man of wonderfully inventive
genius, and possessed in a higher degree than any of his
contemporaries the art of inventing surprises for the society that
lived on novelty. When, on account of his devotion to Fouquet, he
was imprisoned in the Bastille, Mlle. de Scudery managed to persuade
Colbert to brighten his confinement by permitting him to see friends
and relatives. Part of every day she spent in his prison, conversing
and reading; and this is but one instance of her fidelity and
friendship.

Mlle. de Scudery, considering all men as aspirants for authority
who, when husbands, degenerate into tyrants, preferred to retain
her independence. Her ideas on love were very peculiar and were
innovations at the time: she wished to be loved, but her love must be
friendship--a pure, platonic love, in which her lover must be her all,
her confidant, the participator in her sorrows and her conversation;
and his happiness must be in her alone; he must, without feeling
passion, love her for herself, and she must have the same feeling
toward him. These sentiments are expressed in her novels, from which
the following extracts are taken:

"When friendship becomes love in the heart of a lover or when this
love is mingled with friendship without destroying it, there is
nothing so sweet as this kind of love; for as violent as it is, it is
always held somewhat more in check than is ordinary love; it is more
durable, more tender, more respectful, and even more ardent, although
it is not subject to so many tumultuous caprices as is that love which
arises without friendship. It can be said that love and friendship
flow together like two streams, the more celebrated of which obscures
the name of the other." ... "They agreed on even the conditions of
their love; for Phaon solemnly promised Sapho (Mlle. de Scudery)--who
desired it thus--not to ask of her anything more than the possession
of her heart, and she, also, promised him to receive only him in hers.
They told each other all their thoughts, they understood them even
without confessing them. Peace, however, was not so completely
established that their affection could not become languishing or cool;
for, although they loved each other as much as one can love, they at
times complained of not being loved enough, and they had sufficient
little difficulties to always leave something new to wish for; but
they never had any troubles that were serious enough to essentially
disturb their repose."