Lenclos, Ninon de

Famed courtesan and philosopher, Ninon de Lenclos' paris salon attracted France's leading politicians and writers for both mental and physical stimulation. Although once confined to a nunnery by Anne of Austria, de Lenclos' attained a level of respectability unusual for courtesans, while her philosophy and patronage led to friendships with, among many, Moliére and Voltaire.