CHERUEL, ADOLPHE

born Jan. 17, 1809, Rouen, France died May 1, 1891, Paris in full Pierre-adolphe Chruel French historian known for his pioneer work from original sources on the reign (1643-1715) of Louis XIV of France. Chruel pursued an academic career and rose to the highest posts. His early work was concerned with Norman history and with the general history of France; but his epoch-making edition of the memoirs of the duc de Saint-Simon, 20 vol. (1856-58), was followed by editions of older memoirs and diaries and by publication in six volumes (1872-91) of the letters of Cardinal Jules Mazarin, chief minister during the first 18 years of Louis XIV's reign. These books transformed the historiography of the period of the Fronde, a series of uprisings against the policies of Mazarin in 1648-53. Chruel's most important original works include Histoire de France pendant la minorit de Louis XIV, 4 vol. (1879-80; "History of France During the Minority of Louis XIV"), and Histoire de France sous le ministre de Mazarin, 1651-1661, 3 vol. (1882; "History of France Under the Ministry of Mazarin, 1651-1661").