Page:A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country (1804).djvu/370

356 convent; others are, Contes de la Serrail, translated from the Turkish; La derniere des Gueres-Betes, a fable; and Abassai, an oriental romance. F. C.

This lady, who was in the service of Henrietta, daughter of Charles I. of England, wife of the duke of Orleans; was one of the ornaments of the reign of Lewis XIV. and highly esteemed at court. She was universally respected by men of letters, and corresponded with the most learned of them, particularly the famous Huet, bishop of Avranches. Her modesty was equal to her other amiable qualities, for she wrote many things which were greatly admired, and permitted others to have the credit of them.

The elegance of her style, her taste, her refined sentiments; but, above all, her adhering so closely to nature, render it impossible to read her romances, without being deeply interested. Voltaire says, "she was the first who ever composed one in which the characters appear natural, and not either over-rated, or such as introduced incidents, in which the most glaring absurdities and improbabilities were conspicuous; as if the only end of the writers of such works is to raise wonder and amazement, instead of drawing a true picture of human nature."

The works of this lady are ranked with the first of the kind in the French language. The principal are, Zaide; la Princesse de Cleve; la Princesse de  pensier;