Love in Excess is the first novel published by the English writer Eliza Haywood, published in a series of three installments between 1719 and 1720. The novel describes the romantic adventures and misadventures of the handsome Frenchman, Count D’elmont, who inspires intense desire and infatuation in almost every woman he meets. This storyline allows Haywood to explore themes of class, desire, and obsession. Love in Excess was extremely popular and may have contributed to the overall rising popularity of the English novel. The success of the novel also helped to establish Haywood as a prolific and commercially successful writer who would go on to publish in a range of genres.

This guide uses the 2000 Broadview edition. This edition includes variant spellings of character names; the spellings have been standardized within the guide.

Content Warning: The source text and this guide contain references to death by suicide and sexual assault.

Plot Summary

Love in Excess begins in France, around 1714. A handsome young nobleman named Count D’elmont lives in Paris; a wealthy heiress named Alovisa falls in love with him. D’elmont is unaware of Alovisa’s feelings, and pursues a dalliance with a young woman named Amena. He wants to seduce Amena, but has no intention of marrying her. When Amena’s father finds out about her trysts with D’elmont, he is very angry. Meanwhile, Alovisa jealously meddles in the relationship, hoping to secure D’elmont for herself. Amena eventually realizes that Alovisa is also in love with D’elmont; she feels betrayed, believing that her lover and her friend have been tricking her. Amena accepts that D’elmont is never going to marry her, and leaves Paris to enter a convent.

Around the same time, D’elmont learns that his brother, the Chevalier Brillan, is in love with Alovisa’s sister, Ansellina. He agrees to marry Alovisa so that Brillan has a better chance of marrying Ansellina. He also likes the idea of having a wealthy and powerful wife. After Alovisa and D’elmont have been married for a short time, he becomes the guardian of a beautiful young woman named Melliora. D’elmont and Melliora quickly fall in love. D’elmont becomes obsessed with seducing Melliora and making her his mistress, but she tries to resist. Meanwhile, Alovisa knows that D’elmont is in love with someone else, but can’t figure out who. She becomes consumed with jealousy.

D’elmont tells his friend, the Baron D’espernay, about his desire for Melliora, and D’espernay offers to help him. D’espernay secretly gives D’elmont access to Melliora’s bedroom while the whole group is staying at D’espernay’s home. However, D’espernay’s sister, Melantha (who is also infatuated with D’elmont) switches rooms with Melliora. D’elmont sneaks in, mistakes Melantha for Melliora in the darkness, and has sex with her instead. He later realizes his mistake, and remains determined to pursue Melliora.

Alovisa is likewise determined to find out the object of her husband’s infatuation. D’espernay offers to tell her, but only if she will have sex with him in exchange for this information. Alovisa arranges a plan: She will appear to agree, but after D’espernay tells her the woman’s identity, Brillan (D’elmont’s brother) will interrupt them before they can have sex. This plan ensures that D’espernay can’t force Alovisa to have sex with him.

When Brillan interrupts D’espernay and Alovisa, the two men engage in a physical fight, and Brillan seriously injures his opponent. Hearing the commotion, D’elmont comes running with his sword drawn, and Alovisa collides with him, accidentally wounding herself. Alovisa and D’espernay both die from their wounds, but D’elmont and Brillan are acquitted of any wrongdoing. Melliora blames herself for these tragic events and moves to a convent, while D’elmont travels to Rome in deep despair. D’elmont encounters Melliora’s brother, Frankville. Frankville has romantic problems of his own: He is deeply in love with a beautiful young woman named Camilla. However, this relationship is opposed by both Camilla’s guardian, a woman named Ciamara, and Camilla’s fiancé, a much older man named Cittolini.

D’elmont offers to help Frankville by conveying a message to Camilla. However, D’elmont and Frankville are tricked into believing that Camilla is not faithful to him; even once Frankville finds out the truth, Camilla is very angry with him for doubting her fidelity. The two men engage in many schemes while trying to persuade Camilla to forgive Frankville. They are assisted by Violetta, who is Camilla’s cousin. D’elmont also tricks and manipulates Ciamara, who is obsessed with him. Eventually, Camilla and Frankville reconcile; the couple, along with D’elmont, flee back to Paris. They are joined by a young male servant named Fidelio.

While travelling, D’elmont, Fidelio, Camilla, and Frankville take shelter at the home of a nobleman named Saguillier. They stay there for several days since Fidelio has fallen seriously ill. D’elmont is astonished to learn that Melliora is also staying at Saguillier’s estate: Saguillier became infatuated with her, and abducted her from the convent, hoping to force her into marriage. D’elmont and Frankville (Melliora’s guardian and brother) refuse to condone the marriage. Saguillier gives up, and reconciles with his previous fiancée, a woman named Charlotta.

Shortly before he dies, Fidelio reveals that he is actually Violetta in disguise: She is dying of unrequited love for D’elmont, but is happy to see him finally reunited with Melliora. Violetta dies peacefully; Frankville marries Camilla, Saguillier marries Charlotta, and D’elmont marries Melliora (Brillan and Ansellina have also gotten married earlier). All of the marriages are very happy.