Larue, Charles De

Larue, Charles De, a French Jesuit and celebrated preacher, was born at Paris in 1643; joined the order in 1659, became soon after professor of rhetoric, and at once attracted the attention of Louis XIV by his talents as a preacher and poet. He was for a while sent as a missionary among the Protestants of the Cevennes, but soon returned to Paris, where he was appointed professor of rhetoric in the college Louis-le-Grand. He was also chosen confessor of the dauphiness, and of the duke of Berri. He died at Paris May 27, 1725. Larue wrote Idyllia (Rouen, 1669, 12mo), reprinted under the title Carminum Libri 4 (6th ed. Paris, 1754), which contains, among a number of profane pieces, a Greek ode in honor of the immaculate conception (1670): — P. Virgilii Maronis Opera, interpretatione et notis, ad usum Delphini (Paris, 1675, 4to, often reprinted): — Sermons (in Migne, Collection des Orateurs Sacres): these are celebrated as models of pathos, as well as for vehemence of style and grace of diction: — Panegyriques des Saints, etc. (Paris, 1740, 2 volumes, 12mo); and a number of theatrical pieces, etc. See Mercure de France, June, 1725; Baillet, Jugements des Savants; Journal des Savants, 1695, 1706, 1712, 1738, and 1740; Dict. des Predicateurs; Le Long, Bibl. Historique; Moreri, Dictionnaire Hist. 9; Bibl. des ecrivains de la Comnpagnie de Jesus, pages 658-665; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, 29:700.