Congrégation de l'Oratoire
Adam was born at Vendôme, where he was a gifted pupil of the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri, he was sent to Paris where, at the age of 14, he assisted Claude Fleury in his research and participated in the production of his classic "Histoire ecclésiastique". He became the tutor of the Prince of Conti, and then of his son, who helped him gain membership in the Académie française in 1723.