FEUILLET
65
PEVAL
April, 1544; d. 25 April, IGOO. Having completed a
successful course in the humanities at Toulouse and
Bordeaux, at the age of eighteen he was made com-
mendatory Abbot of the Feuillants by the King of
France, succeeding Charles de Crussol, who had just
joined the Reformers. After his nomination he went
to Paris to continue his studies, and then began his
lifelong friendship with the celebrated Arnaud d'Os-
sat, later cardinal. In 1573 Barriere, having re-
solved to introtluce a reform into his abbey, took the
habit of novice, and after obtaining the necessary
dispensations, made his solemn profession and was
ordained priest, some time after 8 May, 1573. His
enterprise was a difficult one. There were twelve
monks at Les Feuillans who refused to accept the
reform, and unmoved by the example and exhorta-
tions of their abbot, resolved to do away with him, by
means of poison. Their attempts, however, were
frustrated. In 1577, having received the abbatial
benediction, he solemnly announced his intention of
reforming his monastery, and made the members of
the community understand that they had either to
accept the reform or leave the abbev; they chose the
latter and dispersed to various Cistercian houses.
Their departure reduced the community to five per-
sons, two professed clerics, two novices, and the supe-
rior. The rule was interpreted in its most rigid sense
and in many ways even surpassed. Sartorius in his
work "Cistercium bis-tertium" sums up the austeri-
ties of the reform in these four points: (1) The Feuil-
lants renounced the use of wine, lish, eggs, butter,
salt, and all seasoning. Their nourishment con-
sisted of barley breatl, herbs cooked in water, and
oatmeal. (2) Tables were abolished; they ate on the
floor kneeling. (3) They kept the Cistercian habit,
but remained bare-headed and barefoot in the mon-
astery. (4) They slept on the ground or on bare
planks, with a stone for pillow. They slept but four
hours. Silence and manual labour were held in
honour. The community was increased rapidly by
the admission of fervent postulants.
In 1581 Barriere received from Gregorj' XIII a Brief of commendation and in 1589 one of confirma- tion, establishing the Feuillants as a separate congre- gation. In spite of the opposition of the abbots and general chapters of Citeaux, the reform waxed strong. In 1587 Sixtus V called the Feuillants to Rome, where he gave them the church of S. Pudentiana, and the same year, Henn,' III, King of France, constructed for them the monaster^' of St. Bernard, in the Rue Saint-Honore, Paris. In 1590, however, the Peas- ants' War brought about dissensions. While Bar- riere remained loyal to Henry III, the majority of his religious declared for the League. As a result, in 1592 Barriere was condemned as a traitor to the Catholic cau.se, deposed, and reduced to lay commun- ion. It was not until IGOO that, through the efforts of Cardinal Bellarmine, he was exonerated and rein- stated. Early in the same year, however, he died in the arms of his friend Cardinal d'Ossat. In 1595 Clement VIII exempted the reform from all jurisdic- tion on the part of Cistercian abbots, and allowed the Feuillants to draw up new constitutions, containing some mitigations of the primitive rigour. These were approved the same year. In 1598 the Feuillants took possession of a second monaster^' in Rome. San Ber- nardo alle Terme. In 1630 Pope Urban VIII divided the congregation into two entirely distinct branches: that of France, under the title of Notre-Dame des Feuillants; and that of Italy, under the name of Ber- nardoni or Reformed Bernardines. In 1034 the Feuillants of France, and in 1667 the Bernardines of Italy modified somewhat the constitutions of 1595. In 1791 at the time of the suppression of the religious orders, the Feuillants possessed twenty-four abbeys in France; almost all the religious were confessors, exiles, or martyrs. The Bernardines of Italy eventu- VI.— 5
ally combined with the Order of Citeaux. The
congregation of the Feuillants has given a number of
illustrious personages to the Church, among others:
Cardinal Bona (q.v.), the celebrated liturgist and
ascetical writer (d. 1674); Gabriele de Castello (d.
1687), general of the Italian branch, who also received
the cardinal's hat; Dom Charles de Saint-Paul, first
general of the Feuillants of France, afterwards Bishop
of Avranche, who published in l(i41 the "Geographia
Sacra"; among theologians, Pierre Comagere (d.
1662), Laurent Apisius (d. 1681), and Jean Goulu
(d. 1629). Special mention should be made of Carlo
Giuseppe Morozzi (Morotius), author of the most im-
portant history of the order, the "Cistercii reflores-
centis. . .chronologicahistoria". Many martyrologies
give Jean de la Barriere (25 April) the title of Vener-
able. The Abbey des Feuillants was authorized by
papal Brief to publicly venerate his remains, but
the cause of beatification has never been introduced.
The Feuillantines, founded in 1588 by Jean de la Barriere, embraced the same rule and adopted the same austerities as the Feuillants. Matrons of the highest distinction sought admission into this severe order, which soon grew in numbers, but during the Revolution, in 1791, the Feuillantines disappeared.
Hkltot. Hist, des onlres (Paris. 1719); Caretto, Sant&rale del S. Ordine Cistercien.se (Turin. 1708); Sartorius, Cistercium bis-tertium (Prague, 17(X)): Bazy, Vie du Venerable Jean de la Barriire (Toulouse, 1SS5); SIorotius, Ci.stercii re/lorescentis . . . chronologica historia (Turin, 1690); Chalemot, .Series Sanctorum el Beatorum S. O. Cist. (Paris, 1670); Callia Chrisliana. XIII; Janauschkk, Ong. Cist. (Vienna, 1877); Voyage littiraire de deux religieux de la cong. de S. Aiaur in Martene and Doran'd (Paris. 1717); Jongelinus, Nolilia abbatiarum Ord. Cist. (Cologne, 1640).
Ediiond M. Obrecht.
Feuillet (Feuillee), Loui.'!, geographer, b. at Mane near Forcalquier, France, in 1660; d. at Mar- seilles in 1732. He entered the Franciscan Order and made rapid progress in his studies, particularly in mathematics and astronomy. He attracted the atten- tion of members of the Academy of Sciences and in 1699 was sent by order of the king on a voyage to the Levant with Cassini to determine the geographical positions of a number of seaports and other cities. The success of the undertaking led him to make a similar journey to the Antilles. He left Marseilles, 5 Feb., 1703, and arrived at Martinique 11 April. A severe sickness was the cause of considerable delay, but in September of the following year he began a cruise along the northern coast of South America, making observations at numerous ports. He likewise collected a number of botanical specimens. Upon his return to France in 1706, his work won recognition from the Government, and he immediately began prep- arations for a more extended voyage along the western coast of South America to continue his observations. He received the title of royal mathematician, and armed with letters from the ministry set sail from Marseilles, 14 Dec, 1707. He rounded Cape Horn after a tempestuous voyage and visited the principal western ports as far north as Callao. At Lima he spent several months studying the region. He re- turned to France in 1711, bringing with him much valuable data and a collection of botanical specimens. Louis XIV granted him a pension and built an obser- vatory for him at Marseilles. Feuillet was of a gentle and simple character, and while an enthusiastic ex- plorer, was also a true ecclesiastic. He was the author of "Journal des observations physiques, math^mati- ques, et botaniques" (Paris, 1714); "Suite du Jour- nal" (Paris, 1725).
Eyries in Biog. Univ., XIV; Poggendorff, Biographisch Lilerarisches Handwnrterbuch zur Geschichte der exacten Wis- senschajten (Leipzig, 18(53), I.
Henry M. Brock.
Peval, P.\ul-Hexri-Corentin, novelist, b. at Rennes, 27 September, 1817; d. la Paris, 8 March.
