Antoine Jay (20 October 1770, Guîtres – 9 April 1854, Courgeac) was a French writer, journalist, historian and politician.

Biography

At first an Oratorian at

Niort Niort (; Poitevin: ''Niàu''; ; ) is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department, western France. It is the prefecture of Deux-Sèvres. The population of Niort is 58,707 (2017) and more than 177,000 people live in the urban area. Geography T ...

, he studied law at

Toulouse Toulouse (, ; ; ) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department and of the Occitania (administrative region), Occitania region. The city is on the banks of the Garonne, River Garonne, from ...

then became a lawyer, then briefly worked as the administrator of the district of

Libourne Libourne (; ) is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. It is the wine-making capital of northern Gironde and lies near Saint-Émilion and Pomerol. Geog ...

. He travelled to Canada and the United States between 1795 and 1802 to escape the French Revolution, making friends with

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (, 1743July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the United States Declaration of Indepe ...

and teaching French to

Lemuel Shaw Lemuel Shaw (January 9, 1781 – March 30, 1861) was an American jurist who served as chief justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (1830–1860). Prior to his appointment he also served for several years in the Massachusetts House ...

. From 1803 to 1809, he was tutor to the sons of

Joseph Fouché Joseph Fouché, 1st Duc d'Otrante, 1st Comte Fouché (; 21 May 1759 – 26 December 1820) was a French statesman, revolutionary, and Minister of Police under First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte, who later became a subordinate of Emperor Napoleon. H ...

, before serving as a civil servant in the Ministry of Police, where he translated English newspapers. He contributed to the ''Journal des Voyages'' and ''L'Abeille'', participated in the foundation of '' Constitutionnel'' and '' La Minerve française'', and edited the ''

Journal de Paris The (1777–1840) was the first daily French newspaper.(7 October 2014)The first French daily: Journal de Paris History of JournalismAndrews, ElizabethBetween Auteurs and Abonnés: Reading the Journal de Paris, 1787–1789 ''Journal of the Weste ...

''. He was an influential opposition journalist, who had supported the French Revolution and

First French Empire The First French Empire or French Empire (; ), also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental Europe at the beginning of the 19th century. It lasted from ...

(serving as a deputy in the Chambre of the

Hundred Days The Hundred Days ( ), also known as the War of the Seventh Coalition (), marked the period between Napoleon's return from eleven months of exile on the island of Elba to Paris on20 March 1815 and the second restoration of King Louis XVIII o ...

and favouring the handover of

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

to the Allies after Waterloo), opposing the Bourbon Restoration and finally seeing the triumph of his political ideal in the

July Revolution The French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution (), Second French Revolution, or ("Three Glorious ays), was a second French Revolution after French Revolution, the first of 1789–99. It led to the overthrow of King Cha ...

. He was mayor of Lagorce (1830–1848), conseiller général for the

Gironde Gironde ( , US usually , ; , ) is the largest department in the southwestern French region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Named after the Gironde estuary, a major waterway, its prefecture is Bordeaux. In 2019, it had a population of 1,623,749.

(1831–1837) and deputy for the Gironde (1815, 1831, 1834). He came to note for his ''Histoire du ministère du cardinal de Richelieu'' (1815) and his elogies of Corneille and

Montaigne Michel Eyquem, Seigneur de Montaigne ( ; ; ; 28 February 1533 – 13 September 1592), commonly known as Michel de Montaigne, was one of the most significant philosophers of the French Renaissance. He is known for popularising the essay as ...

(published in his ''Tableau littéraire de la France pendant le XVIIIe siècle'' in 1818). He,

Antoine-Vincent Arnault Antoine-Vincent, chevalier Arnault (1 January 176616 September 1834) was a French playwright. Life Arnault was born in Paris. His first play, ''Marius à Minturne'' (1791), immediately established his reputation. A year later he followed wit ...

