Michel Baudier (c. 1589-1645), French historian, was born in Languedoc, during the reign of Louis XIII and he was historiographer to the Court of France.

He contributed to French history by writing Histoire de la guerre de Flandre 1559-1609 (Paris, 1615); Histoire de l'administration du cardinal d'Amboise, grand ministre d'état en France (Paris, 1634), a defence of the cardinal; and Histoire de l'administration de l'abbé Suger (Paris, 1645). Taking an especial interest in the Turks he wrote Inventaire general de l'histoire des Turcs (Paris, 1619); Histoire générale de la religion des Turcs avec la vie de leur prophete Mahomet (Paris, 1626); and Histoire générale des sérail et de la cour du grand Turc (Paris, 1626; English trans. by E Grimeston, London, 1635).

Having heard the narrative of a Jesuit who had returned from China, Baudier wrote Histoire de la cour du roi de Chine (Paris, 1626; English trans. in vol. viii. of the Collection of Voyages and Travels of A and J Churchill (London, 1707-1747). He also wrote Vie du cardinal Xisnénès (Paris, 1635), which was again published with a notice of the author by E Baudier (Paris, 1851), and a curious romance entitled Histoire de l'incomparable administration de Romien, grand ministre d'état de Raymond Berenger, comte de Provence (Paris, 1635).

See J Lelong, Bibliothèque historique de la France (Paris, 1768-1778); L Moréri, Le Grand Dictionnaire historique (Amsterdam, 1740).

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