In 1844, Alexandre Dumas and his collaborator,
Auguste Maquet,
were
simultaneously working on
Les Trois Mousquetaires,
Le Comte de Monte Cristo,
Une Fille du Régent,
Les Frères corses, and
La Guerre des Femmes.
Of these works,
La Guerre de Femmes
is the least known today.
Dumas' biographer
A. Craig Bell
believes that
La Guerre des Femmes was
largely the work of Maquet. However, Dumas' inimitable style is often
displayed.
This historical romance describes an episode in "La Fronde," the early
stages of which were later chronicled in
Vingt Ans après.
It is set in
the environs of Bordeaux in 1650, during the uneasy interregnum between the
death of Louis XIII and the ascension of Louis XIV, when Anne of Austria,
aided by Cardinal Mazarin, ruled as Queen-Regent. The legitimacy of young
Louis was doubtful, and the Queen and Mazarin, both foreigners and thorough
Machiavellians, were cordially hated. Shortly before the novel opens,
Mazarin imprisoned the Louis de Bourbon, Prince de Conde, [1621-1686]
returning war hero and Marshal of France, on suspicion of being too
powerful. The Prince's wife and mother were put under house (or chateau,
really) arrest.
The romance turns on the fate of an obscure historical figure, the Baron
des Canolles. Dumas' Canolles is a typical Dumasian hero, a naive,
non-political Gascon soldier with an eye for women. Canolles is sharing
the favors of Nanon de Lartigues, mistress of one of the Queen's staunchest
supporters, the Duc d'Epernon. Canolles then meets Claire, Vicomtesse de
Cambes, a member of the household of the Princess de Conde. Claire,
disguised as a man, is raising troops for the Princess, who plans to lead a
rebellion to free her husband and to place her young son, the Duc
d'Enghien, on the throne.
Canolles loves both women. Sent by Mazarin to place the Princess under
house arrest, he pretends to be deceived by Claire while the Princess
escapes. Nanon arranges for him to be posted as Governor of the fortress
of Île Saint-Georges, near Bordeaux. Meanwhile, the Princess' party moves
into open rebellion and attacks the fortress. Canolles repels the first
assault, but Claire uses a secret entrance to seize the fortress, and
Canolles is captured. Claire gets him paroled.
Meanwhile, the King's army moves on Bordeaux, capturing the Fortress of
Vayres, and promptly hanging its Governor as a traitor. The Princess holds
two prisoners: Canolles and Nanon's adventurer brother, and decides to
hang one of them as a reprisal. Will Nanon be able to rescue Canolles
(and/or her brother)? Will Claire persuade the Princess to show mercy?
Will the King's forces storm Bordeaux? Will Nanon's brother do the
honorable thing? How many plot twists can Dumas cram into his climax?
