author
C. E. (Charlotte Elisabeth) Aïssé
d. 1733
Best known for a vivid collection of letters, this early 18th-century French writer lived a life as dramatic as any novel. Brought from the Caucasus to France as a child, she later became a striking voice of feeling, wit, and social observation.
1 Audiobook
Lettres de Mmes. de Villars, de Coulanges et de La Fayette, de Ninon de L'Enclos et de Mademoiselle Aïssé accompagnées de notices bibliographiques, de notes explicatives par Louis-Simon Auger
by marquise de Marie Gigault de Bellefonds Villars, C. E. (Charlotte Elisabeth) Aïssé, Marie-Angélique Du Gué Bagnoles Coulanges, Madame de (Marie-Madeleine Pioche de La Vergne) La Fayette, Ninon de Lenclos
About the author
Born around 1693 or 1694 in Circassia, Charlotte-Élisabeth Aïssé was taken from her homeland as a child and brought to Constantinople, where she was purchased by the French diplomat Charles de Ferriol. She was later taken to France and raised in elite circles, eventually becoming known in Parisian society as Mademoiselle Aïssé.
She is remembered above all for her letters, especially the Lettres de Mademoiselle Aïssé à Madame C**. Written with warmth, intelligence, and unusual frankness, they helped secure her reputation as an important French letter-writer. Her life also drew lasting attention because of her relationship with the Chevalier d’Aydie and the personal struggles reflected in her correspondence.
Aïssé died in Paris on March 13, 1733. Her story has continued to fascinate readers not only because of the drama of her early life, but because her letters still feel intimate, observant, and deeply human.