Note 27 — LETTER THE EIGHTY-FIRST THE MARQUISE DE MERTEUIL TO THE VICOMTE DE VALMONT

We are unaware whether this line, “These tyrants dragged from off their thrones and made my slaves,” as well as that which occurs above, “Her arms are open still; her heart is shut,” are quotations from little-known works, or part of the prose of Madame de Merteuil. What would lead us to believe the latter is the number of faults of this nature which are found in all the letters of this correspondence. Those of the Chevalier Danceny form the only exception: perhaps, as he sometimes occupied himself with poetry, his more practised ear rendered it easier for him to avoid this fault.