Letters of a Portuguese Nun
Encyclopedia
The Letters of a Portuguese Nun (Fr. Les Lettres Portugaises), first published anonymously by Claude Barbin in Paris in 1669, is a work believed by most scholars to be epistolary fiction
in the form of five letters written by Gabriel-Joseph de La Vergne, comte de Guilleragues (1628–1685), a minor peer, diplomat, secretary to the Prince of Conti
, and friend of Madame de Sévigné
, the poet Boileau
, and the dramatist Jean Racine
.
and by Duclos
, but, aside from the fact that she was female, the author's name and identity remained undivulged.
The original letters were translated in several languages, including the German, Portugiesischen Briefen, (Rainer Maria Rilke
) and Dutch, Minnebrieven van een Portugeesche non, (Arthur van Schendel
). The letters, in book form, set a precedent for sentimentalism
in European culture at large, and for the literary genres of the sentimental novel
and the epistolary novel
, into the 18th century, such as the "Lettres persanes
" by Montesquieu (1721), "Lettres péruviennes
" by Françoise de Graffigny
(1747) and "Julie, ou la nouvelle Héloïse)" by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
(1761).
Also in 1669, the original publisher, Claude Barbin, published a sequel, again said to have been written by a "Portuguese lady of society," with the addition of seven new letters to the original five. Later, several hack writer
s wrote serial stories on the same theme. To exploit the letters' popularity, sequels, replies, and new replies were published in quick succession and were distributed, in translation, throughout Europe.
The Letters of a Portuguese Nun were written in the same style as "The Heroides
", a collection of fifteen epistolary poems composed by Ovid
, and "Lettres d'Héloise à Abélard", a medieval story of passion and Christian renunciation. They form a monologue beginning in amorous passion and slowly evolving, through successive stages of faith, doubt, and despair, toward a tragic end.
Until the 20th century, the letters were often ascribed to a 17th century Franciscan nun in a convent in Beja, Portugal, named in 1810 as Mariana Alcoforado (1640–1723). The letters were said to have been written to her French lover, Noel Bouton, Marquis de Chamilly (1635–1715), who came to Portugal to fight on behalf of the Portuguese in the Portuguese Restoration War
from 1663-1668. The young nun was said to have first seen the young officer from her window, the now-locally famous "janela de Mértola," or "window of Mértola."
The attribution to Gabriel-Joseph de la Vergne, Comte de Guilleragues, was first put forward by F. C. Green in 1926, and, later, in 1953, 1961, and 1962, by Leo Spitzer and Jacques Rougeot and Frédéric Deloffre, respectively. It is now generally recognised that the letters were not a verbatim translation from the Portuguese, but were in fact a work of fiction by the Comte de Guilleragues, himself.
However, the 2006 book Letters of a Portuguese Nun: Uncovering the Mystery Behind a 17th Century Forbidden Love by Myriam Cyr argues that Mariana Alcoforado did, in fact, exist — and that, as an educated nun of the period, she could have written the letters; that the letters show characteristics suggesting a Portuguese original, and that Mariana was, in fact, their author. None of the arguments presented by Myriam Cyr, however, differs significantly from the 19th century debate on the authenticity of the work, and the bulk of the critical evidence continues to favor the thesis of Guilleragues's authorship.
In the 17th century, the interest in the Letters was so strong that the word "portugaise" became synonymous with "a passionate love-letter."
Epistolary novel
An epistolary novel is a novel written as a series of documents. The usual form is letters, although diary entries, newspaper clippings and other documents are sometimes used. Recently, electronic "documents" such as recordings and radio, blogs, and e-mails have also come into use...
in the form of five letters written by Gabriel-Joseph de La Vergne, comte de Guilleragues (1628–1685), a minor peer, diplomat, secretary to the Prince of Conti
Prince of Conti
The title of Prince of Conti was a French noble title, assumed by a cadet branch of the house of Bourbon-Condé. It was taken from Conty, a small town of northern France, c. 35 km southwest of Amiens, which came into the Condé family by the marriage of Louis of Bourbon, first prince of Condé,...
, and friend of Madame de Sévigné
Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, marquise de Sévigné
Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, marquise de Sévigné was a French aristocrat, remembered for her letter-writing. Most of her letters, celebrated for their wit and vividness, were addressed to her daughter.-Life:...
, the poet Boileau
Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux
Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux was a French poet and critic.-Biography:Boileau was born in the rue de Jérusalem, in Paris, France. He was brought up to the law, but devoted to letters, associating himself with La Fontaine, Racine, and Molière...
, and the dramatist Jean Racine
Jean Racine
Jean Racine , baptismal name Jean-Baptiste Racine , was a French dramatist, one of the "Big Three" of 17th-century France , and one of the most important literary figures in the Western tradition...
.
Publication
From the start, the passionate letters, in book form, were a European publishing sensation (in part because of their presumed authenticity), with five editions in the collection's first year, followed by more than forty editions throughout the 17th century. A Cologne edition of 1669 stated that the Marquis de Chamilly was their addressee, and this was confirmed by Saint-SimonLouis de Rouvroy, duc de Saint-Simon
Louis de Rouvroy commonly known as Saint-Simon was a French soldier, diplomatist and writer of memoirs, was born in Paris...
and by Duclos
Charles Pinot Duclos
Charles Pinot Duclos was a French author.-Life:He was born at Dinan, in Brittany. At an early age, he was sent to study at Paris...
, but, aside from the fact that she was female, the author's name and identity remained undivulged.
