Agrippa d'Aubigné épistolier: des lettres à I'œuvre (review)

Taking as the basis for her study, the six 'books' of correspondence in Tronchin manuscript n°152 (covering the period 1598?-1626), Barbara Ertlé-Perrier has discussed her thesis that the letters are to be considered not only as a means of communication but as a work/œuvre in its own right which 'functioned as a monument in the creation of his own myth' (p. 552). It is a difficult task and she admits that she soon realised that 'a definitive interpretation would be possible only when there is a complete and reliable edition of the Correspondance' (ibidem). She provides us with a useful 'historique' of the letters, their various editions and related texts; she replaces, relatively briefly, d'Aubigné in the epistolary tradition and touches upon the micro- and macro-structure of the diverse missives. In a second part, she examines d'Aubigné as a writer of letters, as a military man, as a theologian, a man of science and, finally, as an historiographer. There are 9 annexes over c.100 pages, which include several facsimiles of manuscript documents and valuable tables classifying the correspondence by addressee, date, themes and first words. His addressees, for example, are drawn from all sections of the community. Out of 168 letters, large numbers are addressed to soldiers (53), magistrates (31), diplomats (18), members of his family (11), but there are also doctors, lawyers, catholic clergy, 'pasteurs and kings with whom he corresponds or would have us believe that he is corresponding. It is an impressive list and one which emphasises the importance of d'Aubigné's contacts and gives a glimpse of his role as political mediator and even manipulator. Ertlé-Perrier has, understandably, not exhausted her vast subject but has indicated a whole host of avenues to be explored and researched in connection with d'Aubigné's 'last, unfinished book', as it were – his style, the relationship with his biography, his concept of the 'œuvre', etc. Although on occasions, the rigours of the thesis structure are a little too evident, this is a work which renders homage to d'Aubigné as one of the important figures in the history of the evolution and art of letter writing.