their standing And next to the Marshals of France the Dukes and Peers take place for in Armies Dukes and Peers are Lodged always after Marshals of France But in following the Court out of an Army this Order is observed First their Majesties are Lodged then other Royal Persons then the Princes and Princesses then the Great Officers of the Crown after them the Dukes and Peers and lastly the Marshals of France The Chancellour is Lodged next after the Princes and in marking his Lodging the word Pour or for is used the meaning of which we have already explained Besides all which which are called the Ranks there are the Preferred of which we have spoken The Marshals and Harbingers of the Kings Lodgings are also employed by his Majesties special Command to provide Lodgings for the Assemblies of the States General of the Kingdom when any are called or for the States of any particular Province when the King is to be present at them as likewise for the Assemblies of the Clergy which is to be understood when they assemble in any other place but Paris for there no Lodgings are marked for them Likewise when the persons composing any Soveraign Courts or other publick Bodies are to meet at St. Denis in France by the Kings Order and according to Custom to assist at the Funeral Pomps or Solemnities made at the Burials or Anniversary Services for Kings Queens and Princes or Princesses of the Blood or others the Marshals and Harbingers of the Kings Lodgings go thither some dayes before to provide them Lodgings The King too usually sends the said Marshals and Harbingers of his Lodgings to meet Foreign Princes and Princesses that come into or pass through his Kingdom to order and prepare Lodgings for them every where as they pass The Title and Quality of Squires has been conferred and confirmed upon the Marshals and Harbingers in Ordinary of the Kings Lodgings by several Orders of the Council of State Next the Marshals and Harbingers of the Lodgings is the Captain of the Guides with his Company who is a necessary Officer in Journies Of the Captain of the Guides The Office of Captain of the Guides for the Conducting of his Majesty formerly enjoyed by one is now exercised by two Brothers who part between them the following Salary and Profits viz. 2000 l. Salary paid quarterly by the Treasurers of the Houshold 600 l. a Month extraordinary during any Voyage or Journey and 300 l. when the Court is at any of the Royal Houses they eat at the Kings Serdeau's or Water-Servers Table with the Gentlemen Waiters The Captain of the Guides when the King is on his march along the Country is always to keep by one of the Boots or Portals of the Kings Coach to be ready to tell his Majesty the names of the places Cities Castles Towns and Villages upon the Road if he ask them or resolve any other Question concerning them There are commonly at least two Guides on Horseback that wear the Kings Livery that ride a little before his Majesty to Conduct him and place themselves ordinarily at the head of the Light-Horse If there be any need of repairing the High-ways for the Kings Passage the Captain of the Guides usually lays out what is needful for that purpose and is repaid again at the Treasure-Royal For fear the Officers of the Goblet or of the Mouth should fail to come up to the place where the King is to eat when he is travelling along the Country the Captain of the Guides sometimes gives them notice in what part of the Way his Majesty has a mind to Dine He has power to settle Guides to Conduct his Majesty in every Town of the Kingdom and after he has given his Grants to the said Guides they are admitted as such before the Marshals of France These Guides wear the Kings Livery and are exempted from Billeting of Souldiers The Captain of the Guides is sworn by the High Constable of France when there is one or otherwise by the Eldest Marshal of France Of some other Officers necessary in Journies which depend on the Great Master of the Houshold viz. One Waggon-Master of the Kings Equipage that Conducts all the Equipage and commands all the Captains and takes his Orders from the Office of the Houshold This Office was Created in 1668. He has an allowance of 100 l. a Month out of the Chamber of Deniers when the Court is on its march along the Country and 50 l. a Month when it is at Paris and 400 l. besides extraordinary Wages for the extraordinary pains he takes for the Kings Service in doing what is order'd him by the Office allowed him upon the last Bill of every Quarter One Aid or Helping Waggon-Master whose Office was also Created the same year 1668. who has when the Court is at Paris 25 l. a Month and when it is on the march 50 l. a Month allowed him at the Chamber of Deniers We have already spoken of the Captain of the Mules of the Chamber in speaking of the said Chamber of which he depends Two Captains of the Carriages of the Kings Houshold who have a Salary of 300 l. a piece paid by the Treasurers of the Houshold and besides at the Chamber of Deniers an allowance to them for the maintenance of fifty ordinary Horses at the rate of 23 d. a day for each Horse 57 l. 10 d. a day or 21045 l. a year They Conduct all the Carriages of the seven Offices when the Court marches either in Person or by their Servants One Captain-Keeper and Guardian-General of the Tents and Pavilions of the Court and of his Majesties Pavilions of War who has a Salary of 800 l. and 50 l. a Month extraordinary in time of Service and One Keeper of the Tents of the Courts of the Kitchins and of his Majesties Stables who is allowed 50 l. a Month at Paris and 100 l. a Month in the Country at the Chamber of Deniers CHAP. XX. Of the Judge of the Kings Court and Retinue who is the Provost of the Houshold or Great Provost of France THE Provost of the Kings Houshold or Great Provost of France is the ordinary Judge of the Kings Houshold The Title of Great Provost implies two things For first He is Judge of the Kings Houshold and Secondly He is Captain of a Company of a hundred Guards called the Guards of the Provostship which is another part of his Office in the Kings House We shall speak of him here only as in the first quality reserving the latter till we come to the Military Officers of the Houshold His Office is one of the ancientest of the Kings Houshold and one may say that in the Jurisdiction which he retains of administring Justice to all the Kings Officers and other Persons that follow the Court he has succeeded the antient Count or Mayor of the Palace which
Bird to the Great Falconer who places it on the Kings Fist and likewise when the Prey is taken the Pricker gives the Head of it to his Chief and he to the Great Falconer who presents it to the King An Account of several Flights of Hawks belonging to the Kings Falconry And first 1. Of the Flight for the Kite there is a Captain or Chief who is also Lieutenant-General of the Great Falconry who has for this and the following Flight 1400 l. A Lieutenant Aid at 300 l. One Master Falconer at 300 l. five Prickers at 250 l. and one Porte-Duc or Decoy-Bearer at 250 l. A second Flight for the Kite With the same number of Officers and like Salaries and Appointments When the Captain of these Flights of Hawks takes a black Kite in the Kings Presence then he is to have the Kings Horse his loose Gown and his Slippers for his Fees which are redeemed of him for 100 Crowns or about 25 l. English in money The Flight at the Kite is performed with Ger-Falcons Tiercelets or Tassels and sometimes Sakers and there is always a Decoy to draw the Kite to a reasonable height to give him to the Hawks When after the Kite is taken the Hawks as usually are to have their Fees given them with all the speed imaginable a Hen is put into their Talons and the Kites Legs broken that he may not hurt them The Kite is very rare in France 2. Of the Flight of Hawks for the Heron There is a Chief or Captain at 700 l. Salary who is also Captain of the Guards or Keepers of the Hawks-Nests in Burgundy and Bresse and Commands over all the Flights for Heron throughout the Kingdom a Lieutenant Aid and two Master Falconers at 300 l. each and eight Prickers at 250 l. which amounts in all to 3600 l. The Flight at the Heron is performed with the same kind of Hawks as that at the Kite it is done two several wayes To make the Herons Mount when there found on the ground two or three Pistols or Fowling-Pieces are let off to force them to rise and then a Bird is let fly at him which is called in French Hausse-piéd or a Raise-Foot and when he is mounted a good height other Birds are let out which go and fight with the Hausse-piéd and draw the Heron downward thene are always shagged Grey-hounds in readiness too bred up to this sort of Game to go into the Water and fetch the Heron to the Falconer when it fall there or to kill him when he falls on dry ground for fear he should hurt the Hawks this first Heron being thus killed whilst the Falconers of the first Flight are curing their Hawks and giving them their usual Fees other Falconers who are to have a second Flight always ready are to let them fly at the other Herons which commonly keep hovering over the place where they are curing or feeding their Hawks the second way is to flie Hawks at the Heron in her passage as they term it that is at a reasonable height while she is going to or coming from Fishing to her young ones When a Heron is discovered upon the ground or upon the Wing the usual cry is à la Volte that is to the Vault 3. There are two Flights for the Crow of the first of which there is A Captain at 700 l. a Lieutenant-Aid and a Master Falconer at 300 l. each twenty Prickers at 250 l. apiece which amounts in all to 6300 l. Of the second Flight there is likewise A Captain at 700 l. a Lieutenant-Aid at 300 l. seven Prickers at 250 l. each a Decoy-Bearer amounting in all to 3000 l. The Flight at the Crow is performed with a Falcon or a Tassel of a Gerfalcon The Crow is inticed and drawn into the Plain with a Decoy and as soon as she is got into the Plain the Falconers cry out Corneille en bean that is the Crow flies fair and then as the Crow turns back on the Decoy they commonly let flie at her first a Tassel of a Gerfalcon which is the Guide and then two Falcons afterward The Crow being attacked endeavours to save her self either by soaring aloft or retiring towards her hold when she soars aloft no luring or any other term is to be used and when she gets to her hold if she can be forced out of it then the cry is Hal Hal Hal. 4. There is one Flight for the Fields or for the Partridge to which belong A Captain at 700 l. a Master Falconer at 300 l. and three Prickers at 250 l. which amounts in all to 1750 l. The Flight for the Fields or at the Partridge is performed with Falcons Tassels of Falcons Sakers Sakerets Lanners Lannerets Alets Goshawks Tassels of Goshawks Spar-Hawks Tassel Sper-Hawks Merlins and Malots There are two ways of flying at the Partridge first with a sort of Hawks that turn and maintain the flight along with the Dogs and that will hold out half a League outright continually upon the Wing Secondly with Hawks called Blockers which are let fly as soon as the Partridges rise and drive them full sweep to their hold where they light upon a Branch or on the top of a House and where the Falconer goes and serves them with Dogs Every time the Partridge rises the cry is Guereaux 4. A Flight for the River or at the Duck to which belong A Captain or Chief at 500 l. a Lieutenant Aid at 300 l. and four Prickers at 250 l. each which amounts in all to 1800 l. The Birds that are used for the Flight at the Duck are the strong Hawks and Haggard Hawks that are let flie into a Moat or Brook where Ducks are First the cunningest and most staid Bird is let flie to chase the Change and then two others and when they are well turned the Ducks are let out which the Hawks knock on the Head or force into another Moat Every time the Ducks move away the cry is Ila Ila Ila or Stou Stou Stou like the Flemings and for fear any should go too nigh the Water they cry hors l'eau that is keep off the Water 5. A Flight for the Mag-Pie to which belong A Captain or Chief at 500 l. and two Prickers at 250 l. each The Flight at the Mag-Pie is performed with Tassels of Gerfalcons First the most beaten and staid Tassel is let fly to chase likewise the change and then the other Hawks are let out and the Magple is shown them that endeavours to save her self from Tree to Tree or from Bush to Bush from which she is forced away and every time she is forced out the cry is Hoüya Hoüya In speaking of the Flight at the Mag Pie Pigeon or Crow by the term of chacing the change is meant forcing the said several Birds out of the Plain 6. A Flight for the Hare to which belong A Captain or Chief at 500 l. a Lieutenant-Aid at 300 l. The Flight at the Hare
