Social extraction

The Marquis Philippe du Plessis-Bellière belongs to the high nobility of the kingdom of France, at a moment in history when this is the most important country in Europe, the most dynamic, the most populated, the most modern. Politically, France is the first absolute monarchy. The rest of Europe, with the sole exception of England, is, and will be for a long time, anchored to feudalism.

The family of Plessis-Bellière Chateau Chenonceau, one of many beautiful castles of the time period The ancestry of Philippe du Plessis-Bellière is not very ancient, on his paternal side: Angélique will remind him several times that he descended from a bastard of Henry II (about a century earlier). Which is not to be ashamed of, as it is common to recognise and sometimes ennoble many royal bastards (Louis XIV will have five with Louise de La Vallière, seven with Madame de Montespan and others, it seems 21 in all, several of whom died as children. The survivors were recognized and ennobled). On the maternal side, Philippe dates back to the first Capetians, that is the third dynasty of the Franks, after the Merovingian and the Carolingian dynasties. The first Capetians date from the tenth century, like Louis XIV himself. The "heavy necklace of a barbaric style, made to be worn by strong beauties with blonde braids", which Philippe will give to Angélique (for losing the bet, as a confession of love) belongs to the maternal family of the Bellières, obviously an important name, which is added to his father’s surname. The family fiefs are one in Poitou (the same region of origin of Angélique and of other important characters in the novel, such as M.me de Montespan and Françoise Scarron, the King's second wife, as well as of several other secondary characters) and one in Turenne. The Plessis-Bellières took part in the Fronde, a revolt of the nobility against the King in the period of Mazarin, led by the prince of Condé, to whom they are loyal. In the new edition of the first volume, when the father Marquis visiting the Sancé family in Monteloup updates them on all the complex political events of the moment, and in particular he describes the personalities involved in the Fronde, Grandfather Sancé asks him directly what he would do if the Prince of Condé joined the rebels. "Obviously, I would follow him," replies the marquis, adding: "I have no choice! ... I'm part of his clientele." Condé is therefore the feudal referent of the Plessis-Bellières and he will always protect Philippe, who, for his part, will tell Angélique that he is fond of the Prince. Marshal Plessis-Bellière’s last military campaign, in Franche-Comté, will still have Condé as supreme commander. The castle of Plessis-Bellière The castle of Azay-le-Rideau The Plessis castle is the worthy frame of its master: just as the marquis has the appearance of Prince Charming, his white castle with pointed turrets in Renaissance style, reflected in a pond and surrounded by the forest, is a fairy-tale apparition. But the Plessis-Bellières do not live there, they come hardly once a year to recruit soldiers or on a hunting trip, accompanied by a large crowd of friends and servants ("Marquis, Marquise, son, pages, valets, dogs ”, in addition to the guests). They are rich and fashionable and, after the Fronde period, they embraced the absolutist policy started by the French monarchs more than a century earlier (especially François I, Henri IV, Louis XIII) and which is reaching its apogee with Louis XIV. The King wants the highest aristocracy to live at court, all next to him, always under his control. In return, he offers high positions (sources of revenues), honours, privileges, amusements. Not all nobles will accept that imposition, but for most of them living "at the bottom of a province", after enjoying the court life, is the equivalent to civil death. Continually moving between the castles of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Fontainebleau, Marly and Versailles, the court is the hub of French life, taste, fashion, culture, entertainment, luxury, conversation, plots, pleasure and power.

Lifestyle and its expenses The Marquis of Plessis-Bellière own, like all the high nobility, a large palace in Paris, in the most fashionable area of that century, the Marais, and "a pavilion in Fontainebleau". They lead a lifestyle up to their titles, with huge expenses, which the incomes of the fiefs can no longer compensate. The father Marquis gives a clear picture of his financial situation to the baron of Sancé, Angélique's father, in the first volume: against an income of 160,000 livres, the expenses amount to twice as much. With the consequent need to gradually mortgage all the lands of both possessions (as the steward Molines will say to Angélique during the drafting of the marriage contract). Nevertheless, despite the ruinous financial situation, the father Marquis would never consider the possibility of dedicating himself to a "trade". In the same conversation, in fact, he appears horrified by the mining and mule breeding activities of his relative, saying that they "reek of dung and sweat", and even struggling to pronounce the word "trade". He also adds that until his dying day he will reject, "all commoners’ pursuits that would be detrimental to my rank". Nobility has only one profession: the profession of arms. Philippe will certainly not improve the economy of his dynasty when he inherits entitlements, properties and rights upon his father’s death and his mother’s retreat in a convent. Like his parents, he does not reside in the fief (an important requirement for a shrewd administration) and is not inclined, because of his mentality, status and education, to take an interest in the economic management of anything. Johann Georg Platzer Osterriker: A dancing scene in palace interior, 1730 On the other hand, he spends a lot: on clothes, jewelry, carriages, servants; on gambling; on the maintenance of his personal regiment. Even at war he surrounds himself with luxuries: his tent is made of gold embroidered silk and provided with sumptuous furnishing and oriental carpets, so much so that "not even the King was as well housed as him." He uses precious plates and his musketeers wear thick cloth uniforms and leather trousers with golden trimmings. Stewart Molines tells Angélique that his work for the du Plessis "is not an interesting business” for him. But he attends to it “out of . . . sentimental habit", in other words, for affection and faithfulness. The King repeatedly gave important official appointments to Philippe, which he could have taken advantage of. But he often sold them again immediately to pay gambling debts. However, the marquis keeps very prestigious positions that make him one of the most influential personalities at the French court. In 1665, the year in which Philippe reappears in Angélique's life, his financial situation is getting out of control, so much so that after a few months, in the spring of 1666, he is forced to look for an heiress, and there will be talk of a marriage to one of President Lamoignon’s daughters. The girl comes from a family of recent nobility ("of common extraction"), acquired with judicial offices (President of Parliament, that is the High Court of Justice), bought for a great deal of money. The expedient of a marriage between the "great name" and an heiress of lower nobility was not uncommon at the time (as in previous epochs) but was used in extreme cases. Philippe bows to it with total indifference, after postponing the marriage as late as possible (he is already 32 years old). One detail that clearly shows Philippe’s serious lack of cash is the following: in the scene of the rug, Philippe will tell Angélique that, in order to renovate the apartments destined for her in view of the wedding, he had had to sell his last horses. Philippe du Plessis-Bellière, great nobility and favour at court, is therefore on the verge of bankruptcy. Despite this, a marriage to a "merchant", to a "chocolate maker", is in principle unthinkable. It would have been more acceptable if Angélique had been just the poor "Mademoiselle de Sancé," the daughter of a penniless baron, without soiling her hands with work and trade. "No, my dear, really no…," the marquis replies to Angélique’s marriage proposal, "in the same tone of voice in which he would have pushed away a hand tendering a box of sweetmeats to him." « Back to the Philippe du Plessis-Bellière: Part I