the princess de montpensier-第1节

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The　Princess　de　Montpensier

by　Mme。　de　Lafayette




Introduction

　by　Oliver　C。　Colt



This　story　was　written　by　Madame　de　Lafayette　and　published
anonymously　in　1662。　It　is　set　in　a　period　almost　100　years
previously　during　the　sanguinary　wars　of　the　counter…reformation；
when　the　Catholic　rulers　of　Europe；　with　the　encouragement　of　the
Papacy；　were　bent　on　extirpating　the　followers　of　the　creeds　of
Luther　and　Calvin。　I　am　not　qualified　to　embark　on　a　historical
analysis；　and　shall　do　no　more　than　say　that　many　of　the　persons
who　are　involved　in　the　tale　actually　existed；　and　the　events
referred　to　actually　took　place。　The　weak　and　vicious　King　and
his　malign　and　unscrupulous　mother　are　real　enough；　as　is　a　Duc
de　Montpensier；　a　Prince　of　the　Blood；　who　achieved　some
notoriety　for　the　cruelty　with　which　he　treated　any　Huguenots　who
fell　into　his　hands；　and　for　the　leadership　he　gave　to　the
assassins　during　the　atrocious　massacre　of　St。　Bartholomew's　day。
He　was　married　and　had　progeny；　but　the　woman　to　whom　he　was
married　was　not　the　heroine　of　this　romance；　who　is　a　fictional
character；　as　is　the　Comte　de　Chabannes。

The　Duc　de　Guise　of　the　period　whose　father　had　been　killed
fighting　against　the　protestants；　did　marry　the　Princess　de
Portein；　but　this　was　for　political　reasons　and　not　to　satisfy
the　wishes　of　a　Princess　de　Montpensier。

It　will　be　noticed；I　think；　that　women　were　traded　in　marriage
with　little　or　no　regard　to　their　personal　emotions；　and　no
doubt；　as　has　been　remarked　by　others；　marriages　without　love
encouraged　love　outside　marriage。　Whatever　the　reality；　the
literary　conventions　of　the　time　seem　to　have　dictated　that　we
should　be　treated　only　to　ardent　glances；　fervent　declarations；
swoonings　and　courtly　gestures；　we　are　not　led　even　to　the
bedroom　door；　let　alone　the　amorous　couch。　I　wonder；　however；　if
the　reader　might　not　think　that　this　little　tale　written　more
than　three　hundred　years　ago　contains　the　elements　of　many　of　the
romantic　novels　and　soap　operas　which　have　followed　it。

At　one　level　it　is　a　cautionary　tale　about　the　consequences　of
marital　infidelity；　at　another　it　is　a　story　of　a　woman　betrayed；
treated　as　a　pretty　bauble　for　the　gratification　of　men；　and　cast
aside　when　she　has　served　her　purpose；　or　a　butterfly　trapped　in
a　net　woven　by　uncaring　fate。　Her　end　is　rather　too　contrived　for
modern　taste；　but；　even　today；　characters　who　are　about　to　be
written　out　of　the　plot　in　soap　operas　are　sometimes　smitten　by
mysterious　and　fatal　disorders　of　the　brain。

The　unfortunate　Comte　de　Chabannes　is　the　archtypical　〃decent
chap〃　The　faithful　but　rejected　swain　who　sacrifices　himself　for
the　welfare　of　his　beloved　without　expectation　of　reward。　In　the
hands　of　another　writer；　with　some　modification；　he　could　　have
provided　a　happy　ending　in　the　〃Mills　and　Boon〃　tradition。

This　translation　is　not　a　schoolroom　exercise；　for　although　I
have　not　altered　the　story；　I　have　altered　the　exact　way　in　which
it　is　told　in　the　original；　with　the　aim　of　making　it　more
acceptable　to　the　modern　reader。　All　translation　must　involve
paraphrase；　for　what　sounds　well　in　one　language　may　sound
ridiculous　if　translated　literally　into　another；　and　it　is　for
the　translator　to　decide　how　far　this　process　may　be　carried。
Whether　I　have　succeeded　in　my　task；　only　the　reader　can　say。




The　Princess　de　Montpensier

By　Madame　de　Lafayette




Translated　by　Oliver　C。　Colt




It　was　while　the　civil　war　of　religion　was　tearing　France　apart
that　the　only　daughter　of　the　Marquis　of　Mezieres；　a　very
considerable　heiress；　both　because　of　her　wealth　and　the
illustrious　house　of　Anjou　from　which　she　was　descended；　was
promised　in　marriage　to　the　Duc　de　Maine；　the　younger　brother　of
the　Duc　de　Guise。

The　marriage　was　delayed　because　of　the　youth　of　this　heiress；
but　the　elder　of　the　brothers；　the　Duc　de　Guise；　who　saw　much　of
her；　and　who　saw　also　the　burgeoning　of　what　was　to　become　a
great　beauty；　fell　in　love　with　her　and　was　loved　in　return。　They
concealed　their　feelings　with　great　care；　the　Duc　de　Guise；　who
had　not　yet　become　as　ambitious　as　he　was　to　become　later；　wanted
desperately　to　marry　her；　but　fear　of　angering　his　uncle；　the
Cardinal　de　Lorraine；　who　had　taken　the　place　of　his　dead　father；
prevented　him　from　making　any　declaraton。

This　was　how　the　matter　stood　when　the　ruling　house　of　Bourbon；
who　could　not　bear　to　see　any　benefit　accruing　to　that　of　de
Guise；　decided　to　step　in　and　reap　the　profit　themselves　by
marrying　this　heiress　to　the　Prince　de　Montpensier。

