ome to appease the wrath of Gregory V. who had threatened to lay the kingdom under an interdict, the pope granted him all he requested. Abbo, on his return from this
, or Abbot of Fleuri, a Benedictine monk of the tenth century, was born in the territory
of Orleans, and educated in the abbey of Fleuri, and afterwards at Paris and Rheims, where he distinguished himself in all the learning of the times, and particularly in
mathematics, theology, and history. Oswald, bishop of Worcester, in 985, applied to the abbey of Fleuri to obtain a
proper person to preside over the abbey of Ramsay, which
he had founded, or rather re-established. Abbo was sent
over to England for this purpose, and much caressed by
king Ethelred and the nobility. Returning to Fleuri upon
the death of the abbot, he was declared his successor.
Here he experienced many vexations from some of the
bishops, against whom he asserted the rights of the monastic order. His enemies charged him with some acrimony
against his persecutors. In his justification, he wrote an
apology, which he addressed to the kings Hugh and Robert. Some time afterwards he dedicated to the same
princes a collection of canons on the duties of kings and
the duties of subjects. King Robert, having sent him to
Rome to appease the wrath of Gregory V. who had
threatened to lay the kingdom under an interdict, the pope
granted him all he requested. Abbo, on his return from
this expedition, set about the reform of the abbey of Reole
in Gascony. He was here slain in a quarrel that rose between the French and the Gascons, in 1004. His works
are: 1. “Epitome de vitis Pontificum,
” taken from Anastasius Bibliothecarius, and published with an edition of that
author by Busscus, Mentz, 1602, 4to. 2. “Vita S. Edmundi
Anglorum Orientalium regis & martyris,
” printed in Surius’
Lives of the Saints. There is a ms. of it in the Cottonian
Library. 3. “Collectio, seu epitome Canonum,
” printed
by Mabillon. 4. “Epistola ad abbatem Fuldensem,
”
in Baluze’s Miscellanies, Letters to Hugh,
king of France, to St. Bernard, Gregory,
” &c. and his
Apology, are inserted whole, or in fragments, in his Life
by Aimonius, a monk of Fleuri, and his pupil.
bishop of Spalato, took shelter in England, from the persecution with which he was threatened by the Pope, for discovering his dislike both of the doctrine and discipline
Towards the close of 1616, the learned Antonio de Dominis, archbishop of Spalato, took shelter in England, from the persecution with which he was threatened by the Pope, for discovering his dislike both of the doctrine and discipline of the church of Rome, and was very kindly received by his majesty, and hospitably entertained by the archbishop. It was by his means that the archbishop got Father Paul’s History of the Council of Trent transmitted into this country. Mr. Nathaniel Brent was employed on this service, and succeeded in procuring the whole of the manuscript, although with some hazard to himself. In 1618, while lamenting the death of his brother the bishop of Salisbury, which happened in March of that year, he encountered a fresh anxiety from the king’s declaration for permitting sports and pastimes on the Lord’s day. This declaration, usually called the Book of Sports, was ordered to be read in the churches; but the archbishop, being at Croydon when it came thither, had the courage to forbid its being read.
genius, learning, and taste, which might have graced a Better age. It is upon these letters that Mr. Pope formed his “Epistle from Eloisa to Abelard,” which, however,
It was during Abelard’s residence at St. Gildas, that the
interesting correspondence passed between him and Heloise, which is still extant, and that he wrote the memoirs
of his life which came down to the year 1134. The letters
of Heloise, in this correspondence, abound with proofs of
genius, learning, and taste, which might have graced a
Better age. It is upon these letters that Mr. Pope formed
his “Epistle from Eloisa to Abelard,
” which, however,
deviates in some particulars from the genuine character
and story of Heloise, and is yet more seriously censurable
on account of its immoral tendency. Here, too, Abelard
probably wrote his “Theology,
” or revised it, which again
subjected him to prosecution. William, abbot of St.
Thievry, the friend f Bernard, now abbot of Clairvaux,
brought a formal charge against him for heresy in thirteen
articles, copied from the “Theology.
” Bernard, after an
unsuccessful private remonstrance, accused Abelard to
pope Innocent II. of noxious errors and mischievous designs. Abelard, with the concurrence of the archbishop
of Sens, challenged his accuser to appear in a public assembly, shortly to be held in that city, and make good his
accusation. The abbot at first declined accepting the
challenge; but afterwards made his appearance, and
delivered to the assembly the heads of his accusation.
Abelard, instead of replying, appealed to Rome, which
did not prevent the council from examining the charges,
and pronouncing his opinions heretical. It was, however, judged necessary to inform the bishop of Rome of
the proceedings, and to request his confirmation of the
sentence. In the mean time, Bernard, by letters written
to the Roman prelates, strongly urged them to silence,
without delay, this dangerous innovator. His importunity
succeeded; for the pope, without waiting for the arrival
of Abelard, pronounced his opinions heretical, and sentenced him to perpetual silence and confinement. Immediately upon being informed of the decision, Abelard set
out for Rome, in hopes of being permitted to plead his
cause before his holiness. In his way he called at Cluni, a
monastery on the confines of Burgundy, where he found a
2ealous friend in Peter Maurice, the abbot, and also in
Reinardus, the abbot of Citeaux, who negociated a reconciliation between him and Bernard, while Peter, by his
earnest remonstrances, procured his pardon at Rome, and
he was permitted to end his days in the monastery of
Cluni.
pecially those on the prophets, are filled with so much rancour against our Saviour, the church, the pope, the cardinals, the whole clergy, and all Christians in general,
, a famous rabbi, was born at
Lisbon in 1437,. of a family who boasted their descent
from king David. He raised himself considerably at the
court. of Alphonso V. king of Portugal, and was honoured
with very high offices, which he enjoyed till this prince’s
death; but, upon his decease, he felt a strange reverse of
fortune under the new king. Abrabanei. was in his 45th
year, when John II. succeeded his father Alphonso. All
those who had any share in the administration of the preceding reign were discarded: and, if we give credit to our
rabbi, their death was secretly resolved, under the pretext of their having formed a design to give up the crown
of Portugal to the king of Spain. Abrabanei, however,
suspecting nothing, in obedience to the order he received
to attend his majesty, set out for Lisbon with all expedition; but having, on his journey, heard of what was plotting against his life, fled immediately to his Castilian
majesty’s dominions. A party of soldiers were dispatched
after him, with orders to bring him dead or alive: however, he made his escape, but his possessions were confiscated. On this occasion he lost all his books; and also
the beginning of his Commentary upon the book of Deuteronomy, which he much regretted. Some writers affirm,
that the cause of his disgrace at this time was wholly owing
to his bad behaviour; and they are of the same opinion in
regard to the other persecutions which he afterwards suffered. They affirm that he would have been treated with
greater severity, had not king John contented himself with
banishing him. They add that by negociating bills of exchange (which was the business he followed in Castile), he
got introduced at the court of Ferdinand and Isabella: that
he amassed prodigious wealth, by practising the usual tricks
and frauds of the Jewish people, that he oppressed the poor,
and by usury made a prey of every thing; that he had the
vanity to aspire at the most illustrious titles, such as the
noblest houses in Spain could hardly attain, and that being
a determined enemy of the Christian religion, he was the
principal cause of that storm which fell upon him and the
rest of his nation. Of the truth of all this, some doubt
may be entertained. That he amassed prodigious wealth
seems not very probable, as immediately on his settling in
Castile, he began to teach and write. In 1484, he wrote
his “Commentary upon the books of Joshua, Judges, and
Samuel.
” Being afterwards sent for to the court of
Ferdinand and Isabel, he was advanced to preferment; which
he enjoyed till 1492, when the Jews were driven out
of the Spanish dominions. He used his utmost endeavours to avert this dreadful storm; but all proved ineffectual; so that he and all his family were obliged to quit the
kingdom, with the rest of the Jews. He retired to Naples;
and, in 1493, wrote his “Commentary on the books of
the Kings.
” Having been bred a courtier, he did not
neglect to avail himself of the knowledge he had acquired
at the courts of Portugal and Arragon, so that he soon ingradated himself into the favour of Ferdinand king of Naples, and afterwards into that of Alphonso. He followed
the fortune of the latter, accompanying him into Sicily,
when Charles VIII. the French king, drove him from
Naples. Upon the death of Alphonso he retired to the
island of Corfu, where he began his “Commentary on
Isaiah
” in Commentary on Deuteronomy;
”
and also composed his “Sevach Pesach,
” and his “Nachalath Avoth.
” In the succeeding year he wrote his
“Majene Hajeschua;
” and in Maschmia Jeschua,
” and his “Commentary on Isaiah.
” Some time after,
he went to Venice, to settle, the disputes betwixt the Venetians and Portuguese relating to the spice trade; and
on this occasion he displayed so much prudence and capacity, that he acquired the favour and esteem of both
those powers. In 1504 he wrote his “Commentary on
Jeremiah;
” and, according to some authors, his “Commentary on Ezekiel, and the twelve minor propnets.
” In
Commentary on Exodus;
” and
died at Venice in Commentaries on Genesis, Leviticus, and Numbers.
”
2. “Rach Amana.
” 3. “Sepher Jeschuoth Moschici, a
treatise on the traditions relating to the Messiah.
” 4.
“Zedek Olammim, upon future rewards and punishments.
”
5. “Sepher Jemoth Olam, a history from the time of
Adam.
” 6. “Maamer Machase Schaddai, a treatise on
prophecy and the vision of Ezekiel, against rabbi Mainionides.
” 7. “Sepher Atereth Sekenim.
” 8. “Miphaloth
Elohirn, works of God.
” 9. “Sepher Schamaim Chadaschim.
” 10. “Labakath Nebhiim.
” His “Commentary on
Haggai
” was translated into Latin by Adam Sherzerus,
and inserted in the Trifolium Orientale, published in
Leipsic in 1663, where his “Commentary on Joshua,
Judges, and Samuel,
” was also printed in Annotations on Hosea,
” with a
preface on the twelve minor prophets, were translated into
French by Francis ab Husen, and published at Leyden.
In 1683, Mr. de Veil, a converted Jew, published at London Abrabanel’s preface to Leviticus. His commentaries
on the Scriptures, especially those on the prophets, are
filled with so much rancour against our Saviour, the church,
the pope, the cardinals, the whole clergy, and all Christians in general, but in a particular manner against the
Roman catholics, that father Bartolocci was desirous the
Jews should be forbid the perusal of them. And he
tells us that they were accordingly not allowed to read or
to keep in their houses Abrabanel’s commentaries on the
latter prophets. He was a man of so great a genius, that
most persons have equalled him, and some even preferred
him, to the celebrated Maimonides. The Jews set a high
value upon what he has written to refute the arguments
and objections of the Christians; and the latter, though
they hold in contempt what he has advanced upon this
head, yet allow great merit in his other performances,
wherein he gives many proofs of genius, learning, and penetration. He does not blindly follow the opinions of his
superiors, but censures their mistakes with great freedom.
The persecutions of the Jews, under which he had been a
considerable sufferer, affected him to a very great degree;
so that the remembrance of it worked up his indignation,
and made him inveigh against the Christians in the strongest terms. There is hardly one of his books where he has
omitted to shew his resentment, and desire of revenge;
and whatever the subject may be, he never fails to bring
in the distressed condition of the Jews. He was most assiduous in his studies, in which he would spend whole
nights, and would fast for a considerable time. He had a
great facility in writing; and though he discovered an implacable hatred to the Christians in his compositions, yet,
when in company with them, he behaved with great politeness, and would be very cheerful in conversation.
lcedon, an embassy to the emperor Lewis L to present to him a book which Photius had written against pope Nicholas, and to endeavour to persuade him to shake off the
, bishop of Caria, in the 8th
century, attached himself to the party of the learned Photins, during the disputes which at that time disturbed the
church at Constantinople. He undertook, with Zachary,
bishop of Chalcedon, an embassy to the emperor Lewis L
to present to him a book which Photius had written against
pope Nicholas, and to endeavour to persuade him to shake
off the pope’s yoke. On his journey he was recalled by
Basil, who had usurped the empire; and soon afterwards,
finding it no longer safe to support the interest of Photius,
he prudently abandoned it, and, before the council of
Constantinople, entreated pardon, which was granted, and
he restored to his place in the council. Forty-two treatises, written by him against Jews, Mahometans, and heretics, were collected by Gretser, and published in 4to,
at Ingolstadt, 1606. Andrew Arnold published another
treatise by him “De Unione et Incarnatione,
” Paris,
wards assembled at Philippolis, in Thrace; where, in their turn, they fulminated against Athanasius, pope Julius, and the rest of their antagonists. Acacius had also
, surnamed Luscus, from his having but one
eye, the disciple of Eusebius bishop of Cassarea, whom he
succeeded in the year 338 or 340. Though scarce inferior
to the former in erudition, eloquence, and reputation, he
was deposed by the council of Sardica, together with several other bishops, who had declared themselves of his
opinion; and who afterwards assembled at Philippolis, in
Thrace; where, in their turn, they fulminated against
Athanasius, pope Julius, and the rest of their antagonists.
Acacius had also a great share in the banishment of pope
Liberius, and bringing Felix into the see of Rome, he
gave his name to a sect who were called Acaciani. He was
a man of great genius and distinguished learning; and
wrote several books before he was made a bishop, and
particularly a book against Marceilus of Ancyra, of which
Epiphanius has given us a fragment. Some time after he
was made a bishop, he wrote the “Life of Eusebius
” his
predecessor; not now extant, but mentioned in Socrates’
history. St. Jerome says that he wrote 17 volumes of
commentaries on Ecclesiastes, or probably a commentary
in 17 books; and six volumes of miscellanies. He died in
the year 365.
he churches once enjoyed, and especially that of Constantinople. He was afterwards excommunicated by pope Felix III.; and in return he erased the pope’s name out of the
, patriarch of Constantinople, succeeded Gennadius in that see in the year 471. He maintained that his see ought to have the pre-eminence over those of Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem; and, to compass this design, prevailed on the Emperor Leo to restore and confirm all the privileges which the churches once enjoyed, and especially that of Constantinople. He was afterwards excommunicated by pope Felix III.; and in return he erased the pope’s name out of the sacred diptics, or the list of those bishops whose names were mentioned in the public prayers: but, being supported by the emperor of the east, he enjoyed his bishoprick quietly till his death, which happened in the year 488. There are two letters of his extant in vol. 4 of the Councils; one to Peter the Fuller, or Petrus Fullo, in Gr. and Lat. the other to pope Simplicius, in Lat. respecting 1 the state of the church of Alexandria. Cave entertains a higher opinion of Acacius, than the Editors of the General Dictionary; but the account in the latter is the more copious.
be the ablest and most successful practitioner. A journey which he made to Rome, when Sixtus IV. was Pope, has given rise to another story, equally without proof, that
, the brother of Benedetto, and usually called Francis D'Arezzo, or Aretin, from the place of his birth, was born in 1418. The celebrated Francis Philelphus was his preceptor in polite learning; after which he studied law under the ablest professors, and became himself one of their number, teaching that faculty at Bologna, Ferrara, and Sienna. He was for five years secretary to the duke of Milan, and died of the stone at the baths of Sienna, in 1483. He has been accused, but without proof, of the grossest avarice. If he left vast wealth, it was owing to the profits of his profession, of which he was acknowledged to be the ablest and most successful practitioner. A journey which he made to Rome, when Sixtus IV. was Pope, has given rise to another story, equally without proof, that he solicited to be made Cardinal, which the Pope refused, on pretence of the injury that would accrue to learning from such a promotion. Another story is recorded, more to his honour. While professor of law at Ferrara, he had occasion to lecture to his scholars on the advantages of a character known for probity and honour; and, in order to exemplify his doctrine, he went in the night, accompanied by only one servant, broke open the butchers’ stalls, and took away some pieces. The law-students were immediately suspected of the robbery, and two of them, of indifferent character, were imprisoned. The Professor then went before the Duke, demanded their release, and accused himself: having proved the fact, which was with difficulty believed, he took the opportunity to show the advantage of a good character, and the dangers of a bad one.
made, immediately to blot them out of my own works. If in this declaration I am. foresworn, may the Pope punish my perjury; and may an evil genius attend my writings,
This writer has left an example of an author’s jealousy,
and fear of being thought a plagiarist, which is too curious
to be omitted. Having been accused of owing his notes
on Ausonius to Fabricio Varano, bishop of Camarino, he
endeavoured to clear himself by the following very solemn
oath: “In the name of God and man, of truth and sincerity, I solemnly swear, and if any declaration be more
binding than an oath, I in that form declare, and I desire that my declaration may be received as strictly true,
that I have never read or seen any author, from which my
own lucubrations have received the smallest assistance or
improvement: nay, that I have even laboured, as far as
possible, whenever any writer has published any observations which I myself had before made, immediately to blot
them out of my own works. If in this declaration I am.
foresworn, may the Pope punish my perjury; and may an
evil genius attend my writings, so that whatever in them is
good, or at least tolerable, may appear to the unskilful
multitude exceedingly bad, and even to the learned trivial
and contemptible; and may the small reputation I now
possess be given to the winds, and regarded as the worthless boon of vulgar levity.
” This singular protestation,
which is inserted in the Testudo, has. been often quoted.
In 1533, he published at Augsburgh a new edition of “Ammianus Marcellinus,
” fol. more complete than the preceding edition (which is the princeps), and augmented by
five books, not before known, and, as stated in the title,
with the correction of above five thousand errors. In the
same year and place, he published the “Letters of Cassiodorus,
” and his “Treatise on the Soul.
” This is the first
complete collection of these letters, and, with the Treatise, is improved by many corrections. He also had made
preparations for an edition of Claudian, and had corrected
above seven hundred errors in that author; but this has not
been published. At his leisure hours, he studied music,
optics, and poetry. We have a specimen of his poetry in
his “Protrepticon ad Corycium,
” of eighty-seven verses,
which is printed in a very rare work, entitled “Coryciana,
”
Rome,
1; and his subsequent promotions had no other effect on him than to increase his zeal and his piety. Pope Clement XII. informed of his talents and conciliating spirit,
was
born at Avignon, Jan. 29, 1679, of a noble and ancient
family. After having embraced the ecclesiastical profession, he became not only distinguished by the excellence
of his doctrines, but particularly by his charitable exertions
during the plague in 1721; and his subsequent promotions
had no other effect on him than to increase his zeal and
his piety. Pope Clement XII. informed of his talents and
conciliating spirit, employed him in the capacity of apostolic vicar, to settle the disgraceful disputes that had arisen
among the missionaries of China. Achards, who was then
bishop of Halicarnassus, undertook this commission; and
after a tedious voyage of two years, and two years’ residence in China, where he ineffectually laboured to accomplish the object of his mission, died at Cochin, April 2,
1741, a martyr to his indefatigable and benevolent zeal.
The Abbe Fab re, his secretary, published an account of
this mission, entitled “Lettres edifiantes et curieusessurla
visite apostolique de M. de la Baume, eveque d'Halicarnasse, a la Cochinchine,
” Venice, 1746, 4to, & 1753,
3 vols. 12mo, with the translation of a funeral oration delivered on his death by a Chinese priest.
udges upon the cause of John Vecchus, patriarch of Constantinople. The year following he was sent to pope Gregory, to settle a peace and re-union between the two churches,
, one of the writers in the
Byzantine history, was born at Constantinople in the year
1220, and brought up at the court of the emperor John
Ducas, at Nice. He studied mathematics, poetry, and
rhetoric under Theodorus Exapterygus, and learned logic
of Nicephorus Blemmidas. In his one-and-twentieth year,
he maintained a learned dispute with Nicholas the physician, concerning the eclipse of tLe sun, before the emperor John. He was at length appointed great logothete,
and employed in the most important affairs of the empire.
John Ducas sent him ambassador to Larissa, to establish
a peace with Michael of Epirus. He was also constituted
judge by this emperor, to try Michael Comnenus on a
suspicion of being engaged in a conspiracy. Theodorus
Lascaris, the son of John, whom he had taught logic, appointed him governor of all the western provinces of his
empire. When he held this government, in the year
1255, being engaged in a war with Michael Angelus, he
was taken prisoner by him. In 1260, he gained his liberty by means of the emperor Palasologus, who sent him
ambassador to Constantine prince of Bulgaria. After his
return, he applied himself wholly to the instruction of
youth, in which employment he acquitted himself with
great honour for many years; but being at last weary of
the fatigue, he resigned it to Holobolus. In 1272, he
sat as one of the judges upon the cause of John Vecchus,
patriarch of Constantinople. The year following he was
sent to pope Gregory, to settle a peace and re-union between the two churches, which was accordingly concluded; and he swore to it, in the emperor’s name, at the
second council of Lyons, in 1274. He was sent ambassador to John prince of Bulgaria in 1382, and died soon
after his return. His principal work is his “Historia Byzantina,
” Gr. Lat. Paris, fol.
grand chancellor. He died Jan. 5, 988. Several of his letters are among those of Gerbert, afterwards pope Sylvester II.; and two of his discourses are in Moissac’s Chronicle.
, archbishop of Rheims, and chancellor of France, under the reigns of Lothaire and Louis V. was one of the most learned French prelates of the tenth century. Having attained the archbishoprick in the year 969, he called several councils for the establishment of ecclesiastical discipline, which he enforced by his example with much firmness of mind. He also induced men of learning to resort to Rheims, and gave a high renown to the schools of that city. In the year 987, he consecrated Hugh Capet, who continued him in his office of grand chancellor. He died Jan. 5, 988. Several of his letters are among those of Gerbert, afterwards pope Sylvester II.; and two of his discourses are in Moissac’s Chronicle. The cathedral of Rheims was indebted to him for the greater part of its sumptuous furniture.
of Trevi,” he was one of the sixteen sculptors who gave in designs; but, although his was adopted by pope Clement XI I. the jealousy of the Italian artists prevented
, an eminent French sculptor, was born at Nancy, Feb. 10, 1700. He was the son
of Jacob-Sigisbert Adam, also a sculptor of considerable
note. At the age of eighteen, he came to Metz; but a desire
to extend his reputation made him repair to Paris, where
he arrived in 1719. After exercising his profession about
four years, he obtained the first prize, and then went to
Rome, with a royal pension, where he remained ten years.
While here, he was employed by the cardinal de Polignac
in restoring the twelve marble statues known as the “family
of Lycomedes,
” which had been discovered among the
ruins of the villa of Marius, about two leagues from Rome,
and acquitted himself with great success in a branch of the
art which is seldom rewarded or honoured in proportion to
its difficulties. He afterwards restored several antique
sculptures, of which the king of Prussia had got possession,
and which he conveyed to Berlin. When an intention was
formed of erecting that vast monument at Rome known by
the name of the “Fountain of Trevi,
” he was one of the
sixteen sculptors who gave in designs; but, although his was
adopted by pope Clement XI I. the jealousy of the Italian
artists prevented his executing it. At this time, however,
advantageous offers were made by his own country, to
which he returned, after being chosen a member of the
academies of St. Luke, and of Bologna. His first work,
after his return to France, was the groupe of the “Seine
et Marne
” for the cascade at St. Cloud. He was then employed at Choisi; and, in May 1737, was elected a member of the French academy, and professor. The piece he
exhibited on his admission was “Neptune calming the
waves,
” with a Triton at his feet; and not “Prometheus
chained to the rock,
” as some biographers have asserted,
which was the production of his brother Nicholas. He
then executed the groupe of “Neptune and Amphitrite
”
for the bason at Versailles, on which he was employed five
years, and was rewarded, besides the stipulated price,
with a pension of 500 livres. One of his best works was
the figure of “St. Jerome,
” now at St. Roch. His other
works are, a groupe of five figures and of five animals,
at Versailles, in bronze; the bas-relief of the chapel of
St. Elizabeth, in bronze; two groupes in bronze of
hunting and fishing at Berlin; “Mars caressed by Love,
”
at Bellevue; and a statue representing the enthusiasm of
poetry. In all these there are undoubted proofs of genius, but proofs likewise of the bad taste in sculpture
which prevailed in his time, and induced him, after the
example of Bernini and others, to attempt efforts which
can only be successful in painting. In 1754, he published
“Recueil de Sculptures antiques Græcques et Romanies,
”
fol. for which he made the designs. Most of these he had
purchased from the heirs of cardinal de Polignac. He died
of an apoplexy, May 15, 1759.
red to die conformably to his own precepts and professions. During this lingering decay, he sent, as Pope relates, a message by the earl of Warwick to Mr. Gay, desiring
On the 2d of August 1716, he married the countess
dowager of Warwick, whom he had solicited by a very long
and anxious courtship. 'He is said to have first known her
by becoming tutor to her son. The marriage, if uncontradieted report can be credited, made no addition to his
happiness; it neither found them nor made them equal.
She always remembered her own rank, and thought herself
intitled to treat with very little ceremony the tutor of her
son. It is certain that Addison has left behind him no encouragement for ambitious love. The year after, 1717,
he rose to his highest elevation being made secretary of
state but it is universally confessed that he was unequal
to the duties of his place. In the House of Commons he
could not speak, and therefore was useless to the defence
of the government. In the office he could not issue an
orjler without losing his time in quest of fine expressions.
What he gained in rank he lost in credit; and finding, by
experience, his own inability, was forced to solicit his dismission, with a pension of 1500l. a year. His friends palliated this relinquishment, of which both friends and enemies
knew the true reason, with an account of declining health,
and the necessity of recess and quiet. He now returned to
his vocation, and began to plan literary occupations for his
future life. He proposed a tragedy on the death of Socrates; a story of which, as Tickell remarks, the basis is
narrow, and to which love perhaps could not easily have
been appended. He engaged in a noble work, a defence
of the Christian religion, of which part was published after
his death; and he designed to have made a new poetical
version of the Psalms. It is related that he had once a
design to make an English dictionary, and that he considered Dr. Tillotson as the writer of highest authority.
Addison, however, did not conclude his life in peaceful
studies; but relapsed, when he was near his end, to a
political question. It happened that, in 1719, a controversy was agitated, with great vehemence, between,
those friends of long continuance, Addison and Steele.
The subject of their dispute was the earl of Sunderland’s
memorable act, called “The Peerage bill,
” by which the
number of peers should be fixed, and the king restrained
from any new creation of nobility, unless when an old
family should be extinct. Steele endeavoured to alarm the
ration by a pamphlet called “The Plebeian:
” to this an
Answer was published by Addison under the title of “The
Old Whig.
” Steele was respectful to his old friend,
though he was Mow his political adversary; but Addison
could not avoid discovering a contempt of his opponent, to
whom he gave the appellation of “Little Dicky.
” The
bill was laid aside during that session, and Addison died
before the next, in which its commitment was rejected.
Every reader surely must regret that these two illustrious
friends, after so many years passed in confidence and endearment, in unity of interest, conformity of opinion, and fellowship of study, should finally part in acrimonious opposition. The end of this useful life was now approaching.
Addison had for some time been oppressed by shortness of
breath, which was now aggravated by a dropsy; and finding his danger pressing, he prepared to die conformably
to his own precepts and professions. During this lingering decay, he sent, as Pope relates, a message by the earl
of Warwick to Mr. Gay, desiring to see him. Gay, who
had not visited him for some time before, obeyed the
summons, and found himself received with great kindness.
The purpose for which the interview had been solicited was
theti discovered: Addison told him, that he had injured
him; but that, if he recovered, he would recompense him.
What the injury was he did not explain, nor did Gay ever
know; but supposed that some preferment designed for
him had by Addison' s intervention been withheld.
Lord Warwick was a young man of very irregular life,
and perhaps of loose opinions. Addison, for whom he did
not want respect, had very diligently endeavoured to reclaim him; but his arguments and expostulations had no
effect; one experiment, however, remained to be tried.
When he found his life near its end, he directed the young
lord to be called; and, when he desired, with great tenderness, to hear his last injunctions, told him, “I have
sent for you that you may see how a Christian can die.
”
What effect this awful scene had on the earl’s behaviour
is not known: he died himself in a short time. Having
given directions to Mr. Tickell for the publication of his
works, and dedicated them on his death-bed to his friend
Mr. Craggs, he died June 17, 1719, at Holland-house,
leaving no child but a daughter, who died in 1797, at Bilton, near Rugby, in Warwickshire.
Of the course of Addison‘ s familiar day, before his marriage, Pope has given a detail. He had in the house with him Budgell, and
Of the course of Addison‘ s familiar day, before his marriage, Pope has given a detail. He had in the house with
him Budgell, and perhaps Philips. His chief companions
were Steele, Budgell, ’Philips, Carey, Davenant, and col.
Brett. With one or other of these he always breakfasted.
He studied all morning; then dined at a tavern, and went
afterwards to Button’s. From the coffee-house he went
again to the tavern, where he often sat late, and drank too
much wine. Dr. Johnson’s delineation of the character of
Addison concludes by observing with Tickell, that he employed wit on the side of virtue and religion. He not only
made the proper use of wit himself, but taught it to others;
and from his time it has been generally subservient to the
cause of reason and truth. He has dissipated the prejudice
that had long connecte'd gaiety with vice, and easiness of
manners with laxity of principles. He has restored virtue to
its dignity, and taught innocence not to be ashamed. This is
an elevation of literary character, “above all Greek, above
all Roman fame.
” No greater felicity can genius attain
than that of having purified intellectual pleasure, separated
mirth from indecency, and wit from licentiousness; of
having taught a succession of writers to bring elegance and
gaiety to the aid of goodness; and, to use expressions yet
more awful, of having “turned many to righteousness.
”
As a describer of life and manners, he must be allowed to
stand perhaps the first of the foremost rank. His humour,
which, as Steele observes, is peculiar to himself, is so
happily diffused as to give the grace of novelty to domestic
scenes and daily occurrences. He never “outsteps the
modesty of nature,
” norraises merriment or wonder by
the violation of truth. His figures neither divert by distortion, nor amaze by aggravation. He copies life with
so much fidelity, that he can be hardly said to invent: yet
his exhibitions have an air so much original, that it is difficult to suppose them not merely the product of imagination. As a teacher of wisdom he may be confidently followed. His religion has nothing in it enthusiastic or superstitious; he appears neither weakly credulous nor wantonly sceptical; his morality is neither dangerously lax,
nor impracticably rigid. All the enchantment of fancy and
all the cogency of argument are employed to recommend
to the reader his real interest, the care of pleasing the
Author of his being. Truth is shewn sometimes as the
phantom of a vision, sometimes appears half-veiled in an
allegory; sometimes attracts regard in the robes of fancy,
and sometimes steps forth in the confidence of reason. She
wears a thousand dresses, and in all is pleasing——“Mille
habet ornatus, mille decenter habet.
”
for the monks, being tired of the government of a foreigner, brought accusations against him before pope Eugenius III. who, after having examined their complaint, and
, the only Englishman who ever
had the honour of sitting in the papal chair. His name
was Nicholas Brekespere; and he was born about the end
of the 11th century, at Langley, near St. Alban’s, in Hertfordshire. His father having left his family, and taken the
habit of the monastery of St. Alban’s, Nicholas was obliged
to submit to the lowest offices in that house for daily support. After some time he desired to take the habit in that
monastery, but was rejected by the abbot Richard: “He
was examined,
” says Matthew Paris, “and being found
insufficient, the abbot said to him, Wait, my son, and go
to school a little longer, till you are better qualified.
” But
if the character given of young Brekespere by Pitts be a
just one, the abbot was certainly to be blamed for rejecting a person who would have done great honour to his
house. He was, according to that author, a handsome and
comely youth, of a sharp wit and ready utterance; circumspect in all his words and actions, polite in his behaviour,
neat and elegant; full of zeal for the glory of God, and
that according to some degree of knowledge; so possessed
of all the most valuable endowments of mind and body,
that in him the gifts of heaven exceeded nature: his piety
exceeded his education; and the ripeness of his judgment
and his other qualifications exceeded his age. Having met
however with the above repulse, he resolved to try his fortune in another country, and went to Paris; where, though
in very poor circumstances, he applied himself to his
studies with great assiduity, and made a wonderful proficiency. But having still a strong inclination to a religious
life, he left Paris, and removed to Provence, where he
became a regular clerk in the monastery of St. Rufus. He
was not immediately allowed to take the habit, but passed
some time by way of trial, in recommending himself to the
monks by a strict attention to all their commands. This
behaviour, together with the beauty of his person, and
prudent conversation, rendered him so acceptable to those
religious, that after some time they entreated him to take
the habit of the canonical order. Here he distinguished
himself so much by his learning and strict observance of
the monastic discipline, that, upon the death of the abbot,
he was chosen superior of that house; and we are told that
he rebuilt that convent. He did not long enjoy this abbacy: for the monks, being tired of the government of a
foreigner, brought accusations against him before pope
Eugenius III. who, after having examined their complaint,
and heard the defence of Nicholas, declared him innocent;
his holiness, however, gave the monks leave to choose
another superior, and, being sensible of the great merit of
Nicholas, and thinking he might be serviceable to the
church in a higher station, created him cardinal-bishop of
Alba, in 1146.
rected the church of Upsal into an archiepiscopal see. On his return to Rome, he was received by the pope and cardinals with great marks of honour: and pope Anastatius,
In 1148 Eugenius sent him legate to Denmark and Norway; where, by his fervent preaching and diligent instructions, he converted those barbarous nations to the Christian
faith; and we are told, that he erected the church of Upsal
into an archiepiscopal see. On his return to Rome, he was
received by the pope and cardinals with great marks of
honour: and pope Anastatius, who succeeded Eugenius,
happening to die at this time, Nicholas was unanimously
chosen to the holy see, in November, 1154, and took the
name of Adrian. When the news of his promotion reached
England, Henry II. sent Robert, abbot of St. Alban’s, and
three bishops, to Rome, to congratulate him on his election;
upon which occasion Adrian granted to the monastery of
St. Alban’s, the privilege of being exempt front all episcopal jurisdiction except that of Rome. Next year, king
Henry having solicited the pope’s consent that he might
undertake the conquest of Ireland, Adrian very readily complied, and sent him a bull for that purpose, of which the
following is a translation: “Adrian, bishop, servant of the
servants of God, to his most dear son in Christ, the illustrious king of England, sendeth greeting and apostolical
benediction. Your magnificence is very careful to spread
your glorious name in the world, and to merit an immortal
crown in heaven, whilst, as a good catholic prince, you form
a design of extending the bounds of the church, of instructing ignorant and barbarous people in the Christian
faith, and of reforming the licentious and immoral; and the
more effectually to put this design in execution, you desire
the advice and assistance of the holy see. We are confident, that, by the blessing of God, the success will answer
the wisdom and discretion of the undertaking. You have
advertised us, dear son, of your intended expedition into
Ireland, to reduce that people to the obedience of the
Christian faith; and that you are willing to pay for every
house a yearly acknowledgment of one penny to St. Peter,
promising to maintain the rights of those churches in the
fullest manner. We therefore, being willing to assist you
in this pious and laudable design, and consenting to your
petition, do grant you full liberty to make a descent upon
that island, in order to enlarge the borders of the church,
to check the progress of immorality, and to promote the
spiritual happiness of the natives: and we command the
people of that country to receire and acknowledge you as
their sovereign lord; provided the rights of the churches be
inviolably preserved, and the Peter pence duly paid: for
indeed it is certain (and your highness acknowledges it)
that all the islands, which are enlightened by Christ, the
sun of righteousness, and have embraced the doctrines of
Christianity, are unquestionably St. Peter’s right, and belong to the holy Roman church. If, therefore, you resolve
to put your designs in execution, be careful to reform the
manners of that people; and commit the government of the
churches to able and virtuous persons, that the Christian
religion may grow and flourish, and the honour of God and
the preservation of souls be effectually promoted; so shall
you deserve an everlasting reward in heaven, and leave a
glorious name to all posterity.
” His indulgence to this
prince was so great, that he even consented to absolve him
from the oath he had taken not to set aside any part of his
father’s will. The reason of this was, that Geoffry Plantagenet, earl of Anjou, had by the empress Maud, three
sons, Henry, Geoffry, and William. This prince, being
sensible that his ovrn dominions would of course descend to
his eldest son Henry, and that the kingdom of England and
duchy of Normandy would likewise fall to him in right of
his mother, thought fit to devise the earldom of Anjou to his
second son Geoffry; and to render this the more valid, he
exacted an oath of the bishops and nobility, not to suffer
his corpse to be buried till his son Henry had sworn to fulfil
every part of his will. When Henry came to attend his
father’s funeral, the oath was tendered to him; but for some
time he refused to swear to a writing, with the contents of
which he was unacquainted. Howerer, being reproached
with the scandal of letting his father lie unburied, he at last
took the oath with great reluctance. But after his accession
to the throne, upon a complaint to pope Adrian that the
oath was forced upon him, he procured a dispensation from
his holiness, absolving him from the obligation he had laid
himself under: and in consequence thereof, he dispossessed
his brother Geoffry of the dominions of Anjou, allowing
him only a yearly pension for his maintenance.
d obliged those magistrates to abdicate their authority, and leave the government of the city to the pope. In 1155, he drove Arnold of Bresse and his followers out of
Adrian, in the beginning of his pontificate, boldly withstood the attempts of the Roman people to recover their ancient liberty under the consuls, and obliged those magistrates to abdicate their authority, and leave the government of the city to the pope. In 1155, he drove Arnold of Bresse and his followers out of Rome. The same year he excommunicated William king of Sicily, who ravaged the territories of the church, and absolved that prince’s subjects from their allegiance. About the same time, Frederic, king of the Romans, having entered Italy with a powerful army, Adrian met him near Sutrium, and concluded a peace with him. At this interview, Frederic consented to hold the pope’s stirrup whilst he mounted on horseback. After which his holiness conducted that prince to Rome, and in St. Peter’s church placed the imperial crown on his head, to the great mortification of the Roman people, who assembled in a tumultuous manner, and killed several of the imperialists. The next year a reconciliation was brought about between the pope and the Sicilian king, that prince taking an oath to do nothing farther to the prejudice of the church, and Adrian granting him the title of king of the two Sicilies. He built and fortified several castles, and left the papal dominions in a more flourishing condition than he found them. But notwithstanding all his success, he was extremely sensible of the disquietudes attending so high a station, and complained of them to his countryman John of Salisbury. He died Sept. 1, 1159, in the fourth year and tenth month of his pontificate, and was buried in St. Peter’s church, near the tomb of his predecessor Eugenius. Besides some writings attributed to this ambitious pope, not yet printed, there are, in Labbe’s Concilia, forty-two letters; and Martene, Balusius, Usher, Marca, &c. have brought others to light, as may be seen in Fabric. Biblioth. Lat. med. setat. and Cave. The most remarkable of those letters are what contain the word beneficium. In Aventini Annal. Bajor. are letters between the emperor and the pope, the authenticity of which is still disputed; and those betwixt the bishops of Germany and the pope, and the letter of licence to Henry II. to conquer Ireland, are in Wilkins’s Concil. Britan. The famous peace with king William, which so nearly concerns the Sicilian monarchy, is in Baronius’s Annals.
