(Louis), born at Nancy in 1610, became a Jesuit in 1626; and acquired reputation as a teacher, but yet more by the many histories which he published. The Jansenists criticised his history of Arianism, and that of the Iconoclasts; and his history of Calvinism, published in 1681, stirred up a violent paper-war against him, the operations whereof he left entirely to his enemies, without giving himself any trouble offensively or defensively. He was degraded by the general of the Jesuits, on account of his having declared too boldly in favour of the Gallican church against the Ultramontains. He retired into the abbey of St Victor, where he died in 1686.

He ought not to be confounded with Theodore Mainbourg, his cousin; who embraced Calvinism, afterwards returned to the Romish church, returned back to the reformed religion, embraced Socinianism, and died at London about the year 1693, after having published some works.