ingenuity “surprised every one”—­even the luxury-surfeited guests of Versailles.  Besides an encircling balustrade six feet in height and ornamented with fleurs de lys and the arms of the King (all of which glowed with a golden light most lovely to look upon), there were high pedestals that appeared to be of transparent marble, with ornaments representing Apollo and the Sun, whose device Louis, instigator of all the splendor of Versailles, had adopted as his own insignia.  These decorations were made after designs by Lebrun.

On the night of the thirty-first of August, the sixth and last day of the fetes, the Court witnessed what seemed to be indeed a magic spectacle.  “His Majesty,” it is recorded, “coming out of the chateau at one o’clock in the morning, beneath a starless sky, suddenly beheld about him a miraculous rain of lights.  Ail the parterres glittered.  The grand terrace in front of the chateau was bordered by a double row of lights.  The steps and railings of the horseshoe, all the walls, all the fountains, all the reservoirs, shone with myriad flames.  The borders of the Grand Canal were adorned with statues and architectural decorations, behind which lights had been placed to make them transparent.  The King, the Queen, and all the Court took their seats in richly ornamented gondolas.  Boats filled with musicians followed them, and Echo repeated the sounds of an enchanted harmony.”

Thus ended the fetes of 1674—­the last of their kind that were given by Louis XIV.

The Versailles calendar of events was divided into three periods:  the season of the winter carnival, the pious observances of Easter, and the summer-time festivities.  Ordinarily, in the winter months, there was a hunt on foot or horseback almost every day.  In the warm season the Court often took part in a promenade by boat on the Grand Canal, followed by a concert and a feast for the ladies at Trianon or at the Menagerie.  Ladies were always invited in great numbers to such parties.  Sometimes they walked among the orange trees or made a tour of the gardens in light carriages, or repaired to the stables to watch the trainers putting the royal mounts through their paces.  And always there were games of chance, for gambling was the ruling passion of the Court.

From the record of Dangeau we read a description of a gay tournament that took place in the riding-school of the Great Stables of Versailles on two successive June days: 

“The King and Mme. la Dauphine (wife of the heir to the throne) dined at an early hour, and on leaving table, the King and Monseigneur entered a carriage.  Mme. la Dauphine and many ladies followed in other carriages.  In the court of the ministers, they found all the cavaliers of the tournament drawn up in two lines; the pages and lackeys were there also.  Monseigneur mounted a horse at the head of one company; M. le Duc de Bourbon was at the head of the other.  The King took his seat in the place prepared for him.