François de La Rochefoucauld

François de La Rochefoucauld (1613-80), French epigrammatist and moralist, born in Paris. He took a prominent part in the court life, politics, and wars of the reigns of Louis XIII and Louis XIV. La Rochefoucauld's political beliefs and his position in court intrigues were greatly influenced by his intimate friendships with distinguished noblewomen, including successively the duchesse de Chevreuse, the duchesse de Longueville, and Marie Madeleine, the comtesse de La Fayette; his intellectual life was broadened by his friendship with Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, the marquise de Sévigné. La Rochefoucauld was the author of a noted volume of memoirs, Les mémoires sur la régence d'Anne d'Autriche (Memoirs on the Regency of Anne of Austria, 1662). He is world famous for his Réflexions ou sentences et maximes morales (Reflections or Moral Thoughts and Maxims, 1665-1678), a book consisting of about 700 maxims. They are worldly yet moral and are distinguished by their brevity, clarity, fullness of meaning, and wit. La Rochefoucauld has never been surpassed in France as a writer of epigrammatic maxims.