Ninon de Lenclos was one of the most fascinating women of the 17th century and centuries before her time. Born on November 10, 1620 in the Marais, her father Henri de Lenclos or L’Enclos was a lutenist and a published composer who taught his daughter to play the lute and sing. Henri was a very liberal father who let Ninon read whatever she wanted. She adored the philosophers, studying science and learning Spanish and Italian, very uncommon for a girl at this time.
In 1632 when she was twelve years old her father was exiled from Paris after a duel over a married woman where he killed his opponent. Her mother was not very loving nor supportive of her educational pursuits, but did take advantage of musical talents. Anne De Lenclos would bring her daughter to all of the Salons in the Marais, which would work to Ninon’s advantage later.
Her mother was very traditional in the way Ninon should behave and planned to marry her off. Women at the time only had a few choices, you could be a wife or a nun, that was about it. Ninon knew from a very early age that she did not want to get married and so to make sure that didn’t happen she went out and lost her virginity to the Comte de Coligny. When her mother found out she was furious and sent her to a convent.
Anne de Lenclose died shortly after in 1642 and Ninon was free to return to Paris. Ninon moved in with her friend and famed courtesan Marion Delorme who also shared all her secrets to become a courtesan herself. With Marion she visited the Salons of the Marais and quickly understood that she was not forgotten. Ninon had visions of her own Salon and how she could change the shape of Paris and rented an apartment she would use only for her weekly Salons.
The Salons were one of the only ways at the time for women to freely mingle with others in “public” and drew everyone from aristocrats to intellectuals. Ninon also used hers to empower women, teaching them how to share their voice, how to flirt and to own their sexuality. For the men she told them to listen to their ladies and how to properly treat them. If they needed more information, depending on the man they were able to have a more hands on personal lesson with the courtesan.
A relationship with Louis de Mornay, Marquis de Villarceaux resulted in a child born in 1652. Louis François de la Boissière and would unite the couple for a short time. Pregnant with a child wasn’t a good optic for her profession and Ninon fled Paris for Mornay’s home in Villarceaux. Louis de Mornay was a painter and also had quite a way with the ladies, even serving time in the Bastille for seducing a virgin. Ninon lasted three years with him before she decided to return to Paris and made Mornay promise to never tell her son who she was. Mornay didn’t take it well and followed her to Paris and begged her to return. In front of him, Ninon cut off her hair as some sort of strange keepsake and gave it to him. The act started a new trend and hairstyle, the Ninon bob.
Many years later the young Louis François met Ninon in Paris while attending her Salon. Louis fell in love with her, not knowing she was also his mother. One day he arrived at her door and pledged his undying love to her. Ninon had to tell him who she was once and for all. Louis ran out of her home and onto the street. Pulling his pistol out he shot himself in the street and died.
Ninon, the courtesan was very specific on who she would allow in her bed and had many rules. She had a very strict three month rule, a lover never lasted more than three months, but they were allowed special visitation later past the three months. The men fell into different categories. There was the prayers, martyrs and whims but it was the men that fell into the favored group that were allowed to join her in bed.
Among the men that were given the honor included Charles Perrault, the author of childhood favorites Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Little Red Riding Hood. Jean de la Fontaine, the master of the fables, Fontanelle and Henri de Sévigné husband of Madame de Sévigné. Molière was often seen with Ninon and relied on her input for many of his plays. Louis XIV was also a close confidant. Through Madame de Maintenon he met Ninon and trusted her and was often quoted saying “What would Ninon do”. His mother, the very religious Anne of Austria didn’t appreciate her influence over her son and had Ninon tossed into a convent in Lagny-sur-Marne.
Ninon’s influence reached very far and it was another queen that rescued her. Christina, queen of Sweden heard and contacted Cardinal Mazarin and pleaded with him to let her out. Ninon was released and returned to Paris and her Salons. While in the convent she used her time to write a pamphlet, La Coquette Vengée and smuggled it out in her undergarments.
Ninon ran her Salons for the rest of her life and continued to take lovers into her 80’s. Everyday from 5pm- 7pm at her apartment at 36 Rue de Tournelle the elite of Paris came to visit. Her appeal was different from most women. She was incredibly smart and witty and her intellect drew people to her. Her path in life was decided at an early age because her father raised her with choices and to look beyond the norm of what women were to do at the time. She felt she was more of a man than a woman at the time in the way she thought and helped open the minds of the women of Paris.
On October 17, 1705 at 84 years old she died in Paris a much loved and very rich woman. In her will she left a large amount of money for the son of her accountant François Marie-Arouet to buy books. You may know François a little better by his other name, Voltaire.