boars, and other animals caught in the forests of France. Some idea of
the pomp and ceremony of the hunt may be obtained from the following
account which was printed in the _Mercure Galant_ in 1707:

"The toils were placed in the glades of Bombon. In the inclosure there
were a large number of stags, wild boars, roebucks, and foxes. The court
arrived there. The King, the Queen of England (the wife of James II,
then in exile), her son, Madame la Duchesse de Bourgogne, and Madame (the
Duchesse d'Orleans, wife of Monsieur) were in the same carriage, and all
the princesses and the ladies followed in the carriages and _calèches_ of
the king. A very large number of noblemen on horseback accompanied the
carriages. Within the inclosure there were platforms, arranged with
seats covered with tapestry for the ladies, and many riding-horses for
the nobles who wished to attack the game with swords or darts. They
killed sixteen of the largest beasts, and some foxes. Mgr. le Duc de
Berry slew several. This chase gave much pleasure on account of the
brilliancy of the spectacle, and the large number of nobles who
surrounded the toils. A multitude of people had climbed into the trees,
and by their diversity they formed an admirable background."

Stag hunting was even more impressive in ceremonial details. After the
chase the "quarry" was usually held by torchlight at Versailles, in one
of the inner courts, and the ceremony of the quarry was as follows: "When
His Majesty had made known his intentions on the subject, all the
huntsmen with their horns and in hunting-dress came to the place where
the quarry was to be made. On the arrival of the King, who was also in
hunting-dress, the grand huntsman, who had received two wands of office,
gave one to the King, and retained the other. The dogs were held under
the whip about the carcass of the stag until the grand huntsman, having
received the order from the King, gave the sign with his wand that they