The ''Guirlande de Julie'' (, ''Julie's Garland'') is a unique French manuscript of sixty-one ''madrigaux'', illustrated with painted flowers, and composed by several poets ''habitués'' of the

Hôtel de Rambouillet The Hôtel de Rambouillet, formerly the Hôtel de Pisani, was the Paris residence of Catherine de Vivonne, marquise de Rambouillet, who ran a renowned literary salon there from 1620 until 1648. It was situated on the west side of the rue Saint-T ...

for

Julie d'Angennes Julie d'Angennes, Duchess of Montausier (1607 - 15 November 1671) was a French courtier. She served as royal governess of Louis, Grand Dauphin in 1661–1664, and ''Première dame d'honneur'' to the queen of France, Queen Marie Thérèse, from 1 ...

and given to her on her name day in May 1641. The 1641 manuscript was bought by the ''

Bibliothèque nationale de France The Bibliothèque nationale de France (, 'National Library of France'; BnF) is the national library of France, located in Paris on two main sites known respectively as ''Richelieu'' and ''François-Mitterrand''. It is the national repository ...

'' in 1989 and is now kept in the ''Département des Manuscrits'' of the BnF. The salon of

Catherine de Vivonne, marquise de Rambouillet Catherine de Vivonne, marquise de Rambouillet (1588 – 2 December 1665), known as Madame de Rambouillet, was a society hostess and a major figure in the literary history of 17th-century France. {{French literature sidebar Life Born in Rome, she w ...

(1588–1665), wife of (1577–1652), was the first and most brilliant Parisian literary salon of the first half of the 17th century, at its height between 1620 and 1645. The

, as it was called, was frequented by renowned ''précieuses'', writers, nobles and "robins". One of its ''habitués'', Charles de Sainte-Maure, marquis de Montausier (1610–1690), had been in love with the daughter of the marquis and marquise de Rambouillet, Julie d'Angennes (1606–1671), since he first met her in 1631. In the hope of finally wooing her, he decided to give her an extraordinary present. Montausier asked the most talented poets of the time, all frequent visitors of the Hôtel de Rambouillet, to write one or several ''madrigals'' in which a flower would sing the praises of Julie. The final product was the work of nineteen poets. These ''madrigaux'' were composed by writers as famous as

Georges de Scudéry Georges de Scudéry (22 August 1601 – 14 May 1667), the elder brother of Madeleine de Scudéry, was a French novelist, dramatist and poet. Life Georges de Scudéry was born in Le Havre, in Normandy, whither his father had moved from Provence. ...

Desmarets de Saint-Sorlin Jean Desmarets, Sieur de Saint-Sorlin (1595 – 28 October 1676) was a French writer and dramatist. He was a founding member, and the first to occupy seat 4 of the Académie française in 1634. Biography Born in Paris, Desmarets was introduced ...

Valentin Conrart Valentin Conrart (; 1603 – 23 September 1675) was a French author, and as a founder of the Académie française, the first occupant of seat 2. Biography He was born in Paris of Calvinist parents, and was educated for business. However, afte ...

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 ...

, Racan,

Tallemant des Réaux Tallemant may refer to: * François Tallemant l'Aîné *Gédéon Tallemant des Réaux Gédéon Tallemant, Sieur des Réaux (7 November 1619 – 6 November 1692) was a French writer known for his ''Historiettes'', a collection of short biograp ...

, Robert Arnauld d'Andilly, Simon Arnauld de Pomponne, Isaac Arnauld de Corbeville, Montmor,

Germain Habert Germain Habert de Cérisy (1610 – May 1654) was a French churchman and poet. He was abbot of Saint-Vigor. Germain Habert was born in Paris. He was the cousin of Henri Louis Habert de Montmor, brother of Philippe Habert and like Philippe a f ...

, Colletet, Claude Malleville,

Philippe Habert Philippe Habert (1604 – 26 July 1637) was a French poet. Habert was born in Paris and was the brother to Germain Habert and cousin of Henri Louis Habert de Montmor, as well as a friend of Valentin Conrart. Philippe was also one of the first me ...

, Antoine Gombaud,

Antoine Godeau Antoine Godeau (24 September 1605, in Dreux – 21 April 1672, in Vence) was a French bishop, poet and exegete. He is now known for his work of criticism ''Discours de la poésie chrétienne'' from 1633. Biography His verse-writing early won the ...

, ,

Pierre Corneille Pierre Corneille (; 6 June 1606 – 1 October 1684) was a French tragedian. He is generally considered one of the three great seventeenth-century French dramatists, along with Molière and Racine. As a young man, he earned the valuable patronag ...

for a couple of the madrigals authored by "M. C." (but doubtful, according to ''Bibliothèque nationale de France'') and the marquis de Rambouillet. Montausier himself wrote sixteen of the madrigals.Jules Tellier,
La Guirlande de Julie
''Le Parti national'', November 27, 1887 Then the text was ornamentally written by the calligraphist Nicolas Jarry and the flower quoted in each poem painted by

Nicolas Robert Nicolas Robert (18 April 1614 – 25 March 1685) was a French miniaturist and engraver. He was born in Langres and died in Paris. In 1664 he was appointed as "peintre ordinaire de Sa Majesté pur la miniature" (Painter of Miniatures) to Lo ...

, while the binding was done by Le Gascon. The final object turned out to be one of the most extraordinary manuscripts of the century and one of the highlights of the 17th century ''littérature galante''. Julie found the manuscript by her bed, upon awakening on the morning of her name day, 22 May 1641G. Lenotre, ''Le Château de Rambouillet, six siècles d'Histoire'', Calmann-Lévy, Paris, 1930. Réédition, Denoël, Paris, 1984, pp. 27-29 (see 1641 in poetry). However, she let Montausier wait another four years, until 1645, before agreeing to marry him, fourteen years after they had first met. After the death of Montausier in 1690, the manuscript became the possession of the Crussol-d'Uzès family, in which his daughter, Marie-Julie de Sainte-Maure (1647-1692), ''duchesse de Crussol-d'Uzès'', had married. The manuscript was first sold in 1699, then several times thereafter. ''La Guirlande de Julie'' is now kept at the ''Département des Manuscrits'' of the ''Bibliothèque nationale de France'' (French National Library). It was published in 1729 (see 1729 in poetry), although several poems had already appeared in various collections.

References

Bibliography

*''La Guirlande de Julie'' (1641), original manuscript, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Département des Manuscrits: http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b8451620k *Frain, Irène, ''La Guirlande de Julie'', Robert Laffont, Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, 1991, *Lenotre, G., ''Le Château de Rambouillet, six siècles d'Histoire'', Denoël, Paris, 1984, . {{DEFAULTSORT:Guirlande De Julie 1729 books French poetry collections 17th-century French literature 17th-century illuminated manuscripts Collaborative books