Antoine Halley
Encyclopedia
Antoine Halley was a French professor
and poet
.
Halley was born at Bazenville
near Bayeux
. A professor of belles-lettres and Principal of the Collège du Bois, at the University of Caen, he succeeded Antoine Gosselin and distinguished himself from the age of twenty-two, by his eloquence and the brilliance of his teaching. He taught Latin poetry at the University of Caen, for nearly forty years. He cultivated Latin and French poetry and won the prize of the Immaculate Conception time and again so that the Académie des Sciences, Arts et Belles-Lettres de Caen
pleaded with him to quit competing.
Halley had ties with Charles de la Rue
and Huet, the bishop of Avranches. The latter urged him to publish his poems. Huet, in his Origines de Caen, hailed him as mentor: "I am obliged to give this testimony of gratitude to Mr. Halley. I deem it one of the greatest joys of my life to have been his disciple at his home for five years. He trained my mind, he refined my taste, he gave me an understanding of good authors. He taught me an infinite number of rare and curious things." Halley, in the meantime, professed no less esteem for his former student, sending him a poem a propos his book De Interpretatione. He also published a Traité sur la grammaire latine, at Caen in 1652.
His collection of Poems is dedicated to the Duke of Montausier
, the tutor of the dauphin and governor of Normandy. Cadomus, a play in which he paid tribute to all the literary celebrities born in his city, from Nicole Oresme, tutor of Charles V
, to Pierre Patrix
, the favorite poet of Gaston d'Orleans
, is amongst his best.
When the chancellor Pierre Séguier
, who had subdued the Harelle revolt of 1640
with undue harshness, made his way to Caen, Halley sent him far too flattering a couplet for the occasion. In 1642, he thanked him for having increased the privileges of the Académie de Caen, founded by Moisant de Brieux
. He addressed the Dauphin a long letter in Latin verse reminding him about the origins of the kings of France and celebrating the Trojan kings Dardanus
, Erichthonius
, Tros
, Ilus
, Laomedon
and Priam
, the supposed ancestors of Louis XIV
.
A few letters written at Lisieux
by Jean-Pierre Camus
, the bishop of Belley
have been found in his works. One of them is dated thus: "At Lisieux, on November 22nd, the day of St. Cecilia, patron saint of music, sister of poetry.
When the Duchesse de Longueville came to Caen in 1648, Halley was commissioned to compose the verses that decorated the tables placed at city's expense on the way of the Duchess and her two children. In 1649, during the famous Jobelins and Uranists Quarrel, Aubert, the princess' chaplain, sent him the Voiture
and Benserade
's sonnets, to get his opinion, as the French Academy had refused to get involved. That grave matter had been evoked before the very king, queen and princes, who were not able to settle it. It was then agreed that it was necessary to submit it to Halley whose decision would be final. The latter found in favor of Voiture against Benserade, i.e. in favor of the Duchesse de Longueville.
Pierre Bayle
has proclaimed Halley to be "one of the greatest poets of his century"; even if his French poetry is weak, his Latin rhymes lack neither ease nor elegance. La Rue
, Huet, Gilles Ménage
, Lesueur de Pétiville
, Pierre Cailly, and Michel Gonfrey have composed Latin verses in his honor.
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
and 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...
.
Halley was born at Bazenville
Bazenville
Bazenville is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.-Population:...
near Bayeux
Bayeux
Bayeux is a commune in the Calvados department in Normandy in northwestern France.Bayeux is the home of the Bayeux Tapestry, which depicts the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England.-Administration:Bayeux is a sub-prefecture of Calvados...
. A professor of belles-lettres and Principal of the Collège du Bois, at the University of Caen, he succeeded Antoine Gosselin and distinguished himself from the age of twenty-two, by his eloquence and the brilliance of his teaching. He taught Latin poetry at the University of Caen, for nearly forty years. He cultivated Latin and French poetry and won the prize of the Immaculate Conception time and again so that the Académie des Sciences, Arts et Belles-Lettres de Caen
Académie des Sciences, Arts et Belles-Lettres de Caen
The Académie des Sciences, Arts et Belles-Lettres de Caen was founded in Caen by Jacques Moisant de Brieux in 1652.The Académie de Caen was the first academy of literature to be founded in France, after the French Academy...
pleaded with him to quit competing.
