Alain-René Lesage
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Alain-René Lesage (; 6 May 166817 November 1747; older spelling Le Sage) was a French
novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others aspire to ...
and
playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...
. Lesage is best known for his comic novel '' The Devil upon Two Sticks'' (1707, ''Le Diable boiteux''), his comedy ''
Turcaret ''Turcaret'' (or ''Le Financier'') is a comedy by Alain-René Lesage, first produced on 14 February 1709 at the Comédie-Française in Paris. It is considered one of Lesage's most important works. The play shows clear signs of having been writte ...
'' (1709), and his
picaresque novel The picaresque novel (Spanish: ''picaresca'', from ''pícaro'', for " rogue" or "rascal") is a genre of prose fiction. It depicts the adventures of a roguish, but "appealing hero", usually of low social class, who lives by his wits in a corrup ...
''
Gil Blas ''Gil Blas'' (french: L'Histoire de Gil Blas de Santillane ) is a picaresque novel by Alain-René Lesage published between 1715 and 1735. It was highly popular, and was translated several times into English, most notably as The Adventures of G ...
'' (1715–1735).


Life


Youth and education

Claude Lesage, the father of the novelist, held the united positions of advocate, notary and registrar of the royal court in Rhuys. His mother's name was Jeanne Brenugat. Both Lesage's father and mother died when Lesage was very young, and he was left in the care of his uncle who wasted his education and fortune. Père Bochard, of the Order of the
Jesuits The Society of Jesus ( la, Societas Iesu; abbreviation: SJ), also known as the Jesuits (; la, Iesuitæ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
, Principal of the College in
Vannes Vannes (; br, Gwened) is a commune in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France. It was founded over 2,000 years ago. History Celtic Era The name ''Vannes'' comes from the Veneti, a seafaring Celtic people who lived ...
, became interested in the boy on account of his natural talents. Bochard cultivated Lesage's taste for literature. At age 25, Lesage went to Paris in 1693 "to pursue his philosophical studies". In August 1694, he married the daughter of a joiner, Marie Elizabeth Huyard. She was beautiful but had no fortune, and Lesage had little practice. About this time he encountered an old schoolfellow, the dramatist
Antoine Danchet Antoine Danchet (7 September 1671 – 21 February 1748) was a French playwright, librettist and dramatic poet. Biography Danchet was born in Riom, in the Auvergne, France. Having been a professor of rhetoric at Chartres and then a tutor at Par ...
, who is said to have advised him to take up literature. He began as a translator, and published in 1695 a French version of the ''Epistles'' of
Aristaenetus Aristaenetus ( el, Ἀρισταίνητος) was an ancient Greek epistolographer who flourished in the 5th or 6th century. Under his name, two books of love stories, in the form of letters, are extant; the subjects are borrowed from the eroti ...
, which was not successful. Shortly afterwards he found a valuable patron and adviser in the Abbé de Lyonne, who bestowed on him an annuity of 600 livres, and recommended him to exchange the classics for
Spanish literature Spanish literature generally refers to literature ( Spanish poetry, prose, and drama) written in the Spanish language within the territory that presently constitutes the Kingdom of Spain. Its development coincides and frequently intersects wit ...
, of which he was himself a student and collector. Spanish literature was once very popular in France when the queens of the house of Austria sat upon the throne, but had become neglected by Lesage's time.


First literary efforts

Lesage began by translating plays chiefly from
Francisco de Rojas Zorrilla Francisco de Rojas Zorrilla (4 October 1607 – 23 January 1648) was a Spanish dramatist. The main pieces of Rojas Zorrilla are ''Del rey abajo ninguno'' and ''No hay padre siendo rey'' (both published in the 1640s). Biography Rojas Zorrilla was ...
and
Lope de Vega Félix Lope de Vega y Carpio ( , ; 25 November 156227 August 1635) was a Spanish playwright, poet, and novelist. He was one of the key figures in the Spanish Golden Age of Baroque literature. His reputation in the world of Spanish literature ...
. ''Le Traître puni'' and ''Le Point d'honneur'' from the former and ''Don Félix de Mendoce'' from the latter were acted or published in the first two or three years of the 18th century. In 1704, he translated the continuation of ''
Don Quixote is a Spanish epic novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Originally published in two parts, in 1605 and 1615, its full title is ''The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha'' or, in Spanish, (changing in Part 2 to ). A founding work of Wester ...
'' by
Alonso Fernández de Avellaneda Alonso Fernández de Avellaneda is the pseudonym of a man who wrote a sequel to Cervantes' ''Don Quixote'', before Cervantes finished and published his own second volume. The identity of Avellaneda has been the subject of many theories, but there ...
, and soon afterwards adapted a play from
Pedro Calderón de la Barca Pedro Calderón de la Barca y Barreda González de Henao Ruiz de Blasco y Riaño (, ; ; 17 January 160025 May 1681) was a Spanish dramatist, poet, writer and knight of the Order of Santiago. He is known as one of the most distinguished Baroque w ...
, ''Don César Ursin'', which was successful at court and damned in the city. Lesage was, however, nearly forty before he obtained decided success. In 1707, his farce, '' Crispin rival de son maître'', was well received, and ''Le Diable boiteux'' (with a frontispiece by Louise-Magdeleine Horthemels) was published and ran to several editions. Lesage altered and improved this play in 1725, giving it its present form. Notwithstanding the success of ''Crispin'', the actors did not like Lesage, and refused a small piece of his called ''Les Étrennes'' (1707). He thereupon altered it into ''
Turcaret ''Turcaret'' (or ''Le Financier'') is a comedy by Alain-René Lesage, first produced on 14 February 1709 at the Comédie-Française in Paris. It is considered one of Lesage's most important works. The play shows clear signs of having been writte ...
'' (1709), considered his theatrical masterpiece.


