Affectation

Even though Richelieu wishes to control the activity of writers by founding the French Academy, literature, at the beginning of the 17th century, still draws its inspiration from the salons where the precious or “ affected ” spirit prevails. The most famous among them is the Hôtel de Rambouillet, where, during the first half of the century, all the great nobles, eminent women and writers of the capital gather. It is a place of entertainment with singing, plays, music and the latest fashionable pleasure, that of conversation. The latter is carefully codified because one must know how to converse and be pleasing to the gathering. The vogue for “ affectation ” is associated with the salons because these latter start activities as the elite in society seek to rise above the vulgar. The affectation seeks to be gentle and refined, but must remain within the limits of good taste to avoid descending into ridicule through excess. Besides, affectation is not solely to be found in France and at the beginning of the 17th century it evolves in several European countries where it is designated by different terms. In England it is called “ euphuism ” borrowing the name Euphues from a novel by John Lyly. In Italy it becomes “ marinism ” from the name of the Neapolitan poet Marini. It is known as “ gongorism ” in Spain because of Gongora, a Cordovan poet. Besides, these models influence each other to a greater or lesser extent and inspire the authors of these countries, leading to an elegant and heroic literature. Affectation is in fact a very elaborate social science. It implies elegance of manners and costume, that reaches a certain extravagance with an abundance of feathers and ribbons, much loved at the time. It cultivates good taste and develops a castigated and delicate language that even sees the birth of a work of reference entitled the Grand Dictionnaire des Précieuses. It requires extreme sophistication of feelings which must be pure and without sexuality. The Carte du Tendre is its most famous embodiment. The precious have their own style, a very sophisticated mixture of elegant comparisons, circumlocutions an “ points ” which means thoughts that surprise by some subtlety of imagination, or by some puns. The affected spirit spreads through all worldly activity. In spite of its excesses, which are today remembered in the caricature of Les Précieuses ridicules by Molière, it had a beneficial influence on the language. In fact, the precious purified more than overloaded the French language. They got rid of many of the pedantic words of Greek or Latin derivations which made for a heavy and cumbersome style; they brought some nuances to the language and helped specify the sense of every term. To a certain extent, they contributed to the creation of a classic language, rich in specific expressions appropriate to the refinement and sentiments of the human soul.