Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-05-14
HISTORIC sHREws.
Women Who Have Become Fan
ous and Notorfons for scoldfne

ous and Notorious for Seeding.
Some of the shrews have had as en-
during record in history as have
some OF the beauties, though owing
their fame to very opposite quality.
England and France supply the most
prominent specimens.
Royalty first, however, Mathilda,
Empress and claimant against King
Stephen for the crown Of England,
has left fair claim to the masterful
temperament. Queen Elizabeth,
great as she was, exhibits herself in
some of her letters and actions, as
when she boxed Essex's ears, as
right royal shrew. So was Catherine
de Medici. So, emphatically, was
Christina Of Sweden, who caused her
chamberlain, Monaldeschi, in the
right of her prerogatives, to be stran-
gled in a place of the King of France.
50 was Catherine of Russia a Shrew,
who had absolute power to back up
her shrewishness.
In Henry VIII's reign, Lady More,
wife OF the great and good Sir Thorn
as, stands out as very definite
shrew who ruled her husband and
children alike with much austerity.
But she does not, though she liked
her own way, appear, as far as we can
see, in any way to come up TO Lady
Coke, in James rs reign. This lady
drove her husband, the terrible Chief
Justice (of whom James himself said
may, mon, if Coke sends for me
must go'') nearly frantic. The SUBJ
ject was their daughters marriage.
Lady Coke was furious, indefatigable
resolute and most accomplished
scold.
Now for a French one little known
to English readers in general. She
was Nine. de .Vervins, who, in the
Seventeenth century, was a fine speci-
men of the species. She told her ser
wants to kill those of lady whom
her lackeys insulted for venturing to
defend their mistress. She bullied
her husband necessarily, and on one
occasion in quarrel used her riding
whip as an argument. She habitu-
ally beat her servants violently.
She scolded her acquaintances for
the head difference of opinion, unfav-
orable criticism or most minute slight
offered to her or fancied by her, and
plotted their assassination il they
opposed her imperious and arbitrary
power.
Another woman OF the same type,
who loved to play the shrew in pub
lie, and specially at balls and parties,
was Nine. d'Orgeval. She lived in
the same time as Nine. de Yervins.
Nine. d'Orgeval gave great entertain
ments, but she and her daughter, ac.
cording to the French memoirs, chiefly
loved doing insolent things in a polite
manner. On all occasions Nine.
d'Orgeval's temper was furious if any
lady danced better or oftener than her
daughter. In one instance of this she
told the lady who offended her that
if she continued dancing she would
stop the ball. She bullied her guests
with vigor, and demanded her own
way in everything.
Returning to England, our gallery
of portraits must not omit Sarah, first
Duchess of Marlborough, whose vio-
lent temper made her generally dread
ed. She had the good quality of low
ing her husband, the famous General,
and thinking him the foremost OF
men. But to every one else she could
be shrew on occasion. Poor Queen
Anne was afraid of her. She bullied
her as if she were nobody.
And in the MS. room of the British
Museum much contemporary light is
thrown on this subject by remark
able letter to be seen there, written at
the time, and describing an order
sent to the Duke and Duchess to give
up their insignia of Office without no.
tice, and telling the latter that she
was not to ccme to the Queen, who,
no doubt, was afraid of her. This
was tthe time when her enemies
intrigues, lied by her cousin, Miss
Masham, whom she had placed at
court in her interest), were successful.