French court memoirs

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French court memoirs

1asurbanipal
Aug 18, 2009, 6:32 am

There are many novels pretending to be memoirs, but I'm trying to establish which texts are real, sincere memoirs written in secret.

Marguerite de Valois, marquise de Montespan and Saint-Simon - that's what I've found so far. All of them available as ebooks on Project Gutenberg. The first caused scandal (written by Reine Margot near the end of her life, published posthumously), the second was written to present to posterity an unbiased account of life at Louis XIV's court full of intrigue, the third - considered a masterpiece.

What else? Be careful - there are many counterfeit memoirs.
I need Pepyses.

2thorold
Aug 18, 2009, 7:36 am

I think you're right that the majority are really novels in disguise; they mostly turn out to be by Abbé Prévost or Courtilz de Sandras when you look them up.

The letters of the Duchesse d'Orléans (Liselotte von der Pfalz) seem to be authentic.

What about the Duc de Sully and the Duc de Rohan?

It could be worth having a look in Marie-Antoinette's library, e.g. with the tag Histoire de France. Scott had quite a few French memoirs too, but he was mostly interested in the revolutionary period (for his Napoleon biography).

3asurbanipal
Aug 18, 2009, 9:55 am

I also asked elsewhere, and got the following answers:

Memoirs of Cardinal de Retz for marquise de Sévigné, and her letters.

Laura duchess d'Abrantes - diary
Marthe de Caylus - memoirs
Duc de Lauzun - diary
Louis Wairy Constant Napoleon I's camerdinaire - diary

4asurbanipal
Aug 19, 2009, 3:03 am

"Économies royales" by de Sully - facts mixed with fiction

5asurbanipal
Aug 19, 2009, 3:09 am

Henri, duc de Rohan "Mémoires sur les choses qui se sont passées en France, etc."

6asurbanipal
Aug 19, 2009, 3:16 am

Armand Louis de Gontaut, Duc de Lauzun

8asurbanipal
Aug 19, 2009, 3:21 am

Marthe-Marguerite (née) Le Valois de Villette de Mursay, Marquise de Caylus (1673-1729)

http://www.librarything.com/author/caylus

9asurbanipal
Aug 19, 2009, 3:32 am

Laure Junot, duchess d'Abrantès Mémoires historiques sur Napoléon Ier, la Révolution, le Directoire, l’Empire et la Restauration (1831-1835)

10asurbanipal
Aug 19, 2009, 3:47 am

Jeanne Julie Éléonore de Lespinasse - Lettres inédités de Mademoiselle de Lespinasse à Condorcet, à D'Alembert, à Guibert, au comte de Crillon

11asurbanipal
Edited: Aug 14, 2021, 12:10 pm

Madame du Hausset - memoirs (available on PG).
I was looking for Louis XVI's diary, but is it available in English (or French)?
For example, Norman Mailer knew about https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parc-aux-Cerfs , one of his novels was named The Deer Park, published in 1955.

12Dilara86
Aug 14, 2021, 10:33 am

Jean Héroard was Louis XIII's physician. He documented his childhood and youth in his diaries, which are available on Kindle. He is quoted in Philippe Ariès's L'Enfant et la vie familiale sous l'Ancien Régime.