(Francis de la), counsellor of state, and preceptor to the duke of Anjou only brother to Louis XIV. was born at Paris in the year 1588. He was well educated by a learned father, whose merits and employment rendered him of consequence; and he became so eminently learned himself, and distinguished by his writings, that he was considered as one of the best members of the French academy, into which he was admitted in the year 1639. He was loved and considered by the two cardinals Richelieu and Mazarine, who governed France successively. Splendid titles and honourable posts were bestowed upon him. He was appointed preceptor to the duke of Anjou, as we have said, and would have been preceptor also to the king his brother, if the queen had not taken a particular fancy not to have that place bestowed on a married man; though Moreri in his Dictionary, and Pelisson in his History of the French Academy, both affirm that he was preceptor to his majesty for the space of one year. He was a man of a very regular conduct, and a true philosopher in his manners; yet was suspected of having no religion. As great a philosopher as he was, however, he was extremely afflicted at the loss of his only son, who died when about 35 years of age; and his grief disordered him so much that in three months after he married again, although he was above 75 years old. Le Vayer lived a long time after his second marriage, and died in the year 1672. His works, collected into a body by his son, were dedicated to cardinal Mazarine in 1653; but the best and completest collection of them was that of Paris 1669, dedicated to Louis XIV. and consisting of 15 volumes in 12mo.

Vol. XII. Part II.

"There is no small advantage (says Bayle) to be made of reading this writer: and we have no French author that approaches nearer to Plutarch than he. We find beautiful thoughts and solid arguments interwoven and dispersed through all he wrote; wit and learning go hand in hand. His treatise concerning the education of the dauphin, and that of pagan philosophy, are the best which he hath written."