, pope, who deserves some notice on account of his personal merit,
, pope, who deserves some notice on account of his personal merit, was born in Utrecht, 1459, of
parents reputed mean, who procured him a place among
the poor scholars in the college of Louvain, where his application was such as to induce Margaret of England, the
sister of Edward IV. and widow of Charles duke of Burgundy, to bear the expences of his advancement to the degree of doctor. He became successively a canon of St.
Peter, professor of divinity, dean of the church of Louvain,
and fastly, vice-chancellor of the university. Recollecting
his own condition, he generously founded a college at Louvain, which bears his name, for the education of poor students. Afterwards Maximilian I. appointed him preceptor
to his grandson Charles V. and sent him as ambassador to
Ferdinand king of Spain, who gave him the bishoprick of
Tortosa. In 1517 he was made cardinal, and during the
infancy of Charles V. became regent; but the duties of the
office were engrossed by cardinal Ximenes. On the death
of Leo X. Charles V. had so much influence with the cardinals as to procure him to be chosen to the papal chair, in
1522. He was not, however, very acceptable to the college, as he had an aversion to pomp, expence, and pleasure.
He refused to resent, by fire and sword, the complaints
urged by Luther; but endeavoured to reform such abuses
in the church as could neither be concealed or denied. To
this conduct he owed the many satires written against him
during his life, and the unfavourable representations made
by the most learned of the Roman Catholic historians. Perhaps his partiality to the emperor Charles might increase
their dislike, and occasion the suspicion that his death,
which took place Sept. 24, 1523, was a violent one. For
this, however, we know no other foundation, than a pasquinade stuck upon the house of his physician “To the deliverer of his country.
” He is said to have composed an epitaph for himself, expressing, that the greatest misfortune of
his life was his being called to govern. He has left some
writings, as, 1. “Questiones et Expositiones in IV. Sententiarum,
” Paris, 1512 and 1516, fol.; 1527, 8vo. In this
he advanced some bold sentiments against papal infallibility.
Although he wrote the work before he was pope, he reprinted it without any alteration. 2. “Questiones Quodlibeticae,
” Louvain, Analecta Historica de Adriano VI. Trajectino,
Papa Romano,
” Utrecht, 1727, 4to.
eral employments at the court of Rome. In 1448 he was appointed nuncio extraordinary to Scotland, by pope Innocent VIII. to quiet the troubles in that kingdom; but, upon
, bishop of Bath and Wells in the reigns of Henry VII. and VIII. was descended of an obscure family at Cornetto, a small town in Tuscany; but soon distinguished himself by his learning and abilities, and procured several employments at the court of Rome. In 1448 he was appointed nuncio extraordinary to Scotland, by pope Innocent VIII. to quiet the troubles in that kingdom; but, upon his arrival in England, being informed that his presence was not necessary in Scotland, the contests there having been ended by a battle, he applied himself to execute some other commissions with which he was charged, particularly to collect the pope’s tribute, or Peter-pence, his holiness having appointed him his treasurer for that purpose. He continued some months in England, during which time he got so far into the good graces of Morton, archbishop of Canterbury, that he recommended him to the king; who appointed him his agent for English affairs at Rome; and, as a recompense for his faithful services, promoted him first to the bishoprick of Hereford, and afterwards to that of Bath and Wells. He was enthroned at Wells by his proxy Polydore Vergil, at that time the pope’s sub-collector in England, and afterwards appointed by Adrian archdeacon of Wells. Adrian let out his bishoprick to farmers, and afterwards to cardinal Wolsey, himself residing at Rome, where he built a magnificent palace, on the front of which he had the name of his benefactor Henry VII. inscribed: he left it after his decease to that prince and his successors. Alexander VI, who succeeded Innocent VIII, appointed Adrian his principal secretary, and vicar-general in spirituals and temporals; and the same pope created him a cardinal-priest, with the title of St. Chrysogonus, the 31st of May, 1503. Soon after his creation, he narrowly escaped being poisoned at a feast, to which he was invited with some other cardinals, by the pope and his son Caesar Borgia.
ucceeded Alexander, Adrian retired from Rome, having taken some disgust, or perhaps distrusting this pope, who was a declared enemy of his predecessor: nor did he return
In the pontificate of Julius II. who succeeded Alexander,
Adrian retired from Rome, having taken some disgust, or
perhaps distrusting this pope, who was a declared enemy
of his predecessor: nor did he return till there was a conclave held for the election of a new pope, where he
probably gave his voice for Leo X. Soon after he was
unfortunately privy to a conspiracy against Leo. His embarking in the plot is said to have been chiefly owing to his
crediting and applying to himself the prediction of a
fortune-teller, who had assured him, “that Leo would be
cut off by an unnatural death, and be succeeded by
an elderly man named Adrian, of obscure birth, but fa-mous for his learning, and whose virtue and merit alone
had raised him to the highest honours of the church.
” Th
conspiracy being discovered, Adrian was condemned to
pay 12,500 ducats, and to give a solemn promise that he
would not stir out of Rome. But being either unable to
pay this fine, or apprehending still farther severities, he
privately withdrew from Rome; and in a consistory held
the 6th of July 1518, he was declared excommunicated,
and deprived of all his benefices, as well as his ecclesiastical
orders. About four years before, he had been removed
from his office of the pope’s collector in England, at the
request of king Henry VIII, and through the instigation of
cardinal Wolsey. The heads of his accusation, drawn up
at Rome, were, “That he had absented himself from that
city in the time of Julius II. without the pope’s leave; that
he had never resided, as he ought to have done^ at the
church of St. Chrysogonus, from which he had his title;
that he had again withdrawn himself from Rome, and had
not appeared to a legal citation; and that he had engaged
in the conspiracy of cardinal Petrucci, and had signed the
league of Francis Maria, duke of Urbino, against the pope.
”
He was at Venice when he received the news of his condemnation: what becarme of him afterwards is uncertain.
Aubery says, he took refuge among the Turks in Asia; but
the most common opinion is, that he was murdered by one
of his servants for the sake of his wealth. Polydore Vergil
tells us, there is to be seen at Riva, a village in the diocese
of Trent, a Latin inscription on one Polydorus Casamicus,
the pope’s janitor, written by cardinal Adrian; in which
he laments his own wretched condition, extolling the
happiness of his friend, whose death had put an end to
his miseries. Polydore Vergil gives Adrian a high character for his uncommon learning, his exquisite^ judgment
in the choice of the properest words, and the truly classical
style of his writings; in which he was the first, says that
author, since the age of Cicero, who revived the purity of
the Latin language, and taught men to draw their knowlege from the sources of the best and most learned
authors.
The only works of his that are published are, 1. “De Vera
Philosophia;
” 2. “De Sermone Latino et de Modis Latine
loquendi,
”
ini, in his. “Collectio Vetcrum Monumentorum.” The translation of Dioscorides, which he dedicated to pope Leo X. procured him so much reputation, that he was called the
, professor of the belles
lettres, and chancellor of the republic of Florence, was
born in 1464, He was a very accomplished scholar in the
Greek and Latin languages. Varchi, in one of his lectures,
pronounces him the most eloquent man of his time. He died
in 1521, in consequence of a fall from his horse. In 1518,
he published a Latin translation of Dioscorides “De Materia Medica,
” with a commentary. About the end of it
he mentions a treatise, “De mensuris, ponderibus, et coloribus,
” which he had prepared for publication, but which
has not yet appeared. Mazzuchelli speaks largely of him
in his “Italian Writers;
” and more copious notice is taken
of him by the canon Baudini, in his. “Collectio Vetcrum
Monumentorum.
” The translation of Dioscorides, which
he dedicated to pope Leo X. procured him so much reputation, that he was called the Dioscorides of Florence.
red by Boniface VIII. to the episcopal see of Berri, and, according to some writers was, by the same pope, created a cardinal. He was, however, elected general of his
, one of the most learned divines of the thirteenth century, entered into the Augustine
order, and studied at Paris under Thomas Aquinas, where
he became so eminent as to acquire the title of the Profound Doctor. He was preceptor to the son of Philip III.
of France, and composed for the use of his pupil his treatise “De regimine Principum,
” Rome, Tractatus brevis et utilis de Originali Peccato,
” 4to, printed at Oxford,
u was appointed by his brethren, and with the authority of Philip IV. to go to Rome and offer to the pope, Urban VIII. the homage and obedience of these new converts.
, a Spanish missionary
of the 17th century, who lived under the reigns of Philip III.
and Philip IV. was a barefooted Augustin, and celebrated
for his apostolic zeal. These religious had a principal
hand in the rapid, but for the most part short-lived, progress of the Catholic faith in Japan; and converted the populous nation of the Tagalians, or Tagaleze, Malayans by
descent, who inhabited Lucon, one of the Philippine islands,
and who remain Christians to this day. In 1640, Aganduru was appointed by his brethren, and with the authority of Philip IV. to go to Rome and offer to the pope,
Urban VIII. the homage and obedience of these new converts. He wrote a “History of Conversions in Japan and
the Philippine islands, with a detail of his religious embassy:
” and a “General History of the Moluccas and the
Philippines,
” 2 vols. from the discovery of them, to the
middle of the seventeenth century.
uperintend such works as he had begun. What effect this had, we are not told; but he was employed by pope Gregory XIII. on the Greek edition of the Bible, Rome, 1587,
, a native of Sorrento, in the kingdom of Naples, was celebrated in the
sixteenth century for his general learning, and acquaintance with the learned languages, and for his writings on
the Holy Scriptures. He was one of the inspectors of the
Vatican press, where he bestowed great care in examining
new editions by the best manuscripts. When he was promoted to the bishoprick of Acerno or Acerre, in the kingdom of Naples, in 1595, the learned Peter Morin complained of this transaction, in a letter addressed to cardinal
Cajetan, as depriving the Vatican press of an editor of the
first ability and accuracy; and begged that the cardinal
would induce him, before he took possession of his bishopric, to instruct his successors in the library and press of
the Vatican, and superintend such works as he had begun.
What effect this had, we are not told; but he was employed
by pope Gregory XIII. on the Greek edition of the Bible,
Rome, 1587, fol. His original works consist of Commentaries: 1. On the “Psalms and Canticles,
” fol. Rome,
On the Lamentations,
” compiled from, the Greek fathers, Rome,
On the Proverbs of Solomon,
” and, 4.
“On the prophet Habakkuk,
” Antwerp,
of his election, dean of Canterbury. After his promotion he went to Rome, and received his pall from pope Benedict VIII. In his way thither, as he passed through Pavia,
, or Egelnoth, or Æthelnoth, in Latin Achelnotus, archbishop
of Canterbury in the reign of
Canute the Great, succeeded to that see in the year 1020.
This prelate, surnamed the Good, was son of earl Agilmer,
and, at the time of his election, dean of Canterbury.
After his promotion he went to Rome, and received his
pall from pope Benedict VIII. In his way thither, as he
passed through Pavia, he purchased, for an hundred talents
of silver and one of gold, St. Augustine’s arm, which was
kept there as a relic; and sent it over to England, as a
present to Leofric, earl of Coventry. Upon his return, he
is said to have raised the see of Coventry to its former
lustre. He was much in favour with king Canute, and
employed his interest with that monarch to good purposes.
It was by his advice the king sent over large sums of money
for the support of the foreign churches: and Malmsbury
observes, that this prince was prompted to acts of piety,
and restrained from excesses, by the regard he had for the
archbishop. King Canute being dead, Agelnoth refused
to crown his son Harold, alleging that the late king had
enjoined him to set the crown upon none but the issue of
queen Emma; that he had given the king a promise upon
this head, and that he was resolved to be true to his engagement. Having declared himself with this freedom, he
iaid the crown upon the altar, with an imprecation against
those bishops who should venture to perform the ceremony.
Harold, who was greatly chagrined at this disappointment,
endeavoured, both by menaces and large offers, to prevail
upon the archbishop, but in vain: and whether he was
afterwards crowned by any other person is uncertain.
Agelnoth, after he had held the see of Canterbury seventeen years, died Oct. 29, 1038. Three works have been
attributed to him “A panegyric on the blessed Virgin
Mary;
” “A letter to Earl Leofric, concerning St, Augustine;
” and “Letters to several persons.
”
at Bologna, was unable to continue his lectures from infirm health, she obtained permission from the pope, Benedict XIV. to fill his chair. Before this, at the early
, an Italian
lady of great learning, was born at Milan, March 16, 1718.
Her inclinations from her earliest youth led her to the
study of science, and at an age when young persons of her
sex attend only to frivolous pursuits, she had made such
astonishing progress in mathematics, that when in 1750
her father, professor in the university at Bologna, was unable to continue his lectures from infirm health, she obtained permission from the pope, Benedict XIV. to fill his
chair. Before this, at the early age of nineteen, she had
supported one hundred and ninety-one theses, which were
published, in 1738, under the title “Propositiones Philosophicæ.” She was also mistress of Latin, Greek, Hebrew,
French, German, and Spanish. At length she gave up her
studies, and went into the monastery of the Blue Nuns, at
Milan, where she died Jan. 9, 1799. In 1740 she published a discourse tending to prove “that the study of the
liberal arts is not incompatible with the understandings of
women,
” This she had written when scarcely nine years
old. Her “Instituzioni analitiche,
” Traites elementaires du Calcul
differentiel et du Calcul integral,
”
. Under the pontificate of Urban VIII. he resided in the court of cardinal Barberini; and afterwards pope Alexander VII. who had a great esteem for him, gave him the
, an eminent antiquary, lived in
the seventeenth century. Under the pontificate of Urban
VIII. he resided in the court of cardinal Barberini; and
afterwards pope Alexander VII. who had a great esteem for
him, gave him the appointment of examiner of antiquities
in the Roman territory. He published the two following
works, which are now scarce, and much valued. 1. “La
Sicilia di Filippo Paruta descritta con Medaglie, con la
giunta di Lionardo Agostini,
” Rome, Delia Sicilia di Filippo Paruta descritta con Medaglie,
parte prima.
” This first part, which has become very rare,
contains only engravings of the medals, to which a description was promised, in a second. part, which never appeared. Agostini used the same plates as Paruta, and added
about four hundred medals to those in Paruta’s edition, but
still without explanations. After his death, Paruta’s plates
having fallen into the hands of Marco Maier, a bookseller,
he published at Lyons, in 1697, anew edition, in folio,
entitled, “La Sicilia di Filippo Paruta descritta con Medaglie, e ristampata con aggiunta di Lionardo Agostini,
hora in miglior ordine disposta da Marco Maier, arrichita
d'una descrittione compendiosa di quella famosa isola.
”
But notwithstanding the explanations and historical additions of this editor, this edition is less valued than those of
Paruta and Agostini. The best and most complete is that
which Havercamp published in Latin, at Leyden, 1723,
3 vols. folio, with a commentary; these form the sixth,
seventh, and eighth volumes of Grsevius’s Thesaurus. The
other work of Agostini is, 2. “Le Gemme antiche figurate
di Lionardo Agostini, con le annotazioni del sig. Gio.
Pietro Bellori,
” part I. Rome, Consiglier di pace,
” which was written by Lionardo Agosti.
ccult Philosophy,” afforded them fresh pretexts for defaming his reputation. Cardinal Campej us, the pope’s legate, however, and the cardinal de la Mark, bishop of Liege,
He now resolved to remove to the Low Countries; this
he could not do without a passport, which he at length obtained, after many tedious delays, and arrived at Antwerp
in July 1528. The duke de Vendome was the principal
cause of these delays; for he, instead of signing the passport, tore it in pieces in a passion, protesting he would never sign a passport for a conjuror. In 1529, Agrippa had
invitations from Henry VIII. king of England, from the
chancellor of the emperor, from an Italian marquis, and
from Margaret of Austria, governess of the Low Countries:
he preferred the last, and accepted of being historiographer
to the emperor, which was offered him by that princess.
He published, by way of introduction, the “History of
the Coronation of Charles V.
” Soon after, Margaret of
Austria died, and he spoke her funeral oration. Her death
is said in some measure to have been the life of Agrippa,
for great prejudices had been infused into that princess
against him: “I have nothing to write you (says he in one of his letters) but that I am likely to starve here, bein
entirely forsaken by the deities of the court; what the great
Jupiter himself (meaning Charles V.) intends, I know not.
I now understand what great danger I was in here: the
monks so far influenced the princess, who was of a superstitious turn, as women generally are, that, had not her
sudden death prevented it, I should undoubtedly have been
tried for offences against the majesty of the cowl and the
sacred honour of the monks; crimes for which I should
have been accounted no less guilty, and no less punished;
than if I had blasphemed the Christian religion.
” His
treatise, “Of the Vanity of the Sciences,
” which he published in Of the Occult Philosophy,
” afforded them fresh pretexts for defaming his
reputation. Cardinal Campej us, the pope’s legate, however,
and the cardinal de la Mark, bishop of Liege, spoke in his
favour; but could not procure him his pension as historiographer, nor prevent him from being thrown into prison at
Brussels, in the year 1531. When he regained his liberty,
he paid a visit to the archbishop of Cologn, to whom he
had dedicated his Occult Philosophy, and from whom he
had received a very obliging letter in return. The inquisitors endeavoured to hinder the impression of his Occult
Philosophy, when he was about to print a second edition
with emendations and additions; however, notwithstanding
all their opposition, he finished it in 1533. He staid at
Bonne till 1535; and when he returned to Lyons, he was
imprisoned for what he had written against the mother of
Francis I.; but he was soon released from his confinement,
at the desire of several persons, and went to Grenoble,
where he died the same year. Some authors say, that he
died in the hospital; but Gabriel Naude affirms, it was at
the house of the receiver-general of the province of Dauphiny.
p Sega, his uncle, who was raised on account of his distinguished merits to the rank of cardinal, by pope Innocent IX; and of Jerom Agucchio, his brother, who was made
, archbishop of Amasia m
Natolia, was born at Bologna, Nov. 20, 1570. He had the
advantage of being educated under tfee care of Philip Sega,
his uncle, who was raised on account of his distinguished
merits to the rank of cardinal, by pope Innocent IX; and of
Jerom Agucchio, his brother, who was made cardinal by
pope Clement VIII. in 1604. His application to study
mis early, rapid, and assiduous, but particularly in. the
study of polite literature. This recommended him so
much to cardinal Sega, that he carried him with him te
France, when he went thither as legate from the pope.
After the death of Sega, Agucchio was appointed secretary to cardinal Aldobrandini, nephew to pope Clement
VIII. and attended him when he went legate to Henry IV.
of France, of which journey he wrote a very elegant account. The cardinal, after his return, committed the
management of his house to Agucchio, which province he
executed till the death of pope Clement VIII. and of his
brother the cardinal Agucchio, when want of health
obliged him to retire from the court. But after he had
recovered, and had passed some time at Rome in learned
retirement, cardinal Aldobrandini brought him again into
his former employment, in which he continued till the
cardinal’s death. He then became secretary to Gregory
XV. which place he held until the death of that pontiff.
In 1624, Urban VIII. sent him as nuncio to Venice,
where he became generally esteemed, although he maintained the rights of the see of Rome with the utmost rigour. The contagious distemper which ravaged Italy in
1630, obliged him to retire to Friuli, where he died in
1632. He was a man of very extensive learning, but appears in his private character to have been somewhat
austere and narrow. His works are: “A treatise upon
Comets and Meteors,
” “The Life of Cardinal Sega, and
that of Jerom Agucchio his brother,
” and a letter to the
canon Barthelemi Dolcini on the origin of the city of Bologna, “L'Antica fondazione e dominio della citta di
Bologna,
” Bologna,
himself. It was this sense of the matter which produced the spirited answer he gave to Quirini, the pope’s nuncio “Is it thus,” said Quirini, “that you manufacture arms
In 1709, the war and famine, ^nd public distress rendered his place of much importance, and called forth the
qualities of the heart as well as the head. At this critical
period, Desmarets, the comptroller-general, appointed a
committee of the principal magistrates, among whom was
D‘Aguessean, whose zeal and knowledge animated the
whole. He contrived to discover the forestallers of provisions; punished the most guilty; and re-established
credit and confidence; and from this time, a sense of the
value of his public services made him be often consulted
on the most difficult points of administration, and employed
to draw up memorials for the king. Towards the end of
the reign, however, of Louis XIV. he was threatened withdisgrace for having refused to register the famous bull
TJnigenitus. On this occasion it was that madame D’Aguesseau, when her husband was about to set out for Versailles, said, “Go, and before the king, forget your wife
and children, and lose every thing but your honour.
”
D'Aguesseau, without perhaps understanding the whole
of the doctrines condemned by that bull, thought he perceived, in part of its regulations, something that threatened
the rights of monarchy, which he therefore had the courage to defend against the monarch himself. It was this
sense of the matter which produced the spirited answer he
gave to Quirini, the pope’s nuncio “Is it thus,
” said
Quirini, “that you manufacture arms against Rome
” “No,
Monsieur,
” replied D'Aguesseau, “these are not arms,
but shields.
”
ture to sir Robert Walpole, who wished to be reckoned the patron of genius, and to Arbuthnot, Swift, Pope, Gay, and the other beaux esprits of that brilliant period.
, a Scotch painter of considerable eminence, was the son of William 8 Aiktnan, of Cairney, esq. and born Oct. 24, 1682. His father intended that he should follow the law, and gave him an education suitable to these views; but the strong predilection of the son to the fine arts induced him to attach himself to painting alone. Poetry, painting, and music have, with justice, been called sister arts. Mr. Aikman was fond of poetry; and was particularly delighted with those unforced strains which, proceeding from the heart, are calculated to touch the congenial feelings of sympathetic minds. It was this propensity which attached him so warmly to Allan Ramsay, the Doric bard of Scotland. Though younger than Ramsay, Mr. Aikman, while at college, formed an intimate acquaintance with him, which constituted a principal part of his happiness at that time, and of which he always bore the tenderest recollection. It was the same delicate bias of mind which at a future period of his life attached him so warmly to Thomson, who then unknown, and unprotected, stood in need of, and obtained the warmest patronage of Aikman; who perhaps considered it as one of the most fortunate occurrences in his life that he had it in his power to introduce this young poet of nature to sir Robert Walpole, who wished to be reckoned the patron of genius, and to Arbuthnot, Swift, Pope, Gay, and the other beaux esprits of that brilliant period. Thomson could never forget this kindness; and when he had the misfortune, too soon, to lose this warm friend and kind protector, he bewailed the loss in strains distinguished by justness of thought, and genuine pathos of expression.
ersity of Paris could not find any person more capable of maintaining her cause against Monteson, at pope Clement VIL’s tribunal, than this learned doctor. She accordingly
, or Alliacus, an eminent Romish
ecclesiastic, and cardinal, was born at Compiegnein 1350, of
an obscure family. He eame very young to study at P.aris,
and was admitted into the college of Navarre in 1372. From
this time he began to distinguish himself by his writings in
philosophy, in which he fol lowed the principles of Occham,
and the Nominalists; and his reputation made him be
chosen to assist at the synod of Amiens, in which he made
a, discourse to the priest, although he was then only a subdeacon. He received the doctor’s degree at Paris, April
11, 1380, and next year he made a discourse in the presence of the duke of Anjou, in the name of the university,
to show that it was necessary to assemble a general council
in order to put an end to schism. That same year he was
made canon of Noyon, and continued there to the year 1384,
when he was recalled to Paris, to be superior of the college
of Navarre. Here he taught divinity, and acquired increased reputation by his lectures and sermons. From his
school came Gerson, Clemangis, and Giles D‘Eschamps,
the most famous divines of that time. The university of
Paris could not find any person more capable of maintaining her cause against Monteson, at pope Clement VIL’s
tribunal, than this learned doctor. She accordingly deputed him to Avignon, where he pleaded the cause of the
university with so much force, that the pope and cardinals
confirmed the judgment passed by that seminary. Having
returned from this mission, he was honoured, in 1389, with
three considerable dignities, that of chancellor of the
church and university, and almoner and confessor to king
Charles VI. In 1394 he was appointed treasurer of the
holy chapel at Paris, and was sent by the king to Benedict
XIII. to treat with him about the peace of the church. He
was afterwards successively elected to two bishoprics: that
of Puy, in Velay, in 1395, and that of Cam bray next year.
He took possession of the latter, and laid down his charge
of chancellor of the university in favour of John Gerson.
After this he employed his time in extinguishing schism,
as it was called, and assisted at the council of Pisa. At
length pope John XXIII. made him cardinal of Chrysogonus in 1411. He assisted in that quality at the general
council of Constance, and was one of those who took the
greatest share in its transactions, and composed several
sermons upon subjects handled there. He then returned
to Cambray, where he died in 1425. He wrote many
works, some of which were published after the invention
of printing; as his “Commentaries on the Master of Sentences,
” which are inserted in the appendix to the “Fasciculus rertim expetendarum,
” of Tracts
and Sermons,
” about the same time. He wrote also on
Astrology, in which he was a believer. His principal
works, however, confirm the opinion which the Roman
Catholic writers give of his learning and talents; and
learning so extraordinary is to be venerated in an age of
comparative darkness: but it is a great deduction from,
his character that, although he possessed superior understanding and liberality to many of his contemporaries, and
even is supposed to have leaned a little towards freedom
of opinion, he was an implacable persecutor of schism,
that is, the first beginnings of the Reformation; and was a
principal agent in bringing John Huss to the stake, and in
disturbing the ashes of Wickliffe.
rice demanded for it being such as he was not inclined to give precipitately, he carried the work to Pope, who having looked over it, advised him not to make a niggardly
Akenside gave early indications of genius. Several of his poems were the produce of his youth. His capital performance, The Pleasures of Imagination, was first published in 1744; and, like most extraordinary productions, it was not properly appreciated till time had matured the public judgment. I have, savs our late eminent biographer, heard Dodsley, by whom it was published, say, that when the copy was offered him, the price demanded for it being such as he was not inclined to give precipitately, he carried the work to Pope, who having looked over it, advised him not to make a niggardly offer, for this was no every-day writer.
English noblemen, persuaded Philip II. to undertake the conquest of England. To facilitate this, the pope, Sixtus V. renewed the excommunication thundered against queen
Alan therefore, having overstepped the bounds of religious controversy, was now determined to measures of
more open hostility. The celebrated Parsons, the Jesuit,
who was his great friend and counsellor, is supposed to
have suggested to him the project of invading England.
For many years there had been differences, discontents,
and even injuries committed between the English and
Spaniards; and now Alan, and some fugitive English noblemen, persuaded Philip II. to undertake the conquest of
England. To facilitate this, the pope, Sixtus V. renewed
the excommunication thundered against queen Elizabeth
by his predecessor Pius V. While this was in agitation,
sir William Stanley, commander of the English and Irish
garrison at Daventer, betrayed it to the Spaniards, and
went into their service with 1200 men; and Rowland York,
who had been intrusted with a strong fort in the same
country, performed the same act of treachery. Alan, no
longer the conscientious controversialist, wrote a defence
of this base proceeding, and sent several priests to Stanley,
in order to instruct those he had drawn over to the king of
Spain’s service. Alan’s defence, which appeared the year
after these transactions, 1588, was first printed in English
in the form of a letter, and afterwards in Latin, under the
title of “Epistola de Daventrise ditione,
” Cracov. His
only argument, if it deserve the name, was, that sir William Stanley was no traitor, because he had only delivered
to the king of Spain a city which was his own before; and
he exhorts all Englishmen, in the service of the states, to
follow his example.
ed him most famous abroad, and infamous at home. It consisted of two parts; the first explaining the pope’s bull for the excommunication and deprivation of queen Elizabeth;
Such writings, however, were too valuable to the popish cause, to go unrewarded. Accordingly on July 28, 1587, Alan was created cardinal by the title of St. Martin in Montibus; and soon after, the king of Spain gave him an abbey of great value in the kingdom of Naples, with assurances of greater preferment. In April 1588, he composed that work, entitled The Admonition, which rendered him most famous abroad, and infamous at home. It consisted of two parts; the first explaining the pope’s bull for the excommunication and deprivation of queen Elizabeth; the second, exhorting the nobility and people of England to desert her, and take up arms in favour of the Spaniards. It contains the grossest abuse of the queen, and threatens the nobility with judgments from heaven, and devastation by the Spaniards, unless they joined the forces of Philip; it boasts of the vast strength of these forces, and asserts that they had more good captains than Elizabeth had soldiers; that the saints in heaven all prayed for victory, and that the holy angels guarded them. Of this libel, well calculated at that time to effect its purpose, many thousand copies were printed at Antwerp, in order to have been put on board the Armada, and circulated in England. But the Armada, it is well known, completely failed, and covered its projectors with disgrace and destruction; and these books were so carefully destroyed, that a genuine copy waa scarcely to be found.
a place where he might more effectually promote the popish and Spanish interests in England; but the pope had too high an opinion of his merit to suffer him to leave
No part of the failure of this vast enterprize, however, was attributed to Alan, to whom the king of Spain now gave the archbishopric of Mecklin, and would have had reside there, as a place where he might more effectually promote the popish and Spanish interests in England; but the pope had too high an opinion of his merit to suffer him to leave Rome, where, therefore, he continued to labour in the service of his countrymen, and in promoting the Catholic faith. Some have asserted, that he and sir Francis Inglefield assisted Parsons, the Jesuit, in composing-his treasonable work concerning the succession, which he published under the name of Doleman, in 1593, and which was reckoned of such dangerous consequence, that it was made capital by law for any person to have it in his custody. Others, however, maintain that he had no hand in it, and that he even objected to it, because of its tendency to promote those dissentions which had for so many years distracted his native country; and this last opinion is probable, if what we have been told be true, that towards the close of his life he had changed his sentiments, as to government, and professed his sorrow for the pains he had taken in promoting the invasion of England. It is even asserted, by a very eminent popish writer (Watson), that when he perceived that the Jesuits intended nothing but desolating and destroying his native land, he wept bitterly, not knowing how to remedy it, much less how to curb their insolence. Such conduct, it is added, drew upon him the ill-will of that powerful society, who chose now to represent him as a man of slender abilities, and of little political consequence. On his death-bed, he was very desirous of speaking to the English students then at Rome, which the Jesuits prevented, lest he should have persuaded them to a loyal respect for their prince, and a tender regard for their country. He is generally said to have died of a retention of urine; but, as the Jesuits had shown so much dislike, they have been accused of poisoning him. Of this, however, there is no proof. He died Oct. 6, 1594, in the sixty-third year of his age; and was buried with great pomp in the chapel of the English college at Rome, where a monument was erected to his memory, with an inscription setting forth his titles and merits. What these merits were, the reader has been told. We have seen cardinal Alan in three characters: that of a zealous propagandist; of apolitical traitor to his country; and lastly, repenting the violence of his endeavours to ruin his country on pretence of bringing her back to popery. In the first of these characters he seems to have acted from the impulse of a mind firmly persuaded that every deviation from popery was dangerous heresy; and the only weapons he employed were those of controversy. As a writer, the popish party justly considered him as the first champion of his age; and both his learning and eloquence were certainly of a superior stamp. But in his worst character, as a traitor, there is every reason to think him influenced by the Jesuits, who at that time, and ever while a society, had little scruple as to the means by which they effected their purposes. Yet even their persuasions were not sufficient to inspire him with permanent hostility towards the political existence of his country. Some writers, not sufficiently attending to his history, have called him a Jesuit; but in all controversies between the Jesuits and the secular priests, the latter always gloried in cardinal Alan, as a man to whom no Jesuit could be compared, in any respect.
III. p. 588. Le Long, who also mentions his translation of the Bible, adds, that he was employed by pope Gregory XIV. in reforming the Vulgate.
Of his works, besides those already mentioned, there
are extant, 1. “A defence of the lawful power and authority of the Priesthood to remit Sins,
” with two other
tracts on Confession and Indulgences, Louvain, 1567, 8vo.
?. “De Sacramentis in genere, de sacramento Eucharistice,
et de Missae Sacrificio, libri tres,
” Antwerp, A true, sincere, and modest defence of English Catholics,
” without place, Execution of Justice in England,
”
written by lord Burleigh, the original of which, Strype says,
is yet preserved. It is esteemed the best of Alan’s works.
4. “An apology and true declaration of the institution
and endeavours of the two English colleges, the one in
Home, the other now resident in Rheims, against certain
sinister insinuations given up against the same,
” Mons,
Apparatus
Sac.
” says, that he translated the English Bible printed at
Rheims, in conjunction with Gregory Martin and Richard
Bristow, two English divines; and that he wrote a letter to
the bishop of Liege, “de miserabili statu et calamitate
r'egni Anglise, fervente schismate,
” which is printed in the
“Gesta Episcoporum Leodiensium,
” vol. III. p. 588. Le
Long, who also mentions his translation of the Bible, adds,
that he was employed by pope Gregory XIV. in reforming
the Vulgate.
We may presume our barrister shone as an advocate with meridian lustre, since the celebrated Pope has recorded his name, by prefixing it to his Imitation of Horace,
We may presume our barrister shone as an advocate with meridian lustre, since the celebrated Pope has recorded his name, by prefixing it to his Imitation of Horace, Sat. II. 1. and distinguished his legal abilities, by asking his opinion, as to libels, in the following lines:
mself to be a distinguished proficient in Saxon literature. He lived also in habits of intimacy with Pope and his associates; and many of Pope’s letters to him are published
Sir John, in his preliminary remarks to the work of his
great ancestor, proves himself to be a distinguished proficient in Saxon literature. He lived also in habits of
intimacy with Pope and his associates; and many of Pope’s
letters to him are published in Mr. Bowles’s edition of the
works of that Poet. Mr. Fortescue also furnished Pope
with the admirable burlesque of “Stradling vtrsus Styles
”
in vol. VI.
silic of St. Maria Maggiore, and bishop of Porto, one of the seven suburban sees which depend on the pope as on their immediate metropolitan. He derived more lustre,
, nephew to the preceding, and heir to his taste and munificence, was born in Rome, 1720, and educated for the church, in which he was speedily promoted to the highest honours, being advanced to the purple, soon after he entered the priesthood, in 1747, and not long afterwards appointed arch-priest of the Basilic of St. Maria Maggiore, and bishop of Porto, one of the seven suburban sees which depend on the pope as on their immediate metropolitan. He derived more lustre, however, from following the example of his uncle in patronizing learning and learned men, and in adding to those rare and valuable monuments of art, which so long rendered the villa Albani the resort of the virtuosi of Europe.
pproach of the French, to Messina. In 1800 he was present at Venice, at the election of the reigning pope; and when the Austrian and Neapolitan troops reconquered the
During this devastation, the cardinal took refuge, first, in a Camaidolese convent on the southern frontiers of the Roman state; but, it being intimated that he could not be safe there, he went to Naples; and, on the approach of the French, to Messina. In 1800 he was present at Venice, at the election of the reigning pope; and when the Austrian and Neapolitan troops reconquered the Roman territory, he returned to Rome, where he took private lodgings, but never had strength of mind to view either his palace or villa, nor could they be mentioned in his presence without throwing him into the deepest sorrow. Here he died, in 1803, in the eighty-fourth year of his age. He was handsome in person, sprightly and eloquent; sincere, cordial, unassuming, and affable; and both from his intellectual and moral qualifications, he was justly considered as one of the most accomplished characters of the age.
eminence. At first, however, he bore arms in the Venetian army, and afterwards went into the church. Pope Pius V. was no sooner raised to that dignity, than he made Albani
, of the same family with the
preceding, born in 1504, at Bergamo, was the son of
count Francis Albani, and intended by his father for the
army, but preferred the study of the civil and canon law,
in which, as well as in polite literature, he attained
great eminence. At first, however, he bore arms in the
Venetian army, and afterwards went into the church.
Pope Pius V. was no sooner raised to that dignity, than
he made Albani a cardinal, in 1570. It is even said that
after the death of Gregory XIII. the conclave would have
elected him pope, but he was then a widower and had
children, a circumstance which interfered with their intentions. He died April 25, 1591. His principal works
are: 1. “De Immunitate ecclesiarum,
” De
potestate Papæ et concilii,
” Lyons, De Cardinalibus, et de douatione Constantini,
”
inal’s disgrace happened in 1720, and he retired to Parma for some time, till he was summoned by the pope to attend a consistory, in which his conduct was to be examined
The cardinal’s disgrace happened in 1720, and he retired to Parma for some time, till he was summoned by the pope to attend a consistory, in which his conduct was to be examined by some of the members of the sacred college, respecting a correspondence he was supposed to have kept up with the Grand Signior; and he was sentenced to be confined one year in the Jesuits college at Rome. After this, he returned to Parma, near which city he founded, at a very great expence, an establishment for the instruction of young men destined for the priesthood. In the disastrous campaign of 1746, the buildings of this academy were destroyed by the three armies that were in the neighbourhood: and as the cardinal was not supposed to have been over delicate in procuring the means by which his establishment was to have been supported, his countrymen, did not appear to express much dissatisfaction at the demolition of it. He soon after this went to Rome, and was made legate of Romana by pope Clement XII. He died at Rome in 1752, at the age of 87 years, having preserved entire to the last, the powers of his mind and of his body. In the account given of his old age, by the editor of the Dictionnaire Historique, he is said to have been very chatty in conversation, and talked in so lively and so agreeable a manner, that it made even the verv curious facts he had to tell more interesting to those who heard them. His stories were interlarded with French, Spanish, or Italian, as the circumstances required. He was continually applying some maxim of Tacitus, in Latin, to corroborate his own observations, or to support those of others. His general topics of conversation were, the campaigns in which he attended M. de Vendome, his ministry in Spain, or the common political events of the day. He was rather impatient of contradiction, and expected that in argument or in narration the company should defer to him.
to bring the little republic of San Marino, which was near his government, under the dominion of the pope. He had intrigued so successfully with some of the principal
When he was legate of Romagna, and at the age of seventy,
he endeavoured to bring the little republic of San Marino,
which was near his government, under the dominion of the
pope. He had intrigued so successfully with some of the
principal inhabitants, that the day was fixed on which these
republicans were to swear allegiance to the sovereign under
whose protection they had put themselves, On the day
appointed, Alberoni rode up to the mountain with his
suite, and was received at the door of the principal church
by the priests and the chief inhabitants of the place, and
conducted to his seat under a canopy, to hear high mass
and Te Deum sung (a ceremony usual in all Catholic countries upon similar occasions). Unluckily, however,
for him, the mass began, as probably is usual in that republic, with the word Libertas (liberty). This word
had such an effect upon the minds of the hearers, who began then, for the first time perhaps, to recollect that they
were about to lose the thing itself, that they fell upon the
cardinal and his attendants, drove them out of the church,
and made them descend the very steep mountain of San
Marino with great rapidity; and the popes ever after left
the inhabitants of San Marino to their old form of government. This singular event took place in the year 1740,
and was communicated to Mr. Seward by general Paoli.
