Scud�ry, Madeleine de 1608-1701
French novelist

She was born in Le Havre, the sister of Georges de Scud�ry. Left an orphan at six, she went to Paris in 1639 and with her brother was accepted into the literary society of Mme de Rambouillet's salon. From 1644 to 1647 she was in Marseilles with her brother. She had begun her literary career with the romance Ibrahim ou l'illustre Bassa (1641, Eng trans Ibrahim; or, The Illustrious Bassa, 1652), and her most famous work was the 10-volume Artam�ne, ou le Grand Cyrus (1649-59, Eng trans Artamenes, or the Grand Cyrus, 1653-55), written with her brother, followed by Cl�lie (10 vols, 1654-60, Eng trans Clelia, 1656-61) and Mathilde d'Anguilon (1667, 'Mathilda of Aquilar'). They were popular at the court because of their lampooning of public figures. She was satirized by Moli�re in Lespr�cieuses ridicules (1659, 'The Conceited Young Ladies').

Bibliography: C Aragonn�s, Madeleine de Scud�ry, Reine du tendre (1934)