Ebrietatis Encomium

Albert-Henri de SallengreProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.0

Word count: 212K words
Chapters: 22

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Ebrietatis Encomium by Albert-Henri de SallengreAuthor: Sallengre, Albert-Henri de, 1694-1723,Language: English, Class: PN: Language and Literatures: Literature: General, Criticism, Collections, Release Date: Jun 21, 2009

Editor's review

Ebrietatis Encomium is a parody encomium with a Latin title by the 18th-century author Albert-Henri de Sallengre, belonging to the early modern European tradition of satirical literature. Through exaggerated rhetoric it "praises" drunkenness—ostensibly laudatory, in fact ironic—showing how the literati of the time borrowed the classical encomium form for jest and critique. For readers studying satire, rhetoric, or 18th-century European cultural taste, this is an amusing short text that bears witness to the play of appropriating the "encomium" genre. It should not be taken literally; attend to the ironic tone and period context. It is brief, suitable as supplementary material on the satirical tradition for casual reading rather than as a systematic literary history.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers studying European satire and rhetorical traditions
Those interested in 18th-century European cultural taste
Teachers needing a short parody text as a teaching example
Literature enthusiasts who enjoy variations on the classical encomium genre

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting a systematic literary history or detailed annotated edition
Readers insensitive to irony who may take it literally
General readers seeking a modern popular account of drinking culture

Reading tips

First learn the basic conventions of the encomium genre, then see how the text inverts them.
Attend to the exaggerated wording and ironic tone; do not read it literally as a toast to drink.
Read it alongside other satirical encomia to observe the technique of genre appropriation.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this text sincerely praising drunkenness?

It is a parody encomium: it "praises" drunkenness in the classical encomium form while carrying an ironic, jesting intent. Pay attention to the exaggerated rhetoric and its incongruity; it should not be read literally as urging or endorsing drunkenness.

Can I read it without Latin?

This is an English edition; readers need no Latin to read the main text. The title and some classical allusions may involve the Latin tradition, however; consult background materials for unfamiliar points—this does not hinder grasping the overall ironic intent.

Is it suitable as teaching material for satire?

It works well as a short supplementary text to show how the encomium genre is inverted and how ironic rhetoric operates. Given its brevity, it is best used with an introduction to the genre's background and alongside comparable texts.

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About the author

Albert-Henri de Sallengre Author · French · 1694–1723

Albert-Henri de Sallengre (1694–1723) was a French scholar and man of letters born in The Hague. Only a limited number of his works survive, and public information about him is likewise limited; the best known among them is Ebrietatis Encomium. In this work he examines the customs of drinking in a playful manner, blending textual scholarship with parodic praise, which gives the book a distinctive place in the literature on drinking and social customs. Sallengre's writing reflects the learned yet humorous character of early Enlightenment men of letters: he valued citation and research while also indulging in irony and playful rhetoric, making dry historical material entertaining to read. Because he died young, his writings were never fully developed, and later accounts of his life remain brief; his reputation rests mainly on this vividly styled work.