He had a deep knowledge of Semitic and oriental languages and was a religious historian. He was born in Brittany, at Tréguier, on 28^th of February 1823. Orphan since his youngest age, he entered the seminary when he was fifteen. He left it seven years later in order pursue his studied, which led him to Italy for his degree about Averroism (school of philosophy based on the works of the philosopher Averroes).