Michel de La Roche
Encyclopedia
Michel de La Roche (fl. 1710–1731) was a French Huguenot
refugee and author in England, where he was known as an editor of early literary periodicals, monthly or quarterly.
He settled in London and obtained employment from booksellers, mainly devoting himself to literary criticism. Imitating some similar ventures that had been made in Holland, he began in 1710 to issue a periodical, Memoirs of Literature.’ It was brought to an end in September 1714; there were other issues in 1717. De La Roche, on his own account, was a friend of Pierre Bayle
. Early in 1717 he arranged to edit a new periodical, Bibliothèque Angloise, ou Histoire littéraire de la Grande Bretagne, in French and published at Amsterdam; he was still living for the most part in London. The fifth volume of the Bibliothèque Angloise, dated 1719, was the last he edited. The publisher transferred the editorship in that year to Armand de La Chapelle, giving as a pretext that de La Roche's foreign readers accused him of opposition to Calvinism
, hostility to the Protestant Reformation
, and a bias towards Anglicanism.
Shortly afterwards de La Roche began to edit the Mémoires Littéraires, which was published at The Hague
at intervals till 1724. In 1725 he started New Memoirs of Literature, which ran till December 1727, and finally, in 1730, A Literary Journal, or a continuation of the Memoirs of Literature, which came to an end in 1731.
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
refugee and author in England, where he was known as an editor of early literary periodicals, monthly or quarterly.
Life
While young in France he experienced religious persecution for his Protestant religion. He escaped to England where he became almost immediately an Anglican.He settled in London and obtained employment from booksellers, mainly devoting himself to literary criticism. Imitating some similar ventures that had been made in Holland, he began in 1710 to issue a periodical, Memoirs of Literature.’ It was brought to an end in September 1714; there were other issues in 1717. De La Roche, on his own account, was a friend of Pierre Bayle
Pierre Bayle
Pierre Bayle was a French philosopher and writer best known for his seminal work the Historical and Critical Dictionary, published beginning in 1695....
. Early in 1717 he arranged to edit a new periodical, Bibliothèque Angloise, ou Histoire littéraire de la Grande Bretagne, in French and published at Amsterdam; he was still living for the most part in London. The fifth volume of the Bibliothèque Angloise, dated 1719, was the last he edited. The publisher transferred the editorship in that year to Armand de La Chapelle, giving as a pretext that de La Roche's foreign readers accused him of opposition to Calvinism
Calvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
, hostility to the Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
, and a bias towards Anglicanism.
Shortly afterwards de La Roche began to edit the Mémoires Littéraires, which was published at The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
at intervals till 1724. In 1725 he started New Memoirs of Literature, which ran till December 1727, and finally, in 1730, A Literary Journal, or a continuation of the Memoirs of Literature, which came to an end in 1731.