Princess of Cleves
Princess of Cleves
Princess of Cleves
THE
PRINCESS OF CLEVES.
MADAME DK l.AFAYF.TTF.
THE
PRINCESS OF CLEVES.
BY
MADAME DE LA FAYETTE.
TRANSLATED BY
IN TWO VOLUMES.
VOL. I.
BOSTON:
LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY.
1891.
Copyright, 1891,
PAGB
PREFACE 7
PART 1 47
PART II 131
2220756
PREFACE.
1
Madame de Lafayette. Torino,
Lettere inedite di
1880. See, too, the article by Arvede Barine in the
"
Revue des Deux Mondes " for Sept. 15, 1880.
1
Preface. 5
a single reading ;
and what I especially no-
tice is an exact representation of the persons
me ask you
for yours, for people have almost come to
blows over it. Many blame what others
gallantry
This would be an excess of scrupu-
be thought
u learned. After her mar-
rent of thought,
O although
O she felt that
"
A writer of novels or plays is a pub-
lic poisoner, not of men's bodies, but
of the souls of the faithful ;
and he
ought to look upon himself as guilty
of numberless spiritual homicides,
feelings ;
and thereby she earned a place
among the true classics, fitly follow-
phy of Madame de
Fayette is like that
la
century.
"
What do you think of it ? "
I asked a woman whose honest and in-
32 Preface.
"
Except for her preciosity, the Princess of
ings. And
even more than propriety, the
notion of her worldly position fills and pro-
tects her. She has the pr foundest respect
for appearances, and her aristocratic pride
mitigates many of her secret sufferings. I
rest ;
the systematization will follow later.
of our species.
But let us consider the opposite opinion, and
enjoy it.
P. LAFFITTE.
THE PRINCESS OF CLEVES.
PART I.
r
I "HERE never was in France so brilliant
a display of magnificence and gal-
lantry as during the last years of the reign of
Henri II. This monarch was gallant, hand-
pride of Madame
de Chartres should prevent
her from giving her daughter to a man who
was not the eldest of his family. Yet this
family was so distinguished, and the Count
of Eu, who was the head of the house, had
the young.
The Chevalier de Guise made his feelings for
way.
The Vidame, though aware of Monsieur
d'Anville's devotion to the crown princess,
thought that he might make use of the in-
still
daughter.
The crown princess kindly expressed to
Mademoiselle de Chartres her regrets at not
78 The Princess of Cleves.
"
being able to further her interests. You
" I
see," she said, have but very little
enjoy it."
grieved :
you are as indifferent to my love
as if this were given to your purse, and not
to your charms."
"
You do wrong to complain," she re-
" I do
plied. not know what more you
can ask; it seems to me that you have no
right to demand anything more."
"It is true," he said, "that you have a
certain air with which I should be satisfied
84 The Princess of Cloves.
so often when
do see you that you may be
I
He had seen so
many insurmountable ob-
obstacles in way of his marrying
the
Mademoiselle de Chartres that he knew he
had no chance of success ; yet he was evi-
he foresaw no obstacles.
The Princess of Cteves. 89
see him.
Madame de Cleves spent the day of the
betrothal at home dressing herself for the
ball in the evening at the Louvre. When she
made her appearance, her beauty and the
QO The Princess of Cleves.
without amazement ;
and this evening he was
more striking than ever in the rich attire
any idea.
" As Monsieur
for me, Madame," said
"
de Nemours, I have no doubts; but since
Madame de Cleves has not the same reasons
for guessing who I am
have for recog- that I
" You
can guess very well," replied the
" and
dauphiness, you are very kind to Mon-
sieur de Nemours in your unwillingness to
being together.
The Duchess of Valentinois took part in
all the merry-making, and the king showed
her all the interest and attention that he had
done when first in love with her. Madame
de Cleves, who was then of an age at which
it is usual to believe that no woman can
Madame "
plied de Chartres, you will be
often mistaken ;
what appears is seldom the
truth.
The Princess of Cleves. 97
" But to return to Madame de Valentinois :
most decorous ;
and she has tried so hard to
have her affection for the prince forgotten
that she deserves to have her reputation left
untarnished. happened that she heard
It so
position ;
and impossible as it may sound, he
was succeeded by the Count of Brissac, whom
she afterward made a marshal of France.
Still, the king's jealousy became so violent
splendor.
A few days before the one of the supper,
the dauphin, whose health was delicate, had
been ailing and had seen no one. His wife,
go to that ball ;
for so many women claimed
that position that if they had not come, there
"
We were talking about Monsieur de
Nemours," said the queen when she saw
"
her, and were surprised to see how
much he is changed since his return from
Brussels; before he went, he had an in-
finite number of mistresses, and it was a
positivedisadvantage to him, because he
used to be kind both to those who were
Madame de Cleves.
124 The Princess of CI eves.
" We have to part, my daughter," she said,
holding out her hand; "and the peril in
which you are and the need you have of me,
double my pain in leaving you. You have
an affection for Monsieur de Nemours ;
I do
not ask you to confess no longer
it, as I am
able to make use of your sincerity in order
to guide you. It is long since I perceived
this affection, but I have been averse to
worthy."
" I was sorry not to return yesterday,"
"
answered Monsieur de Cleves ;
but it was
so imperatively necessary that I should
console an unhappy man that I could
not possibly leave him. As for Madame
de Tournon, I advise you not to be too
"
"\7"OU know," Monsieur de Cleves con-
"
tinued, what good friends Sancerre
and I are ; yet when, about two years ago,
he fell in love with Madame de Tournon,
he took great pains to conceal it from me,
as well as from every one else, and I was
see ;
that when he and Madame de Valenti-
nois were reconciled a few days before, after
farther.
134 The Princess of Cloves.
very charming.
" come out
Shortly after she began to
change ;
I cannot find her guilty enough
to deserve to die. If she were still alive,
'
how happy I was then I was the most !
replied the
king, Courtenay were still
if
to Madame de
Martigues that the prince
is changed beyond recognition; and what
amazes him still more is that he never finds
him engaged or absent, so that he supposes
he never meets the woman he loves; and
154 The Princess of CIeves.
what is so surprising, is to see Monsieur
de Nemours in love with a woman who
does not return his passion."
All this story that the dauphiness told her
was as poison to Madame de Cleves. It was
grief, it would
still leave a deep and lasting
evening."
The Princess of CIeves. 159
" It is said Madame de
true," Cleves,
" that she has noticed and I think I
it,
visit.
if he thought I was
perhaps their master;
made peace ;
and even if we had not, I doubt
if we should resort to a personal combat, and
it seems unlikely that I should challenge
him, as my father challenged Charles V."
After the king had mentioned the unhappy
end which had been foretold him, those who
had supported astrology gave up and agreed
that was unworthy of belief. " For my
it
"
part," said Monsieur de Nemours, I am the
"
but he answered without hesitation : I was
saying, Madame, that it had been predicted
about me that I should rise to a lofty po-
sition to which I should not even dare to
aspire."
" If the
that is only prediction that
has been made about you," replied the
again in
society and to resume her visits
youth.
180 The Princess of Cloves.
long time ;
then she was astonished that the
END OF VOL. I.
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