It is not merely a French national institution; it has, to the extent to which the French language is the medium of cosmopolitan intercourse, some claims to have applied to it the term International.
About the year 1629, when Louis XIII., was king and Cardinal Richelieu his first minister, a small circle of congenial spirits, to the number of nine: Messieurs Godeau, Gombauld, Chapelain, Philippe Habert, Germain Habert (Abbe de Cerisy), Conrart, Serisay, Malleville, and Giry living in different parts of Paris, agreed to meet once a week at the home of one of their number; but the common rendezvous was usually at Conrart’s, which was centrally situated, and so most convenient for all.
At these meetings, which were social and informal, sometimes followed by a collation or a promenade in company, all the news of the day, everything of interest, became the subject of discussion indeed, as all of the friends were men of letters, or interested in literary production, books and their authors naturally received a large share of their attention.
Not only so, but when any of their own number was writing or had written anything, it was the practice to read it before the company for the purpose of benefiting by the criticism of the others. Delightfully informal and unpretentious as were these intellectual feasts, however, it would appear, from a letter written by Chapelain to Godeau in the country, on or about December 8, 1632, that the friends were accustomed to speak very early of themselves as “The Academy.”
The first meeting having proved agreeable to all, what more natural than that their continuance should be proposed and adopted?
It was resolved by the friends that their assemblies, which were indeed contrary to an inquisitorial law of the time, as being held without official permission, should be kept secret; but, by an indiscretion of one of the nine, three other gentlemen Faret, Desmarets, and Boisrobert were apprised of the pleasant weekly reunion, and they too, from policy no doubt, were admitted to it.
Of these three, Boisrobert the Abbé Boisrobert, by name Francois le Métel was a friend, or familiar, of Cardinal Richelieu, and found occasion to mention to him the meetings, and what took place at them.
This was in February of 1634. Richelieu immediately suggested that the friends become an association under state authority, “and requested Boisrobert to make such a proposal to them”, which he did on the first opportunity.
It was received with extreme dissatisfaction by all; two of them especially, who were attached to families unfriendly to the cardinal, advised that the proposition be respectfully declined. But such a course was deemed impolitic.
An all powerful minister could not safely be offended, and Boisrobert was authorized to accept in the name of the company the intended honour.
The cardinal, so we are told, was much gratified at this decision, and directed Boisrobert to make known to them his desire that they should assemble as usual, and, having associated with themselves as many others as they thought expedient, discuss their plans for the future and the laws by which their Society should be governed.
As it was resolved that the new institution should have a membership of forty, its number was almost immediately increased to about thirty by selections from among the friends of members of the embryo association or those of new nominees.
The policy of preference for residents of Paris, who could and would assist at conferences of the Academy, was established in making these nominations, and although the rule, eminently proper in the premises, has sometimes been relaxed, notably for the admission of high provincial dignitaries of the Church, it has generally been maintained.
By the end of the year 1634 the membership numbered thirty-six, but it was only in 1639, says Pellisson, with the election of Priézac, that the roll of the original Academy was completed. Strictly speaking, however, the full complement of forty was made up in 1636 by the election of Louis Giry, who, although one of the Conrart coterie, was not among the first lot of Academicians enrolled, for the reason that he had latterly withdrawn from the meetings and so perhaps been lost sight of by his former friends when the official organization was begun.
The thirty-ninth in this enumeration was Auger de Mauléon de Granier, who entered the Academy in September, 1635. But in May, 1636, he was excluded at the request of Richelieu for having, it is said, misappropriated certain funds entrusted to him by a religious sisterhood.
Granier did not undergo formal expulsion under the rules dealing with such cases. His name appears simply to have been expunged from the rolls by general consent, and it is only by omitting it altogether that Priézac can be looked upon as a member of the Academy of foundation.
Most of them were of noble or of good family connection, and the unobtrusive fifteenth article of the Academy’s Statutes established their equality in the Academy.
The rules as adopted, fifty in number, read as follows:
The chief biographical data in the list that follows includes the early dated members of the Academy pertaining to Francis Bacon’s era, from 1560 to 1626. The figures immediately following the name give the years of birth and death and the year of election, the number in brackets, after this last date, preceded by A. (Academician), being the Academician’s fauteuil or place number. In some instances in which the exact date of either election or reception is not ascertainable, it has been assumed that the known year for either is the same for both.
Ablancourt, Nicolas Perrot d’: 1606-1664; A. 1637 [2]. Translator of Greek and Latin classics chiefly historical.
Balzac, Jean Louis Guez de: 1594(7)-1654; A. 1634 [19]. One of the fathers of modern French prose. Balzac’s literary fame, great among contemporary men of letters, was founded largely on Letters (to Conrart, Chapelain, and others) and Dissertations (ethical, critical, and political). These were published in 2 volumes, in 1665 at the instance of Conrart.
