Clement, the best French poet of his time, was born at Cahors in 1495, being the son of John Marot, valet-de-chambre to Francis I., and poet to Queen Anne of Bretagne. He enjoyed his father's place as valet-de-chambre to Francis I., and was page to Margaret of France, wife of the Duke of Alençon. In 1521 he followed that prince into Italy, and was wounded and taken prisoner at the battle of Pavia; but on his return to Paris he was accused of heresy and thrown into prison, where he wrote his Enfer, and revised the Roman de la Rose. Delivered by the protection of King Francis I., he at length retired to the court of the Queen of Navarre, then to that of the Duchess of Ferrara, and in 1536 returned to Paris; but having declared openly for the Calvinists, he was obliged to fly to Geneva, which he at length quitted for Lyons, where he renounced Calvinism; and after having taken part in the Italian campaign of 1535, under Francis I., he retired to Piedmont, and died at Turin in 1544, aged fifty. His versés are filled with natural beauties. La Fontaine acknowledged himself his disciple, and contributed greatly to restore to credit the works of this ancient poet. Marot, besides his other works, translated part of the Psalms into verse, a production which was condemned by the Sorbonne, but subsequently continued by Beza. Michael Marot, his son, was also the author of some verses; but they are not comparable to those of John, and much inferior to those of Clement Marot. The works of the three Marots were collected and printed together at the Hague in 1731, in 3 vols. 4to, and in 6 vols. 12mo.