A bon mot of Benedict XIV. on the occasion was current
in every mouth.“Alberoni is like a glutton, who, after
having eaten a large salmon, cannot help casting a wistful
eye at a minnow.
” The “Testament Politique
” of cardinal Alberoni, collected from his memoirs and letters, was
published at Lausanne in 1753, but is a compilation of no
authority, and was written by Maubert de Gouvest. His
life, to the year 1719, was published by John Rousset,
translated from the Spanish into French, and in the same
year was translated into English, and published in London.
h branch he arrived at eminence, and gave a demonstrative proof of his great abilities in one of the pope’s palaces, having painted a design in that style which procured
, brother of the above, was born near Florence in 1558, and received his early instructioa from his father, but afterwards went to Rome, where he studied geometry, and also the works of Buonaroti, and other great masters. He devoted his principal attention to perspective, in which branch he arrived at eminence, and gave a demonstrative proof of his great abilities in one of the pope’s palaces, having painted a design in that style which procured him much fame. The chief nobility at Rome were solicitous to employ him, and he worked in many of the chapels and convents with general approbation, for he recommended himself to all persons of taste by the elegance of his composition, the firmness and delicacy of his pencil, the grandeur of his thoughts, the judicious distribution of the parts, and by the spirit visible throughout the whole.
, 1. “De mirabilibus novae etveteris urbis Romae,” a work divided into three books, and dedicated to pope Julius II. Rome, 1505, 4to; reprinted 1510, 1515, 1519, and
, an ecclesiastic of Florence,
and an able antiquary, flourished in the beginning of the
sixteenth century. He published, 1. “De mirabilibus novae etveteris urbis Romae,
” a work divided into three books,
and dedicated to pope Julius II. Rome, 1505, 4to; reprinted 1510, 1515, 1519, and 1520; and although more
able works have been published on the same subject since,
this of Albertini still enjoys its reputation. 2. “Tractatus
brevis de laudibus Florentias et Saonse,
” written in Memoriale di molte Statue, e Picture sono mellinclita Cipta di Florentia per mano di Sculptori, et Pictori
excellenti moderni, ed antiqui.
” Florence,
cted to study, and for which he entertained so strong a predilection, that neither the invitation of pope Alexander IV. to come to Rome, nor his promotion to the bishopric
, called also Albertus Teutonicus, Frater Albertus de Colonia, Albertus Ratisbonensis, and Albertus Grotus, of the family of the counts of Bollstrcdt, was born, according to some, in 1193, and according to others, in 1205, at Lavingen in Suabia. It has been supposed that the epithet of Great, which was certainly conferred upon him by his contemporaries, in whose eyes he appeared a prodigy of learning and genius, was the family name Grsot, but none of the counts of Bollstcedt ever bore such a name. He received his early education at Pavia, where he surpassed all his schoolfellows, and that every circumstance belonging to him might have an air of miracle, it is said that he owed his rapid progress to a vision in which the holy Virgin appeared to him, and promised that he should be one of the greatest luminaries of the church. By the advice of one of his masters, the celebrated dominican Jordanus, he resolved to enter into that order in 1221. After having for some time taught the scholars of the society, he went to Paris, and gave lectures on Aristotle with great applause. As the Aristotelian philosophy had been just before forbidden by a papal bull, some of the biographers of Albertus have questioned his lecturing on the subject at Paris; but the fact is recorded by all the ancient writers on his history, and it is even probable that he was the means of having the bull rescinded as he was permitted publicly to comment on Aristotle’s physics. In 1254, his reputation was such among the Dominicans, that he was raised to the dignity of provincial in Germany. In this character he took up his residence at Cologn, a city at that time preferable to most others for a man so addicted to study, and for which he entertained so strong a predilection, that neither the invitation of pope Alexander IV. to come to Rome, nor his promotion to the bishopric of Ratisbon, in 1260, were inducements sufficient to draw him from Cologn for any considerable time. It was at Cologn probably, that he is said to have constructed an automaton, capable of moving and speaking, which his disciple, the celebrated Thomas Aquinas, broke in pieces, from a notion that it was an agent of the devil. This city is likewise said to have been the site of another of his miracles, that of raising flowers in winter to please William, count of Holland. Such tricks, or such reports of his ingenuity, procured him the reputation of a magician, in an age in which he probably had attained only a superior knowledge of mechanics. What he really did, or how far he was indebted to the arts of deception, in these and other performances, it is difficult to determine; but we know that the most common tricks, which now would only make a company of illiterate villagers stare, were then sufficient to astonish a whole nation.
In 1274, after he had preached the crusades in Germany and Bohemia, by order of the pope, he assisted at a general council held at Lyons, and returned
In 1274, after he had preached the crusades in Germany
and Bohemia, by order of the pope, he assisted at a general council held at Lyons, and returned thence to his favourite residence at Cologn, where he died in 1280, leaving a greater number of works than any philosopher before
his time had ever written. Peter Jammi, a dominican, collected as many as he could procure, and published them
in 1651, Lyons, 21 vols. fol. We have nowhere a complete catalogue of his works. The largest is in the first
volume of the “Scriptores ordinis Priedicatorum,
” by
Quetif and Echard, and extends to twelve folio pages.
Many pieces which have been erroneously attributed to
him, have no doubt swelled this catalogue, but when these
are deducted, enough remains to prove the vast fertility or
his pen. In the greater part of his works he is merely a
commentator on Aristotle, and a compiler from the Arabian
writers, yet he every where introduces original discussions
and observations, some of which may yet be thought judicious. He treats on philosophy in all its branches, and
although he does not erect a system of his own, a very complete body of the Aristotelian doctrines maybe found in his
writings, which of late have been studied and analysed by
Brucker, in his “History of Philosophy;
” by Buhle in his
“Lehrbuch der Gesch. der Philosophic,
” vol. V.; and
especially by Tiedman, who gives a very luminous and complete analysis of Albert’s system, in his “History of Speculative Philosophy,
” vol. V. Albert was a very bad Greek
scholar, and read Aristotle, &c. only in the Latin translations, but he was better acquainted with the Arabian writers
and rabbis. In divinity, Peter Lombard was his guide and
model. His wish was to reconcile the Nominalists with the
Realists, but he had not the good fortune to please either.
His treatises on speculative science are written in the abstract and subtle manner of the age, but those on natural
subjects contain some gems, which would perhaps, even in
the present age, repay the trouble of searching for them.
It is remarked by Brucker, that the second age of the
scholastic philosophy, in which Aristotelian metaphysics,
obscured by passing through the Arabian channel, were
applied with wonderful subtlety to the elucidation of Christian doctrine, began with Albert and ended with Durand.
12 at a famous dispute on religion between the Christians and Jews, held in the presence of the anti- pope Benedict XIII. He wrote in 1425, under the title of “Sepher
, a learned Spanish rabbi, a native of
Soria, in Old Castille, assisted in 1412 at a famous dispute on religion between the Christians and Jews, held in
the presence of the anti-pope Benedict XIII. He wrote
in 1425, under the title of “Sepher Hikkarim,
” the
foundation of the faith, against the Christian religion, with
a view to bring back those whom the above dispute had
induced to doubt the Jewish persuasion. Of this work
there have been several editions, the first published by
Soncino in 1486; and according to Wolfius, it has been
translated into Latin. In the more modern editions, the
23th chap, of the 3d book, which is particularly directed
against the Christians, has been omitted.
the resentment of his mistress Maria de Padilla, if he had not made his escape to Avignon. Here the pope Clement VI. admitted him of his council, and made him a cardinal;
, an eminent
Spanish statesman and cardinal, of the fourteenth century,
descended from the royal families of Leon and Arragon,
was born at Cuen^a, and educated at Toulouse. Alphon$us XI. appointed him, in succession, almoner of his court,
and archdeacon of Calatrava; and lastly, although he was
then very young, promoted him to the archbishopric of
Toledo. He accompanied the king of Castille in his expedition against the Moors of Andalusia, in which his rank
of archbishop did not prevent him from carrying arms; and
he first displayed his bravery in saving the king’s life m
the hottest onset of the battle of Tarifa. Alphonsus, in
return, knighted him, and in 1343 gave him the command
at the siege of Algesiras; but on the death of this prince,
he lost his influence with his successor, Peter the cruel,
whom he reproved for his irregularities, and who would
have sacrificed him to the resentment of his mistress Maria
de Padilla, if he had not made his escape to Avignon.
Here the pope Clement VI. admitted him of his council,
and made him a cardinal; on which he resigned his archbishopric, saying, that he should be as much to blame in
keeping a wife with whom he could not live, as Peter king
of Castille, in forsaking his wife for a mistress. Innocent
VI. the successor of Clement, sent him to Italy in 1353,
both as pope’s legate and as general, to reconquer the
ecclesiastical states which had revolted from the popes
during the residence of the latter at Avignon. This commission Albornos executed in the most satisfactory manner,
either by force or intrigue; but in the midst of his career,
he was recalled in 1357, and another commander sent on
the expedition. He, however, having been unfortunate,
the pope saw his error, and again appointed Albornos,
who completed the work by securing the temporal power
of the popes over those parts of Italy which have been,
down to the present times, known by the name of the
Ecclesiastical States. Having thus achieved his conquest,
Albornos, as a minister of state, rendered himself for
many years very popular. To Bologna he gave a new
constitution, and founded in that city the magnificent
Spanish college; and for the other parts of the ecclesiastical dominions, he enacted laws which remained in force
for four centuries after. At length he announced to pope
Urban V. that he might now enter and reign at Rome
without fear, and was receiving him in pomp at Viterbo,
when the pope, forgetting for a moment the services Albornos had rendered to the holy see, demanded an
account of his expenditure during his legation. Albornos
immediately desired him to look into the court-yard of
the palace, where was a carriage full of keys, telling him
that with the money intrusted to him, he had made the
pope master of all the cities and castles of which he now
saw the keys. The pope on this embraced and thanked
him. He then accompanied Urban to Rome, but returned
afterwards to Viterbo, where he died August 24, 1367,
regretted by the people, and by the pope; who, finding
himself embarrassed with new cares, more than ever
wanted his advice. Albornos’s body was removed to Toledo, at his own request, and interred with great pomp.
He wrote a book on the constitutions of the Roman church,
which was printed at Jesi, in 1475, and is very rare. His
will also was printed, with this injunction, characteristic
of the man and the age he lived in, that the monks should
say 60,000 masses for his soul. His political life was written by Sepulveda, under the title “Historia de hello administrate in Italia per annos 15, et confecto abÆg. Albornotio,
” Bologna,
e law. He seems to rejoice that he had refused Paul’s offers, in a letter to Paulus Jovius, whom the pope had a long time amused with fallacious promises: “I am very
, a celebrated and
learned lawyer, was the son of a rich merchant of Milan,
according to Pancirolus, and born in that city in 1492.
After having studied the liberal sciences under Janus Parrhasius at Milan, he attended the law-lectures of Jason at
Pavia, and those of Charles Ruinus at Bologna. Then taking a degree in law in his twenty-second year, he followed
his profession at the bar, in the city of Milan, till he was
called to the law-chair by the university of Avignon. He
discharged his office with so much capacity, that Francis I.
thought he would be a very proper person to promote the
knowledge of the law in the university of Bourges, and accordingly prevailed on him to remove thither in 1529; and
the next year he doubled his salary, which before was six
hundred crowns. Alciati acquired here great fame and reputation; he interspei’sed much polite learning in his explication of the law, and abolished that barbarous language,
which had hitherto prevailed in the lectures and writings of
the lawyers. Francis Sforza, duke of Milan, thought
himself obliged to bring back to his native country a man who
could do it so much honour; and this he compassed at last,
by giving him a large salary and the dignity of a senator.
Alciati accordingly went to teach the law at Pavia, but soon
after removed to the university of Bologna, where he continued four years, and then returned to Pavia; from whence
he went to Ferrara, being solicited thither by duke Hercules d'Este, who was desirous to render his university famous.
It resumed its reputation under a professor so much followed; but at the end of four years Alciati left it, and returned to Pavia. Paul III. gave him an honourable reception as he passed by Ferrara, and offered him ecclesiastical preferment; but Alciati was contented with that of
prothonotary, and would not give up his profession of the
law. He seems to rejoice that he had refused Paul’s offers,
in a letter to Paulus Jovius, whom the pope had a long
time amused with fallacious promises: “I am very glad,
”
says he, “that I did not suffer myself to be deceived by
this pope’s offers, who, under the promise of a great recompense, wanted to draw me to Rome.
” The emperor
created Alciati a count-palatin and a senator; and Philip,
afterwards king of Spain, presented him with a golden chain
as he passed by Pavia.
cilii Tridentini a veritatis hostibus evulgatae elenchus.” His object, which was countenanced by the pope, was to refute or answer father Paul Sarpi’s history of that
, a native of Rome, and a Jesuit
of great reputation for learning. Urban VIII. who highly
esteemed him, thought him worthy of the rank of cardinal,
but he died before that honour was conferred upon him, in
1651, leaving some curious materials for a history of the
council of Trent, to which he gave the title of “Historic
concilii Tridentini a veritatis hostibus evulgatae elenchus.
”
His object, which was countenanced by the pope, was to
refute or answer father Paul Sarpi’s history of that celebrated council; and his collections were made use of, after
his death, in a new history of the same by cardinal Pallavicino.
to translate Galen “De partibus animalium.” As soon as he understood that this cardinal was created pope, he asked leave of the Florentines to depart; and though he
In 1517, he aspired to the professor’s chair, which his
master Marcus Musurus held, but was rejected on account
of his youth. In 1521, however, he went from Venice to
Florence, where he obtained, by the interest of the cardinal
Julius de Medicis, the Greek professorship of that university, and, besides his’ salary, had ten ducats a month from
the cardinal de Medicis, to translate Galen “De partibus
animalium.
” As soon as he understood that this cardinal
was created pope, he asked leave of the Florentines to depart; and though he was refused, he went nevertheless to
Rome, in great hopes of raising himself there. He lost all
his fortune during the troubles the Columnas raised in
Rome; and some time after, when the emperor’s troops
took the city, in 1527, he received a wound when flying for
shelter to the castle of St. Angelo: but got thither,
notwithstanding he was pursued by the soldiers, and joined
Clement VII. He was afterwards guilty of base ingratitude
towards this pope; for, as soon as the siege was raised, he
deserted him, and went over to cardinal Pompeius Colutnna, at whose house he fell sick, and died a few months after,
in his fortieth year. Alcyonius might have made greater
advances in learning, had he not been too much influenced
by vanity and self-conceit, which hindered him from taking
the advice of his friends. He was likewise too much addicted to detraction and abuse, which raised him many
enemies. Menckenius reprinted his treatise “De Exilio,
”
in Analecta de calamitate Literatorum.
” The treatise “De Exilio
” was first
printed at the Aldine press,
ias antiguedades de Espana Africa y otras provincias,” Antwerp, 1614, 4to. He also wrote a letter to pope Urban VIII. on the relics of certain martyrs, Cordova, 1630,
, two brothers, natives of Malaga, whose history has not been separated by
their biographers. They studied the belles lettres, antiquities, and civil law, with equal ardour and equal reputation.
They both became ecclesiastics, and even in their persons
there was a very close resemblance. Joseph obtained a
prebend of Cordova, which he resigned in favour of Bernard, that he might enter among the Jesuits. He
afterwards became rector of the college of Granada. While
among the Jesuits, he published a work on the “Exemption of the regular Orders,
” Seville, De religiosa disciplina tuenda,
” ibid. 4to,
Origen de la lengua Castellana,
” Rome, Varias antiguedades de Espana Africa y otras provincias,
”
Antwerp, Boe'tia illustrata,
” the loss of which is regretted
by the Spanish antiquaries. Joseph was born in 1560, and
died in 1616; but the dates of the birth and death of Bernard are not known.
atter, comprehending Dorsetshire, Wiltshire, Devonshire, and Cornwall: he was consecrated at Rome by pope Sergius I. and Godwin tells us that he had the courage to reprove
, an English divine, was
bishop of Shireburn in the time of the Saxon heptarchy,
and in the eighth century. William of Malmesbury says
that he was the son of Kenred, or Kenter, brother of Ina
king of the West-Saxons. He was born at Caer Bladon,
now Malmesbury, in Wiltshire. He had part of his education abroad in France and Italy, and part at home under
Maildulphus, an Irish Scot, who had built a little monastery
where Malmesbury now stands. Upon the death of Maildulphus, Aldhelm, by the help of Eleutherius bishop of
Winchester, built a stately monastery there, and was himself the first abbot. When Hedda, bishop of the WestSaxons, died, the kingdom was divided into two dioceses;
viz. Winchester and Shireburn, and king Ina promoted
Aldhelm to the latter, comprehending Dorsetshire, Wiltshire, Devonshire, and Cornwall: he was consecrated at
Rome by pope Sergius I. and Godwin tells us that he had
the courage to reprove his holiness for having a bastard.
Aldhelm, by the directions of a diocesan synod, wrote a
book against the mistake of the Britons concerning the
celebration of Easter, which brought over many of them to
the catholic usage in that point. He likewise wrote a
piece, partly in prose and partly in nexameter verse, in
praise of virginity, dedicated to Ethelburga abbess of Barking, and published amongst Bede’s Opuscula, besides several other treatises, which are mentioned by Bale and William of Malmesbury, the latter of whom gives him the following character as a writer: “The language of the
Greeks,
” says he, “is close and concise, that of the Romans splendid, and that of the English pompous and swelling as for Aldhelm, he is moderate in his style; seldom
makes use of foreign terms, and never without necessity;
his catholic meaning is clothed with eloquence, and his
most vehement assertions adorned with the colours of rhetoric: if you read him with attention, you would take him
for a Grecian by his acuteness, a Roman by his elegance,
and an Englishman by the pomp of his language.
” He is
said to have been the first Englishman who ever wrote in
Latin; and, as he himself tells us in one of his treatises on
metre, the first who introduced poetry into England
“These things,
” says he, “have I written concerning the
kinds and measures of verse, collected with much labour,
but whether useful I know not; though I am conscious to
myself I have a right to boast as Virgil did:
his predecessors had done. Aldred went soon after to Rome, in order to receive the pallium from the pope; he was attenc.ed by Toston, earl of Northumberland, Giso, bishop
, abbot of Tavistock, was promoted to the
bishopric of Worcester in 1046. He was so much in favour with king Edward the Confessor, and had so much
power over his mind, that he obliged him to be reconciled
with the worst of his enemies, particularly with Swane,
son of the earl Godwin, who had revolted against him, and
came with an army to invade the kingdom. Aldred also
restored the union and friendship between king Edward
and Griffith king of Wales. He took afterwards a journey
to Rome; and being returned into England in the year
1054, he was sent ambassador to the emperor Henry It
staid a whole year in Germany, and was very honourably
entertained by Herman archbishop of Cologn, from whom
he learned many things relative to ecclesiastical discipline,
which on his return he established in his own diocese.
In 10.58, he went to Jerusalem, which no archbishop or
bishop of England had ever done before him. Two years
after, he returned to England; and Kinsius, archbishop
York, dying the 22d of December, 1060, Aldred was
elected in his stead on Christmas day following, and
thought fit to keep his bishopric of Worcester with the
archbishopric of Canterbury, as some of his predecessors
had done. Aldred went soon after to Rome, in order to
receive the pallium from the pope; he was attenc.ed by
Toston, earl of Northumberland, Giso, bishop of Wells
and Walter, bishop of Hereford. The pope received
Joston very honourably, and made him sit by him in the
synod which he held against the Simonists. He wanted
to Giso and Walter their request, because they were
tolerably well learned, and not accused of simony. But
Aldred being by his answers found ignorant, and guilty of
simony, the pope deprived him very indignantly of all his
honours; so that he was obliged to return without the
pallium. On his way home, he and his fellow-travellers
were attacked by some robbers, who took from them all
that they had. This obliged them to return to Rome; and
the pope, either out of compassion, or by the threatenings
of the earl of Northumberland, gave Aldred the pallium;
but he was obliged to resign his bishopric of Worcester.
However, as the archbishop of York had been almost entirely ruined by the many invasions of foreigners, king
Edward gave the new archbishop leave to keep twelve
villages or manors which belonged to the bishopric of Worcester. Edward the Confessor dying in 1066, Aldred
crowned Harold his successor. He also crowned William the
Conqueror, after he had made him take the following oath,
viz That he would protect the holy church of God and its
eaders: that he would establish and observe righteous
that he would entirely prohibit and suppress all rapines and unjust judgments. He was so much in favour
with the conqueror, that this prince looked upon him as
a father; and, though imperious in regard to everybody
else, he yet submitted to obey this archbishop; John
Brompton gives us an instance of the king’s submission,
which at the same time shews the prelate’s haughtiness.
It happened one day, as the archbishop was at York, that
the deputy-governor or lord-lieutenant going out of the
city with a great number of people, met the archbishop’s
servants, who came to town with several carts and horses
loaded with provisions. The governor asked to whom they
belonged; and they having answered they were Aldred’s
servants, the governor ordered that all these provisions
should be carried to the king’s store-house. The archbishop sent immediately some of his clergy to the governor, commanding him to deliver the provisions, and to
make satisfaction to St. Peter, and to him the saint’s vicar,
for the injury he had done them; adding, that if he refused to comply, the archbishop would make use of his
apostolic authority against him (intimating that he would excommunicate him.) The governor, offended at this proud
message, insulted the persons whom the archbishop had
sent, and returned an answer as haughty as the message.
Aldred fhen went to London to make his complaint to the
king; but even here he acted with his wonted insolence;
for meeting the king in the church of St. Peter at Westminster, he spoke to him in these words “Hearken, Q
William when thou wast but a foreigner, and God, tQ
punish the sins of this nation, permitted thee to become
master of it, after having shed a great deal of blood, I
consecrated thee, and put the crown upon thy head with
blessings; but now, because thou hast deserved it, I pronounce a curse over thee, instead of a blessing, since thou
art become the persecutor of God’s church, and of his ministers, and hast broken the promises and oaths which thou
madestto me before St. Peter’s altar.
” The king, terrified
at this discourse, fell upon his knees, and humbly begged
the prelate to tell him, by what crime he had deserved so
severe a sentence. The noblemen, who were present,
were enraged against the archbishop, and loudly cried out,
he deserved death, or at least banishment, for having offered such an insult to his sovereign; and they pressed
him with threatenings to raise the king from the ground.
But the prelate, unmoved at all 'this, answered calmly,
“Good men, let him lie there, for he is not at Aldred’s
but at St. Peter’s feet; let him feel St. Peter’s power,
since he dared to injure his vicegerent.
” Having thus reproved the nobles by his episcopal authority, he vouchsafed to take the king by the hand, and to tell him the
ground of his complaint. The king humbly excused himself, by saying he had been ignorant of the whole matter;
and oegged of the noblemen to entreat the prelate, that he
might take off the curse he had pronounced, and change
it into a blessing. Aldred was at last prevailed upon to
favour the king thus far; but not without the promise of
several presents and favours, and only after the king had
granted him to take such a revenge on the governor as he
thought fit. Since that time (adds the historian) none of
the noblemen ever dared to offer the least injury. The
Danes having made an invasion in the north of England
in 1068, under the command of Harold and Canute the
sons of king Swane, Aldred was so much afflicted at it, that
he died of grief on the llth of September in that same
year, having besought God that he might not see the desolation of his church and country.
aesar Borgia, butanother illness obliged Aleander to return to Venice, after he had set out; and the pope dying soon afterwards, he returned to his studies, and in his
, a Roman cardinal, and one of the most determined enemies to the reformation, was the son of Francis Aleander, a physician at Motta in the duchy of Concordia, and descended from the ancient counts of Laodno. He was born in 1480, and at thirteen years of age went to Venice for education, which was interrupted by a dangerous illness; but on his recovery, he went for some time to the academy at Pordenoue, and afterwards again to Venice. Returning to his native place, Motta, he had the courage to attack and prove the ignorance of the public teacher of that place, and was elected in his room. Such was his growing reputation afterwards, both at Venice and Padua, that Alexander VI. determined to invite him to Rome, and appoint him secretary to his son Caesar Borgia, butanother illness obliged Aleander to return to Venice, after he had set out; and the pope dying soon afterwards, he returned to his studies, and in his twenty-fourth year was reputed one of the most learned men of his age. He knew Latin, Greek, and some of the oriental languages intimately. About this time Aldus Manutius dedicated to him Homer’s Iliad, as to a man whose acquirements were superior to those of any person with whom he was acquainted. At Venice, Aleander formed an intimacy with Erasmus, and assisted him in the new edition of his Adagia, which was printed at the Aldine press in 1508, and is the most correct. Erasmus for some time kept up this intimacy, but took a different part in the progress of the reformation; and although he speaks respectt'uJly of Aleander’s learning, frequently alludes to his want of veracity and principle, accusations of which Luther has borne the blame almost exclusively in all the popish accounts of ALeander.
al with great asperity. He did not, however, become the less acceptable to the church of Rome. After pope Leo’s death, Clement VII. gave him the archbishopric of Brindisi
In the above year Aleander was invited by Louis XI L king of France, to a professor’s chair in the university of Paris, notwithstanding the statutes which excluded foreign$rs from that honour; but, after residing there some years, he was alarmed by the appearance of the plague, and went into the country of France, and gave lectures on the Greek language at Orleans, Blois, and other places. At length be took up his residence at Liege, was preferred to a canonry of the cathedral, and to the chancellorship of the diocese, and here also he gave his lectures on the Greek tongue, for two years, with distinguished success. In 1517, the prince bishop sent him to Rome, where he soon recommended himself to Leo X. who requested the princebishop that Aleander might he permitted to quit his service, and enter into that of the Roman church. The bishop, who was then anxious to be made a cardinal, and hoped that Aleander might promote that favourite object, readily consented: and Aleander was first appointed secretary to Julio de Medici, an office at that time of the highest trust; and in 1519, was made librarian of the Vatican. In 1521, he was sent as nuncio to the imperial diet at Worms, where he harangued against the doctrines of Luther for three hours, and with great success, as Luther was not present to answer him; but afterwards, when Luther was permitted to speak, Aleander refused to dispute with him; and yet, with the tyranny and cowardice of a genuine persecutor, obtained an order that his books should be burnt, and his person proscribed, and himself drew up the edict against him. On this occasion, his conduct drew upon him the just censure, not only of the decided reformers, but of his friend Erasmus, who condemned the violence of his zeal with great asperity. He did not, however, become the less acceptable to the church of Rome. After pope Leo’s death, Clement VII. gave him the archbishopric of Brindisi and Oria, and he was appointed apostolic nuncio to Francis I. whom he attended at the battle of Pavia in 1525, where he was made prisoner along with the king by the Spaniards. After his release, he was employed in several embassies, and in 1538, he was promoted to the rank of cardinal by Paul III. and was intended to be president at the council of Trent; but his death, which took place Feb. 1, 1542, prevented this important appointment. His death is said to have been accelerated by a too frequent use of medicine. His library, a very considerable one, he bequeathed to the monastery of S. Maria del Orto in Venice; and it was afterwards transferred to the canons of S. Georgio, and from them to the library of S. Marco at Venice.
with whom he travelled, being appointed by the emperor Ferdinand III. ambassador of obedience to the pope, invited Alegambe to go with him, who accordingly accompanied
, a Flemish Jesuit, born at Brussels the 22d of January 1592, was trained in polite literature in his own country. He went afterwards to Spain,
and entered into the service of the duke of Ossuna, whom
he attended to Sicily, when the duke went there as viceroy. Alegambe, being inclined to a religious life, took
the habit of a Jesuit at Palermo, the 7th of September
1613, where he went through his probation, and read his
course of philosophy. He pursued the study of divinity
at Rome, whence he was sent to Austria, to teach philosophy in the university of Gratz. Havhig discharged th
duties of this function to the satisfaction of his superiors,
he was chosen professor of school-divinity, and promoted
in form to the doctorship in 1629. About this time the
prince of Eggemberg, who was in high favour with the
emperor Ferdinand II. having resolved that his son should
travel, and being desirous he should be attended by some
learned and prudent Jesuit, Alegambe was judged a proper person; and he accordingly travelled with him five
years, visiting Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, and Italy.
In 1638, the young prince with whom he travelled, being
appointed by the emperor Ferdinand III. ambassador of
obedience to the pope, invited Alegambe to go with him,
who accordingly accompanied him to Rome, in quality of
his confessor. After he had discharged this office, the
general of the Jesuits retained him as secretary of the
Latin dispatches for Germany. Alegambe, having spent
four years in the discharge of this laborious office, was
obliged to resign it, the continual application to writing
having considerably weakened his sight. He was now appointed president of spiritual affairs in the professed house,
and had the office also of hearing confessions in the
church, in which capacity he acquitted himself with reputation. He died of the dropsy, at Rome, the 6th of
September 1652. He is now principally known by hi
1. “Bibliotheca scriptorum societatis Jesu,
” Antwerpise,
Vita P. Joannis Cardin. Lusitani, ex societate Jesu,
” Romae, Heroes et victims charitatis societatis Jesu,
” Romse, victims
”
were such as lost their lives in attending persons who died
of the plague. 4. “Mortes illustres et gesta eorum de
societate Jesu, qui in odium fidei ab hsreticis vel aliis occisi sunt,
” Romse,
eat learning, was born of Greek parents, Jan. 12, 1583, and educated in the Greek college founded by pope Gregory XIII. where he made a vast progress in learning, and
, an antiquary of great learning, was born of Greek parents, Jan. 12, 1583, and educated
in the Greek college founded by pope Gregory XIII.
where he made a vast progress in learning, and was no less
esteemed for the integrity of his morals. He afterwards
entered into holy orders. He probably at first intended to
settle in Greece, and applied to a.' Greek bishop, who ordained him a sub-deacon; but he afterwards changed his
mind, and received the other sacred orders from the hands
of the bishops of the Romish church. Erythneus, in his
“Pinacotheca,
” although a zealous Roman Catholic, insinuates, that in this change Alemanni was influenced by
the prospect of interest. His fortune, however, being still
inconsiderable, he employed himself in teaching the Greek
language to several persons of distinguished rank, and
gained the friendship of Scipio Cobellutius, who was at
that time secretary of the briefs to pope Paul V. This
paved the way for his obtaining the post of secretary to
cardinal Borghese, which, however, he did not fill to the
entire satisfaction of his employer, from his being more
intimately conversant in Greek than Latin, and mixing
Greek words in his letters. He was afterwards made keeper
of the Vatican library, for which he was considered as
amply qualified. He died July 24, 1626. His death is said
to have been occasioned by too close an attendance on
the erection of the great altar of the church of St. Peter
at Rome. It was necessary for him to watch that no person
should carry away any part of the earth dug up, which had
been sprinkled with the blood of the martyrs, and in his
care he contracted some distemper, arising from the vapours, which soon ended his days. He published “Procopii Historic Arcana, Gr. et Lat. Nic. Alernanno interprete,
cum ejus et Maltreti notis,
” Paris, Description of St. John de Lateran,
”
ns in the commencement of the seventeenth century, and published a plan for stopping their progress. Pope Clement VII. employed him to build the citadel of Ferrara, and
, an Italian architect, who
died in 1630, was born of parents so poor that in his youth
he was obliged to carry bricks and mortar to the workmen;
but having a natural turn for architecture, by hearing
others talk, he learned all the rules of it, as well as those
of geometry; and was even able to publish works in those
sciences. He took great part in those famous controversies that arose concerning the three provinces, Ferrara,
Bologna, and the Romagna, which were much exposed to
inundations in the commencement of the seventeenth
century, and published a plan for stopping their progress.
Pope Clement VII. employed him to build the citadel of
Ferrara, and at Mantua, Modena, Parma, and Venice, are
several monuments after his designs. The only work we
have seen of his on the subject of the inundations is entitled “Difesa per riparare alia sommersione del Polesine,
” Ferrara,
the council of Alexandria, in the year 320; and Alexander signified the same by a circular letter to pope Sylvester, and all the catholic bishops; and his conduct was
, bishop of Alexandria, succeeded St. Achillas in the year 313. Arius, who had pretensions to this see, resented the preference given to Alexander by attacking his opinions, which were strictly orthodox, and substituting his own, which were at that time new: The bishop at first opposed him only by mild exhortations and persuasions; but, being unable to prevail, he cited him before an assembly or synod of the clergy at Alexandria, and on his refusing to recant his errors, excommunicated him and his followers. This sentence was confirmed by above an hundred bishops in the council of Alexandria, in the year 320; and Alexander signified the same by a circular letter to pope Sylvester, and all the catholic bishops; and his conduct was approved by Osius., who had been employed by the emperor Constantine to inquire into the matter. Alexander afterwards assisted at the council of Nice, to which he was accompanied by St. Athanasius, then only a deacon, and died Feb. 26, 326, appointing Athanasius for his successor. Of his numerous epistles, written against the Arian heresy, two only remain; one, the circular letter already mentioned, in Socrates, lib. I.e. 6; and in Gelasius Cyzicus’ history of the council of Nice, lib. 2. c. 3. The other, addressed to Alexander of Byzantium, is in Theodoret, lib. I. c. 4. In the Bibl. Vindob. Cod. Theol. is a very short letter of his to the presbyters and deacons of Alexandria; this is also in Cotelerius: and he wrote an epistle against the Arians, of which are two fragments in S. Maximus Opus. Theol. et Polem. vol. II. 152, 155.
rs. He went twice to Rome in the years 1142 and 1144. The first time, he came back in quality of the pope’s legate, for the calling a synod, in which he published several
, bishop of Lincoln in the reigns of Henry I. and Stephen, was a Norman by birth, and nephew of the famous Roger, bishop of Salisbury, who first made him archdeacon of Salisbury, and afterwards, by his interest with the king, raised him to the mitre. Alexander was consecrated at Canterbury July 22, 1123. Having received his education under his uncle the bishop of Salisbury, and been accustomed to a splendid way of living, he affected show and state more than was suitable to his character, or consistent with his fortunes; but, tbis failing excepted, he was a man of worth and honour, and every way qualified for his station. The year after his consecration, his cathedral church at Lincoln having been accidentally burnt down, he rebuilt it, and secured it against the like accident for the future by 'a stone roof. He also increased the number of prebends in his church, and augmented its revenues with several manors and estates. In imitation of the barons and some of the bishops, particularly his uncle the bishop of Salisbury, he built three castles; one at Banbury, another at Sleaford, and a third at Newark. He likewise founded two monasteries; one at Haverholm, for regular canons and nuns together, the other at Tame, for White-friars. He went twice to Rome in the years 1142 and 1144. The first time, he came back in quality of the pope’s legate, for the calling a synod, in which he published several wholesome and necessary canons. In August 1147 he took a third journey to the pope, who was then in France; where he fell sick through the excessive heat of the weather, and returning with great difficulty to England, he died in the 24th year of his prelacy.
s largely of public penance, and examines into the origin and progress of the famous dispute between pope Stephen and St. Cyprian, concerning the rebaptizing of those
, a learned
ecclesiastical writer of the 17th century, born at Roan in
Normandy, Jan. 19, 1639. After finishing his studies at
Roan, he entered into the order of Dominican friars, and
was professed there in 1655. Soon after he went to Paris,
to go through a course of philosophy and divinity in the
great convent, where he so distinguished himself, that he
was appointed to teach philosophy there, which he did for
twelve years. This however did not so much engage his
attention as to make him neglect preaching, which is the
chief business of the order he professed. His sermons
were elegant and solid: but as he had not that ease and
fluency of speech requisite in a preacher, he soon forsook
the pulpit; and his superiors being of opinion that he
should apply himself wholly to the study of the scriptures
and ecclesiastical history, he followed their advice, and
was created a doctor of the Sorbonne in 1675. Mr. Colbert shewed him many marks of his esteem; and being determined to omit nothing to complete the education of his
son, afterwards archbishop of Roan, he formed an assembly of the most learned persons, whose conferences upon,
ecclesiastical history might be of advantage to him. Father Alexander was invited to this assembly, where he exerted himself with so much genius and ability, that he
gained the particular friendship of young Colbert, who
shewed him the utmost regard as long as he lived. These
conferences gave rise to Alexander’s design of writing an
ecclesiastical history; for, being desired to reduce what
was material in these conferences to writing, he did it with
so much accuracy, that the learned men who composed
this assembly advised him to undertake a complete body of
church-history. This he executed with great assiduity,
collecting and digesting the materials himself, and writing
even the tables with his own hand. His first work is that
wherein he endeavours to prove, against Ai. de Launoi,
that St. Thomas Aquinas is the real author of the Sum,
ascribed to him: it was printed in Paris 1675, in 8vo. The
year following he published the first volume of a large
work in Latin, upon the principal points of ecclesiastical
history: this contains 26 volumes in 8vo. The first volume
treats of the history of the first ages of the church, and
relates the persecutions which it suffered, the succession
of popes, the heresies which arose, the councils which
condemned them, the writers in favour of Christianity,
and the kings and emperors who reigned during the first
century: to this are subjoined dissertations upon such
points as have been the occasion of dispute in history,
chronology, criticism, or doctrine. The history of the
second century, with some dissertations, was published in
two volumes in the year 1677. The third century came
out in 1678; in this he treats largely of public penance,
and examines into the origin and progress of the famous
dispute between pope Stephen and St. Cyprian, concerning the rebaptizing of those who had been baptized by
heretics; and he has added three dissertations, wherein he
has collected what relates to the life, manners, errors, and
Defenders of St. Cyprian. The history of the fourth century is so very extensive, that Alexander has found matter
for three volumes and forty-five dissertations; they were
printed at Paris in 1679. In the three following years he
published his history of the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth,
ninth, and tenth centuries; and that of the eleventh and
twelfth centuries in 1683; in these volumes are several
Dissertations against Mr. Daille; and in some of them he
treats of the disputes between the princes and popes in.
such a manner, that a decree from Rome was issued out
Against his writings in 1684. However, he published the
same year the history of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, in which he continued to defend the rights of kings
against the pretensions of that court. He at last completed
his work in 1686, by publishing four volumes, which contained the history of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
Jn 1689 he published a work, in the same method, upon
the Old Testament, in six volumes 8vo. In 1678 he published three dissertations: the first concerning the superiority of bishops over presbyters, against Blondel; the
second concerning the celibacy of the clergy, and
reconciling the history of Paphnutius with the canon of the
council of Nice; and the third concerning the Vulgate.
The same year he printed a dissertation concerning sacramental confession, against Mr. Daille“, in 8vo. In 1682
he wrote an apology for his dissertation upon the Vulgate,
against Claudius Frassen. He published likewise about
this time, or some time before, three dissertations in defence of St. Thomas Aquinas; the first against Henschenius and Papebroch, to shew that the office of the holy
sacrament was written by him; the second was in form of
a dialogue between a Dominican and a Franciscan, to con
fute the common opinion that Alexander of Hales was St.
