Bossuet, Jacques Benigne (1627–1704), a Roman Catholic theologian and bishop of Meaux, France. He was noted as a classical scholar and as an orator. His work Discourse on Universal History (1681) is notable for its interpretation of the meaning of history. It was written while he was tutor to the dauphin of France, father of Louis XV. Strongly conservative, Bossuet dedicated himself to the defense of lawful authority in church and state and to the conversion of Protestants.