Françoise d'Aubigné, marquise de Maintenon

Françoise d'Aubigné, marquise de Maintenon (November 27, 1635 - April 15, 1719), the second wife of Louis XIV, was born in a prison at Niort.

Coming to the Royal Court

The chevalier de Méré, a man of some literary distinction, who had made her acquaintance at Mme. de Neuillant's, discovered her penniless condition, and introduced his "young Indian," as he called her, to Scarron, the famous witty and comic writer, at whose house all the literary society of the day assembled. Scarron took a fancy to the friendless girl, and offered either to pay for her admission to a convent, or, though he was deformed and an invalid, to marry her himself. She accepted his offer of marriage, and became Mme Scarron in 1651. For nine years she served not only as his most faithful nurse, but as an attraction to his house, where she tried to bridle the licence of the conversation of the time.

Related Topics:
Chevalier de Méré - Scarron - Invalid - 1651

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On the death of Scarron, in 1660, Anne of Austria continued his pension to his widow, and even increased it to 2000 livres a year, which enabled her to entertain and frequent the literary society with which her husband had made her acquainted; but on the queen-mother's death in 1666 the Louis XIV refused to continue her pension, and she prepared to leave Paris for Lisbon as lady attendant to the queen of Portugal. But before she started she met Madame de Montespan, who was already, though not avowedly, the king's mistress, and who took such a fancy to her that she obtained the continuance of her pension, which put off for ever the question of going to Portugal. Mme de Montespan did yet more for her, for when, in 1669, her first child by the king was born, Mme Scarron was established with a large income and a large staff of servants at Vaugirard to bring up the king's children in secrecy as they were born.

Related Topics:
1660 - Anne of Austria - 1666 - Lisbon - Portugal - Madame de Montespan - 1669 - Vaugirard

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In 1674 the king determined to have his children at court, and their governess, who had now made sufficient fortune to buy the estate of Maintenon, accompanied them. The king had now many opportunities of seeing Mme Scarron, and, though at first he was prejudiced against her, her even temper contrasted so advantageously with the storms of passion and jealousy exhibited by Mme de Montespan, that she grew steadily in his favour, and had in 1678 the gratification of having her estate at Maintenon raised to a marquisate and herself entitled Mme de Maintenon by the king. Such favours brought down the fury of Mme de Montespan's jealousy, and Mme de Maintenon's position became almost unendurable, until, in 1680, the king severed their connection by making the latter second lady in waiting to the dauphiness, and soon after Mme de Montespan left the court. The new amie used her influence on the side of decency, and Queen Maria Theresa openly declared she had never been so well treated as at this time, and eventually died in Mme de Maintenon's arms in 1683.

Related Topics:
1674 - Maintenon - 1678 - Marquis - 1680 - Amie - Maria Theresa - 1683

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