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Chekalov K. A.: Marie-Madeleine de Lafayette and her work

Marie Madeleine de Lafayette. (Source: en.wikipedia.org).

Lafayette (La Fayette) Marie-Madeleine (nee Pioch de la Vergne; 03/18/1634 - 05/25/1693) - French writer. Born into a noble family, at the age of sixteen she received the honorary court position of the royal maid of honor. The events of the Fronde interrupt her court career for a while. Together with the court, her family leaves Paris. Marie-Madeleine was given up for education in the monastery of Chaillot. In 1665, she married the Comte de Lafayette, settled in Paris, and became the mistress of an influential secular salon. Lafayette's writing style developed under the influence of F. La Rochefoucauld, with whom she had many years of friendly relations. In the story "Princess de Montpensier" (1662), Lafayette argues with the tradition of precision literature (French varieties of the Baroque), refusing inserted stories, descriptions, striving for compositional brevity and clarity.

The best work of Madame de Lafayette is the novel The Princess of Cleves (1678), one of the first examples of a psychological, analytical novel in European literature, a rare example of classicism fiction in the genre of the novel. The writer's observations on the life of the Parisian world were reflected in two books of a memoir nature - "The Biography of Henrietta of England" (published in 1720) and "Memoirs of the French Court for 1688 and 1689." (publ. 1731). The work of Lafayette influenced the development of the French psychological novel of the 18th-19th centuries (Choderlos de Laclos, B. Constant, Stendhal).

Cit.: Romans et nouvelles. P., 1958; Oeuvres completes. P., 1990; La princesse de Cleves. P., 1998; in Russian per. — Princess of Cleves. M., 1959; Princess of Cleves. M., 2003; Works. M., 2007. (“Literary monuments”).

Lit.: Stendhal. Walter Scott and "Princess of Cleves" // Stendhal. Sobr. cit.: In 15 t. M., 1959. T. 7; Zababurova N.V. Creativity of Marie de Lafayette. Rostov-n/D., 1985; Bondarev A.P. Stendhal and "Princess of Cleves" // Problems of Method and Genre in Foreign Literature. M., 1986; Niderst A. La Princesse de Clèves. Le roman paradoxal. P., 1973; Malandain P. Madame de Lafayette. La Princesse de Cleves. P., 1985; Duchêne R. M-me de La Fayette, la romancière aux cent bras. P., 1988.

Lafayette I Lafayette (La Fayette)

Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roque Gilbert Motier (Mothier), Marquis de (09/06/1757, Chavagnac, - 05/20/1834, Paris), French politician. From a wealthy aristocratic family. Having made contact with B. Franklin, L. went to North America in 1777 to participate in the war of the American colonies of Great Britain for independence. Received the rank of General in the US Army. Actively participated in military operations near Yorktown (October 1781). Shortly thereafter he returned to France. Participated in the assembly of notables in 1787, where he joined the opponents of the project of C. Kalonne (who intended to lay part of the taxes on the privileged classes). In 1789, L., who was elected a deputy from the nobility to the Estates General, supported their transformation into the National Assembly. The day after the storming of the Bastille (July 14, 1789), L. became commander of the National Guard. At the beginning of the revolution, L.'s popularity was very great. As the revolution deepened, L., who remained on the positions of liberal-constitutional monarchism, tried to slow down the further development of the revolution. He took an active part in the anti-democratic Society of 1789, then in the Feuillants Club (See Feuillants). Supervised the execution of an anti-monarchist demonstration on the Champ de Mars in Paris (July 17, 1791). Appointed after the outbreak of war with the anti-French coalition in 1792 as commander of one of the armies, he intended to use the army to suppress the revolution. In June 1792 he addressed the Legislative Assembly with a demand to "bridle" the Jacobins. A few days after the overthrow of the monarchy as a result of a popular uprising on August 10, 1792, L. tried to move troops against revolutionary Paris. Having failed in this, he fled, leaving the army. L. expected to get to the Netherlands, but was captured by the Austrians; was in their captivity until 1797. He returned to France in 1800. During the period of the consulate and the empire of Napoleon, he was aloof from active political activity. During the years of the Restoration, he acted as one of the leaders of the liberal-bourgeois opposition; regained great popularity. During the July Revolution of 1830, L., appointed commander of the National Guard, contributed to the preservation of the monarchy and the transfer of the crown to Louis Philippe of Orleans.

