Charles de Sévigné
Encyclopedia
Charles, Baron de Sévigné (1648 – 1713) was a French
aristocrat and son of French literary icon Madame de Sévigné.
) in Brittany
on March 12, 1648. He was the second child of Henri, Marquis de Sévigné and his young wife, Marie de Rabutin-Chantal. Their other child, Françoise-Marguerite de Sévigné
(the future Madame de Grignan) was born two years prior in Paris.
In 1651, Henri was killed in a duel over his mistress, Madame de Gondran. Now a widow, Madame de Sévigné took her children back to Paris where they came to live with her uncle, l'abbé de Coulanges in the Marais district.
Nothing is known of Charles's education. Since his letters show him to be erudite, it is assumed that Madame de Sévigné provided him with the best tutors available. No mention of Charles can be found in anyone's correspondence until he was well into his twenties. In his mother's letters to her daughter and others, Charles was characterized as an intellectual, a spendthrift and a hedonist. He was also regarded to be sweet-natured, warm, and likeable—very much like his mother, Madame de Sévigné. Oddly enough, he never appeared to resent his mother's obvious preference for his sister.
In 1669, Charles volunteered for an expedition to Crete against the Turks. The following year, his mother bought him the commission of guidon (a kind of sub-cornet) in the Gendarmes Dauphin, in which regiment he served for some years. He fought well and with distinction, but was not an enthusiastic soldier.
He was constantly and often unfortunately in love. He followed his father into the arms of Ninon de l'Enclos
, and was Racine
's rival with Mademoiselle Champmeslé. He confided many graphic details of his misalliances in letters to his mother.
Charles was married in February 1684 to Jeanne Marguerite de Mauron, daughter of a counsellor in the Parlement of Brittany. In the arrangements for this marriage Madame de Sévigné practically divided all her fortune between her children, and reserved only part of the life interest.
In 1703, Charles gave up his post of King's Lieutenant in Brittany. Accompanied by his wife, he took up residence in Paris at the Faubourg Saint-Jacques. His final years were spent in a seminarian's cell at Saint-Magloire Seminary, a community of the devout. He died on March 26, 1713 at the age of 65.
Charles and Jeanne Marguerite had no children. He bequeathed his entire estate to his niece Pauline de Simiane.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
aristocrat and son of French literary icon Madame de Sévigné.
Life
Charles was born at the family Chateau Les Rochers (now a part of Vitré, Ille-et-VilaineVitré, Ille-et-Vilaine
Vitré is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Brittany in north-western France.Vitré, a sub-prefecture until 1926, is the seat of a canton of around 17,000 inhabitants . It lies on the edge of Brittany, near Normandy, Maine, and Anjou...
) in Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
on March 12, 1648. He was the second child of Henri, Marquis de Sévigné and his young wife, Marie de Rabutin-Chantal. Their other child, Françoise-Marguerite de Sévigné
Françoise-Marguerite de Sévigné
Françoise-Marguerite de Sévigné, Comtesse de Grignan was a French aristocrat, remembered for the letters that her mother, Madame de Sévigne, wrote to her.-Life:...
(the future Madame de Grignan) was born two years prior in Paris.
In 1651, Henri was killed in a duel over his mistress, Madame de Gondran. Now a widow, Madame de Sévigné took her children back to Paris where they came to live with her uncle, l'abbé de Coulanges in the Marais district.
Nothing is known of Charles's education. Since his letters show him to be erudite, it is assumed that Madame de Sévigné provided him with the best tutors available. No mention of Charles can be found in anyone's correspondence until he was well into his twenties. In his mother's letters to her daughter and others, Charles was characterized as an intellectual, a spendthrift and a hedonist. He was also regarded to be sweet-natured, warm, and likeable—very much like his mother, Madame de Sévigné. Oddly enough, he never appeared to resent his mother's obvious preference for his sister.
In 1669, Charles volunteered for an expedition to Crete against the Turks. The following year, his mother bought him the commission of guidon (a kind of sub-cornet) in the Gendarmes Dauphin, in which regiment he served for some years. He fought well and with distinction, but was not an enthusiastic soldier.
He was constantly and often unfortunately in love. He followed his father into the arms of Ninon de l'Enclos
Ninon de l'Enclos
Anne "Ninon" de l'Enclos also spelled Ninon de Lenclos and Ninon de Lanclos was a French author, courtesan and patron of the arts.-Early life:...
, and was Racine
Jean Racine
Jean Racine , baptismal name Jean-Baptiste Racine , was a French dramatist, one of the "Big Three" of 17th-century France , and one of the most important literary figures in the Western tradition...
's rival with Mademoiselle Champmeslé. He confided many graphic details of his misalliances in letters to his mother.
Charles was married in February 1684 to Jeanne Marguerite de Mauron, daughter of a counsellor in the Parlement of Brittany. In the arrangements for this marriage Madame de Sévigné practically divided all her fortune between her children, and reserved only part of the life interest.
In 1703, Charles gave up his post of King's Lieutenant in Brittany. Accompanied by his wife, he took up residence in Paris at the Faubourg Saint-Jacques. His final years were spent in a seminarian's cell at Saint-Magloire Seminary, a community of the devout. He died on March 26, 1713 at the age of 65.
Charles and Jeanne Marguerite had no children. He bequeathed his entire estate to his niece Pauline de Simiane.