Jean of the Fountain

Jean of the Fountain (July 8th 1621 with Castle-Thierry, April 13rd 1695 with Paris) is a Poète, Moraliste, Dramaturge, Librettiste and Romancier French.

Biography

Years of training (1641-1658)

One has very little information over the years of training Jean of the Fountain. It is known that he studied with the college of Castle-Thierry until in third where he learned especially the Latin , but the Greek did not study. In 1641, it enters to the Oratoire. But as of 1642, it leaves this religious career, preferring to read Astrée , of Honore d' Urfé, and Rabelais, rather than Saint Augustin.

It resumes studies of right and attends a circle of young poets: knights of the roundtable, where it meets Pellisson, François Charpentier, Tallemant of Réaux, and Antoine Rambouillet of the Sand pit, which will marry the future protective one of the poet. He obtains in 1649, a diploma of lawyer to the Parlement of Paris. Meanwhile, in 1647, his/her father organizes to him a marriage of kindness with Marie Héricart, then old of 14 years and half, which gives him a son, Charles. Its Parisian frequentations, for what one knows, are those of the companies Précieuses and libertines of the time.

In 1652, the Fountain acquires the load of triennial particular Master of water and the forests of the duchy of Castle-Thierry, to which cumulates that of his/her father with died of this one. Try one suspects the Fountain of hardly occupying with passion nor assiduity and that it completely resold in 1672. It is also that it starts a career of poet by the publication of a first text, an adapted comedy of Terence, Eunuque , in 1654, which passes completely unperceived.

With the service of Fouquet (1658-1663)

In 1658, it enters to the service of Fouquet, Surintendant of Finances, to which, in addition to a series of poems of circumstances envisaged by contract - a " pension poétique" - it dedicates the poem epic Adonis drawn from Ovide and works out a composite text with the glory of the field of its owner, the Dream of Are worth , which will remain unfinished, because Fouquet is stopped on order of Louis XIV; The Fountain writes in favor of its owner in 1662, the Ode with the King then the Élégie with the nymphs of Are worth . Certain biographers supported that this defense of Fouquet had been worth to him the hatred of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, then that of Louis XIV itself, without one not having clear testimonys on this subject. It is not known exactly if its voyage in the Limousin in 1663 is an exile ordered by the administration Louis XIV, or a decision freely authorized to accompany his/her uncle Jannart, exiled to him. It draws from this displacement a Relation of a Voyage from Paris in the Limousin : it is about an account of voyage in the form of letters in worms and prose addressed to his wife, published in a posthumous way.

The apogee of the literary activity (1664-1679)

In 1664, it passes to the service of the duchess of Bubble and the duchess of Orleans. The Fountain shares then its time between Paris and Castle-Thierry in the capacity as Gentilhomme - what ensures its Anoblissement. It is the moment when the Fountain makes an conspicuous entry on the public literary scene with a first tale, drawn from Arioste, Joconde . This rewriting causes a small literary quarrel indeed, in the form of a competition with the translation that proposed of it Bouillon little front time; the debate relates to the freedom of which can lay out the storyteller compared to his model: where the text of Bubble is extremely faithful, even sometimes literal, that of the Fountain on several occasions deviates from the account of the furious Roland. The Essay on Mona Lisa , which one traditionally allots to Boileau, section the debate magistralement with the advantage of the tale of the Fountain.

Two collections of tales and news in worms follow one another then, in 1665 and 1666, from which the licencieux groundworks are drawn in particular from Boccace and the Hundred new news . Continuation of this narrative experiment but in another short form, this time of moral tradition, the Fables selected and put in worms , dedicated to the Large Dolphin, appears in 1668.

In 1669, the Fountain adds a new kind to its activity by publishing the novel the loves of Psyché and Cupid , which causes a relative incomprehension within sight of its new form: mix prose and of worms, mythological account - this time drawn from Apulée - and literary conversations, the text contravenes elementary principles of traditional esthetics.

