(John Lewis Guez de), born at Angouleme in 1595. Voltaire allows him the merit of having given numbers and harmony to the French prose, but centuries its style as somewhat bombast. The critics of his own time gave him no little disquiet; and he gave them no little advantage over him by his fallies of vanity, and some particular propositions which were a little dangerous. Mr Balzac, getting rid of these disputes by his moderation, settled at his country-seat; refined his style and genius; and got by his letters and other writings which he published from time to time, the reputation of being the first writer in France. He was at length drawn from his retirement by the hopes of making his fortune under cardinal Richlieu, who had formerly courted his friendship; but in a few years he retired again, disgusted with the slavery dependence of a court life. All he obtained from the court was a pension of 2000 livres, with the titles of counsellor of state and historiographer of France. He died in 1654; and was buried in the hospital of Notre Dame des Anges, to which he bequeathed 12,000 livres. He left an estate of 100 franks per ann. for a gold medal to be bestowed every two years for the best discourse on some moral subject.—Besides his letters, he wrote a work called Oeuvres Diverses, i.e. on various subjects; The Prince; The Christian Socrates, &c., and many other pieces; all of which have been published in two volumes folio.