, 1874-01-11
Jeanne Anteiaette Poisson Practically Queen
-. Of France for Nineteen Tears.
Utter Corruption Of French Society Dur
ing the Period OF Her
Power.
A Judgment of the Woman and
Hcr Acts.

chronicles, might never have been Duncan't
murderer, nor ling of Scotland, had not the
.*wei1d sister" suggested the crime by pro
pbetic warnings; and Jeanne Antoinctte Pois
son might never bave become the mistress and
counselor of. Louis AY., nor have swayed the
destluies of France, had not = French sibyl foro'
hold tlat she: Jeanne. would one day become
49,. "rAn1 AND PARCEL OF THE King"
md = lucky prophecy it proved: at least fol
Madame Lebon (tLe sibyl), it's fuldllment OBJ
aiming for her an nnnuity Of 600 IEres for the
remainder OF her life.
Poisson mere Was refined aud educated-u
xo1nan Of great beauty, skeptic, and philoso-
pher with no morals to speak Of She seized
upon the prophecy wish the utmost avidity, and
resolved to bring it to pass Jeanne Antolnette
1as only 0 years Of age when her destiny waa
roYezled to her, and from that time her mother
never ceesed iniaming the girls imagination by
glowing pictures OF her precrdained greatness.
until the rca!;zas3 OF of these pictures became
the dream Of her life. Such mothers and daugl,-
hers were very COMMON in France during tue
eighteenth CERT g..
Poisson pere was attached to the vicsualing
dennctncnt of the army. and made much money,
but he was 1ran OF extremely coarse and Ful-
gar habits-fai!iugs which caused Madame Is
aiarqnisc,' in her great days, much annoyance.
One day, when intoxicated (so say the ecanda-
Ions chronicles Of the pcriod). he staggered into
his daughters apartment. while the King was
with her, and fa1n.ally slapp;ng the royal visit
or upon the shoulder. saluted him with "Ah,
mon ge7adre -
(AH, Ece'-N-IAwD
Tor'thig breach of etiquette II. de Poisson was
barished the Court, and narrowly escaped being
the subject Of latt,e de cGchet.
jeanne Antoinctte was extremely beautiful !:
golden hair, elegant figure, disnihed presence.
md noble features, of which tho great charm
lay rather in their wordrons mobility than 1n
tncir regularity ct form. Iven her bittcrest
sile.aics agroe that no painter has or could do
Justice 70 her rare charms Of expression. 10
Ills beauty sle united, thanks to her mother,
srery elegant aod Intellectual accomplishment
Tho played bcwitchiuS1y upon the lutte and the
:!avccin, danced and sang like professional
rtiste; as IN actress che Was scarcely sur
PASSED By the most accomplished ladies' OF the
Coincide franchise; she engraved admirably
upon s.ono and steel, and Ter skill IN the use of
lie brush and tbs aocil is attested in the
p%i.;lnss upon sono 1t tho finest specimens Of
3ayres porcelain tA:.. re possess and which
bear her uaEe.
At TWENTY EER MOTHER MARRIED HER
TO Lenc1mand d'Etloles, tue nephew OF Lenor-
nand dc TourneLeEE, rich faimer-sgcneral; the
eusbopd WEE little. ugly, and ill-shaped, end es
srch ono The Brilliant Jeanne could have
neither love nor respect. Her thoughts were
still running upon rho prophecy, aad sho used
naively to say to d. dEtioles. Il will never be
unfalthfnl to yen sarc for the King Of Frnuce
aud Nnyerro!'' To this reservation, to which
The gentleman seems to have made no objection,
she faithfully adhered, for with all her faults C.
plurality of lovers was not amongst them.
Madame d'EtioIcs made her house the resort
Of all that was brilliant in art and letters;
poets, acto1E. painters musicians and no
b!es assembled tlcre to do homage to her
beauty and her wit. 4 private theatre was fitted
up. in which she first developed those splendid
histTionic abilities which were thereafter to de-
light the Court OF Frurce> Voltaire himself
guperntnn1ed there the production Of his plays,
and gained the friendship Of the fair hosteas,-
friendship which, III after years, stood him III
GOOD stead, and which Lis lost only through that
sitter envy OF disposition that con1d not endure
TO SEE rival lonorcd above himself. To him
she coufdcd her ambitious aspirations. - be-
Ie;e in my destiny" sac said 10 him one day.
That destiny was
SOON 10 EE ACCOMPLISHED.
1'Etio1es had mansion III the neghborfood Of i
Madauc d'Etolcs used to follow the chase.
:nagnitcently att:red, in Q carrlaEo OF ebony aud
ivory, shaped iiEe car, aud her great
beauty quicily attracted royal eyes. Ono day
the King shot stag close to her gates: etiquette
demanded the prescnta1lon Of the art!ers to the
fair chnteia;ne, and, kueciiug ard blushtng with
pleased confusion, Jeanne Antoinette received
the complimentary gift from her monarchs own
hauds..
The days had long gene By when the young
King. devoted only to the chase and Marie
Lccz1nEka had stood aloof from the corrupt
Inducements Of his Court; he had lorg since
reased to ask, when 1ady's charms were praised
ir bis presence. Is she rs beautiful az the
Queen :"-it Las been eaid that that lady's i
somewhat frigid nature waB largely accountable
Tor the unhappy change, to which the unfor.u-
nate De lIazly sisters had ali eady fallen victims.
&c became Fascinated by the beautiful bour- !
geoisc. Their next meeting was at masked |
ball pi1en ut the Hotel de Vile in celebration Of
meetings Nere frequent. Noble in features, |
majestic and elegant iu figure, Lonis was at that |
oeo-ld the handeomest man i'll France, and that |
which had been the effect OF evil training. and !
lie ambition of au idea, WAS, as t2r as Jeanncs |
,atutalIy cold temperament would admit Of such !
= passion, softened into love-
For two yea.s, Madame d'Etio1cs wes favorite |
,ultana only in priyEte. When tho. admirable |
i sda1nc Poisson heard her daughter spoken Of
..;-' THE K1SG's .11srnEss.
lie was lying upon sick bed. 81 have nothing |
more to wish iur !" she cried piousiy, aud died
# Joy! yolumeso Of description could not more
ullv iilustrate tho utter moral corruption Of the
.ge.
her royal lover to Flanders but, re-
aenbcrcg tile fate of the Duchess CO Chateau
ouz, sic dotfed her wouaans dress and donned |
be disguise of q young officer Of musketce1s.*
From that period her position wGs openly pro- !
lsinvd aid iecoEnized; upon her return to
Trance apartments were assigned 10 her at Vcr3
ailles anGl-accosdinE to the custom introduced
v Henry IT. and copied from him BY succeeding
was formally introduced to tho
jaecn aud TO tho royal fnmily. By Marie Lee
iuala she WIS received. Graciously ':nouGh; but
be Daueli2 lclled out his tongue in token of
oateairt. tor which the King made him after
ards zpo!osize. In 1745 she was
, -, CHEATED MARQU1sE De ro,RApouR-
a the meantime, II: d'Euoles was compensat-
far his widcwhood by farmer-gcneralship.
nd afterwards By the place OF Je71ner des postes.
5 frequently boosted of thc Kings protection.
f;,c,. lie required anything be grew troublesome,
liked about his wrongs, and threatened to claim
h rife: but i handsome douceur never failed
, ,ettore him to his normal condition OF amid
c resignation.
Tho new Maruu;sc had now attained the
.;o1,t of l,ar ay,hitin.,S 1nrns all France TAE !