It is starting from the fiction of the " four amis" what puts in scene this novel that one speculated in the friendship which would link the Fountain, Molière, Boileau and Racine, without much proof: if the Fountain is related in a way distant to the family from Root, their relations are episodical; the relationship with Molière is not known if as well is as they exist; as for Boileau, there is hardly trace of such a friendship.

After its participation in a Collection of Christian and various poetries published in 1670 by Port-Royal, the Fountain successively publishes, in 1671, a third collection of Contes and news in worms , and a variegated collection, containing tales, fables, poems of the time of Fouquet, elegies, under the title of new Fables and other poetries .

In 1672 dies the Duchesse of Orleans: The Fountain knows new financial problems then; Marguerite of the Sand pit accommodates it and lodges it afterwards a few months, probably in 1673.

In 1674, the Fountain launches out in a new kind: the opera, with a project of collaboration with Jean-Baptiste Lully, which falls through. It is the occasion of a violent satire of the Fountain against Lully, register rare in its work, but where he excels in this poem entitled the Florentin .

The same year, a collection of Nouveaux Tales is published - but this time, without one knowing very well why, the edition is seized and its prohibited sale: if the Fountain had charged the feature anticlerical and the license, remains that these tales remained in the tradition of the kind and topics which made relatively inoffensive their load.

After two collections of Tales , it is again a collection of Fables selected and put in worms that the Fountain in 1678 and 1679 publishes, this time dedicated to Madam de Montespan, mistress of the King: they are our current books VII to XI of the Fables, but then numbered of I with V.

The years 1680: around the Academy

Period minus ostentation, where the productions are quantitatively less important, but not less various: thus, in 1682, the Fountain publishes a " Poem of Quinquina" , poem philosophical in the manner asserted of Lucrèce to the praise of the new drug, and accompanied by two new tales.

The literary activity of years 1665-1679 is balanced in 1683 by an election, nevertheless tumultuous, with the French Academy, without one being able to specify the exact reasons of this difficulty: one could make the assumption that the administration louis-quatorzienne kept resentment with the poet who had published two poems in favor of Fouquet at the time of the lawsuit of this one; the speech of the opponents at this entry of the Fountain to the Academy is based as for him on the charge of immorality launched against the collections of Tales and news in worms. Always it is that the Fountain, after a vague promise of more rimer of tales, is received on May 2nd 1684 with the Academy, where, in addition to the traditional thanks, it pronounces a Discours with Madam of the Sand pit where it is defined, in a famous formula, like " butterfly of Parnasse".

The following year, the Academy is still the framework of a new business in which the Fountain is implied: Furetière, which by composing its own dictionary passed in addition to the privilege of the company in this matter, is excluded, and launches a series of lampoons in particular against the Fountain, his/her former friend, whom he shows of treason and against which he takes again the charge of Libertinage.

It is another old friendship, it without rupture, which gives day, the same year, with the Ouvrages of prose and poetry of the sieurs of Maucroix and the Fountain ; the collection contains translations of Plato, Démosthène and Cicéron by Maucroix and of new fables and new tales of the Fountain, which will have little awaited for trousser some licentious news.

New scandal, of greater width, with the Academy: the reading of the poem the century of Louis Large the of Perrault starts the Querelle of Old and Modern the, in which the Fountain lines up, not without ambiguities, on the side of Old, by a Epître with Mister de Soissons , pretext with a statement of literary principles, of which most famous remains " My imitation is not a esclavage".

Last years and the last fables (1689-1695)

A series of fables are published in review between 1689 and 1692, which are gathered in 1693, with the new ones and those of 1685, in an ultimate collection, our current book XII, dedicated to the Duc of Burgundy, oldest son of the Large Dolphin and for this reason heir apparent to the Crown. Meanwhile, the Fountain falls seriously sick; one has an account of 1718 of the Father Pouget, confessor of the Fountain, which ensures of a conversion of the Fountain at the time of this disease and of a public disavowal of its tales in front of a delegation of the Academy. Nevertheless, this event is not reproduced at all on the registers of the Academy.

