La Fontaine

Family: Fouquet's circle · Role: poet · First appears: Chapter 57

Chapter 57

with Fouquet (Fouquet recounted an event to La Fontaine.) “Fouquet placed himself at the head of the table, and presided gayly during supper. He recounted Vatel’s expedition to La Fontaine”
with Abbe Fouquet (La Fontaine recited his verses to Abbe Fouquet.) “L’Abbe Fouquet perceived that the poet, absent-minded, as usual, was about to follow the two talkers; and he interposed. La Fontaine seized upon him, and recited his verses.”

friends with Conrart (They address each other familiarly while engaging in a playful philosophical disputation.) “Do you know, you speak Greek as well as Aesop did, my dear La Fontaine.”
friends with Fouquet (La Fontaine includes himself among those living tranquilly with Fouquet and his friends.) “Well, has not M. Fouquet purchased a large garden at Saint-Mande, and do we not live here very tranquilly with him and his friends?”
rivals with Conrart (They are opponents in a philosophical debate.) “La Fontaine, however, was declared conqueror, on account of his profound erudition and his irrefragable logic. Conrart obtained the compensation due to an unsuccessful combatant;”
with Arnaud (Arnaud is said to claim that La Fontaine lacks logic.) “M. Arnaud pretends that I have no logic; I have more than M. Nicole.”

patron: Fouquet (La Fontaine is identified as one of Fouquet’s poets.) “I thought M. Fouquet had poets enough, yonder—Scudery, Loret, Pelisson, La Fontaine?”

Extracted from the original text of The Vicomte de Bragelonne. Made with Rho MD.