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power of Spain, after the peace of Vervins, determined. them to tranfmit their exploits to pofterity; for this purpofe the States chose Grotius for an historian. All this time his principal employment was that of an advocate, in which profeffion he acquired great honour. The brilliant figure he made at the bar caused him to be appointed advocate general for the States of Holland and Zealand. He took poffeffion of this important office in 1607, and filled it with so much reputation, that the States augmented his falary, and promised him a feat in the court of Holland. The year after his promotion, he married a lady of one of the firft families in Zealand, who was worthy of fuch an husband as Grotius.

In 1613, upon the death of the penfionary of Rotterdam, the city offered that important place to Grotius. After much deliberation, he accepted that poft, which gave him a feat in the affembly of the States in Holland, and afterwards in that of the States General. From this time he contracted an intimate friendship with Barnevelt, grand penfionary of Holland, which foon after involved him in complicated misfortunes.

This great man was twice fent on embaffies to England. On his return to Holland he found the religious divifions, which had for fome time prevailed in that country, increased. By his attachment to Barnevelt, and the remonftrant party, he incurred the displeasure of Prince Maurice of Orange. In 1619, he was feized and fentenced to perpetual imprisonment, and his eftate was confifcated. In pursuance of this fentence he was imprisoned in the ftrong castle of Louvestein; and after having been treated with great rigour for more than a year and a

half, he was delivered by a laudable ftratagem of his wife. He had been permitted to borrow books of his friends, and when he had perused them, they were carried back in a chest with his linen, which was fent to Gorkum to be washed. The firft year the guards were exact in examining the cheft, but at length grew remifs, and did not take the trouble to open it. His wife, obferving their negligence, advised her husband to bore holes in the cheft, to prevent his being stifled, and then put himself into it, and make his escape. She requested the governour of the castle to permit her to fend away a cheft of books; and gave it for a reason, that her husband had impaired his health by his intense application to ftudy. After her requeft was granted, Grotius was put into the cheft, and conveyed to a friend's house in Gorkum, where dreffing himself like a mafon, and taking a rule and trowel, he paffed through the market place, and, ftepping into a boat, went to Brabant. Here he difcovered himself to fome of his friends, and hired a carriage to Antwerp. At first there was a defign of profecuting his wife, who remained in the prifon. However, fhe was released by a plurality of voices, and universally applauded.

Soon after, Grotius went to France, and was favourably received by Lewis XIII. The Dutch ambassadours endeavoured to prejudice the king against him; but that prince did not regard their artifices; and gave a glorious testimony to the virtues of this illuftrious refugee. Notwithstanding he had been fo ill treated, he ftill preserved an affection for his country. Lewis admired his magnaHe gave him a pension of

nimity and forgiving temper. three thousand livres, and alfo his miniature in gold, to

C

gether with a gold chain, as a teftimony of his efteem for his great literary abilities.

In the year 1625, while he refided in France, he published his “Treatife of the Rights of Peace and War." The prodigious fuccefs of this famous book raised his literary reputation to the highest pitch.

After remaining a confiderable time in France, his heart was bent upon returning to Holland; but, his enemies renewing their persecution, he went to Hamburg. While he remained in that place, fome advantageous proposals were made him from Spain, Poland, the duke of Holstein, and several other princes, but he cherished the hope of a reconciliation with his native country.

In 1635, Queen Chriftiana of Sweden made him her counsellor, and fent him ambaffadour into France. After having discharged the duties of this office for several years, he requested the queen to grant him a difmiffion, which he with difficulty obtained. The queen made him a large present in money and plate, granted him a pafsport, and furnished him with a veffel, on board which he embarked for Lubeck.

The veffel had fcarce failed, when a violent storm arofe, which obliged the paffengers, three days after their departure, to put in on the coaft of Pomerania. Grotius then fet out in an open waggon for Lubeck, and arrived at Roftock, having travelled upwards of fixty miles. through wind and rain; being very ill, he fent for a phyfician, who pronounced his cafe very dangerous. He next fent for Quiftorpius, the minifter of the town, who gave the following account of his last moments, in a letter to a friend. "You are defirous of hearing how that

phoenix of literature, Hugo Grotius, behaved in his laft moments. I am going to inform you: he fent for me about nine at night, I went, and found him at the point of death. I said, there was nothing I defired more, than to have seen him in health; he answered, God hath ordered it otherwife: I defired him to prepare himself for a happier life; and happening to mention the publican, who acknowledged himself a finner, and asked God's mercy; he answered, I am that publican. I went on, and told him, that he must have recourfe to Jefus Chrift; he replied, I place my hope folely in the merits of Chrift. I began to repeat in German a prayer addreffed to Jefus the mediator; he followed me in a very low voice, with his hands clasped. Soon after, he expired.”

Thus died this extraordinary perfon, August 28, 1645. His remains were carried to Delf, and depofited in the tomb of his ancestors.

found time af

They were his

Notwithstanding the various embaffies in which Grotius was employed, he formed a project of uniting all the religious denominations in Chriftendom. Amidst all the bufy and perplexing scenes of his life, he fiduously to ftudy the Sacred Scriptures. confolation in prison, and he always devoted a part of the day to their perufal. He published a "Commentary on the Old and New Testaments ;" and alfo a celebrated "Treatife on the Truth of the Chriftian Religion." This work was received with univerfal applaufe; it was written in the Dutch language; and tranflated by Grotius into Latin. It was tranflated by others into French, German, English, and even Greek. The Roman cathokic monks tranflated it into Perfian, in order to make use

of it in converting the mahometans. It was alfo tranflated into the Turkish, Chinese, Flemifh, Danish, and in the language of Malacca.

To one who admired his great induftry, Grotius returned this anfwer, "Ah! I have confumed much of my life in laboriously doing nothing." And to another, who enquired of his learning and wifdom what course to take, he folemnly anfwered, "Be ferious."

Life of Grotius.-Biographical Dictionary,

Vol. VII.—Bayle's Hiftorical Dictionary.

BLAISE PASCA L.

BLAISE PASCAL, one of the greatest geniuses, and beft writers France has produced, was born in Clermont, Avergne, 1623. His father, a learned man and able mathematician, quitted his office of prefident of the courts of aids in his province, and fettled at Paris, that he might be entirely at leisure for the instruction of his fon, who never had any other preceptor. From his infancy, he exhibited proofs of a very extraordinary capacity; for he defired to know the reafon of every thing, and when good reasons were not given him he would seek for better, nor would he ever yield his affent, but upon fuch as appeared to him well founded. There was reafon to fear, from his peculiar turn of mind, that he would fall into fcepticism; but he always confined his curiofity to things natural. For his maxim was, "That every thing, which is the object of faith cannot be the object of reason, and much less fubject to it." Hence he never was moved with the dif

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