Denis de Sallo

Denis de Sallo, Sieur of Coudraye (Holy-Hermine March 17th 1626 close to in the Vendée - May 14th 1669 with Paris), is the founder of the Journal of the sçavans , the first literary and scientific periodical of Europe.

Named to advise at the Parliament of Paris in 1653, it is under the pseudonym of its manservant, “the sior of Hédouville”, which it makes appear the first number of the Journal of the sçavans , on January 5th 1665. The reception reserved for this publication, which is imitated at once by the Royal Society of London, shows him that he had seen just and that the era of the manual correspondence, only means for the scientists of communicating between them up to that point, would be soon completed. Colbert, which had sponsored the company, undoubtedly took place to him also any to be satisfied.

Denis de Sallo however had not expected that sour criticisms that it was allowed sometimes with regard to his pars was going to cause reactions also sharp. Historian of literature Isaac Of Israeli reports that Jean-François Sarasin treated the newspaper of the sçavans of “billevesées weekly” and that Ménage, whose work on the right had caused the mocking remarks of the Journal , rose against such a slandering between fellow-members. D' Israeli still tells that Denis de Sallo would have had temerity to defend the Église gallicane and would have thus attracted the lightnings of a nuncio of the pope. Always it is that the publication of the Journal is stopped during a few months after the exit of its 13th number. Denis de Sallo is thanked and replaced by the abbot Welsh Jean, whose docility and neutrality of the remarks will have in their turn the gift to foment the anger of the readers.

Voltaire, which took place him also to complain about the gazettes, writes thus the note of Denis de Sallo in his Siècle of Louis XIV : “SALLO (Denys of), born in 1626, adviser at the Parliament of Paris, inventor of the newspapers. Bayle improved this kind, dishonoured then by some newspapers which emulously published of the avid booksellers, and which obscure writers filled of inaccurate extracts, ineptitudes, and lies. Finally one arrived until making a public traffic of praises and censures, especially in periodic sheets; and the literature tested the greatest depreciation by these infamous horse-gears. ”

Denis de Sallo is in addition the author of a work entitled Of the Legates, summary treaty made about the legation of the Chisi cardinal who must come to France pursuant to the Treaty from Pisa , published in 1665.

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