Love in Excess

In Short

First published in 1719, Love in Excess; or, The Fatal Enquiry is a sprawling early eighteenth-century amatory novel that chronicles the turbulent romantic exploits of the irresistibly handsome Count D’Elmont. Across a series of intense courtships, clandestine betrayals, and tragic rivalries, D’Elmont drives a succession of aristocratic women into frenzy, heartbreak, or the cloister. Eliza Fowler Haywood’s narrative explores how unrestrained desire dismantles moral order and social laws, remaining a landmark work for its uninhibited depiction of female passion, psychological turmoil, and the disruptive power of romantic obsession.

The Story

The narrative opens in Paris, where Count D’Elmont reigns as the quintessential object of high-society desire. The young, virtuous Amena falls deeply in love with him, but her hopes are swiftly sabotaged by her duplicitous friend Alovisa, who secretly harbors her own fierce passion for the Count. Alovisa manipulates circumstances and interposes treacherous schemes to ensure Amena’s ruin and disgraced retirement to a monastery. Her machinations succeed, and Alovisa wins D’Elmont’s hand in marriage. However, union brings no lasting contentment. Secured in her possession, Alovisa finds her happiness short-lived as D’Elmont’s affection quickly wanes into indifference and coldness.

The marital peace dissolves completely when Monsieur Frankville, D'Elmont’s former guardian, dies and entrusts his young, convent-educated daughter, Melliora, to the Count's care. Upon bringing Melliora into his household, D’Elmont is instantly struck by her beauty and innocence, falling hopelessly in love. Melliora reciprocates his feelings, yet her strict virtue and sense of duty to her father's memory prevent her from yielding to his advances. Consumed by jealousy and suspicious of her husband’s secretive behavior, Alovisa relentlessly investigates D’Elmont's actions, creating ongoing marital discord and bitter confrontation.

A fatal turning point occurs during an evening of clandestine maneuvers orchestrated by the conniving Baron D’espernay. Driven to uncover her husband's suspected infidelity, Alovisa enters a darkened chamber, where she meets a violent, unexpected death amidst the nighttime confusion. Her sudden demise leaves D’Elmont free, but Melliora, plagued by guilt and determined to safeguard her virtue, flees D’Elmont's pursuit and retreats to a monastery in Italy.

Devastated and remorseful, D’Elmont leaves France to travel across the continent, finding himself pursued by the unintended consequences of his magnetic charm. Along his journey, he rescues the valiant young Monsieur Frankville—Melliora’s brother—from an ambush of desperate assassins, forging a firm brotherhood with him. D'Elmont becomes entangled in the romantic trials of Frankville and his beloved Camilla, helping them navigate deep deceptions, rival suitors, and treacherous schemes involving disguised servants and hidden identities.

Through these varied ordeals, D’Elmont's character undergoes a profound transformation from a headstrong, self-gratifying libertine into a reflective, noble protector. When a series of mistaken reports regarding Melliora’s fidelity are finally disproved, D'Elmont is reunited with her. Having proved the endurance and sincerity of his devotion, he wins her hand in a legitimate and virtuous marriage, bringing the turbulent tempest of excess to a harmonious close.

How It Unfolds

The traps of rivalry Amena’s blooming love for Count D’Elmont is covertly undermined by Alovisa, whose deceptive schemes successfully alienate the lovers and force Amena into a convent.

A marriage built on schemes Alovisa secures her union with D’Elmont, but their domestic life rapidly deteriorates under the weight of her overbearing jealousy and his growing emotional detachment.

The arrival of Melliora Entrusted with the wardship of the innocent Melliora, D’Elmont falls overwhelmingly in love, igniting a bitter internal struggle between his rampant desire and her resolute virtue.

Tragedy in the dark An intricate plot hatched in the darkness leads to Alovisa’s sudden, fatal end, prompting a grief-stricken Melliora to flee to an Italian monastery to preserve her honor.

