Hugo, a celebrated Dutch scholar, jurist, historian, and miscellaneous writer, was born at Delft, April 10, 1583. His father, Jan Grotius or Groet, was a lawyer in that city. He was so much esteemed for his legal and general learning, that he was four times chosen burgomaster, and was made one of the three curators of the university of Leyden. He took great pains with the education of his son, who at the age of eight wrote good Latin verses, and at twelve is said to have converted his mother from the religion of Rome to that of the Reformed Church. After an elementary course at the Hague, under the famous Uyttenboogard, young Grotius was sent to Leyden, where his studies Grotius were superintended and directed by Joseph Scaliger. In 1597, when only fourteen, he defended, with much applause, public theses in mathematics, philosophy, and jurisprudence. Next year he accompanied Count Justin of Nassau and the grand-pensionary Olden Barneveldt on an embassy to the court of France. In that country he resided for nearly twelve months; and during this period he took the degree of L.L.D. at the university of Orleans, though he had not then attained the age of seventeen. On returning to his native country, he was called to the bar, and pleaded his first cause at Delft in 1599. This year also witnessed his first published work, which was an edition of the Satyricon of Martianus Capella, with notes and commentaries. The work was undertaken at the instance of Scaliger, and was dedicated to the Prince of Condé. His reputation as a classical critic was increased by his edition of the *Syntagma Arateorum*, published in the following year. As this work relates to astronomy, it afforded him an opportunity of displaying his science as well as erudition. His brief notes on Lucan, accompanying an edition of the text, made their appearance in 1603. Some of his Latin verses had been printed so early as the year 1598, and others followed in 1599 and 1600. *Adamus Exul, tragédia*, was published in 1601; but this tragedy he afterwards considered as too juvenile to be admitted into the general collection of his poems. His *Christus Patiens, tragédia*, was printed in 1608, and was received with great applause. It was translated into English by George Sandys, and, at a more recent period, into German by D. W. Triller. With the former version he appears to have been much pleased. His third drama, *Sophomaneas, tragédia*, was not published till 1617. It relates to the history of Joseph, whom he thus describes by an Egyptian name. Of this tragedy a Dutch version was undertaken by the celebrated poet Vondel. His *Propoepoeia* of Ostend was still more enthusiastically received, and was immediately translated into French by three different persons, and into Greek by Casaubon.

His first appearance at the bar produced a very favourable impression, and he soon rose to eminence. In 1607, that is, at the age of twenty-four, he was promoted to the important office of advocate-general of Holland and Zeeland. During the following year he married Maria van Reygersberg, a daughter of one of the first families in Zeeland. About this period he was occupied with a professional work, which appeared in 1609, under the title of *Mare Liberum, sive de Jure quod Batavis competit ad Indicam Commercia Dissertatio*, and involved its author in a violent controversy with Selden, Wellwood, and other English jurists. In 1610 he published a work *De Antiquitate Reipublicae Batave*; and in the same year a Dutch translation of it, which was partly executed by his father. The book was afterwards translated into French. In 1613 Grotius was appointed pensionary, or syndic, of Rotterdam, and then fixed his residence in that city. In the course of the same year he was sent on a mission to the court of London, for the purpose of remonstrating against the arbitrary proceedings of the English, who claimed an exclusive right to the Greenland fisheries. His diplomatic exertions appear to have been attended with little or no success; but he was very graciously received by James VI, and had the satisfaction of forming a personal acquaintance with Isaac Casaubon.

