Saint-Gelais, Mellin de (c.1490-1558). The son of Octovien de Saint-Gelais, he knew Greek, Latin, and Italian and was an accomplished musician. He held various posts at the courts of François Ier and Henri II (chaplain, librarian), but his principal function was that of court poet. He specialized in reading aloud or singing his own compositions—frivolous, witty pieces, satirical or amorous. He used a mixture of the old genres (rondeaux, ballades) and the new (chansons, épigrammes). Either he or Marot was the first to write sonnets in French. His clash with the up-and-coming Ronsard in the 1550s was symbolic of his decline in favour.
[Christine Scollen-Jimack]
