Antoine Francois Prevost D'Exiles, popularly known as Abbe Prevost, a French author, born at Hesdin, near Montreuil, April 1, 1697, died near Chantilly, Nov. 23, 1763. He was educated for the church, but repeatedly escaped from convents to join the army, and was finally brought back to monastic life by disappointment in love. In 1720 he was ordained. "While an inmate for several years of the abbey of St. Germain des Pres he began to write his first novel. In 1727, after vainly endeavoring to gain admission to the less rigorous monastery of Cluny, lie escaped from the consequences of his unauthorized departure from the abbey by going to Holland, and in 1733 to England. The patronage of the prince of Oonti enabled him in 1734 to return to France, and he became his chaplain. The last year of his life was passed in seclusion. He translated Cicero's "Familiar Letters," Middleton's " Life of Cicero," Hume's " History of the House of Stuart," and the principal novels of Richardson. His most elaborate work is the 17 volumes of his Histoire generate des voyages, subsequently extended by other authors, including La Harpe. The most celebrated of his numerous works is his semi-autobiographic Manon Lescaut, originally printed in 1733 under the title of Histoire du chevalier Desgrieux et de Manon Lescaut (last ed., 1875). His complete works comprise nearly 200 volumes.

His (Euvres choisies have been published together with those of Le Sage (54 vols., Paris, 1783-'4, and 55 vols., 1810-'16).