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Valesius (Properly de Valois), Henry

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Valesius (Properly De Valois), Henry

a French antiquarian and critic, was born in Paris, Sept. 10, 1603, and educated in the Jesuit College at Verdun and at Paris. He formed a connection with Petavius and Sirmond which existed while they lived. In 1622 he went to BoMurges for the study of jurisprudence, and on his return spent seven years in. the practice of laws but subsequently gave himself wholly to learned studies, the earliest fruit of which was his edition, with critical notes, of the excerpts from Polybius, Diod. Sic., etc., made by order of the emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus, entitled Exceupta Polyb. Diod. Sic. Nicol. Damasc., App. Alexandr. etc. (Par. 1634-48). Then followed his valuable critical edition of Ammianus Marcellinus (ibid. 1636; 2nd improved ed. by his brother Hadrian, 1681).

These works so advanced his reputation that he was received into the circle of the foremost scholars of his time, as D'Achery, Mabillon, cardinal Barberini, Leo Allatius, Grotius, and others. He was, however, troubled with weak eyes, and threatened with total blindness; but, a. reader having been provided, he was enabled to prosecute his studies of the ancient Church writers, and he was instructed in 1650 by the French bishops to publish a new and critical edition of their works, for which he received an annual pension of 600, and after a time 800, lives. He published in consequence, Eusebii Historia Ecclesiastica: De Vita Constantini Lib. IV: — Oratio Constantini ad Sanctos: — and the treatises De Donatistis, De Anasfasi, De. Translatione LXX Intespretun, De Rosweidi Martyrologio (Par. 1659, 1678). Ii 1660 Louis XIV appointed him historiographer with a salary of 1200 livres, and cardinal Mazarin also gave him tokens of favor. In 1664, at the ripe a age of sixty-one years, he married Margaret Chesneau, a young girl, and became the father of seven children. He continued to employ his time in literary pursuits until he died, in Paris, May 7, 1676. His later works included editions of Socrates and Sozomen treatises on Athanasilust, Paul of Constantinople, the sixth canon of the: Council of Nice (Par. 1668); an edition of Theodoret, one of Evagrius, with extracts from Philostorgius, and of Theodore Lector (ibid. 1673; Mogtnt. 1679; Amstel. 1695). He was; planning new editions of the Latin historians of the Church when death surprised him. In Burmann, Il. Vales. Emend, Libr. Quinque et de Critica Libr. Duo, are given several smaller works of Valesius, some of. which had not been previously published, and also. H. Valesii Vita (Par. 1677, by his brother). In Paris (1694) were also published Valesiana. See Herzog. Real-Encyklop. s.v.