Page:Every Woman's Encyclopedia Volume 1.djvu/575

 551 WOMAN IN LOVE Romance is not confined solely to the realms of fiction. The romances of fact, indeed, are greater and more interesting ; they have made history, and have laid the foundations of the greatness both of artists and of poets. This section of Every Woman's Encyclopedia, therefore, will include, among thousands of other subjects : Love Famous Historical Stories Love Letters of Famous People Love Scenes from Fiction Love Poems and Songs The Superstitions of Love The Engaged Girl in Many Climes Proposals of Yesteraay and To-day Elopement!^ in Olden Days, etc., etc. TRUE i^ov:
 * STORIES OF FAMOUS PEOPLE

No. 4 MADAME DE MAINTENON DuT few ages can boast of a longer list of illustrious women than can the seven- teenth century — women who by their talents created history ; by their wit, literature ; and by their beauty inspired art. In bold relief, however, pre-eminent among this galaxy of splendid womanhood stands out the name of Ma- dame de Maintenon. She was famous in her own generation ; she has become famous the eyes of pos-
 * erity, and her

hief, but not her nly, claim to ame is her ster- ng goodness. he was a Oman — a Oman very uman and ery lovely. Unsullied she ^^passed through ^Kthe fire of the ^«gayest Court of ^■Europe. Sur- ^^fcrounded by splcn- ^^Bour and the most ^^^ubtle of allurements 1 she emerged at the end a splendid example of purity and inspiration. Louis XIV., in spite of his o unbending dig- nity, in spite of is insatiate H^' conceit, in spite of the transient nature of his affections, found in Madame de Maintenon a woman capable of awakening in him latent ideals, not of regal dignity, but of manhood. And before this woman he humbled himself as a suitor and as a man — Louis, le Grand Monarque, the demi-god, who here- tofore had recognised nothing in all the world as great except himself. Madame de Maintenon was born in 1634, and at her baptism was given the name of Fran- 9oise. The days of her childhood, however, if not actually un- happy, were singularly un- fortunate. In the first place, at the time of her birth, her father, Constantine D'Aubigne, a man of less noble charac- ter than birth, was undergoing a term of imprisonment, partly on account of complicity in political intrigue and partly because, as a means of meeting his liabilities, A great uncrowned queen: Madame de Maintenon, 'he wife of the most he had had re- splendid of European monarchs. COUrse tO the