, historiographer and censor royal, and the first of a family of men of considerable
, historiographer and censor royal,
and the first of a family of men of considerable eminence
in France, was born Nov. 5, 1644, at Vaucouleurs. He
gave private lectures on history and geography at Paris,
and had not only the principal lords of the court among his
pupils, but the duke of Orleans, afterwards regent of
France, who always retained a particular value for him,
and gave him frequent proofs of his esteem. He died at
Paris, May 2, 1720, aged 76, leaving twelve children, of
whom three sons will form the subject of the ensuing articles. His works are, “Relation historique du Roiaume de
Siam,
” An Abridgement of the Universal
History,
”