Antoine Garaby de La Luzerne

Antoine de Garaby, sieur de Pierrepont, de La Luzerne et d'Étienville (1617–1679) was a French author and moralist. Born in Montchaton near Coutances, he was known for his keen intelligence and wit, despite his physical appearance. He received his early education at home and later studied eloquence at the University of Caen under Professor Antoine Halley. Garaby was associated with notable scholars and writers of his era, including Voiture, Chapelain, and Ménage. Described as a 'Norman Montaigne,' he was not driven by career ambition in literature but rather by the intellectual pleasure it provided. His Latin prose and French poetry were noted for their fertility rather than purity or elegance. Garaby co-founded the Royal Academy of Belles-Lettres of Caen. After inheriting property, he married Anne de Vassé. He spent his final years in Étienville and died at the age of sixty-two, buried in the Étienville church.