afterward became the Prince de Condé, the Lion of his time, and the
bulwark of France, he never ceased expressing for her the liveliest
gratitude and friendship. Whenever he met her equipage in the streets
of Paris, he never failed to descend from his own and go to pay her
the most affectionate compliments.

The Prince de Marsillac, afterward the Duke de la Rochefoucauld, less
philosophical then than later in life, and who prided himself on his
acquaintance with all the vices and follies of youth, could not long
withhold his admiration for the solid and estimable qualities he
perceived in Ninon, whom he often saw in the company of the Duke
d'Enghein. The result of his admiration was that he formed a tender
attachment which lasted as long as he lived. It was Ninon who
continued the good work begun by Madame de La Fayette, who confessed
that her social relations with la Rochefoucauld had been the means of
embellishing her mind, and that in compensation for this great service
she had reformed his heart. Whatever share Madame de La Fayette may
have had in reforming the heart of this great man, it is certain that
Ninon de l'Enclos had much to do with reforming his morals and
elevating his mind up to the point it is evident he reached, to judge
from his "Maxims," in which the human heart is bared as with a scalpel
in the most skilfully devised epigrams that never cease to hold the
interest of every reader.

Chapelle, the most celebrated voluptuary in Paris, did everything in
his power to overcome Ninon's repugnance, but without success. There
was nothing lacking in his mental attainments, for he was a poet of
very high order, inimitable in his style; moreover, he was presentable
in his person. Yet he could not make the slightest impression on
Ninon's heart. He openly declared his love, and, receiving constant