thereunto belonging and deprive them of that mark of honour to the tenderness of their affection and the fidelity of their services for these causes notwithstanding the Edict of November 1640. We Declare that all our Domestick Servants and Commoners the four Companies of our Life-Guards the Archers or Guards of the Provostship of our Houshold the hundred Suissers of our Guard the Officers of our Stables Hunting Falconry and Wolf-Hunting those of the Queen Regent our most honoured Lady and Mother of the late Queen Mary our most honoured Lady and Grandmother of our Dearest Brother the Duke of Anjou of our Dearest Vncle the Duke of Orleans and of our Dearest Aunt the Dutchess of Orleans his Wife at present living and of his former Wife deceased of our Dearest Cousin her Daughter and of our Dearest Cousin the Prince of Condé of our Companies of Gensdarmes or Men at Arms and light Horsemen consisting of two hundred Men apiece the Company of our Guard of Musketeers on Horseback and that of the Guards of our said Lady and Mother named and comprised in the Establishments to be by us Signed and agreed to and Counter-signed by our Secretary of State and of our Commandments who has the department of our Houshold shall enjoy the Priviledges and Exemptions granted and given to them in all times and from all Antiquity because of their Services and the same we grant to their Widows as long as they shall continue so Provided nevertheless that if any of the aforesaid Officers shall make any Traffick with Merchandises and keep Inns or manure any more than one Farm of their own and that with their own hands or hold any Farms of others whether in their own Names or in those of their Domesticks or Servants they shall be liable to be taxed towards our Taxes in every of the Parishes where the Lands or Heritages by them so manured shall lie In another Declaration given at Poitiers in the Month of January 1652. His Majesty says We confirm by these Presents all the Priviledges Franchises Liberties Immunities Exemptions and Affranchisements granted to the Officers of the Royal Housholds entred upon the Establishments of the Court of Aids and to their Widows during their Widow-hood Willing that they be henceforward held quit and exempt from all manner of contributions whether it be Loans general or particular made or to be made as well by us as by any of the Cities of our Kingdom likewise for furnishing Provisions or Ammunition for the War for Fortifications Reparations Charges and Conducts Taxes Aids and Impositions c. and of all other Subsidies Dues charges and subventions in general whatever they be made or to be made in any sort and on any occasion whatsoever though it be not here particularly specified and declared They are exempt from the Duty called the Duty of Aids for the Wines of the product of their own grounds by a Decree of the Council of State of the 16th of December 1654. By a Decree of the Council of State of the 20th of January 1644. The King declares his intentions to be that no Officers shall enjoy Priviledges and Exemptions from Taxes but those that actually serve and that receive at least 60 l. for their Wages and Appointments and not a great number of honorary and titular Officers that have obtained Briefs of some Offices but serve not and have no Wages nor the Keepers of the Plains and of the Game which his Majesty pretends shall be taxed with the common Taxes excepting the Keepers of the Game of St. Germains Fountainbleau Blois Limours Montâ—â—â—hery and Boisgency There are a great many other Decrees and Orders that say almost the same thing the Decree of the Counsel of State of the 14th of March 1654. maintaining the Kings Officers those of the Queen Mother the Duke of Anjou and of the Duke and Dutchess of Orleans exempt from the greater and lesser Taxes Subsistance money c. and other publick charges There are other Decrees of the Great Council in Conformity to the Edicts and Declarations of the King of the 22th of February 1673. and the first of March 1675. importing an Exemption from Lodging or Billeting of Souldiers for the Officers of the Royal Housholds their Persons their Houses Farms Tenements Farmers Domesticks and Servants There are likewise several Decrees and Declarations in favour of the Queens Houshold in particular and of that of Monsieur and of some of their Officers as also for those of the late Duke of Orleans The Kings Declaration of the last of January 1647. which was Registred in the Court of Aids the 19th of March the same year imports a re-establishment of the Priviledges and Exemptions of the Widows and Veterans of the Officers of the Royal Housholds in the same manner as the Commoners of his Majesties own Houshold enjoy the same In a Declaration set forth by the King in the Month of July 1653. It is said that the said Officers possess fully and entirely their Officers so as that the Coheirs with them in other things cannot pretend any share therein either upon their Salaries or upon the value of their Offices if sold which being in the Kings sole Disposition cannot be reputed of the nature of those goods that are liable to be divided among the Heirs and Successours of Families As for what concerns the point of Precedence of the Kings Officers and of the rank they ought to have in publick Assemblies whether general or particular several Kings by their Declarations and Decrees have Order'd that they shall march and place themselves immediately after the Counsellers of the Bailiwicks Seneschals and presidial Courts before the Officers of the Elections of the Salt-Granaries Judges not Royal and all others that are inferiour in degree to the said Counsellers as it was Ordained by Henry the Fourth by a Declaration of the 22th of March 1605. in favour of the Valets or Yeomen of the Bed-Chamber and other Officers of the Chamber Cabinet and Anti-Chamber and by Lewis XIII First By a Declaration of the 27th of July 1613. in favour of the Marshals of the Lodgings the Harbingers of the Body and the Harbingers in Ordinary to his Majesty Secondly By another of the 20th of December verified in the Great Council in favour of the Life-Guards And thirdly By his Letters Patents of the 12th of February 1618. and by a Decree of the Great Council dated the 27th of May 1630. and by the present King by another Decree of the said Council of the 29th of May 1653. The Priviledges of the Court-Clergy The Clergy of the Kings Houshold and other Royal Housholds have the Priviledge to be always reputed resident at their Benefices during the time of their Service and are allowed two Months to go to and come from their Benefices and that by several Bulls of Popes Declarations of Kings Decrees of Parliament of the Great and Privy-Council c. And they are paid the full Revenues of their Canonries
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-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
his Body into the Coffin and when the Body is transported to St. Denis Church which as Westminster-Abbey here is the place of the Sepulchres of the Kings of France they go before and wait for it in the Chappel where it is to be deposited and keep Guard about it till it be put into the Vault down into which they only are to carry it In all the Ceremonies and Solemnities above-mentioned they have always their Partisans in their hands and their Hoquetons or Jackets on their backs on which both before and behind a Hercules's Club was wrought with these words about it Erit haec quoque cognita Monstris And the Monsters shall also know or feel this which was the Motto of Henry the Great But in the year 1671. Lewis the Fourteenth of that Name at present Gloriously Reigning caused his own Devise and Motto to be wrought on the said Jackets which is the Figure of a Sun giving light to the World with this Motto Nec pluribus impar that is Neither is he an unequal Match for many When the King makes his first Entry into any of the Cities in his Dominions there is due to each of the two Guards of the Sleeve then in Waiting from the Magistrates of the City a Silver-Hilted Sword The same Fees are due to them from any Bishops or Prelates when they take the Oath of Fidelity to the King They are allowed the same allowance of Bread and Wine every day as they have that are upon the Watch and have their Diet at the Kings Serdeaus or Water-Servers Table with the Gentlemen-Waiters and a little Chamber to lie in in the Guard-Chamber if there be convenience for it The particular Duties and Prerogatives of the Captains of the Guards The Captains of the Guards are sworn by the King himself and receive the Oath themselves in the Guard-Chamber from the Officers and Souldiers of the Companies of Life-Guards under their Command The Captain of the Guards that is in Waiting never leaves the King from the times he rises or goes forth of his Chamber until his Majesty be in Bed and then he goes out into the Guard-Chamber to see the Watch called where upon his Arrival the Clerk of the Watch with a loud Voice calls over the Names of the Guards that are to lie that Night in the Guard-Chamber and then the said Captain having taken notice who are wanting he goes down to the Gate and sets the Watch and then is Conducted to his own Apartment The same Clerk of the Watch calls over too the twelve Suissers that are to lie at the upper end of the said Guard-Chamber in presence of the Officers of the Company of a hundred Suissers who after that is in like manner Conducted to his Lodging The Captain of the French-Guards marches and keeps always immediately next the King and near his Person where ever he be or goes whether at Table on Horseback and in a Coach and any where else without suffering any to step between the King and him that so nothing may hinder him from having always his Eye upon His Majesties Sacred Person It 's true that in a very narrow passage the Captain of the Guards lets the Querry pass before him and nearer the Kings Person because he may have the conveniency to assist his Majesty upon any accident requiring his service The Lieutenant of the Guards marches almost always before the King because the Captain of the hundred Suissers to whom-that Place is assigned is most commonly not there but when he is there then the Lieutenant of the Guards places himself on the Kings right hand and the Ensign on his left but in the absence of his Captain he takes his place and follows immediately behind his Majesty The King honours the Captain of the Guards with a place in one of the Coaches or Caleches of the Body and sometimes in the same Coach with himself and if his Majesty rides out on Horse-back the Captain of the Guards takes Horse in the very Court of the Louvre and at present both the Officers and Souldiers of the Life-Guards wait for the King ready mounted in the Court of the Louvre for fear whilst they are waiting for him at one Door he should go out at another The Captain of the Guards in the time of his Waiting always Lodges in the Kings Palace as near as may be conveniently to his Majesties Chamber and in any of the Kings Palaces has the very first Apartment next the Kings and before all other Officers At Night he keeps the Keys as we have said under his Bolster When the King gives Audience to an Ambassadour the Captain of the Guards receives him at the Guard-Chamber Door and conducts him to the Audience-Chamber during the Audience he stands near the Rails and when it is done he conducts the Ambassadour back again all along the Guard-Chamber as far as the Door the Guards making a Lane for them all the way The Captain and Lieutenant of the Scotch Company may always take their place near the King though they be not in Waiting When the Guards that remain of the four Companies of Life-Guards that are not in Waiting or upon Duty are drawn up which is commonly called a Cornette of the Guards whether it be to follow the King or for any other Service they are Commanded by the Scotch Lieutenant as was seen when the King was going to Marsal At the first Entries the King makes into any Cities of his Dominions the Scotch Officer in Waiting takes for his Fees the Silver Keys that the Magistrates of the City come to present his Majesty and besides the said Magistrates are to give two pieces of Velvet to the Scotch Captain and one to his Lieutenant or in their absence to such other Scotch Officers as Command in their places The Guards of the Scotch Company only keep the Keys of the Doors of the Quires of the Churches where his Majesty is as also those of the Louvre at Night which when the King is in Bed they carry to their Captain When his Majesty passes the Water in a Ferry or Boat no other Guards but those of the Scotch Company are admitted into the Boat with him The Functions and Duties of the other Life-Guards The Life-Guard men are always to keep Guard immediately before the Kings Anti-Chamber There is always a Sentinel upon Duty at the entring into the Guard-Chamber to take notice of those that go in This Sentinel stands there with his Carbine and sets open both the leaves of the Door when the King Queen any Royal Person or Ambassadours on Audience Days are to pass in or out Note likewise that when any Great Persons as those of the Quality above-named or the Princes of the Bloud the Captains of the Life-Guards or any other Lords of high quality are to pass in or out the Guards that are in the Guard-Chamber as soon as the Sentinel has given them notice of their approach by stamping with his Foot