Lit.: Latzko A., Lafayette, Z., 1935; Loth D., Lafayette, L., 1952; Dousset, E., La Fayette, P., 1955.

A. Z. Manfred.

II Lafayette (La Fayette, Lafayette; nee Pioche de la Vergne, Pioche de la Vergne)

Marie Madeleine (18.3.1634, Paris - 25.5.1693, ibid.), Countess, French writer. L. outlined the manners of the French court in two memoirs and historical books published posthumously: The Biography of Henrietta of England (1720) and Memoirs of the French Court for 1688 and 1689. (1731). L. printed her novels and stories (Princess Montpensier, 1662; Zaida, vols. 1-2, 1670-71; Princess of Cleves, vols. 1-4, 1678, Russian translation 1959) L. printed anonymously or under someone else's name. The best work of L. - the psychological novel "Princess of Cleves", reveals the spiritual drama of a secular young woman. The interpretation of the problem of marriage, prompted by observations on the life and customs of high society, sharply distinguishes this work from the sugary and far-fetched precision novels of the mid-17th century. (see Precise Literature). The novelty of L.'s novel is also reflected in the artistic form - the simplicity and brevity of the plot, the clarity of the language. Film of the same name, 1960, France.

Cit.: Romans et nouvelles..., P., .

Lit.: Stendhal, W. Scott and The Princess of Cleves, Sobr. soch., vol. 9, L., 1938; Gukovskaya Z. M., M. de Lafayette, in the book: Writers of France, comp. E. G. Etkind. Moscow, 1964. Dedeyan Ch., M-me de La Fayette, P., 1955.

H. A. Sigal.

Great Soviet Encyclopedia. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. 1969-1978 .

See what "Lafayette" is in other dictionaries:

Lafayette, Marie Madeleine de Madame de Lafayette This term has other meanings, see Lafayette (meanings). Marie Madeleine de Lafayette (born Marie Madeleine Pios de La Vergne, French ... Wikipedia

Marie Madeleine (Marie Madeleine de La Fayette, 1634 1693) French. writer, author of novels and memoirs. In the works of L. reflected the ideology of the French local nobility associated with the court of the absolute monarch. An aristocrat by origin, L ... Literary Encyclopedia

- (La Fayette) Marie Joseph (1757 1834), marquis, participant (since 1777) of the War of Independence in North America 1775 83. As a general in the American army he was instrumental in defeating the British at the Battle of Yorktown (1781). Passionate defender of freedom, ... ... Modern Encyclopedia

- (Marie Jean Paul Roch Yves Gilbert Motier, Marquis deLafayette) famous French. politician (1757 1834). When the proclamation of the independence of the United States caused general enthusiasm in France, L., a young and wealthy nobleman, ... ... Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron

LAFAYETTE- (Marie Joseph L. (1757 1834) French politician, marquis, who participated in the war for independence in North America) High-society fop It exploded to die for good. He flashed with an ornate sword Over the ocean Lafayette. (rphm.: color) Tsv918 (I,388.1) ... Proper name in Russian poetry of the XX century: a dictionary of personal names

- (La Fayette), Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roque Gilbert Motier de (6.IX.1757 20.V.1834), marquis, French. political figure. Genus. in a wealthy aristocratic family. Fascinated by the ideas of the French. enlighteners, L. in Aug. 1777 went to America to fight ... ... Soviet historical encyclopedia

- (foreigner) liberal (by the name of Maxime Lafayette (1757 1834), the famous French politician, author of the draft declaration of the rights of man and citizen) Cf. Nozdrev! are you mon cher? If it's you, then why are you looking so lafayette?... ... ... Michelson's Big Explanatory Phraseological Dictionary

Lafayette- (La Fayette) Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roque Gilbert Motier de (1757 1834), French. polit. military figure. Gene. army, marquis. Genus. in a wealthy aristocrat. family. In 1777 he left for America, where he fought against the military. English forces. crowns, received the rank of gene. ... ... Dictionary of generals

