The morning call., 1893-12-17

great French writers and philosophers of
her time. Belle Van Tuyll. as she was
called by her friends, from the earliest
childhood. loved the French language. and
with the creates; difficulty could she be
induced to speak or write Dutch.
n" life Can be more tiresome than that
in Dutch country house, aud Belle Van
Tuyll found existence so monOtonous that
she was determined to marry a foreigner
who would take her away from Holland.
Well-born. beautiful. and possessing a
fortune amounting to 1000 Dutch forms.
II is not surprising that the young Baroness
Van Tuyli was asked in marriage by many
noble suitors. But. always. there was
some serious objection. The MARQUIS de
Bellegarde begged a ispensation from
the Pope to permit marriage with this
Young girl. brought up in the Protestant
faith. And, although she was very liberal
in religious views. Belle Van TuylI would
not promise TO educate her children in the
Catholic religion. as required by the Holy
Father.
OF the Prince of Anhalt. another sutton,
she said: Il have seen his letter, and /
have met Germans; l prefer 10 be bored at
home" Prince Won Wlt'genstein was not
more successful. and James Boswell, an
Englishman who had written work on
allow the young girl To abridge his book
In translation. Lord Wemyss had repu.
tatIOn for cruelty, and his suit was not
considered. Monsieur de Charriere, Seig-
neur of Penthez. belonged to a good Swiss
family from Neurhatel, but was without
fortune. He was man of profound learn
ing and austere manners. He. also, might
have been turned away had not Belle re-
Elected that she must escape from Holland;
hat already she had wasted much time
and reached the age of 81 years.
She had wasted time, have I said, but
2
She had learned to know the world; she
had become a PHILOSOPHER of the French
Scholastic had no more illuslonsl Belle
Van Tuyll was profound thinker at an
age when European girls are not supposed
to have one serious thought. She was
constant letter writer, aud in the letters to
her mother, brothers. professors and
friends she poured out her whole soul
These letters have been collected and pre-
served by her husbands family; perhaps.
some time. they will be published. In one
of these epistles she says: Il read the
teachings of theologlsns with ennui, those
of strong minds with horror. those of liber-
tines with disgust. At the age of IA |
wished to know. TO comprehend, every
thing To-day, at the age of 26. have re-
nounced the desire for knowledge Per.
haps, later. l shall find eertainties where
now I find but doubts. In any case. nv
intention is to 6e an honest woman"
Hours each day were spent in study: a
very good musician, Belle Van Tuyll
played the elavecln, composed operas anG
wrote opera librettns. One of these operas.
THE Phenicans," was represented. but
"Polyphemus." 'fruit of her labors and
her tears" was never played in any
theater. She was passionately fond Of
rain,ing,s and Latour, the celebrated
Partisan portrait-painter, went to Utrecht
in order to give Belle lessons in the art.
Latour, who had painted the portrait of
Nine. de Pompadnur. painted that of the
young Baroness Van TuylI, and thi, por-
trait is to-day in the castle of Zuylen.
Above all our heroine loved To read. She
was nourlshed with Voltaire, but she de-
pissed the man. She never Travelled with
out copies of Racine and Moliere in her
valise and La F ntaine In her memarv
She adored Pascal, Nine. De Sevigne. Nine.
de La Fayetie. the Able Provost. and she
knew the classics better than an Oxford
Don. OF these her favorites were tho
Letters of Cicero" Belle Van Tuvii's
taste Ior the sciences was verv pro-
nounced, and her mind was geomet-
rical. She was strong in mathematics and
studied thoroughly speculative and expert
mental physics. 10 one of her letters we
read: Il am far from believing that mpnh
science renders woman more estlmahle
out II l studied nothing / should die from
ennui." AVN
Certainly the Baroness Belle Van TnvIl
was phenomenon. At an early age tho
young girl was accustomed, by intellectual
ISOLATION, to analyze her thoughts and to
ma refuge In herself. To very up
right mind was joined remarkable indie
penaence, clear Judgment disdainful OF
current opinions, and superior to social
preJudices. She calls straightforwarndess
'h:y preferred virtue"
Naturally. this young Dutch woman in
spired Jealousy. and her conduct was mueh
Criticized. Society at The Hague did moi
Ike her, and If the Prince of Orange
KING Christian of Denmark, Primes Henri
~ russia, brother OF Frederic the Great
ana the Baron de Breteuil, Embassa(ior or
tue rfench hing. were charmed by her
turned from her with 1isdain. Rsfarrinr
to her enemies. Belle Van Tuyll wro ,us