Thomas Aquinas’s master: and that the latter borrowed
his
” Secunda Secundse“from the former: the third is a
panegyric upon Aquinas. In 1693 he published his
” Theologia dogmatica,“in five books, or
” Positive and
Moral Divinity, according to the order of the catechism
of the council of Trent.“This Latin work, consisting of
ten octavo volumes, was printed at Paris and at Venice in
1698; in 1701 he added another volume; and they were
all printed together at Paris, in two volumes folio, in 1703,
with a collection of Latin letters, which had been printed
separately. In 1703 he published tf A commentary upon
the four Gospels,
” in folio; and in Statuta facultatis artium Thomistiæe collegio
Parisiensi fratrum prsedicatorum instituta,
” Paris, Institutio concionatorum tripartita, seu praecepta et regula ad praedicatores informandos, cum ideis
seu rudimentis concionum per totum annum.
” 3. “Abre‘ge’
de la foy et de la morale de l‘eglise, tiree de l’ecriture
sainte,
” Paris, Eclaircissement des
prétendues difficultés proposeés a mons. l'archevêque de
Rouen, sur plusieurs points importans de la morale de
Jesus Christ,
” A Letter to a Doctor
of Sorbonne, upon the dispute concerning Probability,
and the Errors of a Thesis in Divinity maintained by the
Jesuits in their college at Lyons, the 26th of August,
”
printed at Mons, A second letter upon
the same subject,
” An apology for the
Dominican Missionaries in China, or an Answer to a book
of father Tellier the Jesuit, entitled a Defence of the new
Christians; and to an Explanation published by father
Gobien, of the same society, concerning the honours which
the Chinese pay to Confucius and to the dead,
” printed at
Cologn, 1699, 12mo. 8. “Documenta controversiarum
missionariorum apostolicorum imperii Sinici de cultu praejiertim Confueii philosophi et progenitoruin defunctorum
spectantia, ac apologiam Dominica norum missiones Sinicae
ministrorum adversus Hr. Pp. le Tellier et le Gobien societatis Jesu confirmantia.
” 9. “A Treatise on the conformity between the Chinese ceremonies and the Greek
and Roman idolatry, in order to confirm the apology of
the Dominican Missionaries in China,
”
and being extremely devoted to the see of Rome, sent Alfred to that city at five years of age; where pope Leo IV. adopted and anointed him, as some think, with a regal
, the youngest son of Æthelwolf king of the West Saxons, was born in the year 849, at Wannating, or Wanading, which is supposed to be Wantage in Berkshire. Æthelwolf, having a great regard for religion, and being extremely devoted to the see of Rome, sent Alfred to that city at five years of age; where pope Leo IV. adopted and anointed him, as some think, with a regal unction, though others are of opinion he was only confirmed. Soon after his return, his father, being in the decline of life, and going to visit the holy see, took his favourite son with him; where he had an opportunity of seeing and hearing many things, which made snch strong impressions on him, as remained during his whole life, Æthelwolf had five sons, and a daughter; of whom Æthelstan, the eldest, was king of Kent in his father’s life-time, and died before him. Æthelbald, the second son, raised a rebellion against his father, when he returned from Rome; who, to avoid any effusion of blood, consented to divide his dominions with him. Æthelwolf did not long survive this; but, before his death, he, by a full and distinct testamerit, endeavoured to settle all the claims of his children. By this will Æthelbalcl and Æthelbert had his kingdoms divided betwixt them; and he left his private estate, with all the money in his coffers, to his younger sons Æthelred and Alfred. Æthelwolf died in the year 858, and was succeeded by Æthelbald, who reigned but two years and a half. On his demise JLthelbert seized the crown, which he held for five years, and died in the year 866. He was succeeded by his brother Æthelred; who, while he was a private man, had solemnly promised Alfred to do him that justice which had been denied by the two former kings, by giving him what his father had bequeathed him. On his accession Alfred demanded a performance of his promise; but the king excused himself on account of the troublesome times, and assured him that at his death he would leave him all. Alfred having given proofs of his courage in the former king’s reign, Æthelred would never part with him, but employed him as his first minister and general of his armies.
me the founder of a school of eminent artists, who owe their high reputation to following his steps. Pope Innocent XI. gave him six thousand Roman crowns for the bas-relief
, a sculptor and architect of
Bologna, was the disciple of Louis Carrache, and the
friend of Dominic, who brought him to Rome, where he
died in 1654. In the church of St. Peter of the Vatican
is a bas-relief of his representing St. Leon before Attila,
in great estimation by connoisseurs: and at Bologna is an
admirable groupe of his, the beheading of St. Paul. His
other works are, the statue of St. Philippa de Neri; all
the fountains and decorations of the villa Pamphili, the
faade of the church of St. Ignatius, and the great altar of
the church of St. Nicholas Tolentine, which is a chefd'ceuvre. Algardi revived sculpture from the neglect into
which it had fallen previously to his time, and became the
founder of a school of eminent artists, who owe their high
reputation to following his steps. Pope Innocent XI. gave
him six thousand Roman crowns for the bas-relief of St.
Leon, and presented him with a gold chain which he ordered him to wear all his life. His epitaph in the church of
St. John and Petrona, very justly remaiks, that his works
wanted nothing but age to place them on a footing with
the most perfect specimens of antiquity. Milizia bestows
high praise on Algardi in his “Memorie de gli architetti,
”
Bassan.
f privy-counselloir of war. Nor was he held in less esteem by the sovereigns of Italy, particularly pope Benedict XIV. the duke of Savoy, and the duke of Parma. The
Algarottihad also studied the fine arts, and produced many
excellent specimens of painting and engraving. In
particular he designed and engraved several plates of heads in
groupes, one of which, containing thirteen in the antique
style, is dated Feb. 15, 1744. He travelled likewise over
Italy, with a painter and draftsman in his suite; and what
he has published on the arts discovers extensive knowledge and taste. Frederick II. who had become acquainted
with his talents when prince-royal, no sooner mounted
the throne, than he invited him to Berlin. Algarotti was
then in London, and, complying with his majesty’s wish,
remained at Berlin many years. Frederick conferred on
him the title of count of the kingdom of Prussia, with reversion to his brother and descendants. He made him also
his chamberlain, and knight of the order of Merit, bestowing on him at the same time many valuable presents,
and other marks of his esteem; and after Algarotti left
Berlin, the king corresponded with him for twenty-five
years. The king of Poland, Augustus III. also had him
for some time at his court, and gave him the title of privy-counselloir of war. Nor was he held in less esteem by the
sovereigns of Italy, particularly pope Benedict XIV. the
duke of Savoy, and the duke of Parma. The excellence
of his character, the purity of his morals, his elegant manners, and the eclat which surrounds a rich amateur of the
arts, contributed to his celebrity perhaps as much as the
superiority of his talents, and his acknowledged taste.
Wherever he travelled he was respected equally by the
rich, and the learned, by men of letters, by artists, and
by men of the world. The climate of Germany having
sensibly injured his health, he returned first to Venice,
and afterwards to Bologna, where he had determined to
reside, but his disorder, a consumption of the lungs,
gained ground rapidly, and put an end to his life, at Pisa,
March 3, 1764. He is said to have met death with composure, or, as his biographer terms it, with philosophical
resignation. In his latter days he passed his mornings with
Maurino (the artist who used to accompany him in his travels), engaged in the study of painting, architecture,
and the fine arts. After dinner he had his works read to
him, then printing at Leghorn, and revised and corrected
the sheets: in the evening he had a musical party. The
epitaph he wrote for himself is taken from Horace’s non
omnis moriar, and contains only the few words, “Hicjacet
Fr. Algarottus non omnis
” The king of Prussia was at
the expense of a magnificent monument in the Campo
Santo of Pisa; on which, in addition to the inscription
which Algarotti wrote, he ordered the following, “Algarotto Ovidii emulo, Newtoni discipulo, Fredericus rex,
”
and Algarotti’s heirs added only “Fredericus Magnus.
”
The works of Algarotti were published at Leghorn,
1765, 4 vols. 8vo; at Berlin, 1772, 8 vols. 8vo; and at
Venice, 17 vols. 8vo, 1791--1794. This last, the most
complete and correct edition, is ornamented with vignettes,
the greater part of which were taken from the author’s
designs. These volumes contain 1. Memoirs of his life
and writings, and his poetry. 2. An analysis of the Newtonian system. 3. Pieces on architecture, painting, the
opera, essays on vario is languages, on history, philology,
on Des Cartes, Horace, &c. 4 and 5. Essays on the military art, and on the writers on that subject. 6. His travels in Russia, preceded by an Essay on the metals of that
empire: the congress of Cytherea, the life of Pallavicini,
the Italian poet; and a humorous piece against the abuse
of learning. 7. Thoughts on different subjects of philosophy and philology. 8. Letters on painting and architecture. 9 and 10. Letters on the sciences. 11 to 16. His
correspondence, not before published, with the literati of
Italy, England, and France. 17. An unfinished critical
essay on the triumvirate of Crassus, Pompey, and Gassar.
Among his correspondents we find the names of the
Italians, Manfredi and Zanotti, his first masters, Fabri
of Bologna, Metastasio, Frugoni, Bettinelli, Frisi the celebrated mathematician and physician, Mazzuchelli, Paradisi, &c.; the Prussians, Frederic II. several princes of
the same family, and Form ey, &c.; the English, lords
Chesterfield and Hervey, Mr. Hollis, lady Montague, &c.;
jand the French, Voltaire, Maupercuis, du Chastellet, mad.
du Boccage,; &c. His Essays on painting, on the opera,
his Letters to lord Hervey and the marquis Maffei, and
his Letters, military and political, have been translated
and published in English. His biographers have generally handed down his character without a blemish; aiui
Fabroni, on whom ive mostly rely, is equally lavish in his
praises. Wiule we take his personal merits from these authorities, we have evident proof from his works that he
was an universal scholar, and wrote with facility and originality on every subject he took in hand. They present
a greater variety of reading and thought than almost any
scholar of the eighteenth century; but they are not
without redundancy, and sometimes affectation. His fame is
said to be fixed on a more solid basis in his own country,
than in those where he has been viewed only througn the
medium of translations.
, which he frequently performed with great success, particularly in the case of one of his patients, pope Clement XI. He published “Lithotomia, overo del cavar la Pietra,”
, a very celebrated lithotomist, of
Florence, was born Sept. 17, 1669, and died Sept. 24, 1713,
of an accident while shooting, his piece having burst, which
carried off his left hand. He applied himself chiefly to
operations for the stone, which he frequently performed
with great success, particularly in the case of one of his
patients, pope Clement XI. He published “Lithotomia,
overo del cavar la Pietra,
” Firenza,
. He defended the rights of his chapter, in the election of archbishops, with much firmness, against pope Alexander VII. and published several pieces on that subject
, a French writer of considerable spirit,
was born at Dole in 1600, appointed abbe of St. Paul at
Besancon in 1632, and afterwards canon of the church of
St. John in the same place. He defended the rights of
his chapter, in the election of archbishops, with much
firmness, against pope Alexander VII. and published several pieces on that subject about the year 1672. His “Dialogue entre Porte Noire et la Pillori,
” a facetious composition, was censured by father Dominic Vernerey, inquisitor of Besancon; and this produced an answer from Alix,
entitled “Eponge pour effacer la censure du P. Dom.
Vernerey.
” This, as well as Alix’s other works, is very
scarce. Le Long, in his historical library of France, attributes to him the “History of the abb ay of St. Paul,
” but
it is doubted whether his talents lay in that direction. He
had, however, studied mathematics, and left some manuscripts on that subject, which have been lost. He died
July 6, 1676.
ofession. He afterwards made the belles lettres his object, and taught in the Greek college at Rome. Pope Gregory XV. sent him to Germany, in 1622, in order to get the
, keeper of the Vatican library, and a celebrated popish writer of the 17th
century, was born in the isle of Chios, of Greek parents,
1586. At nine years of age he was removed from his native country to Calabria; bat some time after sent to Rome,
and admitted into the Greek college, where he applied
himself to the study of polite learning, philosophy, and
divinity, and embraced the Roman Catholic religion. From
thence he went to Naples, and was chosen great vicar to
Bernard Justiniani, bishop of Anglona. From Naples he
returned to his own country, but went soon from thence to
Rome, where he studied physic under Julius Caesar Lagalla,
and took a degree in that profession. He afterwards made
the belles lettres his object, and taught in the Greek college at Rome. Pope Gregory XV. sent him to Germany,
in 1622, in order to get the elector Palatine’s library removed to Rome; but hy the death of Gregory, he lost the
reward he might have expected for his trouble in that affair. He lived some time after with cardinal Bichi, and
then with cardinal Francis Barberini; and was at last, by
pope Alexander VII. appointed keeper of the Vatican library. Allatius was of great service to the gentlemen of
Port Royal in the controversy they had with Mr. Claude,
concerning the belief of the Greeks on the subject of die
Eucharist: Mr. Claude often calls him Mr. Arnaud’s great
author, and gives him a character, by no means favourable,
although in general very just. “Allatius,
” says he, “was
a Greek, who had renounced his own religion to embrace
that of Rome; a Greek whom the pope had chosen his librarian: a man the most devoted to the interests of the
court of Rome; a man extremely outrageous in his disposition. He shews his attachment to the court of Rome in
the very beginning of his book `De perpetua consensione,‘
where he writes in favour of the pope thus: `The Roman
pontiff,’ says he, `is quite independent, judges the world
without being liable to be judged; we are bound to obey
his commands, even when he governs unjustly; he gives
laws without receiving any; he changes them as he thinks
fit; appoints magistrates; decides all questions as to matters of faith, and orders all affairs of importance in the
church as seems to him good. He cannot err, being out
of the power of all heresy and illusion; and as he is armed
with the authority of Christ, not even an angel from heaven
could make him alter his opinion'.
” No Latin ever shewed
himself more incensed against the Greek schismatics than
Allatius, or more devoted to the see of Rome. One
singularity in his character is, that he never engaged in matrimony, nor was he ever in orders; and pope Alexander
having asked him one day, why he did not enter into orders? “Because,
” answered he, “I would be free to
marry.
” “But if so,
” replied the pope, “why don't you
marry ?
” “Because I would be at liberty,
” answered Allatius, “to take orders.
” If we may believe Joannes Patricius, Allatius had a very extraordinary pen, with which,
and no other, he wrote Greek for 40 years; and we need
not be surprised that when he lost it he was so grieved that
he shed tears. He wrote so fast that he copied, in one
night, the “Diarium Romanorum Pontiftcium,
” which a
Cistertian monk had lent to him. Niceron gives him the
character of a man laborious and indefatigable, of a vast
memory, and acquainted with every kind of learning; but
adds, that in his writings there is a display of more reading
than judgment, and, that biographer might have added,
than of candour or urbanity of style, at least in his controversial pieces. He died Jan. 1669, aged eighty-three, after
founding several colleges or schools in the island of Chios,
his native place. His principal works were, 1. “De Ecclesiæ Occidentalis et Orientalis perpetua consensione,
” Cologn, De utriusque ecclesiæ, &c. in dogmate
de purgatorio eonsensione,
” Rome, De
libris ecclesiasticis Graecorum,
” Paris, De
Templis Grsecorumrecentioribus,
” Cologn, Græcioe orthodoxae scriptores,
” Rome, Philo Byzantinus de septem orbis spectaculis, Gr. et Lat. cum notis,
” Rome, Eustathius Antiochenus in hexameron, et de Engastrimytho,
” Lyons, Symmichta, et Symmiha,
sive opusculorum Græcorum ac Latinorum vetustiorum ac
recentiorum libri duo,
” Cologn, De
Mensura temporum antiquorum et proecipue Græcorupi,
”
Cologn, Apes Urbanæ,
” Rome, Dramaturgia,
” in Italian,
an alphabetical collection of all the Italian dramatic works
published in his time. This was reprinted at Venice, 4to,
with considerable additions, and brought down to 1755.
12. “Poeti antichi raccolti da Codici manuscriti della Bibliotheca Vaticana e Barberina,
” Naples, This
lamentation was composed by Metaphrast, and that, was
sufficient for Allatius to insert a panegyric upon Metaphrast, written by Psellus. As Metaphrast’s name was Simeon, he thence took an opportunity of making a long dis+
sertation upon the lives and works of such celebrated men.
as had borne the same name. From the Simeons he passes
to the Simons, from them to the Simonideses, and lastly to
the Simonactides.
”
is talents as a musical composer, was a pupil of Nanini, and admitted, in 1629, as a singer into the pope’s chapel. Among his most celebrated productions is a “Miserere,”
, a Romish ecclesiastic, whose
reputation is founded on his talents as a musical composer,
was a pupil of Nanini, and admitted, in 1629, as a singer
into the pope’s chapel. Among his most celebrated productions is a “Miserere,
” which was performed during
passion-week at the Sixtine chapel, and so highly esteemed
that it was forbidden to be copied, under pain of excommunication. Mozart, however, after hearing it twice, was
enabled to make out a copy, thought to be equal to the
original. In 1773, the pope presented a complete one to
George III. It had been previously engraven in London,
about 1771. Allegri was of the same family with Corregio,
and died Feb. 16, 1640. He was a man of a devout and
benevolent disposition, and was frequent in his charitable
visits to prisoners, and other persons in distress.
of arts; or, as Wood rather thinks, that of bachelor of laws. He was afterwards sent to Rome to the pope, by Warham, archbishop of Canterbury, to manage some affairs
, archbishop of Dublin in the reign of Henry VIII. was first educated at Oxford, whence he removed to Cambridge, and took the degree of master of arts; or, as Wood rather thinks, that of bachelor of laws. He was afterwards sent to Rome to the pope, by Warham, archbishop of Canterbury, to manage some affairs relating to the church. He continued there about nine years, and was created doctor of laws in some Italian university. On his return he was made chaplain to cardinal Wolsey, and commissary or judge of his court, when he was legate a latere, but he was accused of great dishonesty in the execution of that office. He assisted the cardinal in first visiting and afterwards dissolving forty small monasteries, for the erection of his colleges at Oxford and Ipswich. His church-preferment was considerable. Archbishop Warham gave him Aldyngton, with the chapel annexed, March 6, 1510, in which he was succeeded by Erasmus; and in the following year his grace presented him to Riseburgh, in the deanery of Riseburgh. In 1524 he was presented to the perpetual vicarage of Alborne, and he had, by the favour of Wolsey, the church of Dalby on the Would sin Leicestershire, though it belonged to the master and brethren of the hospital of Burton Lazars. In the latter end of the year 1525, he was incorporated doctor of laws of the university of Oxford; and March 13, 1528, upon the death of Dr. Hugh Inge, he was consecrated archbishop of Dublin, and about the same time was made chancellor of Ireland. In 1534 he was barbarously murdered in an insurrection, by Thomas Fitz-gerald, eldest son of the earl of Kildare, in the fiftieth year of his age. He wrote some treatises on ecclesiastical affairs, which remain in manuscript.
2, 4to, in which he defends the doctrine of the council of Pisa, against Cajetan, who had raised the pope’s authority above that of the councils. 2. “De potestate ecclesiastica
, professor of divinity in the college
of Navarre, at Paris, and one of the most able scholastic
writers of his time, was a native of Sens, and died young at
Paris in 1515. During his short life, he published a considerable number of works, on logic, physics, morality, and
divinity. The two which procured him most fame are,
1. “De autoritate Ecclesise, &c.
” Paris, De potestate ecclesiastica et laicali
contra Ockam.
” These are both in the edition of his
works, published at Paris, 1517, fol.; but in that edition
we do not meet with his “Moralia,
” Paris,
uge in Rome, and that he did not venture to return to Naples until he had obtained the protection of pope Paul IV. to whom he had dedicated one of his works. Most of
, an eminent Neapolitan philosopher, physician, and professor of medicine of the sixteenth century, was born at Naples, was one of the most learned medical writers of his time, and enjoyed very high reputation, it being only objected to him that he was too servile a copyist of Galen. We know little else of his history, unless that he had certain enemies who obliged him to take refuge in Rome, and that he did not venture to return to Naples until he had obtained the protection of pope Paul IV. to whom he had dedicated one of his works. Most of them were published separately, as appears by a catalogue in Man get and Haller; but the whole were collected and published in folio at Lyons, 1565 and 1597; at Naples in 1573; Venice, 1561, 1574, and 1600. So many editions of so large a volume are no inconsiderable testimony of the esteem in which this writer was held. He is said to have died in 1556.
in this country; and, when he returned, brought letters to king John, who succeeded Emanuel, and to pope Clement VII. to whom he gave an account of his embassy at Bologna
, a Portuguese priest, born at Coimbra, about the end of the fifteenth century, was chaplain to Emanuel king of Portugal, and ambassador from that prince to David king of Ethiopia or Abyssinia. David had sent an ambassador to Emanuel, who in return thought proper to send Alvares and Galvanus to David, but the latter died before he arrived in Æthiopia. Alvares continued six years in this country; and, when he returned, brought letters to king John, who succeeded Emanuel, and to pope Clement VII. to whom he gave an account of his embassy at Bologna in January 1533, in the presence of the emperor Charles V. Alvares died in 1540; and left behind him, in Portuguese, an account of his embassy, with a description of the manners and customs of the Æthiopians. It was printed at Lisbon the same year in which the author died, and was translated into French, and published at Antwerp in 1558. The work was abridged by Ramusius. Bodinus says, that Alvares was the first who gave a true and accurate account of Æthiopia, and that it was approved by the best writers, and read with the greatest satisfaction.
ence held at the same place. In the year 419 he was deputed by the African churches to Honorius, and pope Bonifaqe received him with great friendship, and employed him
, bishop of Tagasta, a city in Africa, of which he was probably a native, was the friend of St. Augustine, and baptized with him at IVJilan in 388. He vyas promoted to the bishopric of Tagasta in the year 3iH, and in the year 403 was present at the council of Carthage, where it was endeavoured to bring the Donatists to unity. In the year 411 he was the only one of the seven Catholic prelates who disputed with seven Catholic bishops, in the famous conference held at the same place. In the year 419 he was deputed by the African churches to Honorius, and pope Bonifaqe received him with great friendship, and employed him in confuting the Pelagians, in which he was not a little assisted by the secular arm. St. Augustine bestows very high praise on this bishop, and seems to have intended to write his life. The time of his death is generally fixed at 430.
, a historian, or rather biographer, of the fourteenth century, wrote and dedicated to pope Urban V. a history of the popes, ending at pope John XXII. which
, a historian, or rather biographer, of the fourteenth century, wrote and dedicated to
pope Urban V. a history of the popes, ending at pope John
XXII. which he entitled “Chronicum Pontificale,
” and
which, he says, he compiled from above two hundred
authors. From the preface he appears to have been of
the order of St. Augustine, but his work has not been
printed.
ity, he was a man of a noble, generous, and disinterested spirit, was raised to the see of Athens by pope V. and sent to Cologne in the character of nuncio, which office
, the youngest of the Amalthei, has left a few Latin poems, which serve to manifest the conformity of his taste and talents with those of his learned brothers. He probably died in the prime of life, and some accounts fix the decease of all the three brothers in the same year. But these, according to the editor of the General Dictionary, must not be confounded with Amaltheus Attilius, archbishop of Athens, who was born of a family in Italy eminent for producing men of the greatest merit and learning. He lived in the sixteenth century, and made a considerable progress in the study of the civil and canon law, and in that of divinity, he was a man of a noble, generous, and disinterested spirit, was raised to the see of Athens by pope V. and sent to Cologne in the character of nuncio, which office he discharged with much applause; and died about 1600.
cestors had also enjoyed. In 1530, he was appointed first secretary to the senate, and was chosen by pope Clement VII. to pronounce before him and Charles V. a Latin
, the son of Gregory Amaseo, Latin professor at Venice, was one of the most celebrated
Italian scholars of the sixteenth century. He was born at
Udina in 1489, and educated at first by his father and
uncle, but finished his studies at Padua, and in 1508 had
begun to teach the belles lettres there, when the war, occasioned by the league at Cambray, obliged him to leave
the place. He then went to Bologna, continued to teach,
and married, and had children, and was so much respected
that the city admitted him as a citizen, an honour which
his ancestors had also enjoyed. In 1530, he was appointed
first secretary to the senate, and was chosen by pope Clement VII. to pronounce before him and Charles V. a Latin
harangue on the subject of the peace concluded at Bologna between the two sovereigns. This he accordingly
performed, with great applause, in the church of St. Petrona, before a numerous audience of the first rank. He
continued to teach at Bologna, with increasing popularity,
until 1543, when he was invited to Rome by pope Paul III.
and his nephew cardinal Alexander Farnese. The pope employed him in many political missions to the court of the
emperor, those of the German princes, and that of the king
of Poland; and in 1550, after the death of his wife, pope
Julius III. appointed him secretary of the briefs, a place
which he did not long enjoy, as he died in 1552. He wrote
Latin translations of “Xenophon’s Cyrus,
” Bologna, Pausanias,
” Rome, Orationes,
” consisting of eighteen Latin speeches
on various occasions, Bonon. 1580, 4to. His contemporaries bestow the highest praises on his learning and
eloAlienee. His son Pompilio had perhaps less reputation,
but he too distinguished himself as Greek professor at Bologna, where he died in 1584. He translated two fragments of Polybius, Bologna, 1543, and wrote a history of
his own time in Latin, which has not been published.
in a commentary on Avicenna, but lost his manuscripts in the hurry of his escape from Ancona, where pope Paul IV. had ordered him to be apprehended. Antonio in his Bibl.
, a Portuguese physician, and medical writer, of Jewish origin, was born in
1511 at Castel-bianco. He studied medicine at Salamanca,
and afterwards travelled through France, the Netherlands,
Germany, and Italy, and taught medicine with success in
Ferrara and Ancona. His attachment to the Jewish persuasion having rendered him suspected by the catholics, he
narrowly escaped the inquisition, by retiring to Pesaro in
1555, from which he removed to Itagusa, and afterwards to
Thessalonica. From the year 1561 we hear no more of
him, nor has the time or place of his death been ascertained,
but it is said that when he went to Thessalonica, he avowed
Judaism openly. His works, although few, give proofs of
extensive learning in his profession. 1. “Exegemata in
priores duos Dioscoridis de materia medica libros,
” Antwerp, Enarrationes in Dioscoridem,
” Venice, Apologia adversus Amatum,
” Venice, Curationum medicinalium centuriae septem,
” published separately, and reprinted, at Florence, Venice, Ancona, Rome,
Ragusa, Thessalonica, &c. In this work, are many useful
facts and observations, but not entirely unmixed with cases
which are thought to have been fictitious. Few books,
however, were at one time more popular, for besides the
separate editions of the Centuries, they were collected and
published at Lyons, 1580, 12 mo, Paris, 1613, 1620, 4to,
and Francfort, 1646, fol. Amatus had also made some
progress in a commentary on Avicenna, but lost his manuscripts in the hurry of his escape from Ancona, where pope
Paul IV. had ordered him to be apprehended. Antonio in
his Bibl. Hisp. attributes to him a Spanish translation of
Eutropius, but it does not appear to have been ever published.
s one of the members of Jesus Christ. Amauri had many proselytes, but his opinions were condemned by pope Innocent III. His disciples added that the sacraments were useless,
, or more commonly Amalric or Almeric (de Chartres), professor of logic and theology at Paris, in the thirteenth century, was a nadve of Bene in the diocese of Chartres, and rendered himself famous for the singularity of his opinions, and the multitudes who became his followers, and suffered for their adherence. Adopting the metaphysics of Aristotle, he formed to himself a new system of religion, which has been thus explained. Aristotle supposes that all beings are composed of matter, which has in itself neither form nor shape: this he calls the first matter. This Amauri called God, because it is a necessary and infinite being. He acknowledged in God, three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, to whom he attributed the empire of the world, and whom he regarded as the object of religious worship. But as this matter was endowed with a property of continual motion, it necessarily followed that this world must some time have an end, and that all the beings therein must return to that first matter, which was the supreme of all beings the first existing, and the only one eternal. Religion, according to Amauri’s opinion, had three epochas, which bore a similitude to the reign of the three persons in the Trinity. The reign of God had existed as long as the law of Moses. The reign of the Son would not always last; the ceremonies and sacrifices, which according to Amauri constituted the essence of it, would not be eternal. A time would come when the sacraments should cease, and then the religion of the Holy Ghost would begin, in which men would have no need of sacraments, and would render a spiritual worship to the Supreme Being. This epocha was the reign of the Holy Ghost, which according to Amauri was foretold by the scripture, and which would succeed to the Christian religion, as the Christian religion had succeeded to that of Moses. The Christian religion therefore was the reign of Jesus Christ in the world, and every man under that law ought to look on himself as one of the members of Jesus Christ. Amauri had many proselytes, but his opinions were condemned by pope Innocent III. His disciples added that the sacraments were useless, and that no action dictated by charity could be bad. They were condemned by the council of Paris in 1209, and many of them burned. Amauri appealed to the pope, who also condemned his doctrines; but for fear of a rigorous punishment he retracted his opinions, retired to St. Martin des Champs, and died there of chagrin and disappointment. His bones were afterwards dug up and burnt by order of the council of Paris. As there is much confusion in the accounts given of Amauri’s system, it may be necessary to add, that Spanheim, Fleury, and others, are of opinion that most of the heresies imputed to him, are without foundation, and represent him as having only taught that every Christian ought to believe himself a member of Jesus Christ, otherwise they cannot be saved, and that Dinant and his other disciples fell into those errors which he was accused of having taught. It seems not improbable that his inveighing against the worship of saints and images would in that age form the principal article against him; and it is certain that many of his disciples were men of distinguished piety, remarkable for the gravity and austerity of their lives, and for suffering death, in all its dreadful forms, with the utmost resolution.
uty. Some time after he was received at Paris with great magnificence, in quality of legate from the pope. During his legation, he laboured to reform many of the religious
a French cardinal and statesman of the illustrious house of Amboise in France, so called
from their possessing the seignory of that name, was born
in 1460. Being destined at a very early age for the
church, he was elected bishop of Montauban when only
fourteen. He was afterwards made one of the almoners to
Lewis XI. to whom he behaved with great prudence. After
the death of this prince in 1480, he entered into some of
the intrigues of the court with a design to favour the duke
of Orleans, with whom he was closely connected; but
those intrigues being discovered, d‘Aniboise and his protector were both imprisoned. The duke of Orleans was
at last restored to his liberty; and this prince having negotiated the marriage of the king with the princess Anne
of Britanny, acquired great reputation and credit at court.
Of this his favourite d’Amboise felt the happy effect as,
soon after, the archbishopric of Narbonne was bestowed on
him; but being at too great a distance from the court, he
changed it for that of Rouen, to which the chapter elected
him in 1493. As soon as he had taken possession of his
new see, the duke of Orleans, who was governor of Normandy, made him lieutenant-general, with the same power
as if he had been governor in cbief. This province was
at that time in great disorder: the noblesse oppressed the
people, the judges were all corrupted or intimidated; the
soldiers, who had been licentious since the late wars, infested the high-ways, plundering and assassinating all
travellers they met; but in less-than a year, d‘Amboise by
his care and prudence established public tranquillity. The
king dying in 1498, the duke of Orleans ascended the
throne, by the name of Lewis XII. and d’Amboise became
his prime minister. By his first operation in that office, he
conciliated the affection of the whole nation. It had been
a custom when a new monarch ascended the throne, to lay
an extraordinary tax on the people, to defray the expences of the coronation, but by the counsel of d‘Amboise
this tax was not levied, and the imposts were soon reduced
one tenth. His virtues coinciding with his knowledge, he
made the French nation happy, and endeavoured to preserve the glory they had acquired. By his advice Lewis
XII. undertook the conquest of the Milanese in 1499.
Lewis the Moor, uncle and vassal of Maximilian, was then
in possession of that province. It revolted soon after the
conquest, but d’Amboise brought it back to its duty. Some
time after he was received at Paris with great magnificence, in quality of legate from the pope. During his
legation, he laboured to reform many of the religious orders, as the jacobins, the cordeliers, and those of St. Germain des Pres. His disinterestedness was equal to his zeal.
He never possessed more than one benefice, two thirds of
which he employed for the relief of the poor and the support of the churches. Contenting himself with his archbishopric of Rouen and his cardinal’s hat, he was not,
like his contemporaries, desirous to add abbeys to it. A
gentleman of Normandy having offered to sell him an estate
at a very low price, in order to portion his daughter, he
made him a present of a sum sufficient for that purpose,
and left him the estate. He obtained the purple after the
dissolution of the marriage between Lewis XII. and Joan
of France, to which he greatly contributed: and, on having
procured for Caesar Borgia, son of pope Alexander VI.
the duchy of Valentinois, with a considerable pension, his
ambition was to be pope, with a view to the reform of
abuses, and the correction of manners. After the death of
Pius III. he might have succeeded in his wishes, and
took measures to procure the tiara, but cardinal Julian de
Rovera (afterwards Julius II.) found means to circumvent
him; and the Venetians having contributed to his exclusion, he took the first opportunity to excite Lewis XII. to
make war on them, a circumstance which seems not a little
to detract from his character. This celebrated cardinal
died in 15 10, in the convent of the Celestines at Lyons,
of the gout in his stomach, aged 50 years. It is reported
that he often repeated to the friar who attended him in his
illness, “Brother John, why have I not during my whole
life been brother John?
” This minister has been greatly
praised for having laboured for the happiness of France;
but he has been equally censured for having advised his
master to sign the treaty of Blois in 1504, by which France
ran the risk of being dismembered. He governed both
the king and the state; laborious, kind, honest, he possessed good sense, firmness, and experience, but he was
not a great genius, nor were his views extensive. The
desire he had to ease the people in their taxes, procured
him during his life, but much more after his death, the
title of father of the people. He merited this title still
more, by the care he took to reform the administration of
justice. Most of the judges were venal, and the poor,
and those who had no support, could never obtain justice,
when their opposers were either powerful or rich. Another
evil not less enormous troubled the kingdom; law-suits
were spun out to such a length, were so expensive, and
accompanied by so much trick and chicanery, that most
people rather chose to abandon their rights than engage in
the recovery of them by suits which had no prospect of
coming to an end. D‘Amboise resolved to remedy this
abuse. He called to his assistance many lawyers and civilians, the most learned and of the greatest integrity;
and charged them to form a plan, by which justice might
be administered without partiality, the duration of lawsuits abridged and rendered less ruinous, and the corruption of the judges prevented. When these commissioners
had made their report, d’Amboise undertook the laborious
task of examining into the changes they had proposed in
the old laws, and the new regulations they designed to
establish; and after having made some changes, these new
regulations were published throughout the kingdom. As
he was governor of Normandy, he made a progress through
that province for the express purpose of seeing his new
code properly established.
tin the liturgy of the eastern clergy, previously to the use of it being expressly sanctioned by the pope. After having been employed by Leo X. for two years in giving
, a learned
Italian orientalist, was born in 1469, a descendant of the
noble family of the counts of Albanese. At fifteen months
he is said to have spoken his native language with facility,
and at fifteen years, to have spoken and written Greek and
Latin with a promptitude equal to the best scholars of his
time. He entered young into the order of regular canons
of St. John of Lateran, but did not come to Rome until
1512, at the opening of the fifth session of the Lateran
council. The great number of ecclesiastics from Syria,
Ethiopia, and other parts of the East, who attended that
council, afforded him an opportunity of prosecuting his
studies with advantage: and at the request of the cardinal
Santa Croce, he was employed as the person best qualified
to translate from the Chaldean into Latin the liturgy of
the eastern clergy, previously to the use of it being expressly sanctioned by the pope. After having been employed by Leo X. for two years in giving instructions in
Latin to the subdeacon Elias, a legate from Syria to the
council, whom the pope wished to retain in his court, and
from whom Ambrogio received in return instructions in the
Syrian tongue, he was appointed by the pontiff to a professor’s chair in the university of Bologna, where he delivered instructions in the Syriac and Chaldaic languages
for the first time that they had been publicly taught in Italy.
He is said to have understood no less than eighteen languages, many of which he spoke with the ease and fluency
of a native; but from the letter quoted by Mazzuchelli, it
appears more probable that he was master of at least ten
languages, and understood many others partially. In the
commotions which devastated Italy after the death of Leo X.
he was despoiled in 1527 of the numerous and valuable
eastern manuscripts, Chaldean, Hebrew, and Greek, which
he had collected by the industry of many years, and of the
types and apparatus which he had prepared for an edition
of the Psalter in the Chaldean, accompanied with a dissertation on that language. He afterwards, however, came
to Venice, in the prosecution of this object; and, in 15.39,
published at Pavia, his “Introduction to the Chaldean,
Syrian, Armenian, and ten other tongues, with the alphabetical characters of about forty different languages,
” 4to,
which is considered by the Italians themselves as the
earliest attempt made in Italy towards a systematic acquaintance with the literature of the East. He died the
year following.
ous devotee, to whom he was affectionately attached, and who had received the veil from the hands of pope Liberius. He wrote several treatises on this subject, and attempted
In his general conduct he was distinguished for his sincerity, charity, and piety, but he could not withstand all
the superstitious practices of his time. His encomiums on
virginity were certainly extravagant and pernicious. This
has been attributed to the little acquaintance he had with
the scriptures before his ordination, and to the influence
of his sister Marcellina, a zealous devotee, to whom he
was affectionately attached, and who had received the veil
from the hands of pope Liberius. He wrote several treatises on this subject, and attempted to reduce the rules of
it to a kind of system, and probably induced many young
women, who might otherwise have been ornaments of society, to become the victims of solitary restraint, and
fanciful continence. In other respects he inculcated the
essentials of Christianity with fervour and success, and
uniformly practised its virtues. When the ravages of the
Goths afforded him an opportunity to exercise his liberality, he scrupled not to apply the vessels of the church
to redeem captives, and vindicated himself against those
who censured his conduct. In the instruction of catechumens, he was remarkably indefatigable, and his character
rose to such estimation, that his person was supposed to
be sacredly guarded. Some stories to this effect are related in his life by Paulinus, which perhaps may not now
obtain credit. On one occasion, when a woman insulted him, he told her that “she ought to fear the judgment of God,
” and she died next day. On another
occasion, when two Arians, of the court of Gratian, intended to pass a ridicule upon him, they were both thrown
from their horses, and died before they could accomplish
their purpose. These stories, questionable or not, at least
show the veneration paid to his character, while a modern
reader is left to draw what other inference he pleases.
or the politeness of men of letters. His talents would have recommended him to the purple, which the pope intended, but this was prevented by his death, Oct. 23, 1439.
, a monk, and general of the monks of Camalduli, was born in 1373, at Portico in the Romagna.
