DA'VILA, IIENRI'CO CATERPNO, bore at Picvo di Sacco, near Padua, was the son of Antonio Davila, who was great constable of Cyprus when that island was taken by the Turks from the Venetians in 1571. Antonio emigrated to Spain, where he had relations and afterwards to France, where be won the favour of Catherine du' Medieia and of her son Kiug Henri IIL Lastly he went to reside in the Venetian states, where a son was born to him in 1576, to whom he gave the names of Hendee Caterino, in homage of his royal French patrons. When Hendee was seven years old his father took him to Franco for his education. At the ago of eighteen be entered the army of Henri IV., in which he served four years, and was severely wounded at the siege of Houfleur. In 1599 he was recalled to Piave di Sacco by his fattier, who soon after, in a fit of temporary ineauity, put an end to hie life by throwing himself out of a window. Davila now began to pay much attention to literature and to associate with literary men. Being at Parma in 1606, he attended the meetings of the academy of the " Innotnivati," where his hasty temper involved him in a dispute with Stigliani, one of the members, which led to a duel, in which both parties were wounded; and Stigliani, being dangerously hurt, was obliged to quit Parma, and proceed to Venice. Not Moog afterwards Henrico entered the military service of Venice, and was employed successively in Candi& Friuli, Dalmatia, and other stations In 1631 ho was sent to take the command of the gerrison of Create, with orders from the senate to the postmasters on tho road to 'supply him with every conveyance required for tho service. On arriving at the stage of S. Michele, near Verona, the poatolnacr refused to furnish the necessary accommodations. High words ensued, and the postanader fired a pistol, and shot Davila dead in sight of Ills wife and children. One of Davila's sons attacked the murderer, and killed him on tho spot ; others were wounded in the affray, and the ohaplaiu of Davila was also slain. The parties who
whited the postmaster were arrested, sent to Verona, and sentenced to death.
Davila is known to the world through his History of the Civil Wars In France, 'Storia della Guerra Civili di Frauds,' from the death of Henri Ii. to the peace of ‘'ervine in 1598, a period of forty year's moat eventful in the history of that country. Ile trends therefore upon the same ground as De Thou in his Histories sui Temporis.' Some critics have noticed that Davila evinces a partiality for the French court, and especially for Catharine de Medici, who had been his father's benefactress. The facts however stated by Davila are acknowledged to be true, and he was well acquainted with them through his own and his father's connection with France. He was familiar with the polities of his age, and with the leading contempo rary characters. He was also well acquainted With the topography of the places in which most of the events which be narrates occurred. His style is graphic and animated, especially when he describes a popular insurrection, a combat, or the storming of a town. His account of the massacre of St. Bartholomew may be quoted as a specimen. Apoetolo Zeno, comparing Davila with Guicciardini, observes, that whilst the prolixity of Guicciardini in dwelling minutely upon minor matters becomes wearisome to the reader, the course of Davila's narrative runs on uninterrupted, adverting briefly to circumstances of subordinate importance, and dwelling chiefly upon those which have materially affected the interests either of religion or the state. By common consent Davila is numbered among the best historical writers of Italy. His work has gone through many editions, and has been translated into several languages. Apostolo Zeno published a splendid edition of it in 2 vols. fol., Venice, 1733, to which he has prefixed a life of the author.
(Tiraboschi, ,Steria della Lettcratura Italiana; Corniani, I Secoli ddla Lelteratura Banana.)