| Citation |
BEP(F.739.024
3 Sep 1739:12,21 (212)
June 9. . . Extract of a private letter from an English
gentleman at Paris.
[A] deputation of fish women attended the King yesterday,
with their congratulations upon peace being proclaim;d be-[
] n this court and the courts of Spain and Vienna; and
whatever notions you may have on your side of the water of
th[at] matter, I assure you they made a very elegant
appearance and the whole affair was conducted with great
ceremony and magnificence on the behalf of the court and the
courtezans; many of whom, as with you, are here look'd upon
to be no better.
I [w]ould tell you, that for time immemorial, the fish
women of Paris have claim'd it as their privileges, or
perquisite I [s]hould rather call it, thus to address his
Majesty upon all occasions [of] publick joy; and finding the
sweets of doing so, there is very little reason to expect
they will readily quite their claim to a custom, render'd
agreeable to them by the reception and entertainment they
are sure to meet with; and otherwise pro[]table at the same
time:
The affair is t[ ]s: Twelve, in the name of the whole
body, came up with the address, one of which always read it;
the hour being appointed to receive them, the King and the
whole court app[eared] very splendidly dressed; (and the
good wives I assure you were gayly bedeck'd) they are
introduc'd in form, and, I think, with very little less
ceremony than an ambassador from any crown'd head in Europe:
their congratulations over, his Majesty comes forward and
kisses them all; two or three of which, this time, they say,
in their surprize or over-joy kissed the King again: His
Majesty is a handsome man, you know, and they are used to
kissing, that 'tis not much to be wonder'd at if they did;
but this by the bye: They are next introduced to the Queen,
and then to the rest of the Royal Family, to whom they pay
their compliments; after which joy takes place, not thro'
the court only, but seemingly thro' the whole city: The
King presents them with a purse of Louis d'ores; and they
and their friends are for three days together entertained at
the King's expence; where they live merrily enough you need
not doubt; upon the third day they go in the same form as
they came to court, which, I should have told you was always
in coaches, to our metropolitan church, where the King's own
band of musick attends them by order, where they sing Te
Deum and close the scene.
Their speech to the King being already in print, it
follows in the words of the translator; and is, of its kind,
an admirable one. . .
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