Eugene IV. sent him to the council of Basil, where he
much distinguished himself, as well as at those of Ferrara
and Florence. He acquired a high degree of reputation
by his profound knowledge of the Greek language, by
his uncommon acquaintance with Grecian literature, by
the zeal and industry he discovered in the attempts he
made to effectuate a reconciliation between the Greek and
Latin churches. He was no less admired for his candid and
liberal spirit, and placid and serene temper. Having
failed in an attempt to reconcile those literary rivals Poggius and Valla, he told them that men who made use of
abusive language could not be supposed to possess either
the charity of Christians, nor the politeness of men of
letters. His talents would have recommended him to the
purple, which the pope intended, but this was prevented
by his death, Oct. 23, 1439. He was employed, by order
of pope Eugenius IV. to reform several convents of both
sexes, which had become irregular; and he has described
the result of his labours in this difficult work in his “Hodseporicon,
” which contains particulars of the behaviour
of the inhabitants of those convents, which he found it necessary to express in Greek. This was printed at Florence,
1431 and 1432, 4to, both scarce editions, and 1678, 8vo.
The other works of this learned monk were Latin translations from the fathers. Martenne, in his “Collectio amplissima,
” has published twenty books of his letters, which
contain many curious particulars of the history of his time.
He also translated Diogenes Laertiusinto Latin, which was
printed at Venice, 1475, and is a book of great price, as
being prior in date by nearly sixty years to any edition of
that author.
under that of La Mothe Josseval. His translation of father Paul was attacked by the partisans of the pope’s unbounded power and authority. In France, however, it met
, called
by some Abraham Nicholas, but, according to Niceron,
Nicholas only appears in his baptismal register, was born
February. 1634, at Orleans. He was much esteemed at
the court of France, and appointed secretary of an embassy which that court sent to the commonwealth of Venice,
as appears by the title of his translation of father Paul’s
history of the council of Trent; but he afterwards published
writings which gave such offence, that he was imprisoned
in the Bastile. The first works he printed were the “History of the Government of Venice, and that of the Uscocks,
a people of Croatia:
” in l'Homme de Cour.
”
In his preface he defends Gracian against father Bouhours’
critique, and gives his reasons why he ascribes this book
to Baltasar and not to Laurence Gracian. He also mentions that he had altered the title, because it appeared too
ostentatious and hyperbolical; that of “l'Homme de Cour,
”
the Courtier, being more proper to express the subject of
the book, which contains a collection of the finest maxims
for regulating a court-life. In 1686, he printed “La Morale de Tacite;
” in which he collected several particular
facts and maxims, that represent in a strong light the artifices of court-flatteries, and the mischievous effect of their
conversations. In 1690, he published at Paris a French
translation of the first six books of Tacitus’s annals, with
his historical and political remarks, some of which, according to Mr. Gordon, are pertinent and useful, but many
of them insipid and trifling. Amelot having employed his
peri for several years on historical and political subjects,
began now to try his genius on religious matters; and in
1691 printed at Paris a translation of “Palafox’s theological and moral Homilies upon the passion of our Lord.
”
Frederic Leonard, a bookseller at Paris, having proposed,
in the year 1692, to print a collection of all the treaties of
peace between the kings of France and all the other princes
of Europe, since the reign of Charles VII. to the year 1690,
Amelot published a small volume in duodecimo, containing
a preliminary discourse upon these treaties; wherein he
endeavours to show the insincerity of courts in matters of
negociation. He published also an edition of. cardinal
d'Ossat’s letters in 1697, with several observations of his
own; which, as he tells us in his advertisement, may serve
as a supplement to the history of the reigns of Henry III.
and Henry IV. of France. Amelot died at Paris, Dec. 8,
1706, being then almost 73 years of age, and left several
other works enumerated by Niceron, who objects to his
style, but praises his fidelity. The freedom with which
he wrote on political subjects appears to have procured for
him a temporary fame, unaccompanied with any other advantages. Although he was admired for his learning and
political knowledge, he was frequently in most indigent
circumstances, and indebted to the bounty of his friends.
s still in the Montava palace, and has been engraved. He then went to Rome to study the antique, and pope Julius III. employed him in works of sculpture in the capitol.
, a celebrated architect
and sculptor, was born at Florence in 1511, and was at first
the scholar of Baccio Bandinelli, and then of Sansovino
at Venice; but on his return to his own country, he studied
with much enthusiasm the sculptures of Michael Angelo in
the chapel of St. Laurence. His first works are at Pisa;
for Florence he executed a Leda, and about the same time,
for Naples, the three figures, large as life, on the tomb of
the poet Sannazarius. Meeting with some unpleasant circumstances here, he returned to Venice, and made the
colossal Neptune, which is in St. Mark’s place. At Padua
he made another colossal statue, of Hercules, which is still
in the Montava palace, and has been engraved. He then
went to Rome to study the antique, and pope Julius III.
employed him in works of sculpture in the capitol. Some
time after, in conjunction withVasari, he erected the tomb
of cardinal de Monti, which added very considerably to his
fame. Besides these, he executed a great number of
works for Rome, Florence, and other places. The porticoes of the court of the palace Pitti are by him, as well as
the bridge of the Trinity, one of the finest structures that
have been raised since the revival of the arts, the facade of
the Roman college, and the palace Rupsoli on the Corso.
This architect composed a large work, entitled “La Cita,
”
comprising designs for all the public edifices necessary to a
great city. This book, after having passed successively
through several hands, was presented some time in the
eighteenth century to prince Ferdinand of Tuscany, and
it is now among the collection of designs in the gallery of
Florence, after having been long inquired after, and supposed to be lost. After the death of his wife, he devoted
the greater part of his wealth to pious purposes, and died
himself in 1592. His wife, Laura Battiferri, an Italian
lady of distinguished genius and learning, was the daughter of John. Antony Battiferri, and was born at Urbino in
1513. She spent her whole life in the study of philosophy
and polite literature, and is esteemed one of the best Italian poets of the sixteenth century. The principal merit
of her poems, “L'Opere Toscane,
”
Marcellus Marcini being chosen pope in 1555, under the name of Marcellus II. Ammirato, who knew
Marcellus Marcini being chosen pope in 1555, under
the name of Marcellus II. Ammirato, who knew that Nicolao Majorano, bishop of Molfetta, a city near Barri, had
been formerly a friend of the pope’s, persuaded him to go
to Rome, and congratulate him upon his election, with a
view, by attending the bishop in his journey, to procure
some place under the nephews of that pope; but, as they
were preparing for this journey, the death of Marcellus
put a stop to their intended scheme, and destroyed their
hopes; upon which Ammirato retired to a country-seat of
his father’s, where he applied himself closely to his studies.
At last he was determined to return to Naples, in order to
engage again in the study of the law, and to take his degrees in it; his relish for this profession was not in the
least increased, but he thought the title he might procure
would be of advantage to him. He had not, however,
been six months at Naples, before he grew weary of it,
and entered successively into the service of several noblemen as secretary. Upon his return to Lucca, he was appointed by this city to go and present a petition to pope
Pius IV. in their favour, which office he discharged with
success. Upon his return to Lucca, he was appointed by
the city of Naples to settle there, and write the history of
that kingdom; but the cold reception he met with from the
governors who had sent for him, disgusted him so much,
that he left the city with a resolution to return no more,
and although they repented afterwards of their neglect of
him, and used all possible means to bring him back, he
continued inflexible. He then went to Rome, where he
procured a great many friends; and, having travelled over
part of Italy, visited Florence, where he resolved to settle,
being engaged by the kind reception which the Grand
Duke gave to men of letters. He was appointed to write
the history of Florence, and received many instances of that
prince’s bounty, which he increased after this publication,
by presenting him with a canonry in the cathedral of Florence. This easy situation now gave him an opportunity
of applying himself more vigorously to his studies, and
writing the greatest part of his works. He died at
Florence the 30th of January, 1601, in the 69th year of his
age. His works are as follow: 1. “Arguments,
” in Italian verse, of the cantos of Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso,
which were first published in the edition of that poem at
Venice, in 1548, in 4to. 2. “II Decalione dialogo del
poeta,
” Naples, 1560, 8vo. 3. “Istorie Florentine dopo
la fondatione di Fierenze insino all' anno 1574,
” printed
at Florence, Discorsi sopra
Cornelio Tacito,
” Florence, Delle famiglie nobili Napolitane,
” part I. at Florence, Discorsi delle famiglie Paladina et PAntoglietta,
” Florence,
Albero et storia della famiglia de conte
Guidi, coll' agiunte de Scipione Ammirato Giovane,
” Florence, Delle famiglie Florentine,
”
Florence, Vescovi de Fiesoli di Volterra,
e d‘Arezzo, con l’aggiiinta di Scipione Ammirato il Giovane,
” Florence, Opuscoli varii,
” Florence, Rime varie,
” printed in a
collection of poems by different authors. Venice, 1553, in
8vo. 12. “Poesi Spirituali,
” Venice, Annotazioni sopra la seconde parte de Sonetti di
Bernardino Rota fatti in morte di Porzia Capece sua moglia,
” Naples,
s educated in all the polite literature of Italy, and became apostolic notary, and collector for the pope Jn England. Here he spent the latter years of his life, in the
, a native of Lucca, born in
1477, was educated in all the polite literature of Italy, and
became apostolic notary, and collector for the pope Jn
England. Here he spent the latter years of his life, in the
society and intimacy of the most eminent scholars of that
time, as Colet, Grocyn, Erasmus, &c. and studied with
them at Oxford. He was also Latin secretary, and in
much favour with Adrian de Castello, bishop of Bath and
Wells, who is said to have made such interest as procured
him the secretaryship to Henry VIII. He was also made
prebendary of Compton-Dunden in the church of Wells,
and, as some report, rector of Dychiat in the same diocese.
By the recommendation of the king he was also made a
prebendary of Salisbury, and in all probability, would have
soon attained higher preferment, had he not been cut off
by the sweating sickness, in the prime of life, 1517. Erasmus, with whom he corresponded, lamented his death in
most affectionate terms. He is mentioned as a writer of
poetry, but his poems do not exist either in print or manuscript, except one short piece in the “Bucolicorum auctores,
” Basil,
the doctor, and father of our author, was the youngest brother of Amory, or Darner, the miser, whom Pope calls the wealthy and the wise; from whom came lord Milton,
Counsellor Amory, the grandfather of the doctor, and father of our author, was the youngest brother of Amory, or Darner, the miser, whom Pope calls the wealthy and the wise; from whom came lord Milton, &c. He married the daughter of Fitz Maurice, earl of Kerry; sir William Petty, another daughter; and the grandfather of the duke of Leinster, a third. He died at the age of 97, in 1789.
the invocation of saints, purgatory, and the merit of good works; that they would set bounds to the pope’s power, and in case they met with opposition from the court
In 1631, he was sent deputy to the national council at Charenton; and by this assembly was appointed to address the king, and lay before his majesty their complaints concerning the infraction of the edicts.: he was particularly charged not to deliver his speech upon his knees, as the deputies of the former national synod had done. He managed this affair with so much address, that he was introduced to the king according to the ancient custom, and in the manner that was agreeable to the assembly: and it was on this occasion that he became acquainted with cardinal Richelieu, who conceived a great esteem for him, and imparted to him the design he had formed of re-uniting the two churches. The Jesuit who conferred with Mr. Amyraut upon this subject was father Audebert. Mr. de Villeneuve, lord lieutenant of Saumur, having invited them both to dinner, took care they should confer in private, but Mr. Amyraut protested, that he could not forbear imparting to his colleagues all that should pass between them. The Jesuit told him he was sent by the king and his eminence, to propose an agreement in point of religion; that the Roman catholics were ready to sacrifice to the public truicjuilJity the invocation of saints, purgatory, and the merit of good works; that they would set bounds to the pope’s power, and in case they met with opposition from the court of Rome, they would lay hold on that occasion to create a patriarch; that the laity should be allowed the communion in both kinds; and that they would give up several other points, provided they found in the Protestants a sincere desire of peace and union. But he declared, when Mr. Amyraut touched upon the doctrines of the eucharist, that no alteration would be admitted there; and Amyraut immediately answered, that then they could come to no aoreement. This conference lasted about four hours: the Jesuit still required secrecy but Mr. Amyraut protested, according to the declaration he had made first to Mr. Villeneuve, that he would communicate the whole matter to his colleagues, and that he would be answerable for their prudence and discretion. About this time he published a piece, in which he explained the mystery of predestination and grace, according to the hypothesis of Camero, which occasioned a kind of civil war amongst the protestant divines of France. Those who disliked the hypothesis, derided it as a novelty, especially when they saw themselves joined by the great du Moulin, who accused Amyraut of Arianism. The authority of this famous divine, to whom the people paid a great respect and veneration on account of the many books of controversy he had published, made so deep an impression in the minds of many ministers, that, though Amyraut had published a piece, wherein he maintained Calvin to have held universal grace, yet many deputies at the national synod of Alengon came charged with instructions against him, and some were even for deposing him. The deputies of the provinces beyond the Loire were the most violent against him; but the synod, after having heard Amyraut explain his opinion, in several sessions, and answer the objections, honourably acquitted him, and enjoined silence in respect to questions of this nature. This, however, was not strictly observed by either side; for complaints were made against Amyraut, in the national synod of Charenton, for having acted contrary to the regulations concerning that silence; and he, in his turn, complained of infractions of the same nature. The assembly, by a kind of amnesty, suppressed these mutual complaints; and having renewed the injunction of silence, sent back Amyraut to his employment, permitting him to oppose foreigners who should attack him, in what manner the synod of Anjou should think proper, and this synod allowed him to publish an answer to the three volumes of Spanhemius upon universal grace, which occasioned the writing of several others.
Bibliotheque of the Spanish writers does not mention all his works; the book he wrote concerning the pope’s authority, during the council (“De conciliorum autoritate,”)
, or Andradius, a
learned Portuguese, was born in 1528, at Coimbra, and
distinguished himself at the council of Trent, where king
Sebastian sent him as one of his divines. He pveached
before the assembly the second Sunday after Easter in
1562: nor was he contented with the service he did in
explaining those points upon which he was consulted, but
he employed his pen in defence of the canons of the
council, in a treatise entitled “Orthodoxarum explicationum, lib. x.
” Venice, Examen concilii Tridentini,
” Andrada thought himself obliged to defend his
first piece against this learned adversary. He composed
therefore a book, which his two brothers published after
his death, at Lisbon, in 1578, 4to, entitled “Defensio
Tridentinse fidei catholicse quinque libris comprehensa,
adversus ha^reticorum calumnias, et praesertim Martini
Chernnitii.
” This work is likewise very difficult to be met
with. There is scarce any catholic author who has been
more quoted by the protestants than he, because he maintained the opinions of Zuinglius, Erasmus, &c. concerning the salvation of the heathens. Andrada was esteemed
an excellent preacher: his sermons were published in
three parts, the second of which was translated into Spanish by Benedict de Alarcon. The Bibliotheque of the
Spanish writers does not mention all his works; the book
he wrote concerning the pope’s authority, during the
council (“De conciliorum autoritate,
”) in Ort&odox explanations of
Andradius,
” gives him the character of a man of wit, vast
application, great knowledge in the languages, with all the
zeal and eloquence necessary to a good preacher; and
Rosweidus says, that he brought to the council of Trent
the understanding of a most profound divine, and the eloquence of a consummate orator.
rmaque morum;” or, rabbi of the doctors, the light, censor, and rule of manners; and it is said that pope Boniface called him “lumen mundi,” the light of the world. Bayle
Andreas had a beautiful daughter, named Novella, whom
he is said to have instructed so well in all parts of learning,
that when he was engaged in any affair, which hindered
him from reading lectures to his scholars, he sent his
daughter in his room; when, lest her beauty should prevent the attention of the hearers, she had a little curtain
drawn before her. To perpetuate the memory of this
daughter, he entitled his commentary upon the Decretals
of Gregory X. “the Novelloe.
” He married her to John
Calderinus, a learned canonist. The first work of Andreas
was his Gloss upon the sixth book of the Decretals, Rome
1476, and five editions afterwards at Pavia, Basil, and Venice. This work he wrote when he was very young. He
wrote also Glosses upon the Clementines, Strasburgh, 147 I,
and Mentz, Rome, and Basil, four times; and a Commentary in Regulas Sexti, which he entitled “Mercuriales,
”
because he either engaged in it on Wednesdays, diebus
Mercurii, or because he inserted his Wednesday’s disputes
in it. He enlarged the Speculum of Durant, in the year
1347, but this is taken literally from Ostradus. Andreas
died of the plague at Bologna in 1348, after he had
been a professor forty-five years, and was buried in the
church of the Dominicans. Many eulogiums have been
bestowed upon him: he was called archidoctor decretorum;
in his epitaph he has the title of “Rabbi doctorum, lux,
censor, normaque morum;
” or, rabbi of the doctors, the
light, censor, and rule of manners; and it is said that pope
Boniface called him “lumen mundi,
” the light of the
world. Bayle objects, that Andreas followed the method
of the Pyrrhonists too much; that he proved his own opinion very solidly when he chose, but that he often rather
related the sentiments of others, and left his readers to form
their own determination.
of Viesti, Gallipoli, and Gragnano, first chaplain of the troops of the kingdom of Naples and of the pope, auditor of M. Nicholas Negroni, and afterwards of the cardinal
, author of several pieces
relating to the history of literature, was born the 14th of
October 1675, at Lecce, the capital of Otranto in the
kingdom of Naples, of one of the noblest and most considerable families in that city. He began his studies at
Lecce, and at seventeen years of age went to finish them at
Naples, where he applied very closely to the Greek language and geometry. He went afterwards to Macerata,
where he was admitted LL. D. His desire of improvement;
induced him also to travel into France and Spain, where
he acquired great reputation. Several academies of Italy
were ambitious of procuring him as a member, in consequence of which we find his name not only amongst those
of the Transformati and Spioni of Lecce, but also in that
of the Investiganti of Naples, in the academy of Florence,
and in that of the Arcadians at Rome, into the last of which
he was admitted the 8th of August 1698. $Ie went into
orders very early, and was afterwards canon aftd grand penitentiary of the church of Lecce, vicar general of Viesti,
Gallipoli, and Gragnano, first chaplain of the troops of the
kingdom of Naples and of the pope, auditor of M. Nicholas Negroni, and afterwards of the cardinal his uncle.
Whilst Philip V. of Spain was master of the kingdom of
Naples, he was honoured with the title of principal historiographer, which had likewise been given him when he
was in France, by Louis XIV.; and he afterwards became
secretary to the duke of Gravina. He died at Lecce the
9th of August 1719, and was interred in the cathedral of
that city; or, according to another authority, Aug. 7, 1718.
His works are, 1. “Dissertazione intorna alia patria di
Ennio,
” Rome, Vita di rnonsignor Roberto Caracciolo
vescovo d' Aquino e di Lecce, 1703.
” 3. “Delia vita di
Scipione Ammiralo, patrizio Leccese, libri tre,
” Lecce,
Vita di Antonio Caraccio da Nardo.
” 5. “Vita
di Andrea Peschiulli da Corigliano.
” These two are not
printed separately, but in a collection entitled “Vite de'
Letterati Salentini.
” 6. “Vita di Giacomo Antonio Ferrari,
” Lecce, Vita di Giorgio Baglivo,
” Leccese. 8. “Lettera discorsiva al March. Giovani GioSeffo Orsi, dove si tratto dell' origine e progressi de signori
accademici Spioni, e delle varie loro lodevoli applicazioni,
”
Lecce, Discorso historico, in cui si tratta
dell' origine e delle fondazione della citta di Lecce e
d'Alcune migliori e piu principal! notizie di essa,
” Lecce,
1705. 10. “Le Vite de letterati Salentini, parte I.
” The
Lives of the learned men of Terra d'Otranto, part I. Florence in the title, but really Naples, 1710. The second
part was published at Naples, 1713, in 4to. 11. “Orazione funebre recitata in occasione della morte dell' imperadore Giuseppe nel vescoval domo di Gallipoli,
” Naples,
Scritto istorico legale sopra le ragioni della
suspension! del' interdetto locale generale della chiefa di
Lecce e sua diocesi,
” Rome, Tre lettere legale.
” These three letters were written in defence of the
right of the church of Lecce. 14. He wrote likewise several poems, particularly seven sonnets, which are published
in the second part of the “Rimo scelte del sign. Bartolommeo Lippi,
” printed at Lucca,
ttempt various translations. On his return he went to Rome, and was a candidate for the place pf the pope’s secretary, which at that time Leonard d'Arezzo obtained, but
, a Florentine writer of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, was
born at Scarperia, in the valley of Mugello, and studied
under John de Ravenna, Vargerius, Scala, Poggio, and
other learned men. After studying mathematics for some
time, he went to Constantinople, where he resided nine
years, and Whence he sent a great number of letters to
Emmanuel Chrysoloras at Florence. Here likewise he had
an opportunity of studying the Greek language, and acquired such an acpurate knowledge of it as to attempt various translations. On his return he went to Rome, and
was a candidate for the place pf the pope’s secretary, which
at that time Leonard d'Arezzo obtained, but Angelo appears to have held the office in 1410. From this time we
have no account of him, except that he is said to have died
in the prime of life. He translated from Greek into Latin,
J. “Cosmographise Ptolomaei, lib. VIII.
” 2. “Ptolojnaei quadripartitum.
” 3. “Ciceronis vita,
” from Plutarch.
4. The lives of Pompey, Brutus, Marius, and Julius Caesar,
also from Plutarch, but not printed. There is likewise a
work entitled “Jacob! Angeli historica na'rratio de vita,
rebusque gestis M. Tullii Ciceronis,
” Wirtemberg,
take place before the coming of Antichrist, was fulfilled in the surrender of the temporal powers to pope Boniface by the emperor Phocas, and that Mahomet, who appeared
His fourth work, published at London, 1624, in Gr. and
Lat. is entitled “Labor C. A. de Apostasia Ecclesiae, et
de Homine peccati, scilicet Antichristo, &c.
” The object
is, in the first'instance, to establish a distinction betwixt
the apostacy and the man of sin in 2 Thess. ii. 3; to prove
that the apostacy, predicted as necessary to take place before the coming of Antichrist, was fulfilled in the surrender
of the temporal powers to pope Boniface by the emperor
Phocas, and that Mahomet, who appeared within eleven
years after, was the Antichrist; and lastly, to demonstrate,
by some ingenious calculations, which are also applied to
other subjects of prophecy, that the destruction of the last
of the Mahomets, to all of whom he attaches the title of
Antichrist, will happen in the year 1376.
ecame attached to the court, and was appointed a member of the council for the affairs of India. The pope, at the king’s request, made him apostolical prothonotary, and
, an Italian scholar,
was born in 1455, at Arona, on the Lake Major. His family, one of the most illustrious in Milan, took the name of
Anghiera, from the same lake, which is partly in the county
of Anghiera. In 1477, he went to Rome, and entered
into the service of the cardinal Ascanio Sforza Visconti,
and afterwards into that of the archbishop of Milan.
During a residence there of ten years, he formed an acquaintance with the most eminent literary men of his time,
and among others, with Pomponio Leto. In 1487, he
went into Spain in the suite of the ambassador of that
court, who was returning home. By him he was presented
to Ferdinand and Isabella, king and queen, and served in
two campaigns, but quitted the army for the church, and
was appointed by the queen to teach the belles lettres to
the young men of the court, in which employment he continued for some time. Having on various occasions shown
a capacity for political business, Ferdinand, in 1501, employed him on an errand of considerable delicacy, to the
sultan of Egypt, in which he acquitted himself greatly to
his majesty’s satisfaction. While engaged in this business,
he took the opportunity of visiting some part of Egypt,
particularly the pyramids, and returned to Spain in the
month of August 1502. From this time he became attached to the court, and was appointed a member of the
council for the affairs of India. The pope, at the king’s
request, made him apostolical prothonotary, and in 1505,
prior of the church of Grenada, with a valuable benefice.
After the death of Ferdinand, Anghiera remained as much
in favour with the new king, and he also was presented
by Charles V. to a rich abbey. He died at Grenada in
1526, leaving several historical works, which are often
quoted by the name of Peter Martyr, as if that were his
family name; and in the Diet. Hist, he is recorded under
Martyr. His principal works are, 1. “Opus Epistolarum
Petri Martyris Anglerii, Mediolanensis,
” De
rebus Oceanicis etorbe novo Decades,
” a history of the discovery of the New World, compiled from the manuscripts of
Columbus, and the accounts he sent to Spain to the India
council, of which our author was a member. These Decades
were at first printed separately; the first edition of the whole
is that of Paris, 1536, fol. which has been often reprinted.
3. “De insulis nuper in vends et incolarum moribus,
” Basil, De legation e Baby lonica,
libri tres,
” printed with the Decades, which contains an account of his embassy to the sultan of Egypt. Some other
works, but rather on doubtful authority, have been attributed to him.
testabiy from Vasari, who tells us, that she painted the portrait of the queen of Spain, by order of Pope Paul IV. in 1561; and to prove this fact, he inserts the letter
, an eminent Italian paintress, was born at Cremona in 1533, of a distinguished family. The author of the Museum Fforentinum is guilty of a very remarkable anachronism, in regard to Sophonisba; for he hxes her birth in 1559, in which year it w absolutely impossible she could have been born. This appears incontestabiy from Vasari, who tells us, that she painted the portrait of the queen of Spain, by order of Pope Paul IV. in 1561; and to prove this fact, he inserts the letter which she sent along with the picture to the Pope, and also the Pope’s answer, both dated in 1561; Sophonisba’s from Madrid the 16th of September, and the Pope’s from Rome the 15th of October; at which time, according to the Museum Florentinum, she could have been only two years old, if born in 1559. The first instructor of this eminent paintress was Bernardini Campo of Cremona; but she learned colouring and perspective from Bernardo Gatti, called Soiaro. One of her first performances was the portrait of her father, placed between his two children, with such strong characters of life and nature, with a pencil so free and firm, and so lively a turn of colour, that her work was universally applauded, and she was acknowledged an incomparable painter of portraits. Through every part of Italy she is distinguished by no other name than that of Sophonisba. But although portraits engrossed the greatest part of her time, yet she designed several historical subjects, with figures of a small size, touched with abundance of spirit, and with attitudes easy, natural, and graceful. By continual application to her profession she lost her sight; and it is recorded thatVandyck, having had an opportunity of conversingjwith Sophonisba, used to say, that he received more beneficial knowledge of the two principles of his art from one blind woman, than by studying all the works of the greatest masters of Italy. At Lord Spencer’s, at Wimbledon, there is a portrait of Sophonisba, playing on the' harpsichord, painted by herself; an old woman appears as her attendant; and on the picture is written, Jussu Patris. And at Wilton, in the Pembroke collection, is the marriage of St. Catherine, painted by Sophonisba. One of her sisters, named Lucia Angusciola, painted portraits, and gained by her performances a reputation not inferior to Sophonisba, as well in regard to the truth and delicacy of her colouring, as the justness of the resemblance. And another of her sisters, named Europa Angusciola, from her infancy manifested an extraordinary turn for painting, and shewed such taste and elegance in her manner of design, as to procure a degree of applause almost equal to Lucia or Sophonisba.
at Paris. After arriving at other honours in the Romish church, he fell under the displeasure of the pope Urban VI. and retired to the convent of Bologna, where he wrote
,
commonly called Michael of Bologna, a Romish divine
of distinguished learning in the fourteenth century, was
born at Bologna in Italy, where he entered of the order of
the Carmelites; but studied afterwards in the university of
Paris, and there received the degree of doctor. In the
general chapter of his order, which was held at Ferrara
in 1354, in that of Bourdeaux in 1358, and in that of
Treves in 1362, he was named regent of the convent at
Paris. After arriving at other honours in the Romish church,
he fell under the displeasure of the pope Urban VI. and
retired to the convent of Bologna, where he wrote a great
many books, and where he died Nov. 16, 1400, according to father Lewis de Sainte Terese; or Dec. 1, 1416,
according to Trithemius and Du Pin. The editors of the
General Dictionary incline to the former date. Of his
works, there were published, “Super Sententias libri IV.
”
Milan, 1510; and Venice, 1632, fol. “Commentaria in
Psalmos,
” which was first published at Alcala in
he principally engraved medals; and his engravings of the medals of Henry II. king of France, and of pope Paul III. which has on the reverse, Alexander the Great kneeling
, a Venetian engraver, is said to have acquired so much precision and delicacy in executing small objects, that Michael Angelo, in whose time he appears to have flourished, considered him as having attained the very perfection of his art; he principally engraved medals; and his engravings of the medals of Henry II. king of France, and of pope Paul III. which has on the reverse, Alexander the Great kneeling before the high priest of Jerusalem, are greatly valued by connoisseurs. Strutt mentions another Anichini, an Italian artist, who flourished about 1655, who appears to have been an engraver of some note; but we have no account of his life.
edible zeal, the new heresy of the Jansenists. He strenuously endeavoured to get it condemned by the pope, and restrained by the authority of the king. Besides which,
, confessor to Lewis XIV. was born
at Rouergue, in 1590. He became a Jesuit in 1607, and
professed the fourth vow in 1624. He taught philosophy at
Toulouse six years, and divinity seven; and having discharged his duty in each of these capacities with great
applause, he was invited to Rome, to act as censor-general of the books published by the Jesuits, and theologist to
the general of the society. Upon his return to his own
province, he was appointed rector of the colleges of Montpellier and of Toulouse. He assisted as deputy of his
province at the eighth congregation-general of the Jesuits
held at Rome in 1645, where he distinguished himself in
such a manner, that father Vincent Caraffa, general of the
Jesuits, thought no person more fit to discharge the office
of assistant of France, which had been vacant for some
time. The ninth congregation gave him the same post,
under Francis Picolimini, general of the society, upon
whose death he was made provincial of the province of
France. Whilst he was engaged in this employment, he
was chosen confessor to the king 1654; and after having
discharged this office 16 years, he was obliged to solicit
his dismission; his great age having much impaired his
hearing. Father Sotueil, from whom these particulars are
taken, gives him the character of a person of great virtues,
perfect disinterestedness, modesty, and humility; exact in
practising the observances and discipline of his order; extremely cautious in using his interest for his own advantage, or that of his family; and of uncommon zeal for religion. “He was the hammer of heretics,” says he,
“and attacked particularly, with incredible zeal, the new
heresy of the Jansenists. He strenuously endeavoured to
get it condemned by the pope, and restrained by the authority of the king. Besides which, he confuted it with
such strength of argument, that his adversaries had nothing solid to reply to him.
” There are many (says Mr. Bayle) whom father Sotueil will never convince in this last
point; but he seems to agree with him in the character of
disinterestedness which he gives to Annat, who stirred so
little for the advancement of his family, that the king is
reported to have said, he knew not whether father Annat
had any relations.
between him and the archbishop, was Anselm’s desiring leave to go to Rome, to receive the pall from pope Urban II. whom the king of England did not acknowledge as pope,
, archbishop of Canterbury in the reigns of
William Rufus and Henry I was an Italian by birth, and
born in 1033 at Aost, or Augusta, a town at the foot of the
Alps, belonging to the duke of Savoy. He was descended
of a considerable family: his father’s name was Gundulphus, and his mother’s Hemeberga. From early life his
religious cast of mind was so prevalent, that, at the age of
fifteen, he offered himself to a monastery, but was refused,
lest his father should have been displeased. After, however, he had gone through a course of study, and travelled
for some time in France and Burgundy, he took the monastic habit in the abbey of Bee in Normandy, of which
Lanfranc, afterwards archbishop of Canterbury, was then
prior. This was in 1060, when he was twenty-seven years
old. Three years after, when Lanfranc was made abbot of
Caen, Anselm succeeded him in the priory of Bee, and on
the death of the abbot, was raised to that office. About
the year 1092, Anselm came over into England, by the
inritation of Hugh, earl of Chester, who requested his assistance in his sickness. Soon after his arrival, William
Rufus, falling sick at Gloucester, was much pressed to fill
up the see of Canterbury. The king, it seems, at that
time, was much influenced by one Kanulph, a clergyman,
who, though a Norman and of mean extraction, had a great
share in the king’s favour, and at last rose to the post of
prime minister. This man, having gained the king’s ear
by flattering his vices, misled him in the administration,
and put him upon several arbitrary and oppressive expedients. Among others, one was, to seize the revenues of
a church, upon the death of a bishop or abbot; allowing
the dean and chapter, or convent, but a slender pension
for maintenance. But the king now falling sick, began to
be touched with remorse of conscience, and among other
oppressions, was particularly afflicted for the injury he had
done the church and kingdom in keeping the see of Canterbury, and some others, vacant. The bishops and other
great men therefore took this opportunity to entreat the
king to fill up the vacant sees; and Anselm, who then
lived in the neighbourhood of Gloucester, being sent for
to court, to assist the king in his illness, was considered
by the king as a proper person, and accordingly nominated
to the see of Canterbury, which had been four years vacant,
and was formerly filled by his old friend and preceptor Lanfranc. Anselm was with much difficulty prevailed upon to
accept this dignity, and evidently foresaw the difficulties of
executing his duties conscientiously under such a sovereign
as William Rufus. Before his consecration, however, he gained a promise from the king for the restitution of all the lands
which were in the possession of that see in Lanfranc’s time.
And thus having secured the temporalities of the archbishopric, and done homage to the king, he was consecrated with great solemnity on the 4th of December, 1093.
Soon after his consecration, the king intending to wrest
the duchy of Normandy from his brother Robert, and endeavouring to raise what money he could for that purpose,
Anselm made him an offer of five hundred pounds; which
the king thinking too little, refused to accept, and the archbishop thereby fell under the king’s displeasure. About
that time, he had a dispute with the bishop of London,
touching the right of consecrating churches in a foreign
diocese. The next year, the king being ready to embark
for Normandy, Anseim waited upon him, and desired his
leave to convene a national synod, in which the disorders
of the church and state, and the general dissolution of
manners, might be remedied: but the king refused his
request, and even treated him so roughly, that the archbishop and his retinue withdrew from the court, the licentious manners of which, Anselm, who was a man of inflexible piety, had censured with great freedom. Another
cause of discontent between him and the archbishop, was
Anselm’s desiring leave to go to Rome, to receive the pall
from pope Urban II. whom the king of England did not
acknowledge as pope, being more inclined to favour the
party of his competitor Guibert. To put an end to this
misunderstanding, a council, or convention, was held at
Rockingham castle, March 11, 1095. In this assembly,
Anselm, opening his cause, told them with what reluctancy he had accepted the archbishopric; that he had
made an express reserve of his obedience to pope Urban;
and that he was now brought under difficulties upon that
score. He therefore desired their advice how to act in
such a manner, as neither to fail in his allegiance to the
king, nor in his duty to the holy see. The bishops were
of opinion, that he ought to resign himself wholly to the
king’s pleasure. They told him, there was a general
complaint against him, for intrenching upon the king’s
prerogative; and that it would be prudence in him to wave
his regard for Urban; that bishop (for they would not call him pope) being in no condition to do him either good or
harm. To this Anselm returned, that he was engaged to
be no farther the king’s subject than the laws of Christianity would give him leave; that as he was willing “to
render unto Cassar the things that were Caesar’s,
” so he
must likewise take in the other part of the precept, and
“give unto God that which was God’s.
” Upon this William, bishop of Durham, a court prelate, who had inflamed
the difference, and managed the argument for the king,
insisted, that the nomination of the pope to the subject
was the principal jewel of the crown, and that by this privilege the kings of England were distinguished from the
rest of the princes of Christendom. This is sound doctrine, if that had really been the question; but, whatever
may be now thought of it, Anselm held an opinion in
which succeeding kings and prelates acquiesced, and in the
present instance, there is reason to think that William
Rufus’s objection was not to the pope, but to a pope. Be
this as it may, the result of this council was that the majority of the bishops, under the influence of the court,
withdrew their canonical obedience, and renounced Anselm for their archbishop, and the king would have even
had them to try and depose him, but this they refused. In
consequence of this proceeding, Anselm desired a passport to go to the continent, which the king refused, and
would permit only of a suspension of the affair from March
to Whitsuntide; but long before the expiration of the
term, he broke through the agreement, banished several
clergymen who were Anselm’s favourites, and miserably
harrassed the tenants of his see. Whitsuntide being at
length come, and the bishops having in vain endeavoured
to soften Anselm into a compliance, the king consented to
receive him into favour upon his own terms; and, because
Anselm persisted in refusing to receive the pall from the
king’s hands, it was at last agreed that the pope’s nuncio,
who had brought the pall into England, should carry it
clown to Canterbury, and lay it upon the altar of the cathedral, from whence Anselm was to receive it, as if it had
been put into his hands by St. Peter himself.
