Guy Lefèvre de la Boderie
Encyclopedia
Guy Lefèvre de la Boderie (b. near Falaise, Calvados
in Normandy
, 9 August 1541; d. in 1598 in the house in which he was born) was a French Orientalist
, Bible scholar and poet.
At an early age he devoted himself to the study of Middle Eastern languages, particularly Hebrew and Syriac. After much travelling in different provinces of France he settled down to uninterrupted study under the guidance of the Orientalist Guillaume Postel
, who was a professor in the Collège de France
. Guy was convinced that study and knowledge were keys to religious faith, in particular in regard to Biblical work. He selected Syriac and Aramaic as his special department in the hope of coming nearer to the mind of Christ by the study of his vernacular
. His first published work of importance was a Latin version of the Syriac New Testament
published in 1560. This work attracted much attention, and in 1568 Guy was invited by Benito Arias Montano
to assist in the production of the Antwerp Polyglot. Guy accepted the invitation and proceeded to Antwerp with his brother Nicolas who was also an Orientalist.
The work assigned to Guy by Arias Montano was the editing of the Syriac New Testament. He examined for this purpose a new manuscript of it which Postel had brought from the East. In 1572 appeared in the fifth volume of the Antwerp Polyglot Bible the result of Lefevre's work, entitled Novum Testamentum syriace, cum versione Latin. This work included the collated Syriac text and Lefevre's previously published (and now amended) Latin version. This work was republished by Le Jay in 1645 in the Paris Polyglot. In 1572 Lefevre published in Antwerp a short Syriac text which he had found accidentally thrown together with the Eastern Biblical manuscript above mentioned. This text, furnished with a Latin translation, appeared under the title D. Seven, Alexandrini, quondam patriarche, de Ritibus baptismi et sacre synaxis apud Syros Christianos receptis liber.
Lefevre tells us (Epistola dedicatoria, p. 4 f.) that he published this text to illustrate the agreement of the ancient Eastern Church with the Western in the important matter of sacramental ritual. To make the little text useful for beginners in Syriac Lefevre vocalized the text and added at the foot of the page a vocalized transliteration
in Hebrew characters. In the sixth volume of the Antwerp Polyglot appeared a further work by Lefevre, Grammatica chaldaica et Dictionarium Syro-Chaldaicum. In the same year 1572, Lefevre published, also in Antwerp, a short introduction to Syriac, Syriace 1ingue prima elementa. This work is little more than an account of the names of the consonant
s and vowel signs with a few easy texts. On completing his work in Antwerp in 1572 Lefevre returned to France where he soon obtained the post of secretary and interpreter to the Duke of Alençon. In this position he was brought into close contact with the somewhat radical thought of the period. His associates were men like Antoine de Baif, Jean Daurat
, Pierre de Ronsard
, Jean Vauquelin de la Fresnaye
etc.
But Lefevre remained, in spite of all, a strong Catholic and a steady enemy of Protestantism
. in 1584 he published a transliteration in Hebrew characters of the Syriac New Testament, Novum J. Chr. Testamentum, syriace litteris hebraicis, cum versione Latin' interlineari. In this work the Vulgate
and Greek texts were printed at the foot of the page. Lefevre was not merely a philologist, he was also wrote poetry, usually expressing his support for Catholicism - Vauquelin de La Fresnaye described him as a 'poete tout chrestien'. Among his poetry is: L'Encyclie des secrets de l'Eternité (Antwerp, 1571), an apology of Christianity; La Galliade, ou de la révolution des arts et sciences (Paris, 1578; 2nd ed. 1582). which celebrates the return to France of the banished sciences; Hymnes ecclésiastiques and Cantiques spirituels et autres mélanges poétiques (Paris, 1578–1582), many of which are translations from the Italian; L'Harmonie du Monde (Paris, 1582), a translation of Latin work.
Lefevre published in his last years a large number of translations from Latin, Italian, Spanish etc., in verse and prose. Most of these translations are apologetic
. Of his life, apart from his writings, we know next to nothing. It has been conjectured from some words of his in a poem addressed to Marguerite de France
that he was a clergyman; and it has been said that Pope Clement VIII wished to make him a cardinal
in his last days, but that he declined. He died in the peaceful family mansion of La Boderie in 1598. He wrote this epitaph for himself:
Falaise, Calvados
Falaise is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.-History:The town was the birthplace of William I the Conqueror, first of the Norman Kings of England. The Château de Falaise , which overlooks the town from a high crag, was formerly the seat of...
in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
, 9 August 1541; d. in 1598 in the house in which he was born) was a French Orientalist
Oriental studies
Oriental studies is the academic field of study that embraces Near Eastern and Far Eastern societies and cultures, languages, peoples, history and archaeology; in recent years the subject has often been turned into the newer terms of Asian studies and Middle Eastern studies...
, Bible scholar and poet.
At an early age he devoted himself to the study of Middle Eastern languages, particularly Hebrew and Syriac. After much travelling in different provinces of France he settled down to uninterrupted study under the guidance of the Orientalist Guillaume Postel
Guillaume Postel
Guillaume Postel was a French linguist, astronomer, Cabbalist, diplomat, professor, and religious universalist.Born in the village of Barenton in Basse-Normandie, Postel made his way to Paris to further his education...
, who was a professor in the Collège de France
Collège de France
The Collège de France is a higher education and research establishment located in Paris, France, in the 5th arrondissement, or Latin Quarter, across the street from the historical campus of La Sorbonne at the intersection of Rue Saint-Jacques and Rue des Écoles...
