At Clochemerle, the greater number of the men put up with their wives, and the great majority of the women with their husbands. If this hardly amounted to adoration, in the majority of homes at any rate the men and women found each other very nearly endurable.

Gabriel Chevallier
About This Quote

The author, Marie de Gournay, was writing about the French nobility. She was describing how people of high birth lived with their spouses. It was not uncommon for the wife to be allowed to eat meals in public, attend balls and other social events, wear pretty dresses and sit with her husband at table. However, these privileges were granted only if the wife showed true devotion to her husband. If she did not, she could find herself locked in a closet or imprisoned.

Source: Clochemerle

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