Pistorius, John

, a learned divine, was born February 4, 1546, at Nidda. He first took a doctor’s degree in physic, but, as he did not succeed according to his hopes, he studied the law, and was counsellor to Ernest Frederic, margrave of Baden Dourlach, whom he persuaded to embrace the protestant religion, but turned catholic himself sometime after. After the death of his wife he was admitted doctor in duinity, was made counsellor to the emperor, provost of the cathedral at Breslaw, and domestic prelate of the abbey of Fulde. He died in 1608, at Friburg. He left several controversial tracts against the Lutherans, “Scriptores Rerum Polonicarum,” 1582, 3 vols. fol.; “Scriptores de Rebus Germanicis,” 1607, 1613, 3 vols. fol. a curious collection, which Struvius very much improved in a new edition published at Ratisbon in 1726, 3 vols. fol. Pistorius also published an edition of “Artis cabalisticae Scriptores,” Basil, 1587, fol. ³