In the crowded, luminous hall outside, the undulating din of laughter, chatter, and tinkling glasses subsides. A melodious voice is singing: Dove ne vai, crudele,E non fuggire,O di mio beneL’aspre mie pene,Che se fai vaga,De la mia pega,Volge tuo squardiCh’al cor son dardi.Torna, torna crudele,E non fuggire. The handsome masked foreigner seated across from Raoul … Continue reading Chapter Twenty Six-Intentions Unmasked, by Mordaunt
Chapter TwentyThree- Tempting Venus, by Mordaunt
“What is all this?” Captain Marchal is not in a good mood. He removes his hat and gloves and throws his muddied cloak on a chair upon entering his office. He and his men have just returned from Royaumont riding all night in freezing rain, the roads treacherous, all slush and dirt. The pile of … Continue reading Chapter TwentyThree- Tempting Venus, by Mordaunt
Chapter Twenty One-Desperate Ruse, by Mordaunt
When she was younger, Catherine de Renard sought her mother in the faces of lay sisters and nuns knowing well her mother chose God over her daughter. Many years later, Catherine no longer remembers her mother’s face, only being abandoned when she was eleven. The lay sister from the Benedictines of Abbaye aux Dames in … Continue reading Chapter Twenty One-Desperate Ruse, by Mordaunt
Who was Athos de la Fére?
As we explain with a different post, Dumas’ Three Musketeers is based on a romance, a pseudo-memoir about the historical d’ Artagnan—Charles de Batz de Castlemore d’ Artagnan—written by an almost contemporary of his, Gatien Courtliz de Sandras. It was Dumas, however, who fleshed out, and "gave life" to the “Four Inseparables”, the "Three Musketeers" … Continue reading Who was Athos de la Fére?
Chapter Seventeen-Intermezzo, by Mordaunt
Zwischenzug, Intermezzo, or in-between move is a chess tactic, whereby a player instead of the expected move, interposes another move that is an immediate threat, thus forcing the opponent to respond, and only then plays the expected move. No one knows when the first intermezzo was played, but it must have been played long before … Continue reading Chapter Seventeen-Intermezzo, by Mordaunt
Gatherings of Equal Minds: Ruelle, Salon, and the Chambre Bleue of Madame de Rambouillet
Réunion de dames, Abraham Bosse, 17th century The kind of gathering called “salon” first appeared in Italy in the 16th century, but developed in France throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. Alongside fostering political and social alliances and exchanges, the purpose of such gatherings of “equal minds” adhered to Horatio’s definition of the purpose of … Continue reading Gatherings of Equal Minds: Ruelle, Salon, and the Chambre Bleue of Madame de Rambouillet
The Guest List of the Duchess de Chevreuse!
The Luynes Staircase at the Musée Carnavalet "Pandora" (Chapter 13), lists several guests from the gathering, at the townhouse of the Duchess de Chevreuse who have historical counterparts, besides Marie Cessette, M. de Rohan, and Sylvine Mercier, who are fictional. Below is a.... "who is who" from the duchess' guest list! Click here, find out why … Continue reading The Guest List of the Duchess de Chevreuse!
Pandora(s) or Why we picked that title for Chapter 13
The Dolls One of the oldest fashion dolls is displayed in the Livrustkammaren (Royal Armory Museum) in Stockholm. She has clothes made of silk which are embroidered with gold and silver thread. Her wig is made from real human hair and is styled in an elaborate coiffure. The high quality of the doll’s clothes and … Continue reading Pandora(s) or Why we picked that title for Chapter 13
Duchess de Chevreuse
1. Attributed to Claude Deruet , Portrait of Marie de Rohan, Duchess of Chevreuse (1600-1679) as Diana the Huntress (circa 1627), Palace of Versailles; 2. Marie with her son Louis Charles; she poses as Diana and her son as Hercules; 3. Entourage of Daniel Dumonstier , Portrait of Marie de Rohan, Duchess of Luynes (circa … Continue reading Duchess de Chevreuse
Which Hôtel de Chevreuse?
Hôtel de Chevreuse, (later Hôtel d'Épernon, then Hôtel de Longueville) vs. Hôtel de Chevreuse (later Hôtel de Luynes). Street front of the Hôtel de Chevreuse (later Hôtel d'Épernon, and later Hôtel de Longueville) before 1655, engraved after Jean Marot and published in Topographia Galliae. This is great example of how aristocrats owned several mansions in Paris. … Continue reading Which Hôtel de Chevreuse?
Twelve Years After 