, a learned chronologist, was born Oct. 29, 1649, at the castle
, a learned chronologist,
was born Oct. 29, 1649, at the castle of Aubais, in Languedoc, of a very ancient family, and received a liberal
education. His preparatory studies being finished, he passed
a year at Geneva, and heard a course of lectures ou divinity. His father had intended him for the army, but was
unwilling to put any restraint upon his inclinations, and
therefore permitted him to go to Saumur, and afterwards
to England, to complete his divinity studies. In 1675 he
returned to Aubais, and was appointed minister of that
church, which he afterwards resigned for that of Cailar,
and while he performed the functions of his order with
great zeal, found leisure at the same time to indulge his
taste for chronological researches. On the revocation of
the edict of Nantz he returned to Geneva, and afterwards
to Berlin, where he was appointed pastor of the church of
Schwedt. When his merit became better known, he had
the choice of many churches of more emolument, but ^ave
the preference to that of Brandenburgh, on account of its
vicinity to the metropolis, where he might enjoy opportunities of study. In the mean time he began to form an
intimacy with many eminent men, as Lenfant, La Croze,
Kirck, &c. and distinguished himself by some learned papers inserted in the iiterary journals. When the royal society of Berlin was founded in 1701, he was chosen one of
the members, and at the suggestion of Leibnitz was invited
to settle in Berlin, that the new society might profit by his
communications. With this he appears to have complied,
and on the formation of the society of the Anonymi was
chosen their secretary. In 1711 he became one of the
editors of the “Bibliotheque Germanique,
” which he enriched with many valuable criticisms, and analyses of books.
Amidst all these employments he did not neglect the duties
of his profession, but was a very frequent preacher, and
having obtained the cure of Copenick, near Berlin, he
passed his summers there, and there composed his great
chronological work, the plan of which he published in
1721, but the whole did not appear until some years afterwards. Its success did not answer the expectation of the
author, or of his friends, and although one of the best
which had appeared on the subject, sold so slowly, that
tKe bookseller was obliged more than once to have recourse
to the trick of a new title-page. Vignoles, however, satisfied with a moderate competence, a stranger to worldly
ambition and passions, lived quietly and happily among
his books, with the occasional conversation of a few agreeable and steady friends. His wife died in child-bed, and
none of the children she brought survived him. He was,
in his old age, on the point of losing his sight by two cataracts, the one of which was dissipated naturally, and the
other removed by an operation, the particulars of which he
published in the “Miscellanea Berolinensia,
” vol. IV. The
king and queen shewed him many marks of kindness. The
latter, it appears from the dedication of his chronology,
had at one time ordered the eve of his birth-day to be kept
by an entertainment, at which her proxy expressed her
royal wishes forthe continuance of his life. He died at
Berlin, July 24, 1744, aged upwards of ninety-four. His
principal work, already noticed, was published under the
title of “Chronologic de l‘historie sainte et des histoires
etrangeres depuis la sortie d’Egypte jusqu'a la captivite
de Babylone,
” Berlin,