, whom L‘Avocat prqnounces one of the most judicious and accurate critics
, whom
L‘Avocat prqnounces one of the most judicious and accurate critics and historians that France has produced, was
born at Paris Nov. 30, 1637. His father, John L,e Nain,
was master of the requests. About the age of ten, he was
sent to the famous seminary of the Port Royal, where his
attention to instruction, and his proficiency, were very extraordinary, and where he very early became fond of ’the
study of history. This partiality seems to have been
first excited by a perusal of Baronius, and while thus employed he was perpetually putting questions to his master
Nicole, who at first gave him such answers as came in his
head at the moment, hut soon found that his pupil was not
so easily satisfied; and Nicole, although by no means ignorHiit of history, used to dread his approach, lest he might
ask questions for which he was not fully prepared. At the
age of e ghteen Tillemont began to read the fathers, the
lives of the apostles, and their successors in the primitive
church, and drew up for himself an account of early ecclesia^tical history, in the manner of Usher’s Annals, a hook
he much admired, and formed his pwn somewhat on the
same plan. In the mean time he was successfully instructed in other branches but it was a considerable time
before he made choice of a profession. In this he was at
last influenced by M. Choart de Buzanval, bishop of
Brauvais, who determined him in favour of the church,
and gave him the tonsure. About 1663, he went to reside with M. Hermant, a canon of the cathedral of Beauvais, and remained there five or six years. He then returned to Paris, and lodged with M. Thomas de Fosse, an
old school-fellow, for about two years; but although in all
these situations he was constantly employed in study, and
had the quiet enjoyment of his time, he removed to the
country, and, after receiving the other orders of his
church, and being ordained priest in 1676, he settled at
Tillemont, whence he took his name, about a league from
Paris. About this time he was employed, along with his
friend M. de Sacy, on a life of St. Louis, and two years
after he travelled in Flanders and Holland. After his return, he continued his studies, and, in 1690, began to
publish his <k History of the Emperors,“which was very
favourabl\ received, and made the public more anxious to
see his history of the church, on which it was well known
he had been for some time employed. His
” History of
the Emperors“was, in fact, a part of his ecclesiastical
history; hut when he printed a volume, as a specimen, it
fell into the hands of a licenser of the press, who made so
many petty objections, that M. Tillemont determined to
suppress the work rather than submit to the proposed alterations and omissions, as none of the objections were in
any way contrary to the received doctrines of the church.
He then, by the advice of his friends, published the history of the emperors separately; and there being no occasion in this case for a theological licenser, he published
vol. I. in 1690, 4to; and completed the work in five vols,
in 1701, which had abundant success; was reprinted at
Brussels, and translated into English. This was followed by
his ecclesiastical history,
” Memoires pour servir a l'Histoire
ecclesiastique des six premiers siecles," &c. 1693, &c. completed in sixteen volumes, quarto. Extreme accuracy of
facts and dates constitute the great merit of this work, and
the want of a more methodical arrangement, and of a better style, its chief objections. Dupin wishes he had reduced
his work to the form of annals, in imitation of Baronius; and
this opinion having been conveyed to M. Tillemont, he
said he could not think of going over the materials anew,
but was very willing to give his manuscripts to any person
who would take the trouble to put them in the form of annals. No such person offering his services, M. Tillemont
proceeded in his own way, in which he met afterwards
with very little opposition, except a short controversy, of
no great importance, with father Lamy.