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Show I "VAMPS" WHO MADE HISTORY I By JAMES C. YOUNG. 1(c) by McOlure Newspaper Syndicate.) THE WOMAN WHO USED MAGIC TO WIN A KING. SHE was a haughty beauty who cast her eyes upon Louis XIV and aspired as-pired to win a place beside him. But the "Grande Slonarque" vould seem to have paid but little attention to her. So the Marquise de Montespan determined deter-mined to win him by the use of magic, in which she was a believer. She paid "witches" to help her, bought "love powders," which she secretly dropped into the king's wine, and resorted to-many to-many other foolish means. Then, in 1GGG, she had the "black mass" saiil over her, a degrading and somewhat horrible ceremony which alleged priests of magic had invented. No doubt the marquise thought that this mass was successful, for the next year she became mistress of the king. Louis, the lover of many women, came under the complete subjection of the marquise. She dabbled in statecraft, state-craft, obtained high honors former favorites, fa-vorites, and generally comported herself her-self as king's mistresses have been wont to do in all ages. She coupled an imperious temper with her beauty, and no doubt Louis spent many a bad quarter quar-ter hour In her company, especially as the marquise and his queen, Maria Theresa, were at sword's point. De Montespan became the mother of several sev-eral children. She selected Madam Scarrbn, afterward the Marquise de Maintenon, to direct their education. I This threw Louis into the company of De Maintenon, and it soon became apparent ap-parent that his love was wavering. When De Montespan found her power pow-er dwindling she resorted to magic, and it may be believed that she tried every conceivable means to maintain her hold on Louis. "Love powders'' again came into play and one of these made the king so ill that she was suspected sus-pected of trying to poison him. This led to an open rupture and not long afterward she left court, much to the delight of the queen, who had been long held In subjection. Maria Theresa was of a devout character, a simple, unpretentious woman, who never could cope with the marquise. But her new hopes were destined to be disappointed. disap-pointed. When De Montespan died In 1707 Louis forbade her children by him. to weir mourning, proving once more his callous heart. There were seven of these children, all legitimatized, and It was no part of the king's plan Hint they should sorrow for a woman who had' been merely their mother. |