The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-16
SOME VEN hooks.
Cardinal Ma1nrInS NleOes.

An interesting contribution 70 the ro-
a OF history will be found in a volume
untitled Fire Fair Ssters, an Italian Ep'Sode
al he Court Of LoGis XIV. Putnamsl, by
n. NoEL WILLIAMS, author OF Madame
RScamier and Her Friends" and other
works denlinK with women who have played
more or less conspicuous parts In French
social life. The Ave fair sisters are the
Mancini girls, though their uncle. Cardinal
Mazarin, had two other nieces. the daugh-
iers or another sister who also, thanks 10
his influence, were to make great mar
riaaes. Readers Of Dumas the Elder will
recal how near Marie Mnnclni came TO
marrying Louis XIV. himself. Her sister
Olympic had previously conceived a hope
Of the same illustrious match and when
abe had To renounoe IL she consoled herself
with marrying Eugene de Savoie, Comte De
Soisaons. himself a French Prince OF the
blood royaI. by whom she became the
mother OF the great military
of the aame name. Another sister, La'lre'
bocame the wife Of the Duo de Mercpur,
whose father. the Due de Vendome, was
the son of Henri ~. and the beautiful
Gabrielle d'Estrees. The hand OF still an
other sister. Marianne, was solicited by no
less a man than the famous Marechal
Tlrenne. not for himself but for his nephew
Maurice Godefroy de la Tour d'Auvergne'
DUO de Bouillon. Marie, who, "a we have
said. came near marrying Louis XIV. ana
to whom he presented the celebrated pearls.
NJ his aunt, Queen Henrietta Maria be-
came ultimately the wife OF the Constap'e
Colonna, one OF the greatest nobiemen III
IL Italy. The fifth, Hortense Mancinl' VINO
was to inherit the greater part OF the Gar
dinal's Neutrality-suspicious. for that time
married the Marquis de la Mellleraye'
Grant Master Of the Artillery, wnom, at
his Eminence's request, the King mace a
Duke. by the title Of Duo de Mazarln. Iher
two first cousins. Laure and Anne MARIE
daughters OF Mazarin's elder sister, VINO
had married one Girolamo Martinozzi, wero
at least equally fortunate. the former oe-
coming the vile Of Alfonso d'Este. only
son and heir Of the reigning Duke OF Modeha'
and the latter marrying Armand de Bour-
bon, Prince de Cont, younger brother OF
the Prince dc Conde. This is a marvellous
record of social advancement. when we
hear in mind that Mazarin himself rose
from modest beginnings and that it was
only with moderate success hat he had
established his two sisters in marriage
before he left home in 1894 as the Pope's
V~ice-Iepate to France. OF Martinozzi,
who married the elder. but little is known
save that he is said to have been OF noble
descent. Lorenzo Mancini, who married
the younger was a Roman baron who
could trace his ancestry back to the four
teenth century but who seems to have had
only limited means. or course, the matrl-
monial prizes secured by his seven nieoes
could never nave been gained but Tor the
position of First Minister. which Mazarin
held from the death of Richelieu Csoon fol-
lowed by that Of Louis KILL to the attain
ment by Louis XIV. OF his majority. 1t is
well known that the Cardinal, who was not
only detested but almost despised by most
of the French princes and mobiles, could not
have retained ascendency 40 long at the
court OF France but for the extraordinary
influence which he exercised over Anne oil
Austria. who was Queen Regent OF France
from her husbands death throughout her
sons minority. Al the threshold OF this
~rative our author feels it incumbent on
him to offer some explanation OF Mazarin's
prolonged and i~ndisputable power over a
woman who had treated a much greater
man, Richelieu, with disdain.