The Princesse de Clèves (The Princess of Cleves)

“At no time in France were splendor and refinement so brilliantly displayed as in the last years of the reign of Henri II.”

In the very first line of the novel, Lafayette establishes an impeccable surface, the ideal to which courtly activity aspires. The scene is set from a remove, with each character described according to their best qualities, as if by courtly decree. Very soon, that ideal will be shattered, and with it, the author’s impersonal remove.

“But Nemours was nature’s masterpiece: his least striking attribute was to be the most handsome and comely of men. Where he excelled above all others was in his incomparable valor and a distinction of mind, features and manners that belonged only to him.”

M. de Nemours is contrasted to the other men at court as objectively, or naturally, superior. “Nature” plays a silent role in this story as a complication to the smooth operation of courtly appearance.

“He had such gentleness and such a gallant nature that he was unable to deny some consideration to those who sought his regard. Consequently, he had many mistresses, but it was hard to discern which of them he truly loved.”

It is important to note the separation of “mistress” and “lover” to “wife” throughout the book. Mistresses inspire creative passion; wives inspire duty.