Le Journal de Paris de septembre 1624

Les Boutons Manquant a great success!

Backstage at Les Boutons Manquant

Most of Paris was captivated by Guillame De Batz's production of Les Boutons Manquant, a farce set in London and whose plot includes King John, Queen Mathilda, and three courtiers Edmund, Percival and Thomas (together with their long-suffering boy (called Boy to avoid confusion, although the character's ambition is to One day have a name)).

The plot revolves around a bejewelled stud belonging to the Queen but gifted to a young man, Wilhelm, for undisclosed services. However the King is expecting to see the studs at the following night's Grand Ball, so Queen Mathilda tasks the courtiers to retrieve the stud. The courtiers accidentally get Wilhelm arrested as an Austrian spy. It turns out he actually is an Austrian spy, and they manage to retrieve the stud. Boy gets the stud to Queen Mathilda in the ballroom (Your Majesty, you dropped this.) when it turns out that the three don't have invitations. King John is awfully pleased (awfully pleased), and rewards Boy for his... services.

PERCIVAL: Well, it could be worse?

EDMUND: We have an hour to find where the Queen's stud has been hidden by someone who has been mistaken for an Austrian spy. Things could in no way be worse.

BOY [rushing on-stage]: Milord, there's a problem.

EDMUND: I stand corrected.

Attendees at the opening gala included Guillame de Batz (of course), Phillipe Lemoine, a (yet again) bemused descartes, Lieutenant Colonel Isaac Iverson, Sir Henri Boyson (the Commissioner for Public Safety), Marius Thibodeux, Cochon de Lait, Jean Huile and Aline Yar. The appearance of the Commissioner for Public Safety (whose job includes the seeking out of traitors) was a cause for concern for all the other attendees. Rumours suggest he was hunting for information on the whereabouts of the Transformée family.

Promotion for Omer Delors

As a part of the successful Siege at Château de Montaigle, Omer Delors was forced to step into command of his battalion when the major in charge of his battalion was felled by shrapnel from a cannon shot from the Château's defences. Quickly realising the danger posed by simple confusion Captain Delors quickly ordered both his own A company and that of B company to get under the ramparts of the wall to avoid the fire of the cannon. A second quick dash to the already breached main gate of the castle brought the battalion to inside of the gates and acted as a relief to the 2^nd battalion allowing it to head further inside the buildings of the Château. As a part of the gate garrison, Major Delors' stable mysteriously expanded in number to include a total of 3 horses and a large amount of supplies...

Bemused Jean Huile

Jean Huile's duel with Fourier Transformée was a somewhat confused affair after only Jean Huile and the local surgeon for gardens of the Palais Royale turned up at the appointed location and time. The absence of both M. Transformée and the putative second, Roget Thésaurus was a surprise but leads to a victory for Jean Huile¹.

Silk prices soar

A busy milliner

The cost of keeping up with fashion could be about to significantly increase causing consternation amongst the ladies and gentlefolk of Paris. The problem is being put down to a dramatic increase in demand for silk across the whole of Paris causing the price of all clothing and, in particular, dresses. The tailor's guild denies that it has been responsible for the hoarding of the fabric, saying only that several recent commissions have used up almost all of the available fabric. An anonymous gentleman has already been overheard complaining about the demands for new dresses from his erstwhile companions, apparently saying These women are very expensive.....

New Table Billiards proving to be a success

Despite the criticisms of old fogeys at Hunter's, Phillipe Lemoine new sport of table billiards is proving to quite popular. An initial championship contest organised by M. Lemoine covered its costs with Guillame De Batz being the surprised winner after his triple carom after two balls bounced off of the edging used to prevent the balls rolling off of the table was ruled as a valid score by the watching Sir Alex Kuzbidon, who is yet to pass his opinion on the game²

Lucky in love

Gladioli presented by Cochon de Lait

Despite the difficulty of locating new fashionable clothing, Aline Yar appears to have successfully wooed Mlle. Delaunay to his side. The pair were seen at the end of septembre having a convivial tête-à-tête.

Suggestions that some of the other ladies of Paris may have playing the field have been firmly quashed by all concerned, with no untoward activities being noticed. Of course this could just mean that any putative lovers have been suitably discreet about their activities. M. Lightfoot has yet to successfully find a lady of substance who is willing to be seen with him³, could it be that he needs to take lessons from Cochon de Lait whose faithful adherence to floral etiquette is to be commended.

Meanwhile Marius Thibodeux has shown his continued love of poetry. Perhaps this one will convert Mlle. Beaufils to the joys of a good sonnet:

Superfluous physician, go, unpaid!
Apothecary, lock away thy wares,
And surgeon, of your goodness, sheath thy blade;
I have no need of thee to make repairs.
Though lately it were wounded to the quick
A heart shall heal, if time enough elapse.
What once entranced it, seemeth pale and sick;
Dismissed as boyish folly, youth’s mishaps.
Through wiser, older eyes I see the world,
And ‘tis revealed far finer than before.
And thankful tears hath those twin orbs impearled,
For she that hath the kindness to restore.
In gratitude for her benevolence
My loyalty shall be her recompense.

Le Perche du Coudray Updates

Congratulations to Albert Kestrel and Harry Lightfoot who have completed courses in Sabre and Rapier respectively. M. Kestrel's Sabre skill is now rated at 12, while M. Lightfoot's Rapier skill is rated at 10.

Regimental News

13^th Fusiliers

We are pleased to appoint Omer Delors to the rank of Major of the 1^st Battalion in recognition of his actions at the Château de Montaigle. In view of the pending investigation into possible misconduct earlier in the year, that investigation is temporarily suspended. The investigation and the appointment will be reviewed in septembre 1625⁴.