"LAFAYETTE"- type of nuclear missiles. Submarine (SSBN) US Navy, armed strategist. ballistic missiles. They are part of the sea. strategist. US nuclear forces. Water change surface 7300 t, supply. 8300 t, length 130 m, lat. 10.1 m, draft 9.6 m. dives up to 400 m. Power… … Military Encyclopedic Dictionary

The action of the novel takes place in the middle of the 16th century. Madame de Chartres, long years after the death of her husband, who lived away from the court, and her daughter come to Paris. Mademoiselle de Chartres goes to the jeweler to select her jewelry. There she is accidentally met by the Prince of Cleves, the second son of the Duke of Nevers, and falls in love with her at first sight. He really wants to know who this young lady is, and the sister of King Henry II, thanks to the friendship of one of her ladies-in-waiting with Madame de Chartres, the next day introduces him to the young beauty, who first appeared at court and aroused general admiration. Having found out that the nobility of his beloved is not inferior to her beauty, the Prince of Cleves dreams of marrying her, but is afraid that the proud Madame de Chartres will consider him unworthy of her daughter because he is not the eldest son of the duke. The Duke of Nevers does not want his son to marry Mademoiselle de Chartres, which hurts Madame de Chartres, who considers her daughter an enviable match. The family of another contender for the hand of a young lady - the Chevalier de Guise - also does not want to intermarry with her, and Madame de Chartres is trying to find a party for her daughter, "which would elevate her above those who considered themselves superior to her." She opts for the eldest son of the Duke de Montpensier, but because of the intrigues of the king's old mistress, the Duchess de Valantinois, her plans are wrecked. The Duke of Nevers suddenly dies, and the Prince of Cleves soon asks for the hand of Mademoiselle de Chartres. Madame de Chartres, after asking her daughter's opinion and hearing that she does not have a particular inclination for the Prince of Cleves, but respects his dignity and would marry him with less reluctance than anyone else, accepts the prince's proposal, and soon Mademoiselle de Chartres becomes princess of Cleves. Brought up in strict rules, she behaves impeccably, and virtue ensures her peace and universal respect. The Prince of Cleves adores his wife, but feels that she does not return his passionate love. This spoils his happiness.

Henry II sends the Count de Randan to England to see Queen Elizabeth to congratulate her on her accession to the throne. Elizabeth of England, having heard about the glory of the Duke of Nemours, asks the count about him with such ardor that the king, after his report, advises the Duke of Nemours to ask for the hand of the Queen of England. The duke sends his close associate Linierol to England to find out the mood of the queen, and, encouraged by the information received from Linierol, is preparing to appear before Elizabeth. Arriving at the court of Henry II to attend the wedding of the Duke of Lorraine, the Duke of Nemours meets the Princess of Cleves at a ball and falls in love with her. She notices his feeling and, upon returning home, tells her mother about the duke with such enthusiasm that Madame de Chartres immediately understands that her daughter is in love, although she herself does not realize this. Protecting her daughter, Madame de Chartres tells her that the Duke of Nemours is rumored to be in love with the Dauphine's wife, Mary Stuart, and advises to visit the Dauphin Queen less often so as not to be involved in love affairs. The Princess of Cleves is ashamed of her penchant for the Duke of Nemours: she should have feelings for a worthy husband, and not for a man who wants to use her to hide his relationship with the Dauphine Queen. Madame de Chartres falls seriously ill. Having lost hope of recovery, she gives orders to her daughter: to retire from the court and faithfully remain faithful to her husband. She assures that leading a virtuous life is not as difficult as it seems - it is much more difficult to endure the misfortunes that a love adventure entails. Madame de Chartres dies. The Princess of Cleves mourns her and decides to avoid the company of the Duke of Nemours. Her husband takes her to the village. The Duke comes to visit the Prince of Cleves, hoping to see the Princess, but she does not accept him.

The Princess of Cleves returns to Paris. It seems to her that her feelings for the Duke of Nemours have faded. The Dauphine Queen informs her that the Duke of Nemours has abandoned his plans to ask for the hand of the Queen of England. Everyone believes that only love for another woman could move him to this. When the Princess of Cleves suggests that the Duke is in love with the Dauphine Queen, she replies that the Duke has never shown her any feelings other than secular respect. Apparently, the duke's chosen one does not reciprocate, for his closest friend de Chartres - the uncle of the Princess of Cleves - does not notice any signs of a secret connection. The Princess of Cleves guesses that his behavior is dictated by love for her, and her heart is filled with gratitude and tenderness for the Duke, who, out of love for her, neglected the hopes for the English crown. The words, as if accidentally dropped by the duke in a conversation, confirm her guess.