Bardin, Pierre: 1590-1637; A. 1634 [1]. Chief work: Le grand chambellan de France.
Baro, Balthasar: d.1649 (?); A. 1634 [15]. Poet, dramatic author, and romance writer.
Baudouin (Baudoin), Jean: 1590(?)-1650; A. 1634 [16]. A voluminous writer, most of whose works are mediocre translations of ancient authors. Still consulted are: Iconologie (1636); Recueil d’emblemes (1638).
Bautru de Serrant (Seran), Guillaume: 1588-1665; A. 1634 [27]. Satirist and occasional poet.
Bazin de Bezons, Claude: 1617-1684; A. 1643 [7]. Dignitary of state. No literary record. Took the place of Chancellor Siguier in the Academy when the Chancellor became its protector.
Benserade, Isaac de: 1612(?)-1691; A. 1674 [37]. Dramatic author and poet. Translator, in rondeaux, of Ovid’s Metamorphoses a failure. In high favour and repute at court, where for thirty years he composed verses for the King’s ballets.
Boileau, Gilles: 1631-1669; 1659 [23]. Poet and translator. Brother of Despreaux. His work in prose included a translation of Epictetus and of Diogenes Laertius’s Lives of the Philosophers; in poetry, his productions are preserved, or lost, in contemporary collections.
Boisrobert, Francois le Metel, Abbe de: 1592-1662; A. 1634 [26]. Author of theatrical pieces, poems, and romances. In the comedy La belle plaideuse he utilized the extraordinary incident of President de Bercy and his spendthrift son meeting each other as usurer and would-be borrower, thus anticipating Moliere’s l’Avare on the same theme.
Boissat, Pierre de: 1603-1662; A. 1634 [25]. Poet, historian, moralist.
Bourzeys (Bourzeis), Abbe Amable de: 1606-1671; A. 1634 [35]. Voluminous writer on matters pertaining to the Catholic Church and faith.
Boyer, Abbe Claude: 1618-1698; A. 1666 [28]. Dramatic author. One of a group dubbed by Furetiere Academiciens jetonniers, sans nom et sans autorite.
Cauvigny-Colomby, Frangois de; 1588-1648; A. 1634 [11]. Poet and prose writer. Translator, in part, of Tacitus’ Annals.
Chapelain, Jean: 1595-1674; A. 1634 [37]. Author, poet, critic, of varied erudition. His name will be associated for all time with the early French Academy, which in the critical years of its infancy he did much to keep alive. One of the four original members of the Academy of Inscriptions. Works: La Pucelle (first 12 cantos published in 1666; last 12, at the hands of an enterprising bookseller, in 1882); Lettres (correspondence with the chief savants and men of letters of his time, preserved in the Bibliotheque National): etc.
Colbert, Jean Baptiste: 1619-1683; A. 1667 [30]. Louis XIV’s great minister. Patron of all the royal academies and creator of three of them: Inscriptions, Sciences, Architecture.
Colletet, Guillaume: 1598-1659; A. 1634 [23]. Poet and dramatist; one of 'the Five Authors, so called, collaborators on occasion with Richelieu.
Conrart, Valentin: 1603-1675; A. 1634 [38]. The French Academy’s first permanent secretary. A man of letters, who, however, published little, so giving occasion for Boileau’s malicious line, J’imite de Conrart le silence prudent; but he left many volumes of MSS., portions of which have been given to the world. Conrart’s most memorable literary production was the charter of the French Academy.
Cordemoy, Geraud de: 1620-1684; A. 1675 [10]. Historian and philosopher; author of works on the early history of France, on the system of Descartes, on metaphysics, etc.
Corneille, Pierre: 1606-1684; A. 1647 [9]. Dramatic author and poet. Besides being one of the quintette whom Richelieu employed to turn his scenarios into verse, he was known as the author of several comedies before the tragedy of Le Cid (1636) raised him to the heights of fame. Its phenomenal success, more than reputed oppression, probably made him cautious, for it is not until 1640 that he reappears on the scene with Horace and Cinna. There being some uncertainty as to the exact year of production of his next pieces, until 1646, it is with this understanding that the dates are appended to them in the following list of his subsequent works: Polyeucte (1642); Pompee (1643); le Menteur (comedy, 1643); Theodore (1645); Suite du Menteur (comedy, 1645); Rodogune (1646); Heraclius (1647); Don Sanche d’Aragon (tragi-comedy, 1650); Nicomede (1651); (Edipe (1659); Sertorius (1662); Sophonisbe (1663); Othon (1664); Attila (1667); etc. Brunetiere, alluding to the wonderful flexibility of mind which enabled Corneille to apply himself by turns to comedy and severe tragedy, speaks of Le Menteur and Suite du Menteur as masterpieces.
