"Les historiettes de Tallemant des Réaux, tome second" by Tallemant des Réaux is a collection of memoirs written starting in 1657. This second volume continues the author's vivid portraits of seventeenth-century French political and literary figures. Originally not intended for publication, these accounts remained in manuscript form until 1834, when they scandalized readers with their iconoclastic revelations about the Grand Siècle. The work captures kings, cardinals, writers, courtesans, and courtiers through personal anecdotes and conversations, offering an unvarnished view of a celebrated era.
Wikipedia page about this book: fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historiettes