In order not to betray her feelings, the Princess of Cleves diligently avoids the Duke. Mourning gives her reason to lead a secluded life, her sadness also does not surprise anyone: everyone knows how much she was attached to Madame de Chartres.

The Duke of Nemours steals a miniature portrait of the Princess of Cleves. The princess sees this and does not know what to do: if you demand publicly to return the portrait, then everyone will know about his passion, and if you do it face to face, then he can declare his love to her. The princess decides to remain silent and pretend that she did not notice anything.

A letter supposedly lost by the Duke of Nemours falls into the hands of the Dauphine Queen. She gives it to the Princess of Cleves to read it and try to determine who wrote it from the handwriting. In a letter, an unknown lady reproaches her lover for infidelity. The Princess of Cleves is tormented by jealousy. But there was a mistake: in fact, it was not the Duke of Nemours who lost the letter, but Vidame de Chartres. Fearing to lose the favor of the reigning Queen Marie de Medici, who demands complete self-denial from him, Vidame de Chartres asks the Duke of Nemours to recognize himself as the addressee of a love letter. In order not to bring the reproaches of his beloved on the Duke of Nemours, he gives him an accompanying note, from which it is clear who wrote the message and to whom it is intended. The Duke of Nemours agrees to help Vidam de Chartres, but goes to the Prince of Cleves to consult with him on how best to do this. When the king urgently calls the prince to him, the duke is left alone with the princess of Cleves and shows her a note indicating that he was not involved in the lost love letter.

The Princess of Cleves leaves for the castle of Colomiers. The duke, unable to find a place for himself from longing, goes to his sister, the Duchess de Merkur, whose estate is located next to Colomier. During a walk, he wanders into Colomier and accidentally overhears a conversation between the princess and her husband. The princess confesses to the prince that she is in love and asks for permission to live away from the world. She has done nothing wrong, but she does not want to be tempted. The prince remembers the missing portrait of the princess and assumes that she gave it to him. She explains that she did not give it at all, but was a witness to the theft and remained silent so as not to cause a declaration of love. She does not name the person who awakened such a strong feeling in her, but the duke understands that it is about him. He feels immensely happy and at the same time immensely unhappy.

The Prince of Cleve wants to know who owns his wife's thoughts. By cunning, he manages to find out that she loves the Duke of Nemours.

Amazed by the deed of the princess, the Duke of Nemours tells Vidam de Chartres about him, without naming names. Vidam guesses that the duke has something to do with this story. He, in turn, tells his mistress Madame de Martigues “about the extraordinary act of a certain person who confessed to her husband the passion she felt for another” and assures her that the subject of this ardent passion is the Duke of Nemours. Madame de Martigues retells this story to the Dauphine Queen, and she to the Princess of Cleves, who begins to suspect her husband of entrusting her secret to one of her friends. She accuses the prince of divulging her secret, and now she is known to everyone, including the duke. The prince swears that he sacredly kept the secret, and the couple cannot understand how their conversation became known.

Two weddings are celebrated at the court at once: the daughter of the king, Princess Elizabeth, with the king of Spain and the sister of the king, Margaret of France, with the Duke of Savoy. The king arranges a tournament for the occasion. In the evening, when the tournament is almost over and everyone is going to disperse, Henry II challenges Count Montgomery to a duel. During the duel, a piece of Count Montgomery's spear hits the king in the eye. The wound is so serious that the king soon dies. The coronation of Francis II is to take place in Reims, and the whole court is sent there. Learning that the Princess of Cleves will not follow the court, the Duke of Nemours goes to see her before leaving. At the door, he encounters the Duchess of Nevers and Madame de Martigues, who are leaving the princess. He asks the princess to accept him, but she tells through the maid that she felt bad and cannot accept him. Prince of Cleves becomes aware that the Duke of Nemours came to his wife. He asks her to list everyone who visited her that day, and, not hearing the name of the Duke of Nemours, asks her a direct question. The princess explains that she has not seen the duke. The prince suffers from jealousy and says that she has made him the most miserable person in the world. The next day he leaves without seeing his wife, but nevertheless sends her a letter full of sorrow, tenderness and nobility. She answers him with assurances that her behavior has been and will be impeccable.