on the Boards betake themselves presently to their Arms and make a Lane towards the Entry into the said Guard Chamber to do honour to those Great Persons as they pass and as for their Captains they Conduct them also all along the Guard-Chamber as far as the Door of the Anti-Chamber The Sentinel is not to suffer any Souldier of the Regiment of Foot-Guards to come into the Guard Chamber with his Bandoleer nor any of the Great Provosts Guards with their Jackets or Hoquetons nor any Lackeys or Livery-men If a Guard keep a Door through which one has a mind to pass one ought not to open it ones self though the Guard be at a distance from it but to call civilly to the Guard to open it The Life-Guards go every Morning at six a Clock and take the Keys of the Gates of the principal Court of the Royal Palace where the King lies which they keep from that time till six at Night when the Guards of the Scotch Company take it of them as we have already shewed At six a Clock at Night the Exempt leads up the Company to the Gate that is to keep Guard there all night with a Tierce of the Scotch Company and then all the other Guards retire as well those of the Gate as those belonging to the Provost of the Houshold They lie all in the Court of Guard and from six a Clock at Night that the Guards of the Gate are relieved there is but one Scotch Sentinel at the Gate till the King be in Bed after which the Brigadeer adds another Sentinel out of a French Company and this double Sentinel that is to watch all Night is to be relieved every hour by the Brigadeer There is also a Sentinel placed every night at the Door of the Guard-Chamber which should be relieved every hour but commonly by agreement among themselves he that is first placed there having watched half the night wakes another Guard who is to do Duty the remaining part of the night and so goes to Bed Always both day and night there are Sentinels drawn out of the Foot-Guards placed without the outward Gates of the Kings House as we shall show in due place If in the night time when all the Gates and Doors are shut there happens to come a Courier or any other person charged with business of consequence to the King that is not to be delayed the Guard that stands Sentinel is to tell it the Exempt who is to go and tell the Captain and then the Brigadeer with a Torch in his hand and the Exempt and the Captain with two other Torches carried before them go all together to the Kings Lodgings and calling upon the Chief Gentleman of the Bed Chamber desire of him to know of his Majesty whether he be pleased to admit the said Courier or other Person to his Speech and Presence When an Exempt goes to relieve the Watch he is allowed half a Pistol a day for his Diet. The King ordinarily allows the Queen twelve of his French Guards with an Exempt and six Suissers There are several Boys and Servants belonging to the Life-Guards to make their Beds go on Errands and fetch necessaries c. After having spoken of the Life-Guards it will not be improper to insert in this place The Order observed in the Kings March when he goes abroad either a Foot in a Coach or on Horseback and the rank and place then observed by the several Officers about his Majesty When the King goes forth of his Palace in a Coach with two Horses and Accompanied with his Officers this is the Order observed by them 1. First The Guards of the Gate with their Officers at the head of them betake themselves to their Arms and draw themselves up towards the Gate within the nearest Court to the Palace making there a Lane for his Majesty to pass through 2. Secondly The Souldiers of the Foot Companies then upon Duty both of the French and Suisse-Guards with their Officers at the head of them and their Colonels with their Pikes in their hands make a Lane for the King to pass in the middle of them from the going out of the nearest Court to the Palace on the out-side as far as ever they can reach the French Guards placing themselves on the right hand and the Suissers on the left 3. Thirdly The hundred Suissers march in two Banks at the head of the Coach-Horses and before them march the Guards of the Provost of the Houshold And the Porte-Manteau or Cloak-Bearer marches alone at the head of the Horses between the two Suissers that close the two Ranks of the hundred Suissers The Footmen march on both sides the forepart of the Coach from the Horses heads to the forepart of each Boot or Door of the Coach and two of them hold up only the two Fore-Buttons of the said Boots or Doors unless it be when the Life-Guards are on Horseback and then four of them hold up all the four Buttons And when the Queen is in the Coach with the King the Kings Footmen keep at the right Boot or Door and the Queens at the left and when the King sends the Footman that holds one of the Buttons any where his next Companion takes it up The Life-Guards march behind and on each side the Coach from the hinder-part of each Boot or Door backwards and if they be on foot the two foremost of them hold up the hinder Buttons or Tassels of each Boot or Door The Officer in chief of the Life-Guards marches behind the Coach on the right hand having the Querry in Waiting for that day on his left At Entries made into Cities the Trumpeters of the Chamber march likewise at the head of the Kings Coach-Horses The Pages of the Chamber get up behind the Coach or if it be night the Pages of the little Stable ride on Horseback before the Coach-Horses with each of them a Flambo in his hand because the King commonly marches something fast he is pleased to permit some of his own and of the Queens Footmen to get up behind his Coach When the King makes any solemn Cavalcade and rides in State as at his Majority and at his publick Entries into any great Towns or Cities his Footmen run on each side of him from his Stirrup to his Horses head and the Life-Guards march likewise on each side from his Stirrup backwards When the King walks on Foot through the Courts of his Palace or in the Streets he is Accompanied by a good number of his French and Suisse Life-Guards and of the Great Provosts Guards but when he is going into any of his Gardens to walk there all the said Guards withdraw and let him go save only some few French Life-Guards and some Officers that follow him But when the King goes out in his Coach or on Horseback as he most commonly does the Life-Guards both French and Suissers come out of their Guard-Chambers in the Palace and make a
into six Divisions or Parcels called Escouades consisting of sixteen men each whereof one is chosen by the Captain to be Corporal of the rest There are two of these Divisions ordinarily in Waiting at a time that is to say one by day and the other by night which are relieved every Sunday by two other Divisions so that in three Weeks time the whole Company does Duty round of which each Couple of Divisions are a Week upon Duty and rest the other Fortnight The Division that does duty in the night is called the Division of the Watch whereof twelve are called the Suissers of the Straw-Bed because in the night they lie on the Straw-Beds in the Guard-Chamber among the French Life-Guard Men. Those of the other Division appointed for the Day-guard a little before night go off the Guard in order out of the Kings Palace with an Officer at the head of them and go and lie at their own Quarters and the next Morning precisely at eight a Clock they Rendevouz again at the Captains Door or some other place appointed them and march in the same order back again into the Kings Palace with an Officer at the head of them where they are received by the twelve Suissers of the Watch that have lain with the French Life-Guard Men the foregoing Night who receive them in Arms making a Lane for them to pass through in their Guard-Chamber they are intermixed with the French Guards out of Policy to prevent Treachery that if one Nation should be corrupted the other might discover them or defeat their purpose They lie but twelve of them at a time in the French Guard-Chamber because by reason of their number there is hardly convenience for more the others have a Hall apart and separated as far as convenience will permit from the French Guard-Chamber and remain there only in the day time upon Sundays and other Holy-Days observed in the Diocess where the Court happens to be as likewise at some Extraordinary Solemnities as at the first and last Audiences of Ambassadours and other like occasions all the six Divisions wait all together in a Body on the King Out of this Company the Captain by the Kings Order Selects six to wait on the Queen when there is one viz. one out of every Division who are then Commanded by the Officer of the French Life-Guards then in Waiting on her Majesty which fix besides their allowance in the Kings Service have every one 18 d. a day from the Queen besides their Watch Bread and Wine and Wood and Candle and they always wear the Kings Livery except when the Queen is a Widow and Regent of the King and then they wear Mourning and their number is augmented to twelve These places are commonly purchased of the Captain by six of the Company The Dauphiness is likewise allowed six Suissers viz. one out of every Division drawn out for that purpose every Month by the Captain who in the time of their duty in that Service are allowed besides the Kings pay 10 d. a day When the Court removes to any distance leaving the Duke of Burgundy or other of the Dauphins Children behind the Captain of this Company detaches six Suisser's to wait on each of them One Suisser is likewise appointed by the King to wait on the Lord High Chancellour who upon that account is exempted from going upon the Watch and other Military Functions of this Company The Great Master of the Horse also who is the sole Orderer of all the Liveries of the Kings Houshold may keep a Suisse of his own in the same Livery with the Kings or if he pleases he may take one of the hundred but if he take one of them he so taken by him must either in Person or by some of his Companions perform his Watch and other duties of the Company when it comes to his turn When the Chancellour dies he that succeeds him is not obliged to make use of the same Suisser that waited on his Predecessour but may if he please ask the King for any other he has a mind to The Captain of this Company has always one of the said Company too to wait on him There are three Treasurers that are paid by the King to pay the hundred Suissers every Month their Months pay beforehand so that on the first second or at furthest on the third day of every Month the hundred Suissers receive their full pay for the Month then begun wheresoever the Court happens to be There belong besides to this Company one Almoner one Physician one Chyrurgeon one Apothecary one Merchant furnishing Cloth Stuff and other necessaries for their Cloaths and three Taylors The Chyrurgeon Apothecary and Taylors have the priviledge to keep open Shop at Paris or elsewhere though not Masters and the Taylors are allowed ten Crowns for making each Suissers Suit At the Kings Coronation the Commission Officers of this Company are Clothed in White-Satin with Cloth of