The Fountain is buried with the Cimetière of the Father-Lachaise, since the transfer of its skin in 1817, at the same time as that of Molière.

Chronology

1617: Marriage of the parents of the poet. Charles of the Fountain, Champagne origin, and Francoise Pidoux, of origin poitevine. Assassination of Concini and end of the regency of Marie de Médicis.

1621: July 8th, Jean of the Fountain is baptized in Castle-Thierry, where it was born the very same day or the day before. His/her father carries the title of " To advise of the King and Master of National Forestry Commission of the duchy of Chaury" (Castle-Thierry). He is also captain of huntings. Protestant risings; died of the Duke of Luynes.

1623: September 26th, baptism of Claude, brother of the poet. Publication in Paris of the Adonis of the Marine rider, with foreword of Chaplain. Lawsuit of Theophilus de Viau.

1624: Richelieu becomes chief of the Council of the King.

1627: Publication of the last two volumes of Astrée.

1628: Died of Malherbe.

Towards 1630: The studies of the Fountain remain badly known. Probably it with the college of Castle-Thierry, considered establishment begin them, to go towards 1635 to complete them in a Parisian college, where it has Furetière for school-fellow.

1633: April 26th, baptism of Marie Héricart, girl of the civil and criminal lieutenant to the bailliage of Ferté Milon, related with the Sconin-Root family.

1636: Birth of Boileau. Cid of Crow.

1637: Discourse on Method of Descartes.

1639: Birth of Root.

1641: Perhaps the Fountain between at the head office of the Oratory in Paris on April 27th, then goes to Juilly and returns to Paris to the house of Saint-Magloire to study theology. His/her Claude brother joined it with the Oratory.

1642: The Fountain leaves the Oratory, at the end of 18 months. Died of Richelieu.

1643: The Fountain returned to Castle-Thierry. Its poetic vocation wakes up then, seems it. May 15th, died of Louis XIII. May 19th, victory of Rocroi.

Towards 1646: The Fountain comes to study the Right to Paris; it acquires the lawyer title in the Court of the Parliament. With other young poets, accustomed Palate, it belongs to a small literary and friendly academy known as of the " Count Ronde". These palatine is Pellisson, Furetière, Maucroix, Charpentier, Cassandre. It becomes acquainted with other men of letters: Conrart, Chaplain, Patru, Perrot d' Ablancourt, Tallemant, Antoine of the Sand pit…

1647: November 10th, signature of the marriage contract enters the poet and Marie Héricart in Ferté-Milon. " His/her father married it, and did it to him by complaisance" (Gédéon Tallemant of Réaux|Tallemant). The mother of the poet, alive in 1634, died at the date of the contract. In April, Maucroix had bought an emolument of canon in Rheims. There will remain the friend of the Fountain until the death of this one. Gassendi: De Vita and Moribus Epicuri.

1649: Claude, fellow-member of the Oratory, give up in favor of Jean his share of heritage, realizing pension. The sling burst in 1648.

1652: The Fountain buys the load of triennial particular Master of National Forestry Commission.

1653: In August, sale of a property located with Oulchy-the-Castle. October 30th, baptism with Castle-Thierry of the son of the Fountain, Charles, who has Maucroix for godfather. The father will never occupy much of his son. End of the Sling.

1654: In August, the first work published of the Fountain: Eunuque, comedy in worms imitated of Terence.

1658: Died of the father of the Fountain, which leaves with his/her son his loads, not very lucrative and a muddled succession comprising of heavy debts. As a safety measure, the Fountain and his wife ask for the separation of goods. The household itself is hardly plain, by the probable fault of the poet, indifferent husband. After June, the Fountain offers to Fouquet its Adonis. Jannart, uncle de Marie Héricart, is substitute of Fouquet at the Parliament and Pellisson, friend of the Fountain, are with the service of the superintendent.

