HENAULT, CHARLES JEAN FRANcOIS, 1685-1770; a French historian, educated at the Jesuit college des Quatre-Nations. Captivated by the eloquence of Massillon, he entered the oratorywith the view of becoming a preacher, but after two years' residence he changed his intention, and, inheriting a position which secured him access to the most select society of Paris, he at an early period achieved distinction by his gay, witty, and graceful manners, and by various light poetical pieces, and two discourses which respectively gained a prize at the French academy in 1707, and at the academie des Jeux Floraux in 1708. In 1706 be became councilor of the parliament of Paris, and in 1710 was chosen president of the court of enquetes. He was admitted into the French academy in 1723, and subsequently into the leading literary societies of Europe. After the death of Bernard de Coubert he became superintendent of the household of queen Marie Leczinska, whose intimate friendship lie had previously enjoyed. On his recovery in his fiftieth year from a dangerous malady, he professed to have undergone religious conversion and retired into private life, devoting the remainder of his days to study and devotion. His devotion, however, did not prevent his continuing a near
friendship with Voltaire. His chief literary work was the Abrege Chrono/ogique, first published in 1744 without the author's name. It is valuable both for popular use and as a work of reference. In the compass of two volumes he has comprised the whole history of France from the earliest times to the death of Louis XIV. His information is for the most part drawn from original sources, and for such a work the number of errors is remarkably small. Besides some other historical works of minor importance, Henault wrote several dramatic pieces of no particular merit. His Menwires published in 1654, are fragmentary and disconnected, but contain many interesting anecdotes and details regarding persons of note.