Étienne de La Boétie

Étienne de La Boétie was born on 1 November 1530 at Sarlat, in Périgord, the son of a lieutenant of the seneschal; orphaned young, he was brought up by an uncle who was a priest. A law graduate of the University of Orléans, he was appointed councillor at the parlement of Bordeaux before the required age. A friend of Montaigne from 1558, he was entrusted from 1560 with peace negotiations during the Wars of Religion. A poet, author of love sonnets, he also translated Plutarch. He died on 18 August 1563 at Germignan, near Bordeaux, aged thirty-two.

In the catalogue 1

• EssayDiscourse on Voluntary ServitudeDiscours de la servitude volontaireÉtienne de La Boétie · 1576LiteraturePublic domain