Chateaubriand, François-René de
(04 September 1768–04 July 1848)
- Percy G. Adams
Extract
Chateaubriand, François-René de (04 September 1768–04 July 1848), writer and statesman, was born in Saint-Malo, Brittany, the son of René-Auguste Chateaubriand and Apolline de Bedée. Chateaubriand’s well-educated mother came from a noble family in nearby Plancoët. His father, a descendant of illustrious ancestors, not only had restored the family fortune by serving as a gentleman corsair but in 1761 had also bought both the castle of Combourg and the title of vicomte de Combourg. The cold, turreted castle and its beautiful natural surroundings would leave a lasting impression on the boy, the youngest of six surviving children....
