03208cam a22003253u 4500 77876 UtSlPG 20260610134814.0 m cr n 260607r20261897utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d UtSlPG fr iso639-1 PQ Beauregard, Gerard de, 1865- Petit manuel de la femme supérieure Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg, 2026 1 online resource : multiple file formats text txt rdacontent computer c rdamedia online resource cr rdacarrier Release date is 2026-02-07 Laurent Vogel and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF/Gallica)) Petit manuel de la femme supérieure by Gerard de Beauregard is a satirical conduct manual written in the late 19th century. Framed as intimate counsel to an ambitious Parisian lady, it explains how to cultivate not real brilliance but the appearance of superiority—through décor, dinners, calculated opinions, and a carefully staged persona. With playful irony, it offers a social strategy for the hostess who wants admiration more than enlightenment. The opening of the manual sets out its premise: the goal is prestige by semblance, not substance, aimed at a woman of comfortable means in Paris. It urges her to avoid thinking for herself, borrow opinions from “authorities,” assemble a consistent “character,” and wield a repertoire of smiles, tact, and well-timed dissimulation, illustrated by brisk, cautionary glances at famous women of history. It then builds “the frame”: choose an old hôtel in the faubourg Saint‑Germain; arrange a grand and a small salon; display (real or acquired) ancestral portraits; keep a blue-toned bedroom with pre‑Raphaelite devotions; and create a luxurious, rumor‑friendly cabinet de toilette with mirrored bath. The table follows: a light Louis XV dining room, a proper lustre, restrained setting but profuse service, many small refined dishes, and far‑flung wines to found a reputation through dinners. Next comes the chaise longue, praised as an irresistible instrument of influence and the stage for the strategic return of “vapors” to soften adversaries. On dress, it defines toilette as effect and harmony, recommending modest bandeaux “à la Vierge,” rich daytime velvets, avoidance of gaudy “artist” affectations, and evening décolletage that suggests rather than exposes. Finally, as “the interior” begins, the guidance turns to the husband: he should be an agreeable, distinguished collaborator—neither ridiculous nor dazzling—kept trim, clubbable, and perfectly mannered so he supports, not steals, his wife’s show. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Originally published: Paris: Dentu, 1897 Satire French literature -- 19th century https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5526195f https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/77876 118596 118596