BAYLE, Nil, Pierre, French critic and phi losopher, son of a Calvinist minister: b. Carlat, near Foix (Languedoc), 1647; d. Rotterdam, 28 Dec. 1706. At the age of 19 he entered the College of Puylaurens, to finish his studies. All books were eagerly devoured by him; his taste for logic led him particularly to study religious controversies, but Amyot's (Plutarch) and 'Montaigne> were his favorite works. In Toulouse he studied philosophy with the Jesuits. The arguments of his professors, and still more his friendly discussions with a Catholic priest who dwelt near him, confirmed his doubts of the orthodoxy of Protestantism, so that he re solved to change his religion. His family, how ever, tried all means to regain him, and after 17 months he returned to his old faith. To escape from the punishment of perpetual ex communication which the Roman Catholic Church then pronounced against apostates, he went to Geneva, and thence to Copet, where Count Dohna intrusted him with the education of his sons, where he studied the philosophy of Descartes. But after some years he returned to France and settled in Rouen, where he was employed in teaching. In 1675 he obtained the philosophical chair at Sedan, where he taught with distinction until the suppression of this academy in 1681. He was afterward invited to discharge the same duties at Rotterdam. The appearance of a comet in 1680 induced him to publish, in 1682, his 'Pensees Diverses sur la Comete? in which he discussed various subjects of metaphysics, morals, theology, history and politics. It was followed by his 'Critique Generale de 1'Histoire du Calvinisme de Maim bourg.' This work received with equal appro bation by the Catholics and Protestants, and esteemed by Maimbourg himself, excited the jealousy of his colleague, the theologian Jerieu, whose 'Refutation du P. Maimbourg' had not
succeeded, and involved Bayle in many disputes. He afterward undertook a periodical work, 'Nouvelles de la Republique des Lettres,' in 1684. The death of his father and of his two brothers, together with the religious persecu tions in France, induced him to write his 'Corn mentaire Philosophique' on the words of the Gospel: °Compel them to come
which is not equal in merit to his other works. Bayle himself was unwilling to acknowledge it; but Jurieu, who probably recognized its author by the zeal with which toleration is defended in this work, attacked it with violence, and his influence was sufficient to lead the magistrates of Rotterdam to remove Bayle from the office in 1693. He now devoted all his attention to the composition of his 'Dictionnaire His torique et Critique,' which he published in 1695-97. This was the first work which ap peared under his name. Jurieu opposed him anew, and caused the consistory, in which he had the greatest influence, to make a severe attack upon him. Bayle promised to remove everything which the consistory deemed offen sive; but finding the public had other views, and preferring the satisfaction of his readers to that of his judges, he left the work, with the exception of a few trifles, unaltered. He found two new enemies in Jacquelot and Le Clerc, who both attacked his religion: others perse cuted him as the enemy of his sect and his new country. The best editions of his