LADY SMOKERS, GD 



female portrait, painted about 1G50, in the possession 

 of W. H. Kolfe, Esq., of Sandwich. The fair lady has 

 in her hand a tobacco-box, and is indulging in the 

 solace of her pipe ; which she wields in a very graceful 



and "lady-like" manner. Miss Pardoe, in her History 

 of the Court of Louis XIV., has shown that the 

 daughters of the Grande Monarque did not disdain to 

 do the same, although he had a great dislike to tobacco. 

 When the ladies became wearied by the " gravity and 

 etiquette of the court circle, they were accustomed to 

 celebrate a species of orgie in their own apartments, 

 after supper ; and on one occasion, when the Dauphin 

 had at a late hour quitted the card-table, and hearing 

 a noise in their quarter of the palace, entered to 

 ascertain its cause ; he found them engaged in smoking, 

 and discovered that they had borrowed their pipes from 

 the Officers of the Swiss guard ! " 



