Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 4.djvu/548

 CRETINEAU

488

CRIB

States (New York, 1895); Thebaud, Forty Years in the I. S. (New York, 1904), 274-75; Reuss, Biog. Cyclo. of the Calh. Hierarchu of the U. S. (MUwaukee, 1898); Shea, HUt. of the Cath. Ch. in the U. S. (New York. 1904).

Francis J. Schaefer.

Cretineau-Joly, Jacques, journalist and historian; b. at Fontenay-Ie-Comte, Vendue, France, 2.3 Sept., 180.3; d. at Vincennes near Pari.s, I Jan., 1875. At first he studied theology at the seminary of Saint-Sul- pice, Paris, but, feeling that he had no vocation, he left after a stay of three years, during which he had received the tonsure. He was now in his twentieth year; he quickly obtained the professorship of philos- ophy at the college in his native town, but soon re- signed the position on account of ill-health, and went in 1823 to Rome, as companion and private secretary to the French ambassador, the Duke of Laval-Mont- morency.

In 1826 he published at Rome "Chants remains", which contained poor verses of an irreligious character. After his return home in 1828 he issued a nimiber of volumes of poems and dramas, as "Les Trappistes" (Angouleme, 1828), "Inspirations po^tiques" (An- gouleme, 1833), and other poems, all of which proved, however, that he was no poet. He_ accomplished much more as a polemical journalist in the struggle against the liberalism, which, after the revolution of July, directed the State during the reign of the Duke of Orleans as Louis-Philippe, Being a Vendean he was an enthusiastic adherent of the hereditary royal house, and with fiery zeal defended its rights in several Legitimist newspapers of which he was editor. In 1837 he went to reside in Paris in order to devote himself to historical research concerning the history of Vendfe, but in 1839 he added for a time to these labours the editing of "L'Europe monarchique", a newspaper devoted to the interests of the Bourbons. Before this he had published two writings on Vendfe: "Episodes des guerres de la Vendee (1834) and "His- toire des g^n^raux et chefs vendeens" (1838). He now combined the two, made use of a large number of sources until then unknown, and issued his most im- portant work: " Histoire de la Yendte militaire" (Paris, 1840-41), 4 vols. ; the fifth edition appeared in 1865. Although he did not lay sufficient weight on the religious side of these struggles, the work brought him reputation on account of the animated descrip- tions, the clear arrangement of the great mass of mate- rial, the correctness and painstaking care in the use of authorities. It must be acknowledged that he was by no means scrupulous how he obtained his materials, and in the pro.secution of the narrative he was con- stantly influenced by practical considerations, for his- tory had no value to him except as a storehouse of weapons against the foe of the moment.

His reputation outside of France was gained largely by his religious-political writings. The most impor- tant of these is his great history of the Society of Jesus: "Histoire religieuse, politique et litt^raire de la Com- pagnie de Jdsus" issued at Paris, 1844-1846, in 6 vols.; German translation, 1845, 3d ed., 1851. The work was written imder the auspices of the Society and was drawn from authentic and unpublished sources; it is an excellent apology for the much abused Society, al- though at times it shows a lack of critical judgment and of moderation in treating the subject. A com- panion volume was his much discussed work: "Cl^ ment XIV et les Jfeuites" (Paris, 1847, 3d ed., 1848). To this Theiner wrote a rejoinder on behalf of Pope Pius IX, and Ravignon one on behalf of the Society, whereupon Cr<Stineau-Joly, after making careful re- Eearch and in agreement with the pope, published "L'^glise romaine en face de la Revolution" (1859, 2 vols.; 2d ed., 1803), a work which testifies to his un- wavering fidelity to the Catholic Church. His other writings generally treat some bm-ning question of the day and possess, therefore, less general mterest.

Matnard, Jacques Cretineau-Joly, sa vie politique, reliffieuae et litleraire (Paris, 1875).

Patricius Schlager.

Crevecoeur, Hector St. John de, a French agri- culturist, b. at Caen, France, 1731 ; d. at Sarcelles, near Paris, 1813. At the age of sixteen he went to Eng- land, whence in 1754 he emigrated to America, and for many years resided on a farm. In 1780 he was obliged to return to France to settle some of his affairs, and when he went to New York to take passage he was arrested by the English on suspicion of being a spy. After being in confinement for several months he was released and permitted to proceed on his journey unmolested. During his stay in his native land he succeeded in interesting the farmers of Normandy in the cultivation of the potato, and its culture was taken up by them. After a stay of about three years he once more came to America. It was largely due to his description of the wonderful productiveness of the land that several hundred of liis countrymen emigrated to America. They es- tablisheil a colony in Pennsylvania, which for a time flourished. It was at last destroyed by the savages and its inhabitants massacred. The American Revolution having come to a close, Crevecoeur was appointed consul at New York by the French Govern- ment, in which capacity he served for a long term. It was while occupying this post that he assisted in the founding of St. Peter's, the first Catholic church in the city, and served as one of its first trustees. He is the author of the following works: "Lettres d'un cultivateur americain" (1784); "Voyage dans la haute Pennsylvanie et dans I'etat de New York" (1801). These works have been translated into English and German, and are admired for the beauty of their style. They were very popular throughout France.

De Courcy and Shea. Hist, of Cath. Ch. in U. S. (New York, 1856); Fixom, Bib. Calh. Am. (New Y'ork, 1872); Cyclop. Am. Biog., II, 8.

Thomas Gaepney Taatfe.

Crib (Heb. DIIX; Gr., 4>6.tvti; Lat. prcesepe, ■prcesepium), the crib or manger in which the infant Saviour was laid after his birth is properly that place in the stable or khan where food for domestic animals is put, formed probably of the same material out of which the grotto itself is hewn. A very ancient tradi- tion avers that an ass and an ox were in the stable when Christ was born. The tradition bears an allu- sion to Isaias (i, 3): "The ox knoweth his ownier and the ass his master's crib"; and is probably founded on the words of the Prophet Habacuc (iii, 2) which in the Septuagint version read: " In the midst of two animals thou shalt be known", instead of "In the midst of years" etc. as St. Jerome rightly translated the orig- inal Hebrew. Be this as it may, what pertains to the crib we may consitier in the present article luuler three separate headings: (I) The Basilica of the Xati\'ity anc the Grotto of the Nativity at Bethlehem; (II) The relies of the crib preserved at St. Mary Major's it Rome; (III) Devotion to the crib.

I. Bethlehem is situated on two hills and is 236] feet above the level of the sea. The western hill is th( Bethlehem of Scripture; whilst on the eastern eleva; tion is situated the Basilica of the Nativity erectw over the grotto. We may imagine, then, that thi Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph, there being "no roon for them in the inn", left the town and came to thi cave or stable on the eastern hill which served as place of refuge for shepherds and their flocks agains the inclemency of the weather. We are not conceniei here with the controversies both as regards the his toricity of St. Luke's narrative of the birth of Chris and as reganls the actual site of the Grotto of the Na tivity. Suffice it to say that there appears to be n sufficient reason for abandoning the verj' ancient an unbroken tradition which attests the authenticity (