WILLIAM, descended of an ancient and illustrious family, was born at Paris in 1467. When young he was placed under masters; but barbarism prevailed so much in the schools of Paris, that Budaeus took a dislike to them, and spent his whole time in idleness, till his parents sent him to the university of Orleans to study law. There he passed three years without adding to his knowledge; so that his parents having recalled him to Paris, found his ignorance no less than before, and his reluctance to study, and love to gaming and other useless pleasures, much greater. They talked no more to him of learning of any kind; and as he was heir of a large fortune, they left him to follow his own inclinations. He was passionately fond of hunting, and took great pleasure in horses, dogs, and hawks. But when the fire of youth began to cool, and his usual pleasures to pall upon his senses, he was seized with an irresistible passion for study; and having disposed of his hunting equipage, he abstracted himself from all business, in order to apply himself wholly to study; in which, without any assistance, he made a rapid progress, particularly in the Latin and Greek languages. The work which gained him greatest reputation was his treatise De Arte, the first edition of which was published at Paris in 1514, in folio. His erudition and high birth were not his only advantages; for he had an uncommon share of piety, modesty, gentleness, and good-breeding. The French king, Francis I., often sent for him, and, at his persuasion, and that of Du Bellay, founded the royal college of France, for teaching the languages and sciences. The king sent him to Rome in the character of ambassador to Leo X., and in 1522 made him master of requests. The same year he was chosen provost of the merchants. He died at Paris in 1540. His works, extending to four volumes in folio, were printed at Basel in 1557.