Nicolas Chorier
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Nicolas Chorier (September 1, 1612 – August 14, 1692) was a French lawyer, writer, and historian. He is known especially for his historical works on
Dauphiné The Dauphiné ( , , ; or ; or ), formerly known in English as Dauphiny, is a former province in southeastern France, whose area roughly corresponded to that of the present departments of Isère, Drôme and Hautes-Alpes. The Dauphiné was ...
, as well as his erotic dialogue called ''The School of Women, or The Seven Flirtatious Encounters of Aloisia'' (). He was born at
Vienne Vienne may refer to: Places *Vienne (department), a department of France named after the river Vienne *Vienne, Isère, a city in the French department of Isère * Vienne-en-Arthies, a village in the French department of Val-d'Oise * Vienne-en-Bessi ...
, in present-day
Isère Isère ( , ; ; , ) is a landlocked Departments of France, department in the southeastern French Regions of France, region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Named after the river Isère (river), Isère, it had a population of 1,271,166 in 2019.
. He practised as a lawyer in
Grenoble Grenoble ( ; ; or ; or ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Isère Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region ...
and then as a
prosecutor A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in states with either the adversarial system, which is adopted in common law, or inquisitorial system, which is adopted in Civil law (legal system), civil law. The prosecution is the ...
for King Louis XIV. His works on Dauphiné remain an important source for historians to this day. He died at Grenoble in his eightieth year.


The School of Women

''The School of Women'' first appeared as a work in
Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
entitled ''Aloisiae Sigaeae, Toletanae, Satyra sotadica de arcanis Amoris et Veneris''. This manuscript claimed that it was originally written in Spanish by
Luisa Sigea de Velasco Luisa Sigea de Velasco (1522 in Tarancón – October 13, 1560 in Burgos), also known as Luisa Sigeia, Luisa Sigea Toledana and in the Latinized form Aloysia Sygaea Toletana, was a poet and intellectual, one of the major figures of Spanish hu ...
, an erudite poet and maid of honor at the court of
Lisbon Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...
and was then translated into Latin by Jean or
Johannes Meursius Johannes Meursius (van Meurs) (9 February 1579 – 20 September 1639) was a Dutch classical philology, classical scholar and antiquary. Biography Meursius was born Johannes van Meurs at Loosduinen, near The Hague. He was extremely precocious, ...
, a
humanist Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential, and agency of human beings, whom it considers the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry. The meaning of the term "humanism" ha ...
professor teaching history in
Leiden Leiden ( ; ; in English language, English and Archaism, archaic Dutch language, Dutch also Leyden) is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Provinces of the Nethe ...
, Holland since 1610. The attribution to Sigea was a lie and Meursius' involvement was a complete fabrication. The manuscript circulated through the
libertine A libertine is a person questioning and challenging most moral principles, such as responsibility or Human sexual activity, sexual restraints, and will often declare these traits as unnecessary, undesirable or evil. A libertine is especially som ...
community at the beginning of the eighteenth century and was known in Latin under many different titles. It was translated into French many times, including one translation by
Jean Terrasson Jean Terrasson (31 January 1670 – 15 September 1750), often referred to as the Abbé Terrasson, was a French Catholic priest, author and member of the Académie française. The erudite Antoine Terrasson was his nephew. Life Jean Terrasson, bo ...
in 1750, and was also translated into English. The book is written in the form of a series of dialogues with Tullia, a twenty-six-year-old Italian woman, the wife of Callias, who is charged with the sexual initiation of her young cousin, Ottavia, to whom she declares, "Your mother asked me to reveal to you the most mysterious secrets of the bridal bed and to teach you what you must be with your husband, which your husband will also be, touching these small things which so strongly inflame men's passion. This night, so that I can teach you above all in a freer language, we will sleep together in my bed, which I would like to be able to say will have been the softest of
Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is often called Earth's "twin" or "sister" planet for having almost the same size and mass, and the closest orbit to Earth's. While both are rocky planets, Venus has an atmosphere much thicker ...
's lace."


