ies in Holland, and by her had two sons,
Cornelius, and John de Groot.
III. Cornelius de Groot, eldest son of Hugh, was born at Delft on the
25th of July, 1544. He studied with much success at the University of
Louvain, at that time very famous. The Greek and Hebrew he knew
perfectly, and was well acquainted with the Mathematics. The Platonic
Philosophy pleased him extremely, and he retained a liking to it all his
life: he had read all the books of the sect, had commented their works,
and knew them almost by heart.
The Law wholly took him up afterwards: he went to study it at the
faculty of law at Orleans, the most celebrated for that science, and
took the degree of Licentiate. Returning home he followed the Bar; some
time after, he was nominated Counsellor and Echevin: William prince of
Orange made him Master of Requests.
The University of Leyden being founded in 1575, Cornelius de Groot
resigned his post in the magistracy, to follow his ruling inclination of
being useful to youth; and did not think it beneath him to accept of a
Professor's place in the new University: he first taught Philosophy, and
was afterwards made Law-professor; an employment that pleased him so
much, he preferred it to a seat in the Grand Council at the Hague, which
was several times offered him, but which he constantly refused. His
reputation was so great, the Grand Council often consulted with him on
affairs of importance. Six times he was honoured with the dignity of
Rector, a place of great honour and authority: the members of the
University, and all who are enrolled in the Rector's book, depend on his
jurisdiction; before him their causes, civil and criminal, are brought,
and from his sentence there is no appeal: a revisal of it is all that
can be demanded. Cornelius de Groot died without issue in the year 1610,
on the same day of the month of July on which he was born. He left
several Law Tracts which have never been printed.
IV. John de Groot, brother to Cornelius and second son of Hugh, studied
under the famous Justus Lipsius, who esteemed him much: in some letters
of that learned man to John de Groot he speaks of him with great
commendation. There is one, written in 1582, in which Lipsius tells him,
"You have loved the Muses, they have loved you, they will love you, and
I too with them will love you." We have still preserved by his son[5] a
translation in verse, made by him in his youth of some Greek verses of
Palladas. He a
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