Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux: The Critic’s Garden at Auteuil

November 1, 1636

Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux (pronounced "nee-koh-LAH bwah-LOH day-pray-OH") was born on this day in Paris. Boileau was a French poet and critic whose garden became a sanctuary for some of the greatest literary minds of the 17th century.

Though Boileau began his life in the cramped, urban setting of Rue de Jérusalem (roo duh zhay-roo-zah-LEHM) near the Sainte-Chapelle (sant shah-PEHL), his lasting legacy would include a garden that became the heart of French literary culture.

In 1685, after achieving both wealth and fame through his poetry and criticism, Boileau purchased a country house in Auteuil (oh-TUH-yuh) for 8,000 livres (LEE-vruh). This property, which would become known as his "hôtellerie d'Auteuil" (oh-tehl-ree doh-TUH-yuh, meaning "Auteuil Inn"), was where the true magic happened.

Here, surrounded by carefully tended gardens, Boileau hosted some of the most influential minds of his time, including Molière (mohl-YEHR), Racine (rah-SEEN), and later even Joseph Addison.

The garden at Auteuil inspired Boileau's eleventh épître (ay-PEE-truh, meaning "epistle"), where he converses with his jardinier (zhahr-dee-NYAY, meaning "gardener") about how industry and virtue are the truest sources of happiness. In this work, we see the intersection of Boileau's two great passions: precise literary expression and the tranquil beauty of a well-tended garden.

Louis Racine (loo-EE rah-SEEN), in his mémoires (may-MWAHR), paints a vivid picture of these garden gatherings:

What made people seek his meals was less the food, although it was good, than the conversations.

These garden-side discussions shaped French literary taste for generations to come, as Boileau and his circle established new standards for clarity and precision in writing.

Interestingly, while Boileau was known for his sharp literary criticism, his garden revealed a gentler side of his nature. His friend Madame de Sévigné (mah-dahm duh say-veen-YAY) once remarked that "he was cruel only in verse" - in person, and especially in his beloved garden, he was known for his warmth and hospitality.

Today, while Boileau's original property has been subdivided, his legacy lives on in the Hameau Boileau (ah-MOH bwah-LOH, meaning "Boileau Hamlet"), a quiet, leafy corner of Paris's 16th arrondissement (ah-rawn-dees-MAHN). Modern visitors can still stroll under massive chestnut trees where, over three centuries ago, one of France's greatest critics found peace among his plants and poetry.

As gardeners, we can appreciate Boileau's understanding that a garden could be both a retreat from the world and a gathering place for minds to flourish. His garden at Auteuil reminds us that sometimes the most important cultivation we do is not just of plants, but of ideas and friendships as well.