Benoît, Michel
BENOÎT, MICHEL
Astronomer; b. Autun or Dijon, Oct. 8, 1715; d. Peking, Oct. 23, 1774. He entered the Society of Jesus at age 22 at Nancy and was sent to the China missions at age 25. For this he studied astronomy in Paris under Delisle, Lacaille, and Le Monnier. Upon his arrival in Peking, he was assigned to a group of missionary mathematicians of the court. For all his astronomical preparation, Emperor Kien Lung asked him to landscape his gardens. He built in them European houses and a monumental water clock. He prepared a 12.5 by 6.5 foot map of the world, incorporating astronomical as well as geographical data. He also engraved in copper a map of the Chinese empire, creating for this task a group of native specialists in copper engraving. He wrote many of the letters in Lettres édifiantes and translated the Imitation of Christ into Chinese. From 1762 to 1772 Benoît was superior of the Jesuit mission in Peking. He died of a stroke a few days after being notified of the suppression of the Society of Jesus.
Bibliography: r. streit and j. dindinger, Bibliotheca missionum (Freiburg 1916–).
[e. t. spain]