Ninon de L’Enclos was born into a wealthy family in Paris in 1620; after her father was exiled and her mother died, she was left to make a life on her own, and she committed to never marrying. She became a courtesan with a succession of noble lovers, as well as an author and anti-religious philosopher. In one particularly dramatic episode, she broke up with a long-term lover in the countryside and moved back to Paris. Her ex, the Marquis de Villarceaux, promptly moved into a house across the street to spy on her, watching for new visitors. To mollify him, she chopped off a length of her hair
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