The Princess of Montpensier

The Princess of Montpensier is a short novel by Madame de La Fayette which came out anonymously in 1662 as her first published work. It is regarded not only as one of the first modern novels in French, but also as both the prototype and a masterpiece of the historical novel. Set in France during the Wars of Religion, it tells the story of a young noblewoman, married without affection and loved platonically by her husband's best friend, who cannot refuse her former fiancé's impetuous brother and collapses under the emotional stress. Some of the characters are historical and some made up for the story. Plot The intelligent and good-looking Renée d'Anjou-Mézières is promised to the Duke of Mayenne, but she loves his brother, the Duke of Guise, who loves her back. Unfortunately, France becomes convulsed in the Wars of Religion and the leading families are forced to take sides. To the fury of Guise, her parents prefer an alliance with the powerful Montpensier family and she is married to the young Prince of Montpensier. As he has to go off to the wars, he leaves her at his castle in the care of the Count of Chabanes, his oldest and most trusted friend, who is to be her tutor. Chabanes soon falls in love with the girl and, being intrinsically honest, admits it to her. She says they must remain friends and nothing more. Her peaceful life in the country is disrupted when two great men are riding across the estate and see her in a boat on the river. One is her former suitor Guise, who has not stopped wanting her, and the other is the heir to the throne, the Duke of Anjou. Determined to see more of her, Anjou invites himself and Guise to the castle, where Montpensier arrives as well to be their host. At the dinner table, the princess is surrounded by four men who desire her and, in the case of Montpensier and Guise, hate each other. When the Montpensiers are summoned to Paris, Guise tells Renée he still loves her while Anjou tries to win her favour. At a masked ball, the princess thinks she is talking to Guise and says how Anjou is pursuing her. In fact the man she whispered to was Anjou, who forms a deep hatred for Guise.