There is no known author by the name of "Samuel J Petau". It is possible you are thinking of a different name or that you have a misspelling. Could you please double check the name and provide more information?
Perhaps you're thinking of Samuel de Peiresc, a 17th century French scholar, or Paul Petavius, a French Jesuit scholar.
Please provide more context or clarify the name so I can assist you better.