The Abbé Jean de Montigny (1636 – 28 September 1671) was a French philosophic writer and poet, elected to the Académie française, but who died in his prime.

Biography

Born in

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period ...

, Montigny was encouraged by the marquise de Guiche, a granddaughter of

Pierre Séguier Pierre Séguier (; 28 May 1588 – 28 January 1672) was a French statesman, chancellor of France from 1635. Biography Early years Séguier was born in Paris to a prominent legal family originating in Quercy. His grandfather, Pierre Séguier (150 ...

, chancellor of

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. Montigny delivered the funeral oration for

Anne of Austria Anne of Austria (french: Anne d'Autriche, italic=no, es, Ana María Mauricia, italic=no; 22 September 1601 – 20 January 1666) was an infanta of Spain who became Queen of France as the wife of King Louis XIII from their marriage in 1615 un ...

and was confessor to Louis XIV's Queen Marie-Thérèse. He published some poetry (''Le palais des plaisirs'') and a ''Letter to

Erastus Erastus is a masculine given name which may refer to: Biblical figures: * Erastus of Corinth, in the New Testament of the Bible People: * Erastus of Scepsis, 4th century BC student of Plato * Erastus Newton Bates (1828–1898), American politicia ...

'' in which he took up the defense of the unfortunate epic ''La Pucelle'' of

Jean Chapelain Jean Chapelain (4 December 1595 – 22 February 1674) was a French poet and critic during the Grand Siècle, best known for his role as an organizer and founding member of the Académie française. Chapelain acquired considerable prestige as a l ...

. In January, 1670 Montigny was named to the Académie française, reading for his reception "Reflections upon languages", a piece that the abbé d'Olivet pronounced the best that the Académie had yet heard. He was appointed

bishop of Laon The diocese of Laon in the present-day département of Aisne, was a Catholic diocese for around 1300 years, up to the French Revolution. Its seat was in Laon, France, with the Laon Cathedral. From early in the 13th century, the bishop of Laon ...

—a post that would have made him a duke and peer of France—but en route to take up his episcopal duties he died of a stroke. At the time of his unexpected death,

Mme de Sevigné Madam (), or madame ( or ), is a polite and formal form of address for women in the English language, often contracted to ma'am (pronounced in American English and this way but also in British English). The term derives from the French ''madam ...

wrote that he was a luminary of philosophy and attributed the stroke of which he died to overwork. The Abbé d'Olivet assessed his place in the contemporary literary world: "His prose is correct, elegant, sonorous (''"nombreuse"''): his versification flowing, noble, filled with images. A few more years, and what might he not have achieved? But, for a man of letters, to die at thirty-five is to die in the cradle."

External links

Académie française website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Montigny, Jean French philosophers Members of the Académie Française Writers from Brittany 1636 births 1671 deaths French male non-fiction writers