Charles de Marguetel de Saint-Denis, seigneur de Saint-Évremond (1 April 16139 September 1703) was a French soldier,

hedonist Hedonism refers to a family of theories, all of which have in common that pleasure plays a central role in them. ''Psychological'' or ''motivational hedonism'' claims that human behavior is determined by desires to increase pleasure and to decre ...

, essayist and literary critic. After 1661, he lived in exile, mainly in England, as a consequence of his attack on French policy at the time of the Peace of the Pyrenees (1659). He is buried in

Poets' Corner Poets' Corner is the name traditionally given to a section of the South Transept of Westminster Abbey in the City of Westminster, London because of the high number of poets, playwrights, and writers buried and commemorated there. The first poe ...

, Westminster. He wrote for his friends and did not intend his work to be published, although a few of his pieces were leaked in his lifetime. The first full collection of his works was published in London in 1705, after his death.

Life

He was born at Saint-Denis-le-Guast, near

Coutances Coutances () is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France. History Capital of the Unelli, a Gaulish tribe, the town was given the name of ''Constantia'' in 298 during the reign of Roman emperor Constantius Chloru ...

, the seat of his family in

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

. He was a pupil of the

Jesuits , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders = ...

at the

College de Clermont A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering ...

(now Lycée Louis-le-Grand), Paris; then a student at

Caen Caen (, ; nrf, Kaem) is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the department of Calvados. The city proper has 105,512 inhabitants (), while its functional urban area has 470,000,College d'Harcourt (now Lycée Saint-Louis). He soon, however, took to arms, and in 1629 went with Marshal Bassompierre to Italy. He served through a great part of the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of batt ...

, distinguishing himself at the siege of Landrecies (1637), when he was made captain. During his campaigns he studied the works of

Montaigne Michel Eyquem, Sieur de Montaigne ( ; ; 28 February 1533 – 13 September 1592), also known as the Lord of Montaigne, was one of the most significant philosophers of the French Renaissance. He is known for popularizing the essay as a lit ...

and the Spanish and Italian languages. In 1639 he met Gassendi in Paris, and became one of his disciples. He was present at the battles of Rocroi,

Nördlingen Nördlingen (; Swabian: ''Nearle'' or ''Nearleng'') is a town in the Donau-Ries district, in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany, with a population of approximately 20,674. It is located approximately east of Stuttgart, and northwest of Munich. It wa ...

, and at Lerida. For a time he was personally attached to Condé, but offended him by a satirical remark and was deprived of his command in the prince's guards in 1648. During

the Fronde The Fronde () was a series of civil wars in France between 1648 and 1653, occurring in the midst of the Franco-Spanish War (1635–1659), Franco-Spanish War, which had begun in 1635. King Louis XIV confronted the combined opposition of the pr ...

, Saint-Évremond was a steady royalist. The Duke of Candale, of whom Saint-Évremond has left a very severe portrait, gave him a command in

Guienne Guyenne or Guienne (, ; oc, Guiana ) was an old French province which corresponded roughly to the Roman province of ''Aquitania Secunda'' and the archdiocese of Bordeaux. The name "Guyenne" comes from ''Aguyenne'', a popular transformation of ...

after he had reached the grade of ''maréchal de camp'', and he is said to have pocketed 50,000

livres The (; ; abbreviation: ₶.) was one of numerous currencies used in medieval France, and a unit of account (i.e., a monetary unit used in accounting) used in Early Modern France. The 1262 monetary reform established the as 20 , or 80.88 g ...

in less than three years from this office. He was one of the numerous victims involved in the fall of

Fouquet Fouquet (Foucquet) is a French surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernard Foucquet, sculptor active in Sweden * Charles Louis Auguste Fouquet, duc de Belle-Isle (1684–1761), French general and statesman * Christophe Fouquet ...

in 1661. His letter to Marshal Créquy on the

Treaty of the Pyrenees The Treaty of the Pyrenees (french: Traité des Pyrénées; es, Tratado de los Pirineos; ca, Tractat dels Pirineus) was signed on 7 November 1659 on Pheasant Island, and ended the Franco-Spanish War that had begun in 1635. Negotiations were ...

, which is said to have been discovered by Colbert's agents at the seizure of Fouquet's papers, seems a very inadequate cause for his disgrace. Saint-Évremond fled to the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

and to

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

, where he was kindly received by Charles II and was pensioned. After James II's flight to France, Saint-Évremond was invited to return, but he declined.

Hortense Mancini Hortense Mancini, Duchesse de Mazarin (6 June 1646 – 2 July 1699), was a niece of Cardinal Mazarin, chief minister of France, and a mistress of Charles II, King of England, Scotland, and Ireland. She was the fourth of the five famous Mancini s ...

