Adrien Baillet

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 college of Beauvais.

[1] The remainder of his life was spent in incessant, unremitting labour; so keen was his devotion to study that he allowed himself only five hours a day for rest.

[1] With regard to René Descartes, he is popularly said to have recorded in his biography the three dreams [2] leading up to the Cartesian Cogito.

His Vie de Descartes is a mine of information on the philosopher and his work, derived from numerous unimpeachable authorities.

Adrien Baillet, gravure, postuum (1715)