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AP LOOKING AGAIN

Louis XIV on “Spectacle” as
an Aid to Royal Rule

uring the early modern era, Europe was divided into many competitive states that
Dfocused their resources on the twin projects of imperial expansion abroad and
political integration at home. Perhaps the most well-known example of these European
state-building efforts is that of France under the rule of Louis XIV (r. 1643–1715), who
governed from the spectacular Palace of Versailles just outside of Paris. Louis, like many
other European monarchs, claimed to rule through “divine right” granted by God and
thus claimed sole and uncontested authority in his realm.
Around 1670, Louis composed a memoir for his son offering practical advice about
how to rule France. Wide-ranging and full of examples from Louis’s own experiences, his
memoir offers insight into how an early modern European ruler understood the powers
of a king and how he sought to bolster his authority and secure the support of his sub-
jects. The passage that follows focuses on the importance of spectacle and public display
in solidifying the exalted role of the monarch.

1 A FIRST LOOK
Because Louis composed his memoir as an instruction book or guide for his son, let’s start
by reading this passage to discover what Louis wanted his son to know about the role of
spectacle in solidifying or strengthening royal rule. While reading, answer the following:

1. Which specific audiences for royal spectacle does Louis XIV identify?
2. According to Louis XIV, what is the purpose of spectacle in the functioning of the
French state? Does its purpose vary by audience?
3. What is Louis XIV’s point of view? How does he assume that his subjects and
foreign observers think about him?

LOUIS XIV | Memoirs | 1670

The society of pleasures [shared public activities], which gives to people of the Court [pow-
erful aristocrats who interacted with Louis] a moral closeness with us, touches and charms
them more than one can express. The common people, on the other hand, delight in the
spectacle, by which in the end we always seek to please them. . . . By this, we hold their
minds and their hearts, sometimes more tightly maybe than through rewards and charita-
ble gestures. With regards to foreigners, in a state seen as otherwise flourishing and well-
ordered, whatever is consumed in these expenses potentially viewed as superfluous, makes
on them a very favorable impression of magnificence, power, riches, and greatness. . . .

244 Uncorrected proofs have been used in this sample.
Copyright © Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers.
Distributed by Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. For review purposes only. Not for redistribution.

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