Prose writings

Some years passed before he again attempted romance writing, and then the first two parts of ''Gil Blas de Santillane'' were published in 1715, without the popularity of ''Le Diable boiteux''. Lesage worked at it for a long time, and did not bring out the third part till 1724, nor the fourth till 1735. During these twenty years he was, however, continually busy. Notwithstanding the great merit and success of ''Turcaret'' and ''Crispin'', the Théâtre Français did not welcome him, and in 1715 he began to write for the
Théâtre de la foire Théâtre de la foire is the collective name given to the theatre put on at the annual fairs at Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Saint-Germain and Saint-Laurent church, Paris, Saint-Laurent (and for a time, at Saint-Ovide) in Paris. Foire Saint-Ge ...
, the comic opera held in booths at festival time. According to one computation he produced, either alone or with others, about a hundred pieces, varying from strings of songs with no regular dialogues, to comediettas only distinguished from regular plays by the introduction of music. He was also industrious in prose fiction. Besides finishing ''
Gil Blas ''Gil Blas'' (french: L'Histoire de Gil Blas de Santillane ) is a picaresque novel by Alain-René Lesage published between 1715 and 1735. It was highly popular, and was translated several times into English, most notably as The Adventures of G ...
'' he translated the ''Orlando innamorato'' (1721), rearranged ''Guzman d'Alfarache'' (1732), published two more or less original novels, ''Le Bachelier de Salamanque'' and ''Estevanille Gonzalez'', and in 1732 produced ''Les avantures de monsieur Robert Chevalier, dit de Beauchêne, capitaine de flibustiers dans la Nouvelle-France'', which resembles certain works of
Daniel Defoe Daniel Defoe (; born Daniel Foe; – 24 April 1731) was an English writer, trader, journalist, pamphleteer and spy. He is most famous for his novel ''Robinson Crusoe'', published in 1719, which is claimed to be second only to the Bible in its ...
. Besides all this, Lesage was also the author of ''La Valise trouvée'', a collection of imaginary letters, and of some minor pieces including ''Une journée des Parques''. He did not retire until 1740, when he was more than seventy years of age; he and his wife went to live with his second son, who was a canon at
Boulogne-sur-Mer Boulogne-sur-Mer (; pcd, Boulonne-su-Mér; nl, Bonen; la, Gesoriacum or ''Bononia''), often called just Boulogne (, ), is a coastal city in Northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department of Pas-de-Calais. Boulogne lies on the ...
. Lesage's eldest son, Louis-André, had become an actor, and Lesage had disowned him. Lesage's last work, ''Mélange amusant de saillies d'esprit et de traits historiques les plus frappants'', appeared in 1743.


Retirement

With his wife he had three sons and a daughter whose filial piety made her devote her entire life to serving her genius father. Though he lived happily, one event embittered Lesage for years. His eldest son had been educated for the bar, but insisted going on stage. Lesage, who had often painted the life of the actor in the most ridiculous and hateful aspect, was pained by his son's career choice, especially when his son joined the Théâtre Français, against which Lesage had long waged a satirical war. Probably out of deference to his father, the son took the name Montménil, and by the merit of his talents and private character, soon entered the upper society of Paris. Lesage was reconciled with his son many years later and became so devoted to Montménil that he could barely leave his side. Montménil caught cold during a hunting party and died on 8 September 1743. This was such a severe blow to Lesage that he retired forever from Paris and the world. Lesage's youngest son had also become an actor under the name Pittenec, so Lesage and his wife saw out their old age in the home of their second son who had become the Abbé Lesage (Abbott Lesage). This son had been made a Canon of the Cathedral of Boulogne, through the patronage of the queen, and been bestowed a fair pension. Lesage lived beyond 80 years of age, but was afflicted with deafness and had to use an ear trumpet. However, his conversation was so delightful that when he ventured into the world and frequented his favourite coffee house in Rue St. Jacques in Paris, guests would gather around him, climbing onto tables and chairs, to hear his famous words of wit and wisdom. Alain-René Lesage died on 17 November 1747.


