ANCILLON, Charles, son of David Ancillon, and one of a distinguished family of French Protestants, was born 28th July 1659, at Metz, and died, 5th July 1715, at Berlin. He studied law at Marburg, Geneva, and Paris, where he was called to the bar. At the request of the Huguenots of Ids native place, he pleaded its cause at the court of Louis XIV., urging that it should be excepted in the revocation of the Edict of Nantes; but his efforts were so unsuccessful that he quitted the country and joined his father, who was already in Berlin. Through the influence of his father with the elector of Brandenburg, he was appointed at first judge and director of French refugees, and ultimately embassy counsel, historian to the king, and superintendent of the French school. He is known chiefly by his writings, several of which relate to the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, and other events of his time. He also wrote Miscellaneous Literary Criticisms, a Life of Soliman I I., and a Treatise on Eunuchs, the last of which he published under the name of Ollincan, an anagram of Ancillon....
ANCILLON, David, an eminent French Protestant divine, father of the preceding, was born, 17th March 1617, at Metz, and died, 3d September 1692, at Berlin At the age of sixteen he went to Geneva to complete his theological studies; and in 1641 he was appointed minister of Meaux, where he remained till 1653. At this time he accepted a call to his native town, Metz; and he continued to officiate there till 1685, when the revocation of the Edict of Nantes compelled him to retire to Frankfort. He left this for Hanau, and finally settled at Berlin, filling the office of French Protestant pastor there, much esteemed by the highest classes, till his death in 1692. He was. a scholarly writer, and a man remarkable for the moral beauty of his character.
ANCILLON, Johann PeterFriederich, a historian and Prussian statesman, one of the family of French Protestant refugees noticed above, was born at Berlin, 3Oth April 1766, and died there, 19th April 1837. Descended from a family of divines, he early selected the ecclesiastical profession, and studied theology first at Berlin and then at Geneva. Shortly after finishing his course he was appointed minister to the French community at Berlin, as well as professor of history in the military academy, and he attracted attention even at court by the eloquence of his style. In 1793 he visited Switzerland and, a few years after, France, the details of his journeys and observations being published on his return. He was a frequent and able contributor to the literary journals of the period, and in 1801 appeared as the author of Literary and Philosophical Miscellanies, revealing a shrewd, philosophic cast of mind. Ancillon took rank among the most famous historians of his day by his next work, A Picture of Political Revolutions in Europe since the 15<A Century, which gained him the eulogium of the Institute of France, and admission to the Royal Academy of Berlin. It is unfortunate that this work was never finished, for it is one of the ablest and most philosophical on the sulject. The merits of Ancillon were not overlooked. He was appointed tutor to the prince royal of Prussia and his cousin in 1806, by Frederic William III., and received various appointments from the Government. In 1814 he accompanied the princes to Paris, and there became acquainted with Guizot, De Broglie, and other persons of eminence. After completing the term of his office as tutor, he was attached to the department of foreign affairs, and made a counsellor of state. He took an active part in many diplomatic transactions, rendering his country some signal services, and securing more and more the confidence of the court. Soon after the revolution of July 1830, he was made minister of foreign affairs, with the entire control of the whole department; and he retained the title of minister of state till his death. Besides the works already mentioned, he published, in 1817, New Literary and Philosophical Miscellanies; in 1819, The Science of Politics ; in 1824, Objects of Faith and Knowledge in Philosophy; in 1829, Thoughts on Man—his Relations and Interests; and a number of other works on politics and philosophy.
[191 words — estimated reading time: 2 minutes]