Louis-Isaac Lemaistre de Sacy
Encyclopedia
Louis-Isaac Lemaistre de Sacy (29 March 1613 – 4 January 1684), a priest of Port-Royal, was a theologian and French humanist. He is best known for his translation of the Bible
the most widespread French
Bible in the 18th century, also known as the Bible de Port-Royal.
, one of five sons of Huguenot
Isaac Le Maistre and Catherine Arnauld
, one of the sisters of Marie Angélique Arnauld
. In 1638, when his older brothers Antoine and Simon gave up their careers to retire to Port-Royal, Louis-Isaac joined them to take care of his education.
In 1650, he published a collection of prayers, the Heures de Port-Royal where he translated the highly successful liturgical hymns.
De Sacy was imprisoned in the Bastille
on 13 May 1666, remaining there until 14 November 1668. He took advantage of this time to complete the translation of the Old Testament
into French from the Vulgate
begun by his brother Antoine, and thus became the driving force a French language translation of the Bible, called the Bible du Port-Royal or Bible de Sacy. After his release, Louis-Isaac devoted much of his time to revise his translation and drafting Commentaires he wanted to accompany each of the books of the Bible.
From 1672 to 1684, the date of his death, de Sacy published 10 additional books of the Bible. Using the manuscripts left by de Sacy, his friend, Pierre Thomas
(1634–1698) pursued this task, and undertook the publication, from 1685 to 1693.
In 1696, La Sainte Bible contenant l'Ancien et le Nouveau Testament (The Holy Bible containing the Old and New Testament) was published in 32 volumes.
In the 12th century, the first French
version of the bible was made by Pierre de Vaux, chief of Vaudois: it would still a single copy. Then it was that of Guyart des Moulins, composed in the late 13th century and printed in 1488, then that of René Benoît, published in Paris in 1566, with marginal notes but which was censured as containing certain Calvinist
"heresies
".
De Sacy's is better known than previous translations and has been much reproduced. It was really the first translation of the bible accessible to the non-Latin speaking general public.
The initiative of translation of the Vulgate
comes from brother of Louis-Isaac, the lawyer Antoine Le Maistre
(1608–1658), but that translation was not a good fit.
At his brother's death (1658), Louis-Isaac then began with his friends at Port-Royal (Blaise Pascal
, Robert Arnauld d'Andilly
, Pierre Nicole
, Pierre Thomas
, etc.) a revision of his Biblical translation, complete with other books, Greek texts, and the New Testament
. This new translation was to be published by Mons
in 1667 ; taking the name Nouveau Testament de Mons.
It was presented in 2 volumes in-octavo. A new version, corrected by Beaubrun, was published in Paris in 1717 in 3 volumes in-folio, with a fourth volume containing the Biblical apocrypha
, the Old Testament
, the writings of apostolic times, the prefaces of Saint Jerome
, and essays on various Biblical matters.
.
The Bible de Port-Royal was developed as a result of work carried out by logic Abbey de Port-Royal to Paris (see Port-Royal Logic
). This logic was wanted to build exclusively on mathematics it was thought it could transpose the models in other fields of knowledge and the exercise of reason, therefore also in the field of training syntactic et grammatical of all statements of language
, offering an ideal of rational language who wanted to reconcile the spirit of finesse and the spirit of geometry : the discourse par excellence.
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
the most widespread French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
Bible in the 18th century, also known as the Bible de Port-Royal.
Biography
Louis-Isaac Lemaistre de Sacy was born in ParisParis
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...
, one of five sons of Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
Isaac Le Maistre and Catherine Arnauld
Catherine Arnauld
Catherine Arnauld was a French religious figure of the 18th century, belonging to the Arnauld family of Jansenists. She was the eldest daughter of Antoine Arnauld ....
, one of the sisters of Marie Angélique Arnauld
Marie Angelique Arnauld
Jacqueline-Marie-Angélique Arnauld or Arnault, called La Mère Angélique was abbess of Port Royal, a center of Jansenism....
. In 1638, when his older brothers Antoine and Simon gave up their careers to retire to Port-Royal, Louis-Isaac joined them to take care of his education.
In 1650, he published a collection of prayers, the Heures de Port-Royal where he translated the highly successful liturgical hymns.
De Sacy was imprisoned in the Bastille
Bastille
The Bastille was a fortress in Paris, known formally as the Bastille Saint-Antoine. It played an important role in the internal conflicts of France and for most of its history was used as a state prison by the kings of France. The Bastille was built in response to the English threat to the city of...
on 13 May 1666, remaining there until 14 November 1668. He took advantage of this time to complete the translation of the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
into French from the Vulgate
Vulgate
The Vulgate is a late 4th-century Latin translation of the Bible. It was largely the work of St. Jerome, who was commissioned by Pope Damasus I in 382 to make a revision of the old Latin translations...
begun by his brother Antoine, and thus became the driving force a French language translation of the Bible, called the Bible du Port-Royal or Bible de Sacy. After his release, Louis-Isaac devoted much of his time to revise his translation and drafting Commentaires he wanted to accompany each of the books of the Bible.
From 1672 to 1684, the date of his death, de Sacy published 10 additional books of the Bible. Using the manuscripts left by de Sacy, his friend, Pierre Thomas
Pierre Thomas
Pierre Thomas, sieur du Fossé was a French scholar and author, and was the son of a master of accounts at Rouen. He was sent as a child to be educated to the Jansenists at Port-Royal des Champs. There he received his bent towards the life of a recluse, and even of a hermit, which drew him to...
