HUET, PETER DANIEL, bishop of Avranches, belonged to a family of rank, and was born at Caen in Normandy, Feb. 8, 163o. His parents were originally protestants, but became converts to popery before the birth of their son, who was left an orphan when scarcely six years old. His edu cation began in the Jesuit's College, belonging to his native place, and for eight years he pursued his studies there with an insatiable, illimitable vora city for knowledge that was the ruling passion of a life, extended almost to a century. He cultivated the acquaintance of the most eminent contemporary scholars ; one of these was his fellow-townsman Samuel Bochart [BoDHART1, whose work on sacred geography was published when Huet was in his sbcteenth year, and excited his taste for Biblical studies. He accompanied Bochart in his visit to Sweden, undertaken at the express desire of Queen Christina. At Stockholm he met in the P.oyal Library with a manuscript of Origen's commentary on Matthew and his treatise on Prayer, which sug. gested to him the publication of the works of that Father, a task he partially accomplished fifteen years aftcrwards. In 1670 he was appointed tutor of the Dauphin in conjunction with Bossuet, and at the request of the Duke of Montausier superintended the edition of Latin authors so well known under the title of the Delphin classics. In his forty-sixth year he took orders, and was made Abbot of Aul nar ; in the same year, 1685, he was nominated to the see of Soissons, which, seven years after, he exchanged for that of Avranches. In 1699, owing to the state of his health, he resigned his bishopric, and received in lieu of it the abbacy of Fontenai, two miles from Caen. He dicd January 26, 1721, within eleven days of the completion of his ninety first year. Only three years before his death he wrote and published an interesting but much too brief autobiography, entitled, P. D. Rudd C0771 mentarii de rebus ad eum pertinentibus, libri sex, Hag 1718. After his connection with the Court as preceptor to the Dauphin had ceased, he re ncwed his application to the Hebrew language, to which Ile added the Syriac and Arabic. For the
space of thirty-one years, from 1681 to 1712, he suffered no day to pass without devoting two or three hours to Oriental literature, and during that period read through the original text of-the O. T. twenty-four times. His literary sympathies were too intense to be confined within the pale of his own communion, and besides Protestant scholars on the continent, he was on terms of friendship with several of our eminent countrymen, such as Gall, Bernard, and Bishop Pearson. Of his vari ous works the following belong to Biblical litera ture : Origenis in sacras seripturas qua,cunque Grace reperiri potuerunt, etc., 2 vols. fol., Rotho magi (Rouen) 1688 ; 2. Trait/ de la situation du Paradis terrestre, a Messieurs de P Academie Fran coisc, 1691; 3. De navigationibus Salonzonis, 1698; this was published at Amsterdam, with a Latin tmnslation of the essay on Paradise, and both were inserted in the eighth volume of the Critici Sacri ; 4. Demanstratio Evangelica, fol., 1679. This work, which is the great monument of his literary repu tation, was the result of various conversations with the eminent Rabbi Manasseh Ben Israel at Amster dam. It begins with a set of definitions on the genuineness of books, history, prophecy, true reli gion, the Messiah, and the Christian religion. Then follow two postulates, and four axioms. Ten pro positions occupy the rest of the book, and in the discussion of these the Demonstration consists. A second edition appeared at Amsterdam in 168o, with additions by the author, 2 vols. 8vo. A fcw minor pieces on Biblical subjects are contained in two volumes, edited by the Abbe Tilladet, Disser. tations sur diverses Matieres de Religion, et de Phila. logie, etc., Paris 1712. A translation of Huet's autobiography was published in 1810 by Dr. Aikin under the title of Memoirs of the life of Peter Daniel Thal, bishop of Avranches, written. by himself, and translated fromtheariginal Latin, with copious notes, biographical and critical, by yohn Aikin, M.D., 2 vols. 8vo.—J. E. R.