ek text of Aristotle. He died of an autumnal fever, which was brought on by an intemperate eating of melons, in the 70th year of his age, and (as is believed) soon after
was one of the first of those learned persons who fled into Italy upon the taking of Constantinople by Mahomet II. in 1453, and contributed to the revival of Greek learning in the west. Cosmo de Medicis, duke of Tuscany, made him professor of Greek at Florence, and appointed him preceptor to his son Peter, and to his grandson Lorenzo. He had several illustrious pupils at Florence, to whom he read lectures in the Greek language and philosophy; and amongst the rest Angelas Politianus^ Acciaioli, and Reuchlinus. In 1456, he went into France, to ask the assistance of Charles VII. in behalf of some friends and relations, whom he wanted to redeem from Turkish slavery. He continued many years in his professorship at Florence; but, the plague at length obliging him to quit it, he went to Rome, where he publicly read lectures upon the Greek text of Aristotle. He died of an autumnal fever, which was brought on by an intemperate eating of melons, in the 70th year of his age, and (as is believed) soon after his settlement in Rome; but the time of his death is uncertain, yet it must have been after 1478, because he survived Theodorus Gaza, who died in that year. He was allowed to be very learned, but learning does not seem to have civilized or softened his manners, for he is represented as having been very capricious and very morose. He affirmed, that Cicero understood neither the Greek language nor philosophy, and is supposed to have conceived this peculiar prejudice against Cicero for saying, that the Greek was a language veibonim inops t poor and scanty in words. He was also a notorious epicure, and spent all his salaries, though very considerable, in the luxuries of the table. He was not so serious about his latter end, but that he bequeathed his debts in form to his richer friends, almost in the very act of dying. He translated several pieces of Aristotle into Latin, which language he also understood very well.
sactions: one on the motion of the sap in vegetables, the other on the quick growth of mouldiness in melons. He became a fellow of the royal society, and was chosen, Nov.
, a popular and very voluminous
writer on gardening and agriculture in the last century, was
one of the first who treated these subjects in a philosophical
manner, and certainly possessed considerable botanical
knowledge, although his general conduct was little entitled
to respect. He first made himself known to the public by
two papers printed in the Philosophical Transactions: one
on the motion of the sap in vegetables, the other on the
quick growth of mouldiness in melons. He became a
fellow of the royal society, and was chosen, Nov. 10, 1724,
professor of botany at Cambridge, but in a manner which
reflects little credit on him. His election was procured by
a pretended verbal recommendation from Dr. Sherrard to
Dr. Bentley, and pompous assurances that he would procure the university a public botanic garden by his own private purse and personal interest. The vanity of his promises was soon discovered, as well as his almost total ignorance of the learned languages; and as he neglected to
read lectures, the university made no difficulty in permitting Dr. Martyn to do it. Mr. Bradley, however, read a
course of lectures on the Materia Medica in 1729 at the
Bull inn, which he published next year at London, 8vo,
and of which the reader may see a humorous criticism in the
Grub-street Journal, No. 11* In 1731, his conduct became so scandalous, that it was in agitation to dismiss him.
from his professorship, but he died soon after, Nov. 5,
1732. He was the author of several publications, chiefly
on gardening and agriculture, consisting of two folio volumes, four quarto, and nearly twenty in octavo, which are
enumerated in Mr. Nichols’s Life of Bowyer. His “New
Improvement of Planting and Gardening, both philosophical and practical,
” Gentleman’s and Gardener’s Kalendar.
