DAVILA, Henrico Caterino (1576-1631), historian, was descended from a Spanish noble family. His immediate ancestors had been constables of the kingdom of Cyprus for the Venetian republic, from father to son, since 1464. But in 1570 the island was taken by the Turks; and Antunio Davila, the father of the historian, had to leave it, despoiled of all he possessed. He travelled into Spain and France, and finally returned to Padua, where, in 1576. his youngest son was born, whom he named Henrico Caterino, in gratitude ..for the kindness received from Catherine de Medici at the French court. At the age of seven the father took this son to France, where he became a page in the service of Catherine. In due time he entered the service, and fought through the civil wars till the peace in 1598. He then returned to Padua, where, and subsequently at Parma, he led a studious life, till on the breaking out of war he entered the military service of the republic of Venice, in which he served with distinction. But during the whole of this active life—many details of which are very interesting as illustrative of the life and manners of the time—he never lost sight of a design which he had formed at a very early period, of writing the history of those civil wars in France, in which he had borne a part, and had so many opportunities of closely observing the leading personages and events. The manuscript of this work was completed in, or a little previous to, 1630, and was offered in vain by the author to all the publishers in Venice, and this city was then a great publishing centre. At last one Tommaso Baglioni, who had no work for his presses, undertook to print the manuscript, on condition that he should be free to leave off if more promising work offered itself. The printing of the ...