Editions

*1660: ''Aloisiae Sigeae Toletanae Satyra sotadica de arcanis Amoris et Veneris; Aloisia Hispanice scripsit; Latinitate donavit Ioannes Meursius''. Gratianopoli (imprint is fictitious) *1678 (ca.): ''Aloisiae Sigaeae Toletanae Satyra sotadica de arcanis Amoris & Veneris'' ... accessit colloquium ante hac non editum, Fescennini, ex m.s. recens reperto. Editio nova, emendatior & auctior. Amstelodami (or rather Geneva?)Cf. Gay-Lemonnyer.'' Bibl. des ouvrages relatifs à l'amour'' (4. éd.), I, col. 63–67. Cf. Reade, R. S. ''Registrum librorum eroticorum'', 4240. *1757: ''Joannis Meursii Elegantiae Latini sermonis seu Aloisia Sigæa Toletana de arcanis Amoris et Veneris''; adjunctis fragmentis quibusdam eroticis. Lugduni Batavorum: Ex typis Elzevirianis r rather, Paris: Barbou*1969: ''Des secrets de l'amour et de Vénus, satire sotadique de Luisa Sigea, de Tolède, par Nicolas Chorier'', préface d'André Berry. Éditions l'Or du Temps *1999: ''L'Académie des dames ou la Philosophie dans le boudoir du Grand Siècle''; dialogues érotiques présentés par Jean-Pierre Dubost. Arles: Éditions Philippe Picquier *2021: ''School of Women''; Sunny Lou Publishing,


Other works

*''The Research of Sire Chorier on the history of the city of
Vienne Vienne may refer to: Places *Vienne (department), a department of France named after the river Vienne *Vienne, Isère, a city in the French department of Isère * Vienne-en-Arthies, a village in the French department of Val-d'Oise * Vienne-en-Bessi ...
, metropolis of
Allobroges The Allobroges (Gaulish language, Gaulish: *''Allobrogis'', 'foreigner, exiled'; ) were a Gauls, Gallic people dwelling in a large territory between the Rhône river and the Alps during the Iron Age Europe, Iron Age and the Roman period. The Allob ...
'' () (1658). *''Genealogical History of the House of Sassenage, related to the counts of Lion and of Forests'' () (1669). *''A General History of
Dauphiné The Dauphiné ( , , ; or ; or ), formerly known in English as Dauphiny, is a former province in southeastern France, whose area roughly corresponded to that of the present departments of Isère, Drôme and Hautes-Alpes. The Dauphiné was ...
'' () (1671–72). Reprinted in 1971. *''The Political State of the Province of Dauphiné, supplement to the Political State of the Country of Dauphiné'' () (1671–72). *''History of Dauphiné, abridged for His Royal Highness the Dauphin'' () (1674) *''The Nobility of the Province of Dauphiné'' () (1697) *''Life of Artus Prunier of Saint-André, Adviser to the King in his Council of State and Private, First President of the Parliaments of
Provence Provence is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which stretches from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the France–Italy border, Italian border to the east; it is bordered by the Mediterrane ...
and Dauphiné (1548–1616), based on a Manuscript by Nicolas Chorier, published with an Introduction, Notes, Appendices, and the unedited Correspondence of Saint-André'' by Alfred Vellot () (1880) *''Memoirs of Nicolas Chorier on his life and affairs, translated from three books in Latin inserted into the fourth volume of the "Bulletin of the Statistical Society of the Department of Isère"'' by Félix Crozet () (1868)


Notes


References

* (1881) * 


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Chorier, Nicolas 1612 births 1692 deaths Writers from Vienne, Isère People from Dauphiné (French province) 17th-century French writers 17th-century French male writers 17th-century writers in Latin French erotica writers 17th-century French historians 17th-century French lawyers History of Grenoble French male non-fiction writers