Fouquet, Or Foncquet, Nieolas, marquis de Belle-Isle, a French minister of finance, born in Paris in 1615, died March 23, 1680. He entered the public service at an early age, became procurator general of the parliament of Paris in 1650, and was devoted to the interests of Anne of Austria and of Mazarin, by whose influence he was made superintendent of finances. He succeeded for a time in meeting the enormous expenses of the state, already overladen with debts, but a large deficit in his accounts brought upon him an accusation of peculation. He had in fact amassed an immense fortune, and had spent 18,000,000 francs on one of his chateaux. Louis XIV. had him arrested in 1661 at a fete which Fouquet was giving in his honor; and he was convicted of peculation and treason, Dec. 20,1664. Colbert, who succeeded him, was the cause of his ruin. Fouquet died at the castle of Pignerol, after 19 years of captivity. Although strictly watched, he contrived to write considerably while in prison, and several works, chiefly on religious subjects, are attributed to him.

The documents referring to his trial were published in Holland in 1665-'7in 15 vols., and a 2d edition in 16 vols., under the title of (Euvres de M. Fouquet, appeared in 1696.