or GODFREY, DENIS or DIONYSIUS, an eminent civil lawyer, born of an illustrious house at Paris in 1549. Finding his country involved in the confusion of the leaguers, he accepted of a professor's chair at Geneva, until he was patronized and employed by Henry IV.; but being afterwards stripped of his employments as a Huguenot, he at length retired to Heidelberg, from whence no offers were able to detach him. He was, however, disappointed of his intention to end his days there; for the disturbances that broke out in the Palatinate obliged him, in 1621, to take refuge in Stralburgh, where he died the following year. He wrote a great number of books; but his principal work is the Corpus Juris Civilis, cum notis.

Gothofred, Theodore, son of the former, was born at Geneva in 1580. As soon as he had finished his studies, he went to Paris; where he conformed to the Romish religion, and applied with indefatigable industry to the study of history, that of France particularly, wherein he became very eminent, as appears by his works. In 1632, the king made him one of his hittorographers, with a stipend of 3000 livres; and, in 1636, he was sent to Cologne, to assist at the treaty of peace negociating there on the part of France, by the cardinal of Lyons. This treaty being removed to Munster, Gothofred was sent thither, where he drew up Memoirs on the subject; and continued in that city, in the king's service, to his death in 1649. His principal work is his "Account of the Ceremonial of the Kings of France."