(1634–1698) pursued this task, and undertook the publication, from 1685 to 1693.
In 1696, La Sainte Bible contenant l'Ancien et le Nouveau Testament (The Holy Bible containing the Old and New Testament) was published in 32 volumes.
A Bible in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
version of the bible was made by Pierre de Vaux, chief of Vaudois: it would still a single copy. Then it was that of Guyart des Moulins, composed in the late 13th century and printed in 1488, then that of René Benoît, published in Paris in 1566, with marginal notes but which was censured as containing certain Calvinist
Calvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
"heresies
Christian heresy
Christian heresy refers to non-orthodox practices and beliefs that were deemed to be heretical by one or more of the Christian churches. In Western Christianity, the term "heresy" most commonly refers to those beliefs which were declared to be anathema by the Catholic Church prior to the schism of...
".
De Sacy's is better known than previous translations and has been much reproduced. It was really the first translation of the bible accessible to the non-Latin speaking general public.
The initiative of translation of the Vulgate
Vulgate
The Vulgate is a late 4th-century Latin translation of the Bible. It was largely the work of St. Jerome, who was commissioned by Pope Damasus I in 382 to make a revision of the old Latin translations...
comes from brother of Louis-Isaac, the lawyer Antoine Le Maistre
Antoine Le Maistre
Antoine Le Maistre was a French Jansenist lawyer, author and translator. His name has also been written Lemaistre and Le Maître, and he sometimes used the pseudonym of Lamy.-Background and early life:...
(1608–1658), but that translation was not a good fit.
At his brother's death (1658), Louis-Isaac then began with his friends at Port-Royal (Blaise 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...
, Robert Arnauld d'Andilly
Robert Arnauld d'Andilly
Robert Arnauld d’Andilly was a French conseiller d’État, specialising in financial questions, in the court of Marie de' Medici. By the elegance of his language, he was among the major poets, writers and translators of 17th century French classicism...
, Pierre Nicole
Pierre Nicole
Pierre Nicole was one of the most distinguished of the French Jansenists.Born in Chartres, he was the son of a provincial barrister, who took in charge his education...
, Pierre Thomas
Pierre Thomas
Pierre Thomas, sieur du Fossé was a French scholar and author, and was the son of a master of accounts at Rouen. He was sent as a child to be educated to the Jansenists at Port-Royal des Champs. There he received his bent towards the life of a recluse, and even of a hermit, which drew him to...
, etc.) a revision of his Biblical translation, complete with other books, Greek texts, and the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
. This new translation was to be published by Mons
Mons
Mons is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut, of which it is the capital. The Mons municipality includes the old communes of Cuesmes, Flénu, Ghlin, Hyon, Nimy, Obourg, Baudour , Jemappes, Ciply, Harmignies, Harveng, Havré, Maisières, Mesvin, Nouvelles,...
in 1667 ; taking the name Nouveau Testament de Mons.
It was presented in 2 volumes in-octavo. A new version, corrected by Beaubrun, was published in Paris in 1717 in 3 volumes in-folio, with a fourth volume containing the Biblical apocrypha
Biblical apocrypha
The word "apocrypha" is today often used to refer to the collection of ancient books printed in some editions of the Bible in a separate section between the Old and New Testaments...
, the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
, the writings of apostolic times, the prefaces of Saint Jerome
Jerome
Saint Jerome was a Roman Christian priest, confessor, theologian and historian, and who became a Doctor of the Church. He was the son of Eusebius, of the city of Stridon, which was on the border of Dalmatia and Pannonia...
, and essays on various Biblical matters.
Characteristics of de Sacy's Bible
Some theologians criticized the translation of de Sacy as sometimes deviating from the letter of the original for no apparent reason. Others saw it as sober and elegant. As for explanations, they are at the time too encouraging the theories of Cornelius JansenCornelius Jansen
Corneille Janssens, commonly known by the Latinized name Cornelius Jansen or Jansenius, was Catholic bishop of Ypres and the father of a theological movement known as Jansenism.-Biography:...
.
The Bible de Port-Royal was developed as a result of work carried out by logic Abbey de Port-Royal to Paris (see Port-Royal Logic
Port-Royal Logic
Port-Royal Logic, or Logique de Port-Royal, is the common name of La logique, ou l'art de penser, an important textbook on logic first published anonymously in 1662 by Antoine Arnauld and Pierre Nicole, two prominent members of the Jansenist movement, centered around Port-Royal. Blaise Pascal...
). This logic was wanted to build exclusively on mathematics it was thought it could transpose the models in other fields of knowledge and the exercise of reason, therefore also in the field of training syntactic et grammatical of all statements of language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
, offering an ideal of rational language who wanted to reconcile the spirit of finesse and the spirit of geometry : the discourse par excellence.
External links
- Bible Lemaîstre de Saci – downloadable in Online BibleOnline BibleThe Online Bible is a Bible Reference software package created in 1987 by Larry Pierce, who believed the Bible should be freely shared. As of 2010, Online Bible has released version 4 which support Unicode that previously was not supported. Online Bible also provides a Mac version of its software...
format, digitized by Yves Petrakian.