John, lord of Villeneuve, and master of requests of the French king's household, was born at Nîmes, and was sent ambassador to Portugal in 1559; whence he brought the plant which, from his name, was called Nicotiana, but is now more generally known Nicotiana by the name of Tobacco. He died at Paris in 1603. He wrote a French and Latin dictionary in folio; a treatise on navigation; and other works.