[*]
After the departure of the Prussians from Versailles (March 12, 1871),
the Deputies of France arrived from Bordeaux, the temporary capital,
and lodged in the Hall of Mirrors, which then became a dormitory, as it
had on occasion been a hospital ward, a ball-room and the banqueting
hall of royalty.
The insurrection of the Commune of Paris compelled the ministers to
seek a place of security at Versailles. Once more the palace was
chosen as the seat of Government. The ground floor, the upper floor
and the attic, the picture galleries, even the vestibule of the Queen's
Stairway and the servants' quarters served as offices for ministers and
secretaries. The Department of Justice was installed in the Guards'
Hall, the _Oeil-de-Boeuf_ and the rooms of Marie Antoinette. The
Secretary of Public Works directed his affairs within walls that had
sheltered the nefarious Dubarry. The official _Journal_ was printed in
the palace kitchens. For several years the Opera House, the north
wing, and the intimate apartments of Louis XV were given over to the
National Assembly.
A Republican fete offered in 1878 by the president, Marshal MacMahon,
was attended by twelve thousand guests. Once more the fountains of the
north parterre were illuminated, but this time with electric bulbs
instead of oil lanterns. There were ingenious fireworks on the
_Tapis-Vert_ that would have astounded even the courtiers of the Grand
Monarch.
Pages:
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148