Adam Billaut (31 January 1602 – 18 May 1662) was a French carpenter, poet and singer. Nicknamed "the

Virgil Publius Vergilius Maro (; 15 October 70 BC21 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Rome, ancient Roman poet of the Augustan literature (ancient Rome), Augustan period. He composed three of the most fa ...

of rabot" he is considered one of the first poet-workers. Billaut divided his time between

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, where he met Antoine Girard de Saint-Amant,

Guillaume Colletet Guillaume Colletet (12 March 1598 – 11 February 1659) was a French poet and a founder member of the Académie française. His son was François Colletet. Biography Colletet was born and died in Paris. He had a great reputation among his conte ...

Paul Scarron Paul Scarron (; – 6 October 1660) (a.k.a. Monsieur Scarron) was a French poet, dramatist, and novelist, born in Paris. Though his precise birth date is unknown, he was baptized on 4 July 1610. Scarron was the first husband of Françoise d'A ...

and Michel de Marolles, and

Nevers Nevers ( , ; , later ''Nevirnum'' and ''Nebirnum'') is a city and the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Nièvre Departments of France, department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Regions of France, region in central France. It was the pr ...

, where he married Catherine Renard in 1630. He received patronage from

Marie Louise Gonzaga Marie Louise Gonzaga (Italian: ''Maria Luisa'', , ; 18 August 1611 – 10 May 1667) was Queen of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania by marriage to two kings of Poland and grand dukes of Lithuania, brothers Władysław IV and John II Casi ...

and the

Prince of Condé A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The f ...

, and he was also pensioned by

Cardinal Richelieu Armand Jean du Plessis, 1st Duke of Richelieu (9 September 1585 – 4 December 1642), commonly known as Cardinal Richelieu, was a Catholic Church in France, French Catholic prelate and statesman who had an outsized influence in civil and religi ...

. He wrote a number of books, including ''Les Chevilles'', which enjoyed some critical success when it was published in 1644, ''Le Vilebrequin'', published posthumously in 1663, and ''Le Rabot'', which was never printed. Nevers maison adam billaut 01

Principal publications

* Ode à Monseigneur le cardinal duc de Richelieu, par le menuisier de Nevers, 1639 * Les Chevilles de maître Adam, menuisier de Nevers, préface de l'abbé de Marolles, 1644 * Stances de maître Adam au parc de Nevers, sur le départ de la sérénissime reine de Pologne, 1645 * Ode pour monseigneur le Prince, par maître Adam, menuisier de Nevers, 1648 * Le Vilebrequin de maître Adam, menuisier de Nevers, contenant toutes sortes de poésies gallantes, tant en sonnets, épîtres, épigrammes, élégies, madrigaux, que stances et autres pièces, 1663 * Poésies de maître Adam Billaut, 1842 * Appendice aux poésies de maître Adam, menuisier de Nevers, 1842

References

* François Gimet, workers poets Gallery. The proletarians muses: Adam Billaut, Jean Reboul, Jasmine, Magu, Marius Fourtoul, Rouget, Voitelain Louis, Charles Poncy Auguste Abadie, Queen Guard, Paris: E. Fareu, 1856 * Guy Thuillier, "Adam Billaut Nivernais and seventeenth-century writers," Nevers Nevers Municipal Library and Academic Society of Nivernais, 2002 1602 births 1662 deaths People from the Duchy of Nivernais 17th-century French poets 17th-century French male writers People from Nevers French male poets {{France-poet-stub