VERTOT, Rene Aubert De, a lively and elegant, though not a very profound or accurate historian, was born at the castle of Benetot in Normandy, on the 25th of November 1655. He was the second son of a gentleman allied to several distinguished families, but possessed of little or no fortune. He was educated in the College of the Jesuits at Rouen; and having made choice of the ecclesiastical profession, he secretly withdrew from this seminary, and, after an interval of ten months, his family ascertained that he had betaken himself to the convent of the Capuchins, at Argentan. He was not however to be diverted from his design; and having made his profession, he assumed the name of Brother Zachary. But the austerities of this order were so prejudicial to his health, that he was induced to exchange it for one of milder rules. Having obtained a brief from the pope, he entered the abbey of the Praemon-stratenses at Valsery in 1677. He became secretary to Colbert, general of the order, who nominated him prior of Joyerwal. The canon law prohibits a person who has quitted one order, from obtaining any office or benefice in another; and although he had procured a dispensation in due form, he yet encountered so much opposition, that he was induced to exchange his priory for a cure, depending on the order, at Croissy-la-Garenne, near Marly. Here, at the age of thirty-four, he produced his earliest work, “Histoire des Révolutions de Portugal.” Paris, 1689, 12mo. He afterwards obtained another cure in his native district of Caux; and this he exchanged for a third, in the immediate vicinity of Rouen. His last benefice was amply endowed, and rendered him very easy in his circumstances. He continued his historical labours with new ardour, and produced various other works. His next work bears the title of “Histoire des Révolutions de Suede.” 1696, 2 tom. 12mo. In 1710, he published his “Traité de la Mouvance de Bretagne.” A more elaborate work is his “Histoire des Révolutions arrivés dans le Gouvernment de la République Romaine.” 1719, 3 tom. 12mo. The grand-master of Malta had appointed him historiographer of the order, with the privilege of wearing its cross. In order to evince himself worthy of the honour which had thus been conferred upon him, he produced a copious work, entitled “Histoire des Chevaliers Hospitaliers de S. Jean de Jerusalem, appeliéz, depuis les Chevaliers de Rhodes, et anjourd’hui les Chevaliers de Malte.” 1726, 4 tom. 4to. Other honours had likewise been bestowed upon him. He became an associate of the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres. He was appointed “Secrétaire-interprète,” and afterwards “Secrétaire des commandements,” to the duchess of Orleans. He had apartments in the royal palace, and received a considerable salary. But these honours and emoluments could not secure the enjoyment of good health, and the latter years of his life were passed in much bodily infirmity. He died on the 15th of June 1735, in the eightieth year of his age. Some of his dissertations are to be found among the Mémoires of the Academy. A posthumous publication of Vertot appeared under the title of “Origine de la Grandeur de la Cour de Rome; et de la Nomination aux Evechés et aux Abbaies.” Lausanne, 1745, 12mo. On the constitution of the Roman senate, he bad been consulted by Lord Stanhope; and in 1758 his answer was published by Hooke, who added his own observations.