, 1873-11-30
Tho Lady of alcnuty."
From london SocittN.


not resist hor" e. Histoire dos Fayoritos').
"Hcaven," gays the authoroas, s'had not only
endowed Agnes with tho charms OF face Hho
had an air full Of grace, m admirable 1gure,
and tho noat dolioa.s aud finely turned, With
certain greatnosn Of soul which led her natur-
ally to geuoroaity; all her inoltnations wcra
noblo Bhe vas attentive, compassionate, ardent
in friendship discreet, nincero, and, In abort a.
togothor attod to mako horaon beloved to dis
| traction"
De A1ezorai urlton Of hor ~ Every a8ree-
! able aud goncroua Indy, who, BY setting herself
came tho enyy Of tho Court md tho uc.ndal Of
| Frnnco." With all her orrors. Agnes was al
1ni!ted to be lavish to tho poor, to bo pouB, gen
| orally humble, mud always patriotic and full Of
wrlt!on most favorabiJ OF hcr, and mover did
the mistress OF King, especially King who
YVES her junior, mako 30 wise uso Of her por-
| ilous poNert which she cvor cmploTed only for
tho good OF others. Pride and an extlcme'
love OF dross aro the chief. errors a.
legged against her; but to her indueLco over
! Clarlcs VII. must DO attributed al tho good that
ever appeared in him, and tho effort to which he
uaa roriaed-that ossay BY Which, II last, tho In
vading English wero driyou from tho soil Of
| Trance; for he had boon lover Of pleaauro.
"snd of tho fair so1, which mover caa bo vice."
tioup."
CAnrlea waa neither warlike nor high-spir-
itad King. The influence Of England In Trance
4 attor tho loath Of itB conquoror, Horny T.. Was
Of Bedford, tint after tho dotuiso Of Charloa
| VI, his successor had been crowned ut Polo
! tho foe; and he wns but tho monarch OF nom-
iual Kingdom, Franco having greatly aidod the
| EuEiial lnyadoru, as S1o YVES rolit by two rival
factions, ono lcd by tho Dako Of Burgundy and 3,4
had boen alternately tho prisoner Of each, and
tho Daupllin waa tho ncoff Of both,-often .
fugitive, and always iu danger Of destructton,
When tho ]attcr become Charles VII, aided By
paw of tho Freneh in their English wars-and
i,y y body Of Scottish troops under tho Earl Of
Duchan, who was Constable Of France, he made
sumo show Of rcalstauco, when Ill hopo Beomed
| ut al end, and to this unwontcd activity lo Was
reused by Agnes sorel.
Flo hcd already conceived the feeble idea Of
retiring into Iangucdoo Or Daaphiny, aud con-
touting himself with lilo lefonBe Of those minor
Mrcstcd from him. Mary OF Antou, q Princess
OF gtoat prudence and mort, rohomcntly op-
posed this tnoasurc, which sho Ear would lead
10 general desortion OF his cause By tho French
ps.sPIee. .,Pp1e, ,,;u .rno, so,., s,,. ,znn,o WIN
liysd In entiro atnity with the Queen, Beoouded
all uer romuuatranccs, and throatoncd that II ho
[Oharlos) thus puaillanimos1sly threW, away tho
| scepro Of France, she would seek at tho Court Of
| EnS!anl fortune that waR correspondent to
her wishes." Thus, the love Of her On one hand,
and droad Of losing lor OH the other, rouned IN
tho brenut OF Charlos VII. glow Of courage
Which nelthcr just ambition nor pure patriotism
could kiudlo, aud ho resolved to dispute ovory
! inch Of French Boi1 with his imporsoun enemies,
rather than yield ingloriously to an evil fortune
| aud to tho loss Of lilS Grown aud MISTRESS Aud
thus. in urging him to tho field, Mary Of Anjou
was forced to sock the assistance Of that fair
rva! ~ho had gupplanted her; and she soena ut
| all times to have borno with singular sweet
noaH of tempor-with . resignation that soma
might think sayored Of indifference or stupidi-
! ty-tno alienation Of tho Kings love for her
self aud noithor by action or word docs aho
| aoom oyer to haVo roproacled tile reignlug
| fav0ritp.
| But now new ally came In the person of
| Joan Of Arc victory attended her banners, and
| 4 stop coneldercd necessary after tho double
coronation at young Henry Of England at West
| naiuster and Paris. Tho loaa Of Tho latter city
| saon followed. Tho Maid Of Orleans porished
franco was lrco and England raB glad to sign
the Treaty OF Alras.
After this communication Charlos abandoned
| himself entirely to tho society OF Agnes sorel
and and efemiuato sottnesSs." she was lis greatest
passion, staten Duclos, and was the most worthy
| Of it. She loved Charles tonderly for himself,
and had no other object In her condust than tho
glory Of hov eomonhat aott lover and tho good Of
t tho State. Agnes Sorel, ho adds, distinguished
heracH BY qualities profcrablo to those which
aru usually found iu hor no1-a rather obscure
| phrshe. But, despite what como rllego Of hor
| humility, ostontation and love Of splondor aro
! said by others to hayo beon among hor weak
| uosHos; but such are paraonable enough In
| beautiful woman.
| royal Princess. Her apartments wore more ex-
| po1l1ivcly decorated with hangings Of silk and
taffuts, with furniture and tapestries, than those
! Of tho Queen, Mary Of Anjou. She had larger
! royal mistress, aud had quite ts much reverence
| shown her. Hes coucheg, har lauen, hcr yea-
esB Of gold and silver, her rings and othor iowel
~. a!I surpassed in beauty and In value those OF
tno neglected vito ! for with this woman,,
| called Agnes. whom have scon and known, "
naye tho author Of tho "Chrouique dos Duca do
Doargoguo," "the King wss terribly besotted."
! Hot robon woro moro costly aud her trains
wero longer than those worn by any Of tho royal
| lrlucesBos; aud 1t was remembered that, to
| show the extreme fairnesh OF her akin and
| beautiful contour Of her bust, 6ho had all Acr
drossoS mora decollotcos, or cut lowor in front,
| thau llad ever boon the custom ut tho Court Of
| Frauco.
| In aoms burat Of temper, Agnes llas bsen ae-
| cuaod OF having ao' arrogantly dlsregarded tho
feelings OF tho Queon that 5llu wAa struck on tho
mouth by tho Sun Of tho latsar. the Dauphln,
afterwards tho c.nol subtle, aud savage Louis
XI., In whose whole character there was but ono
llndeniab1y rotlosua!ng pont-n lovo for his
niotlIor, With tendor royeTouos for hor memory.
Agnen died In tho ycar 14t0, uB many 4iatorlans
hayo affirmed, Of poison, q common suspicion In
tloao days, aud for long aftor. Do 3iozeral
statos tbs circumstance broadly and clearly that,
WHOM tho King vas ut Juualcges, II rnios from
llouen, where there Was a wat aud famous ebboy
containing no loss that 400 monks and lAy
brothron, !" Tloy q. o., tho courtlors) poisoned
his doar Agnoa do sorohr, without whom hc
! could nut i've ono inomont."
| ----s---
| Journalists III the Fsctgn OF a.oTate XIV.
Tho journalists Of the encyclopaedia ora woro
chintly utr friol potatoes, aoEyed III paper by
ths stoye-woIuau round tho coruor. Almost eYosy