AMELOT DE LA HOUSSAYE, Abraham Nicolas, was born at Orleans in 1634. He was much esteemed at the court of France, and was appointed secretary of an embassy which that court sent to the commonwealth of Venice, as appears by the title of his Translation of Father Paul's History of the Council of Trent; but he afterwards published writings which gave such offence that he was imprisoned in the Bastille. The first works he printed were the History of the Government of Venice, and that of the Uscoks, a people of Croatia. In 1683 he published his translations into French of Machiavel's Prince, and Father Paul's History of the Council of Trent, with political Discourses of his own upon Tacitus. These performances were well received by the public. He did not prefix his own name to the two last-mentioned works, but concealed himself under that of La Mothe Josseval. His translation of Father Paul was attacked by the partisans of the pope's unbounded power and authority. In France, however, it met with great success; all the advocates for the liberty of the Gallican church promoting the success of it to the utmost of their power, though at the same time there were three memorials presented to have it suppressed. In 1684 he printed, at Paris, a French Translation of Balthasar Gracián's Courtier, with the title of L'Homme de Cour. In 1686 he published La Morale de Tacite de la Flatterie, in which work he collected several particular facts and maxims, which represent in a strong light the artifices of court-flatterers, and the mischievous effects of their poisonous discourses. He wrote several other works; and died at Paris in 1706, at the age of 73.