Comtesse de Lafayette, Marie-Madeleine Pioche de La Vergne

A French female writer. Born in Paris to a minor noble family, she acquired a literary education under the tutelage of Gilles Ménage (1613-1692). She attended court as a young girl, and continued to live in Paris even after her marriage to the local nobleman Count de Lafayette. She served as a maid to Henriette d'Angleterre (1644-1670), the younger brother and wife of Louis XIV, and was praised in salons for her "divine rationality" (according to Madame de Sévigné). Her Biography of Henriette d'Angleterre (first published in 1720), published in 1670 and depicting the life and tragic death of the younger brother and wife, is a gem of a documentary work attributed to her. She was also familiar with the intricacies of court life, having served the Duchess of Savoy even after the latter's death. He had many friends among his literary masters, including his relative by marriage, Madame de Ségnet, Jean Regnault de Segrais (1624-1701), and Pierre-Daniel Huet (1630-1721), and was particularly on friendly terms with his neighbor, La Rochefoucauld, author of "Maxims" (1664-1678).

As all of his works were published anonymously or posthumously, questions remain regarding his collaborative relationships, but his clear-sighted psychological anatomy and classically neat structure surpassed the lengthy stories of his time, paving the way for modern psychological love novels. In addition to his masterpiece, The Lady of Cleves (1678), his other works include the short story The Duchess of Montpensier (1662), The Countess of Tende, published in 1718, the story-like Zayde (1670) published under the name of Segrès , and Mémoires de la Cour de France pour les années 1688 et 1689 (Records of the French Court in the Years 1688 and 1689 ), published in 1731.

[Fusa Ninomiya]

"The Lady of Cleves and Two Other Stories" translated by Ryoichi Ikushima (Iwanami Bunko)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

フランスの女流作家。小貴族の出でパリに生まれ、メナージュGilles Ménage（1613―1692）を師として文学的教養を身につける。娘時代から宮廷に出、地方貴族ラファイエット伯爵との結婚後もパリに住み、ルイ14世の王弟妃アンリエット・ダングルテールHenriette d'Angleterre（1644―1670）の侍女を勤めるとともにサロンで「神々しき理性」（セビニエ夫人評）をうたわれる。1670年に発表された王弟妃の生涯と悲劇的な死を描いた『アンリエット・ダングルテール伝』（1720初版）は、彼女の作とされる珠玉の記録文学。同妃の死後もサボア公妃に仕えるなど宮廷生活の機微に通じる。姻戚(いんせき)でもあるセビニエ夫人のほかスグレJean Regnault de Segrais（1624―1701）、ユエPierre‐Daniel Huet（1630―1721）など有数の文人を友とし、とくに『箴言(しんげん)集』（1664～1678）の著者で隣人のラ・ロシュフコーとは肝胆相照らす。

　作品はすべて匿名や没後刊行のため協力関係など問題は残すが、透徹した心理解剖と古典的な端正な構成で同時代の冗長な物語を抜き、近代恋愛心理小説の道を拓(ひら)いている。代表作『クレーブの奥方』（1678）のほか短編『モンパンシエ公爵夫人』（1662）、1718年に発表された『タンド伯爵夫人』、スグレの名で出た「物語」風の『ザイード』Zayde（1670）、1731年刊の『1688、1689年フランス宮廷の記録』Mémoires de la Cour de France pour les années 1688 et 1689などがある。

［二宮フサ］

『生島遼一訳『クレーヴの奥方　他2編』（岩波文庫）』

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