The Princess of Cleves leaves for Colomiers. The Duke of Nemours, under some pretext, having asked the king for leave to travel to Paris, sets off for Colomiers. The Prince of Cleves suspects the Duke's plans and sends a young nobleman from his retinue to follow him. Having made his way into the garden and approaching the window of the pavilion, the duke sees how the princess is tying bows on a cane that used to belong to him. Then she admires the picture, where he is depicted among other soldiers who took part in the siege of Metz. The Duke takes a few steps, but touches window frame. The princess turns around at the noise and, noticing it, immediately disappears. The next night, the Duke again comes under the pavilion window, but she does not appear. He visits his sister, Madame de Merceur, who lives next door, and deftly leads the conversation to the fact that his sister herself invites him to accompany her to the Princess of Cleves. The princess makes every effort not to be alone with the duke for a single minute.

The duke returns to Chambord, where the king and court are. The envoy of the prince arrives in Chambord even before him and reports to the prince that the duke spent two nights in a row in the garden, and then was in Colomiers with Madame de Merceur. The prince is unable to endure the misfortune that has befallen him, he begins to have a fever. Upon learning of this, the princess hurries to her husband. He meets her with reproaches, because he thinks that she spent two nights with the duke. The princess swears to him that she never thought of cheating on him. The prince is glad that his wife is worthy of the respect he had for her, but he cannot recover from the blow and dies a few days later. Realizing that she is the culprit of her husband's death, the Princess of Cleves feels a burning hatred for herself and for the Duke of Nemours. She bitterly mourns her husband and for the rest of her life intends to do only what would be nice to him if he were alive. Remembering that he expressed fear that after his death she would not marry the Duke of Nemours, she firmly decides never to do this.

The Duke of Nemours reveals to Vidam de Chartres his feelings for his niece and asks him to help him see her. Vidam willingly agrees, for the duke seems to him the most worthy contender for the hand of the princess of Cleves. The duke declares his love for the princess and tells how he found out about her feelings for him, being a witness to her conversation with the prince. The Princess of Cleves does not hide the fact that she loves the Duke, but resolutely refuses to marry him. She considers the duke guilty of the death of her husband and is firmly convinced that marriage to him is contrary to her duty.

The Princess of Cleves leaves for her distant possessions, where she is gravely ill. Having recovered from her illness, she moves to a holy monastery, and neither the queen nor the vidam manages to convince her to return to the court. The Duke of Nemours goes to her himself, but the princess refuses to accept him. Part of the year she lives in the monastery, the rest of the time - in her possessions, where she indulges in activities even more pious than in the most strict monasteries. "And her short life will remain an example of a unique virtue."

retold

, Paris - May 25) - French writer, known for her novel The Princess of Cleves (1678).

Biography

She came from a poor, but very noble family. Marie-Madeleine's early childhood was spent in Le Havre; with the family returned to Paris. Her father died in; a year later, the mother had a second marriage with Renaud de Sevigne, uncle of Madame de Sevigne; in the acquaintance of two future writers. At 16, Marie-Madeleine began taking Italian and Latin lessons from the writer and philologist Gilles Ménage. Menage (he eventually fell in love with his young student) not only made her interested in literature, but also introduced her to the most significant literary salons of the era - the salon of Madame de Rambouillet and the Madeleine de Scudery salon. In the city of Marie-Madeleine, she married Jean-Francois Motier, Comte de Lafayette and followed him to the estate in Auvergne, from where she returned to the city - and, settling again in Paris, plunged into the thick of literary life. Around the city, Madame de Lafayette began a close (but possibly platonic) relationship with La Rochefoucauld, who introduced her to all the most prominent writers of the era, from Racine to Boileau.

