www.champanelle.net - Cercle Genealogic and Historical Champanellois (63) FRANCE

CHAMPFORT (Sébastien-Roch-Nicolas dit), born in the village of Theix in 1741. Natural son of Abbé Nicolas, canon, semi-prebend of the cathedral of Clermont-Ferrand, and of Madame Dauphin, Lady of Montrodès and Theix. Sent in Paris, being young, under the name of Nicolas, obtained a scholarship to the college of Orassins, and, in this establishment, the five prizes of the University. Take it name of Champfort; is introduced into the world. Pensioner on Mercury after receiving the benefits of Duke of Choiseuil and the widow of Helvetius. Secretary of the commandments of the Prince of Condé. Received at the French Academy (1781), in place of Sainte-Palaye, where he gave an admirable speech. Reader or secretary of the commandments of Mrs. Elizabeth, the king's sister. He composes a Comment on the fables of Lafontaine (1789); embarks on the Revolution. Linked with Mirabeau. Stripped of his place and his literary pension, he lived by working at the Mercury wrote the first 26 paintings of the Revolution. Appointed Librarian of the Library national by Minister Rolland. He loses this place. Returned to new political ideas, he cursed the Revolution and especially its tyrants. Stopped and driven at the Madelonnettes with Abbé Barthélemy, his nephew. Threatened from the scaffold, he shoots himself with a pistol and hits himself with several razor strokes from which he dies (April 13, 1794). Champfort was independent of character, amiable, honest, faithful in friendship. It is one of the greatest men in Lower Auvergne.

Published works. Epistle from a father to his son on the birth of a grandson (won first prize, poetry at the Academy French), 1764; The Indian girl (comedy played at the theatre), The Man of Letters (speech in verse) 1776; How much the genius of great writers influences the spirit of his century (speech) 1768; The merchant of Smyrna (very beautiful comedy) 1770; the 2 first volumes of the Library of society, by Bristling. 1771; Summary of the revolutions of Naples and of Sicily, 1781; Mustapha and Zeangir (tragedy played out at Fontainebleau) 1776; articles in the Encyclopedic Journal; Praise of Molière, (crowned by the French Academy) 1789; Praise of Lafontaine(crowned by the Academy of Marseilles); French vocabulary (several volumes are by him); the Dictionary of theatres (wrote part of it); the Order of Cincinnatus (brochure composed with Mirabeau; Discourse on the suppression of the Academies (composed for Mirabeau); Maxims and Thoughts; characters and trivia; stories, etc. Les Works of Champfort were brought together by his friend Guinguéné, Paris, 1795, 5 vol in-8°. Another edition, which is the best, is that which gives its comedies, tragedies, thoughts, 1824-1825, 5 vols. in-8°.

Portrait. There are some several, including one engraved in-8°, on a painting by Tower. We reproduce the latter.

extract of the "Large dictionary biography of Puy-de-Dôme" of Ambroise TARDIEU, 1878.

CHAMFORT, Sébastien-Roch-Nicolas

see the article about the birht act of CHAMFORT

Document :

the assault of the Bastille related by CHAMFORT, Sébastien-Roch-Nicolas (15ko format PDF)

biographies extracted of the "Grand dictionnaire historique du département du Puy-de-Dôme" of Ambroise TARDIEU, 1877.

[ The castle of Villemont is to 12 km in the nord-west of Aigueperse in extreme border of Allier. ]

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old postcards of the commune	156
old postcards except commune	47
old postcards of Puy de Dôme	118
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