The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1889-05-08
S0BRIQUETS OF WOMEN:
MECHANICS BORNE BY SOME OF
EuRoPE'S FAMOUS LADIES.

Many of Them Were Merely Compliment
airy, and Did Not Signify Anything In
Particular = Some were Appropriate,
While Others Said Too Much.
| An excursion into the realm of history and
biography shows that sobriquets have not
been bestowed upon women in any such de-
gree as upon men. Yet considerable num-
Der may be collected. For the most part they
are far less expressive and typical of charac-
ter than those given to the male sex. Many
Of them are simply complimentary terms in
reference to their beauty or accomplishments,
and we're bestowed by chivalrous gentlemen.
! Bloody Mary" as Mary, queen Of Eng
land, was called is certainly anything but a
aattering cognomen. Historians differ as to
whether she deserved the name Some assert
that the responsibility for the sanguinary
acts of her reign should rest with her coun-
selors, who are known to have approved and
projected them; Others say, that. having
| permitted these barbarisms Mary well
merits the title history has fastened
upon her. However, this. may be, it is
well known. that she signed the death
warrant of Lady Jane Grey with reluctance,
and absolutely refused to put her sister Eliza
beth and the Earl of De9onshire to DEATH
She often interfered In behalf of those whom
her ministers wished to deprive of their lives
The renewal of the old laws against the Lei
lards is charged directly to her, though some
historians claim that many of the details of
their persecution were kept from the knowl-
edge Of the queen. Mary was i'll most of the
time during her reign, and her condition was
often taken advantage of by her ministers.
Mary was succeeded on the throne by her
sister Elizabeth, who was known in history
as "Good Queen Bess.n Quite different
title from that borne by Mary. The normal
disparity between the two was not, however,
30 great as the sobriquet would indicate.
Mary seems to have been credited with less
goodness than she possessed, and Elizabeth
more. But it cannot be denied that the reign
OF Elizabeth was very successful, and one of
the most glorious and most celebrated epochs
in English history. 1t was an era of states
| men, scholars, warriors and poets of the
highest renown. Considering the times
Elizabeth was probably good enough to war
rant her title. She was good queen, as
queens CO. Elizabeth is also called 1.-THE Vir-
| gin Queen"
| A PAIR OF FEMALE WARRIORS
Mary of Modena, the unfortunate queen of
James III of England bore the title of
"Queen Of Tears" Samuel Noble wrote:
| Her eyes became eternal fountains of sorrow
for that crown her own ia policy contributed
| to lose" To the average reader, however.
that misfortune would seem to be slight In
comparison with that of being yoked for life
to a parsonage so stupid and unreasonable as
James.
Joanna, the beautiful daughter of Ed
mund, Earl of Kent, gained the sobriquet of
Fair Maid of KENT She was three times
married, the third time to Edward, the
Black Prince. King Richard II of England
was their son.
Elizabeth Barton, supposed seeress of the
Sixteenth century, was known as the "Holy
Maid of KENT She was executed at Tyburn,
April 81, 1854, on the charge of high treason,
In having prophesied that great calamities
would fall upon England, and that Henry
VIII would die speedy and violent death
should he divorce Queen Catherine and marry
Anne Boleyn. Her prophecy does not appear
to have been fulfilled.
Elizabeth, queen OF Bohemia and daughter
of James | of England, was called the
/ "Qneen Of Hearts," from her kind and en-
gaging manner. Through all her trouble and
i'll fortune, Of which she had more than her
share she preserved her dignity and good
ness, and commanded the love and admira-
| ton of all who were brought In contact with
| her.
"The Semiramis of the North was So
briquet bestowedupon Margaret, daughter Of
Waldemar III, king of Denmark, for her
warlile qualities. She seems to have fairly
earned it. After her fathers death she be-
came queen Of Denmark On the death Of
her husband Haco VIII, king of Norway,
she became the ruler of that country also.
She then conquered Sweden, and was ac-
knowledged its queen In the latter country
she was unpopular, and her name is still held
in loathing by the Swedes, who accuse her Of
having been cruel and oppressive Some his
torians deny this charge At any rate, Mar
garet was q queen Of great executive ability.
The sobriquet "Semiramis of tho North" has
also been given to Catherine II, empress of
Russia, for the same reasons that 1t was
given to Margaret, and with equal appropri-
ateness.
Another woman of military renown was
Augustine Zaragoza Of Spain, Who earned
the sobriquet, 1.-THE Maid of Saragossa,n by
her bravery during the defense of Saragossa
against the French in 1608-9. Her most cele-
brated act of heroism was taking the station
of her lover, who had fallen, In one OF tho
batteries and working the gun In his place.
old.n
FOR THE GOOD THEY DID.
Mrs. Elizabeth Fry, tho benevolent English
woman, who wrought SO many reforms in
the management Of jails and prisons in her
own and other European countries, was called
"the Female Howard in recognition of the
similarity OF her life work to that of the illus
trious prison reformer, John Howard. The
great amount Of good accomplished by these
two unselfish lovers Of humanity cannot .be
calculated. 1t is felt today and will be felt
until tho end Of time.
Another benevolent English woman was
Florence Nightingale, upon whom Longfellow
bestowed tho title, "St. Filomena.n In his
poem Of that name the poet pays the highest
tribute to the character and work of Miss
Nightingale. Her name is held in reverence
by the whole population Of Great Britain, and
especially by the soldiers.
The peculiar sect, or society called Shakers
had for their leader and founder in America
woman named Ann Lee. She was regarded
by her followers as the Spiritual MOTHER
and hence was always called "Mother Ann
By some she was and still is, considered
manifestation of Christ in the female form.
Jesus Is recognized ns the male manifestation.
"Mother ANN was woman of much ability.
She died in 1854.
Jenny Lind, the famous singer, bore the
appropriate name Of "the Swedish Nightln-
gale" This title is deserved compliment
to her sweet voice and reminder of her ma
tive country.
Louise Labe, the French poetess, who lived
in the Sixteenth century, was called ''tho
Beautiful Ropemalern She was an accom-
plished linguist and wrote in three different
languages. She also distinguished herself by
her remarkable courage at the siege of Per-
pigDan.
''The English Sappho" was sobriquet
given to Mary Darby Robinson, who acquir-
ed reputation for beauty, wit and poesy
during the reign of George 1V.-James M.
Adams in Detroit Free Press