Les Mémoires de la vie du Comte D***, avant sa retraite - Villiers, Pierre de 1648-1728; Saint-Evremond 1613-1703 (s.l. s.n., 1740)
"Mr L'Abbé de Villiers, si connu par son Art de prêcher, & par plusieurs autres Ouvrages, qui ont eu l'aprobation du public" (in Oeuvres de Monsieur de Saint Evremond, I, p.296)
De Villiers wrote many works in the seventeenth century, and many biographies and studies are attributed to him, such as Lettres sur l'oraison des quiétistes or Prière en vers sur l'espérance qu'on doit avoir en Jésus-Christ.He was the first to suspect that Perrault's tales were not written by Charles Perrault's son, as announced by the publishers, but by the academician himself - or at least at second hand. De Villiers joined the Jesuits on 6 June 1666 and distinguished himself in the careers of teaching and preaching. He took the order of priesthood and exercised the holy ministry. In 1689 he left the Jesuits to join the unreformed Cluny order. A writer and essayist, he composed or printed most of the works that came from his pen. Boileau mentions the Abbé de Villiers in his poetry, and calls him "the Matamore of Cluny", "because he had a bold air and imperious speech". He never put his name to his works.
Digitalisation of later edition of 1753: https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5531143f.texteImage
Contenant diverses avantures qui peuvent servir d'instructions à ceux qui ont à vivre dans le grand monde. Rédigés par M. de Saint-Evremond.
Keywords: 17th Century (1601-1700); 18th Century (1701-1800); Biography; France