, better known by the name of Brantôme, of which he was abbot, added to that title those of lord and baron
, better known by the name of Brantôme, of which he was abbot, added to that title those of lord and baron of Richemont, chevalier, gentleman of the chamber to the kings Charles IX. and Henry III. and chamberlain to the duke of Alençon. He had the design of being created a knight of Maltha in a voyage he made to that isle during the time of the siege in 1565. He returned to France, where he was fed with vain expectations; but he received no other reward (as he tells us himself) than being welcomed by the kings his masters, great lords, princes, sovereigns, queens, princesses, &c. He died July 5, 1614, at the age of 87. His memoirs were printed in ten volumes, 12mo, viz. four of the French commanders; two of foreign commanders two of women of gallantry one of illustrious ladies; and one of duels. There is another edition of the Hague, 1741, 15 vols. 12mo, on account of the supplement, which makes five, and also a Paris edition 1787, 8 vols. 8vo. These memoirs may be of some use, if read cautiously, by those who would know the private history of Charles IX. of Henry III. and of Henry IV. Here the man is more represented than the prince. The pleasure of seeing these kings in their peculiarities in private life, added to the simplicity of Brantome’s style, renders the reading of his memoirs extremely agreeable. But some of his anecdotes are grossly indecent, and many of them fictions.
lettres and poetry, which he diligently cultivated. He spent the greatest part of his life at Livri, of which he was abbot, though no credit to the order, for he lived
, a French poet of
the seventeenth century, was born at Paris, and studied
with a view to the ecclesiastical profession, but his private
attachment was wholly to the belles lettres and poetry,
which he diligently cultivated. He spent the greatest part
of his life at Livri, of which he was abbot, though no credit to the order, for he lived in a voluptuous, indolent
style, circulating and practising the pernicious maxims he
had learnt from his master, the poet Theophile, and to
which he was so strongly attached, that Boileau in his first
satire places St. Pavin’s conversion among things morally
impossible. The story of his having been converted by
hearing a terrible voice at the time Theophile died, in
1625, is entirely without foundation, for his conversion
preceded his own death but a very short time. He died in
1670, leaving several poems not inelegantly written, which
form part of vol. IV. of Barbin’s collection; and a collection of his works was published in 1759, 12mo, with Charleval, Lalane, and MontplaUir. He was related to Claudius
Sanguin, steward of the household to the king and the
duke of Orleans, who published “Les He-ires
” in French
verse, Paris,