This may appear trifling; but as we have already said that the king’s objection was to a pope, and not to Me pope, jt is necessary to prove this by a circumstance
This may appear trifling; but as we have already said that the king’s objection was to a pope, and not to Me pope, jt is necessary to prove this by a circumstance which occurred during the interval above-mentioned, especially as this part of Anselm’s conduct has been objected to by some late biographers more acquainted with the opinions of their own time, than with the opinions and state of society in that of Anselm. During the above interval, Walter, bishop of Alba, was sent by Urban into England, attended by two clergymen, who officiated in the king’s chapel. These ecclesiastics had been privately dispatched to Rome, to inquire into the late election, and examine which of the two pretenders, Guibert or Urban, was canonically chosen, and finding the right lay in Urban, applied to him, and endeavoured to persuade him to send the king the archbishop of Canterbury’s pall. This was the king’s point; who thought, by getting the pall into his possession, he should be able to manage the archbishop. The pope complied so far, as to send the bishop of Alba to the king with the pall, but with secret orders concerning the disposal of it. This prelate arriving at the English court, discoursed very plausibly to the king, making him believe the pope was entirely in his interest; in consequence of which William ordered Urban to be acknowledged as pope in all his dominions. After he had thus far gratified the see of Rome, he began to treat with the legate about the deprivation of Anselm; but was greatly disappointed, when that prelate assured him the design was impracticable. As therefore it was now too late to go back, he resolved, since he could not have his revenge upon Anselm, to drop the dispute, and pretend himself reconciled. Matters being thus adjusted, the archbishop went to Canterbury, and received the pall with great solemnity the June following. And now it was generally hoped, that all occasion of difference between the king and the archbishop was removed; but it appeared soon after, that the reconciliation on the king’s part was not sincere. For William, having marched his forces into Wales, and brought that country to submission, took that opportunity to quarrel with Anselm, pretending he was not satisfied with the quota the archbishop had furnished for that expedition. Finding therefore his authority too weak to oppose the corruptions of the times, Anselm resolved to go in person to Rome, and consult the pope. But the king, to whom he applied for leave to go out of the kingdom, seemed surprised at the request, and gave him a flat denial. His request being repeated, the king gave his compliance in the form of a sentence of banishment, and at the meeting of the great council, Oct. 1097, commanded him to leave the kingdom within eleven days, without carrying any of his effects with him, and declared at the same time thut he should never be permitted to return. Anselm, nowise affected by this harsh conduct, went to Canterbury, divested himself of his archiepiscopal robes, and set out on his journey, embarking at Dover, after his baggage had been strictly searched by the king’s officers. As soon as the king heard that he had crossed the channel, he seized upon the estates and revenues of the archbishopric, and made every thing void which Anselm had done. The archbishop, however, got safe to Rome, and was honourably received by the pope, and after a short stay in that city, he accompanied the pope to a country seat near Capua, whither his holiness retired on account of the unhealthiness of the town. Here Anselm wrote a book, in which he gave an account of the reason of our Saviour’s incarnation. The pope wrote to the king of England in a strain of authority, enjoining him to reinstate Anselm in all the profits-und privileges of his see, and Anselm wrote into England upon the same subject. The king, on the other hand, endeavoured to get Anselm discountenanced abroad, and wrote to Roger, duke of Apulia, and others, to that purpose. But, notwithstanding his endeavours, Anselm was treated with all imaginable respect wherever he came, and was very serviceable to the pope in the council of Bari, which was held to oppose the errors of the Greek church, with respect to the procession of the Holy Ghost. In this synod Anselm answered the objections of the Greeks, and managed the argument with so much judgment, learning, and penetration, that he silenced his adversaries, and gave general satisfaction to the Western church. This argument was afterwards digested by him into a tract, and is extant among his other works. In the same council Anselm generously interposed, and prevented the pope from pronouncing sentence of excommunication against the king of England, for his frequent outrages on religion. After the synod of Bari was ended, the pope and Anselm returned to Rome, where an ambassador from the king of England was arrived, in order to disprove Anselm’s allegations and complaints against his master. At first the pope was peremptory in rejecting this ambassador; but the latter in a private conference, and through the secret influence of a large sum of money, induced the court of Rome to desert Auselm. Still the pope could not be resolute; for when the archbishop would have returned to Lyons, he could not part with him, but lodged him in a noble palace, and paid him frequent visits. About this time the pope having summoned a council to sit at Rome, Anselm had a very honourable seat assigned to him and his successors, this being the first appearance of an archbishop of Canterbury in a Roman synod. Nor was this all. for the bishop of Lucca, one of the members, alluded to Anselm’s case in a manner so pointed, that the pope was obliged to promise that matters should be rectified. When the council broke up, Anselm returned to Lyons, where he was entertained for some time by Hugo the archbishop, and remained there until the death of king William and pope Urban in 1100. Henry I. who succeeded William, having restored the sees of Canterbury, Winchester, and Salisbury, which had been sei'/ed by his predecessor, Anselm was solicited to return to England, and on his arrival at Clugny, an agent from the king presented him with a letter of invitation to his bishopric, and an excuse for his majesty’s not waiting until Anselm’s return, and receiving the crown from the hands of another prelate.
d in the mean time both parties were to send their agents to Rome, to try if they could persuade the pope to dispense with the canons of the late synod in relation to
When he came to England, September 1100, he was received with extraordinary respect by the king and people, but it being required that he should be re-invested by the king, and do the customary homage of his predecessors, he refused to comply, alledging the canons of the late synod at Rome about investitures. This synod excommunicated all lay persons, who should give investitures for abbies or cathedrals, and all ecclesiastics receiving investitures from lay hands, or who came under the tenure of homage for any ecclesiastical promotion, were put under the same censure. Displeased as the king was with Anselm’s adherence to this law, he was not sufficiently established on the throne to hazard an open rupture, and it was therefore agreed that the dispute should rest until Easter following, and in the mean time both parties were to send their agents to Rome, to try if they could persuade the pope to dispense with the canons of the late synod in relation to investitures. About this time, Anselm summoned a synod to meet at Lambeth, on occasion of the king’s intended marriage with Maud or Matilda, eldest daughter of Malcolm king of Scotland, and in this synod, it was determined, that the king might lawfully marry that princess, notwithstanding she was generally reported to be a nun, having worn the veil, and had her education in a religious house. Soon after the marriage, which Anselm celebrated, he was of signal service to king Henry against his brother the duke of Normandy, who had invaded England, and landed with a formidable army at Portsmouth, as he not only furnished the king with a large body of men, but was very active, likewise, in preventing a revolt of the great men from him. To engage the primate to perform these services, we are assured by Eadmer, his fr.end, secretary, and biographer, that the king solemnly promised io govern the kingdom by his advice, and submit in all tilings to the will of the pope, a promise which he seems to have kept no longer than danger was in view.
agents, sent by the king and the archbishop to Rome, being returned, brought with them a letter Irom pope Paschal to the king, in which his holiness absolutely refused
The agents, sent by the king and the archbishop to Rome, being returned, brought with them a letter Irom pope Paschal to the king, in which his holiness absolutely refused to dispense with the canons concerning investitures. The king, on his part, resolved not to give up what for some reigns had passed for part of the royal prerogative, and thus the difference was continued between the king and Anselm. In this dispute the majority of the bishops and temporal nobility were on the court side; and some of them were very earnest with the king, to break entirely with the see of Rome; but it was not thought adTiseable to proceed to an open rupture without trying a farther expedient; and therefore fresh agents were dispatched by the king to Rome, with instructions to offer the pope this alternative; either to depart from his former declaration, and relax in the point of investitures, or to be content with the banishment of Anselm, and to lose the obedience of the English, and the yearly profits accruing from that kingdom. At the same time, Anselm dispatched two monks, to inform the pope of the menaces of the English court. But the king’s ambassadors could not prevail with the pope to recede from his declaration; his holiness protesting he would sooner lose his life than cancel the decrees of the holy fathers, which resolution he signified by letters to the king and Anselm. Soon after, the king, having convened the great men of the kingdom at London, sent Anselm word, that he must either comply with the usages of his father’s reign, or quit England; but the agents disagreeing in their report of the pope’s answer, Anselm thought proper not to return a positive answer till farther information. And thus the controversy slept for the present. The next year a national synod was held under Anselm at St. Peter’s, Westminster; at which the king and the principal nobility were present, and in which several abbots were deposed for simony, and many canons were made. By one of these the married clergy were commanded to put away their wives, and by another it was decreed that the sons of priests should not be heirs to their fathers’ churches.
bishops and nobility in desiring Anselm to take a journey to Rome, to tiy if he could pe; suade the pope to relax, and Anselm accordingly set out, April 29. At the same
The king had an interview with the archbishop about mid-lent, 1103, in which he laboured both by threats and promises, to bring him to do homage for the temporalities of his see, but when he found him inflexible, he joined with the bishops and nobility in desiring Anselm to take a journey to Rome, to tiy if he could pe; suade the pope to relax, and Anselm accordingly set out, April 29. At the same time, the king dispatched one William Warelwast to Home, who, arriving there before Anselm, solicited-for the king his master, but to no purpose, as the pope persisted in refusing to grant the king the right of investiture. But, at the same time, his Holiness wrote a very ceremonious letter to the king of England, entreating him to wave‘ the contest, and promising all imaginable, compliance in other matters. Anselm, having taken leave of the court of Rome, returned to Lyons, where he received a sharp and reprimanding letter from a monk, acquainting him with the lamentable condition of the province of Canterbury, and blaming him for absenting himself at such a critical time. During the archbishop’s stay at Lyons, the king sent another embassy to Rome, to try if he could prevail with the pope to bring Anselm to a submission. But the pope, instead of being gained, excommunicated some of the English court, who had dissuaded the king from parting with the investitures, yet he declined pronouncing any censure against the king. Anselm, perceiving the court of Rome dilatory in its proceedings, removed from Lyons, and made a visit to the countess Adela, the conqueror’s daughter, at her castle in Blois. This lady inquiring into the business of Anselm’s journey, he told her that, after a great deal of patience and expectation, he must now be forced to excommunicate the king of England. The countess was extremely concerned for her brother, and wrote to the pope to procure an accommodation. The king, who was come into Normandy, hearing that Anselm designed to excommunicate him, desired his sister to bring him with her into Normandy, with a promise of condescension in several articles. To this Anselm agreed, and waited upon the king at a castle called L’Aigle, July 1105, where the king restored to him the revenues of the archbishopric, but would not permit him to come into England, unless he would comply in the affair of the investitures, which Anselm refusing, continued in France, till the matter was once more laid before the pope. But now the English bishops, who had taken part with the court against Anselm, began to change their minds, as appears by their letter directed to him in Normaiuly, in which, after having set forth the deplorable state of the church, they press him to come over with all speed, promising to stand by him, and pay him the regard due to his character. This was subscribed by Gerrard archbishop of York, Robert bishop of Chester, Herbert bishop of Norwich, Ralph bishop of Chichester, Samson bishop of Worcester, and William elect of Winchester. Anselm expressed his satisfaction at this conduct of the bishops, but acquainted them that it was not in his power to return, till he was farther informed of the proceedings of the court of Rome. In the mean time, being told, that the king had fined some of the clergy for a late breach of the canons respecting marriage, he wrote to his highness to complain of that stretch of his prerogative. At length the ambassadors returned from Rome, and brought with them a decision more agreeable than the former, for now th pope thought fit to make some advances towards gratifying the king, and though he would not give up the point of investitures, yet he dispensed so far as to give the bishops and abbots leave to do homage for their temporalities. The king, who was highly pleased with this condescension in the pope, sent immediately to invite Anselm to England; but the messenger finding him sick, the king himself went over into Normandy, and visited him at the abbey of Bee, where all differences between them were completely adjusted. As soon as Anselm. recovered, he embarked for England, and landing at Dover, was received with extraordinary marks of welcome, the queen herself travelling before him upon the road, to provide for his better entertainment. From this time very little happened in the life of this celebrated prelate, excepting only his contest with Thomas, archbishop elect of York, who endeavoured to disengage himself from a dependency on the see of Canterbury; but although Anselm died before the point was settled, Thomas was obliged to comply, and make his submission as usual to the archbishop of Canterbury. Anselm died at Canterbury, in the seventy-sixth year of his age, and the seventeenth of his prelacy, April 21, 1109.
then either law or practice. There can be no doubt that in the early ages of the English church, the pope had a kind of patriarchal power in England, and although we
Anselm’s character, in his own times, appears to have been that of a man of ardent piety, extensive learning, and great firmness and constancy in pursuing the measures which he thought most conducive to the interests of the church. How far he acted right in his adherence to the papal dominion, cannot he judged from what is now thought on that subject, but what was then either law or practice. There can be no doubt that in the early ages of the English church, the pope had a kind of patriarchal power in England, and although we find instances of disputes between some of our kings and the court of Home on this subject, we generally also find that they ended in the submission of the former, or in such a compromise as the mutual interests of the contending parties required for a temporary truce. Never until the reformation was the point completely settled, although it was, until that period, a perpetual source of litigation, and sometimes, it must be confessed, our monarchs shewed a firmness that might have deprived the court of Rome of her boasted supremacy, had they not been thwarted by the superstitious fears of their subjects.
1622. In 1649 he travelled to Italy, where he acquired great reputation as a writer of Latin verse. Pope Innocent X. gave him a beautiful medal for a poem which he had
, a Dutch poet of considerable celebrity in his own country, was born at Amsterdam in 1622.
In 1649 he travelled to Italy, where he acquired great reputation as a writer of Latin verse. Pope Innocent X.
gave him a beautiful medal for a poem which he had composed on occasion of the jubilee celebrated in 1650, and
queen Christina gave him a gold chain for a poem in Dutch
which he addressed to her. Some have discovered in his
poems an inclination for the Roman catholic religion. He
died at Perouse in Italy, May 16, 1669. The collection
of his works was printed at Rotterdam, 1715, 8vo; and
contains the “Crown of St. Stephen the martyr,
” published in Parisian nuptials,
or the massacre of St. Bartholomew,
” which first appeared
in
e first who ascribed these books to Leo, while Baronius, Sirmond, Labbe, and Noris, conjectured that pope Celestine was the author. Quesnel answered Antelmi, and, in
a French ecclesiastic and antiquary,
was born at Frejus, July 25, 1643. When he had finished
his studies, he succeeded an uncle, in a canonry of the
cathedral of that city, and wrote a treatise “De periculis
Canonicorum,
” on the dangers to which the lives of canons
are liable: this curious piece his brother Charles intended
to publish, but it remains in manuscripj;. In 1680, he
published, what was accounted more valuable, a Latin dissertation on the foundation of the church of Frejus, and its
history, lives of the bishops, &c. This was intended as an
introduction to a complete history of the city and church
of Frejus, which is still in manuscript. In 1684, on the
recommendation of father La Chaise, under whom he had
studied theology at Lyons, he was appointed grand-vicar
and official to J. B. de Verthamon, Mshop of Pamiers, who
employed him in restoring peace to his diocese, which had
been disturbed by the regale, a right so called in France,
by which the French king, upon the death of a bishop,
Claimed the revenues and fruits of his see, and the
colladon of all benefices vacant in the diocese, before the appointment of a new bishop. Antelmi was so successful
in this undertaking, that the bishop on his arrival found his
diocese in perfect tranquillity. He then continued to prosecute his studies, and wrote several works, particularly his
disquisition concerning the genuine writings of Leo the
Great, and Prosper Aquitanus, “De veris operibus, &c.
”
Nova de Symbolo
Athanasiano disquisitio,
” Paris,
fluence in the patronage of literature. As he was in the church he obtained some rich benefices from pope Alexander VI. Many learned works, the publication of which he
, a learned Italian of the fifteenth century, was a native of Perugia, and of a family of
some rank. He was the scholar of Joannes Antonius Campanus, and published the first and perhaps only entire edition of Campanus’ works, 1495. Michael Fernus, a Milanese scholar, at his request superintended the press, and
enriched the publication with a copious life of Campanus,
and a variety of elaborate prefaces addressed to various
persons. That which is addressed to Antiquarius himself
bears ample testimony to his literary reputation. On quitting his native city, Antiquarius obtained a political orKce
of consequence and responsibility at Bologna. About 1460
he removed to Milan, where his erudition enabled him to
secure the favour and patronage of Giovanni Galeozzo and
Lud. Maria Visconti, dukes of Milan, to whom he was secretary and prime minister, and employed his influence in
the patronage of literature. As he was in the church he
obtained some rich benefices from pope Alexander VI.
Many learned works, the publication of which he had encouraged, were dedicated to him, but we have nothing of
his own, except an “Oratio,
” Milan,
it to this youth, desiring him to present it to him of the company whom he thought most likely to be pope: he presented it to the cardinal of Medicis, and made an eulogium
, a man of great learning, whq
raised himself from a low condition by his merit, his parents
being so far from able to support him in his studies, that
they themselves stood in need of charity, was born at Rome
in 1540. He made a quick and most surprising progress
in his studies; for when he was but ten years old, he could
make verses upon any subject proposed to him; and these so
excellent, though pronounced extempore, that it was commonly thought they exceeded those of the most studied
preparation. A proof of this was at the table of the cardinal of Pisa, when he gave an entertainment one day to
several other cardinals. Alexander Farnese, taking a nosegay, gave it to this youth, desiring him to present it to him
of the company whom he thought most likely to be pope:
he presented it to the cardinal of Medicis, and made an
eulogium upon him in verse. This cardinal, who was pope
some years afterwards, under the name of Pius IV. imagined
it all a contrivance, and that the poem had been artfully
prepared before-hand, by way of ridicule upon him. He
therefore appeared hurt at it, but the company protested
that it was an extempore performance, and requested
him to make a trial of the boy: he did so, and was convinced of his extraordinary talents. According to Strada,
as the cardinal of Medicis was thinking upon a subject for this purpose, the clock in the hall struck; which
was the occasion of his proposing a clock for the subject
of his verses. The duke de Ferrara coming to Rome, to
congratulate Marcellus II. upon his being raised to the
pontificate, was so charmed with the genius of Antoniano,
that he carried hi:n to Ferrara, where he provided able
masters to instruct him in all the sciences. From thence
he was sent for by Pius IV. who recollecting the adventure
of the nosegay, made inquiry for the young poet; and
having found him, invited him to Rome, and gave hinvan
honourable post in his palace, and some time after made
him professor of the belles lettres in the college at Rome.
Antoniano filled this place with so much reputation, that
on the day when he began to explain the oration pro Marco Marcello, he had a crowd of auditors, and among these
no less than twenty-five cardinals. He was afterwards
chosen rector of the college; and after the death of Pius
IV. being seized with a spirit of devotion, he joined himself to Philip Neri, and accepted the office of secretary to
the sacred college, offered him by Pius V. which he executed for many years with the reputation of an honest and
able man. He refused a bishopric which Gregory XIV.
wculd have given him, but he accepted the office of secretary to the briefs, offered him by Clement VIII. who made
him his chamberlain, and afterwards a cardinal. It is reported, that cardinal Alexander de Montalto, who had behaved a Hitle too haughtily to Antoniano, said, when he
saw him promoted to the purple, that for the future he
would not despise a man of the cassoc and little band,
however low and despicable he might appear; since it
might happen that he whom he had despised, might not
only become his equal, but even his superior. His intense
application is said to have hastened his death, Aug. 15,
1603. His printed works are, 1. “Dele 1 Educazione
Cristiana de Figliuoli libri tre,
” Verona, Orationes
tredecim,
” Rome,
visited in 1448; and died, much lamented, in 1459. Cosmo de Medicis bestowed his confidence on him; pope Eugene IV. wished he might die in his arms; Pius II. assisted
, St. archbishop of Florence, was born in that city in 1389, and became a dominican, and afterwards superior of a numerous society, who
devoted themselves to a life of austerity. He appeared to
advantage at the council of Florence, where he was appointed to dispute with the Greeks. In 1446, he was, with
much reluctance on his side, promoted to be archbishop of
Florence, and from the moment of his installation is said to
have shewn a bright example of all the virtues ascribed to
the bishops of the primitive ages. He practised great temperance, preserved a simplicity of garb and manner, shunned
honours, and distinguished himself by zeal and charity,
particularly during the plague and famine with which Florence was visited in 1448; and died, much lamented, in
1459. Cosmo de Medicis bestowed his confidence on him;
pope Eugene IV. wished he might die in his arms; Pius
II. assisted at his funeral, and Adrian VI. enrolled him in
the number of the saints, in 1523. His studies had been
chiefly directed to ecclesiastical history and theology, and
his principal works are, 1. “Historiarum opus seu Chronica libri viginti quatuor,
” Venice, Summa theologise
moralis,
” Venice, 4 vols. 4to, often reprinted, and in the
edition of Venice, 1582, entitled “Juris Pontificii et Caesarsei summa.
” Mamachi published an edition, in Summula confessionis,
” Venice,
r, as frequently to be in want himself, but was considerably relieved by a canonry of Seville, which pope Alexander VII. bestowed upon him, on the recommendation of the
, a very learned and useful
Spanish biographer, was born at Seville in 1617. His father was made president of the admiralty established in that
city by Philip IV. He received his early education among
the dorainicans, and studied philosophy and divinity afterwards at Salamanca, under the ablest masters, particularly
Francis Ramos del Manzano, who was afterwards preceptor
to the king and preceptor to Charles II. He then returned
to Seville, and entirely devoted to study, passed the whole
of his time in the Benedictine convent, where Benedict
de la Serra, the abbot, had collected a very copious library,
and where Antonio first planned and composed his valuable
“Bibliotheca Hispana.
” When considerably advanced in
this work, he brought it with him to Rome in 1659, at
which time he was sent thither by Philip IV. in the character of agent-general of affairs concerning the crown of
Spain, the two Sicilies, and the inquisition, and he continued in this office twenty-two years, at the end of which
Charles II. recalled him to Madrid, and made him a member of his council. Notwithstanding these profitable employments, he was so charitable to the poor, as frequently
to be in want himself, but was considerably relieved by a
canonry of Seville, which pope Alexander VII. bestowed
upon him, on the recommendation of the cardinal of Aragon. He died at Madrid in 1684, and was then a ktiight
of the order of St. James. It is said that among his
papers was found a commission appointing him one
of the supreme council of justice, but it is certain
that he never filled that office. He left no property, but
a library of thirty thousand volumes. His publications
were, 1. “De exilio, sive de exilii poena antiqua et
nova, exsulumque conditione et juribus, libri tres,
” Antwerp, Bibl. Hispana.
” This is
said to have been written when he was only twenty-three
years old. 2. “Bibliotheca Hispana Nova,
” Rome, Bibliotheca Hispana vetus, complectens scriptores qui
ab Octaviani Augusti imperio usque ad annum M. floruerunt,
” Rome, Bibliotheca Nova,
” although published first, is in fact a
sequel to this last, which has also been reprinted by Bayer
at Madrid, 1788. Baillet prefers Antonio’s work to every
thing of the kind, and Morhof considers it as a model.
David Clement prefers it to all the Bibliothecas except
that of Quetif and Echarcl. He thinks him blameable,
however, for not giving the titles of books in their proper
language, an objection to which other biographers, and
particularly the French, until lately, have been justly liable. One other publication of Antonio was printed for
the first time so lately as 1742, at Valentia, under the titla
of “Censura de historias fabulas, obra postuma,
” fol. ornamented with plates, and published by D. Gregoire Mayans y Siscar. We know not whether this be part of a work
in which Antonio tells us he was long engaged, and which
was to be called “Trophaeum historico-ecclesiasticum
Deo veritatis erectum ex manubiis pseudo-historicorum,
qui Flavii Lucii Dextri, M. Maximi, Helecoe, Braulionis,
Luitprandi, et Juliani nomine circumferuntur; hoc est,
Vindiciae verae atque iludum notae Hispanarum rerum historise, Germanarum nostros gentislaudum non ex GermanoFuldensibus chronicis emendicatarum in libertatem et
puritatem plena assertio,
” a work which Bayle thinks would
have been of dangerous consequence, as people seldom
like to be set right as to the fabulous stories which have
long flattered their vanity.
ts by the earnestness of his preaching; and his discourses, we are told, were confirmed by miracles. Pope Gregory IX had so high an opinion of him that he named him “The
, of Padua, or of Portugal, of the religious order of St. Francis, and the Thaumaturgus of his age, was the son of Martin Bulhan or
Bouillan, and of Mary of Trevera, and born at Lisbon in
the year 1195. He first joined the community of the
canons of the cathedral of Lisbon, and then associated with
the regular canons of St. Vincent in the suburbs of that
city, where he lived a retired and austere life, and afterwards became one of the order of St. Francis. He left off
his baptismal name of Ferdinand, and adopted that of Antony. Conceiving the design of going to Africa, he embarked for that continent; but his vessel being blown back
to Messina, he found himself obliged to remain in Italy,
where he studied theology, and preached with much reputation. He afterwards visited Montpellier, Thoulouse, and
Padua, and made many converts by the earnestness of his
preaching; and his discourses, we are told, were confirmed
by miracles. Pope Gregory IX had so high an opinion of
him that he named him “The Ark of the New Testament,
and the secret Depository of sacred learning.
” His long
Stay at Padua procured him the surname by which he is
distinguished. In this place he died, June 13, 1231, in
the thirty-sixth year of his age, and was canonized in the
following year by pope Gregory above mentioned. His
body was placed in the superb church which bears his
name. There are several sermons of this saint extant, and
some other works. Father Jean of the Hague, a 4 religious
of the same order, and professor of theology, printed a new
edition of his works in 1641, to which he added those
ascribed to St. Francis, and a life of Antony. These works
are entitled, “Sermones dominicales adventus, quadragesimæ, ac reliqui omnes de tempore. Sermones de Sanctis.
Interpretatio vel expositio mystica in sacram Scripturam.
Concordantiæ morales sacrorum bibliorum.” This last is
divided into five books.
he would not attend the sick in any other place under 150 florins a day; and when he was sent for by pope Honorius IV. he demanded 400 ducats for each day’s attendance.
, a physician and astrologer, was born in 1250, at the village of Abano near Padua, of which the Latin name is Aponus, and hence he is frequently called Petrus de Apono, or Aponensis. He is also sometimes called Petrus de Padua. When young, he went, with a view to study Greek, to Constantinople, or according to others, to some of the islands belonging to the Venetian republic. Having afterwards a desire to study medicine and mathematics, he returned, and spent some years at Padua, and at Paris, where he was admitted to the degree of doctor of philosophy and medicine. He was, however, recalled to Padua, and a professorship of medicine founded for him. He attained great reputation as a physician, and is said to have been very exorbitant in his fees. We are not told what his demands were in the place of his residence, but it is affirmed that he would not attend the sick in any other place under 150 florins a day; and when he was sent for by pope Honorius IV. he demanded 400 ducats for each day’s attendance. But these reports are thought to have been exaggerated, as perhaps are many other particulars handed down to us, such as his abhorrence of milk, which was so great, that he fainted if he saw any person drink it.
ty when it was offered him by Clement IV. In 1274 he was sent for to the second council of Lyons, by pope Gregory X. that he might read before them the book he had written
, commonly called the Angelical Doctor, of the ancient family of the counts of Aquino,
descended from the kings of Sicily and Arragon, was born
in the castle of Aquino, in the Terra di Lavoro, in Italy,
about the year 1224. At five years of age he was committed to the care of the monks of Mount Cassino, with whom
he remained till he was sent to the university of Naples.
In the year 1241 he entered into the order of the
preaching friars at Naples, without the knowledge of his parents.
His mother, being informed of this, used her utmost efforts to induce him to leave this society; to prevent which,
the Dominicans removed him toTerracina, and from thence
to Anagna, md at last to Rome. His mother followed him
thither, and when she could not obtain leave of the monks
to see him, by the assistance of her two elder sons, she seized
the youth in his journey to Paris, to which he was sent by the
monks of his order, and caused him to be shut up in her
castle; whence, after a confinement of two jears, he made
his escape, and fled first to Naples, and then to Rome.
In 1244 he went to Paris with John, the master of the Teutonic order, and from thence removed to Cologne, to hear
the lectures of Albertus Magnus. Here he remained till
he was invited again to Pans, to read lectures upon the
“Book of Sentences,
” which he did with great applause,
before a very large audience. In the year 1255 he was
created D. D. at Paris. He returned to Italy about the
year 1263, and was appointed definitor of his order, for
the province of Rome; and having taught school divinity
in most of the universities of Italy, he re-settled at last at
Naples, where he received a pension from king Charles.
Here he spent his time in study, in reading of lectures,
and exercises of piety; and was so far from any views of
ambition or profit, that he refused the archbishopric of that
city when it was offered him by Clement IV. In 1274 he
was sent for to the second council of Lyons, by pope Gregory X. that he might read before them the book he had
written against the Greeks, at the command of Urban IV.;
but he fell sick on his journey, at the monastery of Fossanova, near Terracina, where he died on the 7th of March,
aged fifty years.
d the memory of Thomas Aquinas with honours. The Dominican fraternity removed his body to Thoulouse; pope John XXII. canonized him; Pius V. gave him the title of the
The whole Western world, after his decease, began to load the memory of Thomas Aquinas with honours. The Dominican fraternity removed his body to Thoulouse; pope John XXII. canonized him; Pius V. gave him the title of the Fifth Doctor of the Church; the learned world honoured him with the appellation of The Universal and the Angelic Doctor; and Sixtus Senensis tells us, that he approached so nearly to St. Augustin in the knowledge of true divinity, and penetrated so deeply into the most abstruse meanings of that father, that, agreeably to the Pythagorean metempsychosis, it was a com non expression among all men of learning, that St. Augustin’s soul had transmigrated into St. Thomas Aquinas. Rapin speaks also of him with high honour, and represents him as one of the great improvers of school-divinity. Lord Herbert of Cherbury, in his Life and Reign of Henry VIII. tells us, that one of the principal reasons, which induced this king to write against Martin Luther, was, that the latter had spoken contemptuously of Aquinas. The authority of Aquinas indeed has been always very great in the schools of the Roman Catholics. But notwithstanding all the extravagant praises and honours which have been heaped upon this saint, it is certain that his learning was almost wholly confined to scholastic theology, and that he was so little conversant with elegant and liberal studies, that he was not even able to read the Greek language. For all his knowledge of the Peripatetic philosophy, which he so liberally mixed with theology, he was indebted to the defective translations of Aristotle which were supplied by the Arabians, till he obtained, from some unknown hand, a more, accurate version of his philosophical writings. Adopting the general ideas of the age, that theology is best defended by the weapons of logic and metaphysics, he mixed the subtleties of Aristotle with the language of scripture and the Christian fathers; and, after the manner of the Arabians, framed abstruse questions, without end, upon various topics of speculative theology. He excelled, therefore, only in that subtile and abstruse kind of learning which was better calculated to strike the imagination, than to improve the understanding. He maintained what is commonly called the doctrine of free-will, though he largely quoted Augustin, and retailed many of his pious and devotional sentiments. His Aristotelian subtleties enabled him to give a specious colour to the absurd doctrine of transubstantiation, which in him found a vehement defender. He held many other erroneous opinions, but it must be acknowledged, there are in his writings, and particularly in the account of his discourses during his last sickness, traces of great devotion, and a strain of piety very similar to that of St. Augustin. Aquinas left a vast number of works, which were printed in seventeen volumes in folio, at Venice in 1490; at Nuremberg in 1496; Rome 1570; Venice 1594; and Cologne 1612; and many times after.
eenth volume contains the Catena upon the four Gospels, extracted from the fathers, and dedicated to pope Urban IV. The sixteenth consists of the Commentary upon St.
The five first volumes contain his Commentaries upon the works of Aristotle. The sixth and seventh a Coramentary upon the four Books of Sentences. The eighth consists of Questions in Divinity. The ninth volume contains the Sum of the Catholic Faith, against the Gentiles; divided into four books. The tenth, eleventh, and twelfth, the Sum of Divinity, with the Commentaries of cardinal Cajetauus. The thirteenth consists of several Commentaries upon the Old Testament, particularly a Commentary upon the Book of Job, a literal and analogical Exposition upon the first fifty Psalms, an Exposition upon the Canticles, which he dictated upon his death-bed, to the monks of Fossanova; Commentaries upon the Prophecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah, and upon the Lamentations. The fourteenth contains the Commentaries upon the gospels of St. Matthew and St. John; the former is said to have been written by Peter Scaliger, a dominican friar and bishop of Verona. The fifteenth volume contains the Catena upon the four Gospels, extracted from the fathers, and dedicated to pope Urban IV. The sixteenth consists of the Commentary upon St. Paul’s Epistles, and the Sermons of Aquinas preached on Sundays and the festivals of saints. The seventeenth contains divers tracts in Divinity.
e subjects, but afterwards on those which were of a more serious kind. In the year 544, he presented Pope Vigilius with the Acts of the Apostles in Latin verse, with
, the secretary and intendant of finances to Athaiaric, and afterwards subdeacon of the Romish church, flourished in the sixth century, and, according to some accounts, was born in the year 490, but the place of his birth has been contested. He certainly was of Liguria, but in his time Liguria comprehended a great part of Lombardy, and Milan was the chief city. He was educated under Laurentius, archbishop of Milan, who died in the year 504. Arator is said to have died in the year 356. At first he employed his poetical talents on profane subjects, but afterwards on those which were of a more serious kind. In the year 544, he presented Pope Vigilius with the Acts of the Apostles in Latin verse, with which the pontiff was so much pleased that he ordered the work to be read in the church of St. Peter ad Vincula, and it met with universal approbation. We find in it many of the allegories which the venerable Bede introduced in his commentary on the Acts. It was printed with other poetry of the same description, at Venice, 1502, 4to, Strasburgh, 1507, 8vo, Leipsic, 1515, 4to, and in the Bibliotheca Patrum, Paris, 1575, 1589, &c. Father Sirmond published at the end of his edition of Ennodius, a letter in elegiac verse, which Arator wrote to Parthenius.
nts, entitled him to an intimate correspondence and friendship with the celebrated wits of his time, Pope, Swift, Gay, and Parnell, whom he met as a member of the Scriberus
His gentle manners, polite learning, and excellent talents, entitled him to an intimate correspondence and friendship with the celebrated wits of his time, Pope, Swift,
Gay, and Parnell, whom he met as a member of the Scriberus club. In 1714 he engaged with Pope and Swift in a
design to write a satire on the abuse of human learning in.
svery branch, which was to have been executed in the humorous manner of Cervantes, the original author of this
species of satire, under the history of feigned adventures.
But this project was put a stop to by the queen’s death,
when they had only drawn out an imperfect essay towards
it, under the title of the first book of the “Memoirs of
Martinus Scriblerus .
” “These Memoirs,
” says Dr. Johnson, “extend only to the first part of a work, projected in
concert by Pope, Swift, and Arbuthnot. Their purpose
was to censure the abuses of learning by a fictitious life
of an infatuated scholar. They were dispersed; the design was never completed; and Warburton laments its
miscarriage, as an event very disastrous to polite letters.
If the whole may be estimated by this specimen, which
seems to be the prooduction of Arbuthnot, with a few touches
perhaps by Pope, the want of more will not be much lamented; for the follies which the writer ridicules are so
little practised, that they are not known; nor can the satire
be understood but by the learned; he raises phantoms of
absurdity, and then drives them away. He cures diseases
that were never felt For this reason, this joint production
of three great writers has never attained any notice from,
mankind.
”
rmer enjoyed a place of considerable profit in the exchequer-office, and was one of the executors to Pope’s will, and the other a legatee.
The queen’s death, and the disasters which fell upon his
friends on that occasion, deeply affected our author’s spirits;
and to divert his melancholy, he paid a visit to his brother,
a banker at Paris. His stay there, however, was but very
short; he returned to London, and having lost his former
residence at St. James’s, took a house in Dover-street. In
1727, he published “Tables of ancient Coins, Weights,
and Measures,
” 4to. He continued to practise physic with
good reputation, and diverted his leisure hours in writing
papers of wit and humour. He contributed in 1732 towards detecting and punishing the scandalous frauds and
abuses that had been carried on under the specious name
of the “The Charitable Corporation.
” The same year he
published his “Essay concerning the nature of Aliments,
the choice of them, &c.
” which was followed the year alter
by the “Effects of Air on Human Bodies.
” He was apparently led to the subjects of these treatises by the consideration of his own case; an asthma, which gradually
increasing with his years, became shortly after desperate
and incurable. In 1734 he retired to Hampstead, in hopes
of finding some small relief for this affliction, but died at his
house in Cork-street, Burlington-gardens, Feb. 27, 1734-5.
He was married, and had children, particularly George
and Anne; the former enjoyed a place of considerable
profit in the exchequer-office, and was one of the executors to Pope’s will, and the other a legatee.
Pope, in a letter to Digby, dated Sept. 1, 1722, tells him, that
Pope, in a letter to Digby, dated Sept. 1, 1722, tells
him, that the first time he saw the doctor, Swift observed
to him, that he was a man who could do every thing but
walk. He appears to have been in all respects a most
accomplished and amiable person. He has shewn himself
equal to any of his contemporaries, in humour, vivacity,
and learning; and he was superior to most men in the
moral duties of life, in acts of humanity and benevolence.
“Arbuthnot,
” says Dr. Johnson in his life of Pope, “was
a man of great comprehension, skilful in his profession,
versed in the sciences, acquainted with ancient literature,
and able to animate his mass of knowledge by a bright and
active imagination; a scholar with great brilliance of wit;
a wit, who, in the crowd of life, retained and discovered
a noble ardour of religious zeal.
” Dr. Warton also is very
copious in his praise, and says, that he had infinitely more
learning than Pope or Swift, and as much wit and humour
as either. His letter to Pope, written as it were upon his
death-bed, and which no one can read without the tenderest emotion, discovers considerable fortitude of mind at
the approach of his dissolution. In 1751, came out, in two
vols. 8vo. printed at Glasgow, “The miscellaneous works
of the late Dr. Arbuthnot,
” which are said to comprehend,
with what is inserted in Swift’s Miscellanies, all his pieces
of wit and humour: but the genuineness of many pieces
in that collection is more than apocryphal; and a collection of his works, as well as a life of the author, are still
desiderata. Several of the pieces in the above miscellany
were written by Fielding, Henry Carey, and other authors, who are known; and some of them were written after
Dr. Arbuthnot’s death, or when he was too ill to compose
such trifles.
igion. On his return, he was so fortunate as to attach himself to cardinal Bovghese, a nephew of the pope, who found him worthy of his patronage and esteem. Of his writings
, a Greek ecclesiastic of the isle of
Corfou, went to study at Rome, but Clement VIII. sent
him to Russia to settle some disputes about religion. On
his return, he was so fortunate as to attach himself to cardinal Bovghese, a nephew of the pope, who found him
worthy of his patronage and esteem. Of his writings we
find: 1. “De concordia ecclesiee occidentals et orientalis, in septem sacrauientorum adminjstratione,
” printed
at Paris, in Utrum detur purgatorium?
”
Home, De purgatorio igne,
” ibid. Opuscula de processione spiritds sancti,
” ibid.
The fame of Guido’s invention soon spread abroad, and among other honours bestowed upon him, the pope John XX. or XIX. for this is not agreed on, sent three messengers
The fame of Guido’s invention soon spread abroad, and among other honours bestowed upon him, the pope John XX. or XIX. for this is not agreed on, sent three messengers to invite him to Rome; he complied, and being presented, was received by his holiness with great kindness. The pope had several conversations with him, in all which he interrogated him as to his knowledge in music: and upon the sight of an antiphonary which Guido had brought with him, marked with the syllables agreeable to his new invention, the pope looked on it as a kind of prodigy, and ruminating on the doctrines delivered by Guido, would not stir from his seat till he had learned perfectly to sing a verse; upon which he declared, that he could not have believed the efficacy of the method, if he had not been convinced by the experiment he himself had made of it. The pope would have detained him at Rome; but labouring under a bodily disorder, and fearing an injury to his health from the air of the place, and the heat of the summer, which was then approaching, Guido left that city with a promise to revisit it, and explain to his holiness the principles of his new system. On his return homeward, he made a visit to the abbot of Pomposa, a town in the duchy of Ferrara, who was very earnest to have Guido settle in the monastery of that place: to which invitation it seems he yielded, being, as he says, desirous of rendering so great a monastery still more famous by his studies there.
ted him with a chain of gold, and afforded him other marks of his liberality, but requested that the pope would allow him the gratification of his society. Henry VIII.
Of his works, it has been justly said by Mr, Roscoe, that
whether in prose or verse, sacred or profane, epic or dramatic, panegyrical or satirical, and notwithstanding their
great number and variety, not one piece exists which in
point of literary merit is entitled to approbation; yet the
jcommendations which Aretino received from his contemporaries are beyond example. These would not be worth
recording as praise bestowed on such a character, but they
are striking and useful features in the character of an age
on which some writers have bestowed great commendations
on account of its learning and patronage of learned men.
