Quotes:Pompignan, Jean-Jacques Lefranc, Marquis de

Zirkoff, Boris

Pompignan, Jean-Jacques Lefranc, Marquis de. French lawyer and poet, b. at Montauban, Aug. 10, 1709; d. 1784. Educ. by the Jesuits; studied law and became solicitor general in his native town, and later councilor at Parliament of Toulouse. Gave up legal career, 1745, and devoted himself to writing. He had already written two tragedies: Didon, 1734, and Zoraide, 1735, and a satirical comedy. These were followed by some dissertations on archaeological questions. His Poésies sacrées et philosophiques established his reputation. Among his Odes, the one on the death of Jean-Baptiste Rousseau, written in 1741, is the best known. He was rated as second among French lyric poets, becoming member of the Academy, 1760. In his speech before this Institution, he attacked the Encyclopedists, arousing the hatred and dislike of many people. He was attacked in his turn by Voltaire and others, 449 and soon retired to his château de Pompignan, where he engaged himself in the translation of classical writers, such as Aeschylus, Virgil, Rutilius, etc.

Source: Boris de Zirkoff, «H. P. Blavatsky Collected Writings», vol. 9, pp. 448-449