A historical vignette (23). A voiceless poet at Bourbon - l'Archambault: Nicolas Boileau.

In 1687, the poet was stricken by an aphonia that would last six months. He underwent a cure at a spa in the Massif Central, but without result. The correspondence between Boileau and his friend Racine allows us to relive the atmosphere of being a spa guest in the 17th century (Figure 1). Boileau's aphonia seems to have been functional for the larger part.