Volume 31, Number 4, Fall 2008 Henri III, la rhétorique et l’Académie du Palais Guest-edited by Claude La Charité

EN:

According to contemporary observers, in the years from 1576 to 1579 Henry III brought together groups of orators-men and women, poets and courtiers-to discuss questions of moral philosophy. This happened both in Paris, and in provincial towns such as Blois and Ollainville. Several of the speeches given by these diverse orators remain extant. Among the spectators was Marguerite de Valois, who ordered the transcription of thirteen speeches that were pronounced during the January-February period of 1576. This album, preserved in a beautifully-bound manuscript, provides an interesting testimony to the intellectual curiosity of Marguerite and to the abiding interest of the king and his court in the domain of eloquence. The present article describes the context in which Marguerite de Valois participated in the first sessions of the Palace Academy, and presents the manuscript volume containing several, palpable traces of her reading of the texts. It also evaluates the contribution of some poets from Marguerite's entourage, such as Ronsard, Desportes, Baïf and Jamyn, and examines aspects of their philosophical debates as well as their oratorical skills.

EN:

The literary tradition has preserved three Artes Rhetoricae written for the last of the Valois kings, who reigned in France under the name of Henry III from 1574 to 1589. These three texts are Jacques Davy Du Perron's Avant-discours de rhetorique, ou Traitté de l'eloquence, Jacques Amyot's Projet de l'eloquence royale, and Germain Forget's Rhetorique françoise faicte particulierement pour le roy Henry 3. All three very likely originated as academic speeches pronounced at the Louvre, in the presence of Henry III, in the final sessions of the Palace Academy during the summer of 1579. This article offers a re-reading of the three treatises in order to situate them in the history of rhetoric. It aims to show how each author collects and presents teachings of the principal rhetorical traditions. Thus, Du Perron, inspired mainly by Quintilian and Cicero, proposes a kind of abridged version of the rhetorical thought of Latin Antiquity. Amyot, for his part, puts forth a synthesis of ancient Greek rhetorical theory starting with Plutarch, Dyonisius of Halicarnassus and Demetrius of Phalerus. Germain Forget provides an account of Renaissance innovations, by adopting the nomenclature of Peter Ramus under the rubric of elocutio. The objective of this essay is to shed light on the complementary nature of the three treatises, as well as to suggest a probable order in which they were presented to the King, following a logical gradation from the most general to the most specific.

EN:

This article examines the place given to the part of rhetoric known as "invention" in the Rhetorique françoise faicte particulierement pour le roy Henry III, a treatise which has been attributed to the jurist Germain Forget. First, this study underlines the relative importance, in Forget's treatise, of this category which traditionally occupies the first place in the ordered disposition of ancient rhetorical treatises. In comparison, reference is made to two other contemporary treatises. Then, second, the analysis shows that the author favours a general idea of invention setting it apart from the technical considerations pertaining to specific theories of "causes". Finally, the third part of the study proposes the hypothesis that this general idea of invention, inspired by Quintilian, bears the stamp of contemporary Humanism, in particular that of the adherents, in the tradition of Erasmus and Politian, to the theory commonly known as "innutrition". At a time when the last of the Valois kings ardently wished to become a father, even commanding that public prayers be recited to this effect, the theory of rhetorical invention rests, perhaps appropriately, on humanist ideas concerning pedagogy.

EN:

Conceived somewhat in the style of the 'Mirrors of Princes' tradition composed of educational tracts addressed to future monarchs dating back to the 9th century, these late sixteenth-century treatises of royal eloquence are intended to serve the Prince and edify his speech. For this reason, they invite examination as princely 'Institutions of Oratory'. The ideal portrait of the king, forever haunted by a general fear of conferring royalty upon an ass, is one of a 'learned and well-spoken' prince. Education and eloquence therefore constitute two royal virtues which allow the sovereign to distinguish himself from the people and render himself worthy of the admiration of all subjects. This primary relation between learning and eloquence taken as fundamental elements of royal power is the main concern of the present study and analysis. We shall examine the case of three 'rhetorics', composed for the use of Henry III with the intention of informing himself as a model of the 'well-spoken king'.

EN:

It might seem surprising to find, in a royal correspondence dedicated primarily to the task of public administration, elements of informal expression, an obvious informal tone of personal concern, and even numerous signs of friendly consort. Since the royal person remains indistinguishable from his function, he avoids with greater difficulty than others the hierarchical imperatives that determine epistolary exchanges. Even so, the letters addressed by Henry III to his court favourites and to state secretary Villeroy are particular in that they exhibit an exemplary sociability that invites reciprocity within the master-servant relationship. The present article aims to show that this rhetoric of familiarity contributes to an expression of favour which strengthens a privileged mode of communication, which constitutes a real pact of fidelity. Indeed, epistolary correspondence is seen as much more than a simple administrative expedient, or a means of long-distance communication. It is seen rather as a political technique which is useful in serving the mutual interest of the correspondents.