Joseph Marie, comte de Maistre (1753–1821) was a Savoyard magistrate, diplomat, and counterrevolutionary thinker. Born in Chambéry, a French-speaking city then under the rule of the Kingdom of Sardinia but now part of France, he spent much of his life in exile. His family was not ancient: his grandfather was a draper, and his father, a lawyer and magistrate like himself, was ennobled for distinguished public service.
Maistre was a man of strong affections, charitable inclinations, and many friendships, who suffered from his separation from his family during the upheavals of the time. His wit, charm, intelligence, and forceful manner made him a social lion wherever he went, which helped him personally as well as professionally: the poverty of the Sardinian kingdom, his loss of property during the French Revolution, and the expense of keeping up the appearances required by his position while ambassador to Russia, meant he relied on dinner invitations to eat.
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