Bellay, William Du

, another brother of the preceding, lord of Langey, a French general, who signalized himself in the service of Francis I. was also an able negociator, so that the emperor Charles V. used to say, “that | Langey’s pen had fought more against him than all the lances of France.” He was sent to Piedmont in quality of viceroy, where he took several towns from the Imperialists. His address in penetrating into an enemy’s designs was one of those talents in the exercise of which he spared no expence, and thereby had intelligence of the most secret councils of the emperor and his generals. He was extremely active in influencing some of the universities of France, to give their judgment agreeably to the desires of Henry VIII. king of England, when this prince wanted to divorce his queen, in order to marry Anne Boleyn. It was then the interest of France to favour the king of England in this particular, it being an affront to the emperor, and a gratification to Henry, which might serve for the basis of an alliance between him and Francis I. He was sent several times into Germany to the princes of the proiestant league, and was made a knight of the order of St. Michael.

He was also a man of learning, and gave proofs of his abilities and genius as a writer. The most remarkable of his works was the “History of his own times,” in Latin: of this, however, nothing remains except a few fragments, sand three or four books, which Martin du Bellay, William’s brother, has inserted in his memoirs.

When Langey was in Piedmont in 1542, he had some remarkable intelligence, which he was desirous himself to communicate to the king; and, being extremely infirm, he ordered a litter for his conveyance; but, after having passed the mountain of Tarara, betwixt Lyons and Roan, he found himself so much indisposed at St. Saphorin, that he was obliged to stop: and there he died Jan. 9, 1543. He was buried in the church of Mans, and a noble monument was erected to his memory. His friends gave him the following epitaph:

Cy git Langey, qui de plume et d’epée

A surmonté Ciceron et Pompée.

His cousin Joachim Bellay made also the two following lines in his praise:

Hie situs est Langeius, nil ultra quære, viator;

nil melius dici, nil potuit brevius.

Here lies Langey ask nothing further, traveller; nothing better can be said, and nothing shorter.¹

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