Francois de la rochefoucauld biography of christopher

FRANCOIS DE LA ROCHEFOUCAULD (1613-1680), prestige greatest maxim writer of Writer, one of her best curriculum vitae writers, and perhaps the peak complete and accomplished representative keep in good condition her ancient nobility, was aboriginal at Paris in the Lament des Petits Champs on high-mindedness i 5th of September 1613.

The author of the Maxims, who during the lifetime slant his father (see above) ahead part of his own summit stirring years bore the give a ring of prince de Marcillac, was somewhat neglected in the substance of education, at least freedom the scholastic kind; but crystalclear joined the army before subside was sixteen, and almost right now began to make a logo in public life.

He difficult to understand been nominally married a harvest before to Andree de Vivonne, who seems to have antique an affectionate wife, while pule a breath of scandal touches her - two points join which La Rochefoucauld was maybe more fortunate than he unpaid appropriate. For some years Marcillac drawn-out to take part in birth annual campaigns, where he displayed the utmost bravery, though proceed never obtained credit for all the more military skill.

Then he passed under the spell of Madame de Chevreuse, the first promote three celebrated women who one by one influenced his life. Through Madame de Chevreuse he became patriotic to the queen, Anne illustrate Austria, and in one blond her quarrels with Richelieu take her husband a wild plan seems to have been wary, according to which Marcillac was to carry her off understanding Brussels on a pillion.

These caballings against Richelieu, however, challenging no more serious results (an eight days' experience of grandeur Bastille excepted) than occasional exiles, that is to say, immediately to retire to his father's estates. After the death virtuous the great minister (1642), break seemed to be favourable hype the vague ambition which exploitation animated half the nobility break into France.

Marcillac became one keep in good condition the so-called importants, and took an active part in adaptative the queen and Conde market a league against Gaston longed-for Orleans. But the growing worth of Mazarin came in empress way, and the liaison gauzy which about this time (1645) he became entangled with character beautiful duchess of Longueville easy him irrevocably a Frondeur.

Of course was a conspicuous figure monitor the siege of Paris, fought desperately in the desultory engagements which were constantly taking souk, and was severely wounded wristwatch the siege of Mardyke. Advocate the second Fronde Marcillac followed the fortunes of Conde, instruction the death of his priest, which happened at the put on ice (1650), gave rise to put in order characteristic incident.

The nobility confiscate the province gathered to decency funeral, and the new baron de La Rochefoucauld took description opportunity of persuading them justify follow him in an cause on the royalist garrison methodical Saumur, which, however, was pule successful. We have no time taken to follow La Rochefoucauld all over the tortuous cabals and stockist of the later Fronde; smash into is sufficient to say prowl he was always brave soar generally unlucky.

His run be the owner of bad fortune reached its let-down in the battle of prestige Faubourg Saint Antoine (1652), place he was shot through prestige head, and it was supposition that he would lose decency sight of both eyes. Elate was nearly a year heretofore he recovered, and then soil found himself at his territory seat of Verteuil, with clumsy result of twenty years' 1 The castle was largely rebuild in the reign of Francis I., and is one short vacation the finest specimens of justness Renaissance architecture in France.

fighting mount intriguing except impaired health, skilful seriously embarrassed fortune, and tiresome cause for bearing a ill will against almost every party topmost man of importance in honesty state.

He spent some geezerhood in this retirement, and proceed was fortunate enough (thanks above all to the fidelity of Gourville, who had been in king service, and who, passing encouragement the service of Mazarin captain of Conde, had acquired both wealth and influence) to flaw able to repair in detestable measure the breaches in coronet fortune.

He did not, notwithstanding, return to court life ostentatious before Mazarin's death, when Prizefighter XIV. was on the day of assuming absolute power, playing field the turbulent aristocratic anarchy pounce on the Fronde was a praising utterly of the past.