"Princess of Cleves"

Madame de Lafayette's most famous work, the novel "Princess of Cleves"(fr. La Princesse de Cleves), was published anonymously in the city (under the name of Madame de Lafayette, it was published only in the city). Work on the novel, which is set in the time of Henry II, began around 1920; even before publication, it became known to the public in the lists, and immediately after its publication, a heated discussion unfolded on the pages of the Mercure Galan magazine. The book was reproached for an unnatural depiction of the characters' experiences, for plagiarism, and, most importantly, for "irregularity", inconsistency with the normative aesthetics of classicism. Only over time did readers appreciate the innovative nature of the novel, the deeply psychological interpretation of the completely traditional "love triangle", the skillful combination of everyday life (there are many historical details and real persons in the novel, including Catherine de Medici, Mary Stuart, Francis II, Duke of Guise ) and high symbolism (echoes of the legend of Tristan and Iseult). The book contains many maxims in the spirit of La Rochefoucauld, as well as the influence of the ideas of Jansenism and Pascal; its finale reads as a protest against the secular system of values. This book is considered one of the foundational ones in the history of French literature and anticipates the formation of the psychological novel.

Creativity of Madame de Lafayette in Russia

The first work of Madame de Lafayette, translated into Russian, was "Zaida". In Moscow, an anonymous translation of the novel was published under the title "Zaida, a Gishpan story composed by Mr. Desegre". "Princess of Cleves" was published in Russian translation only in the city. In the year in the series "Literary Monuments" a volume of the main works of the writer was published in new translations.

Screen adaptations

There are also free adaptations of The Princess of Cleves made by famous directors: Letter (dir. Manuel de Oliveira,), Loyalty (dir. Andrzej Zulawski,) and The Beautiful Fig Tree (dir. Christophe Honore,).

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An excerpt characterizing Lafayette, Marie Madeleine de

