marie-madeleine pioche de la vergne, countess of la fayette (or lafayette) was a french writer. she is commonly known as madame de lafayette. she was born on 18 march 1634 in paris, and died there, on 26 may 1693. in 1678, she published the novel "la princesse de clèves" (the princess of clèves). this book is regarded as one of the first psychological novels.