Stanislas de Boufflers, godson of King Stanislas of Poland, was destined for the Church when he wrote at the seminary a licentious tale whose success proved hard to reconcile with the cassock. He left without taking his vows, was an officer, a diplomat, an author of gallant verse, and entered the Académie française. His cinerary urn fell from its column and lies at the foot of the monument.
The story
The funerary urn of the poet Stanislas de Boufflers fell from the column that carried it: it lies at the foot of the monument, in the enclos Delille, the plot gathered around the poet Jacques Delille. It is not the only mishap of this grave — the inscription, almost worn away, has him born “in 1838”, a century too late and twenty-three years after his own death.
Born at Lunéville on 31 May 1738, godson of King Stanislas of Poland, who held his court in that town — his mother, the Marquise de Boufflers, née Beauvau-Craon, was the king's official mistress — he was intended for the Church. At the seminary of Saint-Sulpice he wrote Aline, Queen of Golconda, a licentious tale whose success proved incompatible with holy orders. He left without taking his vows.
An officer, a diplomat and an author of gallant verse, he was elected to the Académie française in 1788 and died in Paris on 18 January 1815. His name can still be read on the stone; nothing else survives, apart from one false date — and an urn set down on the ground.
The grave
A monument that combines two accidents. The first is physical: the cinerary urn fell from the column that carried it and lies at the foot of the grave. The second is carved: the inscription, almost illegible, has him born “en 1838” — a hundred years after his real birth, and twenty-three years after his death. His name can still be read, “Stanislas Jean, BOUFFLERS”; the rest has worn away. He rests in the Delille enclosure, beside the poet who gave his name to the avenue.
On site, do not miss
A cinerary urn fallen from its column, set at the foot of the monument. An almost effaced inscription, which has him born “en 1838” — a hundred years too late.
Visitors' questions
Where is Boufflers' grave?
In Division 11, avenue Delille, in what is known as the Delille enclosure. The monument is recognisable by a rare detail: its cinerary urn has fallen from the column that bore it, and lies on the ground at the foot of the stone.
Jacques DelilleIs there a mistake on his grave?
A mistake of a century: the inscription has him born “in 1838” when he was born in 1738 — twenty-three years after his own death, if you follow the stone. The rest of the text is illegible today, and his cinerary urn has fallen from its column.
Augustin d'AbovilleWhy did he leave the seminary?
Because of a book: at the seminary of Saint-Sulpice he wrote Aline, reine de Golconde, a licentious tale whose success proved incompatible with holy orders. He left without taking his vows.
Bernardin de Saint-PierreWhat was his family?
Considerable: godson of King Stanislas of Poland, whose official mistress was his own mother, the Marquise de Boufflers, née Beauvau-Craon. He carried his godfather's name, and went on to a career as officer, diplomat and academician.
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