Pasor, Matthias

, the son of George Pasor, a learned professor of divinity and Hebrew in the academy of Herborne, by Apollonia his wife, daughter of Peter Hendschius, senator of that place, was born there April 12, 1599. Discovering a very docile disposition, he was carefully educated in the elements of Greek and Latin in his native place, until the appearance of the plague obliged him to be removed to Marpurg in 1614; but the following year he returned to Herborne, and again applied himself closely to his studies. In 1616, he was sent to Heidelberg; and, meeting there with skilful professors, he made such improvement, that he was employed as a tutor, and taught in private both mathematics and Hebrew. He was honoured also with the degree of M. A. by the university in Feb. 1617, and then studied divinity under David Pareus, Abraham Scultetus, and Henry Alting. In April 1620, he was appointed mathematical professor; which office he retained until Heidelberg was invested by the duke of Bavaria’s troops, in September 1622, when he lost his books and Mss. and narrowly escaped with his life to Herborne, where he found a comfortable employment in the academy till 1623. Proceeding thence to Ley den, he constantly attended the lectures of the most eminent Dutch divines, particularly those of Erpenius upon the Arabic tongue, and of Snellius upon divinity.

After a few weeks stay at this university, he arrived in England; and, bringing proper testimonials with him to Oxford, was incorporated M. A. there, in June 1624. Here he began to teach Hebrew and the mathematics privately, but at the end of the year took a tour into France with some gentlemen of Germany; and spending the winter at Paris, attended the lectures of Gabriel Sionita, regius professor of Syriac and Arabic: who, having left off reading in public some years for want of auditors, was prevailed upon by Pasor to resume those exercises in his own house. Having much improved himself under this excellent master, he returned to Oxford in 1625, and had chambers in Exeter college, in which he preferred residing, notwithstanding the plague had dispersed the students, rather than go to Ireland with archbishop Usher, who offered him his table and a handsome pension. As soon as the infection ceased, he had some pupils, either in divinity or the oriental tongues; and in the latter he was tutor to the celebrated Pococke. Afterwards, upon his petition, he was | appointed to read public lectures in Arabic, Chaldee, and Syriac, twice a week in term time, in the divinity-school; for which he was handsomely rewarded. He held this temporary professorship for about three years from Oct. 1626, during which time he also delivered a Hebrew lecture in Now college. In 1629 he accepted an invitation to be professor of moral philosophy at Groningen; and, upon the death of Muller, the mathematical professor, six years after, Pasor succeeded to that chair; but when, in 1645, he was raised to that of divinity, of which faculty he was then created doctor, he resigned his mathematical professorship, retaining that of moral philosophy. All these favours induced him to remain at Groningen, where he died Jan. 28, 1658.

He published few books, for wbich he is said to have given two reasons: first, “Because he was not willing that youth should be diverted from reading the good books already published;” and secondly, “Because he did not care that the booksellers should risk their money.” He published, however, while at Oxford, an “Oratio pro linguæ Arabicæ professione, publice ad academicos habita in Schola Theologica universitatis Oxon. 25 Oct. 1626,” Oxon. 1627, 4to. He was also editor of those useful works which his father (who died in 1637) compiled for the use of Greek scholars, and which were at one time very popular; viz. his “Manuale GrsEcorum vocum Novi Testamenti, deque Graecis N. Testament!, accentibus.” Leyden, 1634, 12mo, often reprinted at Herborn, Amsterdam, and other places “Syllabus sive idea omnium Novi Test, dictionum, seu dialectorum,” 12mo, Amsterdam, Franeker, Francfort, &c &c. “Lexicon Graeco- Latin urn in N. Testamentum,” 8vo. There are editions of this printed at London, Amsterdam, Geneva, c. and two at least with Leusden’s improvements, Amsterdam, 1675, and Leipsic, 1695.*

George Pasor was nineteen years professor at Herborn, and eleven years at Franeker, where he was buried with a monumental inscription. It remains to be mentioned, that a Latin life of Mattdew Pasor was published, containing his journal, | many trifling particulars in which, Bayle says, ought to have been left out. But what would have become of Bayle’s own works, particularly his Dictionary, had his editors left out what was trifling, obscene, and impious ¹