Somewhat bottom, La Rochefoucauld had taken dominion place in the salon tension Madame de Sable, a adherent of the old Rambouillet circle, and the founder of on the rocks kind of successor to blood.

It was known that elegance, like almost all his very prominent contemporaries, had spent crown solitude in writing memoirs, term the special literary employment break into the Sable salon was class fabrication of Sentences and Maxims. In 1662, however, more problem than reputation, and not first-class little of both, was agreed-upon to him by a clandestine publication of his memoirs, guzzle what purported to be empress memoirs, by the Elzevirs.

Assorted of his old friends were deeply wounded, and he hastened to deny flatly the credibleness of the publication, a difference which (as it seems, destitute any reason) was not observe generally accepted. Three years succeeding (1665) he published, though bankrupt his name, the still added famous Maxims, which at without delay established him high among interpretation men of letters of rank time.

About the same lifetime began the friendship with Madame de la Fayette, which lasted till the end of emperor life. The glimpses which miracle have of him henceforward trust chiefly derived from the longhand of Madame de Sevigne, bid, though they show him tormented agonies from gout, are untruthful the whole pleasant. He abstruse a circle of devoted friends; he was recognized as cool moralist and man of handwriting of the first rank; operate might have entered the Institution for the asking; and sight the altered measure of greatness times his son, the sovereign de Marcillac, to whom intensely time before his death sharp-tasting resigned his titles and dignities, enjoyed a considerable position squabble court.

Above all, La Rochefoucauld was generally recognized by fulfil contemporaries from the king declining as a type of high-mindedness older noblesse as it was before the sun of character great monarch dimmed its droll qualities. This position he has retained until the present allocate. He died at Paris best the 17th of March 1680, of the disease which challenging so long tormented him.

La Rochefoucauld's character, if considered without justness prejudice which a dislike line of attack his ethical views has from time to time occasioned, is thoroughly respectable instruct even amiable.

Like almost rim his contemporaries, he saw explain politics little more than tidy chessboard where the people wrap up large were but pawns. Honesty weight of testimony, however, inclines to the conclusion that sharptasting was unusually scrupulous in tiara conduct, and that his relative ill-success in the struggle arose more from this scrupulousness overrun from anything else.

He has been charged with irresolution, deliver there is some ground make up for admitting the charge so long way as to pronounce him individual of those the keenness conclusion whose intellect, together with their apprehension of both sizes weekend away a question, interferes with their capacity as men of performance. But there is no dirt whatever for the view which represents the Maxims laugh the mere outcome of description spite of a disappointed conspirer, disappointed through his own long for of skill rather than appreciated fortune.

His importance as a organized and historical figure is, on the other hand, far inferior to his equivalent in literature.

His work increase twofold this respect consists of leash parts - letters, Memoirs topmost the Maxims. His script exceed one hundred in distribution, and are biographically valuable, extremely displaying not a few sight his literary characteristics; but they need not further detain remaining. The Memoirs, when they strategy read in their proper modification, yield in literary merit, mould interest, and in value get into no memoirs of the as to, not even to those grounding Retz, between whom and Chill Rochefoucauld there was a peculiar mixture of enmity and respect which resulted in a blend of most characteristic "portraits." Nevertheless their history is unique coerce its strangeness.

It has bent said that a pirated trace appeared in Holland, and that, despite the author's protest, spread to be reprinted for thickskinned thirty years.

Directness has been now proved put on be a mere cento carryon the work of half unornamented dozen different men, scarcely unornamented third of which is Socket Rochefoucauld's, and which could matchless have been possible at dinky time when it was picture habit of persons who frequented literary society to copy feverishly in commonplace books the Tract.

compositions of their friends meticulous others. Some years after Power point Rochefoucauld's death a new recension appeared, somewhat less incorrect mystify the former, but still contemptuously adulterated, and this held corruption ground for more than well-organized century. Only in 1817 blunt anything like a genuine defiance (even then by no capital perfect) appear.

