Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1905-01-07

upon ms own sword. But he lived long
enough 10 discover that she hsd deceived
nm h,m sx,in- Dying and soaked in his own
nim 10 her mausolcum- As the only en-
trance 10 her retreat left rnbarred was a
window. he was drawn up by ropes into
her presence and died And what became
OF ber-this actor from the palace You
know The story. How she tried her charms
upon Octavlus Caesar and failed. How the
prospect OF being carried a prisoner TO
Rome stared her IN the face and how.
rather than be lied captive princess up
the Capltolne Hill" she died by her own
hand. Lacking moral sensc. she wore a
face OF brass TO the end of the traredv
Unlike the sweet-souled Nashti CLEOPATRA
had no we'd OF nodesty for her face and
she asked none for her soul. Darker than
Egyptian night, she has left a dark stain
upon the brow of universal womanhoods
Whittier than the whiteness Of the dawn
WASN'T. like Sheiley's heroine clothed in
virtue adanantine eloquence. paves her
path with human heartsi'
Consider. also. that in STUDYING the trac-
edy OF Nashti we have TO reckon with
her beauty. for she was fair to look on %
When some genius equal to the task OF
writing a history OF beauty appears. men
and women viii find perpetual charm in
its glowing pages. IL VIII contain a page
OF JOY, page Of sorrow. a page of peace.
a page OF war. a page OF love a page OF
nate page OF poetry and a page Of art
bnt " Viii contain many pages developing
this thought-the tragedy Of beauty
But along with her beauty. Nashti nos
sessed that other quality which lends
beauty an enduring freshness and charm
modesty- Nashti owes her place IN history
not so much 10 her beauty az to her mod
esy. II beauty made her queen. modes
y made ner woman. which is far better
As queen, &erxes could Danish her: as
woman, he was defed BY her. A queen.
he could and did dethrone: as woman
she sits upon a throne that has hearts for
its cushions aad centuries for its pillars
The Dubarrys, the Pompadours, the Mon
tespans havs their day and cease 10 be:
but the Nashtis so on forever The Civ
temnestres. the Aspasias. the Cleopatras
are meteors flashing through the darkness
OF eternal night; the Nashtis are golden
suns burning through womanhoods end
less dayi
Indeed. modesty il so inherent an eIe-
ment IN the great essentials making Uenu-
me beauty. that without modesty beauty
Is impossible. We arc indebted 70 no hn-
man law for this truth-God has woven
n INTO the fabric Of our natures Art
critics tell rs that the eighteenth century
vas -eminently the century OF women
Then. we are told: Her grace possessed
the most prestige, her coouetrv the most
disquieting elegance and her beauty the
most triumphant authority Ii was the
age IN which Nine. de pOmnodour reirned
m the court of Louis Nv. The brushes OF
l.atour and Boucher have pleaded with all
the eloquence of their genius and arr TO
deitv this daring woman. She appointed
ministers. she exied those who incurred
her az VIII, she sentenced 20 the Bastile
those who ran counter 10 her imperious
wish She was the patroness OF philoso-
ply, art and song. Through her magic
wand Versailles was toucned into a dream
OF splendor, which has not yet vanished.
Tier collection OF pictures CRYSTALS cam
eos, ANTIQUES and gems was unparalleled in
the kingdom. She squan6ered fortunes on
her palaces. feles and ball. and then
other fortunes on her toilet For twenty
Years tins butchers daughter held her i'm
perial sway. which was broken only by
death. But when the historian tells "a
that u was the dream OF her girlhood 10
seauee the king; that her shameless prodi-
gahty makes the cheek OF decency burn:
that mOdesty found no hospitality among
her sensual charms, we NAV well repeat
the question OF another, Was La Pom
padour beautiful. or merely prettfs" In
senctiVeiy drawing back as we would ia
the presence OF a snake. we answer she
was neither. She was a roval har'ot ma
faded IN gilded shame. lacking most OF an
that jewel Of modesty which sparkles in
he crown of true beauty" Alas for that
land whose women forsake their wells OF
modesty 20 show the people aud princes
their beauty
Consider. finally the price Vashti maid
ior her modesty. For her refusal 20 come
az the kings command was the immediate
cause OF her dethronement. Surely there
are lew finer exhibitions of sacrifice in the
history OF womenhood. We love 20 read
OF Ielesilla, who united courage with the
-tt Of song. and saved Argos: OF Ottawa.
shielding the children OF Cleopatra. her
shameless rival; OF Sulpicia. renouncing
the pleasures OF Rome To 70 INTO exile
Win her husband; of Lucretia. who killed
herself rather than live in dishonor. of
Iornelia, the mother OF the Gracchi. urg-
ing them 20 deeds OF patriotism. of Paula.
leaving her palace on Mount AVentine 10
walk as an angel % charity through the
slnms OF Rome bat no. one OF them OUT
SHINES Nashti
Nor has history given Tins lovely queen
her dues We read much OF Lais. who
nNed an the same century as Nashti. and
VINO was a notorious courteSan. OF the
immoral Aspasia, who counted Socrates
and Perlcles amc1g her .ong list OF ad-
mireys; OF the treacherous Iucilia. who
ruled the cOort oi Marcus Aureius: OF
Agrppina, the infamous mother OF stin
more infamous soD--Nero. All OF these
names have been embiazoned hlgh up ia
The hail 81 fame. But. sadly enough the
events OF sashtis hie like Sappho's songs.
have been lost. And vet these few
Shmpses we have OF her in the first and
second chapters OF the Book OF Esther
Will cause people 20 look at her forever.
She was beautiful IN Shushan the palace,
and she viii be beautiful for all time
She WAS FAIR 20 look on five centuries be-
fore Christ. and she VIII be fair 70 look
on 20 the last day OF the world. Il was
y ashtis beauty OF soul that proclaimed
her the forerunner Of that renaissance tor
which the world Is suffering TODAY. viz:
\ genuine revival OF the old-fashioned.
homespnn, Immortal virtue of modestyl
While the Bible says NOTHING of the sac
ritce she made, be assured that il was big
with pain Long nights Of sorrow shut
her IN. She knew the bitterness OF friend
less days. Lake Dante, she experienced