Cellier, Remi

, a voluminous French biographer, was born at Bar-le-duc in 1688, and was soon noted for learning and piety. He attached himself to the congregation of the Benedictines of St. Vanne and St. Hidulphe, and after he took the habit of that order, was intrusted with various business belonging to it, and became titular prior of Flavigni. He died in 1761. He published “Histoire generale des auteurs sacres et ecclesiastiques,” 1729 1763, 23 vols. 4to, containing their lives, a critical | account of their works, the history of councils, &c. This compilation is accurate, rather more so, his countrymen think, than that of Dupin; but he had not Dupin’s art of arranging and compressing, nor, we suspect, his candour. That it is diffuse heyond all patience appears from these twenty-three volumes extending no farther than the time of St. Bernard in the twelfth century. His numerous extracts and translations are, however, Useful to those who cannot read the fathers in the original languages. In 1782 an index to this work was published at Paris, 2 vols. 4to, a proof that the work still holds its reputation. His only other publication was “Apologie de la Moraledes Peres contre Barbeyrac,” 1718, 4to, a learned treatise badly written. Cellier was fond of retirement and study, and conciliated the affections of hi-s brethren by his amiable personal character. ¹