The original letters were translated in several languages, including the German, Portugiesischen Briefen, (Rainer Maria Rilke
Rainer Maria Rilke
René Karl Wilhelm Johann Josef Maria Rilke , better known as Rainer Maria Rilke, was a Bohemian–Austrian poet. He is considered one of the most significant poets in the German language...
) and Dutch, Minnebrieven van een Portugeesche non, (Arthur van Schendel
Arthur van Schendel
Arthur van Schendel was a Dutch writer of novels and short stories. One of his best known works is Het fregatschip Johanna Maria.- Prizes :...
). The letters, in book form, set a precedent for sentimentalism
Sentimentalism
Sentimentalism is used in different ways:* Sentimentalism , a theory in moral epistemology concerning how one knows moral truths; also known as moral sense theory* Sentimentalism , a form of literary discourse...
in European culture at large, and for the literary genres of the sentimental novel
Sentimental novel
The sentimental novel or the novel of sensibility is an 18th century literary genre which celebrates the emotional and intellectual concepts of sentiment, sentimentalism, and sensibility...
and the epistolary novel
Epistolary novel
An epistolary novel is a novel written as a series of documents. The usual form is letters, although diary entries, newspaper clippings and other documents are sometimes used. Recently, electronic "documents" such as recordings and radio, blogs, and e-mails have also come into use...
, into the 18th century, such as the "Lettres persanes
Persian Letters
Persian Letters is a literary work by Charles de Secondat, baron de Montesquieu, recounting the experiences of two Persian noblemen, Usbek and Rica, who are traveling through France.-Plot summary:...
" by Montesquieu (1721), "Lettres péruviennes
Letters from a Peruvian Woman
Letters from a Peruvian Woman is a 1747 epistolary novel by Françoise de Graffigny. It tells the story of Zilia, a young Incan princess, who is abducted from the Temple of the Sun by the Spanish during the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire...
" by Françoise de Graffigny
Françoise de Graffigny
Françoise de Graffigny, née d'Issembourg Du Buisson d'Happoncourt was a French novelist, playwright and salon hostess....
(1747) and "Julie, ou la nouvelle Héloïse)" by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer of 18th-century Romanticism. His political philosophy influenced the French Revolution as well as the overall development of modern political, sociological and educational thought.His novel Émile: or, On Education is a treatise...
(1761).
Also in 1669, the original publisher, Claude Barbin, published a sequel, again said to have been written by a "Portuguese lady of society," with the addition of seven new letters to the original five. Later, several hack writer
Hack writer
Hack writer is a colloquial and usually pejorative term used to refer to a writer who is paid to write low-quality, rushed articles or books "to order", often with a short deadline. In a fiction-writing context, the term is used to describe writers who are paid to churn out sensational,...
s wrote serial stories on the same theme. To exploit the letters' popularity, sequels, replies, and new replies were published in quick succession and were distributed, in translation, throughout Europe.
The Letters of a Portuguese Nun were written in the same style as "The Heroides
Heroides
The Heroides , or Epistulae Heroidum , are a collection of fifteen epistolary poems composed by Ovid in Latin elegiac couplets, and presented as though written by a selection of aggrieved heroines of Greek and Roman mythology, in address to their heroic lovers who have in some way mistreated,...
", a collection of fifteen epistolary poems composed by Ovid
Ovid
Publius Ovidius Naso , known as Ovid in the English-speaking world, was a Roman poet who is best known as the author of the three major collections of erotic poetry: Heroides, Amores, and Ars Amatoria...
, and "Lettres d'Héloise à Abélard", a medieval story of passion and Christian renunciation. They form a monologue beginning in amorous passion and slowly evolving, through successive stages of faith, doubt, and despair, toward a tragic end.
Authorship
Portuguese Restoration War
Portuguese Restoration War was the name given by nineteenth-century 'romantic' historians to the war between Portugal and Spain that began with the Portuguese revolution of 1640 and ended with the Treaty of Lisbon . The revolution of 1640 ended the sixty-year period of dual monarchy in Portugal...
from 1663-1668. The young nun was said to have first seen the young officer from her window, the now-locally famous "janela de Mértola," or "window of Mértola."
The attribution to Gabriel-Joseph de la Vergne, Comte de Guilleragues, was first put forward by F. C. Green in 1926, and, later, in 1953, 1961, and 1962, by Leo Spitzer and Jacques Rougeot and Frédéric Deloffre, respectively. It is now generally recognised that the letters were not a verbatim translation from the Portuguese, but were in fact a work of fiction by the Comte de Guilleragues, himself.
However, the 2006 book Letters of a Portuguese Nun: Uncovering the Mystery Behind a 17th Century Forbidden Love by Myriam Cyr argues that Mariana Alcoforado did, in fact, exist — and that, as an educated nun of the period, she could have written the letters; that the letters show characteristics suggesting a Portuguese original, and that Mariana was, in fact, their author. None of the arguments presented by Myriam Cyr, however, differs significantly from the 19th century debate on the authenticity of the work, and the bulk of the critical evidence continues to favor the thesis of Guilleragues's authorship.
In the 17th century, the interest in the Letters was so strong that the word "portugaise" became synonymous with "a passionate love-letter."
See also
- French literature of the 17th centuryFrench literature of the 17th century17th-century French literature was written throughout the Grand Siècle of France, spanning the reigns of Henry IV of France, the Regency of Marie de Medici, Louis XIII of France, the Regency of Anne of Austria and the reign of Louis XIV of France...
- excerpt from Myriam Cyr's book Letters of a Portuguese Nun
- Audio files of the five letters, in French, at Telerama Radio
External links
- Imdb movie 1965
- Imdb movie 1977
- Imdb movie 1980
- Text in French (PDF file).