Charles-Étienne Pesselier (9 July 1712, in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
[* « Éloge de M. Pesselier » (anon.), in : ''Œuvres de Pesselier ; nouvelle édition, considérablement augmentée'', Paris, Veuve Duchesne, 1772, pp.iii à vi.
* Entry « Pesselier Charles-Étienne », ''La France littéraire, ou dictionnaire bibliographique des savants, historiens et gens de lettres de la France...'', J.-M. Quérard (ed.), Paris, Firmin Didot, 1835, t. VII, p.81
* Entry « Pesselier Charles-Étienne », « « ''Dictionnaire biographique des financiers en France au XVIIIe siècle'' ; Thierry Claeys & Yves Durand (eds.), third ed., Paris, S.P.M., 2011, t. II, p. 1922.].] – 24 April 1763, in Paris) was an 18th-century French playwright and librettist.
After studying at
collège des Quatre-Nations, Pesselier applied for three years to the study of law. He then obtained employment in
Ferme générale
The ''ferme générale'' (, "general farm") was, in ''ancien régime'' France, essentially an outsourced customs, excise and indirect tax operation. It collected duties on behalf of the King (plus hefty bonus fees for themselves), under renewable ...
and showed such skill that he was given responsibility to open a school of finances in his home.
While fulfilling his duties Pesselier devoted his leisure to literature and gave
Comédie-Italienne ''L'École du temps'', which was a marked success. The following year, this play was followed by ''Ésope au Parnasse'', also in one act and verse, which was received with applause.
Works
*1738: ''L'École du temps'', comedy in one act and in verse, successfully given at Théâtre-Italien, 11 September ;
*1739: ''Ésope au Parnasse'', comedy in one act and in verse, presented at Théâtre-Français, 14 October ;
*1739: ''Lettres d'Angélique à Thérèse'', in-12 ;
*1748: ''Fables nouvelles'', Paris, in-8° ;
*1742: ''Pièces de théâtres et poésies fugitives'', Paris, in-8° ;
*1753: ''Dialogues des morts'', 2 vol. ln-12 ;
*1753: ''Esprit de Montaigne'', 2 vol. in-12 ;
*1758: ''Azor et Ismène'',
ballet
Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...
, in-8° ;
*1759: ''Idée générale des finances'', in-fol. ;
*1761: ''Doutes proposés à l'auteur de la théorie de l'impôt'', in-4° (in which Pesselier refutes the "Theory of tax" by
Mirabeau ;
*1762: ''Lettres sur l'éducation'', 2 vol. in-12, etc.
Pesselier collaborated with the ''Glaneur français'' (1735–1737) and gave editions of the ''Œuvres'' by
Autreau (1749, 4 vol.) and
Pagan
Paganism (, later 'civilian') is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Christianity, Judaism, and Samaritanism. In the time of the ...
(1760, 4 vol.). In addition, he authored the articles Exemption, Ferme (Fermes du Roi (Bail des), Fermes (cinq grosses) of the ''
Encyclopédie
, better known as ''Encyclopédie'' (), was a general encyclopedia published in France between 1751 and 1772, with later supplements, revised editions, and translations. It had many writers, known as the Encyclopédistes. It was edited by Denis ...
'' by
Diderot
Denis Diderot (; ; 5 October 171331 July 1784) was a French philosopher, art critic, and writer, best known for serving as co-founder, chief editor, and contributor to the along with Jean le Rond d'Alembert. He was a prominent figure during t ...
and
D'Alembert
Jean-Baptiste le Rond d'Alembert ( ; ; 16 November 1717 – 29 October 1783) was a French mathematician, mechanics, mechanician, physicist, philosopher, and music theorist. Until 1759 he was, together with Denis Diderot, a co-editor of the ''E ...
.
King
Stanisław Leszczyński of Poland gave him the title of ordinary counselor secretary. He was a partner of the
Académies de Rouen,
Nancy and Angers.
References
Sources
*
Pierre Larousse, ''Grand Dictionnaire universel du XIXe'', vol. 12, Paris, Administration du grand Dictionnaire universel, 1866, (p. 695).
* Alain Nabarra; ''Pesselier, Charles-Étienne (1712-1763)'', In J. Sgard: ''Dictionnaires des journalistes.'' Grenoble (1976), (p. 299-300)
* Bernard Delmas : « L'anti-physiocratie des financiers : les ''Doutes'' de Charles-Étienne Pesselier sur la ''Théorie de l'impôt'' du marquis de Mirabeau et l'instruction générale » in : ''Les Voies De La Richesse ? : La Physiocratie en Question (1760-1850)''. Gérard Klotz, Philippe Minard & Arnaud Orain (eds.), Presses Universitaires de Rennes, septembre 2017, pp. 79–104.
External links
His plays and their presentationso
CÉSARCharles-Étienne Pesselieron Dictionnaire des journalistes
Charles-Étienne Pesselieron IdRef
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pesselier, Charles-Etienne
18th-century French male writers
18th-century French dramatists and playwrights
French opera librettists
Contributors to the Encyclopédie (1751–1772)
Writers from Paris
1712 births
1763 deaths