Olivier Patru

Olivier Patru , born in 1604 with Paris and dead the January 16th 1681, is a lawyer and writer French.

This lawyer of the Parliament is especially known for its its membership of the French Academy, of which it marked the history, although it left, before returning there, of many translations, the pleas, and some writings, as one makes out against the Roxane of Jean Desmarets de Saint-Sorlin, and of the Eclaircissements on the history of Astrée .

September 3rd 1640, with its reception in the French Academy to replace François de Porchères d' Arbaud with the armchair 19 (and under the protectorate of Richelieu, it was the last to profit), Patru made a speech of thanks which inaugurated the tradition of the speech, by which each new academician marks his entry in the Academy. Pellisson says on this subject: With its reception, Mr. Patru pronounced a fort beautiful thanks with which one remained so satisfied, that one obliged all those which were received since to make as much of it.

In the line of Malherbe, Patru worked actively with the development of rules of the language and with the systematic encouragement of prose, in particular through the translation of speakers and famous historians, whose Eight Speeches of Cicéron , which it gathered with the collaboration of Perrot d' Ablancourt and Louis Giry, are an good example.

Moreover, it took an active part in the development of the Dictionnaire of the Academy , whose it wanted to see the judgments and the definitions supported on quotations of authors to the recognized talent. Finally, the academicians chose the forged examples. Disappointed, it moved away from the Academy, of which it did not support any more, with Mézeray, the life of label, and collaborated in the French Dictionnaire of Richelet.

Enemy of any form of luxury, Patru lived in the greatest examination. Its books, which were going to be sold to pay some of its debts, were repurchased by Boileau, which left of it him the pleasure until the end of its life. Patru died in poverty on January 16th 1681.

Quotations in connection with Olivier Patru

One looked it like an infallible oracle taste criticism (Pierre-Joseph Thoulier d' Olivet)
It is contained in the matters of jurisprudence; but, against the habit of lawyers, it treats them very elegantly, very eloquently and very judiciously (Jean Chapelain)
Olivier Patru contributed much to regulate, to purify the language; and though it did not pass for a deep lawyer, one owes him nevertheless the order, clearness, the propriety, the elegance of the speech: absolutely unknown merits before him with the bar (Voltaire).

External bonds

Biographical note of the French Academy
Speech of reception of Olivier Patru, the first of the history of the Academy
Biographical note

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