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by Maud Cruttwell (Author)
Madame de Maintenon is a biography written by Maud Cruttwell that explores the life of Fran�����oise d�������Aubign�����, who later became known as Madame de Maintenon. Fran�����oise was born into poverty and obscurity, but through a combination of intelligence, charm, and circumstance, she rose to become the second wife of King Louis XIV of France. The book traces her journey from her early years as an orphan to her time as a governess in the household of the king�������s illegitimate children, and finally to her marriage to Louis XIV. Along the way, Cruttwell delves into the political and cultural landscape of seventeenth-century France, offering insights into the complex power dynamics of the royal court and the role of women in society. The book also explores Madame de Maintenon�������s religious beliefs and her influence on the king�������s piety, as well as her charitable endeavors and her legacy as a patron of the arts. Through vivid storytelling and meticulous research, Cruttwell paints a portrait of a remarkable woman who defied the odds to become one of the most influential figures of her time.1930. With sixteen illustrations in photogravure. The story of Madame de Maintenon who was born in a prison and raised to a Throne or next door to it. Freaks of fortune fantastic as a fairy-tale, contrasts of penury and magnificence which seem invented only to astonish and amuse. Yet the heroine of these incredible vicissitudes was no exotic enchantress dominating by superhuman beauty or intelligence. Her personality is singularly free from any abnormal characteristic. She was neither the femme fatale, the malevolent witch blasting all who offended her, of Saint-Simon's malignant invention, nor the all-powerful Dictatress, scourge of the Huguenots, of the Dutch Gazettes, nor finally the hypocritical religious despot of the biographers, austere governess ruling her nuns with a rod of iron when nothing else was left to rule. No personage of her importance in history has been so maligned, so misunderstood, so misrepresented. She, stigmatized as cruel, capricious, vindictive, fatal to France, was in reality a paragon of honesty, loyalty and magnanimity; very simple, very straightforward, supremely charitable; a saint, whose sole ambitions were to convert her King and alleviate the misery caused by his wars.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
