647:
419:. But a second birth certificate gives him the name "Sébastien Roch" and says he was born on 22 June, of "unknown parents", and some scholars argue that he was not born but baptized on that day. Local tradition said that he was the love child of an aristocratic woman, Jacqueline de Montrodeix (née Cisternes de Vinzelles), and of a clergyman named Pierre Nicolas; and that he was then given for adoption to the grocer, who was a relative of the biological father.
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44:
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445:
668:
Unable to tolerate the prospect of being imprisoned once more, in
September 1793 he locked himself into his office and shot himself in the face. The pistol malfunctioned and he did not die even though he shot off his nose and his right eye. He then repeatedly stabbed his neck with a razor, but failed
548:
that proclaims the superiority of the dead over the living as companions. He fell in love with and married a lady attached to the household of the duchesse du Maine; she was 48 years old, clever, amusing, and a woman of the world. They soon moved to
Vaucouleurs, where she died within six months.
719:, among the most brilliant and suggestive sayings of the modern era. His aphorisms, less systematic and psychologically less important than those of La Rochefoucauld, are as significant in their violence and iconoclastic spirit of the period of storm and preparation that gave them birth as the
629:
his political life came to an end. But he could not restrain the tongue that had made him famous; he no more spared the
Convention than he had spared the court. His notorious republicanism failed to excuse the sarcasms he lavished on the new order of things. Fingered by an assistant in the
723:
in their exquisite restraint and elaborate subtlety are characteristic of the tranquil elegance of their epoch. Moreover, they have the advantage of richness of colour, picturesqueness of phrase, passion, and audacity.
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to cut an artery. He finally used the razor to stab himself in the chest and to cut his own hocks, aiming at the veins. He dictated to those who came to arrest him the well-known declaration
677:) which he signed in a firm hand. His butler found him unconscious in a pool of blood. From then until his death in Paris the following year, he suffered intensely and was attended to by a
638:. Soon after his release, he was threatened again with arrest, but he decided that death was preferable to a repetition of the moral and physical restraint to which he had been subjected.
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540:, made him his secretary. Disliking the constraints of court life, he became increasingly discontented, and after a year he resigned his post in the prince's household and retired to
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Until then, he lived from hand to mouth, mainly on the hospitality of people who gave him board and lodging in exchange for the pleasure of the conversation for which he was famous.
434:") He was a brilliant though dreamy student. When the principal of the college promised him a stipend, he replied that he could not accept because he preferred honour to honours: "
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movement, forgetting his old friends at court and devoting his small fortune to revolutionary propaganda. He became a street orator and was among the first to enter the
472:(La Jeune Indienne, 1764), following it with a series of epistles in verse, essays and odes. However, his literary reputation was not established until 1769, when the
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when the
Belgian minister in Paris, M. van Eyck, invited him to accompany him to Germany in 1761. On his return to Paris, Chamfort produced a successful comedy,
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Moi, Sebastien-Roch
Nicolas de Chamfort, déclare avoir voulu mourir en homme libre plutôt que d'être reconduit en esclave dans une maison d'arrêt
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495:, brought him further notice, and he seemed on the road to fame and fortune, when illness struck. A generous friend gave him a pension of 1200
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675:"I, Sebastien-Roch Nicolas de Chamfort, hereby declare my wish to die a free man rather than to be brought (again) as a slave in a prison"
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Chamfort lived in
Holland for a time with M. de Narbonne, then returned to Paris where he was elected in 1781 to the Académie française.
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456:. His good looks and ready wit brought him attention; but, though endowed with immense physical strength – Madame de Craon called him "
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The writings of
Chamfort include comedies, political articles, literary criticisms, portraits, letters, and verses. His
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Oeuvres complètes de
Chamfort: recueillies et publiées avec une notice historique sur la vie et les écrits de l'auteur
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Ah ! mon ami, je m'en vais enfin de ce monde, où il faut que le cœur se brise ou se bronze
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In 1775, while taking the waters at Barges, he met the duchesse de
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Bibliothèque
Nationale, to a share in the direction of which he had been appointed by
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There are two birth certificates for Chamfort. The first, from Saint-Genès parish in
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958:. Paris: Chez le directeur de l'Imprimerie des sciences et arts. 1794. p. LXII.
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compares them to well-minted coins that retain their value, and to keen arrows that
544:. There, comparing the authors of old with his contemporaries, he composed a famous
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942:. Paris: Chez le directeur de l'Imprimerie des sciences et arts. 1794. p. LXI.
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Ce que j'ai appris je ne le sais plus; le peu que je sais encore, je l'ai deviné.
