Guillaume du Vair facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Guillaume du Vair
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | 7 March 1556 Paris, France
|
| Died | 3 August 1621 (aged 65) Tonneins, France
|
| Nationality | French |
| Occupation | Author and lawyer |
Guillaume du Vair (born March 7, 1556 – died August 3, 1621) was an important French leader. He was a bishop, a writer, and a lawyer. He also held powerful positions like Magistrate of the Parliament and Keeper of the Seals for King Louis XIII of France.
Early Life and Career
Guillaume du Vair was born in Paris, France. For most of his life, he worked as a lawyer and in legal roles. Later in his career, from 1617 until he died, he became the Bishop of Lisieux. He was known as a skilled lawyer, a wise politician, and a talented writer.
In 1584, he became a counsellor in the parlement of Paris. This was a high court in France. He was also a representative for Paris in a group called the Estates of the League. Here, he gave a very famous speech. He argued for the Salic law, which meant that only a male could inherit the French crown. His speech was really against the idea of a Spanish princess becoming the queen of France.
King Henry IV of France was impressed by du Vair's work. The King gave him a special job as a judge in Marseille. He also made him a "Master of Requests." This meant he handled important requests and legal matters for the King.
Writings and Influence
In 1595, du Vair wrote a book called De l'éloquence française. In this book, he talked about how French speakers of his time could improve. He gave examples from speeches by famous ancient speakers.
He was sent to England in 1596 to help create an alliance against Spain. In 1599, he became the chief judge of the parlement in Provence. He was also appointed to lead the church in Marseille in 1603. However, he soon left that role to go back to being a judge.
In 1616, he received one of the highest jobs for a French lawyer. He became the keeper of the seals. This meant he was in charge of the official seal of the government and important legal documents.
Du Vair was highly respected for both his speeches and his writings. Like many lawyers of his time, he also studied philosophy. Some of his most famous philosophical books include:
- La Philosophie morale des Stoiques: This book was about the ideas of the Stoics, an ancient group of philosophers who believed in staying calm and strong during difficult times.
- De la constance et consolation ès calamités publiques: He wrote this book during the siege of Paris in 1589. It talked about how to find strength and comfort during hard times, using Stoic ideas.
- La Sainte philosophie: In this work, he connected religious beliefs with philosophy.
Du Vair's ideas influenced other thinkers, like Pierre Charron. He also had a big impact on how French writing developed. He met François de Malherbe in the south of France. Malherbe, who later helped change French poetry, admired du Vair's writings and learned a lot from his book on French speaking.
Guillaume du Vair passed away in Tonneins in 1621. His collected works were published in Paris in 1641.
