The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-12-31
Facts About Great Women.

The Greek Sappho. who lived nearly a
century before the Christian era, was The
greatest poetess the world has ever known.
She invented new measure in lyric poetry
and was SO esteemed by her countrymen
that they stamped their money with her
image She Is reported TO have thrown
herself into the sea because of unreQuited
love.
Cleopatra's conquest over the great Cae-
sar and Anthony are said to have been due
not alone to her beauty of face and form.
but in an equal measure to her wonderful
intellect. She conversed fiuently in nine
different languages. 1t was at a banquet
given 10 Anthony that she dissolved her
famous pearl, valued at over Sao. 600, in a
glass of vinegar. After Anthony's defeat
by Octavius and his subsequent death. she
destroyed herself by the sting of an asp.
Octavia, wife Of Anthony, was a woman
of type directly opposed to that of Cleo
patra. In all history there is no nobler nor
more magnanimous character. Deserted by
Anthony for Cleopatra. and driven from
her home by his orders, she nevertheless
endeavored to shield him from the fury of
her brother tOctav:us) and the Romans.
After his (Anthony's) death, she raised as
her own three of his children by Cleopa-
ira
Joan of Arc, who in the early part of the
fifteenth century victor.ously led France
against the English and who was the chief
instrument in crowning Charles VII as
King Of France over the English pretend
er, Henry VI. was afterwards sold by her
ungrateful rountrymen to her enemies, the
English. They, to revenge themselves for
the disasters she had brought upon them,
burned her az the stake.
Madame de Maintenon, afterwards the
wife OF Louis XIV, was raised in very
humble circumstances; a dependent upon
the bounty of rich relative. she was COM
PEELED to do the most menial labor. At the
age of 16 she married the poet Scarron, and
after his death became governess to the
children of Madame de Montespan, the
kings mistress. A woman of great tact
and skill, she met and soon ingratiated her
self into the heart of the tickle monarch.
When she was about 30 and ne A they were
secretly married. Her great ambition,
however, was not realized, as she was
never acknowledged as Queen Of France"
Madame de Pompadour, whose name is so
closely connected with that of the sue
ceeding monarch, Louis XIV. is a most in
teresting character in history. Though of
plebian birth, she was nevertheless pos
sessed of rare accomplishments and beau
~. and is said to have been an artist, an
actress and musician of no mean ability
Her exquisite beauty and grace captivated
the heart Of Louis XIV at his first meeting.
From this time On to the day of her death,
ruler of France. Many authorities hold
her responsible for the Seven Years War"
Madame de Stael was one Of the bright
est figures of the Napoieonic PERIOD Men
of Brilliant inteflect-Talleyrand, Chateau
brand, Lafayette and iGrimm-sought the
friendship of this talented writer. She
made the best translation and criticism of
Kant that had ever appeared until her day
So biting was her wit that Napoleon once
said: II would rather face a thousand SOL
diers with fixed bayonets than excite the
sarcasm of her pen" y
Madame Racamier, the friend and con-
temporary of Madame de Stael, was a wo-
man of transcendant loveliness. At one of
the fetes of the Directory, rising to her full
height, the better TO see the great Nato-
leon, she at once attracted the attention of
the crowd, who turned from me great gen.
eral to gaze at her. This so wounded the
amour propre of Napoleon that he gave her
a terrible frown, causing her to sink back
in ner chair with terror