François-Timoléon de Choisy

François-Timoléon de Choisy ({{#invoke:IPA|main}}; 16 August 1644 – 2 October 1724) was a French abbé, writer, and member of the Académie Française. He is known for his memoirs, historical and religious writings, and travel accounts. His posthumously published autobiographical writings describe frequent use of women's clothing in both private and public life, a subject of later scholarly debate.<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Biography

Early life and upbringing

De Choisy was born in Paris. His father was attached to the household of the Duke of Orléans, while his mother, who was on close terms with Anne of Austria, was regularly invited to amuse Louis XIV. According to De Choisy's memoirs, his mother dressed him in girls' clothing until he was eighteen, after which he briefly wore male clothing before returning to women's dress, reportedly on the advice of Madame de La Fayette.<ref name="EB1911">{{#if: |

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Following his mother's death, he inherited a substantial sum, which allowed him to pursue a life without regular employment.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> He wrote that he wore elaborate women's clothing until he was publicly criticised by the duc de Montausier. He then withdrew to the provinces, where his memoirs describe continued use of women's dress in connection with various social situations.<ref name="EB1911" />

The reliability of these accounts has been questioned. Historian Paul Scott of the University of Kansas noted that "if you regard it [the memoir] with any scrutiny, there are implausibilities, contradictions, anachronisms and no contemporary corroboration whatsoever."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Religious life and travels

De Choisy was made an abbé in childhood. Financial difficulties later led him to reside at his benefice in Sainte-Seine, in Burgundy, where he became acquainted with Bussy-Rabutin.<ref name="EB1911" />

In 1676, he travelled to Rome as part of the entourage of the cardinal de Bouillon. He later wrote that a serious illness led to a personal religious conversion.<ref name="EB1911" />

In 1685, he accompanied the Chevalier de Chaumont on a diplomatic mission to the Kingdom of Siam.<ref name="prince">Chakrabongse, C. (1960), Lords of Life, London: Alvin Redman</ref>Template:Rp

Académie Française

De Choisy was admitted to the Académie Française on 24 July 1687.<ref name="Académie française">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Works

De Choisy wrote a number of historical and religious works, of which the most notable are the following:<ref name="EB1911" />

• Quatre dialogues sur l'immortalité de l'âme ... (1684), written with the Abbé Dangeau and explaining their conversion.
• Histoire de l'Eglise (11 vols., 1703–1723)

De Choisy is remembered for his gossiping Mémoires (1727), which contains detailed portraits of his contemporaries, although there is some question about its historical accuracy.<ref name="EB1911" />

The Mémoires passed through many editions, and were edited in 1868 by M. de Lescure. Some admirable letters of de Choisy are included in the correspondence of Bussy-Rabutin. De Choisy is said to have burnt some of their indiscreet revelations, but left a considerable quantity of unpublished manuscripts. Part of this material was surreptitiously used in an anonymous Histoire de madame la comtesse de Barres (Antwerp, 1735) and again with much editing in the Vie de M. l'abbé de Choisy (Lausanne and Geneva, 1742), ascribed by Paul Lacroix to Lenglet Dufresnoy; the text was finally edited (1870) by Lacroix as Aventures de l'abbé de Choisy. See also Sainte-Beuve, Causeries du lundi, vol. iii.<ref name="EB1911" />

Influence

The Scottish philosopher David Hume (1711–1776) had de Choisy's Mémoires and account of Siam in his library.<ref name=":0" />

References

Sources

• Template:Cite book

External links

• Famous Trannies in Early Modern Times