Soon after this the famous Arminian controversy broke out, which ended so disastrously for Arminius and his partisans. Of these none had been more zealous than Grotius; and when the Stadtholder's influence had decided the day against him, he did not shrink from the punishment which he well knew would follow defeat. Barneveldt was beheaded; and Grotius, after an irregular and unfair trial, was condemned to perpetual imprisonment, and to have all his property confiscated. On the 6th of June 1619, in accordance with this cruel sentence, he was removed to the fortress of Loevestein, near the town of Gorcum in South Holland. His father was not allowed to visit him, and it was only with great difficulty that his wife obtained permission to share his cell. In literary pursuits he found at once the business and the pleasure of his life. He wrote some short annotations on the New Testament, and a work in Dutch verse on the truth of the Christian religion. For the use of his daughter Cornelia, he composed a metrical catechism in the same language. It was printed at the Hague in the year 1619, and he afterwards translated it into Latin verse. Another of his labours during his imprisonment was his introduction to the Dutch law, *Inleidinge tot de Hollandsche Rechtsgelehrtheyt*. It was published in 1631, or perhaps earlier, and went through many editions, several of which contain the additions of Groenewegen, well known for his treatise *De Legibus abrogatis et insatisitis in Hollandia*. He translated Stoecus's fragments of the Greek poets, the Phoenissae of Euripides, and the remains of Menander and Philémon. After he had been imprisoned for about twenty months, his wife devised a plan for his escape. He was in the habit of receiving books and clothes in a very large chest, which, for the first year, was examined regularly, and with great care by the officers. At last, however, they ceased their scrutiny; and Grotius's wife perceiving this, persuaded her husband to allow himself to be carried out in the chest. He consented, and after some hairbreadth escapes, found his way to Antwerp. After a short stay in that city he sought a more secure asylum in France. He reached Paris, April 13, 1621, and was warmly received by the literati of that city, and by the king himself, who gave him a pension of 3000 livres. He was at last joined by his wife, who had been detained in prison for about a fortnight after his escape, but had been released when it was found useless to detain her.

Being placed in a situation of comparative tranquillity, he now resumed his literary labours. Before the close of the year 1622, he published an *Apology* for himself and the party with which he acted. For this work sentence of death was pronounced against him in Holland, and the same penalty was denounced against all in whose possession it might be found. Grotius spent another year in Paris, editing and writing, and next year retired into the country to a villa near Senlis, which the kindness of the president De Mesmes had placed at his disposal. He here began the composition of his famous treatise *De Jure Belli et Pacis*, which was published in 1625. This work immediately made its author known all over Europe, and was translated into Swedish, English, and German, and twice into French. The treatise *De Veritate Religionis Christianae* was published at Leyden in the year 1627, and the subsequent editions of this work have been very numerous. It has been translated into almost all the languages of Europe, and into various languages of Asia. An Arabic version was executed by the learned Dr Pococke.

In the meantime, his residence in France was not entirely free from inquietude and mortifications. His pension had never been paid with any degree of regularity; and he began at last to yearn for his own country. The death of Maurice of Orange, April 23, 1625, gave him hopes of returning in safety. He arrived at Rotterdam in the October of 1631; but his reception there, and in the other Dutch towns, was so extremely ungracious, that he was glad to escape from Holland with his life. He retired to Hamburg, where offers were made to him by the King of Denmark and several other princes. He accepted that of Oxenstiern, the chancellor of Sweden, who then governed that country in the minority of Christina. By him Grotius was appointed Swedish ambassador to the Court of France. He made his public entry into Paris, March 2, 1635. His mission was to try to secure the assistance of the French against the Imperialists; and though he had to contend with the state- Grotius, craft, first of Richelieu, and afterwards of Mazarin, he upheld the honour and secured the interests of his adopted country with much address and effect. His diplomatic engagements, however, did not wholly interrupt his literary labours. During his stay in Paris he edited Tacitus; and, renewing his legal studies, published his Florum Sparso ad Jus Justinianum, Paris, 1642, 4to. Of this work, two different editions, both in duodecimo, were printed at Amsterdam in the course of the following year. It contains a series of annotations on the body of the civil law, and, as the title suggests, many of them are philological. At this busy era of his life he completed most of his theological works. The publication, in 1640, of his Commentatio ad Loca quaedam Novi Testamenti qua de Antichristo agunt aut agere putantur, exposed him to many severe animadversions from such men as Des-Marets, Du Moulin, Cocceius, and Slichtingius, some of whom accused him of being at heart a partisan of Papacy, others a follower of Socinus. This, however, did not prevent Grotius from publishing another volume of an equally liberal character, which bears the title of Via ad Pacem Ecclesiasticam, Amst., 1642, 8vo. His professed object is to conciliate the differences between the Protestants and the Papists. Although he was completely entangled in the cobwebs of Arminianism, the charge of Socinianism seems to be destitute of foundation. But with respect to the claim of the Romanists, it must be admitted to be somewhat more plausible. Grotius had found an asylum in a Catholic country; he may, in some degree, have been misled by his respect for antiquity, and attracted by the splendour of the Popish hierarchy. He expressed a great veneration for the Church of England. His Via ad Pacem was immediately attacked by several antagonists, the most formidable of whom was André Rivet, professor of divinity in the university of Leyden. Grotius defended himself in a work entitled Votum pro Pace Ecclesiastica, printed in 1642; and Rivet rejoined in the course of the following year. In 1645 Grotius published Rivetiani Apologetici, pro Schismatico contra Votum Pacis facti, Dissertio; and in 1646 Rivet endeavoured to assert the genuine peace of the church against suspicious mediators. Grotius was about this period engaged in a theological undertaking of much greater importance, namely, his annotations on the different books of the Old and New Testaments. His notes on the Old Testament and the Apocrypha were printed at Paris in 1644, in three volumes folio. His notes on the Gospels had been published in the same form three years earlier, but the concluding portions of this great work do not appear to have been printed before the year 1648. This is one of the works which have chiefly recommended his name to posterity; and writers of every denomination have agreed in ranking him among the ablest of biblical critics.