Desmarets (de Saint Sorlin), Jean: 1595-1676; A. 1634 [39]. A conventional poet and play writer until 1645, when his productions took on a marked religious tone. His Comparaison de la langue et de la poesie frangaise avec la grecque et la latine, et des poetes grecs, latins et frangais (1670), in which he asserted the superiority of the French language and of the Christian social organization over the ancient tongues and polities, is said to have started the long quarrel between the Ancients and Moderns.
Estoile (Etoile), Claude de l’: 1597-1651; A. 1634 [17]. Dramatic author and poet; one of the quintette of poets, called specifically the Five Authors, who collaborated on occasion with Richelieu.
Faret, Nicolas: 1596-1646; A. 1634 [8]. Historian, moralist, poet, translator. Works: Histoire chronologique des Ottomans (1621); Histoire romaine (1626, trans, of Eutropius): l’Honnâte homme, ou l’Art de plaire (1630); etc.
Furetiere, Antoine, Abbe de Chalivoy: 1619-1688; A. 1662 [25]. Writer and lexicographer; author of romances, poems, fables. His famous Dictionary, the cause of his expulsion from the Academy (1685), was not published until after his death.
Giry, Louis: 1596-1666; A. 1636 [28]. Author and translator.
Godeau, Antoine: 1605-1672; A. 1634 [34]. Bishop of Grasse and Vence. Author in prose and verse, whose earlier literary essays were read before the Conrart coterie, the germ of the French Academy.
Gombauld, Jean Ogier de: 1567-1666; A. 1634 [29]. Poet and prose writer. Works included romances, poems, sonnets, plays, letters, epigrams.
Gomberville, Marin Le Roy de: 1600-1674; A. 1634 [36]. Man of letters. Singular works from a youthful pen were: Tableau du bonheur de la vieillesse (1614); Discours des vertus et des vices de l’histoire (1620) together with Traite de l’origine des Francois. Among works of his maturity were: Polexandre (1638-41, 5 vols. romance); La Cythérée (1640, 4 vols. romance); Doctrine de mœurs (1646).
Granier, Auger de Mauleon de: A. 1635 [5]. An ecclesiastic, dropped from the Academy’s rolls in May, 1636, for malversation.
Habert, Germain, Abbe de Censy: 1615-1654; A. 1634 [21]. Poet and prose writer. Author of an essay (1636) on the multiplicity of languages, of which the purpose was to illustrate the utility of a universal language.
Habert, Philippe: 1605-1637; A. 1634 [3]. Poet and prose writer. Chief work: Le temple de la mort (1637).
Hay du Chastelet, Daniel, Abbe de Chambon: 1596-1671; A. 1635 [33]. Literary amateur.
Hay du Chastelet, Paul: 1592-1636; A. 1634 [2]. Historian and publicist.
La Chambre, Marin Cureaude: 1594(?)-1669; A. 1635 [31]. Physician to the King and writer. Chief literary work: Characteres des passions (1640-1662).
La Fontaine, Jean de: 1621-1695; A. 1684 [30]. Poet. Works: Contes (1655); Fables (1669); Adonis (1671); Psyche (1671); etc.
Méziriac, Claude Gaspard Bachet de: 1581-1638; A. 1634 [4]. Of considerable contemporary reputation as a linguist, mathematician, and poet hardly sustained by his published works.
Porcheres, Frangois d’Arbaud de: 1590-1640; A. 1634 [6]. Poet and prose writer. So little is known of the two Porcheres that they are sometimes confounded.
Porcheres, Honorat Laugier de: d. 1653; A. 1634 [20]. Poet.
Priézac, Daniel de: 1590-1662; A. 1639 [5]. Man of letters. Protege of Chancellor Seguier, by whom he was called to Paris from Bordeaux, where he was a doctor of law.
Saint Amant, Antoine Girard de: 1594-1661; A. 1634 [24]. Poet. A complete edition of his works was published in 1855 for Charles Livet.
Seguier, Pierre: 1588-1672; A. 1635 [7]. Keeper of the Seals and Chancellor of France; surrendered his place in the Academy at the end of 1642 to become Richelieu’s successor as protector.
Serisay (Serizay), Jacques de: 1590-1653; A. 1634 [18]. A member of the Conrart coterie.
Servien, Abel: 1593-1659; A. 1634 [22]. Diplomatist and politician.
Silhon, Jean de: 1600(?)-1667; A. 1634 [30]. Writer on the immortality of the soul, human knowledge, politics, etc.
Sirmond, Jacques: 1559-1651; A. 1634 [13]. Writer; appointed King’s historiographer by Richelieu in recognition of literary services of a controversial character.
Vaugelas, Claude Favre de: 1585-1650; A. 1634 [14]. According to Gaston Boissier Revue des Deux Mondes, 15th July, 1909, art. Chamfort et l’Academie Franchise), the most illustrious of French grammarians. Works: Remarques sur la langue francoise (1647); etc.