Page:A new and general biographical dictionary; containing an historical and critical account of the lives and writings of the most eminent persons in every nation v1.djvu/172

 136 A L C I A T. at Bologna. Then taking a degree in law, he followed his profeffion at the bar, in the city of Milan, till he was called Mines, ^ o t ne law-chair by the univeifity of Avignon. He dif- r ' t<AJciati: charged his office with fo much capacity, that Francis I. thought he would be a very proper perlbn to promote the knowledge of the law in the univerfity of Bourges, and ac- cordingly prevailed on him to remove thither in 1529 : and the next year he doubled his falary, which before was fix hundred crowns. Alciat acquired here great, fame and repu- tation : he interfperfed much poiire learning in his explication of the law, and abolished that barbarous language, which had hitherto prevailed in the lectures and writings of the lawyers. Francis Sforza, duke of Milan, thought himfeif obliged to bring back to his native country a man, who could do it fo much honour ; and this he compaffed at lait, by giving him a large falary and the dignity of a fenator. Alciat accordingly went to teach the law at Pavia, but foon after removed to the univerfity of Bologna, where he continued four years, and then returned to Pavia ; from whence he went to Ferrara, being folicited thither by duke Hercules d'Efte, who was de- firous to render his univerfity famous. It refumed its repu- tation under a profeffor fo much followed ; but at the end of four years Alciat left it, and returned to Pavia. Paul III. gave him an honourable reception as he paffed by Ferrara, and offered him ecclefiaftical preferment ; but Alciat was con- tented with that of prothonotary, and would not give up his profeffion of the law. He feems to rejoice that he had re- fufed Paul's offers, in a letter he wrote to Paulus Jovius, whom the pope had a long time amufed with fallacious pro- Epift. ad p. mifes : " I am very glad (fays he) that I did not fuffer myfelf Jov. oa. 7, <t to be deceived by this pope's offers, who, under the promife " of a great recompence, wanted to draw me to Rome." The emperor created Alciat a count-palatin and a fenator ; and Philip, afterwards king of Spain, prel'ented him with a golden chain, as he paffed by Pavia. Alciat died at Pavia, on the I2th of January, 1550, being then in the fifty-eighth year of his age. After the death of his mother, who died in a very advanced age, he intended to have employed his wealth in the foundation of a college j but having received an affront from fome infolent fcholars, he dropt that defign, and chole for his heir Francis Alciat, a very diftant relation, though a promifing youth, and one whom he himfeif had brought up at his houfe, Mr. Teiffier A Letter fays, that Andrew Alciat paffed his life in celibacy; but this watten m | s a rniftake, as may be feen from a pafp.ge of a letter he wrote