Aretino seems to have been born to sport with the passions
of the great, and to exalt and perpetuate the vices of the
vulgar. As a proof how well he knew how to manage the
former, we may state from his latest biographer the following examples of misapplied patronage. Francis I. not
only presented him with a chain of gold, and afforded him
other marks of his liberality, but requested that the pope
would allow him the gratification of his society. Henry
VIII. of England sent him at one time three hundred gold
crowns, and Charles V. not only allowed him a considerable
pension, but on one occasion placed him on his right hand,
and rode with him in intimate conversation. Julius III.
gave him a thousand crowns, accompanied with a papal
bull, nominating him a knight of St. Peter, to which dignity was also annexed an annual income. These favours
and distinctions, which were imitated by the inferior sovereigns and chief nobility of Europe, excited the vanity of
Aretino to such a degree, that he expected to be created a
cardinal, and actually boasted that he had refused that
honour. He assumed, however, the titles of “II Divino,
”
the “Divine,
” and “the Scourge of princes.
” Medals
were struck in honour of him, representing him decorated
with a chain of gold, and on the reverse the princes of
Europe bringing to him their tribute. On the other hand,
however, he was frequently in danger of his life from the
persons he had lampooned, and his literary adversaries
frequently employed their pens in exposing his vanity
and infamous character.
honso duke of Ferrara, having occasion to send ambassadors to Rome, in order to appease the anger of pope Julius II. who prepared to make war against him, was, by his
While he was busied in these literary pursuits, Alphonso duke of Ferrara, having occasion to send ambassadors to Rome, in order to appease the anger of pope Julius II. who prepared to make war against him, was, by his brother the cardinal, recommended to Ariosto, as a proper person to be entrusted with such a negotiation, and he acquitted himself so well in his commission, that he returned with an answer much more favourable than was expected. However, the pope, still continuing at enmity with the duke, made a league with the Venetians, and collected a powerful army against Ferrara: but was defeated at the battle of Ravenna. Part of a Meet was sent up the Po, against Ferrara, and met with a repulse from the duke’s party. In this engagement, Ariosto, who was present, behaved with great courage, and took one of the largest of the enemy’s vessels, filled with stores and ammunition. The papal army being dispersed, Alphonso thought it advisable to send an ambassador again to Rome, and dispatched Ludovico a second time, who found his holiness so incensed against the duke, that his indignation was very near showing itself to the ambassador; and it was not without difficulty that Ariosto escaped with life to Ferrara. The duke’s affairs being established, Ariosto returned to his studies; but was employed in various public occupations, that often broke in upon his retirement, and obliged him to defer the completion of his Orlando. However, he found means to bring it to a conclusion; and though it was far from that perfection which he desired, yet, in order to avail himself of the opinion of the public, he caused it to be first printed in 1515.
With respect to pope Leo X. the acknowledged patron of literature and arts, whom
With respect to pope Leo X. the acknowledged patron
of literature and arts, whom Fornari calls particularly liberal to poets, and by whom he relates that Ariosto was
highly esteemed, he is said to have made him a present of
some hundred crowns for the prosecution of his work,
though Ariosto himself is sile'nt upon that head; and yet
in the verses published by Gabriele Simeoni, in his satire
upon Avarice, it is said in a note, that “Leo X. gave Ariosto several hundred crowns to complete his work.
” Upon
the exaltation of this pontiff to the papal chair, be paid a
visit to him, with great expectations of advantage. The
pope gave him a very gracious reception, and a bull or
licence entitling him to the profits of his poem; and he
left Home dissatisfied in his expectation, but bore testimony to the pope’s honourable reception of him.
, that one reason why he was not preferred was, that he was devoted to Alphonso of Ferrara, whom the pope hated, and therefore could not give our author a cardinal’s
But it seems that Ariosto had raised his thoughts to some great ecclesiastical preferment; on which occasion signor Rolli observes, that one reason why he was not preferred was, that he was devoted to Alphonso of Ferrara, whom the pope hated, and therefore could not give our author a cardinal’s hat. Leo died in 1521, six years after the finst publication, and the year in which Ariosto published the third edition of his poem. Perhaps had he lived longer, the poet might have experienced further marks of his generosity.
Notwithstanding what has been mentioned of his personal bravery in the engagement between the pope’s vessels and the duke’s, he is reported to have been naturally
Notwithstanding what has been mentioned of his personal bravery in the engagement between the pope’s vessels
and the duke’s, he is reported to have been naturally of a
timid disposition: when on horseback he would alight oa
the least appearance of danger; he was particularly timorous on the water; and when he went out of a vessel,
would always stay till the last, frequently using this expression: “De puppe novissimus exi.
” In every other
respect his temper was firm and unruffled.
ho felt them. His “Taste, an epistle to a young critic,” 1733, is a lively and spirited imitation of Pope, and the first production in which our author began to view
In 1746, he was appointed one of the physicians to the
hospital for lame and sick soldiers behind Buckinghamhouse. In 1751, he published his poem on “Benevolence,
” in folio, a production which seems to come from
the heart, and contains sentiments which could have been
expressed with equal ardour only by one who felt them.
His “Taste, an epistle to a young critic,
” Sketches, or
essays on various subjects,
” under the fictitious name of
Lancelot Temple, esq. In some of these he is supposed
to have been assisted by the celebrated John Wilkes, with
whom he lived in habits of intimacy. What Mr. Wilkes
contributed we are not told, but this gentleman, with all
his moral failings, had a more chaste classical taste, and a
purer vein of humour than we find in these sketches,
which are deformed by a perpetual flow of affectation, a
struggle to say smart things, and above all a most disgusting
repetition of vulgar oaths and exclamations. This practice, so unworthy of a gentleman or a scholar, is said to
have predominated in Dr. Armstrong’s conversation, and
is not unsparingly scattered through all his works, with
the exception of his “Art of preserving Health.
” It incurred the just censure of the critics of his day, with whom,
for this reason, he could never be reconciled.
668. Arnauld now came forth from, his retreat, and was presented to the king, kindly received by the pope’s nuncio, and by the public esteemed a father of the church.
, doctor of the Sorbonne, and
brother of the preceding, was born at Paris the 6th of
February 1612. He studied philosophy in the college of
Calvi, on the ruins of which the Sorbonne was built, and
began to study the law; but, at the persuasion of his mother and the abbot of St. Cyran, he resolved to apply
himself to divinity. He accordingly studied in the college
of the Sorbonne, under Mr. l‘Escot. This professor gave
lectures concerning grace; but Arnauld, not approving of
his sentiments upon this subject, read St. Augustin, whose
system of grace he greatly preferred to that of Mr. l’Escot:
and publicly testified his opinion in his thesis, when he
was examined in 1636, for his bachelor’s degree. After
he had spent two years more in study, which, according
to the laws of the faculty of Paris, must be between the
first examination and the license, he began the acts of his
license at Easter 1638, and continued them to Lent, 1640.
He maintained the act of vespers the 18th of December
1641, and the following day put on the doctor’s cap. He
had begun his license without being entered in form at the
Sorbonne, and was thereby rendered incapable of being
admitted, according to the ordinary rules. The society,
however, on account of his extraordinary merit, requested
of cardinal Richelieu, their provisor, that he might be admitted, though contrary to form; which was refused by
that cardinal, but, the year after his death, he obtained
this honour. In 1643, he published his treatise on Frequent Communion, which highly displeased the Jesuits.
They refuted it both from the pulpit and the press, representing it as containing a most pernicious doctrine: and
the disputes upon grace, which broke out at this time in
the university of Paris, helped to increase the animosity
between the Jesuits and Mr. Arnauld, who took part with
the Jansenists, and supported their tenets with great zeal.
But nothing raised so great a clamour against him, as the
two letters which he wrote upon absolution having been
refused by a priest to the duke of Liancour, a great friend
of the Port Royal. This duke educated his grand-daughter at Port Royal, and kept in his house the abbé de Bourzays. It happened in 1655, that the duke offered himself
for confession to a priest of St. Sulpice, who refused to
give him absolution, unless he would take his daughter
from Port Royal, and break off all commerce with that
society, and discard the abbé. Mr. Arnauld therefore was
prevailed upon to write a letter in defence of Liancour.
A great number of pamphlets were written against this
letter, and Mr. Arnauld thought himself obliged to
confute the falsities and calumnies with which they were
filled, by printing a second letter, which contains an
answer to nine of those pieces. But in this second letter
the faculty of divinity found two propositions which theycondemned, and Mr. Arnauld was excluded from that society. Upon this he retired, and it was during this retreat, which lasted near 25 years, that he composed that
variety of works which are extant of his, on grammar,
geometry, logic, metaphysics, and theology. He continued in this retired life till the controversy of the Jansenists was eaded; in 1668. Arnauld now came forth from,
his retreat, and was presented to the king, kindly received
by the pope’s nuncio, and by the public esteemed a father
of the church. From this time he resolved to enter the
lists only against the Calvinists, and he published his book
entitled “La perpetuite de la Foi,
” in which he was assisted by M. Nicole: and which gave rise to that grand
controversy between them and Claude the minister.
n the habit of a monk, and began to preach several new and uncommon doctrines, particularly that the pope and the clergy ought not to enjoy any temporal estate. He maintained
, a famous scholar of the twelfth century, born at Brescia in Italy, whence he went to France, and studied under the celebrated Peter Abelard. Upon his return to Italy, he put on the habit of a monk, and began to preach several new and uncommon doctrines, particularly that the pope and the clergy ought not to enjoy any temporal estate. He maintained in his sermons, that those ecclesiastics who had any estates of their own, or held any lands, were entirely cut off from the least hopes of salvation; that the clergy ought to subsist upon the alms and voluntary contributions of Christians; and that all other revenues belonged to princes and states, in order to be disposed of amongst the laity as they thought proper. He maintained also several singularities with regard to baptism and the Lord’s supper. He engaged a great number of persons in his party, who were distinguished by his name, and proved very formidable to the popes. His doctrines rendered him so obnoxious, that he was condemned in 1139, in a council of near a thousand prelates, held in the church of St. John Lateran at Rome, under pope Innocent II. Upon this he left Italy, and retired to Swisserland. After the death of that pope, he returned to Italy, and went to Rome; where he raised a sedition against Eugenius III. and afterwards against Adrian IV. who laid the people of Rome under an interdict, till they had banished Arnold and his followers. This had its desired effect: the Romans seized upon the houses which the Arnoldists had fortified, and obliged them to retire toOtricoli in Tuscany, where they were received with the utmost affection by the people, who considered Arnold as a prophet. However, he was seized some time after by cardinal Gerard; and, notwithstanding the efforts of the viscounts of Campania, who had rescued him, he was carried to Rome, where, being condemned by Peter, the prefect of that city, to be hanged, he was accordingly executed in 1155. Thirty of his followers went from France to England, about 1160, in order to propagate their doctrine there, but they were immediately seized and put to death. Mr. Berington, the historian of Abelard and Heloisa, after a very elegant memoir of Arnold’s life, sums up his character with much candour. He thinks he was a man whose character, principles, and views, have been misrepresented; but he allows that he was rash, misjudging, and intemperate, or he would never have engaged in so unequal a contest. It appears, indeed, by all accounts, that he was one of those reformers who make no distinctions between use and abuse, and are for overthrowing all establishments, without proposing any thing in their room.
rks of kindness and esteem. Some time afterwards, this prince sent him to France, to attend the same pope Clement in an illness, and Arnold was shipwrecked on the coast
was a famous physician, who lived in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, and after, studying at Paris and Montpelier, travelled through Italy and Spain. He was well acquainted with languages, and particularly with the Greek, Hebrew, and Arabic. He was at great pains to gratify his ardent desire after knowledge; but this passion carried him rather too far in his researches, as he endeavoured to discover future events by astrology, imagining this science to be infallible; and upon this foundation he published a prediction, that the world would come to an end in 1335 or 1345, or, according to others, in 1376. He practised physic at Paris for some time; but, having advanced some new doctrines, he drew upon himself the resentment of the university; and his friends, fearing he might be arrested, persuaded him to retire from that city. Some authors have also affirmed, that the inquisitors of the faith, assembled at Tarascon, by order of Clement V. condemned the chimerical notions of this learned physician. Upon his leaving France he retired to Sicily, where he was received by king Frederic of Arragon with the greatest marks of kindness and esteem. Some time afterwards, this prince sent him to France, to attend the same pope Clement in an illness, and Arnold was shipwrecked on the coast of Genoa, in 1309, though some say it was in 1310, and others in 1313. The works of Arnold, with his life prefixed, were printed in one volume folio, at Lyons, 1520, and at Basil, 1585, with the notes of Nicholas Tolerus.
f England, whom he endeavoured to keep steadfast to the orthodox faith, as appears by the letters of pope Alexander III. He espoused the cause of Thomasa Becket, and
, bishop of Lisieux, in the twelfth century,
was treasurer of the church of Bayeux, archdeacon of
Seez, and in 1141, succeeded John, his uncle, io the
bishopric of Lisieux. In 1147 he travelled beyond seas
with Louis the Young, king of France, and returned in
1149. In 1,154, he was present at the coronation of
Henry II. king of England, whom he endeavoured to keep
steadfast to the orthodox faith, as appears by the letters of
pope Alexander III. He espoused the cause of Thomasa Becket, and travelled to England, on purpose to effect
a reconciliation between Becket and the king, but finding
that his interference was useless, and likely to involve himself with Henry, he resolved to retire to a monastery.
Many years after he was made canon regular of the abbey
of St. Victor at Paris, where he died August 31, 1182.
He wrote several works, and among others, a volume of
letters, two speeches, one delivered in the council held at
Tours, 1163, and the other on occasion of ordaining a
bishop, and some pieces of poetry, all printed by Odo
Turnebus, the son of Adrian, Paris, 1585, under the title
“Epistolae, conciones, et epigrammata,
” and afterwards
inserted in theBibliotheca Patrum. D'Acheri, in the second
volume of his Spicilegium, has a treatise by Arnoul, “De
Schismate orco post Honoriill. discessum, contra Girardum
episcopum Engolismensem,
” the legate of Peter of Leon,
the antipope: and in the thirteenth volume, a sermon and
five letters. ArnoiFs letters are chiefly valuable for the
particulars they contain of the history and discipline of his
times, and his poetry is favourably spoken of, as to correctness of verse.
sbyter, who, as Platina tells us, was destroyed by the treachery of the Roman clergy, in the time of pope Honorius II. for remonstrating with great severity against the
There are extant likewise, “Tomellus, sive epistola
Ernulfi ex JYlonacho Benedictino Episcopi Roffensis de Incestis Conjugiis,
” and “Epistola solutiones quasdam continens ad varias Lamberti abbatis Bertiniani qurestiones,
praecipue de Corpore et Sanguine Domini.
” Bale, who
confounds our Arnulph with Arnoul bishop of Lisieux, and
with Arnoul abbot of Bonneval, and Arnulphus the presbyter, informs us, that Arnulphus went to Rome, where,
inveighing strongly against the vices of the bishops, particularly their lewd ness, grandeur, and worldly-mindedness, he fell a sacrifice to the rage and resentment of the
Roman clergy, who caused him to be privately assassinated.
But this was Arnulphus the presbyter, who, as Platina
tells us, was destroyed by the treachery of the Roman
clergy, in the time of pope Honorius II. for remonstrating
with great severity against the corruptions of the court of
Rome. Nor could this possibly be true of our Arnulph, in
the time of that pope for this bishop of Rochester died
before Honorius II. was raised to the pontificate. As to
the works ascribed by Bale to Arnulphus, such as “De
Operibns sex dierum,
” &c. they were written either by
Arnoul bishop of Lisieux, or by Arnoul abbot of Bonneval.
, during which he refused very advantageous offers from the duke of Mantua, the king of England, and pope Urban VIII. and died there July 16, 1660. He had collected a
, a learned Italian physician,
was born at Assisi, about the year 1586. His father, who
was also a physician of character, spared nothing to give
him an education suitable to the profession which he wished
him to follow. He began his studies at Perugia, and meant
to have completed them at Montpellier, but he was sent
to Padua, where he attended the logical, philosophical,
and medical classes. Having obtained his doctor’s degree
in his eighteenth year, he went to Venice and practised
physic there for fifty years, during which he refused very
advantageous offers from the duke of Mantua, the king of
England, and pope Urban VIII. and died there July 16, 1660.
He had collected a copious library, particularly rich in
manuscripts, and cultivated general literature as well as
the sciences connected with his profession, in which last
he published only one tract, to be noticed hereafter. His
first publication was “Riposte alle considerazion di Alessandro Tassoni, sopra le rime del Petrarca,
” Padua, Avvertimenti di Cres. Pepe a Guiseppe
degli Aromatari, &c.
” Dialoghi di Falcidio Melampodio in riposta agli
avvertimenti date sotto nome di Cres. Pepe, &c.
” Venice,
Disputatio de rabie
contagiosa,
” Venice, Epistolæ
selectæ
” of G. Richt, Nuremberg,
of preparing their pallets and colours. But, in this situation he discovered such talents, that the pope gave orders to pay him a golden crown per day so long as he
, the son of a painter named Cesari at Arpino, was born at Rome in 1560. While yet in
his 13th year his father placed him with the artists employed by Gregory XIII. in painting the lodges of the
Vatican, whom he served in the humble employment of
preparing their pallets and colours. But, in this situation
he discovered such talents, that the pope gave orders to
pay him a golden crown per day so long as he continued
to work in the Vatican. Pope Clement VIII. distinguished
him by adding new and higher favours to those of Gregory
XIII. He made him chevalier of the order of Christ, and
appointed him director of St. John de Lateran. In 1600
he followed the cardinal Aldobrandini, who was sent legate
on occasion of the marriage of Henry IV. with Mary de
Medicis. Caravagio, his enemy and his rival, having attacked him, Arpino refused to fight him because he was
not a knight, and in order to remove this obstacle, Caravagio was obliged to go to Malta to be admitted chevalierservant. Arpino wanted likewise to measure swords with
Annibal Carachio, but the latter, with becoming contempt,
took a pencil in his hand, and, shewing it to him, said,
“With this weapon I defy you.
” Arpino died at Rome
in
, a native of Florence, where he was born in 1582, and died in 1662, was appointed by pope Urban VIII. canon of the cathedral. He wrote a great many books,
, a native of Florence, where
he was born in 1582, and died in 1662, was appointed by
pope Urban VIII. canon of the cathedral. He wrote a
great many books, among which are, 1. “The Rhetoric
of Aristotle,
” divided into fifty-six lessons; 2. “A translation of the Poetic
” of the same author; 3. “Four Academical discourses,
” on pleasure, laughter, spirit, and
honour. 4. “A life of St. Francis.
” 5. Some pious writings, particularly a “Treatise on vocal and mental
Prayer.
” His father, Nicholas Arrighetti, died at Florence
in 1639, and was a man of learning, and skilled in mathematics. There was also a Jesuit of the same name, who
published “The theory of Fire,
” in
ia in the Morea, was a learned philologist of the fifteenth century. He was the particular friend of pope Paul III. and wrote to him some very elegant letters. He submitted
, archbishop of Monembasia, or Malvasia in
the Morea, was a learned philologist of the fifteenth century. He was the particular friend of pope Paul III. and
wrote to him some very elegant letters. He submitted
also to the Romish church, which gave so much offence to
the heads of the Greek church, that they excommunicated
him. There are of his extant, a “Collection of Apophthegms,
” printed at Rome, in Greek and another “Collection of Scholia on seven of the tragedies of Euripides,
”
printed at Venice in Praeclara dicta Philosophorum,
” has no date of year.
The time of his death is uncertain, but he was alive in
1535.
affairs of the Levant, induced the court to send him as consul to Algiers, and afterwards to Aleppo. Pope Innocent XI. in consideration of the services he had rendered
, a French eastern scholar
and traveller, was born at Marseilles in 1635, of a family
originally from Tuscany, and from his infancy discovered
an uncommon aptitude for learning languages, and a strong
passion for travelling.In 1653 he accompanied his father,
who was appointed consul at Saida, and resided for twelve
years in the different ports of the Levant, where he learned
the Persian, Hebrew, Arabic, and Syriac languages. After
his return to France, he was, in 1668, sent to Tunis, to
negociate a treaty with the Dey, and was the means of
delivering three hundred and eighty French slaves, who
wished to show their gratitude by making up a purse of
600 pistoles, which he refused to accept. In 1672, he
was sent to Constantinople, where he had a principal hand
in concluding a treaty with Mahomet IV. and succeeded
chiefly by the facility with which he spoke the Turkish
language, and which strongly recommended him to the
confidence of the grand visier. M. Turenne had also requested him to obtain information respecting the opinions
of the Greeks on the eucharist, which he found to be the
same with that of the Latins. On his return, 1 he was made
a knight of St. Lazarus, and received a pension of 1000
Hvres. The knowledge he had now so often displayed in
the affairs of the Levant, induced the court to send him as
consul to Algiers, and afterwards to Aleppo. Pope Innocent XI. in consideration of the services he had rendered to religion, made him an offer of the bishopric of
Babylon, which he refused, but agreeably to the pope’s
permission, named father Pidou for that office, which the
Pope confirmed. During the latter part of his life, the
chevalier d'Arvieux lived in retirement at Marseilles, devoting his time to the study of the sacred scriptures, which
he read in the originals. He died in that city, Oct. 3, 1702.
he had written the history of a voyage made by order of
Louis XIV. to the grand Emir, the chief of the Arabian
princes, and a treatise on the manners and customs of the
Arabiaris, both published by M. de laRoque, Paris, 1717,
12mo. His “Memoires
” were published by father Labat,
Paris, Lettres critiques de Hadji-Mehemet-Effendi,
” Paris,
years of age when, from being archdeacon of Taunton, he was promoted to the bishopric of Ely, by the pope’s provision, and consecrated April 9, 1374, at Otteford. He
, archbishop of Canterbury in the
reigns of Richard II. Henry IV. and Henry V. was the
second son of Robert Fitz-Alan, earl of Arundel and Warren, and brother of Richard earl of Arundel, who was afterwards beheaded. He was but twenty-two years of age
when, from being archdeacon of Taunton, he was promoted to the bishopric of Ely, by the pope’s provision,
and consecrated April 9, 1374, at Otteford. He was a
considerable benefactor to the church and palace of that
see. He almost rebuilt the episcopal palace in Holborn,
and, among other donations, he presented the cathedral
with a very curious table of massy gold, enriched with
precious stones which had been given to prince Edward
by the king of Spain, and sold by the latter to bishop
Arundel for three hundred marks. In the year 1386, the
tenth of Richard II. he was made lord high chancellor of
England but resigned it in 1389 was again appointed in
1391, and resigned it finally, upon his advancement to the
see of Canterbury. After he had sat about fourteen years
in the see of Ely, he was translated to the archbishopric of
York, April 3, 1388, where he expended a very large
sum of money in building a palace for the archbishops,
and, besides other rich ornaments, gave to the church
several pieces of silver-gilt plate. In 1393, being then
chancellor, he removed the courts of justice from London
to York and, as a precedent for this unpopular step, he
alledged the example of archbishop Corbridge, eighty
years before. The see of Canterbury being vacant by the
death of Dr. William Courtney, archbishop Arundel was
translated thither, January 1396. The crosier was delivered into his hands by Henry Chellenden, prior of Canterbury, in the presence of the king, and a great number
of the nobility, and on the 19th of February 1397, he was
enthroned with great pomp at Canterbury, the first instance of the translation of an archbishop of York to the
see of Canterbury. Soon after he had a contest with the
university of Oxford about the right of visitation, which
was determined by King Richard, to whom the decision
was referred, in favour of the archbishop. At his visitation in London, he revived an old constitution, first set
on foot by Simon Niger, bishop of London, by which the
inhabitants of the respective parishes were obliged to pay
to their rector one halfpenny in the pound out of the rent
of their houses. In the second year of his translation, a
parliament was held at London, in which the commons,
with the king’s leave, impeached the archbishop, together
with his brother the earl of Arundel, and the duke of
Gloucester, of high-treason, for compelling the king, in
the tenth year of his reign, to grant them a commission to
govern the kingdom. The archbishop was sentenced to
be banished, and had forty days allowed him to prepare
for his exile, within which time he was to depart the kingdom on pain of death. Upon this he retired first into
France, and then to Rome, where pope Boniface IX. gave
him a very friendly reception, and wrote a letter to king
Richard, desiring him to receive the archbishop again into
favour. But not meeting with success, his holiness resolved to interpose his authority in favour of Arundel.
Accordingly he nominated him to the archbishopric of
St. Andrews, and declared his intention of giving him
several other preferments in England, by way of provision.
The king, upon this, wrote an expostulatory letter to the
pope, which induced him not only to withhold the intended
favours from Arundel, but likewise, at the king’s request^
to promote Roger Walden dean of York and lord treasurer
of England, to the see of Canterbury. That prelate, however, was soon obliged to quit his new dignity for, next
year, Arundel returned into England with the duke of
Lancaster, afterwards king Henry IV. upon whose accession to the throne, the pope revoked the bull granted to
Walden, and restored Arundel and among the articles of
mis government brought against king Richard, one was his
usage and banishment of this prelate. The throne being
vacant by Richard’s resignation, and the duke of Lancaster’s title being allowed in parliament, Arundel had the
honour to crown the new king and, at the coronationdinner, sat at his right hand; the archbishop of York
being placed at his left. In the first year of king Henry’s
reign, Arundel summoned a synod, which sat at St. Paul’s.
Harpsfield, and the councils from him, have mistaken this
synod for one held during the vacancy of the see. He
also by his courage and resolution, preserved several of
the bishops, who were in king Henry’s army, from being
plundered of their equipages and money. The next year,
the commons having moved, that the revenues of the church
might be applied to the service of the public, Arundel opposed the motion so vigorously, that the king and lords
promised him, the church should never be plundered in
their time. After this, he visited the university of Cambridge, where he made several statutes, suppressed several bad customs, and punished the students for their misbehaviour. And, when the visitation was ended, at the
request of the university, he reserved all those matters
and causes, which had been laid before him, to his own
cognizance and jurisdiction. In the year 1408, Arundel
began to exert himself with vigour against the Lollards or
Wickliffites. To this end, he summoned the bishops and
clergy at Oxford, to check the progress of this new sect,
and prevent that university’s being farther tinctured with
their opinions. But the doctrines of Wickliff still gaining
ground, the archbishop resolved to visit the university,
attended by the earl of Arundel, his nephew, and a splendid
retinue. When he came near the town, he was met by
the principal members of the university, who told him,
that, if he came only to see the town, he was very welcome, but if he came in the character of a visitor, they
refused to acknowledge his jurisdiction. The archbishop,
resenting this treatment, left Oxford in a day or two, and
wrote to the king on accpunt of his disappointment. After
a warm contest between the university and the archbishop,
both parties agreed to refer the dispute to the king’s decision who, governing himself by the example of his predecessors, gave sentence in favour of the archbishop. Soon
after this controversy was ended, a convocation being held
at St. Paul’s in London, the bishops and clergy complained of the growth of Wicklevitism at Oxford, and
pressed the archbishop to visit that university. He accordingly wrote to the chancellor and others, giving them
notice, that he intended to hold a visitation in St. Mary’s
church. His delegates for this purpose were sent down
soon after, and admitted by the university, who, to make
some satisfaction for their backwardness in censuring
Wickliff’s opinions, “wrote to the archbishop, and asked
his pardon: after which they appointed a committee of
twelve persons, to examine heretical books, particularly
those of Wicklitf. These inquisitors into heretical pravity,
having censured some conclusions extracted out o'f WicklitPs books, sent an account of their proceedings to the
archbishop, who confirmed their censures, and sent an
authority in writing to some eminent members of the university, empowering them to inquire into persons suspected of heterodoxy, and oblige them to declare their opinions. These rigorous proceedings made Arundel extremely hated by the Wickliffites, and certainly form the
deepest stain on his character. However he went on with
the prosecution, and not only solicited the pope to condemn the abovementioned conclusions, but desired likewise a bull for the digging up Wickliff’s bones. The pope
granted the first of these requests, but refused the other,
not thinking it any useful part of discipline to disturb the
ashes of the dead. Arundel’s warm zeal for suppressing
the Lollards, or Wickliffites, carried him to several unjustifiable severities against the heads of that sect, particularly against sir John Oldcastle, lord Cobham and induced him to procure a synodical constitution, which
forbad the translation of the scriptures into the vulgar
tongue. This prelate died at Canterbury, after having sat
seventeen years, the 20th of February, 1413. The Lollardsofthose times asserted the immediate hand of heaven in the manner of his death. He died of an inflammation in his throat, and it is said that he was struck with
this disease, as he was pronouncing sentence of excommunication and condemnation on the lord Cobham; and
from that time, notwithstanding all the assistance of medicine, he could swallow neither meat nor drink, and was
starved to death. The Lollards imputed this lamentable
end to the just judgment of God upon him, both for his
severity towards that sect, and forbidding the scriptures
to be translated into English; and bishop Godwin seems to
lean to the same opinion. He was buried in the cathedral
of Canterbury, near the west end, under a monument erected by himself in his life-time. He was a considerable benefactor to that church, having built the Lanthorn Tower,
and great part of the Nave and he gave a ring of five
bells, called from him
” Arundel’s Ring," several rich
vestments, a mitre enchased with jewels, a silver gilt
crosier, a golden chalice for the high altar, and another
to be used only on St. Thomas Becket’s day. He bestowed also the church of Godmersham, out of the income of which, he ordered six shillings and eight pence
to be given annually to every monk of the convent, on the
aforesaid festival. Lastly, he gave several valuable books,
particularly two Missals, and a collection in one volume of
St. Gregory’s works, with anathema to any person who
should remove it out of the church. He appears to have
possessed a great natural capacity, and was a splendid
benefactor to many of our ecclesiastical structures. As a
politician, he took a very active share in the principal
measures of very turbulent times, and it is perhaps now
difficult to appreciate his character in any other particulars than what are most prominent, his zeal for the catholic religion, and his munificence in the various offices he
held.
of Mr. Ascharn’s pn, particularly in translating his speech to the parliaBsnt, which he made as the pope’s legate, and of which Unslation he sent a copy to the pope.
The master of St. John’s college at this time, Nicholas
Medcalf, was a great encourager of learning, and his tutor,
Mr. Hugh Fitzherbert, had not only much knowledge, but
also a graceful and insinuating method of imparting it to his
pupils. To a genius naturally prone to learning, Mr. Ascham
added a spirit of emulation, which induced him to study so
hard, that, while a mere boy, he made a great progress in polite learning, and became exceedingly distinguished amongst
the most eminent wits in the university. He took his degree of B. A. on the twenty-eighth of February, 1534,
when eighteen years* of age; and on the twenty-third of
March following, was elected fellow of his college by the
interest of the master, though Mr. Ascham’s propensity to
the reformed religion had made it difficult for Dr. Medcalf,
who, according to Ascham' s account, was a man of uncommon liberality, to carry his good intention into act. These
honours served only to excite him to still greater vigilance
in his studies, particularly in that of the Greek tongue,
wherein he attained an excellency peculiar to himself, and
read therein, both publicly for the university, and privately
in his college, with universal applause. At the commencement held after the feast of St. Peter and St. Paul, in
1536, he was inaugurated M. A. being then twenty-one
years old. By this time many of his pupils came to be
taken notice of for their extraordinary proficiency, and
William Grindall, one of them, at the recommendation of
Mr. Ascham, was chosen by sir John Cheke, to be tutor to
the lady Elizabeth. As he did not accept this honour
himself, he probably was delighted with an academical life,
and was not very desirous of changing it for one at court.
His affection for his friends, though it filled him with a
deep concern for their interests, and a tender regard for
their persons, yet could not induce him to give up his
understanding, especially in points of learning. For this
reason he did not assent to the new pronunciation of the
Greek, which his intimate friend, sir John Cheke, laboured, by his authority, to introduce throughout the
university; yet when he had thoroughly examined, he
came over to his opinion, and defended the new pronunciation with that zeal and vivacity which gave a peculiar
liveliness to all his writings. In July 1542, he supplicated
the university of Oxford to be incorporated M. A. but it &
doubtful whether this was granted. To divert him after
the fatigue of severer studies, he addicted himself to archcry, which innocent amusement drew upon him the censure
of some persons, against whose opinion he wrote a small
treatise, entitled “Toxophilus,
” published in Schoolmaster,
” which he lived to finish, but not to publish. His
application to study rendered him infirm throughout his
whole life, and at last he became so weak, that he was unable to read in the evenings or at night; to make amends
for which, he rose very early in the morning. The year
before his death he was seized with a hectic, which brought
him very low and then, contrary to his former custom,
relapsing into night-studies, in order to complete a Latin
poem with which he designed to present the queen on the
new year, he, on the 23d of December 1568, was attacked
by an aguish ‘distemper, which threatened him with immediate death. He was visited in his last sickness by Dr.
Alexander Nowell, dean of St. ’Paul’s, and Graves, vicar
of St. Sepulchre’s, who found him perfectly calm and
chearful, in which disposition he continued to the 30th of
the same month, when he expired. On the 4th of January
following, he was interred according to his own directions,
in the most private manner, in St. Sepulchre’s church, his
funeral sermon being preached by the before-mentioned
Dr. Nowell. He was universally lamented, and even the
queen herself not only shewed great concern, but was also
pleased to say, that phg had rather have lost ten thousand
pounds than her tutor Ascham. His only failing was too
great a propensity to dice and cock-fighting, which the
learned bishop Nicolson would persuade us to be an unfounded calumny; but as it is mentioned by Camden, as
well as some other contemporary writers, it seems impossible to deny it. It is certain that he died in very indifferent circumstances, as may appear from the address of his
widow to sir William Cecil, in her dedication of his
“Schoolmaster,
” wherein she says expressly, that Mr.
Ascham left her a poor widow with many orphans; and Dr.
Grant, in his dedication of Ascham’s letters to queen Elizabeth, pathetically recommends to her his pupil, Giles
Ascham, the son of our author, representing, that be had
lost his father, who should have taken care of his education, and that he was left poor and without friends. Besides
this son he had two others, Dudley and Sturmur, of whom
we know little. Lord Burleigh took Giles Ascham under
his protection, by whose interest he was recommended to
a scholarship of St. John’s, and afterwards by the queen’s
mandate, to a fellowship of Trinity college in Cambridge,
and was celebrated, as well as his father, for his admirable
Latin style in epistolary writings.
spect and civility, and the regard shown him abroad was more singular. It was reposited, by the then pope, in the library of the Vatican. King Christie of Denmark, sent
2. “Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum, containing several
poetical pieces of our famous English philosophers, who
have written the Hermetique mysteries, in their own ancient language. Faithfully collected into one volume, with
annotations thereon, by Elias Ashmole, esq. qui est Mercuriophilus Anglicus,
” London, The Way to Bliss, in three books, made
public by Elias Ashmole, esq; qui est Mercuriophilus
Anglicus,
” London, The Institution, Laws, and Ceremonies of the most
noble Order of the Garter. Collected and digested into
one body by Elias Ashmole, of the Middle Temple, esq.
Windesore herald at arms. A work furnished with variety
of matter relating to honour and noblesse
” London, The Arms, Epitaphs,.
Feuestral Inscriptions, with the draughts of the Tombs, &c.
in all the churches in Berkshire.
” It was penned in The Antiquities of Berkshire,
” 3 vols. 8vo, 1717, 1723,
and at Reading in 1736, fol. 6. “Familiarum iilustrium
Imperatorumque Romanorum Numismata Oxonire in Bodleianae Bibliotbecoe Archivis descripta et explanata.
”
This work was finished by the author in A description and
explanation of the Coins and Medals belonging to king
Charles II.
” a folio ms. in the king’s cabinet. 8. “A
brief ceremonial of the Feast of St. George, held at Whitehall 1661, with other papers relating to the Order.
”
9. “Remarkable Passages in the year 1660, set down by
Mr. Elias Ashmole.
” 10. “An account of the Coronation
of our Kings, transcribed from a ms. in the king’s private
closet.
” 11 “The proceedings on the day of the Coronation of king Charles II.
” mentioned by Anthony Wood,
as printed in 1672, but he owns he never saw it. 12. “The
Arms, Epitaphs, &c. in some churches and houses in
Staffordshire,
” taken when he accompanied sir William
Dugdale in his visitation. 13. “The Arms, Epitaphs,
Inscriptions, &c. in Cheshire, Shropshire, Derbyshire,
Nottinghamshire, &c.
” taken at the same time. Bishop
Nicolson mentions his intention to write the history and
antiquities of his native town of Litchfield. 14. “Answers
to the objections urged.against Mr. Ashmole’s being made
historiographer to the order of the Garter,
” A. D. A Translation of John Francis Spina’s book of th
Catastrophe of the World; to which was subjoined, Ambrose Merlin’s Prophecy.
” It is doubtful whether this was
ever published. What, indeed, he printed, was but a very
small part of what he wrote, there being scarcely any
branch of our English history and antiquities, on which he
has not left us something valuable, of his own composing,
in that vast repository of papers, which make several folios in his collection of Mss. under the title of, 16. CoU
lections, Remarks, Notes on Books, and Mss. a wonderful
proof of industry and application. 17. “The Diary of
his Life,
” written by himself, which was published at London, 1717, in 12mo, with the following title “Memoirs
of the life of that learned antiquary, Elias Ashmole, esq.
drawn up by himself by way of diary, with an appendix of
original letters. Published by Charles Burman, esquire.