Silver underneath the Slashes The Harbingers are in Blue and the rest of the Suissers in Velvet They are likewise allowed Extraordinary habits at other great Solemnities when their Colours march as at Kings Marriages and Christnings of the Dauphins or first Sons of France and at the first Entries of Kings and Queens into any of their great Towns or Cities Ever since the year 1679. they have reassumed their ancient Habit which they wear every Sunday and Holy-Day They wear Velvet Bonnets incircled round with Plumes of White Feathers with little tufts before composed of four Sprigs of Feathers of the same Colour starched Laced Ruffs and Cloths flashed upon Taffety which swells out of the slashes the Hilts of their Swords are gilt and very large and fastned to them with Eâ—â—s or rather other kind of Sword-Supporters after the ancient Mode fringed on the sides they wear Fringed-Gloves Blue and Red Garters and Roses of the same Coloured Ribbands on their Shoes their great Coats called Brandenburgs are garnished with red and white Buttons with Tails all of the Kings Livery in one of their hands they bear Halbards upon which is wrought a golden Sun which is the Kings Devise or particular Emblem and in the other hand great Canes garnisht with Silver at both ends They with their Officers march before the King when he is walking on Foot or passing leisurely along either in his own House or in the Town where he for the time being resides Every day when the King goes to Mass the Suissers of this Company place themselves in two ranks making a Lane from the Quire to the outward Door of the Church or Chappel where he is and on Sundays and Holy-Days they appear in the same order with their Velvet Bonnets and Habits of Ceremony or Holy-Day Cloaths with their Drums and their Flute which they sound as soon as the King comes and march thus to the middle of the great Churches into which the King goes and to the very Door and inclosure of the Quire the
before had but 14 d. a day have now 18 d. a day Of the Guards of the Gate Of these Guards there is a Captain who has a Salary of 3000 l. paid by the Treasurers of the Houshold and 4000 l. Board-Wages at the Chamber of Deniers He is sworn by the King himself and receives from him the Staff of Command Under him are Four Lieutenants quarterly Waiters who enjoy their Places by Patent from the King but are sworn by the Great Master of the Houshold and have each of them 500 l. Salary and 50 l. Gratuity and during the time of their Waiting eat at the Masters of the Housholds Table Fifty Guards of the Gate that serve by Quarters viz. Thirteen of them each of the two first Quarters and but twelve of each of the two last Quarters of the year They enjoy their Places too by Patent and are sworn by their Captain They are reckoned among the first and most ancient Guards of the Houshold which is the reason that this Company is yet to this day entred upon the Book of the General Establishment of the Houshold and accordingly receive their pay from the Treasurers of the Houshold and not from peculiar Treasurers of their own as do the other Companies of Guards Every day at six in the Morning the Guards of the Gate receive from the hands of the Life-Guard Men the Keys of the Gates of that Court where the Kings Lodgings or Apartments are within which they place Sentinels and at six at Night they return the said Keys again to the Life-Guards By the Court where the Kings Lodgings are I mean the principal Court of the Palace where he is as the Oval Court at Fountain-bleau He that stands Sentinel at the Gate holds a Carbine on his shoulder as do all the rest of this Company that are on the Guard who likewise stand to their Arms and place themselves in Ranks making a Lane near the Gate when his Majesty any other Royal Persons or any Ambassadours in going to or coming from their first and last Audiences are to pass by They also stand to their Arms in the same manner about the Gate within the Court of the Louvre or other Royal Palace where the King is exercising the Company of Gentlemen Musketeers during the whole time of the said Exercise in that Court The Guards of the Gate are to let none pass into the Palace with Arms but the Life-Guards only but are to stop all that offer to go in with Blunderbusses Firelocks Pikes Powder or any other Arms but Swords They all wear blue Coats laced with large gold and silver Galoon and trimmed with Buttons of Massy Silver Formerly they used to wear Jackets or Hoquetons like those worn at present by the Great Provosts Guards save only that upon the four great Skirts of them they had two Keys Embroidered Salter-wise and Swivels which are both of Buff. Their Belts at present are edged about with gold and silver Galoon and in the middle of their Swivels there is before and behind a golden Flower deluce and an L of the same for Lewis being the Kings Name and above them two Keys placed Salteir-wise and tied with a red Ribband all which is wrought in Embroidery enterlaced with Palms and Lawrels and Crowned with a Crown Royal. The Guards of the Gate in the time of their Waiting never take off their Swivels wherever he goes unless it be when he goes into the Kings Anti-Chamber or into the other Chambers Closets and Apartments of his Majesty At the end of their Quarters Waiting they receive 200 l. Wages from the General Treasurer of the Houshold and 40 l. Gratuity at the Treasure Royal. At Easter Whitsontide All-Saints Christmas Martlemas and on Shrove-Tuesday they have Portions of Bread Wine and Meat from the King which gives them the priviledge of Tablers or Commoners of the Kings Houshold they that are in Waiting at the like times on the Queen or the Dauphin have the same allowance from them At New-Years Tide the King gives them that are in Waiting that quarter 50 l. 5 d the Queen 32 l and the Parliament of Paris as much for which they give an Acquittance The other Sovereign Courts likewise and the Guildhall of Paris pay them some certain summs for they give also Acquittances Upon St. Lewis's Day which is his Majesties peculiar Festival the Kings allow them 40 l. out of the Privy-Purse of the Chamber Besides which they have a Fee of ten Crowns from the Treasurer of the Offrings every time the King touches for the Evil But however on the four great Festivals of the year they are paid the said allowance on that account whether the King touches or no. Those that are in Waiting share amongst them the Gifts and Liberalities made to them by the New Dukes and Peers and Marshals of France and other Officers of the Crown at their first Entry into the Kings Palace in their Coaches or Sedans by vertue of their new Dignity They have likewise Wax-Candles at Candlemas Torches on Corpus Christi Day and Prayer-Books in the Holy Week given them They are Exempt from Taxes and from the Imposition on Salt in those Provinces where it is established and from all Subsidies and Billeting of Souldiers They have the Priviledge of Committimus and take out Letters of State when they have need of them By an Order of the Privy-Council dated the 19th of November 1668. the King has confirmed the quality of Esquires to the Guards of the Gate and by a Declaration of the 17th of June 1659. and Letters Patents of the 3d of May 1675. registred in the Great Councel on the 27th of July following The King was pleased to Order that the Guards of the Gate should have the precedence in all honours done in the Church and in all other places and Assemblies before all the Officers of the Elections of the Granaries of Salt and Judges not Royal and in general before all others inferiour in degree to the Counsellers of Bayliwicks Seneschalsies and Presidial Seats or Courts of Judicature Now it being the Duty of the Guards of the Gate in the Day time and of the Life-Guard Men from six a Clock at Night to distinguish those to whom the King is pleased to permit the Honour of going into the Louvre or other of the Kings Palaces in their Coaches or Sedans and to keep all others from entring in that manner It will not be amiss to subjoin in this place The Order and Rank of Precedence observed in admitting and placing of those to whom the King permits the honour of entring into his Royal Palace in their Coaches or Sedans No Body is to enter into the Kings Palace in a Coach in the Morning before their Majesties be awake and at Night as soon as the King is in Bed all the Coaches within the Palace are to go out and Monsieurs is set up under the Gate or Porch of the Palace Next to the first Coaches
or Coaches of the Body of their Majesties and other Coaches belonging to them none but such Persons of the several Qualities underneath specified are priviledged to enter into the Palace in their Coaches or Sedans viz. 1. All Princes that is to say Children of France and their Children the other Princes of the Blood the Bastard Princes that are Legitimated and Sovereign Stranger-Princes and the Princesses their Wives their Daughters and their Sisters who may have a Coach covered with red Velvet or black Velvet if they be in Mourning with Covers of the same and are allowed the priviledge of the Tabouret that is of sitting down on a low Stool in the Queens Presence Lastly Cardinals as Princes of the Church are comprehended likewise under this Title 2. Ambassadours both Ordinary and Extraordinary of Crowned Heads that is to say of the Emperour of all Kings of some Sovereign Dukes of some Republicks and the Ambassadours Extraordinary of Malta ever since the time of Monsieur Souvray and the Popes-Nuntio's or Legats as likewise the Wives of all such Ambassadours who also may have Coaches covered with Velvet and are allowed the Honour of the Tabouret or of sitting on a low Stool so called before the Queen Consort or Dowager 3. All Dukes and Peers of France whether they be so by Letters Patents verified in the Parliament of Paris or so only by Briefs and Patents not verified and the Dutchesses their Ladies who may have Coaches covered with Velvet and have the honour of the Tabouret before the Queen And the six ancient Ecclesiastical Dukes and Peers and Counts and Peers which you will find in the List of them in their proper place as likewise later ones who are Dukes and Peers as the Archbishop of Paris c. 4. The great Officers of the Crown the Chancellour the Keeper of the Seals the Marshals of France and the Great Master of the Artillery Where Note That the Wives of these great Officers have the priviledge to go into the Louvre in their Coaches or Sedans but are not allowed the Honour of the Tabouret before the Queen though in the Queens Tiring-room the Chancellours Lady indeed is allowed a Tabouret and the other great Officers Ladies only Cushions to sit on before her Majesty The chief Officers likewise of both Sexes have also the priviledge of going into the Palace even in their own Coaches as her Lady of Honour her Tiring-Lady her Gentleman-Usher or Knight of Honour and the Persons who have the grant of the Reversions of the said Offices as likewise the chief Officers of both Sexes of the Children of France and even after any Queens Decease or after the Decease of any of the Children of France the King being pleased to continue to their said chief Officers their former Salaries is pleased likewise to continue to them withal the priviledge of going into his Palace in their Coaches or Sedans Besides these there are some to whom by particular favour the King permits the same Honour When any of the abovesaid persons have a mind to go into the Palace in a Chair or Sedan they may go in when they please though it be before Day or though the King or Queen be sick or asleep because Chairs make no noise as Coaches do And since the coming up of the Sedans or Chairs called Royal Chairs almost any private person is suffered to go in in those kind of Chairs as far as the bottom of the Kings Stairs When there is a Queen her Maids of Honour go into the Palace in her Majesties Coach as do now those belonging to the Dauphiness in hers And the Kings or Queens Confessours being in their Majesties Coaches enter likewise Note That any of the forementioned persons that have the priviledge to go into the Kings Palace in their own Coaches may likewise go in any other Coach as well as their own and if their own Coach comes afterward to the Gate the Guards let it pass in with all those that are in it but then as soon as that is come in the borrowed Coach unless it be one belonging to a person of equal Quality is immediately