The Marquise, who still held her enormous basket, was perfectly sensible of something offensive in this request, and tried to excuse herself from singing.

The Queen at last commanded her; she then exerted her fine voice in the solo of Armida--'At length he is in my power.' The change in her Majesty's countenance was so obvious that the ladies present at this scene had the greatest difficulty to keep theirs.
"The Queen was affable and modest; but the more she was thankful in her heart to Heaven for having placed her on the first throne in Europe, the more unwilling she was to be reminded of her elevation.

This sentiment induced her to insist on the observation of all the forms of respect due to royal birth; whereas in other princes the consciousness of that birth often induces them to disdain the ceremonies of etiquette, and to prefer habits of ease and simplicity.

There was a striking contrast in this respect between Maria Leczinska and Marie Antoinette, as has been justly and generally observed.

The latter unfortunate Queen, perhaps, carried her disregard of everything belonging to the strict forms of etiquette too far.