BOUHOURS

bouhours, dominique (1628-1702), french critic, was born in paris in 1628. he entered the society of jesus at the age of sixteen, and was appointed to read lectures on literature in the college of clermont at paris, and on rhetoric at tours. he afterwards became private tutor to the two sons of the duke of longueville. he was sent to dunkirk to the romanist refugees from england, and in the midst of his missionary occupations published several books. in 1665 or 1666 he returned to paris, and published in 1671 _les entretiens d'ariste et d'eugene_, a critical work on the french language, printed five times at paris, twice at grenoble, and afterwards at lyons, brussels, amsterdam, leiden, &c. the chief of his other works are _la maniere de bien penser sur les ouvrages d'esprit_ (1687), _doutes sur la langue francaise_ (1674), _vie de saint ignace de loyola_ (1679), _vie de saint francois xavier_ (1682), and a translation of the new testament into french (1697). his practice of publishing secular books and works of devotion alternately led to the _mot_, _"qu'il servait le monde et le ciel par semestre."_ bouhours died at paris on the 27th of may 1702. see georges doucieux, _un jesuite homme de lettres au dix-septieme siecle: le pere bouhours_ (1886). for a list of bouhours' works see backer and sommervogel, _bibliotheque de la compagnie de jesus_, i. pp. 1886 et seq.