Sallengre, Albert Henry De

, an ingenious and laborious writer, was born at the Hague in 1694. His father was receiver-general of Walloon Flanders, and of an ancient and considerable family. He was educated with great care, and sent at a proper age to Leyden; where he studied history under Perizonius, philosophy under Bernard, and law under Voetius and Noodt. Having finished his academical studies with honour, he returned to his parents at the Hague, and was admitted an advocate in the | court of Holland. After the peace of Utrecht in 1713 r he went to France; and spent some time at Paris in visiting libraries, and in cultivating friendships with learned men. In 1716, he was made counsellor to the princess of Nassau; and, the year after, commissary of the finances of the States General. He went again to France in 1717; and two years after to England, where he was elected fellow of the Royal Society, in the list of which he is called “Auditor-Surveyor of the Bank of Holland.” He was author of several publications, which shewed parts, learning, and industry; and without doubt would, if he had lived, have been of great use and ornament to the republic of letters; but, catching the small-pox, he died in 1723, in his thirtieth year.

He was for some time editor of the “Literary Journal,” which began at the Hague in 1713. His part consists of four volumes, 1715 1717. The continuation was by Desmolets and Gouget. In 1714, he published “L'Eloge de PYvresse,” a piece of much spirit and gaiety in 1715, “Histoire de Pierre de Montmaur,” 2 vols. 8vo, a collection of all the pieces written against that singular character .*

*

Pettr de Montmanr was a Jesuit of the seventeenth century, who was sent in early life by his order to Rome, and there he taught grammar with credit during three years. He afterwards left the Jesuits, and set up as a druggist at Avignon, which situation proved very profitable to him. Then going to Paris, he attended the bar, which he quitted to devote himself to poetry, displaying his taste chiefly in anagrams, and puns. This did not, however, prevent his succeeding Goulu as regius professor of Greek, from whence he was surnamed Montmaur the Grecian. His constant practice was to ridicule men of learning by satires and sarcasms, frequently making allusions to their names, taken from Greek and Latin, which were called Montmaurisms. Hence a warfare commenced which does not appear to have re dounded much to the credit of either party. Among other expedients they accused Montmaur of having killed the porter of the college of Boncourt, on which he was sent to prison, and scarce cleared of this imaginary crime, before they accused him of others more infamous. Various attempts were also made to render him ridiculous. Menage set the fashion by a fictitious “Life of Montmaur,” which he published in Latin, 1636, under the name of “Gargilius Mamurra.” Others foU lowed his example, and M. de Sallengre published the work above-mentioned, which forms a curious and entertaining collection. Montmaur was certainly a bad poet, but in other respects was not so despicable as most authors represent him He died in 1648, aged seventy-four.

In 1716, “Commentaires sur les Epitres d’Ovide par M. de Meziriac,” with a discourse upon the life and works of Meziriac; the same year, “Poesies de M. de la Monnoye;” in 1716, 1718, 1719, “Novus Thesaurus Antiquitatum Romanarum,” a Supplement to Graevius’s collection, in 3 vols. folio; in 1718, “Huetii de rebus ad | cum pertinentibus Commentarius,” with a preface written by himself. About the time of his death he was engaged in writing “A History of the United Provinces from 1609, to the conclusion of the peace of Munster in 1648,” which was published at the Hague in 1728, with this title, “Essai d‘une Histoire des Provinces Unies pour I’ann^e 1621, ou la Treve finit, et le Guerre recommence avec PEspagne,” 4to. 1
1

Niceron, vols. I. and X. —Moreri.