Georges de Brébeuf

Georges de Brébeuf (1618 – 1661) was a French poet and translator best known for his verse translation of Lucan's Pharsalia (1654) which was warmly received by Pierre Corneille, but which was ridiculed by Nicolas Boileau in his Art poétique. Quotes thumb|It is from him [Cadmus] that this ingenious art comes to us of painting words and speaking to the eyes; and by the different forms of traced figures, giving colour and body to the thoughts. C'est de lui que nous vient cet art ingenieuxDe peindre la parole et de parler aux yeux;Et par les traits divers de figures tracées,Donner de la couleur et du corps aux pensées. It is from him [Cadmus] that this ingenious art comes to us of painting words and speaking to the eyes; and by the different forms of traced figures, giving colour and body to the thoughts. The Invention of Letters. "I would give," said Corneille, "one of my tragedies for these four lines." So Lucan, Pharsalia, bk. 3, l. 220: "Phœnices primi, famæ si creditur, ausi / Mansuram rudibus vocem signare figuris." Reported in Craufurd Tait Ramage (ed.) Beautiful Thoughts from French and Italian Authors'' (Liverpool: Edward Howell, 1866) p. 10 External links La Pharsale de Lucain, ou Les guerres civiles de César et de Pompée (Rouen, 1657) Category:1618 births Category:1661 deaths Category:Poets from France Category:Translators from France Category:People from Normandy