Jean Bastier de La Péruse (1529–1554) was a 16th-century

French poet List of poets French poetry, who have written in the French language: A Céline Arnauld (1885-1952) * Louise-Victorine Ackermann (1813–1890) * Adam de la Halle (v.1250 – v.1285) * Dominique Aguessy (1937– ) * Pierre Albert-Birot (1876–1 ...

and

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes play (theatre), plays, which are a form of drama that primarily consists of dialogue between Character (arts), characters and is intended for Theatre, theatrical performance rather than just Readin ...

. He was born at Pont-Sigoulant, parish of Roumazières, but he took the name of the neighboring parish, la Péruse. He studied 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 ...

, at collège de Boncourt, where he attended the lessons by

Marc-Antoine Muret Marc Antoine Muret (; 12 April 1526 – 4 June 1585), better known by his Latinized name Marcus Antonius Muretus, was a French humanist who was among the revivers of an Attic, or anti-Ciceronian, prose style, and is among the usual candidates ...

and

George Buchanan George Buchanan (; February 1506 – 28 September 1582) was a Scottish historian and humanist scholar. According to historian Keith Brown, Buchanan was "the most profound intellectual sixteenth-century Scotland produced." His ideology of re ...

, and became a member of the first Pléiade, with

Ronsard Pierre de Ronsard (; 11 September 1524 – 27 December 1585) was a French poet known in his generation as a " prince of poets". His works include '' Les Amours de Cassandre'' (1552)'','' '' Les Hymnes'' (1555-1556)'', Les Discours'' (1562-1563 ...

, Du Bellay, Baïf, Jodelle,

Pontus de Tyard Pontus de Tyard (also Thyard, Thiard) (c. 1521 – 23 September 1605) was a French poet and priest, a member of " La Pléiade". Life He was born at Bissy-sur-Fley in Burgundy, of which he was ''seigneur'', but the exact year of his birth is ...

and Peletier du Mans. According to

Étienne Pasquier Étienne Pasquier (7 June 152930 August 30 1615) was a French lawyer and man of letters. By his own account he was born in Paris on 7 June 1529, but according to others he was born in 1528. He was called to the Paris bar in 1549. In 1558 he be ...

, he played in the presentations of ''

Cléopâtre captive ''Cléopâtre captive'' () is a five-act tragedy by Étienne Jodelle, presented on 9 February 1553, first before the King Henri II of France in the Hôtel de Reims, then at the Collège de Boncourt. The play is part of the posthumous collection ' ...

'' and '' L'Eugène'' by

Étienne Jodelle Étienne Jodelle, seigneur de Limodin (; 1532July 1573), French dramatist and poet, was born and died in Paris of a noble family. Member of La Pléiade, he will strive to revitalize the principles of ancient Greek and Roman theater during the R ...

(1553). The performance took place in the hôtel de Reims in Paris in the presence of Henri II and

Diane de Poitiers Diane de Poitiers (9 January 1500 – 25 April 1566) was a French noblewoman and courtier who wielded much power and influence as King Henry II of France, Henry II's Maîtresse-en-titre, royal mistress and adviser until his death. Her position inc ...

. He composed a

tragedy A tragedy is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful events that befall a tragic hero, main character or cast of characters. Traditionally, the intention of tragedy is to invoke an accompanying catharsi ...

''Médée'', inspired by Seneca and

Euripides Euripides () was a Greek tragedy, tragedian of classical Athens. Along with Aeschylus and Sophocles, he is one of the three ancient Greek tragedians for whom any plays have survived in full. Some ancient scholars attributed ninety-five plays to ...

. He was quickly nicknamed "the French Euripides" by

Charles de Sainte-Marthe Charles de Sainte-Marthe (1512–1555) was a French Protestant and theologian. External links * 1512 births 1555 deaths French Renaissance humanists French Protestant theologians 16th-century Protestant theologians 16th-century French ...

. Jean Bastier left Paris soon after and settled in

Poitiers Poitiers is a city on the river Clain in west-central France. It is a commune in France, commune, the capital of the Vienne (department), Vienne department and the historical center of Poitou, Poitou Province. In 2021, it had a population of 9 ...

. The favorite themes of his poems are love and literary immortality. He died aged 25, probably from plague. His friend Ronsard paid tribute by dedicating him this poem: ''Tu dois bien à ce coup, chétive tragédie'' ''Laisser tes graves jeux'' ''Laisser ta scène vide contre toi hardie'' ''Et de la même voix dont tu aigris les princes'' ''Tombés en déconfort'' ''Tu dois bien annoncer aux étranges provinces'' ''Que la Péruse est mort.''

Publications

* ''La Médée, tragédie et autres diverses poésies'' (1555) Text online
/small> * ''Les Œuvres de J. de La Péruse avec quelques autres diverses poésies de Cl. Binet'' (1573) * ''Diverses poésies de feu J. de La Péruse'' (1613) ;Modern editions * ''Œuvres poétiques de Jean Bastier de La Péruse, 1529-1554'' (1867). Reprint: , Genava, 1969. * ''La Médée'' édition critique par James A. Coleman, University of Exeter, collection « Textes littéraires », 1985. * « Médée », texte édité et présenté par Michel Dassonville, in ''La Tragédie à l’époque d’Henri II et de Charles IX'', Enea Balmas et Michel Dassonville (dir.), Florence, Leo S. Olschki – Paris, P.U.F., « Théâtre français de la Renaissance », vol. 1, 1989, * ''Médée'', édition, introduction et notes de Marie-Madeleine Fragonard, étude des sources par James C. Coleman, Mugron, Éditions José Feijóo, « Collection texte », 1990.

External links

Biographical notice

Gazette de l'Académie d'Angoumois issue 33, André Berland, ''Jean Bastier de La Péruse''

Médée (La Péruse)
on Wikisource {{DEFAULTSORT:Laperuse, Jean Bastier de 16th-century French poets 16th-century French dramatists and playwrights 16th-century French male writers 1529 births 1554 deaths

Publications

See also

External links