GABRIEL, an eminent French bibliographer, was born in Paris in 1600. His love of learning was displayed at an early age, and procured for him the post of librarian to President de Mesmes. But his taste for the science of medicine induced him to remove to Padua in 1626; and there he began that course of medical studies which he afterwards returned to complete in 1633. The death of his father obliged him to repair abruptly to Paris. He lived in the capital till 1631, when he was invited to Rome to become librarian to Cardinal de Baqui. It was while he held this office that the Benedictines and the regular canons of St Geneviève, both zealous for the honour of their respective orders, began their famous controversy concerning the authorship of De Imitatione Christi. The former claimed the honour for John Gerson, and the latter for Thomas à Kempis. (See KEMPIS.) Naudé was employed by his master to examine into the dispute, and to give a decision. He decided in favour of à Kempis. This produced a controversy between him and the Benedictines, which passed from a mere literary quarrel into a law-suit, but was ended without a decision in 1632. By this time Cardinal de Baqui had died, and Naudé, after remaining a few months in the service of Cardinal Barberini, had returned to Paris in 1642, and, becoming librarian to Cardinal Mazarin, had enriched with many valuable books and MSS. the library of his master. However, Mazarin was forced to retire from office, and his splendid collection of books was sold by an act of the Parliament of Paris. Naudé accordingly did not hesitate in the same year to accept of the office of librarian to Queen Christina of Sweden; but not long after his arrival at Stockholm his health began rapidly to decline. He set out for his native city, but died by the way, at Abbeville, in July 1653.

The principal of Naudé's numerous works are,—Apologie pour les Grandes Personnages faussement accusés de Magie, 8vo, Paris, 1625; Bibliographia Politica, Leyden, 1642; Avis pour Dresser une Bibliothèque, 8vo, 1644; Syntagma de Studio Liberali, 4to, 1632; Considérations Politiques sur les Coups d'Etat, 1639; Instruction à la