Michel Le Clerc (1622,

Albi Albi (; oc, Albi ) is a commune in southern France. It is the prefecture of the Tarn department, on the river Tarn, 85 km northeast of Toulouse. Its inhabitants are called ''Albigensians'' (french: Albigeois, Albigeoise(s), oc, albig� ...

– 8 December 1691) was a French lawyer and dramatist.

Biography

After studying under the

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

s, he established himself in Paris, where he became a lawyer to the

parliament of Paris The Parliament of Paris (french: Parlement de Paris) was the oldest ''parlement'' in the Kingdom of France, formed in the 14th century. It was fixed in Paris by Philip IV of France in 1302. The Parliament of Paris would hold sessions inside the ...

. Like his co-student

Claude Boyer Claude Boyer (1618 in Albi – 22 July 1698 in Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in ...

, he wrote tragedies and "pièces des circonstance"; he produced his ''Virginie romaine'' in 1645, the same year as Boyer produced his ''Porcie romaine''. He was elected to the

Académie française An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary education, secondary or tertiary education, tertiary higher education, higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membershi ...

in 1662. His ''

Iphigénie ''Iphigénie'' is a dramatic tragedy in five acts written in alexandrine verse by the French playwright Jean Racine. It was first performed in the Orangerie in Versailles on August 18, 1674, as part of the fifth of the royal ''Divertissements de ...

'' (written with

Jacques de Coras Jacques de Coras (1625 – 24 December 1677) was a French poet born in Toulouse. Grandson of the Huguenot jurist Jean de Coras, he was raised in the Protestant Reformed Church of France. After serving as a cadet in the military, he studied theology ...

) was put on in 1674, the same year as the ''

'' by

Jean Racine Jean-Baptiste Racine ( , ) (; 22 December 163921 April 1699) was a French dramatist, one of the three great playwrights of 17th-century France, along with Molière and Corneille as well as an important literary figure in the Western traditio ...

. Le Clerc is best known for his translation of ''

Jerusalem Delivered ''Jerusalem Delivered'', also known as ''The Liberation of Jerusalem'' ( it, La Gerusalemme liberata ; ), is an epic poem by the Italian poet Torquato Tasso, first published in 1581, that tells a largely mythified version of the First Crusade i ...

'' by

Torquato Tasso Torquato Tasso ( , also , ; 11 March 154425 April 1595) was an Italian poet of the 16th century, known for his 1591 poem ''Gerusalemme liberata'' (Jerusalem Delivered), in which he depicts a highly imaginative version of the combats between ...

, but his work was attacked by

Nicolas Boileau Nicolas or Nicolás may refer to: People Given name * Nicolas (given name) Mononym * Nicolas (footballer, born 1999), Brazilian footballer * Nicolas (footballer, born 2000), Brazilian footballer Surname Nicolas * Dafydd Nicolas (c.1705–1774), ...

and suffered from a generally unfavourable reputation.

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 ...

wrote of him "He wrote reasonably in French prose and not without wit. In prose, he is well above the mediocre, whether in original creation, or in translation".

Works

*''La Virginie romaine, tragédie'' (1645) *''La Hiérusalem délivrée, poëme héroïque traduit en vers français'' (1667) *''Iphigénie en Aulide, tragédie'' (1674) *''Orontée, tragédie en musique ornée d'entrées de ballet, de machines et de changemens de théâtre représentée dans le chasteau de Chantilly devant Monseigneur le Dauphin par l'Académie royale de musique'' (1688)

External links

Académie française

Productions of his works on CÉSAR
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leclerc, Michel People from Albi 1622 births 1691 deaths Translators to French Members of the Académie Française 17th-century French lawyers 17th-century French dramatists and playwrights 17th-century French male writers 17th-century French translators