Code galant, ou, Art de Conter fleurette

A clever, tongue‑in‑cheek manual treats love and courtship as if they were statutes to be read and obeyed. Written in the same brisk, enumerated style as the civil codes of its day, it gathers observations from novels, operas and everyday gossip, arranging them into “articles” on flirting, promises, and the art of the first glance. The author confesses to being more a compiler than a philosopher, letting the wit of earlier writers shine through while offering a few practical tips for the hopeful lover.

The work revels in its self‑awareness, noting how frivolous advice can still hold genuine insight for the naïve and the seasoned alike. Its humor springs from the contrast between lofty legal language and the messy, often ridiculous reality of romance in Parisian society. Listeners will find a lively snapshot of eighteenth‑century attitudes toward affection, wrapped in sparkling satire and a delightfully conversational voice.