(Oliver), a counsellor in parliament, and dean of the French academy, was born at Pairs in 1604. He had an excellent faculty both of speaking and writing. Upon his admission into the French academy in 1640, he made an oration of thanks, that gave rise to the custom of admittance speeches, which are still in use in that society. Mr de Vauglas owns himself much indebted to him for his assistance in composing his Remarks on the French tongue, of which he was by far the greatest master in France; so that he was consulted as an oracle by all the best writers of that nation.

Patru was estimable for the qualities of his heart, as well as for those of the head: was honest, generous, sincere; and preserved a gayness of character, which no ill-fortune could alter or affect. For this famous advocate, in spite of all his great talents, lived almost in a state of indigence. The love of the belles lettres made him neglect the law; and the barren glory of being an oracle to the best French writers had more charms for him, than all the profits of the bar. Hence he became so poor, as to be reduced to the necessity of selling his books, which seemed dearer to him than his life; and would actually have sold them for an under-price, if Boileau had not generously advanced him a larger sum, with this further privilege, that he should have the use of them as long as he lived. His death was preceded by a tedious illness, during which he received a present of 500 crowns from Colbert, as a mark of the esteem which the king had for him. He died the 16th of January 1681. The prodigious care and exactness with which he retouched and finished every thing he wrote, did not permit him to publish much. His miscellaneous works were printed at Paris in 1670, 4to; the third edition of which, in 1714, 4to, was augmented with several pieces. They consist of Pleadings, Orations, Letters, Lives of some of his friends, Remarks upon the French language, &c.