Gronovius, John Frederic

, an eminent civilian, historian, and critic, was born at Hamburgh in 1613. He had a strong inclination to learning, which induced him to apply to books with indefatigable diligence from his infancy; and, having made great progress in his studies in his own country, he travelled into Germany, Italy, and France, where he searched all the treasures of literature that could be found in those countries, and was returning | fcome by the way of the United Provinces, when he was stopt at Deventer in the province of Over-Issel, and there made professor of polite learning. After acquiring great reputation in this chair, he was promoted to that of Leyden in 1658, vacant by the death of Daniel Heinsius. He died at Leyden in 1672, much regretted. By his wife, whom he married at Deventer, he had two sons that survived him and were both eminent in the republic of letters: James, who is the subject of the ensuing article; and Theodore Laurent, who died young, having published “Emendationes Pandectarum, &c. Leyden, 1605,” 8vo, and “A Vindication of the Marble Base of the Colossus erected in honour of Tiberius Caesar, ibid. 1697,” folio.

Frederic Gronovius was the author of many critical works. Besides his edition of Casaubon’s Epistles, Hague, 1638, in 4to, he published the following 1. “Diatribe in Statii Poetce Sylvas,Hague, 1637, 8vo. This being attacked by Emeric Crucaeus, who ander the name of Mercurius Frondator published an “Anti-Diatribe” at Paris, 1639j 24mo, Gronovius published, 2. “Elenchus AntiDiatribes Mercurii Frondatoris ad Statii Sylvas,Paris, 1640, 8vo. This occasioned Crucaeus to publish “Muscarium ad Statii Sylvas,Paris, 1640, 8vo. 3. “De Sestertiis, sive subsecivorum Pecunise veteris Graecae & Romanae Libri IV. Accesserunt Lucius Volusius Maecianus, J. C. & Balbus Mensor de Asse,” &c. Deventer, 1643, 6vo, Amsterdam, 1656, 8vo, and Leyden, 1691, 4to, in which last edition, published by his son James Gronovius, are added “Paschasii Grosippi, (i. e. Casparis Schioppii) Tabulo3 Numerarije; Johannis Freder. Gronovii Mantissa pecunise veteris, & tres ‘AvreZnyweis de Fcenere Unciario & centesimis Usuris; item de Hyperpyro; Salmasii Epistola & ad earn Responsio; & Aoyaoiw Tlateua ua\ Nea, Græcè & Latinè.” 4. “Notæ in Senecam Philosophum & Rhctorein;” first printed separately at Leyden, 1649, 12mo, and afterwards reprinted in the Elzevir edition of “Seneca cum Notis Variorum,1673, 3 vols. 8vo. 5. “Monobiblos Ecclesiasticarum Observationum,1651, 12mo. 6. Observationum Lib. IV.“Deventer, 1652, i’2mo. 7.” Statins ex recensione J. F. Gronovii, cum ejusdem Notis,“Amsterdam, 1653. Our author’s notes were reprinted in the edition of Statius published by John Veenhusius at Leyden, 1671, in 8vo. And Statius as revised by him was published by Christian Daumius with the Commentaries of | Barthius in 2 vols. 4to, at Zwickaw in 1664. 8.” Senecae Tragcedise cum Notis Johannis Frederici Gronovii & variip aliorum,“Leyden, 1661, 8vo. His Notes were reprinted with improvements in the edition of Seneca’s tragedies published by his son James Gronovius at Amsterdam, 1682, 8vo. 9.” Observationum Libri tres,“Leyden, 1662, 8vo. 10.Plautus ex recensione Joh. Fred. Gronovii, cum Notis Variorum,“Leyden, 1664, and 1684, 8vo. 11.Titus Livius ex recensione & cum Notis Joh. Frid, Gronovii, additis integris Caroli Sigonii & selectis Variorum Notis,“Amsterdam, 1665, and 1679, 3 vols. 8vo; which last edition of 1679 is preferable to the former, on account of the notes of Henry Valesius and James Gronovius, which were added to it. Our author had published an edition of Livy revised by him at Leyden in 1645 and 1654 in 3 vols. 12mo, and in 1661 and 1678, in one volume, 12mo. His Notes upon Livy were printed separately at Leyden in 1645, 12mo. But several things in this edition of 1645 are omitted in the larger editions of 1675 and 1679. 12.” Plinii Historia Naturalis,“Leyden, 1669, 3 vols. 8vo. 13.” Tacitus,“Amsterdam, 1673, 2 vols. 8vo, reprinted at Amsterdam, 1685, 2 vols. 8vo. 14.” Notae in Hugonis Grotii Libros tres de Jure Belli & Pacis,“Amsterdam, 1680, 8vo. 15.” Observationes ad Bened. Petrocorii de Vita B. Martini carminum libros sex,“published in Daumius’s edition of Petrocorius, Leipsic, 1682, 8vo. 16.” Auli Gellii Noctes Attics,“Leid. 1687, 8vo. His notes are reprinted in his son’s edition, Leid. 1706. 17.” Nota3 in Phsedri Fabulas,“published by his son in the edition of Leyden, 1703, 8vo. 18.” De Musseo Alexandrino Dissertatio,“inserted in his son’s” Thesaurus.“19.” Oratio tie lege regia, &c.“Leyden, 1678. A translation of this in French was published by Barbeyrac with Noodt’s treatise upon liberty of conscience, Amst. 1714, 8vo. A great many of Gronovius’s Letters are published in Burman’s *' Sylloge Epistolarum.1