FLORIAN, JEAN-PIERRE-CLARIS de. — French writer, born at Sauve on 6 March 1755, died at Sceaux on 13 September 1794.
In 1782 he published the comedy *Les deux billets*, followed by *Le bon ménage*, *Le bon père*, *La bonne mère*, and *Le bon fils*. He also wrote *Six nouvelles* (1784) and the well-known historical novels *Numa Pompilius* (1786) and *Gonzalve de Cordoue* (1791). His two prose pastorals, *Galathée* (1783) and *Estelle* (1788), together with the *Fables* (1792), which have a moral purpose, are considered his finest works. He also composed the two biblical poems *Ruth* and *Tobie*.
Bibl.: C. A. Sainte-Beuve, *Causeries du lundi*, III, Paris 1852, pp. 229-438; L. Claretie, *F.*, ibid. 1892; G. Saillard, *F. sa vie, son oeuvre*, Toulouse 1912. Elena Bosticco