Isaac de Benserade

.Born in Lyons-la-Forêt in the Province of Normandy, his family appears to have been connected with Richelieu, who bestowed on him a pension of 600 "livres". He began his literary career with the tragedy of "Cléopâtre" (1635), which was followed by four other pieces. On Richelieu's death Benserade lost his pension, but became more and more a favourite at court, especially with Anne of Austria.

He provided the words for the court ballets, and was, in 1674, admitted to the Academy, where he wielded considerable influence. In 1676 the failure of his "Métamorphoses d'Ovide" in the form of rondeaux gave a blow to his reputation, but by no means destroyed his vogue with his contemporaries. Benserade may be best known for his sonnet on "Job" (1651). This sonnet, which he sent to a young lady with his paraphrase on Job, having been placed in competition with the "Urania" of Voiture, a dispute on their relative merits long divided the whole court and the wits into two parties, styled respectively the Jobelins and the Uranists. The partisans of Benserade were headed by the prince de Conti and Mlle de Scudéry, while Mme de Montausier and Jean-Louis Guez de Balzac took the side of Voiture.

Some years before his death, Benserade retired to Gentilly, and devoted himself to a translation of the Psalms, which he nearly completed.

References

*1911