, Jacques de Norvins and

Étienne de Jouy Étienne, a French analog of Stephen or Steven, is a masculine given name. An archaic variant of the name, prevalent up to the mid-17th century, is Estienne. Étienne, Etienne, Ettiene or Ettienne may refer to: People Artists and entertainers * ...

then collaborated on a ''Biographie nouvelle des contemporains'', for which he notably edited an article on Jean-Baptiste Boyer-Fonfrède which led to his imprisonment for a month in the prison Sainte-Pélagie. However, he is best known for his ''Conversion d'un romantique'' (1830), in which he staunchly opposes

romanticism Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century. The purpose of the movement was to advocate for the importance of subjec ...

, writing: His opposition to romanticism even went so far as voting against

Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo, vicomte Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romanticism, Romantic author, poet, essayist, playwright, journalist, human rights activist and politician. His most famous works are the novels ''The Hunchbac ...

's election to the

Académie française An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...

in 1841 (Jay had been elected to the Académie himself in 1832 and was "one of tsbest sleepers" according to a contemporaryArthur de Drosnay, ''Les Petits Mystères de l'Académie française. Révélations d'un envieux'', 1844, p. 33.).

Works

*''Le Glaneur, ou Essais de Nicolas Freeman'' (1812) *''Les États-Unis et l'Angleterre, ou Souvenirs et réflexions d'un citoyen américain'' ka William Lee ''essais traduits sur le manuscrit de l'auteur'' (1814) *''Histoire du ministère du cardinal de Richelieu'' (2 volumes, 1815) *''Voyages dans la partie septentrionale du Brésil, depuis 1809 jusqu'en 1815, par Henri Koster, traduits de l'anglais'' (2 volumes, 1818) *''Recueil de pièces authentiques sur le captif de Sainte-Hélène, de mémoires et documents écrits ou dictés par l'empereur Napoleon; suivis de lettres de MM. le grand-maréchal comte Bertrand, le comte Las Cases, le général baron Gourgaud, le général comte Montholon, les docteurs Warden, O'Meara et Autommarchi'' ic ''et plusieurs personnages de haute distinction'' (12 volumes, 1821–25) *''Salon d'

Horace Vernet Émile Jean-Horace Vernet (; 30 June 178917 January 1863) more commonly known as simply Horace Vernet, was a French painter of battles, portraits, and Orientalist subjects. Biography Early career Vernet was born to Carle Vernet, another famo ...

, analyse historique et pittoresque des 45 tableaux exposés chez lui en 1822'' (In collaboration with

, 1822) *''Les Hermites en prison, ou Consolations de Sainte-Pélagie'' (2 volumes in collaboration with Étienne de Jouy, 1823) *''Les Hermites en liberté, pour faire suite aux « Hermites en prison »'' (4 volumes in collaboration with Étienne de Jouy, 1824) *''La Conversion d'un romantique, manuscrit de Joseph Delorme, suivi de deux lettres sur la littérature du siècle et d'un essai sur l'éloquence politique en France'' (1830) *''Œuvres littéraires'' (4 volumes, 1831) *''La Piété filiale, ou Histoire de Pauline'' (1852) ;Online texts *''Tableau littéraire de la France pendant le XVIIIe siècle; Éloge de Montaigne; Précis historique sur la vie et les ouvrages de l'abbé Raynal'

*''Considérations sur l'état politique de l'Europe, sur celui de la France, sur la censure et les élections, ou Supplément aux « Documents historiques » de M. Kératry'

*''Conversion d'un romantique; Essai sur l'éloquence politique en France'

*''Essais sur les mœurs; Mélanges de littérature'

*''Nouvelles américaines; Dialogue des morts; Mélanges de littérature'

References

External links

*
Académie française
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jay, Antoine 1770 births 1854 deaths People from Gironde Politicians from Nouvelle-Aquitaine Members of the Chamber of Representatives (France) Members of the 1st Chamber of Deputies of the July Monarchy Members of the 2nd Chamber of Deputies of the July Monarchy Members of the 3rd Chamber of Deputies of the July Monarchy French journalists 19th-century French historians 19th-century French writers French male writers Alumni of Oratorian schools Members of the Académie Française