1583-1645. Dutch jurist and politician, born
in Delft. He became a lawyer, and later
received political appointments. In 1618 he
was arrested as a republican and sentenced to
imprisonment for life: his wife contrived his
escape in 1620, and he settled in France,
where he composed the De Jure Belli et
Pacis/On the Law of War and Peace 1625, the
foundation of international law. He was
Swedish ambassador in Paris 1634-45.