Andre Duchesne

Biography

One generally sees in him the father of French history. He made his studies with Loudun then with Paris. Early it was devoted to the geographical historical research and its first work:

Egregiarum seu selectarum lectionum and antiquitatum liber, published in its seventeenth year, already let see its great scholarship.

He enjoys the support of the cardinal of Richelieu, originating in the same area as him, and whose support was worth to him to be named Historiographe and geographer of the king. He died in 1640, after being crushed by a carriage whereas he went Paris to his country house of Verrière.

Publications

Work of Duchesnes very many and was varied, and in addition to its publications it left more than 100 folio volumes of handwritten notes preserved now at the National library (Léopold Delisle, Le Cabinet of the manuscripts of the Impériale Library, H T, 333-334).

Several of its most important work were continued by his/her only son, François Duchesne (1616 - 1693), which had succeeded to him the post of historiographer of the king.

II left a great number of invaluable works for the history, its principal work of Andre Duchesne are:

Les Antiquities and research of the size and majesty of the kings de France (Paris, 1609);
Les Antiquities and research of the cities, castles, &c., of all France (Paris, 1609);
Histoire of England, of Scotland, and Irlande (Paris, 1614);
Bibliothèque of the authors who wrote the history and the topography of France, 1618;
Histoire of the Popes to Paul V (Paris, 1619);
Histoire of the kings, dukes, and counts de Bourgogne (1619 - 1628, 2 fol volumes.);
Historiae Normanorum scriptores antiqui (1619, fol., now the only source for certain texts which it contains);
Historiae Francorum scriptores (5 fol volumes., 1636 - 1649). This last work was to include/understand 24 volumes and to contain the narrative sources for the French history to the Moyen-âge; only two volumes were published by the author, his/her François son published of them three others and work remained unfinished.

Moreover Duchesne published a great number of genealogical stories famous families, whose best is that of the Maison of Montmorency.

Its Histoire of the cardinals français (2 flights. 101. 1660-1666) and its Histoire of the chancellors and Ministers of Justice of France (1630) were published by his/her François son.

He also published:

the Works of Abélard, 1616;
the Works of Alain Chartier, 1617;
the Letters of Etienne Pasquier, 1619;
work of Alcuin, and left many manuscripts

It had translated Juvénal in its youth, 1606.

Partial sources

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