Justel, Henry

, was horn at Paris in 1620, and succeeded his father as secretary and counsellor to the king. | He was a man of distinguished learning himself, and an encourager of it in others, employing his interest at court in their favour. His house was the usual resort of men of letters, among whom we find Mr. Locke and Dr. Hickes; which shews that it was open to men of all complexions and principles. Mr. Justel had always professed a particular respect for the English nation, and cultivated are acquaintance with many great men there. He foresaw the revocation of the edict of Nantz, several years before it happened, as we are informed by Dr. Hickes. This divine, who, upon his travels abroad, made a considerable stay at Paris, set apart one day in the week for visiting Mr. Justel. In one of these visits, after some discourse about the protestant churches, observed by Dr. Hickes to be in many places demolished, notwithstanding the edict of Nantz, “Alas, sir,” says Mr. Justel, “as I am wont to talk in confidence with you, so I will tell you a secret, that almost none of us knows besides myself our extirpation is decreed we must all be banished our country, or turn papists. I tell it you because I intend to come into England, where I have many friends; and that, when I come to see you among the rest, you may remember that I told it you.” “Upon this,” says Dr. Hickes, “I asked him how long it would be before this sad persecution would be put into execution He answered, within four or five years at most; and remember, says he again, that I foretold the time. After he had been some time in London he made a visit to the doctor at his house on Tower-hill; where, presentlyafter the common forms of congratulating one another (it was about the time that the bill of exclusion was thrown out of the House of Lords), he said, Sir, don’t you remember what I told you of the persecution we have since suffered, and of the time when it would begin and you now see all has accordingly come to pass.”

He sent by Dr. Hickes the original ms. in Greek of the “Canones ecclesi* universalis,” published by his father, and other valuable Mss. to be presented to the university of Oxford: upon the receipt of which benefaction, that learned body conferred on him, by diploma, the degree of LL. D. June 23, 1675. He left Paris in 1681, upon the persecution of the protestants; and, coming to London, was, some time after, made keeper of the king’s library at St. James’s, to which is annexed a salary of 200l. per annum, He belcj this place till his death, Sept. 1693, | and was then succeeded by Dr. Richard Bentley. He had a very extensive library, particularly rich in Mss. which were always at the service of his learned contemporaries, many of whom acknowledged their obligations to him. He was obliged, however, to dispose of this library before he left France. There is a portrait of him and his arms in the Gent. Mag. 1788, taken from a private print. ¹