Berthelot Gregoire

Berthelot Gregoire a French Benedictine of the congregation of St. Vannes, was born at Berain in Barrois, Jan. 20, 1680. He became engaged at the age of seventeen in the Abbey of Munster, in Alsatia. He devoted himself with ardor to the study of ecclesiastical antiquities, and was finally considered worthy of the position of librarian of the Abbey of St. Leopold of Nancy, where facilities were afforded to him for improvement. Unfortunately he formed a friendly alliance with M. de Talvennes-Conseillon, who was a Jansenist and favored the Jesuits by certain writings, and who, in order to escape the storm which threatened him, fled to Holland. Among his writings which were condemned we mention, Memoires de Port Royal: — Instructions du Cardinal de Noailles, etc. Berthelot was also sent into exile to the Abbey of St. Mihiel, where he died, March 31, 1745. He was the author of Traite Historique et Moral de l'Abstinence des Viandes, et des Revolutions qu'elle a eues depuis le Commencement du Monde jusqu' Aujourd'hui (Rouen, 1731); a learned work, and full of interesting research. We might mention the titles of a number of his works, the MSS. of which are lost. See Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, s.v.; Biog. Universelle, s.v.