About
Michel de L'Hospital, born around 1505 in Aigueperse, Auvergne, was Chancellor of France from 1560 to 1568. A jurist trained in Toulouse, Padua, and Bologna, he became a councillor in the Parlement of Paris in 1537. An advocate of moderate religious toleration during the Wars of Religion, he supported edicts that softened the persecution of Protestants, such as the Edict of Romorantin (1560) and the Edict of Saint-Germain (1562). He undertook major judicial reforms, notably the Ordinance of Moulins (1566). A humanist, he composed Latin poems, the Carmina, published posthumously. Forced to resign in 1568, he retired to his estate at Vignay, where he died in 1573.
* 1505-01-01 — † 1573-03-13
Major works
- Carmina (1585)collection of Neo-Latin poetry
- Epistolarum seu sermonum libri sex (1585)collection of Neo-Latin poetry
- Oeuvres complètes (1824)complete edition
Key milestones
- 1560Appointed Chancellor of France on June 30.
- 1562Promulgation of the Edict of Saint-Germain legalizing Protestant worship.
- 1568Forced to surrender the seals on September 28 after the Surprise of Meaux.
Themes
Religious tolerationJudicial reformHumanismNeo-Latin poetryCivil peace
Sources: britannica.com · oxfordreference.com · cambridge.org