Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-03
FAMOUS WOMEN OF HISTORY.
AGNES SOREL (THE LADY OF
BEAUTY)-141O-1450.
Copyrighted, 1918, by Willis ]. Abbott

Charles VII Of France was the soE
of a lunatic, and was himself indolent
vacillating and sensual. Notwithstanding
these facts the belief of the day was that
like his mad father before him, ne mac
been especially selected by God 10 %
King of France. This theory was nat
urally accepted by Charles, and BY Ger
tain number OF French mobiles, courtiers
and parasites who expected to i've II
comfort and idleness through the favoi
of this d.vinely selected king.
The theory was. however. rejected oy
England. where there was ten-Month'
old baby boy, called Henry VI, whose
father had married the sister of Charles
VII. and who was supposed to nave IN
herited the divine appointment to the
French throne through the same crazy
monarch. Charles VI. whose days enoeo
IN the rnadhouse. The English buttresseo
the claims of their baby king by the
terms of the treaty of Troyes, signed IN
l42D. and they sent the Duke OF beoIoru
10 France to act as regent LOT the sos
ereign IN swaddling clothes IL VIII "
observed that the French people mac
nothing part cular to say In the ma.ter,
though when rounded UP and armed Dy
one or another of their feudai Ioros they
fought very we'll for whichever sue their
particular lord eSpouSed-
At the beginning of the time with which
Agnes Sorel was Identified the two moS'
powerful dukes in France. those OF But But,
gundy and Brittany, sympathzeo VIII
paris. The English dominated all the
country north of the Loire from the
nIeuse to the Bay Of Mont St Micnaei.
Poor Charles had as little land as ms
father had mind He could NOT can n,,n
self King of France. because he conld
not enter Rheims to be crowned IN &C
cordance with French precedence 80 ne
took the title Of King OF Bourges' anu;
being barred from Paris. took ms rosa o.
pleasures in the provincial to"hs VI
Poitiers, Chinon and Tours.
Girl Did Fighting for Him.
Charles had neither the courage nor
the energy to fight for his rights-if
rights they were-until a peasant girl.
Joan of Arc, came from the peach OF
chards OF a little village and DID ms
fighting for him. She reused the Ilre OF
war in his soldiers and led them to re-
peated victories, even singing him into
some semblance OF king-ike energy. Joan
cut open tine way into Rheims Tor the
spineless sovereign. and saw him crowned
I'm the great cathedral. Then she would
have fam retired from war. but Charies
compelled her continuance with his army
until betrayed into captivity. she was
burned alive by the British, the nerve
less ana CNgTdteIUl bluS SIG Hdu Ch-
throned doing nothing to save her.
With Joan dead and her ashes scat
tered on the Seine Charles VII re-
lapsed into his old state OF lethargy and
sensual disqualification. Again his
land was laid waste by the spoiler.
churches and castles were in flames. and
farms and villages were laid desolate
For the time Charles gave no heed.
After a space. however. his people dis
cerned a change in him. He seemed to
rouse himself from his srupOr, to throw
off his letharsy. Panders, cOurtesans
and self-seekers were driven from his
court Able and high-Ininded statesmen
succeeded them, and negotiations We're
begun for final peace with Brittany
and Burgundy. The War was entered
upon with new vigor. and it appeared
that at last Charles was TO be every inch
q king.
What had worked the metamorpho5is?
Put coldly. vulgarly perhaps, the king
had acquired a new mistress To COM
prehend the true significance OF this we
must set aside all our present-day ideas
and try to look upon life as it was in
q French court Of the fifteenth century.
Agnes Sorel, who had won the not very
precious affections of Charles, and who
at once began to use her ascendance
over him for the best and most patriotic
purposes, was at this time about twenty
two years old. She was born in 14lO in
an old castle Of Touraine, educated In
the school of a religious order. and
finished" as maid of honor to the Ouch
ess Isabelle, wife of the Duke Of Anjou.