Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Le Grand, Antoine
LE GRAND, ANTOINE (d. 1699), Cartesian philosopher, a native of Douay, was attached at an early age to the English community of St. Bonaventure's convent in that city. There he became a Franciscan Recollect friar, and taught philosophy and divinity. Being sent on the English mission he resided for many years in Oxfordshire, and in 1695 he was tutor in the family of Mr. Farmer of Tusmore in that county (Wood, Athena Oxon. ed. Bliss, iv. 233). He lived a studious and retired life, and was the first philosopher who reduced the Cartesian method, of which he was a zealous partisan, to the method of the schools. Towards the close of his life he engaged in sharp controversies on metaphysical topics with John Sergeant, a secular priest. At the twenty-third chapter of his order, assembled in London on 9 July 1693, he was elected provincial, and he held that office till his death on 26 July 1699.
His works are: 1. Le Sage des Stoiques, ou l'Homme sans Passions. Selon les sentimens de Sénèque,' the Hague, 1662, 12mo; Lyons, 1666, 12mo. dedicated to Charles II. This work was reproduced anonymously, under the title of 'Les Caratères de l'Homme sans Passions, selon les Sentiments de Sénèque,' Paris. 1663, 1682, 12mo; Lyons, 1665, 12mo. An English translation by G. R, appeared at London, 1676, 8vo. 2. 'Physica,' Amsterdam, 1664, 4to. 3. 'L'Épicure Spirituel, ou l'Empire de la Volupté sur les Vertus,' Paris [1669?], 8vo. Rendered in English by Edward Cooke, 1676. 4. 'Philosophia Veterum e mente Renati Descartes, more scholastico breviter digesta,' London, 1671, 12mo. After being greatly augmented by the author, it was republished under the title of 'Institutio Philosophiae, secundum principia Renati Descartes, nova methodo adornata et explicata ad usum juventutis academico,' London, 1672, 8vo; 3rd edit, 1675, 8vo; 4th edit., 'auctior,' 1680, 4to; Nuremberg, 1695, 4to. Wood says this work was much read in the university of Cambridge. An English translation by Richard Blome was published at London in 1694, fol. 5. 'Historia Nature, variis experimentis et rat iociniiseluci data.' London, 1673, 8vo, 1680, 4to; Nuremberg, 1678, 1680, 8vo, 1702, 4to. 6. 'Dissertatio de Carentia Sensus et Cognitionis in Brutis.' London, 1675, 12mo; Leyden, 1675, 8vo; Nuremberg, 1679, 8vo. The authorship of this work has been erroneously ascribed to Henry Jenkins. 7. 'Apologiapro Renato Des-Cartes contra Samuelem Parkerum,' London, 1679, 8vo, 1682, 12mo; Nuremberg, 1681, 8vo. 8. 'Curiosus Rerum Abditarum Naturaeo: Arcanorum Perscrutator,' Frankfort and Nuremberg, 1681, 12mo. A German translation appeared in 1682. 9. 'Animadversiones ad Jacobi Rohaultii Tractatum Physicum,' London, 1682, 8vo. These are remarks on a Latin version, by Theophile Bonnet, of Rohault's 'Physique.' 10. 'Historia Sacra a mundi exordio ad Constantini Ma^ni imperium deducta,' London, 1685. This is Le Grand's best work. 11. 'Missse Sacrificium neomystis succincte expositum.' London, 1695, 12mo. 12. 'Dissertatio de ratione cognoscendi et appendix de mutatione formali, contra J. S. [John Sergeant] methodum sciendi.' London, n.d. 8vo. 13. 'Historia Hseresiarcharum a Christo nato ad nostra usque tempora,' Douay, 1729, 8vo; pp. 473, a posthumous work.
[Biog. Univ., Suppl. lxxi. 202; Dodd's Church Hist. iii. 489; Chaudon and Delandioe's Nouveau Dict. Historique, 8th edit. v. 532; Lowndes's Bibl. Man. (Bonn), p. 1333; Oliver's Catholic Religion in Cornwall, pp. 553, 569; Watt's Bibl. Brit.]