Nepveu, Francois

Nepveu, Francois a French ascetic author, was born April 28, 1639, at St. Malo. Admitted in 1654 into the Society of Jesus, he was professor of the humanities, rhetoric, and philosophy, and afterwards occupied different positions; at the time of his death. which occurred in February 1708, he was rector of the college of Renues. All his works treat of practical religion or morality; they have frequently been reprinted even in our day, and translated into several languages. The principal are, De l'Amour de Jesus-Christ (Nantes, 1684, 12mo; 5th ed. Paris, 1756, 12mo): — Exercices interieurs pour honorer les mysteres de Jesus-Christ (Paris, 1791, 2 volumes, 12mo; Lyons, 1836, 12mo): — Retraite selon l'esprit et la methode de St. Ignace (Paris, 1687, 12mo): — Maniere de sep reparer a la mnort (Paris, 1693, 1697, 12mo): — Pensees et reflexions Chretiennes pour tous les jours de l'annee (Paris, 1695, 4 volumes, 12mo, and 1850, 8vo); transl. twice into Latin (Ingolstadt, 1727. and Heidelberg, 1774, 4 volumes, 8vo); into Flemish (1837, 1839, 4 volumes, 4to); twice into German (1752 and 1829); and twice into Italian (1715 and 1842): — L'Esprit du Christianisme, ou la conformite du Chretien avec Jesus-Christ (Paris, 1700, 12mo): — Conduite Chretienne (Paris, 1704, 12mo): — Retraite spirituelle (Paris, 1708, 12mo). Nepveu is also the author of the philosophical theses maintained in 1679 by Louis de la Tour d'Auvergne, prince de Turenne, and remarkable not only for their extent and solidity, but still more because they are ornamented with symbols, inscriptions, and vignettes, due to the good taste of J. Charles de la Rue. See Moreri, Grand Dictionn. Histor. s.v.; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, s.v.