- Un cerveau fele - je le disais toujours. [Half crazy - I always said that.]
“I said ahead of time,” Anna Pavlovna said about Pierre, “I just said then, and before everyone else (she insisted on her primacy), that this is a crazy young man, spoiled by the depraved ideas of the century. I said this then, when everyone admired him and he had just arrived from abroad, and remember, one evening I had some kind of Marat. What ended? I did not yet want this wedding and predicted everything that would happen.
Anna Pavlovna, as before, gave her free days such evenings as before, and such as she alone had the gift to arrange, evenings at which she gathered, firstly, la creme de la veritable bonne societe, la fine fleur de l " essence intellectuelle de la societe de Petersbourg, [the cream of real good society, the color of the intellectual essence of St. some new, interesting face to society, and that nowhere, as at these evenings, was the degree of the political thermometer, on which the mood of the court Legitimist Petersburg society stood, expressed so clearly and firmly.
At the end of 1806, when all the sad details about the destruction of the Prussian army by Napoleon near Jena and Auerstet and about the surrender of most of the Prussian fortresses had already been received, when our troops had already entered Prussia, and our second war with Napoleon had begun, Anna Pavlovna gathered evening. La creme de la veritable bonne societe [Cream of a real good society] consisted of a charming and unhappy, abandoned by her husband, Helen, from Morte Mariet "a, a charming Prince Hippolyte, who had just arrived from Vienna, two diplomats, an aunt, one young man who used in living room with the name simply d "un homme de beaucoup de merite, [a very worthy person,] one newly granted lady-in-waiting with her mother and some other less prominent persons.
The person with whom, as a novelty, Anna Pavlovna treated her guests that evening, was Boris Drubetskoy, who had just arrived by courier from the Prussian army and was adjutant to a very important person.
The degree of the political thermometer pointed out to society at that evening was as follows: no matter how much all European sovereigns and generals try to pander to Bonaparte in order to cause me and us in general these troubles and sorrows, our opinion about Bonaparte cannot change. We will not stop expressing our unfeigned way of thinking on this matter, and we can only say to the King of Prussia and others: so much the worse for you. Tu l "as voulu, George Dandin, [You wanted it, Georges Dandin,] that's all we can say. That's what the political thermometer indicated at Anna Pavlovna's evening. When Boris, who was supposed to be brought to the guests, entered the living room, almost the entire society was already assembled, and the conversation, led by Anna Pavlovna, was about our diplomatic relations with Austria and about the hope of an alliance with her.
Boris, dressed in a smart, adjutant's uniform, matured, fresh and ruddy, freely entered the living room and was taken, as he should, to greet his aunt and was again attached to the general circle.
Anna Pavlovna gave him her dry hand to kiss, introduced him to certain faces he did not know, and identified each one to him in a whisper.
– Le Prince Hyppolite Kouraguine – charmant jeune homme. M r Kroug charge d "affaires de Kopenhague - un esprit profond, and simply: M r Shittoff un homme de beaucoup de merite [Prince Ippolit Kuragin, a dear young man. G. Krug, Copenhagen chargé d'affaires, deep mind. G. Shitov , a very worthy person] about the one who bore this name.
Boris during this time of his service, thanks to the cares of Anna Mikhailovna, his own tastes and the properties of his restrained character, managed to put himself in the most advantageous position in the service. He was adjutant to a very important person, had a very important mission to Prussia, and had just returned from there by courier. He fully assimilated to himself that unwritten subordination that he liked in Olmutz, according to which the ensign could stand incomparably higher than the general, and according to which, for success in the service, not efforts in the service, not labor, not courage, not constancy, were needed, but it was necessary only the ability to deal with those who reward service - and he himself was often surprised at his rapid success and how others could not understand this. As a result of this discovery, his whole way of life, all relations with former acquaintances, all his plans for the future, have completely changed. He was not rich, but he used the last of his money to be better dressed than others; he would rather deprive himself of many pleasures than allow himself to ride in a bad carriage or appear in an old uniform on the streets of Petersburg. He approached and sought acquaintance only with people who were taller than him, and therefore could be useful to him. He loved Petersburg and despised Moscow. The memory of the Rostovs' house and his childhood love for Natasha was unpleasant for him, and since his departure for the army he had never been to the Rostovs. In Anna Pavlovna's drawing room, in which he considered being present an important promotion, he now immediately understood his role and left Anna Pavlovna to take advantage of the interest that lay in it, carefully observing each person and evaluating the benefits and opportunities for rapprochement with each of them. . He sat down in the place indicated to him near the beautiful Helen, and listened to the general conversation.
- Vienne trouve les bases du traite propose tellement hors d "atteinte, qu" on ne saurait y parvenir meme par une continuite de succes les plus brillants, et elle met en doute les moyens qui pourraient nous les procurer. C "est la phrase authentique du cabinet de Vienne," said the Danish charge d "affaires. [Vienna finds the foundations of the proposed treaty so impossible that they cannot be achieved even by a series of the most brilliant successes: and she doubts the means that can deliver them to us. This is a genuine phrase of the Vienna Cabinet,” said the Danish chargé d’affaires.]
- C "est le doute qui est flatteur!" - said l "homme a l" esprit profond, with a thin smile. [Doubt is flattering! - said a deep mind,]
- Il faut distinguer entre le cabinet de Vienne et l "Empereur d" Autriche, said Morte Mariet. - L "Empereur d" Autriche n "a jamais pu penser a une chose pareille, ce n" est que le cabinet qui le dit. [It is necessary to distinguish between the Vienna Cabinet and the Austrian Emperor. The Austrian Emperor could never think this, only the cabinet says it.]
- Eh, mon cher vicomte, - Anna Pavlovna intervened, - l "Urope (for some reason she pronounced l" Urope, as a special subtlety French, which she could afford, speaking with the French) l "Urope ne sera jamais notre alliee sincere. [Ah, my dear Viscount, Europe will never be our sincere ally.]
Following this, Anna Pavlovna brought the conversation to the courage and firmness of the Prussian king in order to bring Boris into the business.
Boris listened attentively to the one who spoke, waiting for his turn, but at the same time he managed to look several times at his neighbor, the beautiful Helen, who several times met her eyes with a handsome young adjutant with a smile.

wikipedia.org

We are accustomed to believe that men are at the origins of various genres of literature. However, the first author who wrote a love-psychological novel was Madame Lafayette with her "Princess of Cleves". Many literary scholars insist that if this novel had not been written, there would be no novels by Dumas and Stendhal. Although, most likely, they would just be different ...

Rousseau, Anatole France, Camus and many other great people were interested in the work of Madame de Lafayette.

Marie de Lafayette managed not only to follow the development of feeling and describe it artistically, but also to make genre discoveries. Now it is generally accepted that the works of Madame Lafayette belong to the heights of French prose, and the writer herself is called the ancestor of the French novel.