” His “Philosophical Account of the Works of Nature,
” General Treatise of Husbandry
and Gardening,
” 1726, 2 vols. 8vo; and of his “Practical
Discourses concerning the four elements, as they relate to
the growth of plants,
” Dictiona-ium Botanicum,
” Historia plantarum Suceuientarum,
”
He advised his patients, therefore, to use sucli articles of diet as contained little nutriment, as melons, cucumbers, and vegetables in general. He was exceedingly averse
, a physician of great reputation among the ancients, is supposed to have been born at Julis, in the island of Cea or Ceos. He was the most distinguished pupil of Chrysippiis, the Cnidian physician, and had attained a high character in his profession in the fourth, century B. C. His fame acquired him the notice and esteem of Seleucus Nicenor, king of Syria, at whose court he is said to have discovered by feeling the pulse of Antiochus Soter that he was in love with his mother-in-law Stratonice. His character, however, is founded upon more solid ground. He may be considered as the father of anatomicarcience, at least conjointly with Herophilus. It seems to be clearly established, that, before the time of these physicians, no one had dared to dissect human bodies; anatomical ‘examinations had been confined exclusively to the bodies of brutes. The Ptolemies, especially Soter and Philadelphia, being desirous that the arts should be cultivated, and having surmounted the prejudices of the age, granted the bodies of malefactors to the physicians for dissection, of which opportunity Erasistratus and Heropliilus availed themselves largely, and made several important discoveries. To what extent these discoveries were carried, it is not easy to ascertain but they were the first who dissected the human brain accurately according to the fragments preserved by Galen, Erasistratus described the brain minutely, and inferred that the brain was the common sensorium, or source of all the vital actions and sensations, which were effected throAigh the medium of the nerves. He also examined minutely the structure of the heart and of the great vessels, and was the first to point oat the valvular apparatus, and its peculiar form in each of the cavities of that viscus. His physiology, in general, was not, however, very profound, and his pathology necessarily imperfect; although he attempted to explain the causes of diseases from his knowledge of the structure of the body. The hypothesis by which he attempted to explain the origin of inflammation, resembled, in its leading feature, that modern supposition, which, sanctioned by the name of Boerhaave, was generally received in the medical world fora long series of years. His practice, like that of his master Chrysippus, was extremely simple. He did not employ blood-letting, nor purgatives; considering that plethora might be reduced more safely and naturally by fasting, or abstinence in diet, especially when aided by exetcise. He advised his patients, therefore, to use sucli articles of diet as contained little nutriment, as melons, cucumbers, and vegetables in general. He was exceedingly averse from the employment of compound medicines, and especially of the mixture of mineral, vegetable, and animal substances; and he exclaimed against the use of the antidotes of the physicians of his day, in which simplicity was altogether shunned. From the fragments of his writings to be found in Galen and Ciclius Aurelianus, it would appear, that Erasistratus wrote an accurate treatise on the dropsy, in which he disapproves of the operation of tapping; and that be had Jct’t other books on the following subjects:—viz. on the diseases of the abdomen, on the preservation of health, on wholesome things, on fevers, and wounds, on habit, on palsy, and on gout.— Having lived to extreme old age, and suffering severely from the pains of an ulcer in the foot, Erasistratus is said to have terminated his existence by swallowing the juice of cicuta, or hemlock.
sex,” Lond. 1690, 4to. 25. “Monsieur de la Quintinye’s treatise of Orange-Trees, with the raising of Melons, omitted in the French editions; made English by John Evelyn,
On his advancement to the board of trade, he published, 22. “A short and plain discourse, the chief
heads of the history of trade and navigation,
” which he
dedicated to the king, and which was very graciously rereirecl, and thought then to contain as much matter in as
small a compass as any that was ever written upon a topic
so copious as well as so important. 23. “Terra: a philosophical discourse of earth, relating to the culture and improvement of it for vegetation, and the propagation of
plants, &c. as it was presented to the royal society, April
29th, 1675,
” London, Mundus Muliebris; or, the ladies dressing-room unlocked, and her toilette spread. In burlesque. Together
with the Fop- Dictionary, compiled for the use of the fairsex,
” Lond. Monsieur de la Quintinye’s
treatise of Orange-Trees, with the raising of Melons,
omitted in the French editions; made English by John
Evelyn, esq.
” Lond. Numismata; a discourse of medals, ancient and modern; together with some
account of heads and effigies of illustrious and famous
persons, in sculps and taille douce, of whom we have no
medals extant, and of the uses to be derived from them.
