BIGNON

bignon, jerome (1589-1656), french lawyer, was born at paris in 1589. he was uncommonly precocious, and under his father's tuition had acquired an immense mass of knowledge before he was ten years of age. in 1600 was published a work by him entitled _chorographie, ou description de la terre sainte_. the great reputation gained by this book introduced the author to henry iv., who placed him for some time as a companion to the duc de vendome, and made him tutor to the dauphin, afterwards louis xiii. in 1604 he wrote his _discours de la ville de rome_, and in the following year his _traite sommaire de l'election du pape_. he then devoted himself to the study of law, wrote in 1610 a treatise on the precedency of the kings of france, which gave great satisfaction to henry iv., and in 1613 edited, with learned notes, the _formulae_ of the jurist marculfe. in 1620 he was made advocate-general to the grand council, and shortly afterwards a councillor of state, and in 1626 he became advocate-general to the parlement of paris. in 1641 he resigned his official dignity, and in 1642 was appointed by richelieu to the charge of the royal library. he died in 1656.