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She was born at Lyons, an illegitimate child of the comtesse d'Albon, but was brought up as the daughter of Claude Lespinasse of Lyons. On leaving her convent school she became governess in the home of her mother's legitimate daughter, Mme de Vichy, who had married the brother of the marquise du Deffand. Here Mme du Deffand made her acquaintance, and, recognizing her extraordinary gifts, persuaded her to come to Paris as her companion. The relationship lasted ten years until 1764, when Mme du Deffand became jealous of the younger woman's increasing influence and a violent quarrel resulted.
Mlle de Lespinasse then set up a salon of her own which was joined by many of the most brilliant members of Mme du Deffand's circle. Jean le Rond d'Alembert was one of the most assiduous of her friends and eventually came to live in her house. This arrangement ensured d'Alembert's comfort and lent influence to Mlle de Lespinasse's salon. Although she had neither beauty nor rank, her ability as a hostess made her get-togethers the most popular in Paris. She owes her distinction, however, not to her social success, but to circumstances which remained a secret during her lifetime, even from her closest friends.
Two volumes of Lettres published in 1809 displayed her as the victim of a passion of a rare intensity. In virtue of this ardent, intense quality, Sainte-Beuve and other of her critics place her letters in the limited category to which belong the Latin letters of Héloise and the Letters of a Portuguese Nun.
Her first passion, a reasonable and serious one, was for the marquis de Mora, son of the Spanish ambassador in Paris. De Mora had come to Paris in 1765, and with some intervals remained there until 1772Events February 17 First partition of Poland, by Russia and Prussia, later including Austria May Watauga Association formed in East Tennessee as the first independent Anglo-American government. June 9 British vessel Gaspee is burned off of Rhode Island. when he was ordered to Spain for his health. On the way to Paris in 1774Events January 21 Mustafa III, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire dies and is succeeded by his brother Abd-ul-Hamid I. May 10 Louis XVI becomes King of France. June 2 Intolerable Acts: The Quartering Act, requiring American colonists to let British soldiers int to fulfil promises exchanged with Mlle de Lespinasse, he died at BordeauxBordeaux (Bordeu in Gascon) is a port city in the south-west of France, and is the prefecture (administrative capital) of the Gironde departement and the Aquitaine region''. Its inhabitants are called Bordelais''. The population of the metropolitan area (. However, her letters to the comte de Guibert, the worthless object of her fatal infatuation, begin from 1773Events January 12 The first American museum open to the public is opened in ( Charleston, South Carolina). January 17 Captain James Cook becomes the first European explorer to cross the Antarctic Circle April 27 or May 10 The British Parliament passes the.
From the struggle between her affection for de Mora and her blind passion for her new lover, the letters go on to describe her partial disenchantment on Guibert's marriage and her final despair. Mlle de Lespinasse's death was apparently hastened by the agitation and misery caused by this situation. In addition to the Lettres she was the author of two chapters intended as a kind of sequel to Laurence SterneLaurence Sterne ( November 24, 1713 March 18, 1768) was an English novelist and clergyman. He is best known for his novels The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman and A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy but he also published sermons's Sentimental Journey.
Her Lettres were published by Mme de Guibert in 1809 and a spurious additional collection appeared in 1820Events January 1 Constitutionalist military insurrection at Cadiz leads to summoning of Spanish parliament ( March 7) and restoration of 1812 Constitution ( March 8) by king Ferdinand VII. January 29 George the Prince Regent becomes king George IV of the. Modern editions include that of Eugène Asse ( 1876Events January events January 31 The United States orders all Native Americans to move into reservations. February events February 2 The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs of Major League Baseball is formed. February 14 Alexander Graham Bell a- 1877). Lettres inédités de Mademoiselle de Lespinasse à Condorcet, à D'Alembert, à Guibert, au comte de Crillon, edited by M. Charles Henry ( 1887), contains copies of the documents available for her biography. Mrs Humphry Ward's novel, Lady Rose's Daughter, owes something to the character of Mlle de Lespinasse.