, the most attractive of

Cardinal Mazarin Cardinal Jules Mazarin (, also , , ; 14 July 1602 – 9 March 1661), born Giulio Raimondo Mazzarino () or Mazarini, was an Italian cardinal, diplomat and politician who served as the chief minister to the Kings of France Louis XIII and Louis X ...

's group of attractive nieces, came to England in 1670, and set up a

salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon ( ...

for flirtation, gambling, and witty conversation, and here Saint-Évremond was for many years at home. He died aged ninety on 9 September 1703 and was buried in

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...

, where his monument is in

, close to that of

Prior Prior (or prioress) is an ecclesiastical title for a superior in some religious orders. The word is derived from the Latin for "earlier" or "first". Its earlier generic usage referred to any monastic superior. In abbeys, a prior would be low ...

Literary work

Godfrey Kneller portrait of Charles de Saint-Évremond

Saint-Évremond never authorised the printing of any of his works during his lifetime, though Barbin in 1668 published an unauthorised collection but he empowered

Pierre des Maizeaux Pierre des Maizeaux, also spelled Desmaizeaux (c. 1666 or 1673June 1745), was a French Huguenot writer exiled in London, best known as the translator and biographer of Pierre Bayle. He was born in Pailhat, Auvergne, France. His father, a minister ...

to publish his works after his death, and they were published in London (2 vols., 1705), and often reprinted. His masterpiece in irony is the so-called ''Conversation du maréchal d'Hocquincourt avec le père Canaye'' (the latter a Jesuit and Saint-Évremond's master at school), which has been frequently classed with the ''

Lettres provinciales The ''Lettres provinciales'' (''Provincial letters'') are a series of eighteen letters written by French philosopher and theologian Blaise Pascal under the pseudonym Louis de Montalte. Written in the midst of the formulary controversy between ...

''. His ''Œuvres meslées'', edited from the manuscripts by Silvestre and Maizeaux, were printed by Jacob Tonson (London, 1705, 2 vols.; 2nd ed., 3 vols., 1709), with a notice by Maizeaux. His correspondence with Ninon de l'Enclos, whose fast friend he was, was published in 1752; ''La Comédie des académistes'', written in 1643, was printed in 1650. Modern editions of his works are by Hippeau (Paris, 1852), C. Giraud (Paris, 1865), and a selection (1881) with a notice by M. de Lescure. Among his plays is one called ''Politick Would-be'', modelled on a character from

Ben Jonson Benjamin "Ben" Jonson (c. 11 June 1572 – c. 16 August 1637) was an English playwright and poet. Jonson's artistry exerted a lasting influence upon English poetry and stage comedy. He popularised the comedy of humours; he is best known for t ...

's ''

Volpone ''Volpone'' (, Italian for "sly fox") is a comedy play by English playwright Ben Jonson first produced in 1605–1606, drawing on elements of city comedy and beast fable. A merciless satire of greed and lust, it remains Jonson's most-perfor ...

''.

Partial bibliography

* ''Œuvres mêlées'' (1643–1692), * ''Les Académistes'' (1650) * ''Retraite de M. le duc de Longueville en Normandie'' * ''Lettre au marquis de Créqui sur la paix des Pyrénées'' (1659) * ''Conversation du maréchal d’Hocquincourt avec le Père Canaye'' * ''Réflexions sur les divers génies du peuple romain'' (1663) * ''Seconde partie des œuvres meslées'' (1668), * ''Sur nos comédies'' * ''De quelques livres espagnols, italiens et français'' * ''Réflexions sur la tragédie ancienne et moderne'' * ''Défense de quelques pièces de Corneille'' * ''Parallèle de M. le Prince et de M. de Turenne'' * ''Discours sur Épicure'' * ''Pensées sur l’honnêteté'' * ''Considérations sur Hannibal'' * ' * ''L’idée de la femme qui ne se trouve point'' * ' * ''Dissertation sur la tragédie d’Alexandre'' * ''Fragment d’une lettre écrite de La Haye'' * ''De la seconde guerre punique'' * ''De l’éloquence, tirée de Pétrone'' * ''La matrone d’Éphèse''

Publications

* ''Les Opéra'', Éd. Robert Finch et Eugène Joliat, Genève, Droz, 1979. * ''Œuvres en prose'', Éd. René Ternois, Paris, Didier, 1962. * ''La Comédie des académistes'', Éd. Louis d'Espinay Ételan, Paolo Carile et al., Paris, Nizet, 1976. * ''Entretiens sur toutes choses'', Éd. David Bensoussan, Paris, Desjonquères, 1998. * ''Écrits philosophiques'', Éd. Jean-Pierre Jackson, Paris, Alive, 1996. * ''Réflexions sur les divers génies du peuple romain dans les divers temps de la république'', Napoli, Jovene, 1982. * ''Conversations et autres écrits philosophiques'', Paris, Aveline, 1926. * ''Lettres'', Éd. intro. René Ternois, Paris, Didier, 1967. * ''Maximes et œuvres diverses'', Paris, Éditions du Monde Moderne, 1900–1965. * ''Pensées d’Épicure précédées d'un Essai sur la morale d’Épicure'', Paris, Payot 1900.

