LANGUET, HUBERT, one of the boldest political writers of the sixteenth century, was born in 1518, at Viteaux, a town in Burgundy, of which his father was governor. He early evinced an inclination for study, and at the age of nine not only understood, but spoke, Latin. Having completed his studies, he resolved to travel. He set out for Germany, where the learned Joachim Camerarius had little difficulty in embuing him with the principles of the reformers; but the tumultuous scenes of which he was a daily witness determined him to pass into Italy, there to await the return of tranquillity. He remained some time at Padua, where he studied civil law, and took his degree of doctor in 1548. He then rapidly visited the principal
cities of Italy, and hastened his return to Germany, being urged by a desire to make the acquaintance of Melanchthon, whose works had afforded him very great pleasure. He arrived at Wittemberg in the course of the year 1549; and, as long as Melanchthon lived, he returned annually to pass the winter at Wittemberg. From 1551 to 1560 he visited Sweden, Denmark, Lapland, and made two journeys into Italy; the first to satisfy his curiosity on different points, and the second in the suite of Adolphus Count of Nassau, who had desired to have the pleasure of his society. In 1565 he entered the service of Augustus, elector of Saxony, who afterwards sent him to France to congratulate Charles IX. on the re-establishment of peace in his dominions. Languet then accompanied the elector to the siege of Gotha, of which he has left a good account; and was deputed, in 1568, to attend the diet of Spire. In 1570 he assisted at the conferences of Stettin, and was sent into France the same year to compliment Charles IX. on his marriage, and at the same time to engage him to cause the treaties, which guaranteed to the Protestants the free exercise of their religion, to be observed. He was at Paris on the day of the massacre of St Bartholomew, and made so many efforts to save the printer Wechel, and Duplessis-Mornay, both his intimate friends, that he drew on himself the attention of the assassins, and would have fallen a victim to his humane exertions, had it not been for the
Languet affection of Morvilliers, bishop of Orleans, who kept him concealed. Being soon afterwards recalled to Saxony, he was sent to Vienna in 1574. In 1577 he passed into the service of the count palatine John Cassimir, and then attached himself to the Prince of Orange, who employed him usefully in different negotiations. Languet died at Antwerp on the 30th of September 1581. His works are, 1. Historica Descriptio susceptæ a Cæsarea majestate executionis Augusti Saxonie septem viro duce contra S. Romani imperii rebelles, eorumque receptorem et captæ urbis Gothæ, 1568, in 4to; 2. Harangue fait au Roi Charles IX. de la part des Princes Protestants d'Allemagne, inserted in the Mémoires du Règne de Charles IX. (vol. i.); 3. Epistole Politicæ et Historicæ ad Philipp. Sydneum, Francfort, 1630, in 12mo; 4. Epistole ad Joachim Camerarium, et filium, Groningen, 1646, in 12mo; 5. Arcana seculi decimi-sexti, seu Epistole secretæ ad Principem suum Augustum Saxonie Ducem, Halle, 1699, in 4to; 6. Apologie ou Défence de Guillaume, prince d'Orange, contre le ban et l'édit du roi d'Espagne, Antwerp or Delft, 1581, in 4to; 7. Vindicæ contra Tyrannos, sive de Principis in Populum. Populique in Principem legitima potestate, Basil, 1579, in 8vo. This last work, which went through a great number of editions in Germany and Holland, was published by the author under the name of Junius Brutus; and was afterwards translated into French by François Estienne, under the title, De la Puissance légitime du Prince sur le Peuple. By a singular anomaly, the translation is now much more rare than the original. (A.)