Carmelite writer, b. at Chalons-sur-Marne, Aug. 20, 1608; d. at Paris March 10, 1670

view page scan

Ludovicus a S. Carolo (LUDOVICUS JACOB), Carmelite writer, b. at Chalons-sur-Marne (according to some at Chalon-sur-Saone), August 20, 1608; d. at Paris March 10, 1670. The son of Jean Jacob (whence he is also commonly known as Ludovicus Jacob) and Claudine Mareschal, he entered the Order cf Carmelites of the Old Observance in his native town, and made his profession June 11, 1626. While in Italy (1639) he took great interest in epigraphy, regretting the wholesale destruction of inscriptions in the catacombs. A lasting fruit of his sojourn in Rome was the completion and publication of the "Bibliotheca Pontificia", begun by Gabriel Naude (1600-53, librarian to Cardinal Mazarin). Though not free from errors and mistakes, the work met with fully deserved success. On his return to France he obtained the post of librarian to Cardinal de Retz, and later on the dignity of royal councillor and almoner. At a later period he became librarian to Achille de Harlay, first president of the parliament, in whose house he lived and finally died.

Besides the work already mentioned, and some twelve books which he edited for their respective authors, he left, according to the "Bibliotheca Carmelitana" (II, 272), twenty-seven printed works and sixty manuscripts, of which the following deserve notice: A relation of the procession held July 17, 1639, at the church of Sts. Sylvester and Martin at Rome in honor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Paris, 1639). Catalogue of authors proving Rene Gros de Saint-Joyre, the poet, to have been related to Pope Clement IV (Lyons, 1642). The panegyric of Ven. Jeanne de Cambry, of Tournay, Augustinian nun (Paris, 1644). He it was who published the first yearly lists of printed books, an undertaking which speedily found favor with the world of letters as well as with the book trade, and in which he has found numerous imitators down to the present time. We have from his pen the lists of Paris publications for 1643-44 and 1645, and the list of French publications for 1643-45. Among his manuscript notes were collections of bibliographical notices concerning his order which were utilized by Martialis a S. Johanne Baptista (Bordeaux, 1730), and Villiers de S. Etienne (Orleans, 1752).

BENEDICT ZIMMERMAN