great opposition to Moliere's comedy "Tartuffe." It
created a sensation in society, and neither Louis XIV, the prelates of
the kingdom and the Roman legate, were strong enough to withstand the
torrents of invectives that came from those who were unmasked in the
play. They succeeded in having it interdicted, and the comedy was on
the point of being suppressed altogether, when Moliere took it to
Ninon, read it over to her and asked her opinion as to what had better
be done. With her keen sense of the ridiculous and her knowledge of
character, Ninon went over the play with Moliere to such good purpose
that the edict of suppression was withdrawn, the opponents of the
comedy finding themselves in a position where they could no longer
take exceptions without confessing the truth of the inuendoes.

When the comedy was nearly completed, Moliere began trying to think of
a name to give the main character in the play, who is an imposter. One
day while at dinner with the Papal Nuncio, he noticed two
ecclesiastics, whose air of pretended mortification fairly represented
the character he had depicted in the play. While considering them
closely, a peddler came along with truffles to sell. One of the pious
ecclesiastics who knew very little Italian, pricked up his ears at the
word truffles, which seemed to have a familiar sound. Suddenly coming
out of his devout silence, he selected several of the finest of the
truffles, and holding them out to the nuncio, exclaimed with a laugh:
"Tartuffoli, Tartuffoli, signor Nuncio!" imagining that he was
displaying his knowledge of the Italian language by calling out
"Truffles, truffles, signor Nuncio," whereas, what he did say was
"Hypocrites, hypocrites, Signor Nuncio." Moliere who was always a
close and keen observer of everything that transpired around him,
seized upon the name "Tartuffe" as suitable to the hypocritical
imposter in his comedy.

Ninon's brilliancy was so animated, particularly at table, that she
was said to be intoxicated at the soup, although she rarely drank
anything but water. Her table was always surrounded by the wittiest of
her friends and her own flashes kept their spirits up to the highest
point. The charm of her conversation was equal to the draughts of
Nepenthe which Helen lavished upon her guests, according to Homer to
charm and enchant them.

One story told about Ninon is not to her credit if true, and it is
disputed. A great preacher arose in France, the "Eagle