References

* http://frenchphilosophes.weebly.com/saint-evremond.html
''Discours sur Épicure''
Paris: Claude Barbin, 1684.
''Œuvres meslées de M. D. *** de S. Évremont''
Paris: Claude Barbin, 1693.
''Œuvres meslées'' Tome I
Paris: Claude Barbin, 1670.
''Œuvres meslées'' Tome II
Paris: Claude Barbin, 1671.
''Œuvres meslées'' Tome III
''missing''.
''Œuvres meslées'' Tome IV
Paris: Claude Barbin, 1681.
''Œuvres meslées'' Tome V
Paris, Claude Barbin, 1678.
''Œuvres meslées'' Tome VI
Paris: Claude Barbin, 683
''Œuvres meslées'' Tome VII
Paris: Claude Barbin, 1684.
''Œuvres meslées'' Tome VIII
Paris: Claude Barbin, 1684.
''Œuvres meslées'' Tome IX
Paris: Claude Barbin, 1684.
''Œuvres meslées'' Tome X
Paris: Claude Barbin, 1684.
''Œuvres meslées'' Tome XI
Paris: Claude Barbin, 1684.
''Les Académiciens : comédie''
Paris: Charavay frères, 1879.

Print

* Antoine Adam, ''Les libertins au XVII^e'', Paris, Buchet/Chastel 1964 * Patrick Andrivet, ''Saint-Évremond et l'histoire romaine'', Orléans, Paradigme, 1998 * H.T. Barnwell, ''Les idées morales et critiques de Saint-Évremond : essai d'analyse explicative'', Paris, PUF, 1957 * Patrice Bouysse, ''Essai sur la jeunesse d'un moraliste : Saint-Évremond (1614–1661)'', Seattle, Papers on French Seventeenth Century Literature, 1987 * Gustave Cohen, ''Le séjour de Saint-Évremond en Hollande'', Paris, Champion, 1926 * Walter Daniels, ''Melville Saint-Évremond en Angleterre'', Versailles, L. Luce, 1907 * Soûad Guellouz, ''Entre baroque et lumières : Saint-Évremond (1614–1703) : colloque de Cerisy-la-Salle (25–27 septembre 1998)'', Caen : Presses universitaires de Caen, 2000 * Suzanne Guellouz, ''Saint-Évremond au miroir du temps : actes du colloque du tricentenaire de sa mort, Caen – Saint-Lô (9-11 octobre 2003)'', Tübingen, Narr, 2005 * Célestin Hippeau, ''Les écrivains normands au XVII^e : Du Perron, Malherbe, Bois-Robert, Sarasin, P. Du Bosc, Saint-Évremond'', Genève, Slatkine Reprints, 1970 * Mario Paul Lafargue, ''Saint-Évremond ; ou, Le Pétrone du XVII^e'', Paris, Société d'éditions extérieures et coloniales, 1945 * Gustave Merlet ''Saint-Évremond : étude historique morale et littéraire; suivie de fragments en vers et en prose'', Paris, A. Sauton, 1870 * Luigi de Nardis, ''Il cortegiano e l’eroe, studio su Saint-Évremond'', Firenze, La Nuova Italia Editrice, 1964 * Léon Petit, ''La Fontaine et Évremond : ou, La tentation de l'Angleterre'', Toulouse, Privat, 1953 * Jacques Prévot, ''Libertins du XVII^e'', v. 2, Paris, Gallimard, 1998–2004 * Gottlob Reinhardt, ''Saint-Évremonds Urteile und Gedanken üer die alten Griechen und Römer'', Saalfeld am Saale, 1900 * Leonard Rosmarin, ''Saint-Évremond : artiste de l'euphorie'', Birmingham, Summa Publications, 1987 * Albert-Marie Schmidt, ''Saint-Évremond ; ou, L'humaniste impur'', Paris, Éditions du Cavalier, 1932 * K. Spalatin, ''Saint-Évremond'', Zagreb, Thèse de doctorat de l’Université de Zagreb, 1934 * Claude Taittinger, ''Saint-Évremond, ou, Le bon usage des plaisirs'', Paris, Perrin, 1990 {{DEFAULTSORT:Saint-Evremond, Charles De 1610 births 1703 deaths People from Manche Lycée Louis-le-Grand alumni Lycée Saint-Louis alumni French military leaders French literary critics 17th-century French writers 17th-century French male writers 18th-century French writers 18th-century French male writers Burials at Westminster Abbey French male essayists 18th-century essayists