Ferrari, Octavius

, of the same family with the famer, was born at Milan in 1607. He went through Is studies in the Ambrosian college, and after he had conpleted a course of philosophy and divinity, applied himself entirely to polite literature, in which he made so grat progress, that cardinal Frederic Borromeo procured hn a professorship of rhetoric in that college, when he vis but one and twenty years old. Six years after, the ipublic of Venice invited him to Padua, to teach eloquene, politics, and the Greek ianguage, in that university, whih was then extremely in its decline; but Ferrari restoredit to its former flourishing state. The republic rewarded hn by enlarging his pension every six years, which from fre hundred ducats was at last raised to two thousand. Afer the death of Ripamonte, historiographer of the city of Milan, Ferrari was appointed to write the history of tat city; and a pension of two hundred crowns was settledm htm for that purpose. He began, and composed eilit books; but finding he could not have access to the necssary materials in the archives of Milan, he desisted, id left what he had done to his heir, on condition thathe should not publish it. His reputation procured him f esents and pensions from foreign princes. Christimof Sweden, in whose honour he had made a public disccrse upon her mounting the throne, presented him withagden chain, and honoured him with her letters; and Louis IV. of France gave him a pension of five hundred crown for seven years. He died in 1682, aged seventy-five. He was remarkable for the sweetness, sincerity, and affability of his temper; and had so happy a way of mitigating persons exasperated against each other, that he acquire the title of “the Reconciler, or Pacificator.

His works are, 1. “De re vestiaria libri tres,” Hua, 1642. In 1654 he added four books more to a s:ond edition. 2. “Analecta de re vestiaria, sive exercitcQiies ad Alberti Rubenii Commentarium de re vestiaria dato clavo. Accessit Dissertatio de veterum lucernis sepvhralibus,Padua, 1670. This was afterwards, in 168 | subjoined to his book “De re vestiaria,” and both are insated in the sixth and twelfth books of Graevius’s “Roman Aniquities.” 3. “Pallas Suecica; Panegyricus Sueconm Reginas imperium auspicanti dictus.” 4. “De laudibus Francisci Putei.” 5. “Prolusiones xxvi. Epistolae. —Formulae ad capienda Doctoris insignia. Inscriptiones. —Panegyricus Ludovico Magno Francorum Regi dictus.” Al these little pieces, and several others which had been printed separately, were collected and disposed into proper order by John Fabricius, who published them at Helmstad, 1710, in 2 vols. 8vo. 6. “Veneta Sapientia, seu de optimo civitatis statu prolusio.” 7. “Electorum libri duo.” In this work our author treats of several points of antiquity. 8. Origines Linguae Italicse,“Padua, 1676, folio. The authhor of the” Journal des Scavans, for April 1677,“gives the following judgment of this work” Scaliger had before treated of this subject, in twenty-four books, which are unfortunately lost. Though Ferrari has not taken so great an extent, yet we find a great deal of learning in him. But he appears so jealous of the language of his country, that he thinks every other origin, but what he gives it, as well as the French and Spanish from the Latin tongue, would be injurious to it. This hinders him from assenting to the opinion of cardinal Bembo, who supposes tha the Italian owes many of its words to the jargon of Langueedoc and Provence.“Menage has written a book upon the same subject, to correct the errors of Ferrari. 9.” De Pantomimis et Mimis Dissertatio.“10. ' Dissertiones dure altera de balneis, de gladiatoribus altera.” These two last are posthumous, and were published by John Fabricius, the former at Wolfenbuttel, 1714, in 8vo; the latter at Helmstad, 1720, in 8vo. 1

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Gen. Dict. Bibl, Ancienne et Moderne, vol. VI. —Moreri. —Niceron, vol. V.Saxii Onomast.