Editing Firmin Abauzit (section)

==Biography==
Firmin Abauzit was born of [[Huguenot]] parents on 11 November 1679 at [[Uzès]], in [[Languedoc]].<ref name="eb">{{harvnb|Hoiberg|2010|p=8}}</ref><ref name="cam">{{harvnb|Magnusson|Goring|1990|p=1}}</ref> His paternal family traces its origin to an Arab physician who settled in [[Toulouse]] during the 9th century.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f5VUAAAAYAAJ&q=abauzit+arab&pg=PA37 | title=The Biographical Dictionary of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge--| year=1842}}</ref> Accordingly, the name “Abauzit” is liked derived from the Arabic “Abu Zaid” (father of Zaid).

His father died when he was only two years of age; and when, on the revocation of the [[Edict of Nantes]] in 1685, the authorities took steps to have him educated in the [[Roman Catholic]] faith, his mother contrived his escape.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

For two years his brother and he lived as fugitives in the mountains of the [[Cévennes]], but they at last reached [[Geneva]], where their mother afterwards joined them on escaping from the imprisonment in which she was held from the time of their flight. Abauzit at an early age acquired great proficiency in languages, physics, and theology.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

In 1698, he traveled to [[Germany]], then to [[Dutch Republic|Holland]],<ref name="cam" /> where he became acquainted with [[Pierre Bayle]],<ref name="eb" /> [[Pierre Jurieu]] and [[Jacques Basnage]]. Proceeding to [[England]], he was introduced to Sir [[Isaac Newton]], who found in him one of the earliest defenders of his discoveries against [[Charles-Irénée Castel de Saint-Pierre|Castel]].<ref name="eb" /><ref name="ww" /> Newton corrected in the second edition of his ''[[Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica|Principia]]'' an error pointed out by Abauzit,{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}<ref name="ww" /> and, when sending him the ''Commercium Epistolicum,'' said, "You are well worthy to judge between [[Gottfried Leibniz|Leibnitz]] and me."{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

The reputation of Abauzit induced [[William III of England|William III]] to request him to settle in [[England]], but he did not accept the king's offer, preferring to return to [[Geneva]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}<ref name="ww" />
There from 1715 he rendered valuable assistance to a society that had been formed for translating the [[New Testament]] into [[French language|French]]. He declined the offer of the chair of philosophy at the [[University of Geneva]] in 1723.<ref name="eb" /> He assisted in the French language [[New Testament]] in 1726.<ref name="eb" /> In 1727, he was granted citizenship in Geneva, and he accepted the office of honorary librarian to Geneva, the city of his adoption.<ref name="eb" /> It was while he was in Geneva in his later years that he authored many of his works. He died in Geneva at the age of 87, on 20 March 1767.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}