Niceron, Jean Pierre

Niceron, Jean Pierre a distinguished French ecclesiastic, noted especially as a biographer and bibliographer, was born at Paris March 11,1685. He studied at the Mazarin College at Paris, and afterwards at the College of Du'Plessis. He was received into the Society of the Barnabite Jesuits in 1702, and took the vows in 1704. Ordained in 1708, he became a very useful preacher, and died at Paris July 8, 1738. Niceron wrote Memoirespour servir a l'histoire

des Hommes illustres dans la republique des Lettres, etc. (Paris, 1729-45, 43 vols. in 44, 12mo), a laborious and excellent work, from which all subsequent accounts of the same authors and their works are derived. (See Darling, Cycl. Bib. liographica, 2:2192; Brunet, Manuel du Libraire, s.v.) Hallam has made free use of these writings, and not unfrequently quotes Niceron's estimates of writers in his own Introduction to the Literature of Europe in the 15th, 16th, and 17th Centuries. In our Cyclopedia Nicdron's work has frequently proved of great service. Indeed no bibliographical labors can be satisfactorily performed on the periods with which it deals without the aid of Niceron's labors. See Labbe Gouget, "Eloge de J. P. Niceron," in Memoires pour servir a l'histoire des Hommes illustres, vol. xl.