ORLEANS, ELIZABETH CHARLOTTE, DUCHESS OF,
Only daughter of the Elector Charles Louis of the Palatinate, was born at Heidelberg, in 1662. She was a princess of distinguished talents and character, and lived for half a century in the court of Louis the Fourteenth without changing her German habits or manners. She was carefully educated at the court of her aunt, afterwards the Electress Sophia of Hanover, and when nineteen, married Duke Philip of Orleans, from reasons of state policy. She was without personal charms, but her understanding was strong, and she was celebrated for her wit. Madame de Maintenon was her implacable enemy; but Louis the Fourteenth was attracted by her frankness, integrity, and vivacity. She often attended him to the chase. She has described herself and her situation with much life and humour in her "German Letters." The most valuable of these are contained in the "Life and Character of the Duchess Elizabeth Charlotte of Orleans," by Professor Schütze, published at Leipzic, in 1820. Her second son was made regent, after Louis the Fourteenth's death. Her own death occurred in 1722.
ORLEANS, MARIE D',
Was the third daughter of Louis Philippe, the King of the French. Her genius was the pride of her family, and her early death was a sore affliction, for she possessed great loveliness of character, and her piety and intelligence made her truly beloved and respected. Early manifesting artistic talent, and having made good proficiency in drawing and painting, she essayed her powers as a sculptor. Several of her productions in marble won the critical commendation of the best judges, not over-willing to concede this laurel to a woman, even though a king's daughter. She finally determined to attempt a work which would be associated with the most wonderful epoch of French history, and one of the most noble heroines the world has ever produced. This was the figure of Joan of Arc, completed in 1836, which places the artist at the head of the French sculptors. It may very confidently be predicted that, in future years, when the political agitations and mutations in the Orleans family will occupy an unregarded page of general history, when the Ulyssean craft of the father and the "regal alliance" of the sons will be of no interest to mankind, then the immortal fruits of the genius of this unassuming young woman will cast a lustre over the name of Orleans.
In the fourteenth and beginning of the fifteenth centuries, amidst the disgusting barbarities, the perfidious warfare, the licentiousness, that form the annals of that most disgraceful period of French history, what name is it that we turn to with interest, what figure do we contemplate with some congeniality? Not the brute warriors, nor manœuvring statesmen, but the poet, Charles d'Orleans, whose verses, from their national spirit, paved the way to the deliverance and regeneration afterwards effected by the maiden of Domremy.
ORPAH,
A Moabitish damsel, who married Chillon, the youngest of the two sons of Elimelech and Naomi, Israelites from Bethlehem-judah. Her story is included in the Book of Ruth; and though but a glimpse is afforded, the character is strikingly defined. Orpah,