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At the age of nine he was sent to Paris to study as a scholarship student at the
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reads: "What I learned I no longer know; the little I still know, I guessed" ("
43:
919:, Paris, 1895, ch. 1 : « Origine et éducation ». Julien Teppe,
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520:, through whose influence he was introduced at court. In 1776, his tragedy,
692:), and Sieyès was likewise the person to whom he told his famous sarcastic
732:. Although situated at the exact opposite of the political spectrum (see
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383:; 6 April 1741 – 13 April 1794), was a French writer, best known for his
104:
1011:. Vol. 5 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 824.
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100:
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Products of the perfected civilization: selected writings of Chamfort
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entertained him at Sèvres for some years. In 1770, another comedy,
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This article incorporates text from a publication now in the
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Sébastien-Roch-Nicolas Chamfort (1824). Pierre-René Auguis (ed.).
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Sébastien-Roch-Nicolas Chamfort (1824). Pierre-René Auguis (ed.).
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when it was stormed. Until 3 August 1791 he was secretary of the
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are among those that easily compare in acidity and brilliance.
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Qu'est-ce que le Tiers-État ? Tout. Qu'a-t-il ? Rien
578:
profoundly changed Chamfort's life. He threw himself into the
1042:. Translator: Deke Dusinberre. University of Chicago Press.
781:
Sébastien-Roch-Nicolas Chamfort (1968). P. R. Auguis (ed.).
917:
Chamfort : étude sur vie, son caractère et ses écrits
513:
which won the prize of the Academy of Marseilles in 1774.
426:. He worked hard, although one of his most contemptuous
688:
Chamfort had given fortune in the title of a pamphlet (
895:
Oeuvres complètes de Chamfort, de l'académie française
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Oeuvres complètes de Chamfort, de l'académie française
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Oeuvres complètes de Chamfort, de l'académie française
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88:
72:
50:
34:
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441:Upon graduation he assumed the name of Chamfort.
758:La Jeune Indienne: Comédie en Un Acte Et en Vers
843:. Vol. 4. Imprimerie des sciences et arts.
832:. Vol. 3. Imprimerie des sciences et arts.
821:. Vol. 2. Imprimerie des sciences et arts.
810:. Vol. 1. Imprimerie des sciences et arts.
1324:18th-century French dramatists and playwrights
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344:
8:
563:, he became secretary to the king's sister,
452:For some time he subsisted by teaching and
1167:Jean-Baptiste de La Curne de Sainte-Palaye
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923:, P. Clairac, 1950, p. 23. Claude Arnaud,
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859:Sébastien-Roch-Nicolas Chamfort (1812).
848:Sébastien-Roch-Nicolas Chamfort (1812).
837:Sébastien-Roch-Nicolas Chamfort (1794).
826:Sébastien-Roch-Nicolas Chamfort (1794).
815:Sébastien-Roch-Nicolas Chamfort (1794).
804:Sébastien-Roch-Nicolas Chamfort (1794).
791:Sébastien-Roch-Nicolas Chamfort (1969).
908:
787:(original edition Auguis, 1824, 5 vol.)
777:By Pierre Louis GINGUENE, 1795, 4 vols.
730:arrivent brusquement et sifflent encore
621:, he became critical of uncompromising
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1354:Suicides by sharp instrument in France
921:Chamfort, sa vie, son œuvre, sa pensée
552:He was a member of the Masonic lodge
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7:
865:. Vol. 2 (3 ed.). Maradan.
854:. Vol. 1 (3 ed.). Maradan.
436:J'aime l'honneur et non-les honneurs
760:. Princeton University Press. 1945.
1067:Works by or about Nicolas Chamfort
559:In 1784, through the influence of
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18:Sébastien-Roch Nicolas de Chamfort
1329:Members of the Académie Française
1175:Sébastien-Roch-Nicolas (Chamfort)
749:Praise of Molière, crowned (1769)
1309:18th-century French male writers
1003:Chamfort, Sebastien Roch Nicolas
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881:Pierre-René Auguis, ed. (1824).
1319:18th-century French journalists
1127:François le Métel de Boisrobert
887:. Vol. 4. Chaumerot Jeune.
876:. Vol. 1. Chaumerot Jeune.
767:Mustapha and Zéangir, tragedy.
764:The Merchant of Smythe, comedy
681:, whom he paid a crown a day.
1:
1349:Suicides by firearm in France
1304:Writers from Clermont-Ferrand
1199:Philippe Paul, comte de Ségur
1151:Philippe Néricault Destouches
1029:. Casa Editrice Rinascimento.
