author
Brueys
1640–1723
A French playwright and theologian, he moved from Protestant scholarship into Catholic life and later wrote for the stage with wit and energy. His career joined religious controversy, comedy, and the literary world of late seventeenth-century France.
1 Audiobook
Advokato Patelin: Triakta proza komedio
by Brueys, Jean Palaprat
About the author
Born in Aix-en-Provence in either 1640 or 1641, David-Augustin de Brueys was raised in a Calvinist family and first studied law before turning seriously to theology. He became involved in Protestant religious life, but after a dispute with the Catholic bishop and an exchange with Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet, he converted to Catholicism in 1681 and later became a priest.
After his conversion, Brueys wrote in defense of Catholic doctrine, including works against Protestantism and against stage drama. Even so, he also became known as a playwright, an unusual turn that gives his life a lively tension between religious argument and theatrical success.
He is especially remembered for comedies written with Jean Palaprat, including Le Grondeur and Le Muet. He died at Montpellier on November 25, 1723, leaving behind a reputation that rests on both his theological writing and his place in French comic theater.