BAILLET, Adrien, a French writer and critic, was born in June 1649, at the village of Neuville, near Beauvais, in Picardy, and died in January 1706. His parents could only afford to send him to a small school in the village, but he picked up some Latin from the friars of a neighbouring convent, who brought him under the notice of the bishop of Beauvais. By his kindness Baillet received a thorough education at the theological seminary, and was afterwards appointed to a post as teacher in the school of Beauvais. In 1676 he took orders, and was presented to a small vicarage. His duties interfering too much with his studies, he accepted in 1680 the appointment of librarian to Μ. de Lamoignon, advocate-general to the parliament of Paris, of whose library he made a Catalogue Raisonné in thirty-five volumes folio, all written with his own hand. The remainder of his life was spent in incessant, unremitting labour; so keen was his devotion to study that he scarcely allowed himself even natural rest. In the list of his numerous works the following are among the most conspicuous:—1. Histoire de Hollande depuis 1609 jusqu’ à 1690, 4 tom. 12mo, a continuation of Grotius, and published under the name of Neuville. 2. Les Vies des Saints, 3 tom. fol. 3. Des Satires personelles, traité historique et critique de celles qui portent le titre d’Anti, 2 tom. 12mo. 4.

Vie de Descartes, 2 tom. 4to. 5. Jug emens des Savants sur les principaux Ouvrages des Auteurs, 9 tom. 12mo. The last is the most celebrated and useful of all the works of this learned and indefatigable writer. The edition in seven volumes quarto, published in 1722 by Μ. de la Monnoye, contains the Anti-Baillet of Μ. Menage, besides notes: but the edition published at Amsterdam in 1725 is more esteemed.