1659: Until 1661, the Fountain will receive from Fouquet a pension in cash, with the help of a " pension poétique". It must also compose a work in the honor of Be worth-the-Viscount: he undertakes the Dream of Are worth. Sometimes he lives in Paris, at Jannart, with his wife, sometimes in Castle-Thierry for the duties of his loads, but he attends the castle of Fouquet, binds with Charles Perrault, Saint-Evremond, Madeleine de Scudéry. Peace of the Pyrenees.

1660: The Laughers of Richard Beautiful are played carnival of Castle-Thierry. In this city exists an Academy in which is interested the Fountain and even more his wife. In 1660 - 1661, the Fountain binds with Racine initial. In June, marriage of the king. In August, entry of the Marie-Therese queen in Paris.

1661: August 17th, celebrates Are worth, during which the Fountain attends the first representation of Annoying by Molière. September 5th, arrest of Fouquet to Nantes. The Fountain falls seriously sick. Cured, it returns to Castle-Thierry, where it is continued by one treating in usurpation of nobility. Beginning of construction of Versailles.

1662: In March (?), anonymous publication of the Elegy to the Nymphs of Be worth. August: the Duke of Bubble, lord of Castle-Thierry marries Marie-Anne Mancini, niece of Mazarin. The Fountain becomes " gentleman servant" of the Douarière Duchess of Orleans in Luxembourg, but it always places at Jannart. December 10th, completed to print the News in worms, containing the first two Tales of the Fountain.

1665: January 10th, completed to print Tales and News in worms. June 30th, completed to print of a translation of the City of God of Saint Augustin, whose poetic quotations were returned in French worms by the Fountain; the second volume will appear in 1667.

1669: Loves of Psyché and Cupid, novel followed Adonis, printed for the first time.

1671: January 21st, the Fountain leaves its loads repurchased by the Duke of Bubble, and loses this source of revenue. Publication of the Collection of Christian and Various Poetries, dedicated to Monseigneur Prince de Conti. The Fountain contributed much to the preparation of this collection Jansenist (completed to print on December 20th 1670). January 27th, Third left the Tales. March 12th: New fables and other poetries (eight fables). In January was represented Psyché de Molière and Corneille, Quinault and Lulli, was inspired by the novel of the Fountain.

1672: Died of the Douarière Duchess of Orleans. The Fountain loses its last load thus. Separate publication of two fables Sun and Frogs, the dead Priest and it. Invasion of Holland. Speech of the knowledge of the animals by P. Pardies.

1673: It is undoubtedly starting from 1673 that Marguerite of the Sand pit Jean point of disjunction of the Fountain. Until she dies in 1693, she will provide for her needs. In its hotel, it can meet Charles Perrault, Bernier, doctor and disciple of Gassendi, which remained lengthily in India, and good number of scientists such as Roberval and Saver. Publication of the Poem of the Captivity of Malc Saint, subject undoubtedly suggested by friends Jansenists. February 17th, died of Molière, for which the Fountain writes an epitaph.

1674: The protection of Madam de Montespan and her sister Madam de Thianges is worth with the Fountain the mission of writing a booklet of opera on Daphné, for Lulli, which refuses it: from where the satire of the Florentin, remained handwritten during 17 years. Publication of the New Tales, very licencieux. Epistles, in Turenne, family member of Bubble, which holds the Fountain in friendship personally. In July, the poetic Art of Boileau does not grant any mention to the fable, nor with the Fountain.

1675: Prohibition of the sale of the New Tales by ordinance of Reynie, lieutenant of police force. July 27th, Turenne is killed with the Bataille of Salzbach. Bernier publishes the Summary of the Philosophy of Gassendi.

1676: The Fountain sells to his/her cousin Antoine Pintrel his native house and completes to pay the paternal debts.

1677: The Duchess of Bubble, protective of the Fountain and her brother the Duke of Nevers cabals against Phèdre de Racine.

