Less resolute and reliable than his brother Guillaume, the Cardinal had brilliant qualities, and an open and free mind. He was on the side of toleration and protected the reformers. Guillaume Budé was his friend, François Rabelais his faithful secretary and doctor; men of letters, like Etienne Dolet, and the poet Salmon Macrin, were indebted to him for assistance. An orator and writer of Latin verse, he left three books of graceful Latin poems (printed with Salmon Macrin's Odes, 1546, by Robert Estienne), and some other compositions, including "Francisci Francorum regis epistola apologetica" (1542). His voluminous correspondence, now being published, is remarkable for its verve and picturesque quality.