The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-11

There are few historical characters
about whom so much is known as Mira
beau, and none of whom it Is so impos-
sible to describe accurately or dispas-
sionately. BY some writer's he has been
described as a monster, and by others as
fascinating. lie must have had a r.
narkably strong personality to nave
welded so much power and he must
have been endowed with considerable at
tractiveness to have had so many love af-
fairs. description of him and the pic
| lures oxtant would lead one to infer that
he would have possessed little attractive
ness for the fair sex, for it is noted that
he was born with a club foot, and in ad-
dition to this defect his tongue was so fas-
tened that for years he spoke with diff
ficulty. He was also early attacked with
the smallpox, which left its usual impress
upon his face.
That Mrabeau was susceptible to love
| is shown in a conversation he had with
Gilbert Elliot when he was just rising to
fame: Yes, | was born to be a king,
he exclaimed, land / feel | should do
justice to the role. But my kingdom
must be a kingdom of love- Without love
| | am starved, bliglhted. To love and be
loved, that is what | wish for, not for
! power or glory. Something tells me
shall get my wish. / often fancy that
she whom | am seeking is dreaming of
me, and that some day | shall wake her
from her dream"
| The first real serious love affair of
Mirabeau was with Emile de Margnane.
| This romance at first was thwarted by
the parents of the girl, but Mirabeau, in
order to win, took the unusual means of
compromising the girl by entering her
apartments at midnight. after which the
parents readily gave their consent to save
her good name.
! This marriage turned out to be an un-
! happy one for both, and when Mirabeau
discovered his wife was unfaithful there
was an exciting scene which ended in her
| deserving him, and her refusal to return.
They never lived together again.
1t was at a fete at Pontarlier, in cele-
bration of the coronation of Louis lie De-
sire, that Mirabeau met Madame Sophie
| de Monnier, who was to play such an i'm
portant part in the latter years of his
| life. When she was told she was to be
introduced, she felt deeply fattered, and
when the Introduction took place she
thought: How monstrously ugly he is"
She could not repress little shiver of
repugnance as he bent over her hand and
touched it with his lips.
The next moment Mirabeau raised his
head and looked at her. She noticed with
thrill of astonshment that change
seemed to have come over his ugliness.
The face she now beheld was lit up
with intelligence; taken In detail, his feat
ures even appeared beautiful.
Before the ball was over not only had
Sophie plunged headlong into the abyss
whose depths she sought to plumb. but
even her husband had yielded to Mira
beau's terrible gift of familiarity" Mira
beau tried to fight off his attachment
Sophie was very unhappy in her mar
rlage, for her husband many years her
senior. was insanely jealous of her. Fin
ally Sophie and Mirabeau eloped. AS
they were leaving her home Mirabeau
paused. Sophie. you are going to a life
of hardships and disgrace. Suppose you
should live to repent this night? 1t is
not too late for you to return"
II am incapable of repentance, was
the passionate reply. II implore you, /
command you, to carry me off. l shall
prefer dying felon's death on the scaf-
fold to returning to my husband. If you
do not take me now | shall poison myself.