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VIGLIUS

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Originally appearing in Volume V28, Page 61 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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VIGLIUS , the name taken by WIGLE See also:

VAN AYTTA VAN ZTICHEM (1507-1577), Dutch statesman and jurist, a Frisian by See also:birth, who was See also:born on the 19th of See also:October 1507. He studied at various See also:universities—See also:Louvain, D61e and See also:Bourges among others—devoting himself mainly to the study of See also:jurisprudence, and after-wards visited many of the See also:principal seats of learning in See also:Europe. His See also:great abilities attracted the See also:notice of See also:Erasmus and other celebrated men, and his renown was soon wide and See also:general. Having lectured on See also:law at the universities of Bourges and See also:Padua, he accepted a judicial position under the See also:bishop of See also:Munster which he resigned in 1535 to become See also:assessor of the imperial See also:court of See also:justice (Reichskarnmergericht). He would not, however, undertake the See also:post of See also:tutor to See also:Philip, son of the See also:emperor See also:Charles V.; nor would he accept any of the many lucrative and See also:honourable positions offered him by various See also:European princes, preferring instead to remain at the university of See also:Ingolstadt, where for five years he occupied a professorial See also:chair. In 1542 the See also:official connexion of Viglius with the See also:Netherlands began. At the emperor's invitation he became a member of the See also:council of Mechlin, and some years later See also:president of that See also:body. Other responsible positions were entrusted to him, and he was soon one of the most trusted of the ministers of Charles V., whom he accompanied during the See also:war of the See also:league of See also:Schmalkalden in 1546. His rapid rise in the emperor's favour was probably due to his immense See also:store of learning, which was useful in asserting the imperial rights where disputes arose between the See also:empire and the estates. He was generally regarded as the author of the See also:edict against See also:toleration issued in 1550; a See also:charge which he denied, maintaining, on the contrary, that he had vainly tried to induce Charles to modify its rigour. When the emperor abdicated in 1555 Viglius was anxious to retire also, but at the instance of See also:King Philip II. he remained at his post and was rewarded by being made coadjutor See also:abbot of St Bavon, and in other ways. In 1559, when See also:Margaret, duchess of See also:Parma, became See also:regent of the Netherlands, Viglius was an important member of the small circle who assisted her in the See also:work of See also:government.

He was president of the privy council, member, and subsequently president, of the See also:

state council, and a member of the See also:committee of the state council called the consulta. But his See also:desire to resign soon returned. In 1565 he was allowed to give up the See also:presidency of the state council, but was persuaded to retain his other posts. However, he had lost favour with Margaret, who accused him to Philip of dishonesty and See also:simony, while his orthodoxy was suspected. When the See also:duke of See also:Alva arrived in the Netherlands Viglius at first assisted him; but he subsequently opposed the duke's See also:scheme of See also:extortion, and sought to induce Philip himself to visit the See also:Low Countries. His See also:health was now impaired and his work was nearly over. Having suffered a See also:short imprisonment with the other members of the state council in 1J76, he died at See also:Brussels on the 5th of May 1577, and was buried in the See also:abbey of St Bavon. Viglius was an See also:advocate of See also:peace and moderation, and as such could not expect support or sympathy from men engaged in a See also:life-and-See also:death struggle for See also:liberty, or from their relentless enemies. He was undoubtedly avaricious, and accumulated great See also:wealth, See also:part of which he See also:left to found a See also:hospital at his native See also:place, Zwichem, and a See also:college at the university of Louvain. He married a See also:rich, See also:lady, Jacqueline Damant, but had no See also:children. He wrote a Tagebuch See also:des Schmalkaldischen Donaukriegs, edited by A. von Druflel (See also:Munich, 1877), and some of his lectures were published under the See also:title See also:Commentarii in decem Institutionum tilulos (See also:Lyons, 1564). His Vita et See also:opera historica are given in the A nalecta Belgica of C.

P. Hoynck van Papendrecht (the See also:

Hague, 1743). See L. P. See also:Gachard, See also:Correspondence de Philippe II. sur See also:les affaires des Pays-Bas (Brussels, 1848–79) ; and Correspondence de See also:Marguerite d'Autriche, duchesse de Parme, avec Philippe II. (Brussels, 1867–81); and E. Poullet, Correspondance de See also:cardinal de Granvelle (Brussels, 1877-81).

End of Article: VIGLIUS

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