to retire All the Coaches that enter into the Kings Palace place themselves within the Court of the Palace nearer or further off the Stairs Foot of the Kings Apartment according to the Rank of Precedence the Masters or Ladies to whom they belong enjoy in France So that if there chance to come a Prince a Dukes and Peers Coach must put back to give him place They are sometimes placed in several Ranks according to their different Qualities but that is not very exactly observed the same Order and Ceremony observed in entring into the Kings Palace is in most particulars observed in going into any of the Palaces belonging to the Children of France or any other Royal Persons But at the Palaces of the other Princes these Punctilio's are not so much insisted on Next the Guards of the Gate are The Guards of the Great Provost of the Houshold We have already spoken of the Gown-Men and other Officers under the Great Provost as Judge of the Kings Houshold we must now treat of his Military Officers and those under them The Great Provost is Captain of a Company of a hundred Men who are called the Guards of the Provost of the Houshold these are either Exempts who are twelve in number one whereof is called the Exempt in Ordinary and 88 common Guards who have all of them Salaries of 272 l. 10 d. apiece The Exempts serve quarterly three every quarter whereof four who are the four first or Foremen of every quarter are called ancient Exempts and have besides their standing Wages a gratuity of fifty Crowns at the Treasure-Royal the four second and next to them in every quarter are likewise allowed a gratuity of fifty Crowns out of the profits of the Provostship of the Houshold but the four last have onely their bare Wages viz. 272 l. 10 d. The other Guards serve quarterly too 22. every quarter and are allowed 60 l. each Extraordinary when the King goes any Journey and every one a certain gratuity when the King touches for the Evil. When the King goes forth of his Lodging either on Foot in a Chair or in a Coach with two Horses the Great Provosts Guards march with their Officers at the head of them on Foot before his Majesty immediately before the hundred Suiffers who march before the Coach-Horses and when the Life-Guards mount on Horseback the Provosts Guards mount on Horseback too When the King goes out in a Coach with six Horses these Guards Accompany him not but only place themselves in Ranks with their Officers at the head of them just by the Gate of the Kings Lodgings without and make a Lane for his Majesty to pass through Sometimes on those occasions the Great Provost himself is there with his Commanders Staff in his hand At St. Germains en Laye and at Fountain-bleau there is a little
of Francis the First in 1528. It now belongs to the Duke of Orleans Alençon of an antient County made a Dutchy and Peerage in 1413. It belongs at present to the Dutchess Dowager of Guise Lewis the Twelfth Erected Longueville into a simple Dutchy of which we have spoke already Francis the first Erected Vendome into a Dutchy and Peerage in 1514. It is at present possessed by the Duke of that Name of whom we have spoken among the Princes Chatelleraud of an ancient County made a Dukedom and Peerage in 1514. which was given to and sometime possest by the Hamiltons of Scotland but is now enjoyed by Madamoiselle of Montpensier the Kings Aunt Angoulême made a Dutchy and Peerage in 1515. Extinct Dunois Erected into a Dutchy and Peerage in 1525. by the Queen Regent Mother to Francis the First but not verified in Parliament Guise made a Dutchy and Peerage in 1527. and verified in 1528. It belongs to Madamoiselle de Guise of whom among the Princes Chartres Erected into a simple Dutchy by Francis the First in 1528. together with Montargis and Gisors It belongs to the Duke of Orleans Estouteville a simple Dutchy Erected in 1534. of which already Etampes a simple Dutchy made a County and Peerage in 1326. and afterwards a Dutchy in 1536. It belongs now to the Duke of Vendome given to that House first by Queen Margarite Montpensier made a Dutchy and Peerage in 538. confirmed as to the Peerage in 1608. It belongs to Madamoiselle Anne-Marie Lewise of Orleans the Kings Aunt Beaumont le Sonnois or Beaumont le Vicomte made a simple Dutchy in 1543. It is now reunited to the Crown Henry the Second Erected Aumale into a Dutchy and Peerage in 1547. and verified the next year and confirmed in 1631. Albret Erected in 1556. which was reunited to the Crown but since given to the House of Boüillon by a Contract verified in 1652. Beaupreau a simple Dutchy Erected in 1562. it belongs to the Duke of Brissac Chateau Thierry together with Chatillon sur Marne and that of Epernay Erected in 1566. given likewise to the House of Boüillon without reverting to the Crown for want of Heirs Male Penthiêvre in Britany made a Dutchy and Peerage in 1569. It belongs to the House of Vendome Evreux first a County and Peerage in 1316. and since made a simple Dutchy in 1569. reunited since that to the Crown and lastly given to the House of Boüillon in 1652. Vses of which we have spoken Mayenne formerly a Dutchy and Peerage in 1573. It now belongs to the Duke Mazarin Mercoeur Erected first into a Principality in 1563. and after into a Dutchy and Peerage in 1569. but not verified in the Parliament of Paris in 1676. It belongs now to the Duke of Vendome St. Fargeau made a Dutchy and Peerage in 1569. and Registred in Parliament the same year It belongs now to Madamoiselle of Orleans of Montpensier Henry the Third Erected Loudun into a simple Dutchy in 1589. It belongs to the House of Tremouille Joyeuse made a Dutchy and Peerage in 1581. It belongs to the Dutchess Dowager of Guise Epernon made a Dutchy and Peerage in 1581. and verified in Parliament the same year This Honour is now extinct but the Lands belong to M. John B. de Goth de Rouillac Elbeuf made a Dutchy and Peerage in 1581. and verified in 1582. the present Duke of Elbeuf is mentioned among the Princes Brienne is a simple Dutchy Erected in 1587. but the Patents are not yet verified Montbazon made a Dutchy and Peerage in 1588. and verified the next year It was an ancient Barony It belongs to M. de Montbazon Prince of Guimené at present head of the Eldest Branch of the House of Rohan Ventadour of this we have spoken Henry the Fourth Erected Beaufort into a Dutchy and Peerage in 1578. and after into a Dutchy and Peerage in 1597. It belongs now to the Duke of Vendome Croüy Erected into a Dutchy in 1598. now extinct But the Lands belong to the Descendants of Charles de Croüy Duke of Arscot Thoüars an ancient Vicounty made a Dutchy by Charles the Ninth and a Peerage by Henry the Great in 1595. and verified as such in 1599. It belongs to the House of Tremouille Suilly sur Loire of which we have spoken Lewis the Thirteenth Erected Damville into a Dutchy and Peerage in 1610. the Honour is now extinct but the Lands belong to the Duke of Ventadour Chateau-roux made a Dutchy and Peerage in 1616. It belongs to the Prince of Condé Maillé Luynes of which we have spoken Les diguieres already mentioned Brissac spoken of before Magnelers was made a Dutchy and Peerage in 1587 and 1588. under the name of Halwin and revived in 1611. under the name of Candale It is now Extinct Chaunes of this we have spoken As likewise of Villars Richelieu and Pondevaux La Valette made a Dutchy and Peerage in 1622. and verified as such in 1631. Montmorency made a Dutchy and Peerage in 1551. by Henry the Second together with Ecoüan Chantilly c. and verified in Parliament the same year It belongs to the Prince of Condé Rais a Dutchy and Peerage revived in 1634. by Lewis the Thirteenth verified the same year in favour of Peter de Gondy General of the Gallies upon his Marrying his Cousin Frances de Gondy Heiress of the Dutchy Fronsac a Dutchy and Peerage Erected or rather revived in 1634. and Registred the same year It belongs to the Duke of Richelieu Of the Dutchies of St. Simon La Rochefoucault La Force and Aiguillon we have already spoken Valentinois was a Dutchy and Peerage united to the Crown but given by Lewis the Thirteenth to the Prince of Monaco by Letters Patents verified in Parliament in the year 1642. Rohan is a Dutchy and Peerage Erected first by Henry the Great in 1603. and revived again in 1645. It belongs to Madam de Rohan Widow of Henry de Chabot Nevers is a Dutchy and Peerage revived in 1660. in favour of Cardinal Mazarin and belongs now to M. de Mancini Of Piney Luxemburg we have spoken as likewise of the Dutchy of Carignan Verneuil a Dutchy and Peerage Erected in 1652 and verified in 1663. Extinct Of Etrées and Gramont we have treated already La Meilleraye verified in 1663. It belongs to Duke Mazarin Rethelois Mazarini revived again in favour of Armand de Mazarini and verified in Parliament in 1663. Of Villeroy Mortemar Creqy St. Aignan and Foix-Rendan we have spoken above Liancourt was verified as a Dutchy and Peerage in 1663. but Erected in 1643. It belongs to the Prince of Marsillac Of Tremes or Gevres and of Noailles and Coislin we have treated elsewhere These fourteen last Dukes have all place in the Order abovesaid as if their Patents had all been verified on the 15th of December in 1663. though there be some days difference in the date Of Polizy called otherwise Choiseul and Plessis Prâlin and of the Dutchies of Aumont Senneterre and
more than was the Constable The Provosts of the Marshals or Provost Marshals are Royal Judges established in every Province under the Authority and dependance of the Marshals of France They have Jurisdiction over all Vagabonds and people that are no House-Keepers and in many Cases over them that are House-Keepers too if they commit any Robberies on the High-way if they be Incendiaries Coiners of false money or be guilty of wilful Murther and other Crimes The Marshals of France were at first but two in number but since that the necessity of Affairs has given occasion sometimes to the doubling of that number There were four under Charles the Seventh who were afterward reduced to the old number Francis the First finding himself obliged to maintain three or four Armies to oppose the great Enemies which he had always to deal with revived again the number of four and soon after added a fifth who was Francis of Montmorency Son of the Constable of that Name by way of recompence to his Father for the Office of Great Master of France which he had resigned by his Orders to the Duke of Guise but with this condition that this fifth place should be supprest upon the Death of the First of the five that should die The Duke of Mayenne made three during the time he was head of the League and Henry the Great when by the acknowledgment of his Subjects he came to be peaceable Possessour of the Kingdom Created two of those three Marshals of France viz. Vrban de Laval Sieur de Bois Dauphin and Claudius de la Chartre Lewis the Thirteenth never limited the number of them and the Present has augmented it with several new ones Those of them that are still alive and that keep the Court of the Constablery at the Marble Table are these that follow according to the years of their Promotion Being The Marshals De Crequi in 1668. De Bellefonds in 1668. D' Humieres in 1668. De Schonberg in gone now to Portugal 1675. De Duras in 1675. De Vivonne in 1675. De la Feuillade in 1675. De Luxembourg in 1675. De Lorge in 1676. D' Etrées in 1681. Every of these Marshals is stiled Monseigneur-Messire or My Lord Messire in the List of them in the Court of the Constablerie and Marshals of France in the Palace at Paris which Title of Messire implies antient Nobility personal and eminent worth and something of a Soveraign Command The Marshals of France deceased whose Memory is still fresh were The Marshals De Guebriant deceased in 1643. De Bassompiere in 1646. Two Marshals de Chatillon whereof one died in 1646 the other in 1649. De Gassion in 1647. De Chaune in 1649. De Brezé in 1650. De Rantzau in 1650. De la Force in 1652. De Schonberg in 1656. De la Mothe Houdancourt in 1657. De Hocquincourt in 1658. De Castelnau in 1658. De Foucault in 1659. De l' Hopital in 1660. De Fabert in 1662. De la Meillerage in 1664. De Clerambaut in 1665. D' Estampes in 1668. D' Aumont in 1669. D' Etrées in 1670. De Schulembergz in 1671. The Famous de Turenne in 1675. De Plessis Prâlin in 1675. De Rochefort in 1676. D' Albret in 1676. De la Force the Son in 1678. De Grammont in 1678. De Grancy in 1680. De la Ferté Senneterre in 1681. De Navailles