DONEAU, Latinised DONELLUS, HUGUES, a lawyer, was born at Chalons-surSaone, in France, December 23, 1527. He is said to have been idle in his youth, and an anecdote is preserved, according to which he was frightened into diligence by a threat of his father to have him brought up as an assistant to a swineherd. He studied literature at Tour and jurisprudence at Toulouse, and subsequently at Bourges, where he took a degree as Doctor of Laws in 1551. He soon afterwards began to teach jurisprudence at Bourges, and con tinued to do 60 till the massacre of St. Bartholomew in 1572. He had eipbraced the opinions of the Huguenots, and, dreading to be involved in ruin with others of his persuasion, he made his escape to Geneva, being aided by his pupils, among whom he seems to have been popular, and who had determined to defend his person if he were attacked. After having remained a short time in Geneva, he was called by the Calvinist Elector Palatine Frederic III. to be Professor of Law at Heidelberg. Ludwig IV., the successor of this prince, who
did not follow his religious opinions, made changes in tho university which drove Doneau thence, and leaving Heidelberg in 1579, he settled in Leyden. Having adopted the faction in favour of the Earl of Lei cester, he was obliged to leave Holland and return to Germany. Ho died at Altorf on the 4th of May 1591. Ho was a voluminous com mentator. His earliest work appears to have been ' In titulum de Uaurie in Pandectis Commentaries; Paris, 1556. A collection of his commentaries was published in five volumes, DA, at Frankfurt, in I596, and again in 1626, with the title 'Commentarierum de Jure Civili libri ex recenaione et cum supplementia Scipionis Gentilia: One of the most complete extant lists of Doueau's works will be found in the printed catalogue of law books in the Advocates' Library, Edin burgh. His Life is in the Supplement of Les Vies des plus cffibres Jurisconsultes; by Taisand.