François Duc de La Rochefoucauld (1613–1680) received the education of a nobleman, including lessons not only on hunting and military games but also on elegance of expression and knowledge of the world. As a man susceptible to feminine charms, he was lured into various intrigues that once earned him eight days in the Bastille. His own account can be read in his Memoires, though his enduring legacy is his Réflexions ou sentences et maximes morales (Maxims), which influenced the likes of Nietzsche, who admired them for their ethics and style.
WORKS THAT HAVE APPEARED IN NARRATIVE:
- Maxims, a feature, in Stories of the Week: 2018–2019