, 1873-11-02
The Early Days Of Franqoise d'Au-
bigne-~-Her Marriage with
the Able soarron,
neR She Decamo tho Kings cenfaanto....
Her Successful Struggle with
the Royal Rayerite.
The Madame's Secret Marriage to The
Ktng.'-Hor Despotic Reign for
Over Thirty Years.
Tho Ed}ct Of NAMES Revoked Through Her inftu-
eAce---Tha End o! Louis and tho
Woman Who Ruled Him.


eAce~--Tha End os Louis and the
Woman Who Ruled Him.
From Tt,npls Rar.
Franchise dAubfgno Was descended from an
ancient and honorable family Of Anjou. Her
grandfather WAS Theodore Agrlppa dAublgpo,
an inaexibfe Hugucnot, and tho fricnl and COM
papion Of the great Hanry. Her fathor, Con-
stant dAubfgEo, vas black sheep, who, after
acquiring wealth and consideration at Court for
betraying hla oo-rolgtontsts, for which tronohery
his father disinheritod him, was dotcctod in
sono treasonable correspondence with tho Eng
1ish. and thrown into tho prison Of the Con-
ciergerio of Mort. His wife, a noble, heroic
woman. thon enceinte. obtained permission
to share bis captivity, and tboro, on tho 27sh Of
November, 1885, ncarly three years before Louis
the Fourteenth,
wAB BORN rRANco1sE.
Her godfather was the celebrated Duke
do Ii Rochofoucnuld, her golmother was
the daughter OF tho Baron lu Neuii}ant, tho
Governor Of Mort.
In miaery, hunger. and raggednoss passed tho
days Of parents and children-for thoro wcro
two other nttlo ones, boys, besdea tho new-
comer-untu Madane do Villette, Constants
sister, hearing Of their sud position, brought
them help aud took away tho children to her
home, which waH situated In the noighborhood.
But when the prisoner WIS transferred to the
Chateau Trompotte at Dordoaux, the mother,
unable to endure the thoughts Of complete eep-
aration, took back her little daughter, whose
home for somo three OF four years was thua
within the gloomy prison walls, tho prison-yard
her playground, tho iailer'H daughter her only
playmate.
In 1889, after endless solicitations, Madame
dAubigne obtainod her husbands enlargement,
after which they embarked for Martinique. to
try their fortunes in new world. During tho
voyage little FRANCHISE foil dangerously i'll, and
Tas at last
LAID OUT AZ DEAD.
Tho body was just about to bo committed to
the sea, whom tho mother, as slle hold It ina
Inst passionate parting embrace, foit q slight
movement. my child is not dead u sho shriek-
cd. "Her hoart benta!" Tho littlo girl was put
back into bed, aud III few days was restored to
health.
LII Martinique, fortune gave Constant d'Au-
bigno yet another chance. Ho acquired some
large plantations, p,ospered, grow rich After
time Madame d'Aubigno had occasion to visit
Franco; When she returned she found her h,ls-
band once moro a boggar; during her nbaeuce
he had gambled away all that ho possessed.
After this he obtained small appointment in
village Of the island. md there his wife devoted
her life to the education Of her children, but
moro especially to that Of her daughter, who al
ready gave promise OF
MORE THAN ORDINARY TALENT
dhe taught her to read Plutarch and ancient
history; and to habituate her mind to reflection
she obliged her to exercise it both in compo-
stion aud letter-writing, IN which last Frauooise
excelled throughout her life.
The next event of importance was the death
Of CONSTANT which happened in 1916. Madame
d'Aubigns returned to Franco poorer even than
when she left it. She was reduced to live by the
labor Of her hands but interchangeable as over,
she set to work to endeavor to reclaim aome
remnants Of her husbands first fortune, to
gather in old debts, to get for her children some
thing Of the heritage Which had been left behind
BY their grandfather, Agrippa d'Aubigno
hss @e ada%a aassh do ao e eGeS 4e
undertook the charge. The cause OF Madame
d'Aubigne's unwiningneas was, that her sister
ln-law was Calvipisf. The result justified hor
Catholic scruples for Madame Villotto at once
proceeded to train her little nieco in
THE DOCTRINES OF TILE REFORMED FAITH.
Ono day franchise refused to accom-
Pany her mother to mass: Madame dAu-
nlgae terribly alarmed tor hos daug
appealed to Anne Of Austria to iBAuo IN order
for the girls restoration to her own custody.
The order was granted, and tue Young Huguanot
gas banded over to her godrnother, tho Countess
de Neuillant, a Jealous Catholic, to be brought
back to the Catholic faith. But Franchise was
not yet to be converted. 30 as puniahmont for
her contumacy She was BOT to perform the most
uenial offices, among others, to measure out the
turkeYs. ut was thero in tlo far1n-yard," sho
used to say, II first hogan to reign" As not
sven these degfadations could bend her firm
spirit, ahe VA, Was sent away to The uraulpe
not aunt, confident in tue strength of her niece'a
conVictons, and anxious to remove her from
tho painful position she hold In Madame do
Neulllaat's house, consented to Pay for, her
board while Mt the convent. Alas, for MADAME
do Vi1lette'a confidence! Tho arguments of the
good abbeBs aud her guoHtly confossor proved 10
potent that Alademoiselle d'Aubigno was after !.
time Induced to.
FORMALLY REuAST Her " ERaoas,"
snd to become from that time forth good
Catholic, upon which hor good aunt Indignantly
withdrew from her all further pecuninry assist
ance. Pious Madame 10 Nouil1ant haviug thus
thas ahe had tSalalied her duty W to tue i Utmost
and left tho body TO do tho best it
could; in other words, she declined
to afford hor any ,pecunlary aid whateyor;
could not be further troubled With y porson Who
whs pennllcss; eo her conversion complete,
npor Francoiao was shown the convent door, out
side which atretched a doaert, frtenalesa world.
4le Uuly ttthuA 10 WuuIl1 hQo CClllu tlfn Was QeF
mother, "ho could scarcely feed herself, much
less her daughter. It #aa o miserable, half
famiehed life, from which iu d little timo lnoroi-
ful death released QUO Of tlcee w0mon. Yes,
poor M4da1no dAubigno was at last permitted 10
Icy down lor cross aud rest ler weary head in
the lap OF mothor earth.
For three months after her mokl,er's death
FEancoise remained shit up In room at Mort.
three months rious Madame DO Neuillant, nfraId
perhaps, Of some scandal falling upon her prose-
1yto paid her q visit aud shortly afterwards
which she occasionally PASSED to tho ealona Of
her protootresa. Mademoiaol1o d'Aublgne was
beautiful, graceful, accomplished, clever, apiritu-
elle; she attracted the attention Of tho visitors
smony whom were some Of tho mott 5Istin.
gulslod and moBt culobratol poopln OF the ugo,
1t vaa hero TINT she wna introduced to
THE An1E scAnRoN,
poet, satrist. bufoon, fanous in tho days OF tho
Frondo for his lampoonH against lIazarin and
Tho Court; q mouBsrous delormity, WHO 1t WIS