“Ever heard of Agrippa d’Aubigné?” I ask. Probably not. Yet this street bears his name. We are standing on Rue Agrippa-d’Aubigné in Paris. It is located in the 4th arrondissement. This street is a tribute to a remarkable man.
Rue Agrippa-d’Aubigné stretches 108 meters. It begins at 40 Quai Henri-IV. The street concludes at 17 Boulevard Morland. Metro line 7 serves this area. The Sully – Morland station is nearby.
Théodore Agrippa d’Aubigné was a poet. He was also a soldier and historian. He lived from 1552 to 1630. The street was initially named Rue d’Aubigné. A decree created it. Later, it was renamed Rue Agrippa-d’Aubigné in 1891.
Until 1932 a pedestrian bridge stood near here. It was called the passerelle de l’Estacade. Constructed in 1818, it linked the Île Saint-Louis. It connected the island’s eastern tip to Quai Henri-IV. The Seine’s flood in 1910 swept the bridge away. It was rebuilt using durable materials. Finally, it was demolished in 1932.
Agrippa d’Aubigné was a significant figure. He was a poet and a warrior. He chronicled his era. After studying in multiple cities, he joined the Huguenots. He fought in the Wars of Religion. Aubigné served Henry of Navarre. He was his écuyer or master of horse.
When Henry IV became king in 1589. Henry then renounced Protestantism. Aubigné retired to his estates in Poitou. Later, disagreements estranged him from his brethren. In 1620, he sought refuge in Geneva. He lived there until his death. His final years were troubled. His son Constant’s behavior was scandalous. Constant was the father of Madame de Maintenon. She became Louis XIV’s secret wife.
Aubigné wrote various prose works. One is the Confession catholique du sieur de Sancy. Published in 1660, it parodies Protestants. They followed Henry IV’s abjuration. Another work is Adventures du baron de Faeneste. The Gascon Faeneste values appearances. Honest squire Énay embodies true being.
His Histoire universelle covers 1553 to 1602. It includes Henry IV’s death in an appendix. An unfinished supplement aimed to continue the story to 1622. The Histoire offers eyewitness accounts. Aubigné’s writing is lively.
His major poem is Les Tragiques. It has seven cantos. Begun in 1577, it appeared in 1616. It celebrates God’s justice. God will avenge his slaughtered saints. Sectarian bias marks the poem. Passages of great poetic power offset this. His youthful love poetry appears in Printemps. Written from 1570 to 1573, it was unpublished. It remained in manuscript until 1874.
So next time you stroll along Rue Agrippa-d’Aubigné. Remember the poet. Remember the soldier. Remember the historian. Remember Théodore Agrippa d’Aubigné.