To which is added, a digression concerning physiognomy,
”
Lond.
e in a state of the severest penury, nourishing their emaciated bodies with bread, herbs, pulse, and melons, and depriving themselves of all the comforts that arise from
The rule of life and manners which Manes prescribed to his followers, was most extravagantly rigorous and severe. However, he divided his disciples into two classes; one of which comprehended the perfect Christians, under the name of the elect; and the other, the imperfect and feeble, under the title of auditors or hearers. The elect were obliged to a rigorous and entire abstinence from flesh, eggs, milk, fash, wine, all intoxicating drink, wedlock, and all amorous gratifications; and to live in a state of the severest penury, nourishing their emaciated bodies with bread, herbs, pulse, and melons, and depriving themselves of all the comforts that arise from the moderate indulgence of natural passions, and also from a variety of innocent and agreeable pursuits. The auditors were allowed to possess houses, lands, and wealth, to feed on flesh, to enter into the bonds of conjugal tenderness; but this liberty was granted them with many limitations, and under the strictest conditions of moderation and temperance. The general assembly of the Manieheans was headed by a president, who represented Jesus Christ. There was joined to him twelve rulers or masters, who were designed to represent the twelve apostles, and these were followed by seventytwo bishops, the images of the seventy-two disciples of our Lord. These bishops had presbyters or deacons under them, and all the members of these religious orders were chosen out of the class of the elect. Their worship was simple and plain; and consisted of prayers, reading the scriptures, and hearing public discourses, at which both the auditors and elect were allowed to be present. They also observed the Christian appointments of baptism of infants and the eucharist, communicating frequently in both kinds. They kept the Lord’s day, observing it as a fast and they likewise kept Easter and Pentecost.
stay here paid a visit to Mr.Evelyn, who prevailed on him to communicate some directions concerning melons, for the cultivation of which Quintinie was remarkably famous.
, a famous French gardener,
was born at Poietiers in 1626. After a course of philosophy, he applied himself to the law, and went to Paris in
order to be admitted an advocate. He had much natural
eloquence, improved by learning; and acquitted himself
so well at the bar as to gain the admiration and esteem of
the chief magistrates. Tamboneau, president of the chamber of accounts, being informed of his merit, engaged him
to undertake the preceptorship of his only son, which Quiutinie executed entirely to his satisfaction applying his
leisure hours in the mean time to the study of agriculture,
towards which he always had a strong inclination. He
read Columella, Varro, Virgil, and all authors ancient or
modern, who had written on the subject and gained new
lights by a journey which he made with his pupil into Italy.
All the gardens in Rome and about it were open to him;
and he never failed to make the most useful observations,
constantly joining practice with theory. On his return to
Paris, Tamboneau entirely gave up to him his garden, to
manage as he pleased; and Quintinie applied himself to
so intense a study of the operations of nature in this way,
that he soon became famous all over France. He made
many curious and useful experiments. He was the first
who proved it useless to join fibres to the roots of trees
when transplanted, and discovered a sure and infallible
method of pruning trees, so as to make them not only bear
fruit, but bear it in whatever part the owner chuses, and
even produce it equally throughout all the branches; which
had never before been tried, nor even believed to be possible. The prince of Condé, who is said to have joined
the pacific love of agriculture to a restless spirit for war,
took great pleasure in conversing with Quintinie. He came
to England about 1673; and, during his stay here paid a
visit to Mr.Evelyn, who prevailed on him to communicate
some directions concerning melons, for the cultivation of
which Quintinie was remarkably famous. They were transmitted to Mr. Evelyn from Pans; and afterwards, in 1693,
published by him in the Philosophical Transactions. Charles
II. or, as his biographers say, James II. made Quintinie an
offer of a considerable pension if he would stay and take
upon him the direction of his gardens; but Quintinie chose
to serve his own king, Louis XIV. who erected for him a
new office of director-general of all his majesty’s fruit and
kitchen gardens. The royal gardens, while Quintinie
lived, were the admiration of the curious; and when he
died, the king himself was much affected, and could not
forbear saying to his widow, that “he had as great a loss as
she had, and never expected to have it repaired.
” Quintinie died veryold, but we know not in what year. He
greatly improved the art of gardening, and transplanting
trees and his book, entitled " Directions for the Management of Fruit and Kitchen Gardens, 7 ' 1725, 2 vols. 4to,
contains precepts which have been followed by all Europe.