Personality

Very little is known of Lesage's life and personality. The few anecdotes which we have of him represent him as a very independent man, declining to accept the literary patronage required to survive. One story tells of the time he had been entreated to read his manuscript (according to the fashion of the day) at the Hôtel de Bouillon by the Duchess. The hour appointed for the reading was noon, but the dramatist was still very interested in legal matters and was detained until 1 o'clock attending the decision of a lawsuit. When he finally appeared at the Hôtel and attempted to apologise, the
Duchess of Bouillon There have been duchesses of Bouillon, Belgium, Bouillon, in present-day Belgium, since the tenth century. Lady of Bouillon Ardennes-Bouillon dynasty, ?-1100 :''Sold to the Bishopric of Liège'' House of La Marck, ?-1588 House of La Tour ...
was so cold and haughty, observing that he had made her guests lose one hour waiting for his arrival. "It is easy to make up the loss madame", replied Lesage; "I will not read my comedy, and thus you will gain two hours." With that, he left the Hôtel and could never be persuaded to return to the Duchess's house.


Quotations

* "Pride and conceit were the original sins of man." * "Facts are stubborn things."


Works

Translations and adaptations * ''Le Traître puni'', 1700 * ''Don Félix de Mendoce'', 1700 * ''Point d'honneur'', 1702
French version
* ''Second Book of the Ingenious Knight Don Quixote of La Mancha'', 1704 * ''Orlando innamorato'', 1721 * ''Guzman d'Alfarache'', 1732
French version
Plays * ''Don César Ursin'', 1707
French version
* ''Les Étrennes'', 1707 * '' Crispin rival de son maître'', 1707
French version
* ''
Turcaret ''Turcaret'' (or ''Le Financier'') is a comedy by Alain-René Lesage, first produced on 14 February 1709 at the Comédie-Française in Paris. It is considered one of Lesage's most important works. The play shows clear signs of having been writte ...
'', 1709 * '' Arlequin roi de Serendib'', 1713 * '' La Foire de Guibray'', 1714 * '' Arlequin Mahomet'', 1714 * ''La Statue merveilleuse'' (fair play, with d'Orneval), 1720
starts here in this collection--> French version
* ''La Boîte de Pandore'' 1721, comedy in 1 act.''Petite bibliothèque des théâtres'', Paris, 1789
vol.62 pp.67-8
/ref> Novels * ''Le Diable boiteux'', 1707.
French version
(tr. ''The Devil upon Two Sticks'', ''The Devil on Two Sticks''

* ''
Gil Blas ''Gil Blas'' (french: L'Histoire de Gil Blas de Santillane ) is a picaresque novel by Alain-René Lesage published between 1715 and 1735. It was highly popular, and was translated several times into English, most notably as The Adventures of G ...
''
English versionFrench
** ''Histoire de Gil Blas de Santillane, (Livres I–VI)'', 1715.
French version
** ''Histoire de Gil Blas de Santillane, (Livres VII–IX)'', 1724.
French version
** ''Histoire de Gil Blas de Santillane, (Livres X–XII)'', 1735.
French version
** ''Histoire de Gil Blas de Santillane'', 1747. * ''Les avantures de monsieur Robert Chevalier, dit de Beauchêne, capitaine de flibustiers dans la Nouvelle-France'', 1732
French version
* ''Le Bachelier de Salamanque'', 1736.
French version
* ''Estevanille Gonzalez'', 1732* * ''La Valise trouvée'', 1740
French version
* ''Mélange amusant de saillies d'esprit et de traits historiques les plus frappants'', 1743


Bibliography

* Francis Assaf - ''Lesage et le picaresque'' (A.-G. Nizet, 1983) * Christelle Bahier-Porte - ''La Poétique d'Alain-René Lesage'' (Champion, 2006) * V. Barberet - ''Lesage et le théâtre de la foire''
Paul Sordoillet, 1887
, (Slatkine Reprints, 1970) * Roger Laufer - ''Lesage ; ou, Le métier de romancier'' (Gallimard, 1971) * Tobias Smollet's Prefatory Memoir in his 1893 English translation of Le Sage's "The Adventures of Gil Blas"


References

Attribution: * That entry includes a long critical appraisal by Saintsbury. *


External links


Alain-René Lesage
on data.bnf.fr * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lesage, Alain-Rene 1668 births 1747 deaths People from Sarzeau 18th-century French dramatists and playwrights 18th-century French lawyers French translators Spanish–French translators 18th-century French writers 18th-century French male writers 18th-century French novelists