Halley had ties with Charles de la Rue
Charles de La Rue
Charles de La Rue , known in Latin as Carolus Ruaeus, was one of the great orators of the Society of Jesus in France in the seventeenth century...
and Huet, the bishop of Avranches. The latter urged him to publish his poems. Huet, in his Origines de Caen, hailed him as mentor: "I am obliged to give this testimony of gratitude to Mr. Halley. I deem it one of the greatest joys of my life to have been his disciple at his home for five years. He trained my mind, he refined my taste, he gave me an understanding of good authors. He taught me an infinite number of rare and curious things." Halley, in the meantime, professed no less esteem for his former student, sending him a poem a propos his book De Interpretatione. He also published a Traité sur la grammaire latine, at Caen in 1652.
His collection of Poems is dedicated to the Duke of Montausier
Charles de Sainte-Maure, duc de Montausier
Charles de Sainte-Maure, duc de Montausier was a French soldier and the governor of the dauphin, Louis le Grand Dauphin, the eldest son and heir of Louis XIV, King of France....
, the tutor of the dauphin and governor of Normandy. Cadomus, a play in which he paid tribute to all the literary celebrities born in his city, from Nicole Oresme, tutor of Charles V
Charles V of France
Charles V , called the Wise, was King of France from 1364 to his death in 1380 and a member of the House of Valois...
, to Pierre Patrix
Pierre Patrix
Pierre Patrix, seigneur de Sainte-Marie, Norman gentleman , was a French poet.Patrix was born in 1583 at Caen from Claude Patrix, councilor to the bailiwick of the city and Margaret Bourgueville...
, the favorite poet of Gaston d'Orleans
Gaston, Duke of Orléans
Gaston of France, , also known as Gaston d'Orléans, was the third son of King Henry IV of France and his wife Marie de Medici. As a son of the king, he was born a Fils de France. He later acquired the title Duke of Orléans, by which he was generally known during his adulthood...
, is amongst his best.
When the chancellor Pierre Séguier
Pierre Séguier
-Early years:Born in Paris, France of a prominent legal family originating in Quercy. His grandfather, Pierre Séguier , was président à mortier in the parlement of Paris from 1554 to 1576, and the chancellor's father, Jean Séguier, a seigneur d'Autry, was civil lieutenant of Paris at the time of...
, who had subdued the Harelle revolt of 1640
Harelle
The Harelle was a revolt that occurred in the French city of Rouen in 1382 followed by the Maillotins Revolt a few days later in Paris, and numerous other revolts across France in the subsequent week. France was in the midst of the Hundred Years War, and had seen decades of warfare, widespread...
with undue harshness, made his way to Caen, Halley sent him far too flattering a couplet for the occasion. In 1642, he thanked him for having increased the privileges of the Académie de Caen, founded by Moisant de Brieux
Jacques Moisant de Brieux
Jacques Moisant de Brieux was a French poet and historian.Born at Caen in an aristocratic Huguenot family on 13 May 1611, Moisant de Brieux had Antoine Halley as his first preceptor before continuing his studies in the best Protestant institutions of his time...
. He addressed the Dauphin a long letter in Latin verse reminding him about the origins of the kings of France and celebrating the Trojan kings Dardanus
Dardanus
In Greek mythology, Dardanus was a son of Zeus and Electra, daughter of Atlas, and founder of the city of Dardania on Mount Ida in the Troad....
, Erichthonius
Erichthonius
Erichthonius may refer to:*Erichthonius of Athens*Erichthonius of Dardania...