Marie Madeleine de Lafayette, nee Marie Madeleine Pios de La Vergne, was born March 18, 1634 in Paris. The Pios de la Vergne family did not possess great wealth and did not belong to the highest nobility, but were favored by the royal court. Marie Madeleine's mother was the daughter of a royal physician. And the father of the future writer was the tutor of the nephew of Cardinal Richelieu.

Marie-Madeleine's early childhood was spent in Le Havre, and in 1640 the family returned to Paris. In 1649, Marie's father passed away; and her mother a year later married Renaud de Sevigne, the uncle of Madame de Sevigne, also a famous writer of the 17th century.

Marie de Lafayette was an educated girl, read a lot, spoke many European languages, as well as ancient Greek and Latin. From the age of 16, she, along with Madame de Sevigne, began taking Italian and Latin lessons from the writer and philologist Gilles Menage. Probably, Menage was fascinated by Marie not only as his student, it is believed that it was he who awakened in the young girl the desire not only to read, but also to create herself, he introduced her to the most famous literary salons of that time - the salon of Madame de Rambouillet and the salon of Madeleine de Scuderi.

At the age of eighteen, Marie was already a regular guest of the Rambouillet Salon, where she had the opportunity to meet famous poets and philosophers and take part in the discussion of their works.

In the 1660s, Marie was the favorite of Henrietta of England, the wife of Monsieur, the king's brother. After Henrietta's untimely death, rumored to have been poisoned by her own husband, Marie began writing the Life of Henrietta of England, which was not published until 1720.

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In 1662, the first novel of the writer, The Princess de Montpensier, was published anonymously. This attempt at writing was well received not only by readers, but also by critics.

Around 1655, Marie Madeleine began a relationship with the Duc de La Rochefoucauld. Most likely platonic. And in 1655, she married Francois Motier, Comte de Lafayette, after which the newlyweds left for the estate in Auvergne. The couple had two sons. But later family life went wrong.

Four years later, Marie returned to Paris and plunged headlong into literary life. She opened her own salon, of which the Duke de La Rochefoucauld, who remained her close friend, became a regular visitor. He introduced her to such major writers as Racine, Boileau and others.

In 1669-1671, signed by the writer Jean Reno de Segre, two volumes of Lafayette's novel "Zaida" with "Moorish" motifs were published. And finally, in the same way, under a false name, in 1678 the most famous novel by Marie de Lafayette "The Princess of Cleves" is published. Under the name of Madame de Lafayette, he was published only in 1780.

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The events described in the novel take place during the time of Henry II. His heroes were real people - such as Catherine de Medici, Mary Stuart, Francis II, the Duke of Guise. There are many historical details in the novel.

But this time, critics did not react so favorably to the writer. She was even accused of plagiarism. And only after the lapse of time the novel was appreciated.

For the first time in the novel, the question was raised of whether a married lady has the right to love a non-husband, and even more so to admit to her husband that she is in love with another. In the novel "Princess of Cleves" morality triumphed, virtue was preserved, but the feeling remained unsatisfied. Probably, the development of the love line of the novel was influenced by the views of Madame de Lafayette herself and her close friend the Duke de La Rochefoucauld, who considered the passion of the heart to be harmful and destructive. Marital duty and duties towards the family were placed above all else.

In 1961, the novel "Princess of Cleves" was filmed by Jean Delannoy. main role Marina Vlady played, the role of Prince of Cleves - Jean Marais.

Madame de Lafayette also wrote the historical short story "The Countess of Tanda", published in 1718, and, presumably, other works such as "Isabella, or a Spanish love diary", "Dutch memoirs", "Memoirs of the French court for 1688-1689" .

In 1680, La Rochefoucauld died, and in 1683, the husband of Madame Lafayette, after which she moved away from the world and began to lead a secluded, secluded lifestyle, spending most of her time in thought and prayer. The writer Marie Madeleine de Lafayette died on May 25, 1693.

In the 18th century, three volumes of her unpublished works and numerous letters that remained after her were published. Madame de Lafayette's first work translated into Russian was Zaida, which was published in Moscow in 1765. It was only in 1959 that "Princess of Cleves" appeared in Russian translation. In new translations, a book of the main works of Marie de Lafayette was published in the series "Literary Monuments" in 2007.

Researchers claim that the star of Marie de Lafayette will always shine in the boundless sky of world literature.

Natalia Antonova