WILSON (Florence), known in the republic of letters by the name of Florentius Volusinus, was born at Elgin in the shire of Murray in Scotland, and educated in the university of Aberdeen. Travelling to England with an intention to improve his fortune, he had the felicity to be introduced to cardinal Wolsey, who appointed him tutor to one of his nephews. In that capacity he went to Paris, and continued there till the cardinal's death. During his residence in that city he became acquainted with the learned cardinal Bellai, archbishop of Paris, who allowed him a pension, and meant to have appointed him royal professor of the Greek and Latin languages in the university of Paris: but Bellai being disgraced, Wilson's prospects faded with the fortunes of his patron, whom nevertheless he attended on his journey to Rome. Wilson was taken ill at Avignon, and the cardinal proceeded without him. After his recovery, he paid a visit to the celebrated cardinal Sabot, the Mecenas of his time, who was also bishop of Carpentras, where he then resided. The cardinal was so charmed with his erudition, that he appointed him professor of the learned languages, with a stipend of 100 pistoles per annum.
During his residence at Carpentras, he wrote his celebrated treatise De animi tranquillitate. Mackenzie says that he afterwards taught philosophy in Italy; and that, being at length desirous of returning to Scotland, he began his journey homeward, was taken ill at Vienne in Dauphiny, and died there in the year 1547. He was generally esteemed an accomplished linguist,
Wilson. an admirable philosopher, and an excellent Latin poet. He wrote, beside the above treatise, 1. Poemata. Lond. 1619, 410. 2. Commentatio quaedam theologica in aphorismos dissecta, per Sebast. Gryph. 3. Philosophie Aristot. synopsis, lib. iv.