But I cannot think about that too much. It shall drive me mad.
November 13, 1769
Almost immediately after I rose yesterday, a message from Mama came. I was to go to her apartments and have my mouth examined by the Royal Dentist. This perplexed me for there is absolutely nothing wrong with my teeth, as far as I can tell. No toothaches, no cracked teeth. But Mama says it will not do to send a bride off with dental problems that might appear later. The dentist examined me and said my teeth were nearly perfect. They spoke briefly of filing one down but thankfully decided against it. He told the apothecary a recipe for tooth polish that will take the stain from one of my lower teeth. Mama nodded approvingly and asked if we will be rid of the stain by May 17. So I asked Mama if that is the official day that I would be married, and Mama told me that I actually would be married in April by what she calls proxy . This was a term I had never heard before. It means a substitute. In other words, someone will stand in for Louis Auguste and on his behalf repeat the marriage vows. It will be Ferdinand who does this. So I guess it doesn’t matter if this stupid tiny little yellow stain on a tooth that is hardly visible does not fade by April, because Ferdinand is not Louis and Ferdinand is used to my teeth and wouldn’t ever care anyway. Cleanliness is not one of Ferdinand’s strong points.
Oh, for heaven’s sake, a messenger has just arrived from Mama’s apartments and my presence is again required!
November 17, 1769
Elizabeth invited me down to her apartments for hot chocolate this evening after supper. We had such a cozy time. She encouraged me to talk about my riding. So I told her all my feelings and what a wonderful teacher Herr Francke is. And how I wish I could take more riding lessons than the three times a week I do now. Suddenly behind the veil I detected a sparkle in Elizabeth’s eyes. “I have an idea, Antonia. Here is what you must do, and I promise you Mama will let you have more riding lessons.” She said that I must go to Mama and tell her how much I am learning from riding. “You must tell her, Antonia, that you do not learn just about horses and riding in these lessons but indeed about statecraft and power and how to control yourself and other things that are stronger than you. You must say that horsemanship is the perfect metaphor for ruling and governing.”
And I said, “What’s a metaphor, Elizabeth?” She seemed surprised that I did not know this. She said it is a “figure of speech” in which one kind of thing, one idea, is used to explain another; thus statecraft is explained through horsemanship and controlling horses and riding them. I asked her if it was a kind of substitution. She said similar, but not exactly the same. Then I asked if it is like a proxy marriage. And she frowned and said “No” very sharply. I think I am beginning to understand.
November 20, 1769
It worked! I told Mama about my lessons with Herr Francke. I told her about reining in and how one must do it gently but firmly and know just when to give the horse its head and on and on. And she said at the end of my talk, “Well, Marie Antoinette, I see you learn more in the riding ring than in the schoolroom. I think we must increase these lessons. I shall talk to Herr Francke immediately.”
November 25, 1769
Thank heavens I have my riding lessons five days a week now. If not for that, I would be driven crazy. Every day new couriers and new diplomats arrive from Versailles. I would think that by this time my letter has reached Louis Auguste. Now I must wait. I wonder how long. The Christmas holidays are coming. So this might delay a reply. I shall ask Lulu.
November 27, 1769
I asked Lulu when she thought I might hope for a reply from Louis Auguste. Lulu sighed. She seemed distracted and said she didn’t know. Well, when is the earliest? I asked. “Oh, I don’t know!” She seemed quite impatient with me. Lulu, who is always so
November 13, 1769
Almost immediately after I rose yesterday, a message from Mama came. I was to go to her apartments and have my mouth examined by the Royal Dentist. This perplexed me for there is absolutely nothing wrong with my teeth, as far as I can tell. No toothaches, no cracked teeth. But Mama says it will not do to send a bride off with dental problems that might appear later. The dentist examined me and said my teeth were nearly perfect. They spoke briefly of filing one down but thankfully decided against it. He told the apothecary a recipe for tooth polish that will take the stain from one of my lower teeth. Mama nodded approvingly and asked if we will be rid of the stain by May 17. So I asked Mama if that is the official day that I would be married, and Mama told me that I actually would be married in April by what she calls proxy . This was a term I had never heard before. It means a substitute. In other words, someone will stand in for Louis Auguste and on his behalf repeat the marriage vows. It will be Ferdinand who does this. So I guess it doesn’t matter if this stupid tiny little yellow stain on a tooth that is hardly visible does not fade by April, because Ferdinand is not Louis and Ferdinand is used to my teeth and wouldn’t ever care anyway. Cleanliness is not one of Ferdinand’s strong points.
Oh, for heaven’s sake, a messenger has just arrived from Mama’s apartments and my presence is again required!
November 17, 1769
Elizabeth invited me down to her apartments for hot chocolate this evening after supper. We had such a cozy time. She encouraged me to talk about my riding. So I told her all my feelings and what a wonderful teacher Herr Francke is. And how I wish I could take more riding lessons than the three times a week I do now. Suddenly behind the veil I detected a sparkle in Elizabeth’s eyes. “I have an idea, Antonia. Here is what you must do, and I promise you Mama will let you have more riding lessons.” She said that I must go to Mama and tell her how much I am learning from riding. “You must tell her, Antonia, that you do not learn just about horses and riding in these lessons but indeed about statecraft and power and how to control yourself and other things that are stronger than you. You must say that horsemanship is the perfect metaphor for ruling and governing.”
And I said, “What’s a metaphor, Elizabeth?” She seemed surprised that I did not know this. She said it is a “figure of speech” in which one kind of thing, one idea, is used to explain another; thus statecraft is explained through horsemanship and controlling horses and riding them. I asked her if it was a kind of substitution. She said similar, but not exactly the same. Then I asked if it is like a proxy marriage. And she frowned and said “No” very sharply. I think I am beginning to understand.
November 20, 1769
It worked! I told Mama about my lessons with Herr Francke. I told her about reining in and how one must do it gently but firmly and know just when to give the horse its head and on and on. And she said at the end of my talk, “Well, Marie Antoinette, I see you learn more in the riding ring than in the schoolroom. I think we must increase these lessons. I shall talk to Herr Francke immediately.”
November 25, 1769
Thank heavens I have my riding lessons five days a week now. If not for that, I would be driven crazy. Every day new couriers and new diplomats arrive from Versailles. I would think that by this time my letter has reached Louis Auguste. Now I must wait. I wonder how long. The Christmas holidays are coming. So this might delay a reply. I shall ask Lulu.
November 27, 1769
I asked Lulu when she thought I might hope for a reply from Louis Auguste. Lulu sighed. She seemed distracted and said she didn’t know. Well, when is the earliest? I asked. “Oh, I don’t know!” She seemed quite impatient with me. Lulu, who is always so
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