Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-03-23

to tako vows and enter q convent. But
family considerations proving stronger
than religious connections, at the age OF
Is sho married. Colonel dc L'Enclos,
Partisan man of the world and roue of IS.
From first to last Nine de L'Enclos was
not only model wife and mother, but she
was the most pious and ascetic woman Of
her day outside u convent, and men like
Noltaire have boldly asserted that it was
this popularity of the mother that pro-
duccd reaction in the daughter and made
her one Of the most VIGOROUSLY attractive
and corrupt women in history.
But despite the sophistrics Of tho bril-
liant French philosopher, it is now well
understood that Ninon's father, Colonel dc
l. Enclos, was the one person who shaped
the life Of this woman, though, in doing so,
he found no opposing or refractory material
to he manipulated.
Ninon do I.'Enclos was woman at II.
Saint Evrcmond in describing her says:
"No artist would call Ninon beautiful. She
Is of my own age, and rs children we played
together. Her height is under the medium
for women, but she is 1.-the as n fawn,
active as sprite and full OF captivating
yivacity. No man capable of emotion
ever saw hcr without being enslaved by
her inexpressible powers OF fascination.
Her eyes arc a grayish brown, with strange
nccks in them, that flash like fire. Her
mouth is large, but il Is full of even, white
teeth. which she delights to show. Her
nose is irregular, her brow broad and low,
and her back head large, tho whole covered
with q glorious corona of hair that Is
brown In tho shadows and CLEANS with
love fires In tho light. Her hands and feet
are shapcly, white and strong; and her
chcckboncs high. Ninon Is far from being
n beauty, but oh, by all the saints, st.
Anthony included, no woman since Eve
had the power to fascinate men like this
woman! I loved her as . hoy. l loved
her rs n man; and now that l am grizzled
and near the grave l love Ninon, to
whom the gods have given the gift of con-
tinuous youth and perpetual CHARM
When Ninon was ID tho candle of her
fathers life, which had been burned ut
both ends and tho middle, went out. She
could have lived above want, but she had
tasted Of tho scnsuous enjoyments of the
Partisan life OF the day, and so sneered al
the prospects of quiet, rural home with
her pious mother.
Like all women Of her class, who have
turned notoricty into fame Ninon dc l. En-
clos had u phenomenal intellect, particu-
larly developed along artistic and linguis-
tic lines; but she appeared to be wholly
wanting in the reasoning faculty and tho
powers of forcthought.
At n time when English was not popu-
lar In Franco she learned to speak the Ian.
guago and to win the praise of Bacon for
her accuracy. In all the armada there
was not an officer fresh from Castillo who
knew or spoke spanish better then Ninon.
German, Italian, Portuguese and Flemish
were among her accomplishments. She
was n practical cook. an artistic painter,
and, in designing. gave lessons TO the cos
tuners of Mantua.
Ninon played the harp like Apollo and
wrote songs that would have done credit
to Sappho. She was skilled as Ovid In
the arts of love, and she knew the tricks
| Of craftsmanship as well rs Richclieu.
No crushing want or overwhelming ne.
ccssity drove Ninon dc L'Enclos to her life
Of brilliant immortality and heartlcss in
difference to right. With open eyes and
all the consequences In sight she deliber-
ately entered on that career that meant
| ruin to SO many OF both sexes.
Gifted with what seemed perpetual
| youth, she entered on a life Of dissipation
| that brought no physical penalties to her.
self Thousands, trying to initiate her,
went down shriveled and blasted in the
| furnace Of passion. from whose flames she
came ever unscathcd, and without even
| the odor Of the smoke.
II is said that at the age Of Is Ninon
knew more about Montaigne, the idol OF
literary France, than did any member Of
the Academy. and that no singer, dancer
or actress In the capital was at all he-
equal.
Bright, brilliant, cultured and fascinat-
| ing, there was no single man in the king.
dom whom she could not have married at
this time, had she been so disposed. but
dispassionately, deliberately and withor:
| the glamour Of social seduction or the temp.
tations that press virtue in want, she made
up her mind to play the role Of adventur.
ess, and to market gifts that might have
| made her model In her own timo and the
9logy q 6o1 OeX through succeeding area.