User:Ashlee Hist318/Camille de Morel

Basic Information
Camille de Morel was born in the year of 1547. Although the exact date is not known, she was baptized on September 18th, 1547. Her baptism was at the church of Saint-André-des-Arts. Morel’s father was Jean de Morel, and her mother was Antoinette de Loynes. Morel is most commonly known for her poetry and writings.

Early Life
Morel grew up with her two younger sisters, Lucrèce and Diane, and brother Issac. Isaac was kidnapped and taken to Scotland. Their parents hired the humanist Charles Utenhove to be their tutor. During her studies, Morel focused on Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, and she began to write poetry. Her mother held a salon in their home that was often visited by humanists, writers, and poets, who often read Camille’s writings. Her mother’s salon was often referred to as a “temple des muses,” which translates to “temple of the muses.” Camille was courted by a fellow poet, Jean Melissus. They did not marry.

Religion
Morel was born and baptized into the Roman Catholic church and converted to the Reformed religion later in life. Father de Coste spoke of her in one of his books by saying, "I would have praised her in this book if this young lady had not died outside the true Church."

Writings
Having Utenhove as her tutor gave Morel a reputable base as she left the humanist circles and moved to central Paris. Camille only published one of her works during her lifetime. It was a collection of poetry in honor of the passing of her father Jean who died in 1581. The Tumulus was printed by Frédéric de Morel in 1583. It also featured some poems about her two younger sisters who passed before the death of their father. Camille de Morel's reputation and popularity seems to have faded after this publication. Some attribute this to the growing popularity of the Jesuits writings.

Despite her limited publications, she was frequently praised by her contemporaries, including  Elizabeth I. Her writing style was often compared to the composition of Latin verses by male poets of her time despite the constraints women writers were subjected to. The comparisons often were used to explain and justify the fact that she was a woman, rather than to praise her. Jean Dorat noted this as he described Morel as being neither male nor female and belonging to a “third sex” in his Latin ode to her. Many praised Morel for her intellect compared to other females of her time. Her writing style was direct, as well as the emotions she portrayed in her writings. She did not leave much up to interpretation.

Death
Not much is known about the death of Morel. There is no official date nor official cause of death. It is however known that her sisters, Lucrèce and Diane, who were close to her in age, died in 1580 and 1581, respectively. Some of her last writing dates to the early 1600s, specifically 1611, therefore it is widely accepted she died that year.