François le Métel de Boisrobert
Encyclopedia
François le Métel de Boisrobert (1 August 1592 – 30 March 1662) was a French
poet
.
, and trained as a lawyer, practising for some time at the bar at Rouen
. About 1622 he went to Paris
, and by the next year had established a footing at court, for he had a share in the ballet
of the Bacchanales performed at the Louvre
in February. He accompanied an embassy to England in 1625, and in 1630 visited Rome, where he won the favour of Pope Urban VIII
. He took orders, and was made a canon
of Rouen.
He had been introduced to Cardinal Richelieu in 1623, and by his humour and his talent as a raconteur soon made himself indispensable. Boisrobert became one of the five poets who carried out Richelieu's dramatic ideas. He had a passion for theatre, and was a friend of Ninon de l'Enclos
; and his enemies found ready weapons against him in his inappropriate lifestyle. He was more than once disgraced, but never for long, although in his later years he was compelled to give more attention to his duties as a priest.
It was Boisrobert who suggested to Richelieu the plan of the Académie française
, and he was one of its earliest and most active members. Rich as he was through the benefices conferred on him by his patron, he was liberal to men of letters. After the death of Richelieu, he attached himself to Mazarin, whom he served faithfully throughout the Fronde
.
He wrote a number of comedies, to one of which, La Belle Plaideuse, Molière
's L'Avare is said to owe something; and also some volumes of verse. The licentious Contes, published under the name of his brother D'Ouville, are often attributed to him.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
.
Biography
He was born at CaenCaen
Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
, and trained as a lawyer, practising for some time at the bar at Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
. About 1622 he went to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, and by the next year had established a footing at court, for he had a share in the ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
of the Bacchanales performed at the Louvre
Louvre
The Musée du Louvre – in English, the Louvre Museum or simply the Louvre – is one of the world's largest museums, the most visited art museum in the world and a historic monument. A central landmark of Paris, it is located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the 1st arrondissement...
in February. He accompanied an embassy to England in 1625, and in 1630 visited Rome, where he won the favour of Pope Urban VIII
Pope Urban VIII
Pope Urban VIII , born Maffeo Barberini, was pope from 1623 to 1644. He was the last pope to expand the papal territory by force of arms, and was a prominent patron of the arts and reformer of Church missions...
. He took orders, and was made a canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
of Rouen.
He had been introduced to Cardinal Richelieu in 1623, and by his humour and his talent as a raconteur soon made himself indispensable. Boisrobert became one of the five poets who carried out Richelieu's dramatic ideas. He had a passion for theatre, and was a friend of Ninon de l'Enclos
Ninon de l'Enclos
Anne "Ninon" de l'Enclos also spelled Ninon de Lenclos and Ninon de Lanclos was a French author, courtesan and patron of the arts.-Early life:...
; and his enemies found ready weapons against him in his inappropriate lifestyle. He was more than once disgraced, but never for long, although in his later years he was compelled to give more attention to his duties as a priest.
It was Boisrobert who suggested to Richelieu the plan of the Académie française
Académie française
L'Académie française , also called the French Academy, is the pre-eminent French learned body on matters pertaining to the French language. The Académie was officially established in 1635 by Cardinal Richelieu, the chief minister to King Louis XIII. Suppressed in 1793 during the French Revolution,...
, and he was one of its earliest and most active members. Rich as he was through the benefices conferred on him by his patron, he was liberal to men of letters. After the death of Richelieu, he attached himself to Mazarin, whom he served faithfully throughout the Fronde
Fronde
The Fronde was a civil war in France, occurring in the midst of the Franco-Spanish War, which had begun in 1635. The word fronde means sling, which Parisian mobs used to smash the windows of supporters of Cardinal Mazarin....
.
He wrote a number of comedies, to one of which, La Belle Plaideuse, Molière
Molière
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière, was a French playwright and actor who is considered to be one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature...
's L'Avare is said to owe something; and also some volumes of verse. The licentious Contes, published under the name of his brother D'Ouville, are often attributed to him.
Works
- Pyrandre et Lisimène ou l'Heureuse tromperie (1633)
- Les Rivaux amis (1639)
- Les Deux Alcandres (1640)
- La Belle Palène (1642)
- Le Couronnement de Darie (1642)
- La Vraie Didon ou Didon la chaste (1643)
- La Jalouse d'elle-même (1650)
- Les Trois Orontes (1652)
- L'hiver de Paris
- La Folle gageure ou les divertissements de la comtesse de Pembroc (1653) (from Lope de VegaLope de VegaFélix Arturo Lope de Vega y Carpio was a Spanish playwright and poet. He was one of the key figures in the Spanish Golden Century Baroque literature...
- Cassandre, comtesse de Barcelone (performed for the first time at the Hôtel de BourgogneHôtel de BourgogneUntil the 16th century, the Hôtel de Bourgogne was the name of the Paris residence of the Dukes of Burgundy. Today, the last vestige is the Tour Jean sans Peur, 20 rue Étienne Marcel, in the 2nd arrondissement.-Theatre:...
on October 31, 1653 - L'Inconnue (1655)
- L'Amant ridicule (1655)
- Les Généreux ennemis (1655)
- La Belle plaideuse (1655)
- La Belle invisible ou les Constances éprouvées (1656)
- Les Apparences trompeuses (1656)
- Les Coups d'Amour et de Fortune (1656)
- Théodore, reine de Hongrie (1658)