Page:Margaret of Angoulême, Queen of Navarre (Robinson 1886).djvu/107

92 had no more energetic champions than the three Du Bellays.

Guillaume Budé, the great Greek scholar, who, on his wedding-day lamented that he had but six hours left for study, was the librarian of Francis. Pedant as he was, narrow and dogmatic humanist, he was none the less devoted to the cause of learning. He did good work in the revival of Letters. Among other scholars, says a contemporary, Budé shone as the sun among the stars. To him, to Jean du Bellay, to the Queen of Navarre, Michelet gives the triune glory of founding the College of France. This is a little hard on Francis, who already in 1521 was inspired with this idea; it is, however, safe to say that to these three persons belongs the honour of infusing into the volatile king, sufficient energy and hardihood to make so fine a thought a deed.

Margaret, Cardinal du Bellay, Budé, these were undoubtedly the guides and inspirers of Francis. But there was a whole public seconding them, demanding their succour, crying for safety and legality. Paris was full of men of learning, even as Fontainebleau of architects and painters. Étienne Poncher, Bishop of Paris, Loys de Ruzé, a president of Parliament, were the leaders of a circle abounding in wisdom and enterprise. The Estiennes, the learned printers whose wives and children could all speak Latin, to whom is due the New Testament of Lefêbvre d'Étaples, the first book of the Reformation, these men, workmen and scholars at once, learned, heroic in their patience and labour, had gathered about them a society of humanists and debtors, to whom they submitted the texts issued by their press. Lascaris the Greek, Oronce Finée the mathematician, Rhenanus, the historian of