The Life of Marie de Medicis, Queen of France, Consort of Henri IV, and Regent of the Kingdom under Louis XIII — Volume 1Pardoe, Miss (Julia)
History
The Life of Marie de Medicis, Queen of France, Consort of Henri IV, and Regent of the Kingdom under Louis XIII — Volume 1
Pardoe, Miss (Julia)
Marie de Médicis, Queen, consort of Henry IV, King of France, 1573-1642
This party had no sooner taken possession of the place assigned to them
than the second group began to enter the enclosure. First came the
Maréchal de Lavardin[347] with the ewer, then the Duc de Sully with the
cushion, next the Duc de Montbazon[348] with the taper, then the Duc
d'Epernon with the christening-cap, and finally, the Duc d'Aiguillon
with the salt-cellar. The Prince de Joinville carried the Princess,
whose ermine train was borne by Mademoiselle de Rohan. There was no
godfather, and the Duchesse d'Angoulême[349] walked alone as the proxy
of the Archduchess Elisabeth of Flanders, immediately behind _Madame_,
followed by Mademoiselle de Montmorency as her train-bearer, and the
ladies who had assisted at the levée.
Finally appeared the third and last division of the procession, headed
by the Prince de Vaudemont,[350] carrying the taper; and then followed
in succession the Chevalier de Vendôme with the christening-cap, the Duc
de Vendôme with the salt-cellar, the Duc de Montpensier with the ewer,
the Comte de Soissons with the basin, and the Prince de Conti with the
cushion; the Sieur Gilles de Souvry carried the Dauphin, whose right
hand was held by the Prince de Conti, while the train of his velvet
mantle, edged with ermine, was borne by the Duc de Guise, behind whom
followed twenty great nobles holding lighted flambeaux. These were
succeeded by the Cardinal-Legate de Joyeuse, who represented Paul V as
sponsor, and the Duchess of Mantua, the godmother, the Princesses of the
Blood who had assisted at the levée closing the procession.
The Dauphin having been placed upon the table, the Cardinal approached
him and demanded: "Sir, what do you ask?"
"The sacramental ceremonies of baptism," replied the little Prince,
according to the instructions which he had received from the Almoner
of Boulogne.
"Have you already been baptized?" again inquired the prelate.
"Yes, thank God," said the Dauphin firmly. To all the other
interrogations of the Cardinal he simply answered, "_Ab renuncio_"
After the unction, when questioned on his belief according to the
ordinary form, the little Prince responded audibly, "_Credo_"; and
finally, he recited without error or hesitation the Lord's Prayer, the
Hail Mary, and the Creed.
The Princesses were then successively placed upon the table, when the
elder was named Elisabeth, after her illustrious godmother the
Archduchess of Flanders, and the younger Christine.
The baptismal ceremonies were followed by a grand banquet served upon
four different tables. The attendants at that of the King were the
Princes de Condé, de Conti, and de Montpensier; while the Queen was
waited on by the Dues de Vendôme, de Guise, and de Vaudemont; the Legate
by the Comte de Candale and the Marquis de Rosny;[351] and the Duchess
of Mantua by the Baron de Bassompierre and the Comte de Sault.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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