in 1684. De Estrades in February in 1686. There are several Widows of Marshals of France which still enjoy the Honours of the Louvre and other Priviledges we have mentioned to belong to them CHAP. XVI Of the Colonels-General Camp-Masters c. AFter the Death of the Duke d' Epernon which hapned on the 23d of July 1661. the Office of Colonel-General of the Infantry was supprest The Colonel-General used to bear behind his Coat of Arms as a mark of his Office four or six Standards of the Kings Colours which are White Carnation and Blue The Colonel-General of the light Horse is the Count of Auvergne Marquiss of Bergopzoom Lieutenant-General of the Kings Armies And the Camp-Master General is at present the Baron de Monctar the Lieutenant-Colonel is M. John d' Estampes Baron of Bellebrune The Colonel-General of the Suissers and Grisons is the Prince de Maine Monsieur de Mazarques was Colonel-General of the Corsicans but at present there are no Corsicans in the service And the Baron D' Eguenfeld was Colonel-General of the Foreign Troops but since his departure there has been no other substituted CHAP. XVII Of the Troops of the Kings Houshold of the Gensdarmes of the Light-Horse and of the other Regiments of Cavalry and Infantry THE first Troops of Cavalry are those of the Kings-Houshold of the Life-Guards Gensdarmes the Light-Horse of the Kings Guard and the Musketeers on Horseback which is called the Kings Houshold to which there is lately joined a Company of Granadeers on Horseback Commanded by Mr. Riotort We have set down before the four Companies of the Life-Guards the Company of Gensd'armes or Men at Arms that are of the Kings Guard of which the King is Captain and the Prince de Soubize Lieutenant-Captain as likewise the Company of Light-Horse of the Kings-Guard and another Company of Gensd'armes Commanded by the Duke de Chevreuse as Captain-Lieutenant and the two Companies of Musketeers on Horseback We come now to the other Forces First there is the little Gend'armerie or that which is simply called the Gend'armerie without other addition which comprehends 1. The Scotch Gensd'armes 2. The English Gend'armes 3. The Burgundian Gend'armes 4. The Flemish Gend'armes 5. The Queens Gend'armes 6. The Queens Light-Horse 7. The Dauphins Gend'armes 8. The Dauphins Light-Horse 9. The Gend'arms of Anjou 10. The Gend'arms of Orleans 11. The Light-Horse of Orleans Monsieur de St. Germain is Provost of the little Gend'armerie The Princes or eldest Sons of the Kings of Great Brittain having as Princes of Scotland a right to the Command of a Cavalry in France there was a Company of the Kings Scotch Gensd'armes Commanded by the Duke of York as Duke of Albany and in his absence by the Marquiss of Livourne as Captain-Lieutenant The Baron of Thauriac was Sub-Lieutenant the Ensign the Count d'Onseigne and the Guidon Monsieur Champrond 2. The English Gensd'armes which are now most Irish whose Captain-Lieutenant the Count de la Guette the Sub-Lieutenant the Chevalier de Crollis the Ensign Mr. O Brian and the Guidon the Marquiss of Beavau 3. The Burgundian Gend'arms whose Captain Lieutenant is the Marquiss of Flamanville 4. The Company of Flemmish Gensd'arms Created the 22d of November 1673. the Count de Masin is Captain-Lieutenant M. Gouffier de Rosamelle Sub-Lieutenant The King is Captain of all the abovesaid Companies whose Captain-Lieutenants Command over all the Camp-Masters The Queens have also their Companies of Gensd'arms and Light-Horse and so has the Dauphin besides which there are the Gensd'arms of Anjou and the Gensd'arms and Light-Horse of
de Lusse of the Family of Montmorency Soissonnoīs the Duke de Valentinois N ...... de Grimaldi Isle of France the Marquiss d' Antin Vexin the Chevalier d' Hautefort de Montignac Aunis the Marquiss de Polignac Dauphiné or Dauphinate the Chevalier de Kercado Vivarais M de St. Pater Luxemburg M. de Brancas Bassigny the Count de Mailly Duke of Villars Beaujolois Created the 17th of June 1685. M. de Berulle Beausse M. de Pompadour Marquiss de Lauriere Ponthieu Created in the Month of September 1685. M. de Lomont So that in all counting the two Regiments of Guards before-mentioned there are 102 Regiments of Infantry or Foot A List of the Camp-Masters of the Cavalry There are forty Regiments of Cavalry whereof twelve consists of twelve Companies apiece and the rest but of eight Those that consist of twelve are the Colonels Generals those of the Camp-Master and Commissary-General the Kings seven Regiments and those of Tilladet and Coningsmark The Regiments of Cavalry take place according to the Eldership of the date of the Commissions of their Camp-Masters excepting the three general ones and those that go under the name of his Majesty or of some of the Princes of the Blood The Camp-Masters of the Cavalry 1. In the Colonels Regiment the Count d' Auvergne Colonel-General of the Cavalry and under him the Marquiss de Musse 2. In the Commissary-Generals Regiment the Marquiss of Montrevel Commissary-General of the Cavalry 3. In the Camp-Master Generals Regiment the Baron de Monclar Camp-Master General of the Light-Horse 4 In the Royal Regiment the Count de Bourg Lieutenant Camp-Master 5. In the Kings Regiment the Marquiss de Beaufort 6. In the Royal Foreign Regiment the Count de Coligny 7. In the Regiment of the Kings Cuirassiers the Marquiss de Mongon 8. In the Royal Regiment of Cravots or Croats the Count de Roucy 9. In the Royal Piémont Regiment the Marquiss de Rivarolles 10. In the Royal Regiment of Rousillon the Count de Montfort 11. In the Queens Regiment the Count de Rousillon 12. In the Dauphins Regiment the Marquiss de St. Gelais 13. In the Dauphins Foreign Regiment the Chevalier de la Vrilliere 14. In the Duke of Burgundies Regiment the Marquiss de Houdetot 15. In the Orleans Regiment the Marquiss de Vatteville 16. In the Regiment of Condé the Marquiss de Toiras 17. In the Regiment of Anguien Monsieur de Saintrailles 18. In the Regiment of Tilladet the Marquiss de Tilladet 19. In the Regiment of Villeroy the Duke of that Name 20. In the Regiment of Grignan the Chevalier de Grignan 21. In the Regiment of St. Aignan the Duke de Beauvilliers Chief of the Council-Royal of the Finances or Revenues 22. In the Coningsmark Regiment Count Otho William of Coningsmark Marshal of Suedeland c. and under him M. la Mote-Paillas In the other Regiments there are several Camp-Masters incorporated whose Companies are reformed or reduced into one Colonels of the Dragoons The Colonel-General the Marquiss de Boufflers The Camp-Master General the Count de Tesse The Regiment of the Colonel-General is Commanded by the Count de St. Florentin The Regiment Royal by the Marquiss d' Alègre The Queens Regiment by the Marquiss de Murcé The Dauphins Regiment by the Count de Longueval The following Regiments viz. those Of Gramont of the County of Burgundy by the Count de Gramont Of Barbeziéres by the Marquiss de Barbesiéres Of Peissonel by M. de Peissonel Of Lande by M. de la Lande Of Chevilly by M. de Chevilly Of Tesse by the Chevalier de Tessé Of Asfeld by the Baron d' Asfeld Brigadeer of the Dragoons De Fimarcon by the Marquiss of that Name The aforementioned Regiments of Foot consist some of more and some of fewer Bataillons and every Bataillon is composed of fifteen Companies and of one Company of Granadeers except only the two Regiments of Guards French and Suissers and the six other Suisse Regiments As to the Order observed in the Command of the Armies of France they are always Commanded by one General in Chief who has under him two Lieutenant-Generals who Command by turns every other day and under them there are two Camp or Field-Marshals that change in the same manner beginning with the Elder of the two When the King Commands his Armies in Person he has always two or four Marshals of France under him And when any Prince of the Blood Commands them he has commonly two Marshals of France under him Every General has four Adjutants or Aids de Camp to carry about his Orders which are commonly young Noblemen or sometimes old Officers A Lieutenant-General has at least two Aids de Camp and the Marshals de Camp or Field-Marshals have each of them one Formerly there were Battle-Marshals in every Army but at present there are none only Mr. de Fougerais is one as being such by Title of a standing Office though without acting as such Next are the Brigadeers who are chosen from among the Camp-Masters of oldest standing to Command Brigades composed of five or six Regiments of Horse Foot and Dragoons Next them are the Camp-Masters that Command over the several Regiments of Horse and the Colonels in the Foot-Regiments and then the Lieutenant-Colonels a Major and the Aid or Adjutant-Majors in the Foot-Regiments but in the Cavalry the Major is the second Person Next are the Captains of every Company and in Companies of Light-Horse under every Captain there is a Lieutenant and a Corner but in Companies of Gensd'arms or of Foot there are Lieutenants and after them Ensigns instead of Cornets As for the Quarter-Masters or Marshals of the Lodgings of the Armies There is one Quarter-Master General of the Cavalry who is M. de St. Martin who enjoys it by Title of a standing Office who has under him several Adjutants and Fouriers or Under-Quarter-Masters In the Body of the Infantry of every Army there is a Major-General of the Brigades from whom the Majors of every Brigade receive their Orders Then there is a Quarter-Master for every Regiment who having known from his Superiours the Quarters allotted to his Regiment divides and shares them out among the several Companies and Orders the Quarter-Masters of each Company to lodge the Captains Officers and Souldiers accordingly The four Quarter-Masters General at present of the Kings Camps and Armies are M. Fougueux M. de l' Anglée M. Bolé and M. du Verger when they are in the Armies they have every one two Harbingers or Quarter-Masters under them who are paid by the King There is likewise one standing Fourier or Harbinger of the Kings Camps and Armies who is the Sieur de Couty Now because there often have happened differences and contests among the Officers of Horse and those of Foot concerning place and precedency of Command It is ordered that when they are both Incamped on a Plain the Officers of Horse shall have the Command but when they are Posted in any Inclosure Retrenchment
such a day as he shall think fit to appoint at which the Lord Chancellour shall be present in order to the Examination and Determination of the said Affairs viz. The Brevets concerning the Taxes which shall afterward be signed by his Majesty and by all those who shall have the honour to be present at the said Council All Ordinances for laying any Impositions on the people of what nature or quality soever they be shall be reported to the said Council in order to be passed The Printed Papers to be posted up containing the Conditions of letting out the Farms shall be examined and agreed on in the said Council-Royal and after that the Farms shall be published the offers received and the said Farms adjudged to the fairest Bidders in the Ordinary Council of the Finances All Treaties or Bargains for Extraordinary Affairs All Orders of Loan and other Orders of like nature shall be reported examined and agreed on in the said Council-Royal and afterwards signed and passed in the same form that has been always hitherto practised The Rolls of the Exchequer as well as of the Expences accountable as of the ready Money shall be Examined and stated in the said Council-Royal at which at that time shall be present the same Persons that used to be present on such occasions after which they shall be signed by his Majesty and all those that shall be present thereat No Diminution shall be granted upon the Farms general Receits and extraordinary affairs of what nature soever they be unless it be in the presence of his Majesty in the said Council-Royal All which affairs shall be examined and resolved on in the said Council-Royal which shall be composed as is abovesaid of the Lord Chancellour as Chief and of three other Counsellours in the said Council His Majesty wills and means that the President or Chief of the said Council shall assemble all those that shall have the honour to be of it once a Week together with the other Directors Comptrollers General and Intendants of the Finances to examine all Affairs relating to the Finances as was wont to be practised in the lesser Directions under