The world's famous women ...

Front matter

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.

S]ielf......Ogtl.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

Table Of Contents

i.

CHARLOTTE CUSHMAN.

Born a tomboy — Her early life in Boston — A great mimic — Her first play — Coriolanus and Macready — Birth of her talent — Her father's bankruptcy — She sings in opera — Failure of her voice — Plays Lady Macbeth — Her arduous toils — Member of the Park Company — Her acting of Goneril — She appears in London — A mutton chop a day — Dazzling success — Return home — During the war — Her patriotism and generosity — Her death 17

II. Maria Mitchell

The Mitchells in Nantucket — Maria's education — In the Nantucket library — Her first telescope — She discovers a comet — Tour of Europe — Professor at Vassar — Her dome parties — Her liberal opinions. . 28

III

MRS. TROLLOPE.

Cincinnati in 1827 — The Trollope family there — Her impressions of slavery — An evening party in Cincinnati — Her dislike of America — The fourth of July — Her impressions of 3STew York — Her remarks upon Church going — Anthony Trollope-~His method of working — Mrs. Trollope's last years. 38

12 CONTENTS.

IV. /

ADELAIDE PHILLIPS.

Bom at Stratford-on-Avon — Removal to Boston — Her first appearance on the stage — A child actress — Anecdote of Warren — She sings before Jenny Lind — Studies in Italy — Her debut — Her career in opera — Her death and burial. . 5?

V

TWO QUEENS. THE DAUGHTERS OP JAMES n OF ENGLAND.

The Countess of Bentinct's letter-chest— Why James the Second turned Catholic — The Princess Mary argues with him — William of Orange sails for England — His parting with Mary — Her life during his absence — Crowned Queen of England- Queen Anne's sorrowful life — Death of Queen Mary. . . 60

VI. An Evening With Rachel

Her training for the stage — Alfred de Musset — He reports the supper — The brass platters — She describes her housekeeping — Tastes of absinthe — She makes punch — Cooks the beefsteak — Her love of Racine — Resolves to play Phedre — Her brutal father. , . . ... . . . .68

VII. Josephine And Bonaparte

Their coronation impending — Opposition of the Bonaparte family — Scene at court — Josephine jealous — Noble conduct of her son, Eugene — The coronation rehearsed. . . .78

VIII. Lady Morgan

Her parents and childhood — Her father's romantic marriage- Early writings — Her father's bankruptcy — Goes as governess — Anecdote — Interview with a publisher — Her first novel — The Wild Irish Girl— Her marriage — Residence in Paris — Tisit to Lafayette — Her last years. .... 83

CONTENTS. 13

IX. Maria Theresa

Her father the Emperor — Frederick of Prussia seizes he? Prof 4 ince — Yields Silesia to the conqueror — Interval of peace — The seven years' war — Her complaisance to Pompadour — Frederick's invasion of Saxony — She abolishes torture — Frederick's tribute to her * 105

X. Lady Franklin

Bir John Franklin's first wife — He marries Jane Griffin — Her life in Van Diemen's land — His last Arctic expedition — Not heard from — She assists in the search — Her address to the President of the United States — The liberality of Henry Grinnell — Lieutenant de Haven — The " Prince Albert" — Sir Edward Belcher's attempt — Discovery of relics by Dr. Rae — Lady Franklin's appeal to Lord Palmerston — Captain M'Clintock's expedition — Her letter to him — The final success. . 112

XI. Madame De Miramion

Her early life — Her extreme piety — Death of her father — Her wonderful beauty — Her marriage — Death of her husband — — The young widow carried off — Devotes her life to charity* 125

XII. Peg O'neal

The O'Neal Tavern in Washington — General Jackson and his wife inmates — Peg's childhood — She marries Purser Timberlake — Death of her husband — Marries Senator Eaton — The great scandal — General Jackson defends her — Martin Van Buren calls upon her — Efforts of the British and Russian ministers — The Russian ball — The English dinner — General Jackson's gratitude to Van Buren — Mrs. Eaton's later years. . 131

XIII

MRS. L. M. MONMOUTH, AND HOW SHE LIVED ON FORTY DOLLARS A YEAR.

From affluence to poverty — Advice of her neighbors — The struggle for independence — Her clothing — A cheap dressing-gown 2

Contents

— Her shoes— Her food— Her house a show— Balzac's extravagance—Sir Walter Scott ruined by his house. . . .138

XIV. Trial Of Jeanne Daec, Commonly Called Joan

OF ABC.

Rome refuses to canonize the Maid— Manuscript reports of her trial-— Her native village— France in 1428— A divided allegiance— The Maid's real name— Her character in childhood— Her youth— Effect of Catholic habits—Her commanding presence — Her voices— A revival of religion in the French army — Politicians— Her brilliant career — Her capture — Attempt to escape — In chains at Rouen Castle — The court convened — The prisoner examined — She relates her early life Her firmness — The public sermon — She recants — Sentenced to perpetual imprisonment — Again in chains — Resumes her man's dress — She revokes her recantation — Burned at the stake 148

XV. Harriet Martineau

Her philanthropic severity — Anecdote of Sydney Smith — Her sorrowful childhood — Her education — Begins to write — Discovery of her secret— In the United States— Attends a meeting of abolitionists— Her speech — Odium resulting— Her religious opinions— Florence Nightingale upon her death. . 193

XVI. The Wife Of Lafayette

Mysterious power of rank — Prince of Wales in New York- Lafayette among the Six Nations — Revisits them in 1784— The treaty of Fort Schuyler — Anecdote of Red Jacket — Origin of Lafayette's republicanism — Stationed at Metz— Dines with the Duke of Gloucester — The news from America — Determines to join the insurgents — Ancestry of Madame de Lafayette — Their marriage — He sets sail — Their correspondence — He describes his wound — He returns to France — Brilliancy of their position at court — The French Revolution— Madame escapes the guillotine — Intercedes for her husband with the Emperor of Austria — Shares his imprisonment — Her premature death — Her descendants. , . . . . 204

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CONTENTS. 15

XVII. Betsy Patterson, Otherwise Madame Jerome Bonaparte Of Baltimore

Career of her father—The richest man in the United States — Jerome Bonaparte in Baltimore — Her father opposes her marriage — Consents at last— Napoleon refuses to recognize her — \/ Her return to Baltimore — She despises her country — Letter to Lady Morgan — Betsy reproved by her father — His will — Close of her life. 219

XVIII. Some Ladies Of The Old School

Their rage for gambling — Anecdote of the two black aces — The

woman's club of London — Their sense of decency — Our sum- \

mer hotels — Modern chivalry— Anecdote of Lekain — Society in the colonies — A Connecticut village — The tyranny of fashion — Fashion in ancient times — Lord Palmerston's big boots . . . . 228

XIX. Toru Dutt

Her genius discovered by Mr. Gosse — Her translations from the French — Toru and Aru in* Calcutta — Toru's description of her garden — Her residence in Europe — Their return to India — Her first writings — Death of Aru — Publication of the Sheaf Gleaned in French Fields — Correspondence with Mile. Bader — Specimens of her poetry — Her novel — Our Casuarina Tree 240