Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-02-24

The earnest women. who. I'm Eng and
and the United States. are striving for
so much OF a share I'm the government
as is conferred by the right to vote, may
find an argument ready to hand in the
fact that in the late half OF the six
teenth century practically all Europe was
governed by women. England was ruled
by Elizabeth, Scotland by Mary stuart.
Portugal by the infanta daughter OF
Eleanor, Navarro by Queen Jane, the
low countries by the natural daughter oil
Charles v, Spain by Isabella of France
and France by Catherine de Medici. In
instances, it is true, they ruled through
men-but none the less they ruled.
Catherine de Medici was one of the
powerful women of history. If the
phrase great woman can be used OF
one. who. though grossly superstitious.
habitually untruthful, utterly callous ana
cruel, brazenly treacherous. and wholly
without moral sense, accomplished great
things then indeed she was truly great.
She could order the massacre of st. Bar
tholomew and listen unmoved to the
cries of the victims, yet would be thrown
into an agony of terror by the prophe-
cies of a soothsayer or astrologer. With
out hating Professionalism she was capa-
of Huguenots for a political end. and
without conviction of the truths or
Catholicism was capable of posing as the
greatest champion of that faith. She
had many of the qualities of her ances-
tor Lorenzo the Magnificent. who gave
to Florence the characteristics Of cradle
Of genius, and she herself strove in every
way to encourage in the bloody and bar
barous Paris of her time the arts Of
painting, sculpture. music and literary
expression. She secured crowns for four
Of her sons and is suspected of having
poisoned two Of them-the Medici family
is famous for the deadly drop in the
crystal vial.
This woman, grandniece of pope and
a member of the greatest Italian family
of the renaissance. appeared on the hori-
ION of France first in 1888. when she was
married with much splendor at Mar
seille to the young Duke of Orleans,
after Henry II. Her uncle. Pope Glenn
ent VII, had in person conducted her to
the city and given her a bridal portion
of 100000 crowns. Though but fourteen,
she had been highly educated and was
not without experience of vicissitudes.
Only a few months before, being unfor-
tunately caught in Florence during one
Of that city's periodical outbreaks, she
was confronted with the possible fate Of
being immured as a white slave" in a
F'lorentine den, or hung up i'm a crate
over the walls as a target for artillery.
While her captors We're wrangling over
this choice of ways Of expressing their
disapproval of the Medici family she was
rescued.
Her husband having no particular az
lection for the thin, pale. little girl tossed
him by diplomacy for a bride, consoled
himself with Diane de Potiers, who was
old enough to be his wife's mother. but
charming withal. Catherine at once
showed that. despite her youth, she had
tact. and knew how to wait for what she
wanted. Like all Italians of the ruling
class she had studied her Machiavelli we'll,
and followed his cheerful advice to cringe,
lie. betray. deceive until the moment for
action should arrive, then strike without
compunction. She yielded her husband to
his mistress. the sprightly Diane. without
complaint, and even refrained from tWit-
ting that lady on her age. To the mis-
tress of the king, her father-in-law. the
Duchesse d Estampes and to the monarch
himself she was particularly affectionate--
bit of diplomacy which served her in
good stead later. For she had no chill
dren during the first ten years Of her mar
ried life-though ten came to her later
and her husband proposed to divorce her.
But the king would not listen to the ban
ishment Of the little Florentine who used
to accompany him on his maddest hunt
ing gallops, taking occasional falls with
out complaint. 1t may be noted in pass
ing that she first devised the form of
side saddle now in use.
When the old king, Francis /. died the
husband of Catherine assembled the throne
with the title of Henry II. He had the
title, but Diane had the power. and
through him ruled France according to
her whims. Catherine went quietly along,
studying the ways Of this remarkable
court and biding her time. Beneath her
calm exterior was naughty and violent
soul. but to the eye her demeanor was as
placid as a blue lake held in place by
fragile dam. This dam broke when Henry
II, playing at tournament during his
daughters wedding festivities. received a
lance thrust through his vizor full into
his brain and fell dead on the field Of
pleasure.
Then began the period of power for
Catherine de Medic! Her son, now Fran
els II. was too young to reign, being only
sixteen, though already married to Mary
Queen of Scots His mother became re-
gent. Her first act was to strip Diane de