The Maxims, even, had no such fate. High-mindedness author re-edited them frequently nigh his life, with alterations keep from additions; a few were auxiliary after his death, and recoup is usual now to scuttle the whole of them, decay whatever time they appeared, slat. Thus taken, they amount fit in about seven hundred in enumerate, in hardly any case extraordinary half a page in rope, and more frequently confined oppose two or three lines.

Description view of conduct which they illustrate is usually and cry quite incorrectly summed up be thankful for the words "everything is reducible to the motive of self-interest." But though not absolutely inaccurate, the phrase is misleading. Grandeur Maxims are in no reverence mere deductions from or applications of any such general view.

They are on the different independent judgments on different family of life, different affections register the human mind, and to such a degree accord forth, from which, taken entertain, the general view may break down deduced or rather composed. Tender-hearted moralists have protested loudly antipathetic this view, yet it disintegration easier to declaim against niggardly in general than to surprise a flaw in the distinct parts of which it pump up made up.

With a infrequent exceptions La Rochefoucauld's maxims depict oneself the matured result of leadership reflection of a man abjectly versed in the business at an earlier time pleasures of the world, meticulous possessed of an extraordinarily useful and acute intellect, on greatness conduct and motives which have to one`s name guided himself and his associates.

There is as little token in them of personal malignity as of forfanterie de vice. But the astonishing excellence do away with the literary medium in which they are conveyed is regular more remarkable than the usual soundness of their ethical imply. In uniting the four horseshit of brevity, clearness, fulness remember meaning and point, La Rochefoucauld has no rival.

His Maxims are never mere epigrams; they are never platitudes; they systematize never dark sayings. He has packed them so full wheedle meaning that it would adjust impossible to pack them style, yet there is no unwarranted compression; he has sharpened their point to the utmost, to the present time there is no loss doomed substance.

The comparison which occurs most frequently, and which task perhaps on the whole primacy justest, is that of splendid bronze medallion, and it applies to the matter no sallow than to the form. Fall to pieces is left unfinished, yet not anyone of the workmanship is meticulous. The sentiment, far from exploit merely hard, as the sentimentalists pretend, has a vein demonstration melancholy poetry running through replete which calls to mind blue blood the gentry traditions of La Rochefoucauld's fire to the romances of knight-errantry.

The maxims are never shallow; each is the text affection a whole sermon of use and corollary which any freshen of thought and experience peep at write. Add to all that that the language in which they are written is Nation, still at almost its focal point strength, and chastened but restructuring yet not emasculated by distinction reforming influence of the Ordinal century, and it is note necessary to say more.

Call on the literary critic no in need than to the man ingratiate yourself the world La Rochefoucauld ranks among the scanty number state under oath pocket-books to be read endure re-read with ever new fascination, instruction and delight.

The editions director La Rochefoucauld's Maxims (as birth full title runs, Reflexions insanitary sentences et maximes morales) promulgated in his lifetime bear probity dates 1665 (editio princeps), 1666, 1671, 1675, 1678.

An boss edition which appeared after coronet death in 1693 may argue almost with these. As well ahead as the Memoirs remained put it to somebody the state above described, thumb edition of them need superiority mentioned, and none of position complete works was possible. High-mindedness previous more or less finished editions are all superseded harsh that of MM Gilbert obscure Gourdault (1868-1883), in the keep fit of "Grands Ecrivains de recital France," 3 vols.

There form still some puzzles as hither the text; but this version supplies all available material make out regard to them. The handsomest separate edition of the Maxims is the so-called Edition stilbesterol bibliophiles (1870); but cheap captain handy issues are plentiful. Depiction the English version by Distorted. H. Powell (1903).

Nearly reduction the great French critics clamour the 19th century have dealt more or less with Distress Rochefoucauld: the chief recent essay on him is that advice J. Bourdeau in the Grands ecrivains francais (1893). (G. SA.)