, Tros
Tros
In Greek mythology, Tros was a ruler of Troy and the son of Erichthonius by Astyoche or of Ilus I, from whom he inherited the throne. Tros was the father of three sons: Ilus, Assaracus, and Ganymedes. He is the eponym of Troy, also named Ilion for his son Ilus...
, Ilus
Ilus
Ilus is the name of several mythological persons associated directly or indirectly with Troy.-Ilus :Homer's Iliad mentions at several points the tomb of Ilus son of Dardanus in the middle of the Trojan plain...
, Laomedon
Laomedon
In Greek mythology, Laomedon was a Trojan king, son of Ilus, brother of Ganymede and Assaracus, and father of Priam, Astyoche, Lampus, Hicetaon, Clytius, Cilla, Proclia, Aethilla, Medesicaste, Clytodora, and Hesione...
and Priam
Priam
Priam was the king of Troy during the Trojan War and youngest son of Laomedon. Modern scholars derive his name from the Luwian compound Priimuua, which means "exceptionally courageous".- Marriage and issue :...
, the supposed ancestors of Louis XIV
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
.
A few letters written at Lisieux
Lisieux
Lisieux is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.Lisieux is the capital of the Pays d'Auge area, which is characterised by valleys and hedged farmland...
by Jean-Pierre Camus
Jean-Pierre Camus
Jean-Pierre Camus de Pontcarré was a French bishop, preacher, and author of works of fiction and spirituality.-Biography:...
, the bishop of Belley
Roman Catholic Diocese of Belley-Ars
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Belley-Ars, is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church in France. Erected in the 5th century the diocese was renamed in 1988 from the former Diocese of Belley , to the Diocese of Belley-Ars. Coextensive with the civil department of Ain, in the Region of...
have been found in his works. One of them is dated thus: "At Lisieux, on November 22nd, the day of St. Cecilia, patron saint of music, sister of poetry.
When the Duchesse de Longueville came to Caen in 1648, Halley was commissioned to compose the verses that decorated the tables placed at city's expense on the way of the Duchess and her two children. In 1649, during the famous Jobelins and Uranists Quarrel, Aubert, the princess' chaplain, sent him the Voiture
Vincent Voiture
Vincent Voiture , French poet, was the son of a rich merchant of Amiens. He was introduced by a schoolfellow, the count Claude d'Avaux, to Gaston, Duke of Orléans, and accompanied him to Brussels and Lorraine on diplomatic missions.Although a follower of Gaston, he won the favour of Cardinal...
and Benserade
Isaac de Benserade
Isaac de Benserade was a French poet.Born in Lyons-la-Forêt in the Province of Normandy, his family appears to have been connected with Richelieu, who bestowed on him a pension of 600 livres. He began his literary career with the tragedy of Cléopâtre , which was followed by four other pieces...
's sonnets, to get his opinion, as the French Academy had refused to get involved. That grave matter had been evoked before the very king, queen and princes, who were not able to settle it. It was then agreed that it was necessary to submit it to Halley whose decision would be final. The latter found in favor of Voiture against Benserade, i.e. in favor of the Duchesse de Longueville.
Pierre Bayle
Pierre Bayle
Pierre Bayle was a French philosopher and writer best known for his seminal work the Historical and Critical Dictionary, published beginning in 1695....
has proclaimed Halley to be "one of the greatest poets of his century"; even if his French poetry is weak, his Latin rhymes lack neither ease nor elegance. La Rue
Charles de La Rue
Charles de La Rue , known in Latin as Carolus Ruaeus, was one of the great orators of the Society of Jesus in France in the seventeenth century...
, Huet, Gilles Ménage
Gilles Ménage
Gilles Ménage was a French scholar.He was born at Angers, the son of Guillaume Ménage, king's advocate at Angers, where Gilles was born....
, Lesueur de Pétiville
Philippe Le Sueur de Petiville
Philippe Le Sueur, sieur de Petiville , was a neo-Latin French poet.Le Sueur was at Caen . He traveled widely in his youth...
, Pierre Cailly, and Michel Gonfrey have composed Latin verses in his honor.