the Super-intendants excepting only those above reserved to the said Council-Royal and particularly to examine and deliberate on all the means imaginable to increase the ordinary Revenues of his Majesty to diminish and if it be possible wholly to remove all the Causes of the Diminutions of the Fanners and the insolvencies that happen in the general Receits and to use all careful indeavours that the said Impositions may be collected and brought in within the time prescribed by the Ordinances that so those Expences whose payment his Majesty shall assign upon the said Impositions may be punctually paid and discharged All the affairs that shall be examined in the lesser Directions shall be afterwards reported in the Grand Directions in order to be therein resolved on in the accustomed Form and that has been hitherto used The Councils of the Finances and Grand Directions shall be held as formerly provided however that none of those matters be treated on there that are here above-reserved to the Council-Royal of the Finances In all the Councils the Chief or President of the said Councils shall take the same place that the Super-intendants of the Finances were wont to take there and as for the other Councellours of State they shall take place according to the order of date of the Brevets or Patents by which they are constituted Councellours of State All the Orders and other Dispatches of the Council of Finances shall be signed by the said President or Chief and three Councellours belonging to the said Council-Royal His Majesty wills that at the opening of every Session of his Council-Royal Report shall always be made of the accounts of some one of the Farms of the general Receits in order to the Examination of the impediments the Farmers meet with in Collecting the Revenues of their Farms and of what just and reasonable means there may be used to augment them that so his Majesty may interpose his Royal Authority for making the best of them His Majesty reserves to himself the Power to Change Augment or diminish this present Regulation as the necessity of his Service shall require Given at Fountain bleau the 15th of September 1661. Signed Lewis and Lower de Guenegaud The Persons of which the Council-Royal of Finances is composed at present are the Lord Chancellours of France Chief or President M. Pelletier Comptroller-General of the Finances who succeeded the late Mr. Colbert Mr. Pussort and Mr. D' Argouges CHAP. XXIII Of the Council of State and of the Masters of Requests THE Present King Ordered by the first Article of his Regulation dated the first of January 1673. That the Council of State should be composed of the Lord Chancellour and Lord Keeper of the Seats of 21 Councellours of State in Ordinary whereof three are to be Church-men and three Sword-men of the Comptroller-General of the Finances of the two Intendants of the Finances all of them in Ordinary and of twelve other Councellours in State that shall serve half-yearly The present Comptroller-General of the Finances is Claudius le Pelletier Honorary Councellour in the Parliament of Paris formerly Councellour of State in Ordinary who was advanced to this Great Office upon the Death of the late Mr. Colbert The two Intendants of the Finances are Michael le Pelletier de Sousy Councellour of State And Francis le Tonnelier de Breteuil also Councellour of State By the 85th Article of the new Regulation the Advocates of the Councils that were formerly 200 were reduced to 170 the present Dean of them is Mr. Caussan The new Departments of the Comptroller-General and of the Intendants of the Finances are these 1. To Mr. Pelletier the Comptroller-General belong The Revenue of Commerce and Trade The united Farms viz. The Gabelles of France The Aids and Entries The Parties Casual or Casual Revenues The five Great Farms The Convoy of Bordeaux The Patents of Languedoc and other little Farms The Revenue arising from the Barrage and Pavement of Paris The Revenues of Burgundy Britany and Languedoc The Turcies and Levies The Extraordinary Revenues for the War Those of the Artillery The Revenues raised on the Clergy Of Coinage Of the Provostship of Nants Of the Bridges and Causeys Of the Kings and Queens Domains or Crown-Lands Of the Waters and Forests 2. Mr. Pelletier de Souzy has The Gabelles of Provence and Dauphiné and the Customs of Valence The Gabelles of Languedoc and the Country of Lyons The Gabelles and Quarantieme or fortieth of Lyons The Gabelles of Mets Toul and Verdun The Farm of the nine Livers and eighteen pence of Picardie The Farm of Ingrande The Revenue of Fish Paper and Beer That of Ashes Of the marking of Iron Of the Grants and Gifts of Cities The Revenues of Provence and Navarre Of Artois and other Conquered Places Of Mets Toul and Verdun Of the Parliament of
Paris Of the Grand Council Of the Leagues of the Suiffers The Rents upon the Guildhall or Town-House of Paris 3. Mr. De Breteuil has The eighteen Generalities of the Countries of Election The greater and lesser Tax called the Taille Taillon The Revenue of the Chamber of Accounts or Counting-Chamber at Paris That of the Court of Aids at Paris There are four Secretaries of the Council who are M. Berrier M. de Beauchamol M. Ranchin and M. Coquille And M. Bartillat and M. Du Mets with the Title of Commissionated Keepers of the Treasure-Royal exercise by turns what was formerly exercised by three Persons with the Title of Treasurers of the Main Treasury or Exchequer called L' Epargne or Spare Revenue There are eighty Masters of Requests in Ordinary of the Kings Houshold that officiate quarterly The Officers called les Gens du Roy are One Proctor-General M. Lewis Maboul who likewise performs the Function of Advocate-General One Advocate-General M. Francis-Nicholas Berthelot The Secretaries of the Court of Finances are the same with those of the Council of State There are four Secretaries-Registrers of the Privy-Council four Commissioners of the Register of the Council and four Registrers-Keepers of the Council-Bags all officiating quarterly And one Chief Registrer of the Requests of the Houshold There are eight Ushers or Door-Keepers in Ordinary belonging to the Kings Councils and eight other Ushers of the Requests of the Houshold There is also held another Council called the Council of Parties because it was established to take cognisance of the Processes or Suits moved by particular Parties one among another whether it be upon their Appeals from the Judges of a particular Jurisdiction or of a Parliament or any other entire Jurisdiction or for particular Affairs between City and City or between one private Person and another that this Council has called before it or of which it has reserved the cognisance to it self The Councellors of State that sit in this Council of Parties or in the Council of the Finances are for the most part Persons that have served a long time in other Courts or Jurisdictions as in the Parliament Grand-Council and even in the very Body of the Masters of Requests or in Embassies to Foreign Princes and States Those of the last sort enjoy the Quality and Pension of Councellours of State at their return from their Ambassages but yet have not all Entrance into the Council Some of them serve there all the year and some but six Months their Salary when they serve all the year is 2000 Crowns to each They are sworn by the Chancellour Anciently there were three Masters of Requests taken out of the Body of the Parliament that used to stand at the Door of the Kings Lodgings leaning with their Elbows on the Rails ready to receive all Requests or Petitions that people had a mind to present to the King And if they were businesses of no great consequence they commonly dispatcht them immediately but if they were of Consequence then they made report of them to the King when he was in his Chamber or when he was going to Mass or a walking And when business begun to increase they waited no more at the Door but near the Kings Person who committed to their Examination all the Petitions that were presented him They usually had Lodgings in the Kings Palace and were tabled at Court They at present take cognisance in their Court of Masters of the Requests of the Houshold of the personal and possessory Causes of the Crown-Officers and of the Officers that are Commoners and Tabled in the Royal Housholds and others that have the priviledge of Committimus There lies an Appeal from them to the Parliament of Paris unless it be when a Sovereign Jurisdiction is given them by a solemn remission of any cause to them by the Council of State They serve likewise in the Chancery and in the Council of State where they report and sign all Petitions that come thither and have extraordinary Commissions in the Provinces where they are Intendants of Justice of Policy and of the Finances or Revenues as also in the Armies where they have a very great Authority and Power They have power to preside in the place of the Presidents in all Seneschalchies and Baily-wicks The Habit used by the Masters of Requests at great Ceremonies and Solemnities is a Scarlet-Gown as being of the Body of the Parliaments where they have Entrance Place and Voice or freedom of Suffrage and opinion deliberative When the Masters of Requests march all in a Body accompanying the Chancellour as they did in the year 1660. at the Kings solemn Entry they wear as they did then black Velvet-Gowns with golden Girdles and Hat-Bands CHAP. XXIV Of the Grand Council THE Grand Council being at its Original or first Institution the only Councils of the Kings of France the Princes of the Blood Officers of the Crown and chief Presidents of the superiour Courts used to stile themselves Councellours of it Afterwards the Title of Councellour to the King in his Councils was taken up instead of it as soon as a plurality of Councils was erected The Grand Council was reduced by Charles the Eighth to 17 Councellours and one Proctor-General and since augmented by Lewis the Twelfth with three Councellours to make up the number of twenty and that served by the half year since that the Advocates-General and the Presidents were added thereto and the number of Councellours augmented from time to time by new Creations insomuch that at present this Company is composed of eight Presidents serving by turns four each half year 54 Councellours serving by turns 27 each half year two Advocates-General serving half a year apiece and one Proctor-General who only is perperpetual The half-yearly waiting times of the Councellours begin in October and April Besides these there are fourteen Councellours of Honour or Titular Councellours in the Grand Council who are Candidates as it were of it and succeed in the Vacancies There are likewise twelve Substitutes or Deputies one Registrer or Recorder in Chief five Secretaries one Chief or first Usher twenty other Ushers and 23 Proctors The Jurisdiction of the Grand Council extends throughout all the whole Monarchy and Dominions of the King At its first beginning it had power to judge of Appeals from and of the Regulations of Judges and of the nullities and contrarieties of Sentences of which Regulations of Judges and contrarieties of Sentences it still takes Cognisance as also of the Jurisdiction of Presidials and of the Provosts of the Merchants and of whatsoever depends thereon concerning the Honour Function and Regulation of their Offices It also takes Cognisance of all matters concerning Consistorial Benefices Archbishopricks Bishopricks Abbies and Conventual Priories and in general of all other Benefices that are at the Kings Nomination Presentation Collation or other Disposal whatsoever as well in respect of the Title to them as of the Pensions charged on their
