In 1733, the lovely, intelligent, and married Marquise du Chatelet commenced her romance with one Franois-Marie Arouet, a philosophe who had made a name for himself as Voltaire . Mitford deftly and engagingly recounts their exemplary affair, whether in studious exile in the country, on the run from the censor, or in the thoughtless circles of high society . Her portrayals of the scamp philosopher, his mistress who was excessive in everything , and their irregular century are delightful portraits in themselves and as a group, a fascinating fresco of the French Enlightenment.