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What happens when a man who wagers on winning hearts meets a woman determined to choose for herself?
At the court of Louis XIII, Marcel de Saint-Pol, Marquis of Bardelys, trusts his charm to win him anything. Then Count de Chatellerault challenges him to win Roxalanne de Lavedan's heart. Bardelys leaves Paris for Languedoc, expecting another easy conquest. Roxalanne, loyal to her family and firm in her choices, owes him nothing.
France stands close to civil war as nobles resist the crown and Cardinal Richelieu. Among these tensions, Bardelys enters the Lavedan household under another name. His disguise draws him into dangers beyond a courtly game, while Chatellerault watches for his chance. In Rafael Sabatini's historical romance, a glittering reputation offers little protection when love and honor demand something real.
What you’ll discover
- A wager with consequences Follow a careless boast from the royal court into a country troubled by rebellion.
- A heroine who chooses Meet Roxalanne, whose loyalty to her family leaves room for a will of her own.
- The danger of disguise Enter a household where a false name brings welcome, but makes every step uncertain.
- A rival without mercy Watch Chatellerault pursue his grudge against the courtier he wants to bring low.
- Honor beyond fine appearances Discover what separates a reputation built on conquest from a love that must be earned.
Who will love it
This book is for readers who love swordplay, disguises and daring wagers, and for anyone who enjoys a charming rogue telling his own tale.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A boast becomes a binding wager
- Pride outweighs the King's favor
- A borrowed name opens the door
- Real affection makes deception heavier
- A rival makes truth powerless
- The mask reveals and conceals
- Honor means more than winning
- Bardelys tells against himself
- The wager becomes a personal reckoning
Who’s who
- Marcel de BardelysA rich, bored favorite of Louis XIII who bets his estates on winning a lady, then must use a borrowed name to reach her.
- Roxalanne de LavedanA gentle, proud young woman of Languedoc who wants a love she can trust and a safe home for her family.
- Comte de ChatelleraultA proud, thickset rival of Bardelys for the King's favor, who dares him into the wager and wants his lands.
- Vicomte de LavedanRoxalanne's noble father, a quiet supporter of the rebel cause who shelters a wounded stranger.
- Chevalier de Saint-EustacheA boastful young cousin who wants Roxalanne and enriches himself by informing on others.
- RodenardBardelys's steward, nicknamed Ganymede, a loyal, gossipy man who loves his master and comfort.
- Captain de CastelrouxA courteous young Gascon officer who dislikes his orders and becomes a friend to Bardelys.
- René de LesperonA wounded Gascon rebel whose papers and name pass to Bardelys and shape the plot.
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Bardelys the Magnificent
by Rafael Sabatini · 1905
A bored Paris favorite wagers his castle on wooing a woman he has never met, then hides behind a dead man's name.
Medium level2–5 hours to read20 languages
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“I am only following my destiny.”
In short
What would you stake on a boast made over wine? Marcel de Bardelys, a wealthy and much-envied courtier in Paris, stakes his castle and Picardy estates on winning a woman he has never seen.
Bardelys the Magnificent at a glance
- Reading time
- About 4 h 55 min3 h 50 min fast, 5 h 50 min slow
- Length
- 69,700 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1905by Rafael Sabatini
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A boast at supper becomes a ruinous wager
The story opens at a revel in Bardelys's Paris house, where the guests are making fun of the Comte de Chatellerault. The Count has just come home beaten from Languedoc, where Roxalanne de Lavedan refused him. Bardelys welcomes his rival with great kindness, yet the mood in the room is brittle.
A tipsy friend named La Fosse toasts the cold and lovely Roxalanne. Later Bardelys claims that any woman can be won by a man who sets his mind to it. Chatellerault dares him to go to Lavedan.
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Details
- First published
- 1905
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 5 h 35 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Sabatini, Rafael. Bardelys the Magnificent. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/bardelys-the-magnificent.
Sabatini, R. (2026). Bardelys the Magnificent. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/bardelys-the-magnificent (Original work published 1905)
Sabatini, Rafael. Bardelys the Magnificent. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/bardelys-the-magnificent.
@book{sabatini2026bardelys,
author = {Sabatini, Rafael},
title = {Bardelys the Magnificent},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/bardelys-the-magnificent},
note = {First published 1905}
}
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What is Bardelys the Magnificent about?
It follows Marcel de Bardelys, a rich favorite of Louis XIII, who bets his estates that he can win Roxalanne de Lavedan. He reaches her house under a borrowed name, falls truly in love and must face danger and the law.
Who is Bardelys and why is he called the Magnificent?
Bardelys is a French marquis at the court of Louis XIII. Paris calls him the Magnificent for his lavish suppers, large household and splendid style. The book shows how little those things mean next to honest love.
Who is Lesperon in the story?
René de Lesperon is a Gascon rebel wounded at the battle of Castelnaudary. Bardelys meets him in a barn and keeps his papers. When others mistake Bardelys for him, the name becomes a disguise that shapes the plot.
The author
Rafael Sabatini
1875–1950 · Italian-English historical novelist
Rafael Sabatini (1875–1950) was an Italian-born writer who wrote in English. He was born in Jesi, Italy, and settled in England in 1892. His novels include The Sea-Hawk (1915), Scaramouche (1921), and Captain Blood (1922). He also wrote biographies and short stories. He died in Adelboden, Switzerland.
“I am only following my destiny.”
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