Pichon, Thomas-jean

Pichon, Thomas-Jean a French litterateur, was born in 1731 at Le Mans. Having been ordained a priest, he attached himself to M. d'Avrincourt, bishop of Perpignan, by whose protection he became canon and chorister of the Sainte-Chapelle of Le Mans. He was historiographer of the king's brother, whose estate was in that part of France. At the time of the Revolution the constitutional bishopric of Sarthe was offered to Pichon; but he would accept only the situation of administrator of the hospital of Le Mans. He died at that place November 18, 1812. His principal writings are, La Raison triomphante des Nouveautes (Paris, 1756, 12mo): it is an essay, upon manners and incredulity: — Traite historique et critique de la Nature de Dieu (ibid. 1758, 12mo): — Cartel aux Philosophes a quatre Pattes (Brussels, 1763, 8vo), in which he exposes materialism: — Memoire sur les Abus du Celibat dans l'Orde politique (Amsterdam, 1763, 8vo); this memoir, quite singular and inaccurate, excited some complaints against the author: — La Physique de l'Histoire (La Haye, 1765, 12mo); general considerations upon the temperament and character of people: — Les Droits respectifs de l'Etat et de l'Eglise rappelis a leurs Principes (Paris, 1766, 12mo): — Memoires sur les Abus dans les Mariages (Amsterdam, 1766, 12mo): — Des Etudes theologiques (Avignon, 1767, 12mo); researches upon the abuses which opposed the progress of theology in the public schools: — Les Arguments de la Raison en Faveur de la Religion et du Sacerdolae (Paris, 1776, 12mo); an examination of the treatise De l'Homme of Helvetius. Abbe Pichon also published the Principes de la Religion et de la Morale of Saurin (Amsterdam, 1768, 2 volumes, 12mo), the same work as the Esprit de Saurlin of J.F. Duranel: — La France agricole et marchande of Goyen (Paris, 1768, 8vo): — and Le Sacrae et le Couronement de Louis XVI of Gobet (Paris, 1775, 8vo and 4to), to which was added a Journal historique of this ceremony. See Desportes, Bibliog. du Maine; Querard, France Litter. s.v. — Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, 40:79.