THE QUEEN AMONG MONKS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7927, 19 July 1887, Page 4

THE QUEEN AMONG MONKS.

The Paris correspondent of the Chicago Tribune writes as follows: —A world o£ gossip and reminiscence has been called forth by the visit of Queen Victoria to the Monastery of Grand Chartreuse. It was indeed in itself an interesting event. This famous monastery, where is compounded the most delicious cordial in the world, is known as one that never admits a woman within its gates. But in this event it has not only admitted a woman, but an heretical Protestunt to boot. Verily, the old order changeth. Her Majesty, of course, had to have a special passport from no less a dignitary than the Pope himself. But this was not difficult to obtain. Leo XIII is ready to do a favour to any monarch, and especially to her of England. Besides, the Queen and the Pope are personal friends. Before Leo XIII was elevated to his present rank he met her Majesty several times; both in England and on the Continent, and they became well acquainted with each other. It is a curious historical episode, however, and one which is unique since the Reformation, for an English monarch and a Pope of Rome to be personal friends and to ask and receive favours of one another. Queen Victoria, however, was by no means the first woman to be admitted to La Grande Chartreuse. Indeed the rule against such visitors is not absolute. Women of the reigning family of France, when France happens to have a reigning family, are admitted without hesitation. Is is a fact, however, that they have seldom sought entrance. In fact only one—the Empress Eugenic— ever did so. The Comtesse de Paris went there once .with her husband, but was refused. " But," said the Comte, "is not she the lawful Queen of France?" "It is true, your Majesty," said the ger.oral of the order, " but the law does not now prevail. De jure is unhappily not de facto. I trust the time will quickly come when Madame la Comtesse will gain her royal rights, and then I shall be most happy to welcome her to our poor monastery;" So she had to go away disappointed. The general of the order privately told the Comte that he would have waived the technicality and admitted her just as though she had actually been the reigning Queen, only he was afraid the Bonapartists would hear of it and raise a row. The Bonapartists as well as the Orleanists were faithful children of the church, and it would not do to discriminate between them. It is commonly said that one of the'women who have entered La Grande Chartreuse is the Queen of Italy. The statement is misleading. Any foreign queen or princess must have a special license from the Pope. Of course it is not to be imagined that the present Queen of Italy would seek such a favour from the Holy Father, nor that he would grant it if she did so. The relations between the Quirinal and the Vaticah are much too strained for that. For the same reason it is impossible that the Queen of Victor Emmanuel could have visited the monastery. The lady in question, who was admitted, was doubtless Queen Marie, wife of King Francis d'Assisi, of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. These royalties are, of course, not reigning in Italy or elsewhere any more than at Jerusalem, of which latter long dead kingdom ;Francis is titular monarch. But their rights are recognised—their claims rather—by the Roman Church, and the Pope would not hesitate to grant Queen Marie any reasonable favour she might ask. Another woman who was received by the monks was the Empress of Brazil, who is a Bourbon and a faithful Catholic. She went there about 10 years ago, direct from Rome, where she had had an audience of the then Pope Pius IX. and had personally obtained from him the needful passport. From that time to the present no woman has crossed the threshold until Queen Victoria went thither with Princess Beatrice and Miss Phipps. Two years ago, when she was at Aix, Queen Victoria intended to visit La Chartreuse and obtained the needed passport from the Pope. But some trifling incident detained her, and the visit had to be postponed

So far as is known, only one other woman beside those named has ever been admitted to this monastery. She had no passport. She was not a Queen, nor Empress, nor Princess. She was not even a good Catholic. But—she got in. She was no less apersonage than Mine. Dudevant, otherwise known as George Sand. And how did the get in ? Rather, how did she ever conceive the mad

purpose of trying to do so 7 It was away back in her palmiest days, when Frederick Chopin was dying of love for her, and Liszt, the all-conqueror, alone was not conquered by her charms. One day Liszt said to her, "Madame, St. Anthony and I are not the only men beyond your reach. I can name scores who are impervious to your advances." "I challenge you to doit!" she cried, piqued at the affront to her vanity. "Where arc they, and who are they ?" " The monks of La Grande Chartreuse, madamo,"replied Liszt with a smile, "and now may I beg a light for my cigar ?" George Sand, however, did not dismiss the subject from her mind so carelessly. What a scandal it would cause. But what a triumph it would bo to enter that famous monastery, within whose walls no woman had ever set foot! Forthwith she set about it. She disguised herself as a man and went thither. The disguise was successful. No one suspected her sex, and she was freely admitted. Three days she spent there, undetected. On the fourth she met a monk whom she had known. A few years before he had been a gay young nobleman. He had fallen victim to her charms. After a time she had cast him off for a newer lover, and, driven almost to madness, he had /led to La Grande Chartreuse and become amonk. Shqknevv him the moment she mot him, and ho knew her.'and each recognised the other's knowledge. "Why have you come hither ?" he gasped. Her quick wit supplied a ready answer: "Fur love of you!" " Impossible I" "Alas, yes; Francois, it is too true ?" said she. " I cast, you off, 1 confess. But after yon had gone 1 found that I loved you better than my own soul. My life has "been a hell without you. And, see; I have oome hither at risk of my life to sec you again, and then die 1 " He was terribly agitated. He still loved her, but ho could not break his vows and escape from the monastery. "If yon are discovered," he exclaimed, "we must both perish. What can we do?" "Letme go in peace," said she. " I have looked upon your face once more and am content." So that very day she departed from the monastery and returned homo, When she saw Liszt she said to him," Yon are right, my friend. The monks are beyond my reach." And what became of the monk who had known her 1 He lived many years longer, and was noted among his brethren for his holiness of life and gentleness of spirit. When one day word cnnie to him by chance that George Sand was dead he went to his cell and shut the door. An hour laler his brethren went to seek him, and found him dead.