Basnages

Basnages, Jacques, was born at Rouen in 1653, and educated for the Protestant ministry at Geneva, where he evinced great capacity for languages. He served as a pastor at Rouen till the Protestants were expelled, and settling then in Rotterdam exercised much influence in politics. Voltaire had a high opinion of his abilities. He became later on pastor at the Hague, and died in 1723. His works include a History of the Reformed Churches, a treatise on Jewish Antiquities, and a Dissertation on Duels.