, a learned member of the French academy, and of that of Inscriptions,
,
a learned member of the French academy, and of that of
Inscriptions, was born in the country of Caux in 1715, and
died at Paris in 1795, aged eighty. His youth was spent
in the acquisition of the learned languages, and he afterwards came to Paris to enjoy the company of the literati
of that metropolis. Being sent to England to search
for materials respecting the French history, he published
the result in a paper in the Memoirs of the Academy of
inscriptions in 1767, by which we find that he collected
in the British Museum, and the Tower of London, an invaluable treasure of letters and papers relative to the his-,
tory, laws, and constitution of France, which papers had
till then been unknown to the literary world. The same
Memoir concludes with some anecdotes relative to the famous siege of Calais in 1346, which do little honour to the
memory of Eustache de St. Pierre, and are, by no means,
consistent with the encomiums that have been lavished on
him, on account of his heroic patriotism. Brequigny was
of a very communicative disposition, and loved to encourage young men of learning, by lending them his books
and manuscripts, and imparting his ideas of any subject on
which they might be employed. In his writings, his style
is clear and simple, and he had the happy talent of extracting with judgment and accuracy, of which he left many
proofs in his notices inserted in the Journal des Savans,
and in the Memoirs of the Academy of inscriptions, to
which he was a frequent contributor. The substance of a
curious paper of his, on the life and character of Mahomet,
may be seen in the Monthly Review, vol. XXXIV. (1768.)
His principal works are, 1. “Histoire des Revolutions de
Genes,
” Paris, Strabo,
” vol. I. Gr. and Lat. Vies dfes anciens orateurs Grecs,
” with a translation of
many of their orations, Diplomata,
Chartaj ad res Franciscas spectantia,
” 4to. 5. “Table
chronologique des diplomes, chartes, et titres relatifs a
i'histoire de France,
” Ordonnances
des rois de France de la troisieme race:
” of this important
collection Brequigny published the last six volumes, enriched with learned notes and curious dissertations on the
ancient legislation of France. He also compiled and published in 1764, 8vo, the catalogue of the library of Clermont.