The Sun King is currently freezing his royal postrieur off. The terrible winter of 1709 doesn't stop at the door of the royal chamber, and even less at the terribly non-insulated windows. I'm wrapped into several coats and woolen blankets. Some weeks ago it was even worse. Sometimes, when I had sent a servant to the fireplace to unfreeze my wine, a new ice layer was already forming on the liquid when he brought it back. I'm staying in the poorly heated palace all day long. My grandson, the Duke of Berry, was less cautious: One day he went on a hunt despite the cold. When he came back, one of his rifle-bearers had his fingertips frozen. The fingers had to be amputated. I'm what you would call claustrophobic, rooms with closed windows horrify me - but I will rather syat in a closed room than having my fingers cut off.
Not that I'm complaining. The only reason why I'm telling this is that if you hear how the Sun King is freezing, you can imagine how France is suffering. Every day since three months, frozen bodies are found in Paris. The frozen rivers made it impossible to transport wood. And although the winter starts leaving now, the worst is still to come: The famine. The seeds are lost, the fruit trees and grapevines are dead. Last summer's harvest was already bad. If it wasn't for spring barley, France would have nothing to eat this year. I will do what I can, distribute free viands at Paris, block the bread price, maybe even sell my golden tableware to help the poorest - but it won't be enough. France will suffer. With the famine will come plagues, riots, death. The Four Riders of the Apocalypse will spend this year in France.
Dear reader, I don't know whether you consider yourself poor or rich - but you live in 2009 and you have access to luxury goods like computers, so you are probably neither starving nor freezing to death. So, if you believe in any god or deity, you might want to thank him or her. And if you believe this deity is not bound by the ties of chronology, pray for us. Not for me, not for the noblemen at Versailles. But for the poorest of my subjects.
P.S.: Where do the Four Apocalyptic Riders spend the year 2009 ? I'm pretty much sure they have not retreated...
Not that I'm complaining. The only reason why I'm telling this is that if you hear how the Sun King is freezing, you can imagine how France is suffering. Every day since three months, frozen bodies are found in Paris. The frozen rivers made it impossible to transport wood. And although the winter starts leaving now, the worst is still to come: The famine. The seeds are lost, the fruit trees and grapevines are dead. Last summer's harvest was already bad. If it wasn't for spring barley, France would have nothing to eat this year. I will do what I can, distribute free viands at Paris, block the bread price, maybe even sell my golden tableware to help the poorest - but it won't be enough. France will suffer. With the famine will come plagues, riots, death. The Four Riders of the Apocalypse will spend this year in France.
Dear reader, I don't know whether you consider yourself poor or rich - but you live in 2009 and you have access to luxury goods like computers, so you are probably neither starving nor freezing to death. So, if you believe in any god or deity, you might want to thank him or her. And if you believe this deity is not bound by the ties of chronology, pray for us. Not for me, not for the noblemen at Versailles. But for the poorest of my subjects.
P.S.: Where do the Four Apocalyptic Riders spend the year 2009 ? I'm pretty much sure they have not retreated...
VIEW 5 of 5 COMMENTS
Welcome back ♥