Fontaine, Nicolas

Fontaine, Nicolas a French theologian, was born at Paris in 1625. At the age of twenty he joined the Port-Royalists, and soon became intimately acquainted with Nicole, Arnauld, De Sacy, and others. In 1666 he was imprisoned with De Sacy. After his release he lived at different places, and finally died at Melun, January 28, 1709. He wrote Histoire de l'Ancien et du Nouveau Testament (Paris, 1670): — Psaumes de David (1674): — Explication du Nouveau Testament (1675, 4 volumes; 1685, 2 volumes): — Vies des Patriarches (1683): — Vies des Prophetes (1693): — Dictionnaire Chretien (1691, 1712): — Sermons de St. Grgoire de Nazianae (1693, 2 volumes): — Homilies de St. Chrysostom, sur les Epitres de St. Paul (7 volumes), besides other works. He is best known by his posthumous work, Memoires pour Servir a l'Histoire de Port-Royal (Cologne, 1736). See Lichtenberger, Encyclop. des Sciences Religieuses, s.v.; Jocher, Allgemeines Gelehrten-Lexikon, s.v.; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale; Biog. Universelle, s.v. (B.P.)