FABER, FABRI or FABRY (surnamed STAPULENSIS), JACOBUS [Jacques Lefevre d'Etaples] (c. 1455-1536), a pioneer of the Protestant movement in France, was born of humble parents at Staples, Pas de Calais. He had already been or dained priest when he entered the university of Paris, where Her monymus of Sparta was his master in Greek. He visited Italy before 1486, for he heard the lectures of Argyropulus, who died in that year ; he formed a friendship with Paulus Aemilius of Verona. In 1492 he again travelled in Italy, studying in Florence, Rome and Venice, making himself familiar with the writings of Aristotle, though greatly influenced by the Platonic philosophy. Returning to Paris, he became professor in the college of Cardinal Lemoine. Among his famous pupils were F. W. Vatable and Farel; his con nection with the latter drew him to the Calvinistic side of the movement of reform. At this time he began the publication, with critical apparatus, of Boetius (De Arithmetica), and Aristotle's Physics (1492), Ethics (1497), Metaphysics (15o1) and Politics (15o6). In 1507 he settled in the Benedictine Abbey of St. Ger main des Pres, near Paris, where his former pupil, William Bricon net, later cardinal bishop of Meaux, was abbot. He now began his Biblical studies, the first-fruit of which was his Quintuplex Psnl terium: Gallicum, Romanum, Hebraicum, Vetus, Conciliatum (I509) ; the Conciliatum was his own version. This was followed by S. Pauli Epistolae xiv. ex vulgata editione, adjecta intelligentia ex Graeco cum commentariis (1512), a work of great independence and judgment. His De Maria Magdalena et triduo Christi discep tatio (15I7) provoked violent controversy and was condemned by the Sorbonne (152I). At Britonnet's invitation he went in 152o to Meaux, and in 1523 published his French version of the New Testament. From this, in the same year, he extracted the versions of the Gospels and Epistles "a l'usage du diocese de Meaux." Faber was protected by Francis I. and the princess Margaret, but Francis being in captivity after the battle of Pavia (Feb. 25, 1525), he was condemned and his works suppressed by commis sion of the parliament. With the other Meaux preachers he fled to Strasbourg, but, as soon as Francis returned, he with others, was recalled. Faber now became tutor to one of the king's sons. He issued Le Psautier de David (1525), and was appointed royal librarian at Blois (1526) ; his version of the Pentateuch appeared two years later. His complete version of the Bible (1 S3o), on the basis of Jerome, took the same place as his version of the New Testament. Margaret (now queen of Navarre) led him to take refuge (1531) at Nerac from persecution. He is said to have been visited (1533) by Calvin on his flight from France. He died at Nerac in 1536.
See C. H. Graf, Essai sur la vie et les ecrits (1842) ; G. Bonet Maury, in A. Herzog-Hauck's Realencyklopadie (1898).