Pierre-Jean Grosley facts for kids
Pierre-Jean Grosley (born November 18, 1718, in Troyes, France – died November 4, 1785, in Troyes) was an important French writer and historian. He was known for his travel books and for studying how people lived during the Age of Enlightenment. He also helped write the famous Encyclopédie.
Contents
Early Life and Career
Grosley worked as a judge in his hometown of Troyes. This job gave him a chance to learn a lot about the local way of speaking. He even wrote a paper about the local dialect in 1761.
He was very interested in the history of Troyes. He started writing a big book called Mémoires historiques et critiques pour l'histoire de Troyes. Sadly, only the first part of this book was printed in 1774 before he passed away.
Grosley also collected old handwritten books, called manuscripts. One of these was a medieval story called Garin le Loherain. This manuscript is now kept in a library at the University of California.
Travels and Writings
Journey to Italy
Grosley traveled to Italy during a war called the War of Austrian Succession. He worked there as a military helper for a French general. After his trip, he wrote a book called Observations sur l'Italie et les Italiens. This book shared his thoughts and observations about Italy and its people.
Ideas on French Law
In 1750, Grosley took part in a writing contest. He came in second place. The winner was Jean-Jacques Rousseau, another famous writer.
In 1752, Grosley published a book about French law. He believed that French laws came from the ancient Gauls, not from the Romans. He argued that northern France was less influenced by the Romans. He also said that French customs did not come from the chaotic times of the 10th and 11th centuries.
Visiting London
In 1761, Grosley became a member of a respected French academy. This group studied old writings and beautiful arts.
He spent a year in London in 1765. After this visit, he wrote a book called Londres (London). In this book, he shared his sharp observations about English life. He paid close attention to small details that he felt showed the English character.
His book was translated into English in 1772. It was called A Tour to London; Or New Observations on England and its Inhabitants. English people enjoyed reading it. Grosley's book gave a funny and sometimes critical look at London street life. He described everything from people walking in a rainy park to the strange holiday fun of butchers' boys. His book was also the first to mention the sandwich, an English invention!
In 1766, Grosley was chosen to be a member of the Royal Society. This is a very old and famous group for scientists.
Contributions to the Encyclopédie
Grosley also wrote for the Encyclopédie. This was a huge book project led by Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d'Alembert. It aimed to gather all human knowledge. Grosley contributed to volumes IV and XIV of this important work.
Legacy
Sometimes, people have made mistakes about Grosley's name. For example, some authors have called him Jean-Paul Grosley by mistake.
Today, there is a street named after him in Troyes, France. It is called rue Pierre-Jean-Grosley.
