Despierres, John

, a learned Benedictine, was a native of Flanders, born in 1597. In 1640 he took his degree of D. D. at Douay, where he was prefect and superior of the college belonging to his monastery, and lastly, grand prior and official of the spiritual court of Anchin. He was most celebrated for mathematical | knowledge, and on this account was requested by his majesty to teach that science at Douay, where he died March 28, 1664. He was not only a good author, but an ingenious instrument maker, and constructed an iron sphere, with curious clock-work, to shew the motions of the heavenly bodies. His principal works are, 1. “Gloria sanctissimi monachorum patriarchs Benedicti.” 2. “Calendarium novum ad legendas horas canonicas, secundum ritum breviarii Romani.” 3. “Vindicite Trithemianse, sive specimen steganographiae Joannis Trithemii, quo auctoris ingenuitas demonstratur, et opus superstitione absolvitur,” Doway, 1641, 4to. 4. “Auctorjtas Scripturae sacra Hebraic;*-, Grcecae, et Latino?, hoc est textus Hebraici, versionis septuaginta interpretum, et versionis vulgatae,” ibid. 1651, 4to. 5. “Commentarius in psalteriurn David icum, quo sensus litteralis tarn textus Hebraici quain vulgatoe breviter exponitur.” 6. “Calendarium Romanum novum, et Astronomia Aquicinctina (Anchin),” ibid. 1657, fol. ¹