Ferrari, Francis Bernardine

, of the same family with the former, was born at Milan about 1577. Heapplied with great success to philosophy and divinity, as well as to the Latin, Greek, Spanish, and French languages, and was admitted a doctor of the Ambrosian college. His vast knowledge of books, and abilities in all kinds of learning, induced Frederic Borromeo, archbishop of Milan, to appoint him to travel into divers parts of Europe, in order to purchase the best books and manuscripts, to form a library at Milan. Ferrari accordingly went over part of Italy and Spain, and collected a great number of books, which laid the foundation of the celebrated Ambrosian library. About 1638, he was appointed director of the college of the nobles, lately erected at Padua; which office he discharged two years, and then, on account of indisposition, returned to Milan. He died in 1669, aged 92.

He wrote, 1. “De Antiquo Ecclesiasticarum Epistolarum Genere, libri tres,” Milan, 1613. 2. “De Ritu Sacrarum Ecclesise Catholicae concionum libri tres,” Milan, 1620, a curious work, which was afterwards printed at Utrecht, 1692, with a preface by John Graevius. 3. “De Veterum acclamationibus et plausu libri septem,” Milan, 1627, likewise reprinted in the sixth volume of Gravius’s “Roman Antiquities.” Ferrari began several other works upon various points of antiquity, both ecclesiastical and | profane, but though he lived forty-two years after the publication of the last-mentioned book, he did not publish any more. All his writings are full of learning and curious researches into antiquity, and he wrote with great clearnes and method, judgment and accuracy. ¹