tion, of uncommon rarity and price, is that printed at Mentz, 1471, fol. It was reprinted at Venice in the same year. The best editions since are, that by Thysius "cum Notis Variorum," 1670, 8vo; that "in usum Delphini," 1679, 4to; that by Torrenius at Leyden, 1726, in 2 vols. 4to, "cum notis integris Lipsii, Pighii, Vorstii, Perizonii, &c." and that by Kappius, at Leipsic, 1782, 8vo.1

VALESIUS (HENRY), or Henry de Valois, a French critic of great abilities and learning, was born at Paris in 1603, of parents, whose circumstances supported them without any profession. He began his studies at Verdun in 1613, under the Jesuits, and the greatest hopes were formed of him from his childhood. He was recalled to Paris five years after, and continued there in the college of Clermont; where he learned rhetoric under Petavius, who, as well as father Sirmond, conceived a great esteem for him. After having maintained his theses in philosophy with much applause, he went to Bourges in 1622, to study the civil law; and at the end of two years returned to Paris, where he was received advocate. He frequented the bar for seven years, but more to oblige his father than out of any fondness for the law, which he at length quitted, and devoted himself entirely to literary pursuits. Greek and Latin authors were all his study, and all his pleasure. Sunday he consecrated to devotion, Saturday afternoon he allotted to his friends; but all the rest of the week was spent in reading and labour. His own library not sufficing, he borrowed books of every body; and he used to say, that he learned more from other people's books than his own, because, not having the same opportunity of reviewing them, he read them over with more care. He acquired a great reputation by his learning and publications, when a misfortune befel him, which interrupted the course of his studies. He had always a weak sight; but continual application had hurt him so, in this respect, that he lost his right eye, and saw very indifferently with the left. This put him under the necessity of having a reader; for, though his father was of too sparing a humour to make him an allowance for this purpose, yet the defect was supplied by the generosity of his friends. His father, however, died in 1650; and then his circumstances were better suited to his necessities. The same year he composed an oration in

1 Vossius de Hist. Lat.-Fabric. Bibl, Lat.-Saxii Onem.-Dibdin's Classics.

praise of Christina queen of Sweden, who had just ascended the throne; and her majesty, by way of acknowledging the favour, promised to send him a gold chain, and gave him at the same time an invitation to accompany the learned Bochart to Sweden. But the chain never came, and the invitation ended in nothing, for which Valesius himself is said to have been to blame, having been so imprudent, while he was meditating this journey, as to make use of some satirical expressions on the learned in those parts; which, being related to the queen, occasioned her majesty's neglect of him.

In 1734, Valesius had published at Paris, in 4to, "Excerpta Polybii, Diodori Siculi, Nicolai Damasceni, Dionysii Halicarnassensis, Appiani Alexandrini, Dionis, & Joannis Antiocheni, ex Collectaneis Constantini Augusti Porphyrogenitæ, nunc primum Græcè edita, Latinè versa cum notis." The emperor Constantine Porphyrogenetes, who died in the year 959, had made extracts from the Greek historians of such things as he thought most useful; and had ranged these extracts under certain titles and common places, in number fifty-three. Each contained two books one of "Extracts from the writers of Universal History," another of "Extracts from the Historians of the Emperors." Only two of these titles are extant: one "de Legationibus,' "the first book of which was published by Fulvias Ursinus, at Antwerp, 1582, in 4to; the second by David Hoeschelius, at Augsburg, 1603, in 4to; and both under the title of "Ecloga Legationum, &c." The other title is "de Virtutibus & Vitiis," and is the work under present consideration. A merchant of Marseilles had brought an ancient manuscript of it from the Isle of Cyprus, and sold it to Mons. Peiresc, who sent it to Paris. Here it lay neglected a long time; till at length Pithæus engaged Valesius to translate and publish it: which he did, and very properly dedicated it to Peiresc, to whom the public is obliged for it, and of whose ardour, in the promotion of letters, we have the following anecdote. Some time after, Valesius had read a passage in an ancient author, relating to the harbour of Smyrna, which could not be understood without viewing the situation upon the spot. He acquainted Peiresc with this difficulty; who immediately sent a painter, to take a view of that port, and afterwards communicated it to Valesius. Valesius thanked Peiresc for the trouble he had been at; but added, probably not in ver

guarded language, that it did not clear up the doubt so well as he could wish. Peiresc, vexed that he had been at so much expence, wrote back, that he had endeavoured to give him satisfaction; and that, if he had not succeeded, it must not be ascribed to either himself or the painter, but to his own temper and humour, which were satisfied with nothing.

