Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1909-10-26
He Was a Cruelty and MaIevo-
lently MaIigned Frerchman.
NOT A MURDEROUS MONSTER
He Had Matrimonial Misfortunes, It
Is True, but He Seems to Have Been
the Only One Who Came to Grief on
Account Of Them-His Tragic End.

Lie supposedly ueteStdDle DiueDearu.
the monster of murderous polygamy
the very name of the ogre into whose
mouth one used. if one could, in child
hoods happy hour, to throw india rub
Der balls, was in truth a man who has
been as cruelty and malevolently ma
ligned by history rs Nero. Richard H.,
Macbeth, tutti quaint. So says NJ.
Anatole France-and pray who can
speak with higher authority on the
real facts of faery?-in LES Sept
Femmes de la Barbe- Bleue ct Autres
COntes Merveileux" One knew al
ready that Charles Perrault first wrote,
in about 1G60, the historical biography
Of Bluebeard, but one did not know
until now how deeply Perrault. prob
ably through false information, wrong
ed the memory of an excellent and ill
treated parsonage. From NJ. France
we learn that NJ. Bernard de Montra-
goux, of old and noble descent, lived
In 1850 or Whereabouts at the ancestral
Chateau Les Guillettes, on his estates
between Compiegne and Pierrefonds.
The castle, of frowning outward as
taste and wealth. It's owner, contrary
to long existing tradition, wore no
beard, only mustache and a little
tuft below the lower lip. He was
known through the countryside as
Bluebeard because his hair was very
1.I g., IL IL
cheeks and chin were markedly blue.
He was fine figure of a man who,
in spite Of his manifest advantages as
good match. did not get on well with
women of his own rank In life. This
was due to an incurable shyness on his
part. Pleasant and pretty girls who
had been well brought up attracted
him Immensely, but also filed him
with an indescribable terror.
The first notable result of this af-
Fiction was that the unfortunate or,
phan, for such he had been since his
early youth, incapable of making pro-
posals for the hand of any of the at
tractive and high born ladies In the
neighborhood married certain Co
lette Passage, fascinating girl in her
way, against whose character nothing
seems known, who was going round
the country with q dancing bear
Things went well enough for few
months, and then Colette, who had al
first reyeled In being a lady of quail
ity, began to long for her old freedom
i, ~
last she took her departure secretly
with her justly beloved bear. 1t is
noteworthy that they made their es
cape by way of a room that had door
leading to what had been water
meadows, and SO to open country
Perrault called this room lie petit cab
met" but it was also tnown as ''ths
wretched princesses' ROOM" because
a Florentine painter had covered it,
walls with the most lifelike figures q
Gree, Niobe and Procris. The tragic
effect of these paintings was enhanced
by the porphyry flooring of the room
which suggested bloodstains,
Montragoux appeared inconsolabl'
at the disappearance, which was com
| plete, of Colette, his first wife, ans
doubtless his lot would have been fal
| less unhappy If he had never tried t.
| console himself This, most unfOr
| tunateIy, he did by marrying on
| Jeanne de la Cloche, who turned on
/ to be violent dipsomaniac. Blue
beard was of nature SO kindly an,
noble that, although in a fit Of mat
passion she nearly killed him with
kitchen knife, he continually hoped Z
reclaim her by kindness. But one da,
| she strayed into the generally shut u
Processes room, took the painted fa
ures for real people and was so terri
fed that she rushed wildly into tn
open fields, tumbled into deep poo
and so was drowned.
/ So things went on, new Athletic
with each new wife, and In each cas-
the final catastrophe was associate
with the princesses' room. The china
to the unhappy career OF the moi
than worthy and lovable Bernard d
Montragoux came with his seyent
wife, Jeanne de Lespoisse, cleyere'
and most fascinating Of family (
utterly INSCRIPTIONS adventures. \
one knew anything about the suppose
late husband Of the mother. or I'll
two brothers, a dragon and a muske
Ger, one was low rascal and a mel
| sponge; the other lived on gaming an
on the good nature of women to who
he made love Anne, the sister, va
J the incarnation of malicious cunnin
Associated with this precious fami
was certain Chevalier de Meriu
who had great deal to do with q
finaI tragedy OF 81. de Montragoux
career. The nature Of this TRACED
may be inferred, but it Is curious tha
! while Perrault represented Bluebeal
5 as taking journey in order to lay
trap for his wife, the fact was exact
opposite. Both before and after
marriage he had heaped benefits
all these wretches. When he W
obliged to 90 away in the matter
!, an inheritance he gave all his ke
= without reseRe< to his wife. warnil
her out Of pure love against the U
bappy associations of the princess
room. AS soon as he was out OF {
. way a trap was laid for him, and
was In that very room that ne
,nost traachesous assassinated.
worst ana the b1st Vof # was
7, AZ Merlus, after marrying p
widow. bacs me aIn cmp