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Mémoires complets et authentiques du duc de Saint-Simon. T. 2: ; et précédés d'une notice par M. Sainte-Beuve (Histoire)
Memoires complets et authentiques du duc de Saint-Simon...; et precedes d'une notice par M. Sainte-Beuve, .... T. 2 / publies par MM. Cheruel et Ad. Regnier fils...Date de l'edition originale: 1873-1886Sujet de l'ouvrage: Saint-Simon, Louis de Rouvroy (1675-1755; duc de) -- BiographiesCe livre est la reproduction fidele d'une oeuvre publiee avant 1920 et fait partie d'une collection de livres reimprimes a la demande editee par Hachette Livre, dans le cadre d'un partenariat avec la Bibliotheque nationale de France, offrant l'opportunite d'acceder a des ouvrages anciens et souvent rares issus des fonds patrimoniaux de la BnF.Les oeuvres faisant partie de cette collection ont ete numerisees par la BnF et sont presentes sur Gallica, sa bibliotheque numerique.En entreprenant de redonner vie a ces ouvrages au travers d'une collection de livres reimprimes a la demande, nous leur donnons la possibilite de rencontrer un public elargi et participons a la transmission de connaissances et de savoirs parfois difficilement accessibles.Nous avons cherche a concilier la reproduction fidele d'un livre ancien a partir de sa version numerisee avec le souci d'un confort de lecture optimal. Nous esperons que les ouvrages de cette nouvelle collection vous apporteront entiere satisfaction.Pour plus d'informations, rendez-vous sur www.hachettebnf.fr
- GenresHistory
512 pages, Paperback
Published February 28, 2018
About the author
Louis de Rouvroy de Saint-Simon
1,081 books32 followersFrench diplomat Louis de Rouvroy with title of duc de Saint-Simon wrote memoirs, a valuable historical source, of the court of Louis XIV.
This grandee served as a soldier. A mother bore him at the Hôtel Selvois, 6 Rue Taranne, demolished in 1876 to make way for the Boulevard Saint-Germain.
His enormous classic of literature give the fullest and most lively account at Versailles of the Régence at the start of reign.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_d...
This grandee served as a soldier. A mother bore him at the Hôtel Selvois, 6 Rue Taranne, demolished in 1876 to make way for the Boulevard Saint-Germain.
His enormous classic of literature give the fullest and most lively account at Versailles of the Régence at the start of reign.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_d...
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Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
September 2, 2019
SAINT SIMON
Memoires volume 2
This volume relates the years 1697, 1698, 1699 and 1700.
The author was then between 23 and 25 years old.
King Louis XIV was at the age of 57 to 60, still a powerful and tyrannical monarch.
He had been married to Marie Therese of Austria, from Habsburg Dynasty until 1683 when she died.
What an alien world it must have been. At least for a modern reader.
Saint Simon was a courtier, due to his high rank in Aristocracy. Likely because of his young age, he had no other official function during that time.
According to his reports, he was close to the King all the time.
The King was surrounded by a limited number of courtiers from his rising in the morning to bedtime, reading his wishes from his lips and a twinkle from his eyes.
He almost never mentions his private life, except for the birth of a second son.
But from his position, our author knew everything going on at court.
And these events are what his memoirs are about. An almost daily report of intrigues, new and old, marriages, deaths, promotions and exiles; even one execution of an unfortunate provocatively unfaithful women; divorces were unknown of.
The name most recurring during these pages is “Madame de Maintenon” who had been the King’s mistress and then his wife for almost thirty years.
Indeed Louis XIV consulted her on every issue and followed her advice reportedly almost on every matter. She was very young and beautiful when he met her. Many classic oil paintings of her exist to this day.
She had an adventurous background; returning from America, abandoned and desperate, she made a cometlike come back in life.
First married to an ugly old playwright Mr Scarron and when he (fortunately) died, she became the King’s mistress and later the Queen.
Racine, the other famous poet and playwright, was very much appreciated by the King and Mme de Maintenon, until one day, by an unfortunate turn of the conversation, Racine mentioned Scarron as an unsuccessful writer.
From that moment, Racine was dejected from the court and soon died in despair.
This will be a reminder to read Racine’s works in the very near future.
The rest of this book relating political issues, obscure, complicated and long forgotten are of little interest except for a scholar of this historical period.
Memoires volume 2
This volume relates the years 1697, 1698, 1699 and 1700.
The author was then between 23 and 25 years old.
King Louis XIV was at the age of 57 to 60, still a powerful and tyrannical monarch.
He had been married to Marie Therese of Austria, from Habsburg Dynasty until 1683 when she died.
What an alien world it must have been. At least for a modern reader.
Saint Simon was a courtier, due to his high rank in Aristocracy. Likely because of his young age, he had no other official function during that time.
According to his reports, he was close to the King all the time.
The King was surrounded by a limited number of courtiers from his rising in the morning to bedtime, reading his wishes from his lips and a twinkle from his eyes.
He almost never mentions his private life, except for the birth of a second son.
But from his position, our author knew everything going on at court.
And these events are what his memoirs are about. An almost daily report of intrigues, new and old, marriages, deaths, promotions and exiles; even one execution of an unfortunate provocatively unfaithful women; divorces were unknown of.
The name most recurring during these pages is “Madame de Maintenon” who had been the King’s mistress and then his wife for almost thirty years.
Indeed Louis XIV consulted her on every issue and followed her advice reportedly almost on every matter. She was very young and beautiful when he met her. Many classic oil paintings of her exist to this day.
She had an adventurous background; returning from America, abandoned and desperate, she made a cometlike come back in life.
First married to an ugly old playwright Mr Scarron and when he (fortunately) died, she became the King’s mistress and later the Queen.
Racine, the other famous poet and playwright, was very much appreciated by the King and Mme de Maintenon, until one day, by an unfortunate turn of the conversation, Racine mentioned Scarron as an unsuccessful writer.
From that moment, Racine was dejected from the court and soon died in despair.
This will be a reminder to read Racine’s works in the very near future.
The rest of this book relating political issues, obscure, complicated and long forgotten are of little interest except for a scholar of this historical period.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review