, librarian to the king of France, and a celebrated writer of travels, was
, librarian to the king of
France, and a celebrated writer of travels, was born at
Paris in 1621, and had scarcely gone through his academical studies, when he discovered a strong passion for
visiting foreign countries. At first he saw only part of
Europe; but accumulated very particular informations
and memoirs from those who had travelled over other parts
of the globe, and out of those composed his “Voyages
and Travels.
” He laid down, among other things, some
rules, together with the invention of an instrument, for
the better finding out of the longitude, and the declination
of the needle; which, some have thought, constitute the
most valuable part of his works. Thevenot was likewise a
great collector of scarce books in all sciences, especially in
philosophy, mathematics, and history; and in this he may
be said to have spent his whole life. When he iiad the
care of the king’s library, though it is one of the best furnished in Europe, he found two thousand volumes wanting
in it, which he had in his own. Besides printed books,
he brought a great many manuscripts in French, English,
Spanish, Italian, Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Syriac, Arabic,
Turkish, and Persic. The marbles presented to him by
Mr. Nointel, at his return from his embassy to Constantinople, upon which there are bas-reliefs and inscriptions
of almost two thousand years old, may be reckoned among
the curiosities of his library. He spent most of his time
among his books, without aiming at any post of figure or
profit; he had, however, two honourable employments;
for he assisted at a conclave held after the death of pope
Innocent X. and was the French king’s envoy at Genoa.
He was attacked with a slow fever in 1692, and died October the same year at the age of seventy-one. According
to the account given, he managed himself very improperly
in this illness: for he diminished his v strength by abstinence, while he should have increased it with hearty food
and strong wines, which was yet the more necessary Oh account of his great age. “7'hevenot’s Travels into the Levant, &c.
” were published in English, in 1687, folio; they
had been published in French, at Paris, 1663, folio. He
wrote also “L'Art de nager,
” the Art of Swimming, 12 mo,
1696.