884:Oeuvres complètes de Chamfort
783:Oeuvres complètes de Chamfort
752:The Fountain of Praise (1774)
372:Sébastien Nicolas de Chamfort
366:, known in his adult life as
1215:Edmond Jurien de La Gravière
1076:frenchphilosophes.weebly.com
476:awarded him a prize for his
1191:Pierre-Marc-Gaston de Lévis
955:Oeuvres de Chamfort, tome I
939:Oeuvres de Chamfort, tome I
925:Chamfort : A Biography
625:, and with the fall of the
608:Addresse au peuple français
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1143:Jean Galbert de Campistron
448:A younger Nicolas Chamfort
1314:18th-century French poets
1121:
755:The young Indian (1764);
41:
1135:Jean Regnault de Segrais
636:prison des Madelonnettes
1008:Encyclopædia Britannica
898:. Vol. 5. Maradan.
650:Memorial plaque at 10,
391:. He was secretary to
1231:Georges de Porto-Riche
1207:Charles de Viel-Castel
1034:Claude Arnaud (1992).
797:William Stanley Merwin
715:, are, after those of
665:
634:, he was taken to the
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417:Sébastien-Roch Nicolas
411:, the capital city of
395:'s sister, and of the
364:Sébastien-Roch Nicolas
120:Francophone literature
1344:18th-century suicides
1183:Pierre Louis Roederer
1038:Chamfort, a biography
1023:Renato Fondi (1916).
970:Dictionnaire Bouillet
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596:Pierre-Louis Ginguené
493:Le Marchand de Smyrne
470:The Young Indian Girl
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276:Countries and regions
711:, highly praised by
594:, collaborated with
590:. He worked for the
574:The outbreak of the
424:Collège des Grassins
915:Maurice Pellisson,
840:Oeuvres de Chamfort
829:Oeuvres de Chamfort
818:Oeuvres de Chamfort
807:Oeuvres de Chamfort
600:Feuille villageoise
522:Mustapha et Zeangir
460:under the guise of
263:Short story writers
238:Writers by category
1112:Académie française
738:Antoine de Rivarol
709:Maximes et Pensées
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613:With the reign of
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474:Académie française
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268:Children's writers
233:Chronological list
92:Playwright, writer
1339:French male poets
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1280:
1049:978-0-226-02697-8
734:French Revolution
632:Jean Marie Roland
592:Mercure de France
576:French Revolution
502:Mercure de France
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76:13 April 1794
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27:French writer
19:
1247:Jean Paulhan
1174:
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861:
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839:
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792:
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371:
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362:
304:Postcolonial
171:Contemporary
166:20th century
78:(1794-04-13)
61:6 April 1741
29:
1299:1794 deaths
1294:1741 births
785:. Slatkine.
686:Abbé Sieyès
663:Paris 2ième
655: [
619:Robespierre
511:La Fontaine
253:Playwrights
146:Renaissance
127:by category
1288:Categories
904:References
721:Réflexions
623:Jacobinism
604:Talleyrand
580:republican
325:Literature
192:Classicism
187:Précieuses
57:1741-04-06
1334:Aphorists
1054:chamfort.
627:Girondins
530:Louis XVI
403:Biography
393:Louis XVI
389:aphorisms
248:Novelists
243:Essayists
212:Symbolism
179:Movements
105:aphorisms
1026:Chamfort
703:Writings
679:gendarme
584:Bastille
518:Choiseul
458:Hercules
428:epigrams
413:Auvergne
385:epigrams
202:Decadent
141:Medieval
101:Epigrams
67:, France
1069:at the
996::
979:Sources
927:, p. 3.
694:bon mot
684:To the
598:in the
561:Calonne
542:Auteuil
528:before
482:Molière
376:French:
370:and as
312:Portals
225:Writers
133:History
1273:(2024)
1265:(1995)
1257:(1970)
1249:(1963)
1241:(1931)
1233:(1923)
1225:(1892)
1217:(1888)
1209:(1873)
1201:(1830)
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1145:(1701)
1137:(1662)
1129:(1634)
1115:seat 6
1046:
990:
497:livres
462:Adonis
320:France
289:Quebec
284:France
197:Rococo
116:French
744:Works
659:]
615:Marat
507:Eloge
478:Eloge
299:Haiti
258:Poets
1044:ISBN
617:and
606:his
532:and
387:and
161:19th
156:18th
151:17th
118:and
103:and
73:Died
51:Born
1005:".
546:mot
509:on
480:on
466:Spa
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