An apologetical writer and
Orientalist, b. at Paris, 22 July, 1648; d. there, 1 Sept., 1720.
He was educated by the Jesuits, and joined the Oratorians in 1666,
but owing partly to ill-health, forthwith left them and never
received more than minor orders. His extraordinary native talent
and love of study enabled him to become an able liturgical writer,
one of the greatest Orientalists of his time, and a trustworthy
political advisor. One of the prominent men of the reign of Louis
XIV, he enjoyed the friendship of numerous literary and political
celebrities, among others Bossuet, whom he supported in the
controversies with Richard Simon, Fénelon and the Jesuits.
Towards the last he assumed the unfriendly attitude of the
Gallican and Jansenist. Numerous high distinctions were conferred
upon him, among them membership in the French Academy (1689), the
Academy of Inscriptions (1691), and the Accademia della Crusca
of Florence. Most of his writings were prepared not merely for the
extension of scientific knowledge, but also in defence of the
Catholic Church. Among them are contributions to "Perpétuité
de la foi", a work published by Nicole and Antoine Arnauld
against the Calvinists, the fourth and fifth volumes of which are
entirely due to Renaudot's pen (Paris, 1711, 1713). He published,
moreover, "Défense de la perpétuité de
la foi" (Paris, 1708); "Gennadii Patriarchae
Constantinopolitani Homiliae de Eucharistia" (Paris, 1709);
"Historia Patriarcharum Alexandrinorum" (Paris, 1713);
"Liturgiarum orientalium collectio" (Paris, 1715-16);
"Anciennes relations des Indes et de la Chine" (Paris,
1718). His opinion of Bayle's "Dictionnaire" was
published by Jurieu (Rotterdam, 1697).
VILLIEN, Eusebe Renaudot
(Paris, 1904).
N.A. WEBER
