ABSTRACT
Abraham de Wicquefort was born in Holland but moved to Paris as a child and became a diplomat at the court of the King of France, representing the interests of the Prussian Elector of Brandenburg. Involved in a scandal, he was expelled from France and forced to seek refuge in England although he later moved to the Netherlands. He became influential in diplomatic circles and was involved in high-profile diplomacy during the 1670s. Arrested for treason, he escaped from prison and found refuge in northern Germany. Shortly before his death in 1682, Abraham de Wicquefort decided to write his memoirs and a book of advice for aspiring diplomats entitled L’ambassadeur et ses fonctions, which was popular enough to be reprinted in France and translated into English and German. For Wicquefort, one of the essential qualities for a successful diplomat is a moderate temperament, especially the ability to moderate or restrain one’s emotional outbursts.
