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Nicolas Durand, sieur de Villegaignon, also Villegagnon (1510 – 9 January 1571) was a Commander of the Knights of Malta,〔 and later a French naval officer (vice-admiral of Brittany) who attempted to help the Huguenots in France escape persecution. A notable public figure in his time, Villegaignon was a mixture of soldier, scientist, explorer, adventurer and entrepreneur. He fought pirates in the Mediterranean and participated in several wars. Villegagnon was born in Villegaignon, Seine et Marne, France, a nephew of Philippe Villiers de L'Isle-Adam, Grand Master of the Order of Malta.〔(''Pioneer Laymen of North America, Volume 1'' by Campbell Thomas Joseph p.51 )〕 He was ordained as a Knight of the Order in 1521. ==Ottoman campaigns in the Mediterranean and in Scotland== Nicolas de Villegagnon fought in numerous campaigns against the Ottoman Empire. Although the French usually refrained from participating in actions against the Ottomans, due to the Franco-Ottoman alliance, Villegagnon's first allegiance was with the Order of Malta, which generally supported the Habsburgs and fought the Ottomans. Villegagnon participated in the ill-fated expedition against Algiers in 1541,.〔(''Pioneers of France in the New World'' by Francis Parkman p.27 )〕 He also fought against the Ottomans in Hungary in 1542 following the Siege of Buda (1541) until 1546. In 1548, he commanded the French naval fleet that took Mary, Queen of Scots, then five years old, to France, since she was promised to marry the Dauphin of France. This was a daring operation, covertly sailing galleys around Scotland, while the English fleet was expecting an attack from the other direction. Back in Scotland in March 1549, in February he helped capture Ferniehirst Castle from the English. The commanders then discussed their next move. Nicolas insisted they should halt and build a fortification at Roxburgh and decided the best position. The Scottish high command held a vote which was inconclusive, but finally, after the intervention of the French ambassador Henri Cleutin, Nicolas's plan was adopted.〔Cameron, Annie I., ed., ''Scottish Correspondence of Mary of Lorraine'', SHS (1927), 288: Abercromby, Patrick, trans., The History of the Campagnes, 1548 and 1549, (1707), 96–97, (shows the fort was Roxburgh)〕 Villegagnon helped repel the Ottomans at Malta in 1551, before they went on to lead the Invasion of Gozo (1551).〔 He was then present at the Siege of Tripoli (1551) against the Ottoman Empire, and wrote an account about it in 1553.〔(''The Jew of Malta'' by Christopher Marlowe, N. W. Bawcutt p.6 )〕〔(''History of a voyage to the land of Brazil, otherwise called America'' by Jean de Léry p.xix )〕 Villegagnon illustrated himself by courageously defending Gaspard de Vallier, the vanquished Commander of Tripoli, who was being heavily criticized by the Grand Master d'Homedes who wished to assign all the blame for the defeat on him. Nicolas de Villegagnon staunchly defended him and exposed the duplicity of d'Homedes.〔(''Ancient and modern Malta'' by Pierre Marie Louis de Boisgelin de Kerdu p.47 )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Nicolas Durand de Villegaignon」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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