The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1874-05-22
Dnels Between women.
Translated for Appletons, Journal.1

: One of the contributors to the All
gemeine Familien Zeitung has recent,
. mad the curiosity to collect a numbe
OF the most noted and best authenti
Gated cases of dueling that have takeI
{ place between the members OF the gen
tier sex. From the article we extrac
the following. The writer says: i.
Duels between women, during thu
, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries
were by no means rare. France, espe
clally, the land par excellence of chivalry
furnishes long list of note worthy
!, examples. ...+ .. s~
The first case we shall cite was one
which grew out of the gallantries OF
Juan OF the worst type, the duke was
in the habit of making his secretary the
confidant of his intrigues. AS it cost
him no effort to swear fidelity to Susan
ma to-day, to Johanna tomorrow, and
the next day to sacrifice them both fol
Mariana SO at the same time he for a
while amused himself at the expense Of
the Marquise de Nesle and Madame de
Polignac. Each of them supposed, of
course, that she was sole mistress of
his affections.
One morning, as the duke sat over
his coffee, his secretary handed him, to-
gether with other letters, two that had
oil the appearance of billets dOux.
These his grace handed back to the
secretary with the request that he
would read them. The first one ran
thus:
"Mow Cher Ami-For three whole
days have not seen you! These long
separations rob existence of its value.
When shall see you again9 As ever,
your 1851
MARQUIsE DE NEsLE."
Poor child ~ said the duke, smiling,
The secretary opened the other note
and read:
1t seems an age since saw you. A
hOrrid dream has made me restless.
When shall ! see you? Faithfully,
your COMTEssE DE POLIGNAC."
What time is it7n asked the duke,
after giving a moment to reflection.
Eleven o'clock, your grace" .-.
!" Have we any appointments for this
afternoon 2" -..
"No; none"
Very we'll; write to the two ladies
that | hope to have the pleasure OF
seeing them at my villa this afternoon
the one at 3, the other at o'clock.
And let your messenger go at once" H.,
Unfortunately, the secretary inadver-
tently asked both ladies to come at
2 o'clock. The consequence was that
they treated his grace to one of the
most stormy and painful scenes that
could well be imagined. :.. 49,.
The following morning Madame de
POlignac sent her rival a summons to
meet her in single and deadly combat.
The Marquise de Nesle accepted the
challenge without hesitation, chose the
pistol as the weapon, and designated
the Bois de BoulOgne, of course, as the
place of meeting.
They We're both punctual Tile mur-
derous weapons were loaded, and the
distance measured off.
Fire!n said Madame de Poliguac to
her antagonist, "but take good care
that you do not miss me If you do, you
may be sure shall not miss YOU"
The marquise aimed and fired, but
the only damage she did was to shoot |
off two or thee little branches Of a bush |
that chanced to be in her range.
My indignation made my hand un-
steady" said she, with q froWn.
Now tits my turn" cried Madame |
de Polignac.
She took deliberate aim, and shot
away diminutive piece of the mar |
quise's right ear. - r.
The marquise fell to the ground &
though she had been shot through tbs
heart, crying out, Oh, / am woundedg
Madame, pardon you!" II
Madame de Saint Belmont was mas
culine sort of a woman. Her husband,
while in the service Of the Duke of
Lorraine, fell ON the field of honor,
After this event, madame determined
to manage her own affairs, and especial
" to look personally after her interests
On her landed estates, which were
large: She therefore spent much of her
time IN the saddle, and indeed in the
costume OF the contemporary dandy.
TO numberless other adventures and
eaprices she added that of insisting on
lighting duel with a young man who
was enamOred of her wit and bright
him to approach her; but
owe is sometimes deaf as blind. In
his instance it is possible that the
,avaIier put the seeming invulnerabili-
u OF the lady down to affectation. Be
hat as 1t may, meeting her one day in
! wood, where she had allighted to pick
Onle berries, he threw himself at her
eeG; but to his prOtestatiOns of love |
md devotion, The hard hearted Ma
lame dc Saint Belmont replied:
You are challenged. Tomorrow
will run my sword through you"
And It was as she said it should be; {
he young man was killed by the hand |
e her whom he loved more than life.
snt hardly had he breathed his last i
7ilen his fair antag gqntst was seized with {
ne keenest rem0rse. She threw herself {
pom his dead body and wept bitterly. 1
rom that day she was entirely {
hanged; she became very devoted to 8
1a af1a4prh haora raaos kxr{on IaSIy,t :