. Guy was convinced that study and knowledge were keys to religious faith, in particular in regard to Biblical work. He selected Syriac and Aramaic as his special department in the hope of coming nearer to the mind of Christ by the study of his vernacular
Vernacular
A vernacular is the native language or native dialect of a specific population, as opposed to a language of wider communication that is not native to the population, such as a national language or lingua franca.- Etymology :The term is not a recent one...
. His first published work of importance was a Latin version of the Syriac New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
published in 1560. This work attracted much attention, and in 1568 Guy was invited by Benito Arias Montano
Benito Arias Montano
Benito Arias Montano , Spanish orientalist and editor of the Antwerp Polyglot, was born at Fregenal de la Sierra, in Extremadura, in 1527. After studying at the universities of Seville and Alcalá, he took orders about the year 1559. He became a clerical member of the Military Order of St...
to assist in the production of the Antwerp Polyglot. Guy accepted the invitation and proceeded to Antwerp with his brother Nicolas who was also an Orientalist.
The work assigned to Guy by Arias Montano was the editing of the Syriac New Testament. He examined for this purpose a new manuscript of it which Postel had brought from the East. In 1572 appeared in the fifth volume of the Antwerp Polyglot Bible the result of Lefevre's work, entitled Novum Testamentum syriace, cum versione Latin. This work included the collated Syriac text and Lefevre's previously published (and now amended) Latin version. This work was republished by Le Jay in 1645 in the Paris Polyglot. In 1572 Lefevre published in Antwerp a short Syriac text which he had found accidentally thrown together with the Eastern Biblical manuscript above mentioned. This text, furnished with a Latin translation, appeared under the title D. Seven, Alexandrini, quondam patriarche, de Ritibus baptismi et sacre synaxis apud Syros Christianos receptis liber.
Lefevre tells us (Epistola dedicatoria, p. 4 f.) that he published this text to illustrate the agreement of the ancient Eastern Church with the Western in the important matter of sacramental ritual. To make the little text useful for beginners in Syriac Lefevre vocalized the text and added at the foot of the page a vocalized transliteration
Transliteration
Transliteration is a subset of the science of hermeneutics. It is a form of translation, and is the practice of converting a text from one script into another...
in Hebrew characters. In the sixth volume of the Antwerp Polyglot appeared a further work by Lefevre, Grammatica chaldaica et Dictionarium Syro-Chaldaicum. In the same year 1572, Lefevre published, also in Antwerp, a short introduction to Syriac, Syriace 1ingue prima elementa. This work is little more than an account of the names of the consonant
Consonant
In articulatory phonetics, a consonant is a speech sound that is articulated with complete or partial closure of the vocal tract. Examples are , pronounced with the lips; , pronounced with the front of the tongue; , pronounced with the back of the tongue; , pronounced in the throat; and ,...
s and vowel signs with a few easy texts. On completing his work in Antwerp in 1572 Lefevre returned to France where he soon obtained the post of secretary and interpreter to the Duke of Alençon. In this position he was brought into close contact with the somewhat radical thought of the period. His associates were men like Antoine de Baif, Jean Daurat
Jean Daurat
Jean Daurat was a French poet, scholar, and a member of a group known as The Pléiade.-Early life:...
, Pierre de Ronsard
Pierre de Ronsard
Pierre de Ronsard was a French poet and "prince of poets" .-Early life:...
, Jean Vauquelin de la Fresnaye
Jean Vauquelin de la Fresnaye
Jean Vauquelin de la Fresnaye was a French poet born at the château of La Fresnaye-au-Sauvage in Normandy in 1536....
etc.
But Lefevre remained, in spite of all, a strong Catholic and a steady enemy of Protestantism
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
. in 1584 he published a transliteration in Hebrew characters of the Syriac New Testament, Novum J. Chr. Testamentum, syriace litteris hebraicis, cum versione Latin' interlineari. In this work the Vulgate
Vulgate
The Vulgate is a late 4th-century Latin translation of the Bible. It was largely the work of St. Jerome, who was commissioned by Pope Damasus I in 382 to make a revision of the old Latin translations...
and Greek texts were printed at the foot of the page. Lefevre was not merely a philologist, he was also wrote poetry, usually expressing his support for Catholicism - Vauquelin de La Fresnaye described him as a 'poete tout chrestien'. Among his poetry is: L'Encyclie des secrets de l'Eternité (Antwerp, 1571), an apology of Christianity; La Galliade, ou de la révolution des arts et sciences (Paris, 1578; 2nd ed. 1582). which celebrates the return to France of the banished sciences; Hymnes ecclésiastiques and Cantiques spirituels et autres mélanges poétiques (Paris, 1578–1582), many of which are translations from the Italian; L'Harmonie du Monde (Paris, 1582), a translation of Latin work.
Lefevre published in his last years a large number of translations from Latin, Italian, Spanish etc., in verse and prose. Most of these translations are apologetic
Christian apologetics
Christian apologetics is a field of Christian theology that aims to present a rational basis for the Christian faith, defend the faith against objections, and expose the perceived flaws of other world views...
. Of his life, apart from his writings, we know next to nothing. It has been conjectured from some words of his in a poem addressed to Marguerite de France
Marguerite de Valois
Margaret of Valois was Queen of France and of Navarre during the late sixteenth century...
that he was a clergyman; and it has been said that Pope Clement VIII wished to make him a cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
in his last days, but that he declined. He died in the peaceful family mansion of La Boderie in 1598. He wrote this epitaph for himself:
- Tandisque j'ai vescu, j'ai toujours souhaité Non d'amasser trésors, mais chercher Verité.