Jean-Maximilien Lucas (died 1697) was a French bookseller and publisher, resident in the Netherlands from around 1667. He is now known as the first biographer of

Baruch Spinoza Baruch (de) Spinoza (born Bento de Espinosa; later as an author and a correspondent ''Benedictus de Spinoza'', anglicized to ''Benedict de Spinoza''; 24 November 1632 – 21 February 1677) was a Dutch philosopher of Portuguese-Jewish origin, b ...

Life

Lucas was born in

Rouen Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine in northern France. It is the prefecture of the Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one of ...

at an uncertain date, 1636 or 1646. Having migrated to the Netherlands about 1667, he became a citizen of

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

in 1670. He published a number of books, but was declared bankrupt in 1680. Without personal acquaintance with Spinoza, who died in 1677, Lucas met members of his circle through Jan Rieuwertsz, Spinoza's publisher. The 1719 biography, ''La vie de Monsieur Benoit de Spinosa'' is generally attributed to him, following Charles Levier. Internal evidence shows it was a production of the period immediately after Spinoza's death. It is hagiographical in tone and publicizes Spinozism. Pierre Bayle drew on it, in manuscript, access being provided by Jan Rieuwertsz junior. The other work published with it, ''L'Esprit de Monsieur Benoit de Spinosa'', is now attributed to Jan Vroesen (1672–1725). Lucas also was involved in production of clandestine journals in French, directed against

Louis XIV , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Vers ...

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lucas, Jean-Maximilien Lucas Year of birth missing 1697 deaths French biographers Writers from Rouen Businesspeople from Rouen French booksellers