Family Name: Seigneux
First Name: Gabriel
Birth Date: 1693
Birth Place: Lausanne
Death Date: Sun, Dec 24, 1775
Death Place: Lausanne
Main places of activity:
Place From To
Lausanne 1722 1773
Personal info:
Education

Seigneux was from a leading Lausanne family and received a good humanistic education in Geneva; J.P. de Crousaz was one of his professors and he was also influenced by Turrettini and Barbeyrac. He then studied law. He travelled to Southern France in 1719 and from 1723 to 1724 visited the Netherlands and Paris, where he made a lot of relations.
Career

He held a series of public positions in Lausanne from 1718 ans in 1723 was elected member of the 'Conseil des Deux Cents'. From 1740 to 1744 he was 'Boursier' of Lausanne and in 1772 became 'Banneret'.

He was particularly active in the 'Société économique de Berne'.
Financial Situation

He was from a wealthy family.
Translations Other Works

translations activities

Seigneux started translating in 1733 as part of his concern about irreligious works; he decided to translate Joseph Addison's Evidences of the Christian Religion to counter Voltaire's works. The success of this translation encouraged him to translate other works from English, German and Italian, not only apologetic works, but also useful works to encourage reforms, and historical works. He also translated articles for the Journal helvétique.

secondary bibliography references

https://lumieres.unil.ch/fiches/bio/91/

Article by Francesca Bianca Crucitti Ullrich in Dictionnaire des Journalistes.

P. Nordmann, Gabriel Seigneux de Correvon : ein Schweizerischer Kosmopolit (1695­-1775). Florence, 1947.

Francesca Bianca Crucitti-Ullrich, La « Bibliothèque italique » : cultura « italianisante » e giornalismo letterario, Milan, Naples, Ricciardi, 1974, ch. 3.

Ann Thomson, « Traduction et journalisme chez les intermédiaires culturels au XVIIIe siècle »,  Transkulturalität nationaler Räume in Europa (18. bis 19. Jahrhundert) Übersetzungen, Kulturtransfer und Vermittlungsinstanzen / La transculturalité des espaces nationaux en Europe (XVIIIe-XIXe siècles) Traductions, transferts culturels et instances de médiations, ed. Christophe Charle, Hans-Jürgen Lüsebrink, York-Gothart Mix, Bonn University Press bei V&R unipress, 2017, p. 229-44.

Translations

  • The Evidences of the Christian Religion, to which are added Several Discourses against Atheism and Infidelity, and in Defence of the Christian Revelation, occasionally published by him and others

  • Translation Title: De la religion chrétienne, ouvrage traduit de l’anglois de Mr Addison, par Gabriel Seigneux de Correvon
  • Original Author: Joseph Addison
  • Original title: The Evidences of the Christian Religion, to which are added Several Discourses against Atheism and Infidelity, and in Defence of the Christian Revelation, occasionally published by him and others
  • Publ. Year From: 1729 to:
  • lang: English
  • Note:

    Addison left this work unfinished when he died in 1719. The published edition also contains works by other writers.
  • Translation: De la religion chrétienne, ouvrage traduit de l’anglois de Mr Addison, par Gabriel Seigneux de Correvon
  • Publisher: Pierre Vernet
  • N° Editions: 2
  • Pub. Place: Lausanne
  • Pub. Date: 1756
  • Lang: French
  • Note:

    Correvon started his translation in 1733 but hesitated for a long time and sent it to several friends for their opinion. The translation contains an Introduction and copious notes by Correvon; the notes were translated into English and published in the 1807 edition of Addison's work. He commentary was also published separately in German.

  • Vorrede

  • Translation Title: Discours préliminaire
  • Original Author: Albrecht von Haller
  • Original title: Vorrede
  • Publ. Year From: 1750 to:
  • Note:

    Haller's Preface to Jean Henri Samuel's Prüfung der Secte, die an allem Zweifelt.
  • Translation: Discours préliminaire
  • Publisher: Gottlieb August Lange
  • Pub. Place: Berlin
  • Pub. Date: 1755
  • Lang: French
  • Note:

    Preface to Formey's Le Triomphe de l' Evidence, (p. I-XLVIII); Seigneux added his own copious notes.

    Seigneux republished the Preface as a separate work called Discours sur l'Irréligion, où l'on examine ses Principes et ses Suites funestes. Opposés aux Principes et aux heureux Effets du Christianisme, Neuchâtel 1755 and Lausanne François Grasset, 1760.  The end of the work indicates 'Goettingen, 26 Décember 1750'.