This　project　was　pursued　with　such　vigour　that　the　parents　of
Mlle。　de　Mezieres；　despite　the　promises　given　to　the　Cardinal　de
Lorraine；　resolved　to　give　her　in　marriage　to　the　young　Prince。
The　house　of　de　Guise　was　much　displeased　at　this；　but　the　Duc
himself　was　overcome　by　grief；　and　regarded　this　as　an
insupportable　affront。　In　spite　of　warnings　from　his　uncles；　the
Cardinal　and　the　Duc　de　Aumalewho　did　not　wish　to　stand　in　the
way　of　something　which　they　could　not　preventhe　expressed
himself　with　so　much　violence；　even　in　the　presence　of　the　Prince
de　Montpensier；　that　a　mutual　enmity　arose　between　them　which
lasted　all　their　lives。

Mlle。　de　Mezieres；　urged　by　her　parents　to　marry　the　Prince；
realised　that　it　was　impossible　for　her　to　marry　the　Duc　de
Guise；　and　that　if　she　married　his　brother；　the　Duc　de　Maine；　she
would　be　in　the　dangerous　position　of　having　as　a　brother…in…law
a　man　whom　she　wished　was　her　husband；　so　she　agreed　finally　to
marry　the　Prince　and　begged　the　Duc　de　Guise　not　to　continue　to
place　any　obstacle　in　the　way。

The　marriage　having　taken　place；　the　Prince　de　Montpensier　took
her　off　to　his　estate　of　Champigny；　which　was　where　Princes　of
his　family　usually　lived；　in　order　to　remove　her　from　Paris；
where　it　seemed　that　an　outbreak　of　fighting　was　imminent：　this
great　city　being　under　threat　of　siege　by　a　Huguenot　army　led　by
the　Prince　de　Conde；　who　had　once　more　declared　war　on　the　King。

The　Prince　de　Montpensier　had；　when　a　very　young　man；　formed　a
close　friendship　with　the　Comte　de　Chabannes；　a　man　considerably
older　than　himself　and　of　exemplary　character。　The　Comte　in　turn
had　been　so　much　influenced　by　the　esteem　and　friendship　of　the
Prince　that　he　had　broken　off　influential　connections　which　he
had　with　the　Prince　de　Condee　and　had　declared　for　the　Catholics；
a　change　of　sides　which；　having　no　other　foundation；　was　regarded
with　suspicion：　so　much　so　that　the　Queen　Mother；　Catherine　de
Medici；　on　the　declaration　of　war　by　the　Huguenots；　proposed　to
have　him　imprisoned。　The　Prince　de　Montpensier　prevented　this　and
carried　him　away　to　Champigny　when　he　went　there　with　his　wife。
The　Comte　being　a　very　pleasant；　amiable　man　soon　gained　the
approbation　of　the　Princess　and　before　long　she　regarded　him　with
as　much　friendship　and　confidence　as　did　her　husband。　Chabannes；
for　his　part；　observed　with　admiration　the　beauty；　sense　and
modesty　of　the　young　Princess；　and　used　what　influence　he　had　to
instill　in　her　thoughts　and　behaviour　suited　to　her　elevated
position；　so　that　under　his　guidance　she　became　one　of　the　most
accomplished　women　of　her　time。

The　Prince　having　gone　back　to　the　Court；　where　he　was　needed
owing　to　the　continuation　of　the　war；　the　Comte　lived　alone　with
the　Princess　and　continued　to　treat　her　with　the　respect　due　to
her　rank　and　position。　The　Princess　took　him　so　far　into　her
confidence　as　to　tell　him　of　the　feelings　she　had　once　had　for
the　Duc　de　Guise；　but　she　intimated　that　there　remained　only
enough　of　this　emotion　to　prevent　her　heart　from　straying
elsewhere　and　that　this　remnant；　together　with　her　wifely　virtue
made　it　impossible　for　her　to　respond；　except　with　a　rebuff；　to
any　possible　suitor。

The　Comte　who　recognised　her　sincerity　and　who　saw　in　her　a
character　wholly　opposed　to　flirtation　and　gallantry；　did　not
doubt　the　truth　of　her　words；　but　nevertheless　he　was　unable　to
resist　all　the　charms　which　he　saw　daily　so　close　to　him。　He　fell
deeply　in　love　with　the　Princess；　in　spite　of　the　shame　he　felt
at　allowing　himself　to　be　overcome　by　this　illicit　passion。
However　although　not　master　of　his　heart；　he　was　master　of　his
actions；　the　change　in　his　emotions　did　not　show　at　all　in　his
behaviour；　and　no　one　suspected　him。　He　took；　for　a　whole　year；
scrupulous　care　to　hide　his　feelings　from　the　Princess　and
believed　that　he　would　always　be　able　to　do　so。

Love；　however；　had　the　same　effect　on　him　as　it　does　on　everyone；
he　longed　to　speak　of　it；　and　after　all　the　struggles　which　are
usually　made　on　such　occasions；　he　dared　to　tell　her　of　his
devotion。　He　had　been　prepared　to　weather　the　storm　　of　reproach
which　this　might　arouse；　but　he　was　greeted　with　a　calm　and　a
coolness　which　was　a　thousand　times　worse　than　the　outburst　which
he　had　expected。　She　did　not　take　the　trouble　to　be　angry。　She
pointed　out　in　a　few　words　the　difference　in　their　rank　and　ages；
she　reminded　him　of　what　she　had　previously　said　about　her
attitude　to　suitors　and　above　all　to　the　duty　he　owed　to　the
confidence　and　friendship　of　the　Prin