[SCARRON (Paul)] - Lot 4

[SCARRON (Paul)] Born in Paris. 1610-1660. Writer. Author of the Roman comique. Manuscript (in another hand) entitled "A Monseigneur le Cardinal - Stances". S.l.n.d. 3 pp. in-4 on watermarked laid paper. Verso of folio reads: "Sonnet pour se (son Excellence) Le Cardinal". THE STANZA CONSISTS OF 13 QUATRAINS, EACH SEPARATED BY A FERMESSE. The poet did not obtain satisfaction from the "Grand Armand", Armand de Bourbon, Prince de Conti, nephew of Cardinal de Richelieu ...Ne crains ny mes vers, ny ma prose / Prince, ils ne te demandent rien, / Le Grand Armand ma fait du bien, / Et je me limite a peu de chose. / If I am full, it's because I'm mistaken / Besides, my wishes are granted / If my fortune is established, / My honor is not enough. / Your forgiveness is a crime to me, / A fool may imagine / That you have no esteem for me, / Since you have given me nothing. [...] I had vainly sought matter / Since the death of the Great Armand / To give you thanks, / And here I find it all / Lage has made me lazy, / And fortune is dead to me / Since she only laughs at those / Who are distinguished at your door./ Give to the unwelcome plenty, / Like them I'm not greedy, / And seek in honor only / The true and solid good / In it alone you can offer me everything, / Suffer for it that I approach you, / For your oubly is a reproach / That I can no longer suffer...Most of Scarron's epistles, odes and stanzas were addressed to high-ranking personalities, in exchange for a few écus, since the poet, who had nicknamed his home "l'hôtel de l'impécuniosité" (the hotel of impecuniosity), lived most of his life in discomfort. Turenne, Vivonne, Sully, Elbeuf and many others were among his dedicatees.The stanza, which takes its name from the Italian Stanza, meaning "dwelling", was introduced into French poetry under the reign of Henri II in 1580, and was first produced by the poet Jean de Lingendes (1580-1616).