Monconys, Balthasar

, a celebrated traveller, was the son of the lieutenant-criminel of Lyons. After having studied philosophy and mathematics in his native city and in Spain, he visited the East in order to seek for the books of Mercurius Trismegistus and Zoroaster; but finding nothing to detain him, returned to France, and was esteemed by the learned, particularly the amateurs of chemistry and astrology. He died April 28, 1665. His travels have | been printed under the title of “Journal de ses voyages en Portugal, Provence, Italic, Egypt, &c. &c. redige par le sieur de Liergues, son fils,” Lyons, 1665 6, 3 vols. 4to. They are ill-written, his style being loose and diffuse, but they contain many curious particulars. It appears that he was in England in 1663, as he gives several interesting anecdotes of the court of Charles II. and of the manners of the times. He travelled through various countries as tutor to the sons of noblemen, one of whom, the duke de Chevereuse, was with him in England. Brunet gives the title of what appears to be another work of travels by Monconys, “Voyage en divers endroits de l'Europe, en Afrique et au Levant,” Paris (Holland) 1695, 5 vols. 12mo. ¹