The Glenwood post., 1909-10-16

-0Cl7/LRS 80
back pull of his sword. La Chat
eigneraie bled to death. To-day a
coup De Jarnac" means almost q
foul; but the maneuver was perfectly
regular. IL new.
Here is another crime of Chenon
ceau. Diane, having finished the
bridge-wing at cost of 5000 livres
($18.000 today. built Italian gardens
in the style Of Passelo de Mercogliano
The archbishop of Tours lent her
remarkable young gardener. Nicquet.
to train up her fruit walks. Nicquet
was handsome, distinguished. due
tive, innocent; the court was at Blois
there was passing escapade OF a
summers afternoon or two; and then
the handsome young gardener died of
alleged cholera.
OF all DANES crimes, this one stuck
most. The victim was a servant; and
the vengeful clan whispered the tale
to their masters far and wide. Later.
when Henri II, lay dying 1t became
| the pretext on which Tavannes offered
the queen to go and cut off Diane's
nose. Instead, the philosophical Cath
crime De Medicis offered to spare the
fallen beauty's mutilation-on condi-
tion that Diane should give her Che
nonceau.
Catherine de Medici got Diane's
clear title to Chenonceau by the os-
tensible trade of mortgaged Chau-
mont. Gan American woman. Esther
Alexander, legal French wife Of Rob
ert de Broglie, is. with him, co-heir-
apparent to the latter historic chateau
at this moment.)
Her first great fete at Chenonceau
was a triumphal entry for the new
king. her son, Francis II. and his
young wife. Mary Stuart. Arches.
obelisks, columns. statues. fountains.
antique affairs, fireworks. music and
800 cannons made wonderful effect.
These were the happiest days of Mary
Stuart.
They say. indeed. that her ghost is
the only one that has been seen inside
the chateau in the time of the Terrys.
She appears as an elderly woman las
of the time of her deatD in black
an who walks through the bridge
wing. melancholy. surprised. content.
as returning late to empty scenes of
bygone happiness!
Chenonceau, In the hands of the
Vendome-Mercoeur family, went
through long period of abandon
ment The court had quit Touraine.
Young Louis XIII. passed the door
without entering. Vendome and
Mazarin were reconciled at Chenon-
ceau; Louis XIV. IA years old. came
! with his mother to the fete; and from
that dates the splendid gilded furni-
ture which the Terrys retain to-day in
the middle salon. 1t was the last
| royal visit to Chenonceau.
A dowager duchess of Vendome dy-
ing without children in 1718-"killed."
says Saint-Simon, "by abuse of strong
| liquors abandoned and neglect
ed Chenonceau passed by inheritances
| to the Prince de Conde, who sold 1t to
the plain, untitled business man. Du-
| pin.
A business man, an untitled middle
I, class man, at last again owned the
fairy chateau of the water for which
! kings. queens and favorites COM
mitted crimes.
The ghosts of Chenonceau fed the
interior.
Voltaire, visiting Dupin. saw Diane
de Poitiers kissed by La Chateigneraie
in armor, In thicket by the river.
| Jean-Jaques Rousseau, visiting Du-
pin, saw the same love scene. while
a nun mourned and Jealous woman
smiled.
Georges Sand, descendant Of Dur
pin, saw the end Of the wicked festival
where three young noblemen and two
young noble girls were stabbed to
! death.
Grevy, president Of the republic.
visiting the sister OF his son-in-law.
sat In the park at midnight watching.
He bshsld = rabble Of pAls sAAAss be-
sieglng the chateau. They could nos
! enter. STERLING .sHti.l0
y ~.