ill ant . ▁He ▁died ▁at ▁Paris . ▁ ▁He ▁succeeded ▁Ét ienne ▁Four mont ▁at ▁the ▁Royal ▁Library ▁as ▁secretary ▁interpreter ▁of ▁the ▁Eastern ▁languages . ▁His ▁M ém oire ▁historique ▁sur ▁l ' origine ▁des ▁H uns ▁et ▁des ▁Tur cs , ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 7 4 8 , ▁earned ▁him ▁ad mission ▁to ▁the ▁Royal ▁Society ▁of ▁London ▁in ▁ 1 7 5 2 , ▁and ▁he ▁became ▁an ▁associate ▁of ▁the ▁French ▁Academy ▁of ▁In scri ptions ▁in ▁ 1 7 5 4 . ▁There ▁soon ▁followed ▁the ▁five - volume ▁work ▁Histoire ▁générale ▁des ▁H uns , ▁des ▁Mong oles , ▁des ▁Tur cs ▁et ▁des ▁autres ▁T art ares ▁occident aux ▁( 1 7 5 6 – 1 7 5 8 ). ▁In ▁ 1 7 5 7 , ▁he ▁was ▁appointed ▁to ▁the ▁chair ▁of ▁Sy ri ac ▁at ▁the ▁Coll ège ▁de ▁France . ▁ ▁Gu ignes ▁origin ated ▁the ▁proposition ▁that ▁the ▁H uns ▁who ▁attacked ▁the ▁Roman ▁Empire ▁were ▁the ▁same ▁people ▁as ▁the ▁X ion gnu ▁mentioned ▁in ▁Chinese ▁records . ▁This ▁view ▁was ▁popular ised ▁by ▁his ▁contemporary ▁Edward ▁Gib bon ▁in ▁Dec line ▁and ▁Fall ▁of ▁the ▁Roman ▁Empire . ▁The ▁idea ▁has ▁been ▁str enu ously ▁deb ated ▁by ▁central ▁Asian ists , ▁including ▁Ma en chen - H elf en , ▁Hen ning , ▁Ba iley , ▁and ▁Va iss ière . ▁ ▁Gu ignes ▁maintained ▁that ▁the ▁Chinese ▁nation ▁had ▁origin ated ▁in ▁Egypt ian ▁colon