Women of Modern France (Illustrated) / Woman: In all ages and in all countries Vol. 7 (of 10)

The volume surveys the roles and influence of French women from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries, arguing that a social instinct and a blend of emotional and analytical traits shaped their public behavior. It divides female activity into queens who embodied piety and domestic virtue, mistresses who engaged in political intrigue and social power, and educated authoresses who patronized art and letters. Portraits of figures such as Anne of Brittany, Marguerite d'Angoulême, and Louise of Savoy illustrate contrasts between charitable courtly leadership, literary patronage, and regental ambition. The text traces how women affected court ceremonial, cultural life, and political maneuvering while evaluating moral perceptions and social conventions of the era.