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Short EXTRACT

OF THE

LIFE

O F

Francis Hotoman,

Taken out of Monfieur Bayle's
Hift. Dict. and other Authors.

F

RANCIS HOTO MAN (one of the
most learned Lawyers of that Age) was
Born at Paris the 23d of August 1524.

His Family was an Ancient and Noble one, Originally of Breflaw, the Capital of Silefia. Lambert Hotoman, his Grandfather, bore Armis in the Service of Lewis the 11th of France, and married a rich Heirefs at Paris, by whom he had 18 Children: the Eldeft of which (John Hotoman) had fo plentiful an Eftate, that he laid down the Ranfom-Money for King Francis the Firft, taken at the Battle of Pavia: Summo galliæ bono, fummà cum fuâ laude, says Neveletus,

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* Maiftre Peter Hotoman his 18th Child, and * Master of des Eaux the Waters and Forests of France (afterwards a Forrests. Counsellor in the Parliament of Paris) was Fa

Lettres.

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ther to Francis, the Author of this Book. He fent his Son at 15 years of Age to Orleans to study the Common Law, which he did with fo great Applaufe, that at three years end he merited the Degree of Doctor. His Father defigning to furrender to him his Place of Counsellor, the Parliament fent for him home: but the young Gentleman was foon tired with the Chicane of the Bar, and plung'd himself deep in the StuLes belles dies of † Humanity and the Roman Laws; for which he had a wonderful Inclination. hapned to be a frequent Spectator of the Proteftants Sufferings, who, about that time, had their Tongues cut out, were otherwise tormented, and burnt for their Religion. This made him curious to dive into thofe Opinions, which inspired fo much Conftancy, Refignation and Contempt of Death; which brought him by degrees to a liking of them, fo that he turn'd Proteftant. And this put him in dif grace with his Father, who thereupon difinherited him; which forced him at last to quit France, and to retire to Lausanne in Swifferland by Calvin's and Beza's advice; where his great Merit and Piety promoted him to the Humanity-Profeffor's Chair, which he accepted of for a Livelihood, having no Subfiftance from his Father. There he married a young French Lady, who had fled her Country upon the Score of Religion: He afterwards remov'd to Strasburg, where he alfo had a Profeffor's Chair. The Fame of his great Worth was so blown about, that he was invited by all the great Princes to their feveral Countries, particularly by

the

the Landgrave of Heffe, the Duke of Prussia, and the King of Navarre; and he actually went to this laft about the beginning of the Troubles. Twice he was fent as Ambaffador from the Princes of the Blood of France, and the QueenMother, to demand Affistance of the Emperor Ferdinand; The Speech that he made at the Diet of Francfort is ftill extant: Afterwards he returned to Strasburg; but Jean de Monluc, the Bishop of Valence, over-perfuaded him to accept of the Profefforfhip of Civil Law at Valence : of which he acquitted himself fo well, that he very much heighten'd the Reputation of that University. Here he received two Invitations from Margaret Duchefs of Berry, and Sifter to Henry the Second of France, and accepted a Profeffor's Chair at Bourges; but continued in it no longer than five Months, by reafon of the intervening Troubles. Afterwards he returned to it, and was there at the time of the great Parifian Maffacre, having much-a-do to efcape with his Life; but having once got out of France (with a firm Refolution never to return thither again) he took Sanctuary in the House of Calvin at Geneva, and publifh'd Books against the Perfecution, fo full of Spirit and good Reafoning, that the Heads of the Contrary Party made him great Offers in cafe he wou'd forbear Writing against them; but he refused them all, and faid, The Truth fhou'd never be betray'd or forfaken by him. Neveletus fays, "That his Reply to thofe that wou'd have tempted him, was this: Nunquam fibi propugnatam caufam quæ iniqua effet: Nunquam que jure & legibus niteretur defertam præmiorum fpe "vel metu periculi. He afterwards went to Bafil in Swifferland, and from thence (being

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driven away by the Plague) to Mountbelliard, where he buried his Wife. He returned then to Bafil (after having refufed a Profeffor's Chair at Leyden) and there he died of a Dropfy in the 65th Year of his Age, the 12th of February 1590.

He writ a great many learned Books, which were all of them in great Efteem; and among them an excellent Book de Confolatione. His Francogallia was his own Favourite; tho' blamed by feveral others, who were of the contrary Opinion: Yet even these who wrote against him do unanimously agree, that he had a World of Learning, and a profound Erudition. He had a thorough Knowledge of the Civil Law, which he managed with all the Eloquence imaginable; and was, without difpute, one of the ableft Civilians that France had ever produced: This is Thuanus and Barthius's Teftimony of him. Mr. Bayle indeed paffes his Cenfure of this Work in the Text of his Dictionary, in these Words: Sa Francogallia dont il faifoit grand etat eft celuy de tous les ecrits l'on aprouve moins and in his Commentary adds, C'eft un Ouvrage recommendable du coftè de l'Erudition; mais tres indigne d'un jurifconfulte Francois, fi l'on en croit mefme plufieurs Proteftants. I wou'd not do any Injury to fo great a Man as Monfieur Bayle; but every one that is acquainted with his Character, knows that he is more a Friend to Tyranny and Tyrants, than feems to be confiftent with fo free a Spirit. He has been extremely ill used, which fowres him to fuch a degree, that it even perverts his Judgment in fome measure; and he feems refolved to be against Monfieur Jurieu, and that Party, in every thing, right or wrong. Whoever reads his Works, may trace throughout all Parts of

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them this Difpofition of Mind, and see what fticks moft at his Heart. So that he not only lofes no Occasion, but often forces one where it seems improper and unfeasonable, to vent his Refentments upon his Enemies ; who furely did themselves a great deal more wrong in making him fo, than they did him. Tis too true, that they did all they cou'd to ftarve him; and this great Man was forced to Write in hafte for Bread; which has been the Caufe that fome of his Works are fhorter than he defign'd them; and confequently, that the World is deprived of fo much Benefit as otherwise it might have reap'd from his prodigious Learning, and Force of Judgment. One may fee by the first Volume of his Dictionary, which goes through but two Letters of the Alphabet, that he forecafted to make that Work three times as large as it is, cou'd he have waited for the Printer's Money fo long as was requifite to the finishing it according to his firft Defign. Thus much I thought fit to fay, in order to abate the Edge of what he seems to fpeak hardly of the Francogallia; tho' in feveral other places he makes my Author amends: And one may without fcruple believe him, when he commends a Man, whofe Opinion he condemns. For this is the Character he gives of this Work:

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au fond un bel Ouvrage, bien ecrit, & bien rempli d'erudition: Et d'autant plus incommode au partie contraire que l'Auteur fe contente de citer des faits. Can any thing in the World be a greater Commendation of a Work of this nature, than to fay it contains only pure Matter of Fact? Now if this be fo, Monfieur Bayle wou'd do well to tell us what he means by thofe Words, Tres indigne d'un jurifconfulte Francois. Whether a French

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