Pierre de Brantôme

See also: Brantôme

Pierre de Bourdeille , known as Pierre de Brantôme , born towards 1540 with Bourdeilles, Périgord and dead the July 15th 1614, in its Castle of Richemont, Commendatory abbot and lord of Brantôme, was a writer French, especially known for its “light” writings reporting its life in the company of gentes ladies, a courtier and a soldier. By the sword and the feather, indifferently, the man always guerroyait and folâtrait.

Pierre de Brantôme is a character with several facets. Indeed, abbot laic (or secular) of Brantôme it illustrates himself as well by the weapons as by the feather of the writer. He wrote much on the large characters of his time and the immediately preceding generations. Even if he is not regarded as a historian, he is a chronicler of the 16th century, giving a corrosive and sharp vision of his time.

Biography

Third wire of Anne de Vivone and the baron François de Bourdeille, soldier having taken part in the campaigns of Italy at the sides of Bayard (1494 - 1516), Pierre de Brantôme passes his childhood to the court of Marguerite of Angouleme. His/her grandmother, Louise de Daillon of Lude, second wife of the Seneshal of the Poitou, officiated at the court of the sister of François Ier in the capacity as lady-in-waiting. The mother of Pierre, Anne de Vivone, and his/her “aunt de Dampierre”, Jeanne de Vivone, have the honor to appear among “unscrewing” Heptaméron .

To died Marguerite of Angouleme, in 1549, it will leave to Paris to continue its studies. It will finish them in Poitiers in 1555. In 1556, Pierre de Brantôme accepted from the king Henri II the Commende of the abbey of Brantôme in compensation of the héroîque death of his/her older brother the captain of Bourdeille. His/her other brother, Andre, managed it until it can do it itself. It took possession of it the July 15th 1558. He became thus abbot and lord of Brantôme. Its title of abbot thus comes to him from there, but Pierre de Brantôme forever be monk himself.

In 1558, it made its first voyage in Italy. It returned then to France where it remained only little of time. It bound to the clan of the enthusiastic catholics, the Guise, with the large prior François of Lorraine and with his niece Marie Stuart, queen of Scotland, married with transitory the King de France François II (1559 - 1560). In 1561, it assisted with the sacring of Charles IX. It belonged to the young faithful guard and admiror who accompanied in Scotland the young widow Marie Stuart, who wanted to take possession of her kingdom. It left us a book moving by this voyage and on this unhappy queen.

In 1562, Pierre de Brantôme joined the royal army and took part in the combat of the civil wars of the first war of religion between the Catholique S (with which it is) and Protesting S, and in particular with the Bataille of Dreux.

In 1567, it stuck to the court and accepted a pension in the capacity as gentleman of the Room of the king under Charles IX auprès of which it enjoys some favor.

In 1569 the reformed came by twice to the monastery from Brantôme, which opened its doors to them. The troops of Coligny made there halt the first time, rather as friends that as conquerors. Brantôme was there, whereas the second time, a few months later, it was absent. Reformed did not respect of it less the abbey which was then rich and prosperous, and counted more than forty monks.

Enthusiast from adventure, Pierre de Brantôme will spend three months and half to Malta with the knights of Midsummer's Day. It is fascinated so much by their life, that one moment it wishes to enter the Chevalerie. It takes part in the second and third wars of religion between catholics and Protestants, and is present at the battles of Meaux and Saint-Denis.

It will put an end to its military career in 1574. Its voyages, thereafter, will be limited to follow the court, where what seems to have impassioned it are the intrigues in love, the duels, the competitions and the assassinations.

In 1582, Brantôme broke with Henri III, because in spite of the royal promise, he was forsaken with the profit of the son-in-law of his brother André to occupy the load of Sénéchal of Périgord.

In 1584, at approximately the 44 years age, it lost its Master François d' Alençon, duke of Anjou, possible heir to the crown of France. It was going to betray its king, no matter what it had said some, and to pass to the service of the Spain when an unpleasant fall of horse forced it with the immobility two years in its property. Thus it was withdrawn “anchylosed and estropié” of the court and “thought in its loves and adventures of war, for being satisfied as much”. It dictated its memories with the Matheaud brothers and gathered poems pétrarquisants.

Thus during the thirty last years of its life, Brantôme was withdrawn in its grounds, shared its time between its house of Bourdeille, the abbey of Brantôme, the castle of Turn-White and its last residence of Richemont. It was devoted then to the writing and expia thus a life passably agitated, wandering and in love. He wrote, as while being played, the Mémoires which immortalisé it. These memories too often scandalous, like especially by the naivety with which they are written, and by the Vanité Gascon that there does not let bore the author.

Catalogued as “light” writer for his collection the lives of the gallant ladies , he is the author of chronicles, accounts of voyages, accounts of war or of biographies. A feature common to its writings is its love for women and in particular of those which it has well-known: The queen Margot or Catherine de Médicis, for example. He appreciated the court of Catherine de Médicis with all the women who composed it. He will be made the historiographer of these ladies of the Renaissance.

He dies the July 5th 1614 in his Château of Richemont, where he was buried in the vault.

Its writings were published in a posthumous way. They were published only in 1655 for the first time, and in an imperfect and incorrect edition. The 18th century will have to be waited so that its reputation is done.

Quotations

“Any beautiful woman estant itself once tested with the play of love it désapprend never”. (“ lives of the gallant ladies ”).

“If all the cuckolds and their wives who make them tenoyent all by the hand and which it of pust to be made a ring, I croy that it seroit enough bastant to surround and circuire half of the ground”. (“ lives of the gallant ladies ”).

Sonnet

Ah! I voudrois estre Roy of France,

Not to have so many cities with moy,
Ny to give to people Loy,
Or estonner each one of my presence;

Not to sharply break a lance,

Nor to face on all in a tournoy,
to say after: - Ah God! how nostre Roy
Is good gendarme and better than one does not think!

Ny to have also so many huntsmen,

Ny so much of dogs, horses, stitchers,
Ny to draw honor from the Nobility,

Of a Duke, a Count, or a Prince of blood,

Or to go the first in my row,
But to enjoy bien-tost my Maîstresse.

(Pierre de Bourdeille, lord of Brantôme,

“ Collection of aulcunes Rymes of my Young Loves ”).

Works of Pierre de Brantôme

  • Life of the famous men and large French captains
  • Life of the large foreign captains
  • Life of the famous ladies
  • Life of the gallant ladies
  • Anecdotes concerning the duels
  • Boastings and jurements of the Spaniards .
  • All its writings were published only a long time after its death, Leyde, 1666, 10 volumes in-12.
  • Works Of the Lord De Brantome. New edition, considerably increased, re-examined, accompanied by historical & critical Remarks, & distributed in a better order . With London, At the expense of the Bookseller, 1779
  • At the 19th century, Monmerqué, in 1822, Prosper Mérimée and Louis Lacour of Pijardière, in 1858, gave more complete editions of them. Ludovic Lalanne the complete Works , in-8, 1865 and following years.

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