1678 - 1679: New edition of the Fables chosen, dedicated to Madam de Montespan. The peace of Nimègue (August 1678) is celebrated by the Fountain in several parts.

1680: Exile with Nérac of the Duchess of Bubble compromised in the business of the poisons. Died of Rochefoucauld. Died of Fouquet with Pignerol. Conversion of Marguerite of the Sand pit which, widowed, having married his/her three children, given up by Fare, its lover, is devoted to the care of the patients and will place street Saint Honore, it installs the Fountain close to its new residence.

1681: August 1st, completed to print Epistles of Sénèque (letters with Lucilius) translated by Pierre Pintrel, cousin of the Fountain which itself translated into worms the poetic quotations and which made publish the work.

1682: In January, Poem of Quinquina, dedicated to the Duchess of Bubble, follow-up of two tales, Galatée, and Daphne, booklets of opera. About this time, the Fountain undertakes a tragedy, Achille, remained unfinished. Birth of the Duke of Burgundy.

1683: May 6th, first representation with the French Comedy, of the Appointment comedy of the Fountain which does not have any success and whose text is lost. September 6th, died of Colbert. The Fountain aspires to its seat with the French Academy, whereas Louis XIV wishes to see electing Boileau, its historiographer. November 15th, the Academy, as a hostile majority with the satirist, proposes the Fountain by sixteen votes against Sept. the meeting was agitated, because of the anger expressed per All Saints' day Rose, secretary of the king. Louis XIV takes pretext of it to refuse the authorization of " consommer" the election.

1684: April 17th, Boileau is elected unanimously; the king grants the authorization to receive the Fountain. May 2nd, reception of the fabulist, reading of the Speech with Madam of the Sand pit . The Fountain writes the Comparison of Alexandre, César and Mister the Prince (of Cop), at the request of Prince de Conti. Cop himself estimates the Fountain and readily sees it in Chantilly. Died of Crow.

1685: In January, the Academy excludes Furetière, culprit to have been obtained by surprised a privilege for its Dictionary, completed before that of the Academy. The Fountain votes exclusion and undergoes the virulent attacks of his/her former friend, to which he retorts by epigrams. July 28th, completed to print Works of Prose and Poetry of the Lords of Maucroix and Fountain in two volumes, of which the first contains new tales, and the second of new fables and other parts. Revocation of the Edict of Nantes. Died of Prince Louis-Armand de Conti.

1686: Died of Cop. League of Ausbourg. Perrault reads its poem of the Century of Louis the Large one, protest of Boileau. The Quarrel of Old and Modern bursts. In February, the Epistle with Huet is printed in plate with restricted pulling. In July, Marie-Anne, Duchess of Bubble, must take refuge in England near his/her sister Hortense, friend of Saint-Evremond. Followed correspondence of the Fountain with them and some friends of the group of London, which includes/understands, inter alia, the Bonrepaux diplomats and Barrillon.

1688: Marguerite of the Sand pit is withdrawn with Incurable but continuous to ensure the housing of the Fountain. The poet becomes the familiar one of Prince François-Louis de Conti, in the very free medium of the Temple of Vendôme, at which it finds Chaulieu. It chaperonne one moment the scandalous Mrs Ulrich. Characters of the Heather; the portrait of the Fountain will enter there only to the 6th edition, in 1691.

1691: November 28th, first representation with the Opera of Astrée, lyric tragedy of the Fountain, with music of Stuck, son-in-law of Lulli: complete failure.

1692: In December, seriously sick, the Fountain is converted by the abbot Pouget, young vicar of St Roch.

1693: February 12th, he disavows the Tales in front of a delegation of the Academy and receives money. He is restored nevertheless. Marguerite of the Sand pit died in January, Pellisson on February 7th. The friends of England in vain try to decide the Fountain to come to settle in London. He becomes the host of Anne d' Hervart, Maître of the Requests at the Parliament of Paris, wire of banker and extremely rich person, married to Francoise de Bretonvilliers. September 1st, completed to print Fables chosen, carrying the date of 1694, and constituting book XII. In October - November, remarks addressed to Maucroix on its translation of Astérius.