A journey of redemption Traveling abroad, D’Elmont rescues Melliora's brother Frankville from assassins, establishing a deep alliance while confronting the trail of heartbreak left by his past actions.

Truth and resolution After clearing malicious falsehoods and assisting Frankville through his own perilous courtship, D’Elmont unites with Melliora in a virtuous, lasting marriage.

The People

• Count D’Elmont: A remarkably handsome and captivating nobleman whose early life is defined by unchecked romantic conquest. He wants absolute devotion from those he desires, but his thoughtless passions bring ruin to multiple women. Through intense suffering and loss, he eventually develops genuine remorse and moral maturity.
• Alovisa: A wealthy, proud aristocratic lady driven by a possessive and controlling passion for D’Elmont. She wants his undivided heart at any cost, resorting to ruthless deceit to eliminate her rivals. Her relentless jealousy and suspicion ultimately lead to her tragic downfall.
• Amena: A gentle, trusting young woman whose innocent affection for D’Elmont leaves her vulnerable to betrayal. She seeks a pure, reciprocal love, but after being duped by Alovisa, she loses her reputation and retreats permanently to a monastery.
• Melliora: Monsieur Frankville's virtuous, highly principled daughter. She wants to honor her late father's memory and maintain her moral integrity despite her deep, unspoken attraction to D’Elmont, resisting his advances until they can be legitimately united.
• Monsieur Frankville: Melliora’s brave brother, who seeks to protect his family's honor and secure his union with his beloved Camilla while navigating dangerous romantic rivalries.

In Its Own Voice

"You have done well Madam (said D’ELMONT, looking on her with Eyes sparkling with Indignation) you have done well, by your impertinent Curiosity and Imprudence, to rouze me from my Dream of Happiness, and remind me, that I am that wretched Thing a Husband!"

D'Elmont confronts Alovisa in a fit of rage after discovering that she intercepted his private correspondence to expose his past conduct.

"Despair itself is not so Cruel as Uncertainty, and in all Ills, especially in those of Love, it is less Misery to Know, than Dread the worst."

Reflecting upon the excruciating anxiety of unrequited or threatened love, D'Elmont considers the heavy emotional burden carried by those caught in romantic suspense.

"...against which, no Laws, no Rules, no Force of Reason, or Philosophy, are sufficient Guard."

The narrative observes the overwhelming nature of human passion, asserting its power to overrule societal constraints and rational judgment.

What It's Really About

Love in Excess investigates the volatile conflict between raw emotional impulse and societal morality. The novel asks whether intense passion is an uncontrollable force of nature or a moral failing that demands rigorous discipline. Haywood illustrates how unchecked desire dismantles civil boundaries, subverting traditional rules of friendship, marriage, and honor. The book presents a nuanced view of female agency, portraying women not merely as passive victims of male seduction, but as active participants possessing intense, complex emotional drives. Ultimately, the plot argues that true fulfillment requires transforming selfish, destructive obsession into mutual respect, moral accountability, and tested constancy.

Why Read It Today

Readers drawn to early modern literature, melodramatic romance, and historical psychological drama will find Love in Excess a fascinating discovery. The text offers a lively, unfiltered window into eighteenth-century amatory fiction, characterized by high-stakes emotional intensity, sudden plot twists, and intricate romantic intrigue.

• Sensory and theatrical style: The prose moves at a rapid pace, relying heavily on dramatic confrontations, secret letters, nocturnal mix-ups, and intense emotional declarations.
• Historical significance: As one of the period's most popular works written by a pioneering female author, it offers valuable insight into historical attitudes toward gender, class, and courtship.
• Navigating period style: Readers should anticipate formal eighteenth-century phrasing, archaic spellings, and elevated, dramatic dialogue typical of the era's popular fiction.

The novel remains compelling for its frank exploration of human vulnerability and the destructive consequences of untamed affection.

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