Iknniknn Arthur L. Humphreys

317 Pages·2016·4.59 MB·English

N IN O N D E L E N C L O S
m
This Volu e N ‘inon de is
m m m
and co p iled fro the ost authentw F rench sources

IKHNI KHN
A R T H U R H U M P H R E Y S
L
.
1 9 0 4

P R E F A C E
—
m
Beh ol d your se lf o beye d I at las t gi vin g
S
IR a
;
,
to the p ubli c the re s t of my re s earche s concerni n g
l
u
th e c ele brate d Mad em oi se lle d e Le clo s
n
.
My task di d n o t c o si st m erely p ortray g
i i
n n n
a femme gala te th ough thi s may have be e
n n
:
exp ecte d by m a y kn ew th e ature of my
w h
n n
o
task but th ey are of n o acc o un t th e p as t
d
n
a
;
,
ce ntury i s an u nkn ow facto r wh e re s u ch p e op le
n
are c o ce r e d N I was b oun d t o depict a
n n
o
. .
m
wom an i nc omparable e very p oint of v e w
f i
ro
,
a w oman wh o made it he r duty t o as sum e all
the charact er istic s of m an as s o on a s sh e was
—
cap able of s e r i o s th ought one wh o d uri n g th e
u
;
already marvel lo us rei g of L oui s XIV was the
n
-
.
cy osure of all wh o admire an d p rai s e m eri t an d
n
disti cti o
n n
.
Here h ave a w om an who having l ve d
w i
e
,
thr oug h i e de cade s ha d witne s se d m ore c hange s
n n
,
up he ava s h an it is given t o many t o ex
d l
an t
i
n
p er e ce
.
In th e co urs e of h er long an d e ve ntful life th e
fashi o s of s o cie ty th e ta tes of m en and wom e n th e
n
s
, ,
wh ole drift o f things s ocial an d p oli tical ch a ge d
n
,
yet Nin o rem ai e d th e sam e S h e
d difi d
an n n
ere
, .
m
admi re d of all w as always beyon d
w d
n
a a
s c o
,
l
A
PRE F A C E
par e s tan ding al one as a woma di e re t from all
ff
n n
,
o th ers T hus wo ul d she have prove d to wh ateve r
. ,
c ou try o r ati o sh e had bel o ge d j u s t as sh e
n n n n
,
was i n Paris the e ve r ch angi g fan cie s of fashi on
n
;
-
e ve r a e cte d her was sh e i debte d t o its
ff
n n n
or
,
vain phase s for th e grace of h er beari ng
fl ti
n
ee g
, ,
he r atural ch ar ms or he r s terli g qual ties
i
n n
, .
Ma y hi gh y re sp e ctable p ers o s k o wn t o
l
n n n u
s
eve r breathe the n am e of Madem oi s e ll e de Le nclo s
n
without th e d ee p st a dm i rati o I nde e d th ough
n
e
. ,
sh e is de a the m ere re membra ce of the
d w
n n
o
,
pleasure e xp eri e nce d by th o s e wh o k ew h er
n
bri gs te ar s t o th e eye s of many at th e
ll
n
reco ec
tio of the i r l o ss You k n ow Si r th at have
I
n
. , ,
lon g de spaire d of sk etchi g a p ortrait whi ch
n
re qui re s the d ai tie st ha dling and the of
fi
n n n t
es
brushe s You yours e lf calle d m e b ack t o my
.
task a hun dre d tim e s and whate ve r the n ature
,
of th e h elp you gave me spite o f advi ce fr om
i
n
,
re sp onsibl e p e ople of tas te and d i s crimi ati on
n
,
have but excus e obeyi g your wi sh e s
I i
n n n
o e
that i s my d e ep admi ratio and re sp ect for this
n
,
woma phil os opher Mo re ove r I u dertak e th e
n n
. ,
task too for fear th at othe rs le s s well advi sed
, , ,
th a sh oul d wr on g e ve he r m em ory by p aint
I
n n
,
o ly her foible s
i
n n
g
.
You S i r wh o are s o tho roughly ve rs e d
i
n
, ,
A cie nt Hi story are aware th at th o s e bygon e
n
day s ever p r oduce d the woman wi th wh om
n
Ni on c oul d eve r h ave be en adequate ly c omp are d
n
.
m
The am e of s ome tim e s give h e r
n L ntiu n
eo
,
by her fri ends mu st in y our eye s as we ll as in
, ,
2
PRE FA C E
mi e e em mo st u nworthy o f her th ank s to th e
n
s
, ,
p o or u se to which th e fo rme r p ut he r wi t She
.
dare d to w i te damagi ng thing s of th e i llu stri o u s
r
—
