François L'Hermite (1601-1655) was a French author, poet, and playwright who wrote under the pen name "Tristan L'Hermite."
Born to poverty at the Château de Soliers in the Haute Marche, as a young boy he served as a page to the court of Henry IV. But at age thirteen, the hotheaded young lad got into his first of what would be many duels, killing his opponent and being forced to flee to England. In England he got into another duel, and was forced to flee to Norway, only to duel again and flee to Spain.
L'Hermite finally returned to France in 1620, and settled in as an author, recounting his youthful duels and other misadventures in a somewhat embroidered burlesque novel, Page Disgracie. He then served in succession as court poet to Gaston d'Orléans, to the Duchesse de Chaulnes, and to the Duke of Guise.
In his later years L'Hermite became well-known as a playwright, producing famous tragedies such as La Mariane (1636), La Morte de Sénèque (1644), La Morte de Crispe (1645), and Osman (1650), of which La Mariane, which was his very first play, is regarded as his best work. He also produced a comedy, Le Parasite (1654), the year before he died.
L'Hermite took his nom de plume from Tristan L'Hermite, a shadowy figure from the 15th century who was provost of the marshals of the King's household under Louis XI of France, and was known for his machiavellian machinations behind the scenes.