THE GENERAL

BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY.

A NEW EDITION.

VOL. XX.

Trinted by NICHOLS, SON, and BENTLEY, Red Lion Passage, Fleet Street, London.

BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY:

CONTAINING

AN HISTORICAL AND CRITICAL ACCOUNT

OF THE

LIVES AND WRITINGS

OF THE

MOST EMINENT PERSONS

IN EVERY NATION;

PARTICULARLY THE BRITISH AND IRISH;

FROM THE EARLIEST ACCOUNTS TO THE PRESENT TIME.

A NEW EDITION,

REVISED AND ENLARGED BY

ALEXANDER CHALMERS, F. S. A.

VOL. XX.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR J. NICHOLS AND SON; F. C. AND J. RIVINGTON; T. PAYNE;
OTRIDGE AND SON; G. AND W. NICOL; G. WILKIE; J. WALKER; R. LEA;
W. LOWNDES; WHITE, COCHRANE, AND CO. ; T. EGERTON; LACKINGTON,
ALLEN, AND CO.; J. CARPENTER; LONGMAN, HURST, REES, ORME, AND
BROWN; CADELL AND DAVIES; C. LAW; J. BOOKER; J. CUTHELL; CLARKE
AND SONS; J. AND A. ARCH; J. HARRIS; BLACK, PARRY, AND CO.; J. BOOTH;
J. MAWMAN; GALE, CURTIS, AND FENNER; R. H. EVANS; J. HATCHARD;
J. MURRAY; R. BALDWIN; CRADOCK AND JOY; E. BENTLEY; J. FAULDER;
OGLE AND CO.; W. GINGER; J. DEIGHTON AND SON, CAMBRIDGE; CONSTABLE
AND CO. EDINBURGH; AND WILSON AND SON, YORK.

1815.

A NEW AND GENERAL

BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY.

LANGUET (HUBERT), a native of France, and minister

of state to Augustus elector of Saxony, was born at Viteaux in 1518; and, having passed through his studies at home, went to Italy in 1547, to complete his knowledge in the civil law, of which he commenced doctor at Padua. Thence going to Bologna, he met with one of Melancthon's works, which raised in him a desire to be acquainted with that eminent reformer; accordingly remade a tour into Germany, on purpose to visit him at Wittenberg in Saxony, where he arrived in 1549, and shortly after embraced the protestant religion. From this time there commenced a strict friendship between him and Melancthon, so that they became inseparable companions; and Melancthon, finding Languet well acquainted with the political interest of princes, and with the history of illustrious men, was wonderfully delighted with his conversation, and his extensive fund of information, in all which he was not only minutely correct as to facts, but intelligent and judicious in his remarks and conjectures.

This connexion with Melancthon did not, however, extinguish the inclination which Languet had to travel. In 1551, he took up a resolution to visit some part of Europe every year, for which he set apart the autumn season, returning to pass the winter at Wittenberg. In the course of these travels, he made the tour of Rome in 1555, and that of Livonia and Laponia in 1558. During this last tour, he became known to Gustavus king of Sweden, who conceived a great affection for him, and engaged him to go into France, in order to bring him thence some of the best scholars and artists: for which purpose his majesty gave: VOL. XX,

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