LA MOTHE LE VAYER

la mothe le vayer, francois de (1588-1672), french writer, was born in paris of a noble family of maine. his father was an _avocat_ at the parlement of paris and author of a curious treatise on the functions of ambassadors, entitled _legatus, seu de legatorum privilegiis, officio et munere libellus_ (1579) and illustrated mainly from ancient history. francois succeeded his father at the parlement, but gave up his post about 1647 and devoted himself to travel and _belles lettres_. his _considerations sur l'eloquence francaise_ (1638) procured him admission to the academy, and his _de l'instruction de mgr. le dauphin_ (1640) attracted the attention of richelieu. in 1649 anne of austria entrusted him with the education of her second son and subsequently with the completion of louis xiv.'s education, which had been very much neglected. the outcome of his pedagogic labours was a series of books comprising the _geographie_, _rhetorique_, _morale_, _economique_, _politique_, _logique_, and _physique du prince_ (1651-1658). the king rewarded his tutor by appointing him historiographer of france and councillor of state. la mothe le vayer died in paris. modest, sceptical, and occasionally obscene in his latin pieces and in his verses, he made himself a _persona grata_ at the french court, where libertinism in ideas and morals was hailed with relish. besides his educational works, he wrote _jugement sur les anciens et principaux historiens grecs et latins_ (1646); a treatise entitled _du peu de certitude qu'il y a en histoire_ (1668), which in a sense marks the beginning of historical criticism in france; and sceptical _dialogues_, published posthumously under the pseudonym of orosius tubero. an incomplete edition of his works was published at dresden in 1756-1759. see bayle, _dictionnaire critique_, article "vayer"; l. etienne, _essai sur la mothe le vayer_ (paris, 1849).