Pierre Bayle was a French philosopher, author, and lexicographer. He is best known for his Historical and Critical Dictionary, whose publication began in 1697. Many of the more controversial ideas in the book were hidden away in the voluminous footnotes, or they were slipped into articles on seemingly uncontroversial topics. Bayle is commonly regarded as a forerunner of the Encyclopédistes of the mid-18th century. November 18, 1647 – 1706; died at about 58. Alive at the same time as Isaac Newton, Johann Sebastian Bach, Voltaire, Rembrandt, and Louis XIV of France. Wiki link