Denis, a celebrated French writer, was born at Saintonge in 1606. He maintained a close correspondence with the fathers of the Oratory, a congregation of priests founded by Philip of Neri. He wrote the life of Charles of Gondran, second superior of this congregation, and published it at Paris in 1643. In this work he said something of the famous abbot of St Cyran, which greatly displeased the gentlemen of Port Royal, who, out of revenge, published a libel against him, entitled Idée générale de l'esprit et de l'âme de P. Amelotte. He was so much provoked by this satire, that he did all in his power to injure them. They had finished a translation of the New Testament, and were desirous to have it published; for which purpose they endeavoured to procure an approbation from the doctors of the Sorbonne, and a privilege from the king. But Amelotte, by his influence with the chancellor, prevented them from succeeding. In this he had also Amentum, a view to his own interest; for he was about to publish a translation of his own. Amelotte's translation with annotations, in four volumes octavo, was printed in the years 1666, 1667, and 1668. It was not very accurate, according to F. Simon, who tells us that it contains some very gross blunders. Amelotte wrote also an Abridgment of Divinity, a Catechism for the Jubilee, and a kind of Christian Manual for every day. Towards the end of his life, he entered into the congregation of the Oratory in 1650; and continued amongst them till his death, which happened in 1678.