Théophile de Viau was born in April 1590, near Clairac in the Agenois province of France. He was born into a Protestant family headed by Jacques de Viau – a lawyer who had been forced to retreat to his lands in Boussères by the French civil wars. It was Jacques who began Théophile’s instruction before sending him away to complete his education. Théophile was sent to the college of Nérac at around the turn of the century, followed by Montauban, Bordeaux and Saumur. In his later years as a student – from 1609 to 1611 – Théophile was more focused on exploring the freedoms of youth than on his education which, ultimately, he failed to complete. In 1611 he found lodgings with his uncle in Paris, a point in his life that marked the beginning of his literary career. At this time,…

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Citation: Horsley, Adam. "Théophile de Viau". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 06 August 2014 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=13270, accessed 29 March 2024.]

13270 Théophile de Viau 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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