  • Usong : Eine Morgenländische Geschichte, in vier Büchern

  • Translation Title: Usong, histoire orientale
  • Original Author: Albrecht von Haller
  • Original title: Usong : Eine Morgenländische Geschichte, in vier Büchern
  • Publ. Year From: 1770 to: 1770
  • lang: German
  • Translation: Usong, histoire orientale
  • Publisher: Vallade; François Grasser
  • Pub. Place: Paris
  • Pub. Date: 1771
  • Lang: French

  • Denckwürdigkeiten Friedrichs des Großen, jetztregierenden Königs in Preußen

  • Translation Title: Mémoires pour servir à l'histoire de Frédéric le Grand
  • Original Author: Johann Christoph Adelung
  • Original title: Denckwürdigkeiten Friedrichs des Großen, jetztregierenden Königs in Preußen
  • Publ. Year From: 1756 to: 1762
  • lang: German
  • Translation: Mémoires pour servir à l'histoire de Frédéric le Grand
  • Publisher: François Grasset
  • Pub. Place: 'Amsterdam', Lausanne
  • Pub. Date: 1759
  • Lang: French
  • Note:

    Only two volumes of this translation appear to have been published

  • Animadversiones ad criminalem jurisprudentiam pertinentes

  • Translation Title: Observations sur des matières de jurisprudence criminelle: traduit du latin de Mr. Paul Risi par Mr. S.D.C.,
  • Original Author: Paolo Risi
  • Original title: Animadversiones ad criminalem jurisprudentiam pertinentes
  • Publ. Year From: 1765 to: 1765
  • lang: Latin
  • Translation: Observations sur des matières de jurisprudence criminelle: traduit du latin de Mr. Paul Risi par Mr. S.D.C.,
  • Publisher: Pellet et fils
  • Pub. Place: Geneva
  • Pub. Date: 1767
  • Lang: French

  • Delle leggi civili reali

  • Translation Title: Des loix civiles relativement à la propriété des biens. Ouvrage traduit de l'italien par M.S.D.C. Augmenté de quelques remarques par M. De Felice
  • Original Author: Dalmazzo Francesco Vasco
  • Original title: Delle leggi civili reali
  • Publ. Year From: 1765 to: 1765
  • lang: Italian
  • Translation: Des loix civiles relativement à la propriété des biens. Ouvrage traduit de l'italien par M.S.D.C. Augmenté de quelques remarques par M. De Felice
  • Publisher: B. De Felice
  • Pub. Place: Yverdon
  • Pub. Date: 1767
  • Lang: French
  • Note:

    The translation does not indicate the name of an author.

  • An Account of Corsica, The Journal of a Tour to That Island; and Memoirs of Pascal Paoli

  • Translation Title: Etat de la Corse; suivi d'un Journal d'un voyage dans l'isle, et des mémoires de Pascal Paoli par Mr. James Boswell, écuyer; orné d'une carte nouvelle & exacte de la Corse, & des manifestes originaux
  • Original Author: James Boswell
  • Original title: An Account of Corsica, The Journal of a Tour to That Island; and Memoirs of Pascal Paoli
  • Publ. Year From: 1767 to: 1767
  • lang: English
  • Translation: Etat de la Corse; suivi d'un Journal d'un voyage dans l'isle, et des mémoires de Pascal Paoli par Mr. James Boswell, écuyer; orné d'une carte nouvelle & exacte de la Corse, & des manifestes originaux
  • Publisher: F. Grasset
  • Pub. Place: 'Londres', in fact Lausanne
  • Pub. Date: 1768
  • Lang: French

  • Briefe über die wichtigsten Wahrheiten der Offenbarung

  • Translation Title: Lettres sur les vérités les plus importantes de la révélation
  • Original Author: Albrecht von Haller
  • Original title: Briefe über die wichtigsten Wahrheiten der Offenbarung
  • Publ. Year From: 1771 to: 1771
  • lang: German
  • Translation: Lettres sur les vérités les plus importantes de la révélation
  • Publisher: F. B. De Felice
  • Pub. Place: Yverdon
  • Pub. Date: 1771
  • Lang: French

  • Der Christ in der Einsamkeit

  • Translation Title: Le Sage dans la solitude ou méditations religieuses sur divers sujets
  • Original Author: Martin Crugot
  • Original title: Der Christ in der Einsamkeit
  • Publ. Year From: 1756 to: 1756
  • lang: German
  • Note:

    This work went through many editions; it is not known which one was translated
  • Translation: Le Sage dans la solitude ou méditations religieuses sur divers sujets
  • Publisher: François Grasset
  • Pub. Place: Lausanne
  • Pub. Date: 1769
  • Lang: French
  • Note:

    Also includes a translation of an Ode by Albrecht von Haller

calamaio

By:

  • Ann Thomson