Hall of Mirrors, Palace of Versailles Photo by Arnaud 25
Although he was not dressed properly, an English clergyman wandered freely through the halls and salons of Versailles and attended the ceremonies that were open to the general public. He then made up his mind to watch the king’s supper. However, a master of ceremonies stopped him: “You cannot enter like this, wearing your vest inside out.”
The clergyman fixed the problem with his vest.
—“But your coat is unbuttoned.”
The Englishman corrected this fault too.
—“That is still insufficient; the hat you are wearing is round.”
The visitor flattened his hat and tucked it under his arm.
—“Sir, you are so artful in morphing your dress that I will make no further objections.”
And the clergyman looked on tranquilly while the king had his supper.
G. Lenotre, Gens de la vieille France (Paris: Pérrin, 1919), p. 49. (Nobility.org translation.)
Short Stories on Honor, Chivalry, and the World of Nobility—no. 84
