said: "It is true
that he took possession of her soul and intellect, little by little,
so that the two beings, in the eyes of their contemporaries, were
but one; for after his death (1680) she lived but an incomplete and
mutilated existence."

Some critics have ventured to pronounce this liaison one of material
love solely, others are convinced of its morality and pure friendship.
In favor of the latter view, M. d'Haussonville suggests the fact
that Mme. de La Fayette was over thirty years of age when she became
interested in La Rochefoucauld, and that at that age women rarely ally
themselves with men from emotions of physical love merely. At that age
it is reason that mutually attracts two beings; and this feeling was
probably the predominant one in that case, because her entire career
was one of the most extreme reserve, conservatism, good sense, and
propriety. However, other proofs are brought forward to show that
there was between the two a sort of moral marriage, so many examples
of which are found in the seventeenth century between people
of prominence, both of whom happened to have unhappy conjugal
experiences.

French society, one must remember, was different from any in the
world; it seems to have been a large family gathering, the members of
which were as intimate, took as much interest in each other's affairs,
showed as much sympathy for one another and participated in each
other's sorrows and pleasures, as though they were children of the
same parents.

In his early days, La Rochefoucauld found it convenient, for selfish
purposes, to simulate an ardent passion for Mme. de Longueville,
of which mention has been made in the chapter relating to Mme. de
Longueville. In his later period, he had settled down to a normal
mode of life and sought the friendship of a more reasonable and less
passionate woman. He himself said:

"When women have well-informed minds, I like their conversation better
than that of men; you find, with them, a certain gentleness which is
not met with among us; and it seems to me, besides, that they express
themselves with greater clearness and that they give a more pleasant
turn to the things they say."

Mme. de La Fayette exercised a great influence upon La
Rochefoucauld--an influence that was wholesome in every way. It was
through her influential friends at court that he was helped into
possession of his property, and it was she who maintained it for him.
As to his literary work (h