After studying civil law at Leuven University, he became a barrister in pleas before the Great Council of Mechelen, and in 1628 a member of the court.

[1] He died in Brussels on 13 April 1671, and was buried in the Chapel Church, where a monumental tomb designed by Jan van Delen was erected.

[1] For the benefit of the King of Spain, ruler of the Habsburg Netherlands, he composed a Mémoire touchant la forme du gouvernement politique des Pays-Bas, et des conseils et officiers qui en composent le ministère (Memorandum touching the form of political government of the Low Countries, and the councils and officers that make up the ministry).

At an unknown date (postulated variously to be 1623, 1662 or 1685) a modified version of this was published in Leiden by Abraham Gogar as Gouvernement politique des provinces des Pays-Bas sous l'obéissance de Sa Majesté Catholique (Political government of the provinces of the Low Countries under obedience to His Catholic Majesty).

He therefore wrote a remonstrance to put his side of the case in full: Humble remonstrance et briefve déduction de Messire Charles Hovyne du Conseil d'Estat et chef-président du Conseil privé de Sa Majesté, printed in 1668 without specifying place or printer.