The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-11-04
a FAMOUS FRENCH WOMAN.
The Wit, Beauty, Talent and Extrava-
gance of Mime. LIE Brun.
From Kate Field's washington.

gance of Mime. LIE Brun.
From Kate Fields Washington.
The closing years of the reign of the I'M
fortunate Louis XIV were almost exclu-
sively devoted by his court to the worship
of pleasure. While the king himself was
busily employed moulding horseshoes
over the anvil in the royal smithy-for he
was an amateur blacksmith-his wife ana
her fair ladies of honor used TO dress like
sheperdesses and receive the shephers,
chief of whom was Lauzun, the Beau
Brummel of his day, in the Trlanon, near
Versailles. where dancing would usually
be prolonged till the dawn. At that hour
a visit would be paid by the queen and her
maids to the dairy, where they MIXED the
cows, filling pitcher after pitcher, which
they would afterward present very gra-
ciously to the lips of their beaux cavaliers.
They enjoyed the sweets of these happy
moments without ever dreaming that
revolution was in the air which would,
with the cold steel of it's guillotine slit
most of their dainty necEs, or foreseeinE
that the fires OF the Faubourg st. Antoine
were preparing even then to scorch to
death MANY of these scintillating moths
that fluttered around a doomed crown and
a tottering throne.
one OF the IaNOrlteS OF Marie AnIOlnelte
in her more or less innocent merrymak-
ings at the Trianon was Nine. Elizabeth
lie Brun, a famous portrait painter of that
epoch. The maiden name of the lady was
Vigee She was born in Paris, 1855, and
early in life displayed signs of undoubted
artistic talent which she inherited from
her father, who was himself an artist
Mile. Vigee used in her girlhood to fire.
quent the public galleries of the Louvre
and Luxembourg, copying Rembrandts
and Vandykes, as well as Greuze's female
heads, with such skill that she soon was
enabled to earn comfortable competence
for herself.
The misfortunes that darkened her early
career commenced with the death of her
father. who left his family penniless and
dependent for support on Mile. Elizabeth.
A year afterward her mother married,
with the result that the younger woman
had to provide for her step-father, who
was a rake and an idler. The poor girl
found it hard at this stage of her existence
to make both ends meet, till she obtained
a situation in the store and studio of NJ.
LIE Brun, painter and picture dealer. who
was one of the leading art connoisseurs Of
Europe. lie Brun was considered at the
time to be a wealthy man, and made
moiseles mother was anxious to bring
about a marriage between her daughter
and this supposed Croesus.
lie Brun protested to fall in love with
Elizabeth, whose face and figure were eX-
tremely beautiful, but she rejected his
advances, as he was more than double ner
own age, till she was driven at last to
accept them at the instigatlon of her step
father, who insisted on the match. lie
Rrun, when he became the husband Of
the young artist, displayed himself in his
true colors. a few weeks after the honey
moon she discovered that he was gam
bier and a drunkard, and eventually
h. leo tool
bankrupt He determined, however, to
make his wife work for his support
Mutely submissive to her lord and mas
ter Nine LIE Brun gave lessons in paint
ing and executed portraits, all the DTo-
ceeds of which went into the pockets OF
her INSCRIPTIONS husband, who spent
them at the roulette table. The fellow
had actually married her to save himself
from his creditors. on one occasion she
received $4,000 francs for portrait of the
son of a certain Princess Lubomirska,
which she was compelled TO hand over to
her spouse, who gave her 40 francs for pin
money in return Seeing herself thus left
utterly penniless, her pride and self-inter-
est eventually persuaded her to give lie
Brun his walking papers and forbid him
to have anything further to do with her
financial affairs. Shortly afterward
they separated.
Having rid herself successfully of this
marital incubus, fame and fortune
crowned her with most precious laurels.
Her bewitching beauty formed an impor-
tant factor in the subsequent triumphs
that attended the efforts of her brush.
She reached the climax of her glory when
she was specially invited by Queen Marie
Antoinette to become member of the
French court
La Harpe, the poet, wrote enthusiastic
verses in her praise. while other bards
penned sonnets TO her eyebrows and de-
livered themselves Of yards of exquisite
cush on the fascinating charms Of her
person. The result was that she became
the lioness of dainty aristocratic circles.
Fashionable society used to attend her
bi-weekly receptions. Her palatial home
in the heavenly fields were the resort OF
mobiles, artists and librarians and their
respective wives.
Tho apartments Of hor palace were
heated with fragrant aloes wood. the fires
being sometimes lighted with bank notes.
Her table In tho refractory was covered
with gold plate. over which petit sOupcr8
were given, characterized by Attic taste
and Partisan splendor, while on the bal
cony without some Of the most talented
artists OF the city Foothed the ears Of the
quests with snatcheg OF exquisite musfr
Prominent among the habitues of the
mansion were tho dandihcd Niacount dc
seeur aud NJ. Dolile the parasite Of the
royai family who afterwards became one
of tho poetic glorinefs Of the bloody reign
~ terror. . ..
ono day this pocilraI Wag read for NINE
Ie Hrun trsnHlafi0ns ~ the travels Of
Anarcharsis. iu which that writer minute