He was born in Chartres and died in Paris, the recipient of a government pension in recognition of his work writing librettos.

One of the foremost of the French librettist of his generation, he wrote libretti for many noted composers of the day, including Salieri (Les Horaces) and in particular Sacchini (Œdipe à Colone, amongst many others).

His most famous work is Iphigénie en Tauride, his first libretto, set by Gluck after the composer had initially rejected it.

He used a wide range of subjects as a starting point, basing his libretto for Sacchini's final opera, Arvire et Évélina, on an English dramatic poem and also using the works of Pierre Corneille on two occasions.

In the 1790s he altered his style to fit the revolutionary atmosphere of the time, one of his last works being the epic La mort d'Adam, where he turned to biblical themes.