LHopital Michelde

L'Hopital, Michel de (d. 1573), a great French statesman, was born in 1504 or 1505. He studied at Toulouse and Padua, and after the death of Charles de Bourbon, his patron, to whom his father was physician and comptroller, became auditor of the Rota at Rome. In 1534 he returned to France, entered at the Parisian bar, and obtained by his marriage the post of counsellor to the Parleraent in 1537. From 1560 to 1568 L'Hopital was Chancellor of France. He advised the registration by the Parlement of the edict of Romorantin, protecting heretics against the Inquisition, prevailed upon the Council to summon the States-General in 1560, and promoted the conference of Poissy. In 1563 he underwent a temporary disgrace ; but in the same year Charles IX. was declared of age by his advice, to which also was due the refusal of the Parlement to sanction the acts of the Council of Trent as contrary to Gallican liberties. His last years were spent in literary retirement.