In 1636 he gave a good edition of "Ammianus Marcellinus," in 4to, corrected in a great number of places from the manuscripts, and illustrated with very ingenious and learned notes. A second edition, with more notes of Valesius, and those of Lindenbrog, came out at Paris, 1681, in folio, edited by his brother Adrian Valesius; and James Gronovius also published a third at Leyden, 1693, fol. and 4to. The critical talents and learning which Valesius had displayed in these publications, recommended him as the most proper person to superintend a work of greater importance, an edition of the ancient ecclesiastical historians. M. de Montchal, abp. of Tholouse, a learned man, whom the clergy of France had requested to give an edition of these historians, undertook the affair; and applied to Valesius to assist him privately. But Valesius was too jealous of his reputation, to let another person enjoy the fruits of his labours; and therefore absolutely refused his aid. The archbishop, either too much taken up with the business of his see, or despairing of success in what he had undertaken, soon after excused himself to the clergy; and at the same time advised them to apply to Valesius, as a man who was every way qualified for the task. To this Valesius had no objection, and his employers by way of encouragement settled a pension upon him. This was about 1650, and the Historians were published in Greek and Latin, with good notes, in the following order: "Eusebii. Pamphili historia ecclesiastica, ejusdemque libri de vita Constantini, & panegyricus; atque oratio Constantini ad sanctos," Paris, 1659; "Socratis & Sozomeni historia ecclesiastica," 1668; "Theodoreti et Evagrii historia ecclesiastica, item excerpta & historia ecclesiastica Philostorgii," 1673. These were reprinted in 3 vols. folio, first at Amsterdam in 1699, and then at Cambridge in 1720 to which last edition some remarks, but very inconsiderable ones, scattered up and down in various authors, were collected and subjoined by the editor William Reading.

In 1660, Valesius was honoured with the title of historio

grapher of France; and had also a pension settled on him by the king, in consideration of his edition of Eusebius, which had appeared the year before. In 1662 he lost his left eye, so that now he was blind; and, notwithstanding all the skill of oculists, the most that could be done for him was, to enable him to see a little with the left eye, a new cataract, almost as soon as it was removed, forming itself again in the right. In 1663 he had an addition to his pension from the crown. He had hitherto lived among his books, but now, at the age of sixty, he surprized his friends by marrying a handsome young woman, by whom he had seven children. He died the seventh of May, 1676, having spent the two last years of life in all the miseries of one oppressed with infirmities. He was a man of great abilities and learning, and an admirable critic; but his disposition was far from being amiable. He was sparing in his praise, but so tenacious of the respect he thought due to him, as to resent the smallest attempt to criticise or find fault with what he wrote, and this irritable temper increased with his years.

After his death, was published, by the care of James Gronovius, "Notæ & animadversiones in Harpocrationem & Philippi Jacobi Maussaci Notas. Ex Bibliotheca Guli elmi Prousteau," Lugd. Bat. 1682, in 4to. Three Latin funeral orations upon three of his intimate friends are inserted in Bates's "Vitæ selectorum aliquot virorum;" the first made upon Sirmond in 1651, the second upon Petrus Puteanus in 1652, and the third upon Petavius in 1653. We omitted an hexameter poem, made upon the recovery of the king's health, and published by himself in 1663, with the title of "Soteria pro Ludovico magno." There are also "Harangues à la reine de Suede, & quelques autres petites pieces."1

VALESIUS (ADRIAN), or Adrien de Valois, brother of Henry, and a very learned man also, was born at Paris in 1607, and educated in the college of Clermont there, under the Jesuits. He followed the example of his brother, and had the same counsellors in his studies, the fathers Sirmond and Petavius. History was his principal object; and he spent many years in searching into the most authentic records, manuscript as well as printed. His long

1 Vita Valesii ab Adriano Valesio, in Bates's "Vitæ selectorum."-Niceron, vol. V. Chaufepie in Valois.-Usher's Life and Letters, p. 609, 613, 614.

perseverance in these pursuits enabled him to give the public an elaborate Latin work, entitled "Gesta Francorum, seu de rebis Francicis," in 3 vols. folio; the first of which came out in 1646, the two others in 1658. This history begins with the year 254; and ends with 752. It is written with care and elegance, and may serve for an excellent commentary upon the ancient historians of France, who wrote rudely and barbarously but some have considered it as a critical work filled with rude erudition, rather than a history. Colbert asked him one day concerning his Latin history of France, and pressed him to continue it; but he answered the minister, that he might as well take away his life, as put him upon a work so full of difficulties, and so much beyond what his age could bear; for he was then in years. He is the author of several other Latin works; as "Notitia Galliarum, ordine alphabetico digesta," 1675, in folio; a work of great utility in explaining the state of ancient Gaul. He was the editor, as we have mentioned, of the second edition of "Ammianus Marcellinus;" to which, besides additional notes of his brother and Lindenbrog, he added notes and emendations of his He wrote also a Panegyric upon the king, and a life of his brother. There is also a "Valesiana."

own.

In 1660, he was, with his brother, honoured with the title of historiographer to the king; and had a pension settled upon him. In 1664, he lost the company of his brother; who, when he married, left his mother and brethren, with whom he had lived till then. Adrian, however, some years after, followed his brother's example, and married a wife too; by whom he had children. He enjoyed good health, till he was eighty-five, and then died, July the 2d, 1692.1

VALINCOUR (JOHN BAPTIST DU TROUSSET DE), a French miscellaneous writer, was born in 1653, of a good family, at St. Quentin in Picardy. He became secretary to the king's closet, to the marine, a member of the French. academy, an honorary member of the academy of sciences, and historiographer to his majesty. M. de Valincour had collected a great number of very curious and important memoirs respecting marine affairs; but these MSS. were consumed with his library by a fire, which burnt his house at St. Cloud in the night, between the thirteenth and

1 Chaufepie.-Niceron, vol. III.-Perrault's Les Hommes Illustres.