Guy Auguste de Rohan-Chabot known as the ''comte de Chabot'' (18 August 1683 – 13 September 1760), often referred to as Chevalier de Rohan, was a French nobleman most notable for an altercation with

Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778) was a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. Known by his ''nom de plume'' M. de Voltaire (; also ; ), he was famous for his wit, and his criticism of Christianity—es ...

. He was the son of Louis de Rohan-Chabot,

Duc de Rohan Duke of Rohan is a title of French nobility The French nobility (french: la noblesse française) was a privileged social class in France from the Middle Ages until its abolition on June 23, 1790 during the French Revolution. From 1808 to 1815 ...

, Prince de Leon and Marie Élisabeth du Bec-Crespin de Grimaldi, Marquise de Vardes. Guy Auguste married twice, first Yvonne Sylvie Breil de Rays (1712 – 15 July 1740) on 7 February 1729, with whom he fathered two sons, Louis Antoine Auguste and Charles. After his wife's death he married Mary Apolonia Scolastica Stafford-Howard (17 February 1721 – 16 May 1769) on 25 May 1744. He died in 1760

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. His son Louis Antoine succeeded Guy Auguste's father as the

Duke of Rohan Duke of Rohan is a title of French nobility, associated with the Breton region of Rohan. Duke of Rohan House of Rohan House of Chabot House of Rohan-Chabot ''The title ''prince de Léon'' is used a courtesy title until the succession of th ...

Altercation with Voltaire

Guy-Auguste is mostly remembered for an altercation with the young

in 1725, in which both men insulted each other. He then hired some thugs to assault Voltaire while he watched from his carriage. The aristocratic Rohan family obtained a

lettre de cachet ''Lettres de cachet'' (; ) were letters signed by the king of France, countersigned by one of his ministers, and closed with the royal seal. They contained orders directly from the king, often to enforce arbitrary actions and judgments that ...

from French King Louis XV and used this warrant to force Voltaire first into imprisonment in the

Bastille The Bastille (, ) was a fortress in Paris, known formally as the Bastille Saint-Antoine. It played an important role in the internal conflicts of France and for most of its history was used as a state prison by the kings of France. It was stor ...

and then into exile in Great Britain.

References

Counts of France 1683 births 1760 deaths Guy Auguste Guy Auguste {{France-noble-stub