Jean Sirmond
Encyclopedia
Jean SirmondJean Sirmond (1589, Riom
, France
- 1649, Riom, France) was a neo-Latin poet and French man of letters, historiographer of Louis XIII
.
At the time of his stay in Paris
, Sirmond collaborated in the drafting of the statutes of the l'Académie française
, of which he become one of the first members in 1634. He also authored a Life of the Cardinal of Amboise, published in 1631, and wrote Latin poems, published posthumously in 1653. After the death of the king and the cardinal, he withdrew to his native Auvergne
, finding himself without support after having fought so much.
Paul Pellisson
paid Sirmond a personal homage, which also constitutes a testimony on the evolution of the French language
, which some said was now sufficiently "reasonable" to be worthy to replace Latin and the Greek as the erudite and literary language of the day. Pellison writes:
Riom
Riom is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne in central France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.-History:Until the French Revolution, Riom was the capital of the province of Auvergne, and the seat of the dukes of Auvergne. The city was of Gaulish origin, the Roman Ricomagus...
, France
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...
- 1649, Riom, France) was a neo-Latin poet and French man of letters, historiographer of Louis XIII
Louis XIII of France
Louis XIII was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1610 to 1643.Louis was only eight years old when he succeeded his father. His mother, Marie de Medici, acted as regent during Louis' minority...
.
His life and writing
Sirmond is known especially for his lifelong feud with Mathieu de Morgues, known as the son of Saint-Germain, who favored Marie de Médicis and was against Cardinal Richelieu. Jean Sirmond answers it with a series of small works which he writes under various pseudonyms, such as Julius Pomponius Dolabella, the faithful French or Sieur of the Mountains.At the time of his stay in Paris
Paris
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...
, Sirmond collaborated in the drafting of the statutes of the l'Académie française
Académie française
L'Académie française , also called the French Academy, is the pre-eminent French learned body on matters pertaining to the French language. The Académie was officially established in 1635 by Cardinal Richelieu, the chief minister to King Louis XIII. Suppressed in 1793 during the French Revolution,...
, of which he become one of the first members in 1634. He also authored a Life of the Cardinal of Amboise, published in 1631, and wrote Latin poems, published posthumously in 1653. After the death of the king and the cardinal, he withdrew to his native Auvergne
Auvergne (province)
Auvergne was a historic province in south central France. It was originally the feudal domain of the Counts of Auvergne. It is now the geographical and cultural area that corresponds to the former province....
, finding himself without support after having fought so much.
Paul Pellisson
Paul Pellisson
thumb|Paul Pellisson,Paul Pellisson was a French author.He was born in Béziers, of a distinguished Calvinist family. He studied law at Toulouse, and practised at the bar of Castres. Going to Paris with letters of introduction to Valentin Conrart, a fellow Calvinist, he was introduced to the...
paid Sirmond a personal homage, which also constitutes a testimony on the evolution of the French language
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...
, which some said was now sufficiently "reasonable" to be worthy to replace Latin and the Greek as the erudite and literary language of the day. Pellison writes:
Writings
- Les Bons et Vrays Advis du François fidelle. Aux Mal-contans retirez de la Cour
- La Pitarchie française ou réponse aux vaines plaintes des malcontens (1615)
- Discours au Roy sur l'excellence de ses vertus incomparables et de ses actions héroïques (1624)
- La Lettre déchiffrée (1627). Éloge de Richelieu.
- Advertissement aux provinces sur les nouveaux mouvemens du royaume (1631)
- La Vie du Cardinal d'Amboise, en suite de laquelle sont traictez quelques poincts sur les affaires présentes (1631)
- Le Coup d'estat de Louys XIII (1631)
- La Défense du roi et de ses ministres contre le manifeste que sous le nom de Monsieur on fait courre parmi le peuple (1631)
- L'Homme du pape et du roy, ou Réparties véritables sur les imputations calomnieuses d'un libelle diffamatoire semé contre sa Sainteté et sa Majesté très-chrestienne (1634)
- Le Souhait du Cid en faveur de Scudéri : une paire de lunettes pour faire mieux ses observations (1637). Documents sur la querelle du Cid.
- La Chimère deffaicte, ou Réfutation d'un libelle séditieux tendant à troubler l'Estat, sous pretexte d'y prévenir un schisme (1640)