Gabriel Sénac de Meilhan
Encyclopedia
Gabriel Sénac de Meilhan (May 7, 1736 – August 16, 1803) was a French
writer
.
, physician to Louis XV
, he was born in Versailles
. He entered the civil service in 1762; two years later he bought the office of master of requests
, and in 1766 further advanced his position by a rich marriage. He was successively intendant of La Rochelle
, of Aix-en-Provence
and of Valenciennes
. In 1776 he became intendant-general for war, but was soon compelled to resign.
He had hoped to be made Minister of Finance
, and was disappointed by the nomination of Necker
, of whom he became a bitter opponent. He was intimate with the comtesse de Tess, sister of the duc de Choiseul
, and in 1781 met Madame de Créquy, then sixty-seven years of age, and began a long friendship with her. His first book was the fictitious Mémoires d'Anne de Gonzague, princesse palatine (1786), thought by many people at the time to be genuine. In the next year followed the Considérations sur les richesses et le luxe, combating the opinions of Necker; and in 1788 the more valuable Considérations sur l'esprit et les mœurs, a book which abounds in sententious, but often excessively frank, sayings.
Sénac witnessed the beginnings of the French Revolution
in Paris, but emigrated in 1790, making his way first to London
, and then, in 1791, to Aachen
, where he met Pierre Alexandre de Tilly, who asserts in his Memoirs that Sénac attributed the misfortunes of Louis XVI
to the refusal of his own services. In 1793, while his recollections of the Revolution were still fresh, he wrote a novel, L'Émigré (Hamburg, 4 vols., 1797), which shows perspicacity and good judgment in its treatment of events. It was reprinted in 1904 in an abridged form by Casimir Stryienski and Frantz Funck-Brentano.
At the invitation of Catherine II
, Sénac went in 1792 to Russia
, where he hoped to become imperial historiographer, but his manners displeased Catherine, who contented herself with dismissing him with a pension. From Russia he went to Hamburg
and thence to Vienna
, where he found a friend in the prince de Ligne. He died in 1803.
See his Oeuvres choisies, edited by M. de Lescure in 1862; Lettres inédites de Madame de Créquy a Sénac de Meilhan (1856), edited by Edouard Fournier; Louis Legrand
, Sénac de Meilhan & l'intendance du Hainaut & du Cambrsis (1868); and the notice by Fernand Caussy prefixed to his edition (1905) of the Considérations sur l'esprit riles mœurs.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
.
Biography
Son of Jean SénacJean Sénac
Jean Sénac Born of an unknown father in Béni Saf in the Oran region of Algeria, the "poet who signed with a sun", was murdered in Algiers on August 30, 1973. His murder remains unsolved. Besides his poems and writings, he was renowned for a long-running relationship and correspondences with...
, physician to Louis XV
Louis XV of France
Louis XV was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death. He succeeded his great-grandfather at the age of five, his first cousin Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, served as Regent of the kingdom until Louis's majority in 1723...
, he was born in Versailles
Versailles
Versailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
. He entered the civil service in 1762; two years later he bought the office of master of requests
Master of Requests
The Master of Requests was a Great Officer of State in Scotland.The office first appeared in the reign of James V. Its functions in Scotland included that of receiving petitions from subjects and presenting them for consideration by the Privy Council...
, and in 1766 further advanced his position by a rich marriage. He was successively intendant of La Rochelle
La Rochelle
La Rochelle is a city in western France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department.The city is connected to the Île de Ré by a bridge completed on 19 May 1988...
, of Aix-en-Provence
Aix-en-Provence
Aix , or Aix-en-Provence to distinguish it from other cities built over hot springs, is a city-commune in southern France, some north of Marseille. It is in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, in the département of Bouches-du-Rhône, of which it is a subprefecture. The population of Aix is...
and of Valenciennes
Valenciennes
Valenciennes is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It lies on the Scheldt river. Although the city and region had seen a steady decline between 1975 and 1990, it has since rebounded...
. In 1776 he became intendant-general for war, but was soon compelled to resign.
He had hoped to be made Minister of Finance
Controller-General of Finances
The Controller-General of Finances was the name of the minister in charge of finances in France from 1661 to 1791. The position replaced the former position of Superintendent of Finances , which was abolished with the downfall of Nicolas Fouquet.- History :The term "contrôleur général" in...
, and was disappointed by the nomination of Necker
Jacques Necker
Jacques Necker was a French statesman of Swiss birth and finance minister of Louis XVI, a post he held in the lead-up to the French Revolution in 1789.-Early life:...
, of whom he became a bitter opponent. He was intimate with the comtesse de Tess, sister of the duc de Choiseul
Étienne François, duc de Choiseul
Étienne-François, comte de Stainville, duc de Choiseul was a French military officer, diplomat and statesman. Between 1758 and 1761, and 1766 and 1770, he was Foreign Minister of France and had a strong influence on France's global strategy throughout the period...
, and in 1781 met Madame de Créquy, then sixty-seven years of age, and began a long friendship with her. His first book was the fictitious Mémoires d'Anne de Gonzague, princesse palatine (1786), thought by many people at the time to be genuine. In the next year followed the Considérations sur les richesses et le luxe, combating the opinions of Necker; and in 1788 the more valuable Considérations sur l'esprit et les mœurs, a book which abounds in sententious, but often excessively frank, sayings.
Sénac witnessed the beginnings of the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
in Paris, but emigrated in 1790, making his way first to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and then, in 1791, to Aachen
Aachen
Aachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...
, where he met Pierre Alexandre de Tilly, who asserts in his Memoirs that Sénac attributed the misfortunes of Louis XVI
Louis XVI of France
Louis XVI was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre until 1791, and then as King of the French from 1791 to 1792, before being executed in 1793....
to the refusal of his own services. In 1793, while his recollections of the Revolution were still fresh, he wrote a novel, L'Émigré (Hamburg, 4 vols., 1797), which shows perspicacity and good judgment in its treatment of events. It was reprinted in 1904 in an abridged form by Casimir Stryienski and Frantz Funck-Brentano.
At the invitation of Catherine II
Catherine II of Russia
Catherine II, also known as Catherine the Great , Empress of Russia, was born in Stettin, Pomerania, Prussia on as Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg...
, Sénac went in 1792 to Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, where he hoped to become imperial historiographer, but his manners displeased Catherine, who contented herself with dismissing him with a pension. From Russia he went to Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
and thence to Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, where he found a friend in the prince de Ligne. He died in 1803.
Works
Sénac also wrote a moderate exposition of the causes that led to the Revolution, entitled Du gouvernement, des mœurs et des conditions en France avant la Révolution, avec les caractères des principaux personnages du règne de Louis XVI; the last part was reprinted (1813) by the duc de Levis with a notice of the author as Portraits & caractères. Sénac collected his own Oeuvres philosophiques & litteraires (2 vols.) at Hamburg in 1795.See his Oeuvres choisies, edited by M. de Lescure in 1862; Lettres inédites de Madame de Créquy a Sénac de Meilhan (1856), edited by Edouard Fournier; Louis Legrand
Louis Legrand
Louis Auguste Mathieu Legrand was a French artist. His works are varieties of etchings, graphic art and paintings. His paintings featured the Parisian social life. Many were of prostitutes, dancers and bar scenes, which featured a sense of eroticism...
, Sénac de Meilhan & l'intendance du Hainaut & du Cambrsis (1868); and the notice by Fernand Caussy prefixed to his edition (1905) of the Considérations sur l'esprit riles mœurs.