The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1906-08-08
SOME FAMOUS WOMEN
BEAUTIES WHO HAVE FIGURED IN
THE FATE OF NATIONS


Fompndour-Louisa of Prussia, who
Won SiIesin From Napoleon.
1t Is curious that no picture gallery
has ever been made of the beautiful
women who have influenced history.
From the days of the great Egyptian
queen many a dull page Of history has
been lighted up by some fair face that
has brought little human interest into
the dry and cold calculations of kings
and politicians.
Antony was not the last politician
whose course was influenced by beau
ty. Think of the beautiful Louisa OF
Prussia jesting with Napoleon for a
kingdom. II knew that was to see
the most beautiful queen in existence"
said Napoleon to Talleyrand after
banquet given in her honor, "but |
have found the most beautiful queen
| and ut the same time the most inter
rsting woman In the world" And Lou
lsa had won from him the restoration
Of Sllesia.
1t is said, indeed that she laughingly
offered him a rose in exchange for the
| fortress of Magdeburg, but Napoleon
was one of the iron men of the world.
He kept the hower-and Magdeburg.
A book of Beautiful Women" by
Halett Hyatt, has pictures of some of
the most beautiful women that have
ever lived, and Mrs. Steuart Erskine
has gathered their romantic stories.
One comes upon picture Of Eliza
Farren the actress, who began life by
playing childish parts in strolling
company and advanced to fame in Lon
don as Miss Hardcastle in she Stoops
to Conquer" She became IL favorite in
society and married the twelfth Lord
Derby, when she "llyed happily ever
after" taking her place Mt court and
in society. No barriers are lnsurmount-
able to the career of beauty.
Here is the picture of Madame" the
beautiful Henrietta Stuart, youngest
daughter of Charles l.. who married
the Duke of Orleans. The features
seem hard and the expression some
what cold and stately. She would ap-
pear woman more of brain than ten
derness. In reality she had sparkling
wit, with that wonderful gift of per-
sona magnetism-"All men loved and
most women adored her" wrote gal
liant Frenchman in his memoirs.
Life in the French court was CON
tinual round of pleasure, and the days
were passed in ballets and theatricals.
In the morning madame would drive
out with her ladies', to be escorted on
their return by King Louis XIV. and
his court on horseback After supper
they would all drive out, accompanied
by Lulli's violins, to watch the moon
light on the water and talk the moon
shine of lovers.
Five years later madame was the
kings trusty adviser and the only me-
dium of communication between him
and her brother, Charles ii. 1t was in
the spring of 1910 that she brought
about that secret treaty Of Dover that
made Charles Roman Catholic and
plunged England into war with Hol-
land
That was the summit of madame's
power. The sequel was CHASTITY and
dramatic. A few weeks later she was
at st. Cloud in the flush of high spirits
at her success. A glass of iced chicory
water was brought at her request, and
she drank it off quickly. Five minutes
later madame was no more. All the
power of her fascination and beauty
was ended by secret poison.
As the pages are turned the portrait
of a lady in brocaded dress appears
face with very deep forehead and
expressionless lips. This is the famous
Nine. de Pompadour Her birth was
very humble indeed, but she came in
the way of Louis Nv. who gave her
unlimited influence till she became a
recognized power in Europe. For
many years she conducted the foreign
policy of France interviewing ambas-
sadors and treating with kings. Re
buffed by Frederick the Great, this
amazing woman made overtures to
Maria Theresa of Austria to divide his
kingdom between them, and, sitting in
her summer house, she gayly arranged
with couple of diplomats the reparti-
ton of Europe.
MOTtONtI, DuL lut ohS
gave to her personal likes and disikes,
it Is not improbable that she would
have accomplished some of the less
wild Of her schemes. Her dramatic
end has often been told. In the midst
of discussion on affairs Of state, as
she sat rouged and powdered in her
chair, the cure who was with her rose
to go. She detained him. "One mo-
ment, NJ. lie Cure" she said, 1--WE will
take our departure together" And a
few minutes later the beautiful diplo-
matist was dead.
The portrait Of the unlucky Marie
Antoinette, frank. queenly, superb, of
whom Burke rapturously wrote, "Glit-
tering like the morning star, full Of life
and splendor and JOY" is here too. Re
call her life at the Petit Trianon, that
miniature palace with the Corinthian
pillars, where she wandered about un'