Jean de Chokier, Baron de Surlet (1571-1656) was a canon lawyer and political writer in the
Prince-Bishopric of Liège. He is considered as "perhaps
[Justus] Lipsius's most important disciple".[1]
Life
Jean de Chokier de Surlet was born to a noble family at
Liège on 14 January 1571.[2] He was elected member of the powerful college of canons at the
Cathedral of Our Lady and St. Lambert in Liège and went on to become general vicar for spiritual affairs under prince-bishop
Ferdinand of Bavaria.
He was taught by
Justus Lipsius, who encouraged the influence of
Tacitus and the use of sententiae and exempla to drive home political points. Each chapter in Chokier de Surlet's 1610 Thesaurus Aphorismorum Politicorum (Treasury of Political Aphorisms) contained a section quoting extensively from ancient authorities, and another section with examples to prove the point.[3]
Works
(ed.) Onosandri Strategicvs, siue De Imperatoris Institvtione: Additae In Extremo Operis Variantes Lectiones ex Codd. diuersorum M. SS. depromptae, 1610
Thesaurus Politicorum Aphorismorum: In Quo Principum, Consiliariorum, Aulicorum Institio proprie continetur ; Una cum Exemplis Omnis Aevi ..., 1610
Tractatus de re nummaria prisco ævi: quae collata ad æstimationem monetæ præsentis: ad Historia cùm profane, tùm sacræ intelligentiam non parum utilis, 1619
Commentaria in regvlas Cancellariae Apostolicae: sive in Glossemata Alphonsi Sotto, glossatoris nuncupati, 1621
Scholia In Primarias Preces Imperatoris, 1621
Tractatvs de legato, 1624
Vindiciae Libertatis Ecclesiasticae: Divisae In Dvas Partes: In quarum prima ostenditur Appellationes ab Ecclesiasticis Iudicibus in causis ciuilibus inter Laicos motis, in Imperiali Camera non esse interponendas, nec ab ea recipiendas. Altera scribitur Contra impios Ecclesiae Mastyges, illius bona, ac iura vsurpantes, 1630
Facis historiarum centuriae duae: quarum prima continet mores diversarum gentium, altera ritus sacros ..., 1650
^Erik de Bom (2015).
"Political Advice". In Stefan Tilg; Sarah Knight (eds.). The Oxford Handbook of Neo-Latin. Oxford University Press. pp. 141–2.
ISBN978-0-19-994817-8.