No brilliant company, however, could give any idea of this spectacle. The rich and elegant silk dresses, bequeathed as a magnificent fashion by Francois I. to his successors, had not yet been changed into those formal and sombre vestments which came into fashion under Henry III.; so that the costume of Charles IX., less rich, but perhaps more elegant than those of preceding reigns, displayed its perfect harmony. In our day no similar cortege could have any standard of comparison, for when we wish magnificence of display we are reduced to mere symmetry and uniform.
Pages, esquires, gentlemen of low degree, dogs and horses, following on the flanks and in the rear, formed of the royal cortege an absolute army. Behind this army came the populace, or rather the populace was everywhere.
Sign in to unlock this title
Sign in to continue reading, it's free! As an unregistered user you can only read a little bit.