thus gi vin g ri s e to a proverb
Th h t
a
eop r s es re
calle d by P y to the e e ct that sinc e m en were
li ff
n
, ,
exp os e d to such a ronts there nothing left for
ff w
a
s
,
th em but to hang them s e lve s if I m ay s o c oin an
,
expre s sio
n
M ade m oi se lle d e n cl os n eve r be little d h e r
L
e
inte le ct sh e p o ss es s ed m ental d i gn ity an d h gh
l i
;
i de al s she en deavou re d to live acc ording to he r
;
w
pri ci ple s I t ere vain to den hat he r heart
y t
n
.
ofte n le d her as tray but th en again in this
;
, ,
matte r she was imbue d wi th i d e as whi ch
n
eces
p rove d dangerous to tha t part of o ur frai l
il
a
s r y
natu re whi ch i s m os t e as ily le d ast ay by th e
r
di ctates of th e s en se s th e othe r hand she
O
u
. ,
prove d a ra e e xce pti o to th e re st of h e r sex
n
r
,
wh om a love of p le asure ge era ly p ove s a
i l
n n
r
M
de stroye r of all virtue A s d e la R oche fou cauld
. .
says
Th e min or si n of the femme galant i s “ l
‘
a
e
galanterie
!
.
I n th e me moi rs t hat fo ll ow I have calle d M d e
a
m
de Le n clo s N non th e n am e by which
i ll i ’
‘
o se e
, ,
she was b e st kn o wn to h e r fri ends in he r younge r
,
days at any rate
.
In Madame de S vi gn s e arli e r letters we als o
e e’
me et with in one of th e lat e st r ece ntly p ub
it
;
it i s Ma dem oi se le de Le ncl o s Th i s le t ter
li h d l
s e
. ,
date d depicts th e l dy i n que s ti on at th e
1896
a
,
age of eighty one
-
.
3
PRE F A C E
But wh e she lai d hum a e a k e ss asi de to
w
n n n
be c om e th e m os t ami able of philosoph ers ou r
n ati o e ve r k e w dre amt of u sing aught
n n n n
o o e
,
but he r formal real name
d
an
.
The m ere c o lati g of facts has but little meri t
l
n
,
though th ere may be s om e the e deavou r to
i
n n
de scribe them make them smo othly
d
an un
r
.
T hat p ro di gi ou sly an d I fear that
w difli lt
as cu
,
my atte mp t may prove u s ucce s sful
n
.
Th e obj e ct i n View was to he lp the p ublic to
gai insight i to Mademois e ll e d e Lenclo s as
n n n
a
sh e re al y w as i n orde r to attai n thi s i t woul d
l
:
have be e ob vi o u sly h ope le s s t o state any hi g
t
n n
but th e p lai truth
n
. —
My work i s n ot an ap ol ogy neithe r i s i t a sati re
,
stil l les s i s i t a n ovel I t i s there fore imp orta t
n
. ,
Sir t o remember that I p ubli sh thi s v olum e to
,
s erve as a m ore c omplete h i sto ry of my h ero i e
n
th a h as hi th erto be e n attem p t d
n
e
.
It i s als o e sse tial to p oin t o ut that I h ave not
n
pu t forward Madem ois e lle de Le c l os as a m odel
n
fo r oth er wome what sh ould I have gai e d s o
( i
n n n
d o i g I sim ply m ake a rec or d of he r m oral he r
n
— s
,
philos ophy he r acti o s as facts
n
, .
I t is for th e re ader t o j udge h er ac cordi g t o
n
h is pri cip le s I was m ove d by n o oth e r m o tive s
n
:
but s uch as a e ct th e hist ori a
ff
n
.
S om e a on ym ous wri te r wh os e p reface c o c ern s
n n
,
the e ducati on of p ri ce s brings forward thi s maxim
n
,
of H orace
:
m mm e tiam atque e tiam
‘ Q l d i
n
ua e co e es asp ce
,
m m m
aliena tibi pe cca a
i ti t t d ’
e ox ncu a pu ore
.
PRE F A C E
In doing s o hi s i nte ti o w a s to fru s trate th e
n n
pla s of any inte ding bi ogr aph er of Mad em oi sell e
n n
de Le ncl os the qu otati o n ap pli e d to me i s o ut of
;
place the attemp t to gi ve a t rue d unbias s e d
n
a
;
recor d of a c o que ror s life d o e s n ot h an d i n
’
n
go
han d wi th the obj e ct of the c on que ror which i s a
,
de sir e t o rav ge the worl d
a
.
I rem ain Si r
, ,
Y our very ob e di e n t s e rvant
.