After having long discharged the functions of an ambassador, he at length solicited and obtained his recall. He had encountered many discouragements in the course of his negotiations; and the arrival of a Swedish agent, of whom he entertained a very unfavourable opinion, seems to have confirmed his wish to retire. Having embarked at Dieppe, the ambassador landed once more in his native country, and was received with due honour at Amsterdam. He proceeded by sea to Hamburg, where he arrived about the middle of May 1645. On reaching Stockholm, he was very graciously received by the queen, who made him ample promises, and was anxious to retain him in her service. The climate of Sweden, however, did not suit his health, and he determined to quit it. Christina loaded him with gifts; and, with these rewards of his faithful services, he sailed, August 12, for Lubeck. The vessel was speedily overtaken by a storm, and on the 17th was driven ashore near Danzig. Travelling in an open carriage, he arrived at Rostock on the 26th, in a very feeble and exhausted condition. Every effort was made to save his life, but in vain. He expired, August 28, 1645, in the sixty-third year of his age. His remains were conveyed to Delft, and were deposited in the tomb of his ancestors.

He had prepared for the press various works which he did not live to publish. Soon after his death one of these appeared under the following title—De Imperio Summarum Potestatum circa Sacra, Lutet. Paris, 1647, 8vo. This was soon followed by Philosophorum Sententiae de Fato, et de eo quod in nostra est potestate, collectae partim et de Graeco versio, Paris, 1648, 4to; Amst., 1648, 12mo. Next appeared Historia Gothorum, Vandalarum, et Lombardorum, partim versis, partim in ordinem digesta, Amst., 1655, 8vo. His history of his native country was published not long afterwards—Annales et Historiae de Rebus Belgicis, Amst., 1656, fol.; Amst., 1658, 12mo. This very title at once suggests Tacitus as the writer's model, and his style is evidently formed on that of the ancient historian. Another posthumous publication was his tract De Eucharistia, which was fiercely attacked by Salmasius, under the assumed name of Simplicius Verinus. A very ample and interesting collection of his letters, consisting of nearly one thousand pages in double columns, was published by two of his grandsons: Epistolae quotquot reperiri potuerunt; in quibus prater haecenum editas, plurima theologici, juridici, philologici, historici, et politicorum argumenti occurrant, Amst., 1687, fol. The poetical version of the Anthology, on which he had bestowed much labour, was not published till a century and a half after his death. The manuscript at length came into the possession of De Bosch, a man of learning and taste, who published the work in a splendid form, with copious illustrations of his own, under the title of Anthologia Graeca, cum versione Latina Hugonis Grotii, edita ab Hieronymo de Bosch, Ulrictij, 1795–8, 3 tom. 4to.

Guilielmus Grotius, or Willem de Groen, the brother of Hugo, deserves a brief notice. Being bred to the legal profession, he became eminent at the bar, and was appointed advocate to the East India Company. He was a man of erudition, and the author of several works. One of these is an Enchiridion de Principiis Juris Naturalis, in which he illustrates the principles of a science that was so deeply indebted to another member of the same family. Another of his works, which was published after his death, and which is still held in great estimation by civilians, bears the title of Vitae Jurisconsultorum quorum in Pandectis extant Nomina, Lugd. Bat., 1690, 4to. He appears to have been a most affectionate brother, and to have sympathized very deeply in the fortunes of a kinsman whose moral and intellectual endowments reflected so much lustre on the family to which he belonged.