Jacques Vallee, Sieur Des Barreaux
Encyclopedia
Jacques Vallée, Sieur Des Barreaux (1599–1673), French poet, was born in Chateauneuf-sur-Loire on December 16, 1599. His great-uncle, Geoffroy-Valle, had been hanged in 1574 for the authorship of a book called Le Flau de la Joy. His nephew appears to have inherited his scepticism, which on one occasion nearly cost him his life. The peasants of Touraine
attributed to the presence of the unbeliever an untimely frost that damaged the vines, and proposed to stone him. His authorship of the sonnet
on "Penitence", by which he is generally known, has been disputed, notably by Voltaire
.
Des Barreaux was apparently bisexual. Although he was later known as one of the lovers of Marion Delorme
, a famous courtesan
, he also was the lover of the freethinking poet Théophile de Viau
, called the "King of Libertines" by Jesuit prosecutors. During his imprisonment in 1623-1625 on charges of writing atheistic poems with homosexual allusions, de Viau addressed a poem to Vallée, "The Complaint of Théophile to his friend Tircis", reproaching Des Barreaux for doing little to help him. After de Viau's death in 1626, a contemporary biographer of high society, Tallement des Réaux, referred to Des Barreaux as de Viau's widow, "thus indicating that their physical relationship was common knowledge at the time."
Subsequently, Des Barreaux was a lover of the libertine
poet Denis Sanguin de Saint-Pavin, the so-called "King of Sodom", "a consummate gentleman" whose aristocratic rank and social connections protected him from prosecution for his witty, homosexually themed writings. In his Pensées
, Pascal
refers to him in a passage about those who renounce reason and "become brute beasts".
Des Barreaux died at Chalon-sur-Saône
on 9 May 1673.
See Poesies de Des Barreaux (1904), edited by F. Lachbvre.
Touraine
The Touraine is one of the traditional provinces of France. Its capital was Tours. During the political reorganization of French territory in 1790, the Touraine was divided between the departments of Indre-et-Loire, :Loir-et-Cher and Indre.-Geography:...
attributed to the presence of the unbeliever an untimely frost that damaged the vines, and proposed to stone him. His authorship of the sonnet
Sonnet
A sonnet is one of several forms of poetry that originate in Europe, mainly Provence and Italy. A sonnet commonly has 14 lines. The term "sonnet" derives from the Occitan word sonet and the Italian word sonetto, both meaning "little song" or "little sound"...
on "Penitence", by which he is generally known, has been disputed, notably by Voltaire
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet , better known by the pen name Voltaire , was a French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher famous for his wit and for his advocacy of civil liberties, including freedom of religion, free trade and separation of church and state...
.
Des Barreaux was apparently bisexual. Although he was later known as one of the lovers of Marion Delorme
Marion Delorme
Marion Delorme was a French courtesan known for her relationships with the important men of her time.- Early life, life as a courtesan, early death :...
, a famous courtesan
Courtesan
A courtesan was originally a female courtier, which means a person who attends the court of a monarch or other powerful person.In feudal society, the court was the centre of government as well as the residence of the monarch, and social and political life were often completely mixed together...
, he also was the lover of the freethinking poet Théophile de Viau
Théophile de Viau
Théophile de Viau was a French Baroque poet and dramatist.Born at Clairac, near Agen in the Lot-et-Garonne and raised as a Huguenot, Théophile de Viau participated in the Protestant wars in Guyenne from 1615-1616 in the service of the Comte de Candale. After the war, he was pardoned and became a...
, called the "King of Libertines" by Jesuit prosecutors. During his imprisonment in 1623-1625 on charges of writing atheistic poems with homosexual allusions, de Viau addressed a poem to Vallée, "The Complaint of Théophile to his friend Tircis", reproaching Des Barreaux for doing little to help him. After de Viau's death in 1626, a contemporary biographer of high society, Tallement des Réaux, referred to Des Barreaux as de Viau's widow, "thus indicating that their physical relationship was common knowledge at the time."
Subsequently, Des Barreaux was a lover of the libertine
Libertine
A libertine is one devoid of most moral restraints, which are seen as unnecessary or undesirable, especially one who ignores or even spurns accepted morals and forms of behavior sanctified by the larger society. Libertines, also known as rakes, placed value on physical pleasures, meaning those...
poet Denis Sanguin de Saint-Pavin, the so-called "King of Sodom", "a consummate gentleman" whose aristocratic rank and social connections protected him from prosecution for his witty, homosexually themed writings. In his Pensées
Pensées
The Pensées represented a defense of the Christian religion by Blaise Pascal, the renowned 17th century philosopher and mathematician. Pascal's religious conversion led him into a life of asceticism, and the Pensées was in many ways his life's work. "Pascal's Wager" is found here...
, Pascal
Blaise Pascal
Blaise Pascal , was a French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer and Catholic philosopher. He was a child prodigy who was educated by his father, a tax collector in Rouen...
refers to him in a passage about those who renounce reason and "become brute beasts".
Des Barreaux died at Chalon-sur-Saône
Chalon-sur-Saône
Chalon-sur-Saône is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne in eastern France.It is a sub-prefecture of the department. It is the largest city in the department; however, the department capital is the smaller city of Mâcon....
on 9 May 1673.
See Poesies de Des Barreaux (1904), edited by F. Lachbvre.