THE HISTORY OF THE FRENCH MARQUIS. BY MLLE. DE SCUDÉRY. (From "Ibrahim; or the Illustrious Bassa.") [MADELEINE DE SCUDÉRY, the most noted French novelist of the seventeenth century, was born at Havre in 1607; removing to Paris, became a leading light of the salon at the Hôtel Rambouillet, and on its dissolution set up a noted one of her own. Her first novel was "Ibrahim" (below), published as her brother's in 1641; then followed "Artamène" (1650), and “Clélie" (1656), all owing much of their interest to the inclusion of contemporaries under fictitious names. She published several other works, novels and essays. She died at Paris in 1701.] MARSÉ had four sisters, and the Marquis but one; and they were both neighbors together in the country, so that visiting one another very often, according to the custom of France, Marsé fell in love with the Marquis his Sister, and the Marquis, who always returns Love with usury, became enamored of all his four at once. He loved the eyes of the one, the stature of the other, the voice of the third, and the wit of the last, and in these four maids he said that he had the most accomplished Mistress in the world. This folly lasted long enough to give Marsé leisure to become desperately in love with the Marquis his Sister, who at her brother's intreaty had entertained him very civilly during certain months that he was away in the Province, albeit she could by no means endure him. In the meanwhile the time of his return being come, Marsé begins to think seriously of his affairs, believes they will succeed well; and finding that the Marquis took great delight in resorting to his house, thinks to give him the choice of his four Sisters, and by that exchange hopes to establish his felicity and possess his Mistress. [He can neither make his suit prosper, nor the Marquis choose.] 13 |