Author: BOILEAU
Biography:
BOILEAU, Nicolas (1636-1711: DLB)
A son of Gilles Boileau, a law clerk, he was born on 1 Nov. 1636 in Paris, France. Initially he studied theology, intending to become a priest, but switched to law although ultimately it too failed to interest him. Boileau had begun writing verse during his school days and, after inheriting an annuity on his father’s death in 1657, he devoted himself to literature. Boileau added Despréaux to his surname to distinguish himself from his elder brother Gilles, a lawyer and poet. He wrote satires in the style of Horace and Juvenal (qq.v.) and they remain the works by which he is best known. From about 1668 he began composing epistles and literary theory—his L’Art poétique was published in 1674—and his Epître IV, celebrating Louis XIV, led to his presentation at court and the award of a pension. A mock-epic, Le Lutrin, was published in four cantos in 1674 with an additional two cantos issued in 1683; it is included in this bibliography in an 1811 translation by Robert Thomson (q.v.). In 1677 Boileau and Jean Racine (q.v.) were commissioned to write a history of Louis’s reign and the appointment required him to accompany the king’s army on its campaigns--something he did not enjoy. In 1684 Boileau was elected to the Académie Française. His later years were marred by declining health and acrimonious disputes including with his good friend Racine. He died on 13 Mar. 1711. In addition to Thomson, the translators listed here include Richard Graves (q.v.) and several anonymous writers. (DLB 22 Apr. 2025; Wikipedia 22 Apr. 2025) SR
Other Names:
- Nicholas Boileau Despreaux