Bosius, James

, a native of Milan, and servitor of the order of Malta, lived about the end of the sixteenth century, when he was appointed agent for the religion of Malta at Rome, and discharged the duties of this office with fidelity. The knowledge he found it necessary to acquire, appears to have suggested the design of writing a history of that celebrated order, which was published under the title “Historia dell' ordine di S. Giovanni Gierosolimitano,” in three parts or volumes, the first two at Rome, 1594, and the third in 1602, a work in which he is said to have been assisted by two monks, and which contains many curious facts, that have been highly serviceable to the subsequent historians of Malta. It happened that Bosius resided with Petrochini at Rome, and when he was made cardinal by Sixtus V. Bosius attached himself to him, in hopes of being promoted to the same honour, when Petrochini should be pope; but the latter being overlooked at the next election for the papal chair, Bosius went home and passed the remainder of his days, how many we are not told, in exercises of devotion. He appears to have had much of the superstition of his order, and of the age in which he lived, as he wrote a history of the sacred cross on which our Saviour suffered, from its discovery in the reign of Constantine the great.; and decorated the church of St. Blaise with this choice morsel of authentic history. His nephew,²