The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-04-23
ONE or sOCIETY'S QUEENS.
Mime, De MaintenOn's Career.

ONE OF sOCIETY'S QUEENS.
Nine. De MaintenOn'S Career.
..-+=..... g.. 49,. ..r.s. ..- 80
The topic Of DR.. John Lords lecture at
Chickering Hall yesterday was "Mme.
De Maintenon,n whose abilities and short
comings were described to 3 very large
audience. She was presented by the lee
turer as exerting 3 powerful influence on |
the destinies Of France, and also as type |
of those brilliant queens of society who |
reigned in the fashionable world by their |
wit and social destinations. There is per- |
baps no woman in modern times, said DR..
Lord, who has arisen to such lofty
height from condition virtually SO low
as Nine. de Maintenon, il Katherine of
Russia may be excepted. She was how
ever, well born, so far as blood is con-
cerned, since the Protestant family Of
D'Aubigne, from which she sprang, is !
one of the OLDEST in France. Her father
was extravaganza and Abandoned, and was
thrown into prison, and it was in prison
that the subject of this lecture was born
in 1885. Subsequently, her father OBJ
tanned his release, and sailed with his
family to Martinique, where he died in
great poverty. LIS WAC 1otoiAoN "
France, and got her living from her needle.
The daughter, Mile. D'Aubigne, was
bright and beautiful, and painted
for an entrance into society
the aim of most ambitious
women. It was effected by being invited
to one of the dinners Of Scarron--a bur
lesque writer, witty and dissipated-at Is
years Of age. The scrippled buffoon de-
termined to make her his wife, and she
accepted him. She now presided at en-
tertainments which even dukes aspired
for in vain, for Scarron's suppers were
good, and were all the fashion. 1t is
hard to believe that beautiful girl Of
is could have loved this pensioned para
IYtic, but she was AMBITIOUS, and had an
end to gain. At the supper-table of the poet
scarron she was the life of gay and bril-
liant assemblage, made up of the elite of
Paris She reigned as Queen of society.
and she became acquainted with those
who had influence at court, and when
her husband died, she being then "a, she
was recommended to the Duchess of
Montespan as governess for her child,
the Duke of Maine. This position intro
duced her the notice of the King, who
fell in love with her, when he was wear
led of his prodigal and beautiful ana ex-
acting mistress. She was too proper and
too calculating to become the successor
Of Montespan. and she added more ambi-
tious desings than the favorite whom she
had displaced. She aspired to become
the wife OF the King, and when ths
Queen died, feeling that he could no
live without her, he secretly made hel
his wife. The seeming mistress tri-
umpbed from the weakness Of the King
She was then so, a most extraordinary
person to reign over the absolute mon
arch of France when he was in the heigh
Of his fame and power. She kept he
empire more than 80 years, another ex.
traordinary fact, from which we infe
that she had gained the respect Of tn
King, since all enduring influence j
based on character. She was artfu]
ambitious, calculating, and cold; bu
she was discreet, prudent, judicou
technically religious. took an inter
est IN education and all goo
movements, reformed the wickedes
court Of Europe, and rewarded all peopl
who rendered services. She was &C
nired and honored by such men as Bo
suet and Fenelon. She had most Cal
tivating manners, and exceeding tact.
she did not love the old, peevsh, selisl
ceremonious, pompous, exacting n
buchadnezzar whom she had marrie
she was, at least, his friend, and reveale
to him the heartlessness of that gener
ton of vipers whom he had rewarded an
enriched. She guarded his interests al
prevented him from folly, and induce
him to drink the bitter. cup Of dlspellt
Illusions with dignity and without cor
plant. She did not spend his mon'
like Montespan. She made his cou
decorous. at least, if it was dull al
gloomy, and she made him religious in
certain fashion-fo1 Louis, in his old az
was fond of sermons, was regular
church, confessed his sins to his Jesu
confessor, and felt that 1t was possib
for God Almighty to be greater than l.
During his whole life he had receiv
such incense, he had reposeG in such da
zling magnifcence, he had been so cou
ed by the monarchs Of Europe, he was
extolled by poets and historians, he "
so magnifed by his brilliant court,
had such unpounded power, that it "
quite natural for him to fancy he "
more than mortal. Who can resist L
bounded panegyric and prosperity?
I will not enter upon his glories, or
reverses, or his humiliation. He was
central figure in Europe for more tn
half century. Heir OF the power
Richelieu and the treasurer Of Maza1
with PROSTATE nation Dent in idolatre
homage, he reigned with more splent
than any sovereign in modern times.
nature be was not bad man, nor was
weak. He had great executive abil1t
and keen insight. This is some rea
for the extravagant praise heaped vi
him tor half a century. His error was
aggrandize himself at the expense Of.
best interests Of his Kingdom, and thus
sowed discontents and prepared the Y
for future revolution. His reign was 6
wardly glorious, but pregnant with g
to come. For the thirty last years Of
life he was ruled by Mime. De Mainter
She WIS the m al nsnrinr nf all n0lifi