St. Real, Cæsar Vichard De

, a polite French writer, was the son of a counsellor to the senate of Chamberri in | Savoy, where he was born, but it is not mentioned in what year. He came very young to France, was some time a disciple of Jvi. de Varillas, and afterwards distinguished himself at Paris by several ingenious productions. In 1675, he returned to Chamrberri, and went thence to England with the duchess of Mazarin; but soon after came back to Paris, where he lived a long time, without title or dignity, intent upon literary pursuits. He returned a second time to Charnberri in 1692, and died there the same year, advanced in years, but not in the best circumstances. He was a man of great parts and penetration, a lover of the sciences, and particularly fond of history, which he wished to have studied, not as a bare recital of facts and speeches, but as a picture of human nature philosophically contemplated. He wrote a piece, with this view, “De l‘Usage de l’Histoire,” Paris, 1672, 12mo, which is full of sensible and judicious reflections. In 1674, he published “Conjuration des Espagnols contre la Republique de Venise en 1618,” 12mo, in a style which Voltaire compares to that of Sallust; but what he gained in reputation by this, he is said to have lost by his “La Vie de Jésus Christ,” published four years after. He wrote many other things: some to illustrate the Roman history, which he had made his particular study some upon subjects of philosophy, politics, and morals and notes upon the first two books of Tully’s “Letters to Atticus,” of which he made a French translation. A neat edition of his works was published at the Hague in 1722, in 5 vols. 12mo, without the letters to Atticus; which, however, were printed in the edition of Paris, 1745, in 3 vols. 4to, and six 12ino. ¹