Complex sentence: Jean de La Bruyère (August 16 1645-May 10,1696), French essayist and moralist, was born in Paris in 1645, and not, as was once the common statement, at Dourdan (Seine-et-Oise) in 1639.
Split into simpler sentences: Jean de La Bruyère (August 16 1645-May 10,1696), was a French essayist and moralist. He was born in Paris, not, as was once thought, at Dourdan (Seine-et-Oise) in 1639.