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| An equestrian statue of Louis XIV outside Versailles |
Clouds hung in tufts across the sky, perfect cotton shapes in a sea of blue. We set off this morning on an early train to meet our group destined for the grandest of all French palaces, Versailles. While here, we learn more deeply about the motivations for its construction and begin to view the French aristocracy through the eyes of a 1700s commoner. Contrasting the vast horse stables with the far vaster palace and gardens, we witness mammoth immensity spelled in perfect grandeur. Majesty welcomes us from every angle.
Equestrian statues of Louis XIV graced several spaces in Paris. Here at Versailles, the king has emphasized his power in unparalleled fashion.
But why should he choose this site, which had been only an abandoned marshland in the early 1700s?
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| Posing in Louis XIV fashion |
It began a generation earlier when Louis's dad, Louis XIII, built a hunting lodge on what was then a wooded area away from Paris. And it was this lodge that Louis XIV set about to transform into the royal palace.
Soggy marshes surrounding the lodge, exceedingly humid temperatures, and the uncomfortably pungent scent that accompanied the 18th century summers—no obstacle proved too great for
Louis to cross in illustrating his magnificent power.
Louis’s dream proved difficult for his architect, Louis Le Vau. But instead of demolishing the previous edifice, Le Vau embraced the king's ideal of preserving and building around the lodge. Within the fabulous design,
the king’s and queen’s rooms would be separate, opening into a terrace in the
middle. However, the original plan proved unsatisfactory to Louis: he envisioned more.
Not merely a royal personal palace but also a state palace was his desire. As
such, he employed even more architects to assist in transforming the exquisite royal palace into a grand mark of the French state.
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| The royal stables |
To illustrate the immensity of this ordeal, consider that
two symmetrical grand stables with sculpted exteriors stand opposite the king's palace. Imagine that
up to 10,000 individuals served their majesty at Versailles; and the lesser nobles roomed in these stables,
the grandest horse accommodations in the world.
Making their abode in tiny quarters, providing services to
the king--such a lifestyle seemed honorable to those in the king's employ. And while their very small rooms contrasted sharply to the glory of the grand
palace, most of them cherished the honor of serving and living near such royalty.
Proverbs 25:27 says,
“It is not good to eat much honey; so for men to search out their own
glory is not glory.” Too much of a good
thing can tarnish its value. Seeking yet another way to enhance his own image
and overwhelm the French masses with his power did not constitute true esteem
for Louis XIV. Sadly, within decades, the monarchy had met with great ruin: Louis’s own grandson, Louis XVI, was beheaded by the monster created to at last level all
of French society, Madame Guillotine.
As Louis XIV’s own quest illustrates, seeking honor for oneself can result in significant negative ramifications for future generations.
True glory results from a far different method than Louis XIV employed. Proverbs 22:24 teaches, "By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life." Arranging ourselves under the mighty hand of God, walking in His fear--these constitute true esteem and lasting riches in the eyes of an eternal God, Who sees beyond outward grandeur into the throne room of the heart.
May we learn from the people of history as we consider the
serious results of following dreams motivated by our own self-image or
honor and let us choose rather to humble ourselves, bowing in humility before the King of Heaven, walking in His fear--with an eye toward eternity.
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| A beautiful day at Versailles |
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