Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1922-09-22
OF WHICH SEX?

HISTORY, particularly that portlo
L which deals with the intrigue
and plots that honeycombed the court
Of Europe during the Eighteenth cen
fury is filled with the accounts of ;
number of unusual personages-but 1
Is doubtful if any of these are quit,
as remarkable as the ones connected
with the career of the Chevaliel
q DION whose exploits were directly
responsible for much Of the glory which
Il surrounds the name of Louis XIV.
n Born at Tonnere, France, in 1928
III Charles Genevieve Louis Auguste An.
81 dree Timothee d'Eon de Beaumont de-
81 veloped talent early in life for
impersonating members Of either sex
n with facility which appears to have
n been little less than marvellous. In
Ri fact, the mystery which surrounds the
81 true sex of this adventurer-or adven-
III turess-becomes more, startling with
e& the examination of each exploit. Ac-
nj cOrding 10 contemporary historians,
|# dion was able to appear either as a
81 man or as woman, with an ease
81 which rendered penetration of his dis
81 guise impossible, and his ability in
n this line gained for him (the mascu-
81 line pronoun being used advisedly) a
81 position at the head of the secret
n agents employed by Louis, and 1t was
81 not long before he became the most
n accomplished spy who ever delved into
n the secrets Of court or OWNED the
n Intention of a ruler.
81 Part of the time he would be the
Chevalier d'Eon, dashing, debonair and
fearless. Then the chevalier would
allow 1t to be known that he was
going somewhere on a visit, and a
beautiful woman-versed In all the
arts which make men open their hearts
and their lips, forgetful of the seal of
j secrecy which they would never lift
b 10 their closest male friend-would
81 appear, and another report would soon
s. be on its way to the private sanctum
81 Of the king.
81 No one suspected that the dashing
Il cheyalier and the flirtatious coquette
were one and the same, though when
the exposure was finally made, even
his enemies had the grace TO say that
d'Eon had fought over half of Europe
i and firted over the other half" In
Paris, in London In Rome and in
Genoa, the chevalier added success |
after success TO his long list of VIC |
tories, prying into secrets and ferret
ing out the truth when the greatest |
spies of five kingdoms had utterly
failed.
But 1t was while at the court of the
Empress Elizabeth of Russia, in the |
j feminine role, that the chevalier
achieved his browning triumph. Eu- I
rope was then on the verge of the
Seven Years war, and Louis desired
an alliance with Russia. One after an
other the veterans of the diplomatic
service returned to Paris, stoop-
shouldered and beaten. The imperial
palace, they said, was closed to them.
The empress would have none of their
advice. She was adamant In her de-
cision to stand aloof In the struggle
which was approaching.
AS last resort, d'Eon was dis
patched to Moscow, and before many
weeks had passed, it began to be ru-
mored about the Russian capital that
her majesty had a new maid of honor
who appeared TO have a strange hold
over the queen. The girl, as charming
as she was pretty, was careful not TO
play her cards too rapidly, but she
lost no opportunity to shift the con-
versation to a discussion of diplomacy
and at first TO suggest and then to
- Of oil d |
tween France, Russia and Austria
against Frederick the Great. Little by
little the decision of the queen began ,
to crumble, and, some two weeks after
the new maid of honor disappeared
from the palace-which was about the
same time that d'Eon was making his
report to Louis-it became known that
the alliance would be ratified at an
early date, thus completely altering
the map of Europe.
This, however. was destined to be I
the chevalier's last success. He was
growing old, and lines were appearing {
In his face which 1t was difficult 10
hide by the application OF cosmetics.
Following an almost total collapse OF 5
his plans at the Court of st. James, In Il
London, d'Eon retired from public iite I
and during the 33 years which elapsed
before his death. he dressed contin- n
aally as a woman, using the name q
Mime. dEon." This would appear 10 &
lend weight TO the belief that he be- !
longed to the feminine sex. but beyond q
the fact that be was one OF the worlds b
super-spies, nothing definite has ever p
been discovered about the ambi-sex- b