The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1922-10-06
OF WHICH SEX?

HISTORY, particularly that portion
which deals with the intriyues
and plots that honeycombed the courts
OF Europe during the Eighteenth CEN
Jury. is hlled with the accounts Of a
number of unusual personages-but II
is doubtful If any of these are quite
as remarkable as the ones connected
with the career of the Chevalier
dEon, whose exploits were directly
responsible for much of the glory which
surrounds the name of Louis XIV.
Born at Tonnere, France, in 172S.
charles Genevieve Louis Auguste An
oree Timothee d'Eon de Beaumont de-
Veloped talent early In life for
| impersonating members of either sex
with a facility which appears to have
| peen little less than marvellous. In
lact, the mystery which surrounds the
true sex of this adyenturer-or adven-
turess-becomes~ more startling with
the examination of each exploit. Ac-
| corning TO contemporary historians,
dEon was able to appear either as a
man or as woman, with an ease
which rendered penetration of his dis
guise impossible, and his ability In
this line gained for him (the mascu-
line pronOun being used adysedly) q
position at the head of the secret
agents employed by Louis. and 1t was
not long before he became the most
accomplished spy who ever delved into
the secrets of a court or OWNED the
intention of a ruler.
Part of the time he would be the
theyalier d'Eon, dashing, debonair and
fearless. Then the chevalier would
allow it 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
secrecy which they would never lift
to their closest male friend-would
appear, and another report would soon
be On its way to the private sanctum
of the king
No one suspected that the dashing
chevalier and the firtatious coquette
were one and the same, though when
his enemies had the grace to say that
d'Eor had fought over half of Europe
and fiirted over the other half" In
Paris in London, in Rome and In
Genos, 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 it was while at the court of the
Empress Elizabeth of Russia, in the
feminine role, that the chevaliel
achieved his browning triumph. Eu
rope was then on the verge of tn,
Seven Years war, and Louis desired
an alliance with Russia. One after an
other the veterans Of the diplomat,
service returned to Paris, stoop
shouldered and beaten. The imperia
palace, they said was closed to them
The empress would have none of thei
advice. She was adamant in her de
cision to stand aloof in the struggle
which was approaching.
As a last resort, d'Eon was dis
patched to Moscow, and before man.
weeks had passed it began to be RI
mored about the Russian capital tina
her majesty had a new maid of homo
who appeared to have a strange holt
over the queen The girl, as charming
as she was pretty, was careful not &
play her cards too rapidly, but sh
lost no opportunity to shift the con
versation TO discussion of diplomac
!, and at first to suggest and then L
prove the wisdom of an alliance be
tween France, Russia and Austrii
against Frederick the Great. Little b.
little the decision of the queen begal
TO crumble, and, some two weeks afte
the new maid of honor disappeare'
; from the palace-which was about IN
same time that d'Eon was making hi
report to Louis-it became known ina
the alliance would be ratified ar a
early date, thus completely alterln
the map of Europe.
This. however, was destined to b
the chevalier's last success. he wa
growing old, and lines were appearin
in his face which il was dificult |
hide by the application Of cosmetics
Following an almost total collapse G
his mans at the Court of ST. James,
London. d'Eon retired from public Hf'
end during the SO years which elapse
before his death. he dressed contir
uolIv as a woman, using the nam
mime. DION" This would appear
r lend weight to the belief that he %
!. Iorred 70 the feminine sex, but oeyon
, the fact that he was one OF me "o'iu
, super-spies. nothing definite has eve
haan discovered about the ambl-se1
trous chevalier.