The son of a goldsmith, abbot Rive was gifted with a vast memory, a penetrating mind and the immense erudition that can give an infinite reading.

Although he increased the library which he had charge of with large number of rare and valuable books, he did not participate in drafting the catalog of the collection[1] for the duchess of Châtillon, heir to the Duke of La Valliere commissioned Debure and Vanpraet to catalog the rare books of the library.

His pride and his irascible and annoying nature quarreled with those caring like him of bibliography, and whom he stigmatized with insulting epithets, to the point that his career was punctuated by continual disputes and debates, even if he was said to have been, in his interior, good parent and friend, and excellent master.

Rive accepted this post, but his exorbitant claims gave rise to endless disputes, that his presence at Aix, where he had returned, made even more difficult to close.

[1] Abbot Rive then founded in the Provençal capital, the faction of the Frères Anti-Politiques (Anti-Political Brethren), gathering little people who were sowing terror.