The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1879-02-27
Two Famous Beauties Of the Golden Age
Of France.

Of France.
It was her experience scarcely less
than her supreme beRuty, perhaps, that
has made the name Of HOrtense Man
cini, the Duchess of Nlazarin, an object
Of historical regard. She was the niece
Of the great Mazarin, at that time the
most powerful man in France. Pos
sessed of infinite beauty and great wit,
she was, at the same time, the richest
heiress IN Europe; for Mazarin had
adopted her as his own, and proposed
giving her the greatest fortune in
France. Her beauty, too, was of an al
most fadeless kind. She must have
been near to sixty when she died, and
il is said of her that to the last she re-
tanned the sweet glow of youth and
every beauty Of feature. She was fifty
when she wrote, 81 was never healthier
nor handsomer than nOw.n Penelope,
with her hundred princes, never had so
many lovers. Rich noblemen rendered
their fortunes aud their hands, aud
Charles Of England aud Peter of POrtu-
gal each begged to share a crown with
her. All these were refused, and no.
body knew why; for at sixteen she was
married TO Armand Millerage, q court
favorite, aud a man twice as old as her
followed; a few short months ofhappiness
and then the green-eyed monster slipped
into the husbands heart. He was not
Jealous, only he was furious at seeing
the assiduous attentions of so many OF
HOrtense's admirers. He hated every
one OF them, he hated the King and for
bade his beautiful wife ever speaking Ia
him. Threatenings and mistreatment,
however, availed nothing. She was
too beautiful. The world would adj
mire in spite Of his claims Of private
property; and then Hortense was locked
up IN the clOister Of st. Marie, just join,
ing the famous bastile. Associated
with a few dreary women, who looked
upon her as a sinful thing Of the worlC
to whom repentance even could brinl
small reward, her life was wearisom,
enough. At last some friends, pityinl
the imprisoned beauty, helped her to es
cape. Again a short trial with he
husband, and again an escape. At nigh
this time, on foot, in mems CLOTHES, ths
great beauty was flying from Paris, the
scene Of her triumphs as we'll as of hel
woes. She jOurneyed Off TO Italy, and
on her way was everywhere the objec
OF the greatest attention. At Cham berry
she held a sort of court, where some o.
her old admirers and many new ones
fiOcked to see her, to congratulate hei
on her freedom aud to admire hel
beauty. She became renowned for the
elegance Of her taste in matters of per
sonal adornment. She knew how e
dress, and this was an art that ever
then was not understood by every fail
lady. Whatever she wore seemed es
pecially suited TO her. One day in the
costume Of an amazon, another in the
rHHa Of q L.. L.. L. 4.
the light drapery of the old statuary, ol
the heavier robes Of her own period, she
was pronounced the loveliest of the
lovely. Her husband had managed e
greatly reduce her fortune. Still she
had enough left for charity, and she
soon became as well known for hel
deeds Of charity as for her beauty. She
Travelled back to Holland and theu
crossed over TO England, where the
elite of London received her as the fair.
est Of the fair. She brought 10 her new
court the artists, the singers, the poet.
of the great city. She became the pa.
trOn of learning. And among her Brit.
ish admirers were Dryden, Pope, Tempt,
and Swift. London, they said, was fuIl
of pretty women, but Hortense, though
old, was the fairest of them all. Sh,
died in England, in the midst OF hel
pllef anu LlElE W u SCdlGtll q near
in Britain, her partial biographers say
that did not lament the beautiful but
unfortunate niece of MaZaTin. Skip 3
century, about, from the days of Maza.
rim, aud one is struck by the great mum.
ber Of beautiful women who appeared
in the salons Of Paris, and the largel
towns Of France. The very mention o
their names would remind the reader Ol
the intrigue and abandonment that pre-
vailed from the reign of the "Great
Monarch" till the days Of the consu-
iste: bow beauty was sought, how
iiuohzedi not that it was thing of raT-
1Si out that 1t was appreciated. IL a
Pe'y lace may be considered fortune
~ "a9 kingdom then. Poor Mic
oio lsouard aimCst died ~ sorrovv thai
ne could not find at once a singer with
laoS SUM Atly pretty and a foot sniff.
Iieutly sihei 10 take the tirst mart in
ms "onueflni opera Of Cinderella. All
tue pretty ieel IA Faris We're looked al
salui wen Nleolo accideutlv stum-
4eu on tns plel'y little child, Mile. St
Aubin. The composers fort,,,I 'S - ~.
made In a single night. "Tbe it'll va va
will be looked at first" said Nieoio 'og. az.
that passes, all is well with the -
aud the face" All Paris was in ~ =
element such singing, such a fsos
AID such a foot The sweet singer an.
tertained Paris and the continent n,
many years, and then she grew old, anC
comp paEsionless time robbed her OF rela,
tiVes, Of money and of friends. Sb,
Was seventy-fve. There remained
nothing 20 ber Of the past, save her rec
objections and her pretty feet.
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