the Kings Order and a fourth holds up the other end of the Coat of Arms And the chief Querry or in his absence the eldest Querry carries the Helmet or Head-piece adorned with a Crest-Royal The five Querries in Waiting that Quarter march a breast all in Mourning next after the Herse or Waggon of Arms which is drawn with Horses covered with Black-Velvet set with Crosses of White-Satin having about them several Pages in Mourning There are in the little Stable almost the same kind and the same number of Officers as in the great one viz. Three Querries in Ordinary where the Court is and a fourth at Paris The Pages there at present are twenty five besides two Hunting Pages All the Pages the King has in his Chamber Stables or elsewhere serve in the Armies as Aides de Camp under His Majesties own Aides de Camp The Pages of the little Stable when it is dark always carry before the King a white Wax-Flambo and when he goes a Hunting they help the Arquebuse or Arms-Carrier to carry his Majesties Fowling-pieces or Fusils One Governour of the Pages One Tutor of the Pages who has a Salary of 225 l. and an annual gratuity of 200 l. and his Lodging and Diet at the little Stable a Horse at command and a Servant in a Livery to wait on him One Almoner or Chaplain of the little Stable who has a Salary of 400 l. and his Lodging and Diet with a Horse and a Servant at the little Stable Four chief Valets or Waiting-men of the Pages waiting Quarterly who have every one 75 l. Wages and 50 l. gratuity One Cash-Keeper or Pay-Master who has a Salary of 300 l. and an annual gratuity of 1200 l. besides his Diet Lodging and Horse in the said little Stable One Physician four Chyrurgions one Apothecary one Vaulting-Master two Dancing-Masters two Fencing-Masters One Ambling-Master one Porte-Gaban or Felt-Cloke Carrier They have also other Masters to teach them all other necessary Exercises as for the Mathematicks Designing Blazoning and Writing and handling the Pike and Musket c. Four Harbingers Quarterly Waiters who have every one of them a Salary of 165 l. and a gratuity of 100 l. with their Diet Lodging and each of them a Horse One Usher in Ordinary of the Kitchin Two Servants or Grooms of the Pages in Ordinary Seventeen Footmen in Ordinary of the little Stable which are only so by Commission and not as standing Officers Four working Farriers quarterly Waiters twelve Masters or Head-Grooms Quarterly Waiters by six every other Quarter and 50 Aids or Helpers Several Chair-men or Sedan-men The King has at present twenty five gallant Sets of Horses consisting of ten Horses apiece and as many Master-Coachmen or Drivers of Coaches and Calcehes with their Postillions and Servants To know what Livery Officers belong to the Great and what to the little Stable as well Pages as Foot-men and others you must take notice which way their Coat-Pockets are made for the Officers of the Great-Stables Pockets are slit Cross-ways their Liveries and the others long-ways downward CHAP. XVIII Of the Chief-Surveyor or Super-Intendant of the Royal Buildings and of the Architects and other Officers under him and of the Keepers of the Kings Houses Parks and Forests THE Super-Intendant is stiled Super-Intendent and General Orderer of the Buildings of the Royal Houses and of his Majesties Gardens and Tapstries and of the Arts and Manufactures of France of which last he is the Great Monopolizer under the King and is at present Monsieur Louvois Secretary of State He is sworn at the Chamber of Accounts in which he has both Voice and Place Monsieur Louvois when he was sworn took his place there above the Dean of the Masters of the Accounts There are three other Intendents or Surveyors of the Building that serve yearly every one his year at 6000 l. Salary Three Comptrollers of the Buildings who have each of them a Salary of 5500 l. One Chief Architect who has a Salary of 6000 l. and a gratuity of 4000 l. Two Treasurers Of the Royal Houses and first of the Louvre This Palace was called the Louvre that is to say as some will have it L'oeeuvre that is The Work by way of Excellence as if it were a Master-piece of Architecture and from that the French call all their Kings Palaces and those of other Kings in other Countries Louvres in ordinary Speech The old Palace of the Louvre at Paris was begun by the Predecessors of Philip Augustus and was finished in his Reign in the year 1214. of which Building there still remained in the time of Francis the First a Tower called the Iron Tower which was in the middle of the Court which the said King caused to be demolished because it darkened the Palace In the year 1364. Charles the Fifth rebuilt and enlarged that Palace of which the Porches are still remaining About the year 1545 Francis the First begun to build the Great Hall of the Louvre which was finished by Henry the Second in 1548 Charles the Ninth and Henry the Third continued this Building but Henry the Great built those Magnificent and long Galleries that go from the Louvre to the Tuilleries by the Water-side and the Gallery of the Painters which was burnt down by a Fire that hapned on the 6th of February 1661. which likewise did some dammage to the other Galleries but all has been since repaired Queen Catharine of Medicis built the Apartment that Fronts the Tuilleries in 1564. Lewis the Thirteenth built the other side of the old Court of the Louvre and the Continuation of it from the Great Dome in the middle under which the Councel of Finances and of the Farms is held Lewis the Great at present happily reigning has built on both sides of the old Louvre what remained unfinished He likewise has built a Dome at the Corner of his Chamber and of the Gallery of the Painters which is as we have said at present rebuilt and larger than it was before Besides he has rebuilt the whole Palace of the Tuilleries and the Hall of the Machines or Engines And he has likewise caused much to be done in the inclosure of the first Court of the Louvre at the Portal and in several other places There are at the Palace of the Louvre as at all other Royal Houses A Captain of the Palace who has a Salary of 1200 l. upon the Revenues of Paris A Lieutenant at 400 l. Salary out of the same Revenues A Keeper of the Palace of the Louvre who is Porter of the first and second Gates who has a Salary of 120 l. paid out of the Crown-Revenues of Paris A Keeper of the Tennis-Court One Gardiner Four Morte-Paies or Standing Guards that wear the Kings Livery who have every one a Salary of 90 l. upon the general Revenue of Paris several Porters and a Clock-Keeper that have Wages and Diet and enjoy the usual Priviledges of the Kings menial Servants A
Captain of the Tuilleries and two Keepers A Gardiner and Designer in Ordinary of the Tuillery-Garden a Keeper of the Orange-Garden of the Tuilleries a Porter of the Gate of the Queens Walk towards Chaillot A Gardiner of the Nursery of Trees at Roüle established there in 1670 who is Director of all the Designs or Plots of Trees in the Royal Houses In the Warren of the Louvre are these following Officers A Bailiff and Captain of the Game of the Warren of the Louvre a Lieutenant General and one other Lieutenant of the Game of the said Warren The Kings Proctor or Attorney for the Game of the said Warren One Deputy Lieutenant-General and one Exempt and one Keeper of the Palace Royal built by Cardinal Richelieu The Captains and other Officers belonging to the other Royal Houses are as follows 1. The Palace or Castle of Madrid which was built by Francis the First in 1530. at his return from his Imprisonment in Spain after the Pattern of the Palace at Madrid that had been his Prison has these Officers A Captain who is stiled Captain of the Game and Castle of Madrid of the Wood of Boulogne the Bridge of St. Cloud the Plain of St. Denis and its Appurtenances and Forrestes of the said places A Lieutenant-General of the said Game with a Deputy-Lieutenant The Kings Proctor and his Substitute An Exemt thirty Guards of the Game Horse and Foot for the Wood of Boulogne and three Leagues round about it Four Porters of the Park or Wood of Boulogne Of St. Germains en Laye 2. The old Castle of St. Germains en Laye was founded by Charles the Fifth but the Church and the Priory were built before by King Robert who died in 1080. In it are these Officers A Captain and Governour of the Castles Parks Forests Woods and Thickets of St. Germain en Laye of the Plains and places depending thereon of the Pack of Hounds of St. Jamme of the Town and Bridge of Poissy who is also Captain and Judge of the Game within the extent of the said Captainship who has a Salary of 1200 l. paid by the Treasurers of the Game There is likewise under the Super-intendant a Comptroller of the Building of St. Germain en Laye The Castle of St. Germains en Laye consists of two Castles so called the old and the new To the old one which was lately very splendidly rebuilt and enlarged belong these Officers A Keeper of the said Castle and of the Clock and other moveables of the same who has a Salary of 400 l. paid by the Treasurers of the Buildings One Chaplain who has a standing Salary of 2000 l. yearly 900 l. for Tabling two Priests under him instead of two Clerks allowed formerly and 400 l. for a Servant in the Vestry Which two Priests besides their Diet have a yearly allowance each of 400 l. The said two Priests by turns say Mass for the King after the Chaplain has said his on his day and have their Lodging in the said Castle or Palace One Porter at 100 l. Salary paid by the Treasurers of the Buildings Twelve Morte-Paies or standing Guards at 60 l. a piece yearly Salary paid by the Treasurers of the Game and two Gardiners In the New Castle of St. Germain en Laye are A Keeper of the said Castle and Moveables of the same A Governour and Keeper of the old Great Cage who has a Salary of 1455 l. paid at the Treasure Royal. Another Keeper of the new Cage with the same Salary Two Porters at 100 l. Salary paid by the Treasurers of the Buildings An Intendant or Surveyor of the Grottoes who has a Salary of 3600 l. A Gardiner of the Garden-Plots and Hillocks or Mounts at 700 l. Salary paid by the Treasurers of the Buildings another Gardner of the Garden next the Park at 400 l. Salary paid by the same Treasurers and a Gardner of the Bowling-Green at 900 l. Salary paid by the same Treasurers A Keeper of the Park and of the Pleasure-House called le Val or the Vale who has a Salary of 300 l. paid likewise by the same A Painter at 200 l. a Carpenter a Joyner a Lock-smith and a Mason at 30 l. Salary each A Keeper of the Dog-Kennel who has 240 l. Salary A Keeper of the Tennis-Court who has no Salary but only his Lodging and the profits of the said Tennis-Court A Keeper of the Hall and moveables of the Chancery there who has a Salary of 1000 l. paid him by the Treasurers of the Seal out of the profits of the said Seal this Office was established in 1631. and is in the Kings Gift This Keeper has both his Lodging and Diet there A Keeper of the little Stable at 400 l. Salary A Lieutenant and two Deputy-Lieutenants of the same whereof the first has a Salary of 600 l. and the two others of 300 l. a-piece paid by the reâ—s of the Game A Proctor for the King Four Exempts a Recorder an Inspector or Overseer by Commission several Huntsmen and twenty eight Guards of the Game on Foot and twelve on Horse-back A Master of the Waters and Forests a Lieutenant a Proctor for the King for the said Waters and Forests a Hammer-Keeper a Recorder and about sixteen Guards of the Forest Of Fountain-Bleau We find in History that Lewis the Seventh called the Young built the Chappel of St. Saturnine in the Oval-Court of the Palace of Fountain-bleau in the year 1160. In it there is one Captain or Governour who is stiled Captain Keeper and Governour of the Forest of Biévre and of the Burrough and Castle-Royal of Fountain-bleau particular Master of the Waters and Forests of the Bailywick of Melun and Provostship of Moret and Captain of the Game of the said places and of the Woods and Thickets of Brie and Captain Master and Keeper of the Keys of the House Castle Gardens Parks Fountains and Channels or Canals of Fountain-bleau Next are First Several Officers of the Buildings and Keepers of the Apartments and Pavillons or distinct Bodies of Buildings thereunto belonging Secondly For the Game and Thirdly For the Waters and Forests of the same The Officers of the Buildings and Keepers of the Apartments and Houses Next under the General Super-intendant of the Buildings of the Royal Houses of France are the three Comptrollers-General of the said Buildings and under them one particular Comptroller of the Buildings established at Fountain-bleau One Keeper of the Apartments of his Majesty and of the Dauphin for the Oval-Court for the Court of the Fountain of Perseus and for the new Apartment of the Queens towards the Court of the White Horse One Scavenger or Sweeper of the Courts at 400 l. Salary Two Keepers of the Garden-Plot of Orange-Trees One Keeper of the White-Horse-Court One Clock-Keeper and one Keeper of the Tennis-Court next the said White-Horse-Court and one Porter of the said Court In the House of the Reverend Fathers Maturins there are One Minister or Superiour and seven