, a celebrated French geographer, was born at Paris the 28th of
, a celebrated French geographer, was born at Paris the 28th of July, 1633. His father, Stephen Baudrand, was first deputy of the procurator-general of the court of aids, treasurer of France for Montauban, and master of the requests of his royal highness Gaston of France, and his mother’s name was Frances Caule. He began his studies in the year 1640. His inclination for geography was first noticed when he studied at the Jesuits college of Clermont under father Briet, who was famous for his geography, which was then printing, the proof sheets of which were corrected by our author. After he had finished his course of philosophy at the college of Lisieux under Mr. Desperier, cardinal Antonio Barberini took him as his secretary at Rome, and he was present with his eminence at the conclave, in which pope Alexander VII. was elected; and afterwards at thaHn which Clement IX. was chosen pope. Upon his return to France, he applied himself to the revisal of Ferrarius’s Geographical Dictionary, which he enlarged by one half, and published at Paris, 1671, fol. In the same year he attended the marquis of Dangeau, who was employed by the king in the management of his affairs in Germany, and also went to England with the duchess of York, who was afterwards queen of England. His travels were of great advantage to linn in furnishing him with a variety of observations in geography. He returned to France in 1677, and composed his geographical dictionary in Latin. In 1691 he attended the cardinal of Camus, who was bishop of Grenoble, to Rome, and went with him into the conclave on the 27th of March, where he continued three months ancha half, till the election of pope Innocent XII. on July 12th, the same year. Upon his return to Paris he applied himself to the completing of his French geographical dictionary, but he was prevented from publishing it by his death, which happened at Paris the 29th of May 1700. He had been prior of Rouvres and Neuf-Marche. He left all his books and papers to the Benedictine monks of the abbey of St. Germain des Prez.
, a celebrated French geographer, was born at Abbeville in Picardy,
, a celebrated French geographer,
was born at Abbeville in Picardy, Dec. 20, 1600, Afte*
he had finished his juvenile studies at the Jesuits’ college
of Amiens, he betook himself to merchandise; but, sustaining considerable losses, quitted that calling, and applied himself to geography, a turn for which he had acquired under his father, who had published several maps.
When only eighteen or nineteen, he drew a map of Ancient Gaul on four sheets, but did not publish it till 1627,
lest, as we are told, it should, on account of his youth, be
thought his father’s; or, which is rather more probable, lest
it should not be sufficiently correct for publication. This,
however, was so favourably received, as to encourage him
to proceed with confidence and vigour, and in the course
of his life he executed nearly three hundred large maps,
ancient and modern, and caused an hundred methodical
tables to be engraven concerning the divisions of the dominions of Christian princes. He also wrote several works
to explain and illustrate his maps as> “Remarks upon
the Ancient Gauls;
” “Treatises of the four parts of the
World;
” “Two Tables of the Cities and Places, which
occur in the maps of the Rhine and Italy;
” “A Description of the Roman Empire, of France, Spain, Italy, Germany, and the British Isles, together with the ancient
Itineraries:
” all which are very necessary illustrations of
the maps, which they are intended to accompany. He
wrote also an account of the “Antiquities of Abbeville,
”
which engaged him in a contest with several learned men;
with father Labbe, the Jesuit, in particular. He made
also a “Sacred Geography,
” divided into two tables; and
a “Geographical Index of the Holy Land.
” He was preparing other works, and had collected materials for an atlas
of his own maps; but his incessant labours brought on an
illness, of which, after languishing for near two years, he
died at Paris, July 7, 1667, in the sixty-eighth year of his
life, leaving two sons, William and Adrian, who were likewise geographers of considerable merit. Their father had
received particular marks of esteem and kindness from the
cardinals Richelieu and Mazarin; and was geographer and
engineer to the king. His atlas was at last published at
Paris, in 1693, 2 vols. folio.