1694: Birth of Voltaire.

1695: February 9th, the Fountain is taken of weakness while returning from the Academy. He dies on April 13rd, at of Hervart. While proceeding to the funeral toilet, one finds on him a cilice. The Fountain is buried on April 14th with the cemetery of the Innocent ones. In consequence of an error made on this point by Olivet in the History of the Academy, the police chiefs of Convention will exhume in 1792, to raise to them a mausoleum, anonymous bones in another cemetery.

1696: Posthumous works, with dedication signed by Mrs Ulrich.

1709: Died of Marie Héricart, widow of the poet.

1723: Died of Charles, only sons of the poet.

Fables

Tales

The fabulist eclipsed the storyteller. The religious crispation of the end of the reign of Louis XIV, and later the prudishness of the 19th century, put in the shade these licencieux tales whose poetic challenge consists in playing of implicit for (not) naming sexuality, “to say without saying”, in a play of evasion and provocation resting on the complicity of the reader. The Fountain undertook these two activities simultaneously, until joining tales to the ultimate collection of fables of 1693: much more than one laboratory of the enjouée narration of the Fables , the Contes could take part well of the same company, that of a poetic narration under the sign of a cheerfulness without illusions. The work of the Fountain offers the figure, specimen, of a disillusioned wisdom: it chooses, like the Démocrite of the fable Démocrite and Abdéritains , the méditative retirement rather than the life of the city of Abdère subjected to the pensers of vulgar, and, vis-a-vis the exaggerated violence of reality it prefers, against the Héraclite of the History, the laughter rather than the tears.

Some worms of Jean of the Fountain passed in proverb

Every flatterer lives at the expense of he who listens to him. ( , L, 2)
Might makes right. ( , L, 10)
If it is not you, it is thus your brother. ( , L, 10)
Rather to suffer that to die, it is the currency of the men. ( , L, 16)
I fold and do not break. ( , L, 22)
It is necessary as much as one can oblige everyone: One often needs smaller than oneself. ( , II, 11)
Is quite insane brain which claims to satisfy everyone and his/her father. ( , III, 1)
They are too green, says it, and goods for goujats. ( , III, 11)
mistrust is mother of safety. ( , III, 18)
Tall oaks from little acorns grow. ( , V, 3)
One hold is worth, this says one, better than two you will have it. ( , V, 3)
work is a treasure. ( , V, 9)
Nothing is used for to run; it is necessary to leave at point. ( , VI, 10)
God helps those who help themselves. ( , VI, 18)
According to whether you are powerful or miserable, the judgments of court will return to you white or black. ( , VII, 1)
It's a case of the biter bit. ( , VIII, 9)
But the shortest works are always the best… ( Discours with Mr. the duke of Rochefoucauld , X, 14)
That of any unknown the wise one is wary. ( )
One never should sell the skin of the bear/That one did not put it by ground ( , V, 20)
That one returns to me impotent, legless cripple, goutteux, penguin, provided that all in all I live, it is enough, I am more than content. " Never come, Dead O; one says all of it to you autant." ( , I, 15)
the delicate ones are unhappy: nothing sauroit to satisfy them. ( , II, 1)

Quotation

I make use of animals to inform the men
If the truth offends you, the fable at least can suffer

Works

Eunuque (1654)
Adonis (1658, published in 1669)

the Laughers of the Beautiful-Richard (1659)
Élégie with the nymphs of Be worth (1660)
Ode with the king (1663)
Contes (1665, 1666, 1671, 1674)
Fables (1668, 1678, 1693)
the Loves of Psyché and of Cupid (1669)
Collection of Christian and various poetries (1671)
Poem of the captivity of saint Malc (1673)
Daphne (1674)
Poem of Quinquina (1682)
Works of prose and poetry (1685)

Astrée (1691)

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