Cinq-Mars, by Alfred de Vigny The first French historical novel and the demoralization of the reader

As stated in his 1929 preface, Vigny considers that Literature is meant to turn History into a morality lesson. And to do so, it is perfectly acceptable to change factual detail so long as the deep meaning of human destiny is made clearer to the reader. In the example of Cinq-Mars, Vigny re -writes history and alters the date of Loudun's rigged witch trial, which in turn becomes the origin and legitimization of Cinq-Mars's, hatred for Richelieu. Rather than being considered guilty of high treason, the hero becomes a brave white knight serving God's purpose. Yet, despite the fact that this retelling clearly indicates who are the "good" and the villains of History, the novel does not really encourage the reader to adopt its retrograde cause. On the contrary, its romantic melancholy tends to disillusion the reader about politics.