New-York tribune., 1902-06-08
NINE. DE MAINTENON.*
HER PORTRAIT DRAWN BY COM
PANION
WIFE MEMOIRS OF MILE D'AUMALE-
yHEIR REVELATIONS OF THE PRIV ATE
CIRCLE OF LOUIS XIV.
D'AUMALE-
Paris. May 30.

tary stewardess, business woman, reader ana
comedienne Of Nine. de Maintenon, present d
truthful and intimate reelection OF the private
life OF the "Roi Soleil" volume has just beeh /
made of them edited with scholarly thoroush-
ness by NJ Gabriel Hanotaux. member OF the
French Academy, ex-Mnister of forelgn Al
fairs. and author of the life of Richeleu- For IL
Count d'Haussonve, member OF the frehcli
Academy biographer of Sainte-BeuVe ana
grandson of Nine de StaeI has written an IN
teresting notice of the author. 1t would IN
deed he difficult to find men better quaiined 10
deal with subjects pertaining to Louis Ai' anu
Nine de Maintenon than are the TWO Acaoeil- |
clans who have now completed TASK WHICH /
they had both somewhat reluctantly uhuei
taken.
The life Of Mile. dAunale a quick "itteo' |
even tempered observant and attractive young |
woman of noble birth. passed in fitting
about in company with leading personases Oh
the court of Versailles at the zenith OF lIs
1-r;arca She was to Mime. de Maintenon very |
much what Father Joseph was to Rchelieu'
what Eckerman was to Goethe, or what bps-
we'll was to Johnson. She Is not mefliolieo ~ |
Saint-Simon, who nevertheless die" Ieeis upoN
ba- diary The Due de Noailles has cited her
letters and the manuscripts left oy her are |
quently referred to by Theophlie Lasaiiee III LIS
dozen volumes of historic documents, emoodyins
NJ, ID Naintepon But the letters of TINS
so+;1e ,arsonage now published for the hfst |
+;ne throw new and interesting hsh' upon
Mime de Maintenons career, and give ihoie 'i1
4i,oate and accurate descriptions Oh tie 0ou
life Of her day than anything that has appeared
since the memoirs Of Saint-Simon
T. is nv 2 curious coincidence that the women
destined to WELD supreme influence over lhe '"o
most glorious rulers of France received their
+11pir oh
The most unreasonable periods of their lives IN
the island of Martinique Josephine de Id
Pagerie born and bred near St Pierre, now a
modern Pompeii became empress, and ffahsoise
d'Aubigne born in a debtors prison at NlorI
erngrated when four years old with her gam
bling penniless, yet aristocratc, father to Fort
de- France and was brought up in modest
dwelling near Mont Pelee until she was twelve.
Then she was taken back to Paris, where, after
being converted to Professionalism and recon
1erted to Catholicism, she was presented as "a
vounc Indian" by one of her mothers relatives
10 Scarron the famous wit and comic writer |
Mile d'Aumale relates how the defor1neo yet
generous invalid married her, how until Scar
,or,s death she was his faithful nurse, and how
she bridled the license Of what nowadays would
be called their bohemian surroundings. She
describes also how the attractive young widow
met Nine de Montespan-who was already,
the Hotel dAlbret, and how she became gov
erness of the Kings children by Mime. de
Aontespan She saw how Louis XIV aValied
himself of his many opportunities of seeing
Nine Scarron and how, notwithstanding 1uFl-
ous outbursts Of jealousy on the part OF Nine
de Nontespan. her more equabie rival gre"
steadily in the royal favor, and attained the
,,,arnuisate of MaintenOn. Although Nine. de /
Maintenon never declared her marriage with
T,a1is XIV there are passages in Mile q Au-
males letters which confirm the statement oi
voltaire that the wedding took place In private /
in January 1856, the ceremony being performed .
Inv Harlav Archbishop of Paris in the presence .
Of Pare Ia Chaise. the Kings confessor, the /
Rishop of Charities and other court dignltdrles
This volume contains some twenty letters OF .
7 Touts NV Most of them relate to trivial sub
ia-+s One dav in August the King wrote: 1t .
is altogether too hot weather to think of hunt !
ing today Besides, my physician has just bied
me and l must take dose of medicine. 80
shall not be able take walk with you'll .
Won feel so inclined-until This evening Louis
IF Won care To walk with me from j TO o'clock
this afternoon. come to the Apollo Gate where
van Will find me with sedan chair for you,
and with two wheeled chaIiots for any ladies
Won may wish to bring with you-but don't
think of coming unless you feel like it. Louis
Concerning a false report mace to the King re