”
The copy from whence these papers were published, was in
the hand-writing of Dr. Robert Plott, chief keeper of the
Ashmolean museum at Oxford, and secretary of the Royal
Society, and was transcribed by him for the use of a near
relation of Mr. Ashmole’s, a private gentleman in Staffordshire. They had been collated a few years before, by
David Perry, M. A. of Jesus’ college in Oxford. The appendix* contains a letter of thanks, dated January 26, 1666,
from the corporation at Litchfield, upon the receipt of a
silver bowl presented to them by Mr. Ashmole a preface
to the catalogue of archbishop Laud’s medals, drawn up by
Mr. Ashmole, and preserved in the public library at Oxford a letter from Dr. Thomas Barlow, afterwards bishop
of Lincoln, to Mr. Ashmole, dated December 23, 1668, on
the present of his books, describing archbishop Laud’s
cabinet of medals a letter from John Evelyn, esq. to recommend Dr. Plott to him for reader in natural philosophy,
and another from Mr. Joshua Barnes, dated from Emanuel
college, Cambridge, October 15, 1688, wherein he desires
Mr. Ashmole’s pardon, for having reflected upon his Order
of the Garter, in his own history of king Edward III. with
Mr. Ashmole’s answer to that letter, dated October 23
following. It is from this diary, which abounds in whimsical and absurd memoranda, that the dates and facts in his
life have been principally taken.
name. Baronius is of opinion that it was composed by Athanasius when he was at Rome, and offered to pope Julius as a confession of his faith which circumstance is not
Photius greatly extols Athanasius as an elegant, clear, and excellent writer. It is controverted among learned men, whether Athanasius composed the creed commonly received under his name. Baronius is of opinion that it was composed by Athanasius when he was at Rome, and offered to pope Julius as a confession of his faith which circumstance is not at all likely, for Julius never questioned his faith. However, a great many learned men have ascribed it to Athanasius as cardinal Bona, Petavius, Bellarmine, and Rivet, with many others of both communions. Scultetus leaves the matter in doubt; but the best and latest critics- make no question but that it is to be ascribed to a Latin author, Vigilius Tapsensis, an African bishop, who lived in the latter end of the fifth century, in the time of the Vandalic Arian persecution. Vossius and Quesnel have written particular dissertations in favour of this opinion. Their arguments are, 1. Because this creed is wanting in almost all the manuscripts of Athanasius’ s works. 2. Because the style and contexture of it do not bespeak a Greek but a Latin author. 3. Because neither Cyril of Alexandria, nor the council of E^phesus, nor pope Leo, nor the council of Chalcedon, have ever mentioned it in all that they say against the Nestorians or Eutychians. 4. Because this Vigilms Tapsensis is known to have published others of his writings under the borrowed name of Athanasius, with which this creed is commonly joined. These reasons have persuaded Pearson, Usher, Cave, and Dupin, critics of the first rank, to come into the opinion, that this creed was not composed by Athanasius, but by a later and a Latin writer.
cta quædam poematum Italorum qui Latin escripserunt,” which was afterwards enlarged and published by Pope in 1740, with the omission, however, of Atterbury’s excellent
, bishop of Rochester in the
reigns of queen Anne and king George I. was born March
6, 1662-3, at Milton or Middleton Keynes, near Newport- Pagnel, Bucks. He was admitted a king’s scholar in
1676 at Westminster-school; and thence, in 1680, was
elected a student of Christ-Church college, Oxford, where
he soon distinguished himself by his wit and learning and
gave early proofs of his poetical talents, in a Latin version
of Dryden’s “Absalom and Achitophel,
” published in
Ανθολογια, seu selecta
quædam poematum Italorum qui Latin escripserunt,
” which
was afterwards enlarged and published by Pope in 1740,
with the omission, however, of Atterbury’s excellent preface. In 1687 he made his first essay in controversial
writing, and shewed himself as an able and strenuous advocate for the Protestant religion, in “An Answer to
some Considerations on the spirit of Martin Luther, and the
original of the Reformation.
” These Considerations were
published under the name of Abraham Woodhead, who
was a popish writer, but were really written by Obadiah
Walker, master of University college, Oxford. Mr. Atterbury’s answer was soon after animadverted upon by Mr.
Thomas Deane, fellow of University college, at the end of
“The Religion of Martin Luther, whether Catholic or
Protestant, proved from his own works.
” This spirited
performance of Atterbury induced bishop Burnet to rank
the author among the eminent divines who had distinguished
themselves by their admirable defences of the Protestant
religion. Atterbury also pleads this pamphlet in his speech
at his trial, as a proof of his zeal in that cause, and the
same was urged by his counsel.
England, he said, with an air of pleasantry, “Then I am exchanged” and it was, in the opinion of Mr. Pope on the same occasion, “a sign of the nation’s being afraid of
This commitment of a bishop upon the suspicion of hightreason, as it was a thing rarely practised since the Reformation, occasioned various speculations among the people.
March 23, 1723, a bill was brought into the House of Commons, for “inflicting certain pains and penalties on Francis lord bishop of Rochester
” a copy of which was sent to
him, with notice that he had liberty of counsel and solicitors for making his defence. Under these circumstances,
the bishop applied, by petition, to the House of Lords, for
their direction and advice, as to his conduct in this conjuncture and April 4, he acquainted the Speaker of the
House of Commons, by a letter, that he was determined to
give that house no trouble, in relation to the bill depending
therein but should be ready to make his defence against
it, when it should be argued in another house, of which he
had the honour to be a member. On the 9th, the bill
passed the House of Commons, and was the same day sent
up to the House of Lords for their concurrence. May 6,
being the day appointed by the lords for the first reading
of the bill, bishop Atterbury was brought to Westminster,
to make his defence. The counsel for the bishop were, sir
Constantine Phipps and William Wynne, esq. for the
king, Mr. Reeve and Mr. Wearg. The proceedings continued above a week; and on Saturday, May 11, the bishop
was permitted to plead for himself, which he did in a very
eloquent speech. On Monday the 13th he was carried, for
the last time, from the Tower, to hear the reply of the
king’s counsel to his defence. On the 15th, the bill was
read the third time, and, after a long and warm detiate,
passed on the 16th, by a majority of 83 to 43. On the
27th, the king came to the house, and confirmed it by his
royal assent. June 18, 1723, this eminent prelate, having
the day before taken leave of his friends, who, from the
time of passing the bill against him, to the day of his
departure, had free access to him in the Tower, embarked on
board the Aldborough man of war, and landed the Friday
following at Calais. When he went on shore, having been
informed that lord Bolingbroke, who had, after the rising
of the parliament, received the king’s pardon, was arrived
at the same place on his return to England, he said, with
an air of pleasantry, “Then I am exchanged
” and it was,
in the opinion of Mr. Pope on the same occasion, “a sign
of the nation’s being afraid of being over-run with too
much politeness, when it could not regain one great man,
but at the expence of another.
” But the severity of his
treatment did not cease even with his banishment. The
same vindictive spirit pursued him in foreign climes. NoBritish subject was even permitted to visit him without the
king’s sign manual, which Mr. Morice was always obligee!
to solicit, not only for himself, but for every one of his
family whom he carried abroad with him, for which the fees
of office were very high.
nds to shew the beauty of holiness, till he has convinced you of the truth of it.” In his letters to Pope, &c. bishop Atterbury appears in a pleasing light, both as a
As to bishop Atterbury’s character, however the moral
and political part of it may have been differently represented by the opposite parties, it is universally agreed,
that he was a man of great learning and uncommon abilities, a fine writer, and a most excellent preacher. His
learned friend Smalridge, in the speech he made, when he
presented him to the upper house of convocation, as prolocutor, styles him “Vir in nullo literarum genere hospes,
in plerisque artibus et studiis diu et feliciter exercitatus,
in maxime perfectis literarum disciplinis perfectissimus.
”
In his controversial writings, he was sometimes too severe
upon his adversary, and dealt rather too much in satire
and invective but this his panegyrist imputes more to the
natural fervour of his wit, than to any bitterness of temper,
or prepense malice. In his sermons, however, he is not
only every way unexceptionable, but highly to be commended. The truth is, his talent as a preacher was so excellent and remarkable, that it may not improperly he said,
that he owed his preferment to the pulpit, nor any hard matter to trace him, through his writings, to his several promotions in the church. We shall conclude bishop Atterbury’s
character, as a preacher, with the encomium bestowed on
him by the author of “The Tatler
” who, having observed
that the English clergy too much neglect the art of speaking, makes a particular exception with regard to our prelate; who, says he, “has so particular a regard to his
congregation, that he commits to his memory what he has
to say to them, and has so soft and graceful a behaviour,
that it must attract your attention. His person,
”
contnues this author, “it is to be confessed, is no small recommendation but he is to be highly commended for not
losing that advantage, and adding to a propriety of speech
(which might pass the criticism of Longinus) an action
which would have been approved by Demosthenes. He
has a peculiar force in his way, and has many of his audience, who could not be intelligent hearers of his discourse,
were there no explanation as well as grace in his action.
This art of his is used with the most exact and honest skill.
He never attempts your passions till he has convinced your:
reason. All the objections which you can form are laid
open and dispersed, before he uses the least vehemence in
his sermon; but when he thinks he has your head, he very
soon wins your heart, and never pretends to shew the
beauty of holiness, till he has convinced you of the truth
of it.
” In his letters to Pope, &c. bishop Atterbury appears in a pleasing light, both as a writer and as a man.
In ease and elegance they are superior to those of Pope,
which are more studied. There are in them several beautiful references to the classics. The bishop excelled in his
allusions to sacred as well as profane authors.
by the late Dr. Maty, on the credit of lord Chesterfield: “I went,” said lord Chesterfield, “to Mr. Pope, one morning, at Twickenham, and found a large folio Bible,
The following anecdote was first communicated to the
public by the late Dr. Maty, on the credit of lord Chesterfield: “I went,
” said lord Chesterfield, “to Mr. Pope,
one morning, at Twickenham, and found a large folio
Bible, with gilt clasps, lying before him upon his table
and, as I knew his way of thinking upon that book, I asked
him jocosely, if he was going to write an answer to it It
is a present, said he, or rather a legacy, from my old
friend the bishop of Rochester. I went to take my leave
of him yesterday in the Tower, where I saw this Bible
upon his table. After the first compliments, the bishop
said to me,
” My friend Pope, considering your infirmities, and my age and exile, it is not likely that we should
ever meet again and therefore I give you this legacy to
remember me by it. Take it home with you, and let me
advise you to abide by it.“” Does your lordship abide
by it yourself“” I do.“If you do, my lord, it is but
lately. May I beg to know what new light or arguments
have prevailed with you now, to entertain an opinion so
contrary to that which you entertained of that book all the
former part of your life r
” The bishop replied, “We
have not time to talk of these things, but take home the
book; I will abide by it, and I recommend you to do so
too, and so God bless you.
” It has been justly remarked^
that whatever were the bishop’s faults, we do not recollect
any thing that indicates a disbelief or a doubt of the truth
of Christianity. His actions and writings rather display
him in the light of a zealous supporter of religion than in
that of an infidel. His sermons on the miraculous propagation of the Gospel, and on a standing revelation’s being
the best means of conviction, not to mention others of his
discourses, are important evidences of his attachment to
the Christian religion. It is observable, that he generally
treats unbelievers with contempt, as an ignorant, superficial, and conceited set of men, which he vyould scarcely
have done had he been of the same sentiments for,
though a man may conceal, or deny, or even persecute the
opinions which he himself holds, it is not very likely that
he should appear to despise the retainers of them. With
respect to the above anecdote related by Dr. Maty, the late
Mr. Badcock, from a zeal to vindicate the bishop’s character, as if it were insinuated that he had once been an
unbeliever, wrote a letter in which he endeavoured to deny
the authenticity of the anecdote but, in our opinion, without arriving at that conclusion.
astronomy was his favourite pursuit, on which he published many pieces. He was appointed by the late pope Pius VI. to make mineralogical observations on the new mines
, an able astronomer and
mathematician, was born at Saorgio, near Nice, in Provence, in 1714. At the age of sixteeeri he entered the
order of St. Dominic, and made rapid progress in his studies, not only in sacred literature, but in mathematics,
and the languages. In his thirty-fifth year he was
appointed second librarian of the Casanata, and ten years
aftenvards first librarian, which office he held until his
death. His studies were extended to mathematics, astronomy, antiquities, natural history, criticism, and bibliography but astronomy was his favourite pursuit, on which
he published many pieces. He was appointed by the late
pope Pius VI. to make mineralogical observations on the
new mines of Tolfa. He died July 3, 1794. His published works are, 1. “Mercurius in sole visus, observatio
habita Romae, &c.
” Rome, Phenomena
ccelestia observata,
” Rome, Otia astronomica,
” Rome, Novissimus Mercurii
transitus,
” Rome, Passaggio di Venere,
&c.
” 4to, without place or date, but most probably Transitus Veneris, &c.
” Investigatio Parallaxis Solaris, &c.
” Rome,.
De Solis Parallaxi commentarius,
”
Rome, Dimostrazione della theoria, &c.
”
of the Comet of the year Letere typografiche,
” under the name of the abbe Nicolas Ugolini de Foligno, addressed to Xavier Laire, author of the historical essay on
the Roman typography of the 15th century, Mentz, 1778,
8vo, a satirical attack on father Laire. 11. “Catalogus
historico-criticus Romanarum editionum saeculi 15.
” Rome,
Catalogus librorum typis impressorum
bibliothecae Casanatensis, praestantioribus notis et observationibus illustratus,
” 4 vols. fol. 1762, 1768, 1775, 1788.
13. “Specimen historico-criticum editionum Italicarum
ssGCuli 15,
” Rome,
reconciled all parties. In the recess, the king thought it necessary to have a letter written to the pope by the lords and commons, or rather by the three estates in
, descended of an
ancient and honourable family, of the county of Essex,
was born in 1488. He was by nature endowed with great
abilities, from his ancestors inherited an ample fortune,
and was happy in a regular education, but whether at
Oxford or Cambridge is not certain. At what time he was
entered of the Inner-Temple, does not appear, but in
1526 he was autumn reader of that house, and is thought
to have read on the statute of privileges, which he handled
with so much learniag and eloquence, as to acquire great
reputation. This, with the duke of Suffolk’s recommendation, to whom he was chancellor, brought him to the'
knowledge of his sovereign, who at that time wanted men
of learning and some pliability he was, accordingly, by
the king’s influence, chosen speaker of that parliament,
which sat first on the third of November, 1529, and is by
some styled the Black Parliament, and by others, on account of its duration, the Long Parliament. Great complaints were made in the house of commons against the
clergy, and the proceedings in ecclesiastical courts, and
several bills were ordered to be brought in, which alarmed
some of the prelates. Fisher, bishop of Rochester,
inveighed boldly against these transactions, in the house of
lords, with which the house of commons were so much
offended, that they thought proper to complain of it, by
their speaker, to the king, and Fisher had some difficulty
in excusing himself. The best historians agree, that great
care was taken by the king, or at least by his ministry, to
have such persons chosen into this house of commons as
would proceed therein readily and effectually, and with
this view Audley was chosen to supply the place of sir
Thomas More, now speaker of the lords’ house, and chancellor of England. The new house and its speaker justified
his majesty’s expectations, by the whole tenor of their behaviour, but especially by the passing of a law, not nowfound among our statutes. The king, having borrowed
very large sums of money of particular subjects, and entered into obligations for the repayment of the said sums,
the house brought in, and passed a bill, in the preamble of
which they declared, that inasmuch as those sums had been
applied by his majesty to public uses, therefore they cancelled and discharged the said obligations, &c. and the
king, finding the convenience of such a parliament, it sat
again in the month of January, 1530-1. In this session
also many extraordinary things were done amongst the
rest, there was a law introduced in the house of lords, by
which the clergy were exempted from the penalties they
had incurred, by submitting to the legatine power of
Wolsey. On this occasion the commons moved a clause in
favour of the laity, many of themselves having also incurred the penalties of the statute. But the king insisted
that acts of grace ought to flow spontaneously, and that this
was not the method of obtaining what they wanted; and the
house, notwithstanding the intercession of its speaker, and
several of its members, who were the king’s servants, was
obliged to pass the bill without the clause, and immediately
the king granted them likewise a pardon, which reconciled
all parties. In the recess, the king thought it necessary
to have a letter written to the pope by the lords and commons, or rather by the three estates in parliament, which
letter was drawn up and signed by cardinal Wolsey, the
archbishop of Canterbury, four bishops, two dukes, two
marquisses, thirteen earls, two viscounts, twenty-three
barons, twenty-two abbots, and eleven members of the
house of commons. Thepurport of this letter, dated
July 13, above three weeks after the parliament rose, was
to iMigage the pope to grant the king’s desire in the divorce
business, for the sake of preventing a civil war, on account of the succession, and to threaten him if he did not,
to take some other way. To gratify the speaker for the
great pains he had already taken, and to encourage him to
proceed in the same way, the king made him this year
attorney for the duchy of Lancaster, advanced him in
Michaelmas term to the state and degree of a serjeant at
law, and on the 14th of November following, to that of
his own serjeant. In January, 1531-2, the parliament had
its third session, wherein the grievances occasioned by the
excessive power of the ecclesiastics and their courts, were
regularly digested into a book, which was presented by
the speaker, Audley, to the king. The king’s answer was,
He would take advice, hear the parties accused speak, and
then proceed to reformation. Jn this session, a bill was
brought into the house of lords, for the better securing the
rights of his majesty, and other persons interested in the
eare of wards, which rights, it was alleged, were injured
by fraudulent wills and contracts. This bill, when it came
into the house of commons, was violently opposed, and the
members expressed a desire of being dissolved, which the
king would not permit but after they had done some
business, they had a recess to the month of April. When
they next met, the king sent for the speaker, and delivered
to him the answer which had been made to the roll of
grievances, presented at their last sitting, which afforded
very little satisfaction, and they seemed now less subset
viciit. Towards the close of the month, one Mr. Themse
moved, That the house would intercede with the king, to
take back his queen again. The king, extremely alarmed
at this, on the 30th of April, 1532, sent for the speaker, to
whom he repeated the plea of conscience, which had induced him to repudiate the queen, and urged that the
opinion of the learned doctors, &c. was on his side. On
the 11th of May the king sent for the speaker again, and
told him, that he had found that the clergy of his realm
were but half his subjects, or scarcely so much, every
bishop and abbot at the entering into his dignity, taking
an oath to the pope, derogatory to that of their fidelity
to the king, which contradiction he desired his parliament to take away. Upon this motion of the king’s, the
two oaths he mentioned were read in the house of commons and they would probably have complied, if the plague
bad not put an end to the session abruptly, on the 14th
of May; and two days after, sir Thomas More, knt. then
lord chancellor of England, went suddenly, without acquainting any body with his intention, to court, his majesty being then at York Place, and surrendered up the
seals to the king. The king going out of town to EastGreenwich, carried the seals with him, and on Monday,
May 20, delivered them to Thomas Audley, esq, with the
title of lord keeper, and at the same time conferred on him
the honour of knighthood. September 6, sir Thomas delivered the old seal, which was much worn, and received a
new one in its stead, yet with no -higher title: but on
January 26, 1533, he again delivered the seal to the king,
who kept it a quarter of an hour, and then returned it with
the title of lord chancellor. A little after, the king
granted to him the site of the priory of Christ Church,
Aldgate, together with all the church plate, and lands belonging to that house. When chancellor he complied with
the king’s pleasure as effectually as when speaker of the
house of commons. For in July 1535, he sat in judgment
on sir Thomas More, his predecessor, (as he had before on bishop Fisher,) who was now indicted of high-treason upon
which indictment the jury found him gnilty, and the lord
chancellor, Audley, pronounced judgment of death upon
him. This done, we are told, that sir Thomas More said,
that he had for seven years bent his mind and study upon
this cause, but as yet he found it no where writ by any
approved doctor of the church, that a layman could be
head of the ecclesiastical state. To this Audley returned,
“Sir, will you be reckoned wiser, or of a better conscience,
than all the bishops, the nobility, and the whole kingdom
” Sir Thomas rejoined, “My lord chancellor, for
one bishop that you have of your opinion, I have a hundred
of mine, and that among those that have been saints and
for your one council, which, what it is, God knows, I have
on my side all the general councils for a thousand years
past; and for one kingdom, I have France and all the
ether kingdoms of the Christian world.
” As our chancellor
was very active in the business of the divorce, he was no
less so in the business of abbies, and had particularly a
large hand in the dissolution of such religions houses as
had not two hundred pounds by the year. This was in the
twenty-seventh of Henry VIII, and the bill being delayed
long in the house of commons, his majesty sent for the
members of that house to attend him in his gallery, where
he passed through them with a stern countenance, without
speaking a word the members not having received the
king’s command to depart to their house, durst not return
till they knew the king’s pleasure so they stood waiting in
the gallery. In the mean time the king went a hunting,
and his ministers, who seem to have had better manners
than their master, went to confer with the members to
some they spoke of the king’s steadiness and severity to
others, of his magnificence and generosity. At last the
king came back, and passing through them again, said,
with an air of fierceness peculiar to himself, That if his
bill did not pass, it should cost many of them their heads.
Between the ministers’ persuasions and the king’s threats,
the matter was brought to an issue the king’s bill, as he
called it, passed and by it, he had not only the lands of
the small monasteries given him, but also their jewels, plate,
and rich moveables. This being accomplished, methods
were used to prevail with the abbots of larger foundations
to surrender. To this end, the chancellor sent a special
agent to treat with the abbot of Athelny, to offer him an
hundred marks per annum pension which he refused, insisting on a greater sum. The chancellor was more successful with the abbot of St. Osithes in Essex, with whom
he dealt personally and, as he expresses it in a letter to
Cromwell, the visitor-general, by great solicitation prevailed with him but then he insinuates, that his place of
lord chancellor being very chargeable, he desired the king
might be moved for addition of some more profitable offices
unto him. In suing for the great abbey of Walden, in the
same county, which he obtained, besides extenuating its
worth, he alleged under his hand, that he had in this
world sustained great damage and infamy in serving the
king, which the grant of that should recompense. But if
the year 1536 was agreeable to him in one respect, it was
far from being so in another; since, notwithstanding the
obligations he was under to queen Anne Bullen, he was
obliged, by the king’s command, to be present at her apprehension and commitment to the Tower. He sat afterwards with Cranmer archbishop of Canterbury, when he
gave sentence of divorce on the pre-contract between the
queen and the lordPiercy and on the 15th of May, in the
same year, he sat in judgment on the said queen, notwithstanding we are told by Lloyd, that with great address he
avoided it. The lengths he had gone in serving the king,
and his known dislike to popery, induced the northern,
rebels in the same year, to name him as one of the evil
counsellors, whom they desired to see removed from about
the king’s person which charge, however, his majesty,
as far as in him lay, wiped off, by his well- penned answer
to the complaints of those rebels, wherein an excellent
character is given of the chancellor. When the authors of
this rebellion came to be tried, the chancellor declined
sitting as lord high steward, which high office was executed
by the marquis of Exeter, on whom shortly after, viz. in
1538, Audley sat as high-steward, and condemned him,
his brother, and several t other persons, to suffer death as
traitors. In the latter end of the same year, viz. on the
29th of November, 30 Hen. VIII. the chancellor was created
a baron, by the style of lord Audley of Walden in the
county of Essex, and was likewise installed knight of the
garter. In the session of parliament in 1539, there were
many severe acts made, and the prerogative carried to an
excessive height, particularly by the six bloody articles,
and the giving the king’s proclamation the force of a law.
It does not very clearly appear who were the king’s principal counsellors in these matters but it is admitted by
the best historians, that the rigorous execution of these
laws, which the king first designed, was prevented by the
interposition of the lord Audley, in conjunction with Cromwell, who was then prime minister, and the duke of Suffolk,
the king’s favourite throughout his whole reign. In the
beginning of 1540, the court was excessively embarrassed.
What share Audley had in the fall of Cromwell afterwards
is not clear, but immediately after a new question was
stirred in parliament, viz. How far the king’s marriage with
Anne of Cleves, was lawful This was referred to the
judgment of a spiritual court and there are yet extant the
depositions of Thomas lord Audley, lord chancellor, Thomas, archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas, duke of Norfolk,
Charles, duke of Suffolk, and Cuthbert, lord bishop of
Durham, wherein they jointly swear, that the papers produced to prove the retraction of the lady Anne’s contract
with the duke of Lorrain, were inconclusive and unsatisfactory. Other lords and ladies deposed to other points,
and the issue of the business was, that the marriage was
declared void by this court, which sentence was supported
by an act of parliament, affirming the same thing, and
enacting, That it should be high-treason to judge or believe otherwise. This obstacle removed, the king married
the lady Catherine Howard, niece to the duke of Norfolk,
and cousin -german to Anne Bullen. Nothing is clearer
from history, than that the chancellor was closely attached
to the house of Norfolk and yet in the latter end of the
year 1541, he was constrained to be an instrument in the
ruin of the unfortunate queen information of her bad life
before her marriage, being laid first before the archbishop
of Canterbury, and by him communicated to the chancellor. The king then appointed lord Audley one of the
commissioners to examine her, which they did, and there
is yet extant a letter subscribed by him and the other
lords, containing an exact detail of this affair, and of the
evidence on which, in the next session of parliament, the
queen and others were attainted. The whole of this business was managed in parliament by the chancellor, and
there is reason to believe, that he had some hand in another
business transacted in that session which was the opening
a door for the dissolution of hospitals, the king having now
wasted all that had accrued to him by the suppression of
abbies. Some other things of the like nature were the
last testimonies of the chancellor’s concern for his master’s
interest but next year a more remarkable case occurred.
Jn the 34th of Henry VIII. George Ferrers, esq. burgess
for Plymouth, was arrested, and carried to the compter,
by virtue of a writ from the court of king’s bench. The
house, on notice thereof, sent their serjeant to demand
their member in doing which, a fray ensued at the compter, his mace was broke, his servant knocked down, and
himself obliged to make his escape as well as he could.
The house, upon notice of this, resolved they would sit
no longer without their member, and desired a conference
with the lords where, after hearing the mutter, the lord
chancellor Audley declared the contempt was most flagrant,
and referred “the punishment thereof to the house of commons whereupon Thomas Moyle, esq. who was then
speaker, issued his warrant, and the sheriff of London,
and several other persons, were brought to the bar of the
house, and committed, some to the Tower, and some to
Newgate. This precedent was gained by the king’s want
of an aid, who at that time expected the commons would
offer him a subsidy the ministry, and the house of lords,
knowing the king’s will gave the commons the
complimerit of punishing those who had imprisoned one of their
members. Dyer, mentioning this case, sap,
” The sages
of the law held the commitment of Ferrers legal, and
though the privilege was allowed him, yet was it held unjust.“As the chancellor had led a very active life, he
grew now infirm, though he was not much above fifty years
old, and therefore began to think of settling his family and
affairs. But, previous to this, he obtained from the king a
licence to change the name of Buckingham college in
Cambridge, into that of Magdalen, or Maudlin some will
have it, because in the latter word his own name is included. To this college he was a great benefactor, bestowed on it his own arms, and is generally 'reputed its
founder, or restorer. His capital seat was at Christ-Christ
in town, and at Walden in Essex and to preserve some
remembrance of himself and fortunes, he caused a magnificent tomb to be erected in his new chapel at Walden.
About the beginning of April, 1544, he was attacked by
his last illness, which induced him to resign the seals but
he was too weak to do it in person, and therefore sent them
to the king, who delivered them to sir Thomas Wriothesley,
with the title of keeper, during the indisposition of the
chancellor a circumstance not remarked by any of our
historians. On the 19th of April, lord Audi ey made hU
will, and, amongst other things, directed that his executors
should, upon the next New-year’s day after his decease,
deliver to the king a legacy of one hundred pounds, from
whom, as he expresses it,
” he had received all his reputations and benefits." He died on the last of April, 1544,
when he had held the seals upwards of twelve years, and
in the fifty-sixth of his life, as appears by the inscription
on his tomb. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas
iGrey, marquis of Dorset, by whom he had two daughters,
Margaret and Mary; Mary died unmarried, and Margaret
became his sole heir. She married first lord Henry Dudley,
a younger son of John duke of Northumberland, and he
being slain at the battle of St. Quintin’s, in Picardy, in
1557, she married a second time, Thomas duke of Norfolk, to whom she was also a second wife, and had by him
a son Thomas, who, by act of parliament, in the 27th of
Elizabeth, was restored in blood; and in the 39th of the
same reign, summoned to parliament by his grandfather’s
title, as baron of Walden, In the 1st of James I. he was
created earl of Suffolk, and being afterwards lord
hightreasurer of England, he built on the ruins of the abbey of
Walden, that nee noble palace, which, in honour of our
chancellor, he called Audley-End.
e other able writers, even in France. The consequence was, that his work was condemned in a brief of pope Clement XI. in 1710, and this censure was repealed a few months
, a native of Provence, went to
Paris in his youth, there studied law, and became a member of the counsel of the house of Orleans. In 1708 he
published a work entitled “Traite de Porigine de la Regale,
et des causes de son etablissement,
” 4to, in eight books,
in which he had introduced a dissertation on the authenticity of canon 22 distinct. 63 of the first part of the canon
law, which had been rejected by Baronius and Bellarmin,
and some other able writers, even in France. The consequence was, that his work was condemned in a brief of
pope Clement XI. in 1710, and this censure was repealed
a few months after by a sentence of the parliament of Paris.
These circumstances contributed not a little to the reputation of the author, who is said to have died the year following.
city, where he resided three years, he engraved several fine plates among; the rest the portrait of pope Clement IX. M. Colbert, a great encourager of the arts, was
, the most celebrated
artist of the family, was the third son of the first-mentioned
Claude Audran, and born at Lyons in 1640. He learned
from his father the first principles of designing and engraving following the example of his brother, he went to
Paris, where his genius soon began to manifest itself and
his reputation brought him to the knowledge of Le Brun,
who employed him to engrave the “Battle of Constantine,
” and the “Triumph
” of that emperor, and for these
works he obtained apartments at the Gobelins. At Rome,
where he went for improvement, he is said to have studied
under Carlo Maratti, in order to perfect himself in drawing and in that city, where he resided three years, he
engraved several fine plates among; the rest the portrait
of pope Clement IX. M. Colbert, a great encourager of
the arts, was so struck with the beauty of Audran’s works,
whilst he resided at Rome, that he persuaded Louis XIV.
to recall him. On his return, he applied himself assiduously to engraving, and was appointed engraver to the
king, From whom he received liberal encouragement. In
1681, he was named counsellor of the royal academy and
died at Paris in 1703. He had been married, but left no
male issue behind him.
can be formed of the original. A more recent translation, which we have not seen, appeared in 1807. Pope has versified a tale from it in his Essay on Criticism.
, a Spanish writer, and a native of Tordesillas, is principally
known as the author of the “Continuation, or second part
of the history of Don Quixote,
” which was published under
the title “La Segunda Parte del Ingenioso Hidalgo D.
Quixote de la Mancha,
”
Pavia on the death of the former professor in 1682, and the same offer was soon after made to him by pope Innocent XI. who was desirous of bringing into the Roman Ar
, elder brother to Joseph, was born at Florence in 1645. His preceptor in rhetoric was Vincent Glarea, who soon confessed that his pupil went beyond him. He read almost incessantly the best Italian and Latin writers. And having at first employed a considerable time in the perusal of the poets, epecially the epic, he afterwards applied himself wholly to the reading of Cicero, and of the historians. From the works of the rhetoricians he proceeded to those of the philosophers, and particularly admired and followed Plato. He bestowed an indefatigable attention upon those parts in the writings of the philosophers, which in any manner related to eloquence, the attainment of which he sought with incredible ardour. Amidst these occupations he sometimes renewed his poetical exercises. At his father’s request he composed a Latin poem in praise of St. Thomas Aquinas. This, with many others of our author’s poems, is lost. Those of his poems which are extant, most of which he composed. in his youth, shew that if he had chosen to addict himself exclusively to this study, he might have attained a very high rank. His father afterwards sent him to Pisa to study jurisprudence, and he exercised himself daily in writing to perfect his style. Nor did he write in Latin only for he translated Sallust, and Celsus, and other Latin authors, into Greek and some Greek elegies of his are extant. He was created chief of the academy of Apathists. On the death of the cardinal Leopold of Medicis, he was ordered to compose verses in his praise, which were so much approved, that similar tasks were imposed upon him on the deaths of other princes. In the year 1676, the place long Tacant of teacher of Greek in the Lyceum of Pisa was bestowed upon him by the archduke Cosmo III. After filling this office six years, he was advanced to the dignity of teacher of humanity. In this he succeeded Gronovius, who, by the rudeness and asperity of his manners, had given so much offence to the college, that he was obliged to quit the academy in less than a year after his entering on his office in it. Benedict wrote well in Italian, as appears by the Lezioni which he recited in the Tuscan academy, and in the academy of the Apathists. In his youth he cultivated Italian poetry, and several of his Italian poems are preserved at Rome. He was invited to be professor of humanity in the academy of Pavia on the death of the former professor in 1682, and the same offer was soon after made to him by pope Innocent XI. who was desirous of bringing into the Roman Archigymnasium so eminent a man. In 1688 he was induced by the solicitations of his friends to publish the first book of his Orations. He died in 1707. The dissertations he made in the academy at Pisa, a posthumous work, his orations and poems republished, and his letters then first printed, were all published together at Florence in 3 vols. 1717, folio.
iginally a monk in the convent of St. Andrew at Rome, and was educated under St. Gregory, afterwards pope Gregory I. who undertook the conversion of the island of Britain.
, or by contraction Austin (St.), usually styled the Apostle of the English, and the first archbishop
of Canterbury, was originally a monk in the convent of St.
Andrew at Rome, and was educated under St. Gregory,
afterwards pope Gregory I. who undertook the conversion of the island of Britain. His inducement to this, in
the life of St. Gregory, written by John Diaconus, introduces us to a string of puns, which we must refer to the
manners and taste of the times, without surely impeaching
the seriousness of Gregory, who in his present situation, as
well as when pope, had no other visible motive for his zea],
than the propagation of Christianity. Walking in the forum at Rome, he haprfened to see some very handsome
youths exposed to sale, and being informed that they were
of the island of Britain, and that the inhabitants of that
island were Pagans, he regretted that such handsome youths
should be destitute of true knowledge, and again asked the
name of the nation. “Angli
” was the answer on which
he observed, “In truth they have angelic countenances,
and it is a pity they should not be coheirs with angels in
heaven.
” When informed that they came from the province of Deira (Northumberland), he observed, “It is
well, de mz, snatched from the wrath of God, and called to
the mercy of Christ and when, in answer to another interrogatory, he was told that the name of their king was
Ella, he said,
” Alleluia, should be sung to God in those
regions." More seriously impressed with a sense of his
duty on this occasion, he requested pope Benedict to send
some persons to our island on a mission, and offered to be
one of the number. He was himself, however, too much a
favourite with the Roman citizens to be suffered to depart,
and it was not until he became pope, that he was enabled
effectually to pursue his purpose. After his consecration
in the year 595, he directed a presbyter, whom he had sent
into France, to instruct some young Saxons, of seventeen
or eighteen years of age, in Christianity, to act as missionaries and in the year 597, he sent about forty monks, including perhaps some of these new converts, with Augustine at their head. Having proceeded a little way on their
journey, they began to dread the attempt of committing
themselves to a savage and infidel nation, whose language
they did not understand. In this dilemma, doubtful whether to return or proceed, they agreed to send back Augustine to Gregory, to represent their fears, and intreat that
he would release them from their engagement. Gregory,
however/ in answer, advised them to proceed, in confidence
of divine aid, undaunted by the fatigue of the journey, or
any other temporary obstructions, adding, that it would
have been better not to have begun so good a work, than
to recede from it afterwards. He also took every means
for their accommodation, recommending them to the attention of Etherius, bishop of Aries, and providing for them
such assistance in France, that at length they arrived safely
in Britain.
e Roman ritual. But Britain still continued, as kwere, a world apart. Since the embassy of Lucius to pope Eleutherius, the Britons bad very little communication with
The next great event of Augustine’s life was his attempt
to establish uniformity of discipline and customs in the
island, and as a necessary step to gain over the British
(Welch) bishops to his opinion. These Britons, from the
first time of planting Christianity in the island, had constantly followed the rules and customs left them by their
first masters. But the church of Rome had made certain
alterations in the manner of celebrating divine service? to
which it pretended all other churches ought to conform,
The churches of the West, as being the nearest to Rome,
were the most easily gained and almost all of them, excepting those of France and Milan, conformed at last to
the Roman ritual. But Britain still continued, as kwere, a
world apart. Since the embassy of Lucius to pope Eleutherius, the Britons bad very little communication with the
bishops of Rome. They acknowledged them only as
bishops of a particular diocese, or, at most, as heads of a
patriarchate, on which they did not think the British church
ought to be any way dependent. They were so far from
receiving orders from the pope, that they were even strangers to his pretensions. But Augustine, full of zeal for the
interests of the see of Rome, made an attempt to bring them
to acknowledge the superiority of the pope over all other
churches. For this purpose he invited the Welch bishops
to a conference, and began to admonish them to enter into
Christian peace and concord, that they might join with him
in converting the Pagans but this proved fruitless, as they
would hearken to no prayers or exhortations, and Augustine, therefore, had recourse to a miracle. A blind man.
was introduced to be healed, and was healed by Augustine’s
prayers, when those of the ancient Britons failed. They
were obliged, therefore, to confess that Augustine was sent
of God, but pleaded the obstinacy of their people as a reason for their non-compliance. A second synod was appointed, attended by seven British bishops, and many of
their learned men, belonging to the ancient monastery of
Bangor, of which Dinoth was at that time abbot. Before
these came to the synod, they asked the advice of a person
of reputed sanctity, whether they should give up their own
traditions on the authority of Augustine or not. “Let humility,
” said he, “be the test; and if you find, when you
come to the synod, that he rises up to you at your approach, obey him if not, let him be despised by you.
”
On such precarious evidence was a matter to rest which
they thought so important. It happened that Augustine
continued sitting on their arrival, which might easily have
been the case without any intentional insult but it answered
the purpose of the Britons, already averse to join him, and
they would now hearken to no terms of reconciliation.
Augustine proposed that they should agree with him only
in three things, leaving other points of difference undetermined namely, to observe Easter at the same time with
the rest of the Christian world to administer baptism after
the Roman manner; and to join with him in preaching the
gospel to the English but all this they rejected, and refused to acknowledge his authority. This provoked Augustine to tell them, that if they would not have peace with
brethren, they should have war with enemies and it hap,
pened afterwards, that in an invasion of the Pagan Saxons.
of the North, the Bangorian monks were cruelly murdered;
but this was lon^ after the death of Augustine, who, nevertheless, has been accused by some writers of exciting the
animosity which ended in that massacre. For this there
seems no solid foundation. Augustine betrayed an improper warmth, and was not free from ambition but in all his
history we can find no instance of a sanguinary spirit, or
any inclination to propagate Christianity by any other weapons than those he had at first employed. The Britons
undoubtedly had a right to their independence, and Augustine is not to be praised for endeavouring to destroy what
had so long existed, and over which he had no legal controul.
him concealing his principles, urged him to a public profession of them. He wrote also in defence of pope Symmachus, and died in the year 523. His principal works were
, son to the senator Isychius, and brother to Apollinaris, bishop of Valentia, was promoted in the beginning of the sixth century to the archbishopric of Vienna, which his father had also held for some years. His principal object was the refutation and conversion of the Arians, and during his conferences, for this purpose with the Arian bishops before Goudeband king of Burgundy, who was an Arian, he converted his son Sigismorid. Cave thinks he converted the king himself, and when he found him concealing his principles, urged him to a public profession of them. He wrote also in defence of pope Symmachus, and died in the year 523. His principal works were Letters, Sermons, and Poems his Letters, 87 in number, contain many curious particulars of the civil and ecclesiastical history of the times. Of his Homilies, one only is extant on Rogation day, in which he gives the origin of the days so called. In all his works, his style is harsh, obscure, and intricate. His poems were printed at Francfort in 1507, and at Paris and Lyons in 1508, 1509, and 1536 but his whole works were published at Paris by father Sirmond, in 1643, fol. and since that Luc d'Achery published in his Spicilegium, the conference with the Arian bishops.
privy seal. This last place he enjoyed five years, and was in that time sent twice ambassador to the pope. In 1333 he was promoted to the deanery of Wells, and before
, commonly known by the name of Richard de Bury, was born at St. Edmundsbury, in Suffolk, in 1281. His father, sir Richard Aungervyle, knt. dying when he was young, his uncle John de Willowby, a priest, took particular care of his education and when he was fit sent him to Oxford, where he studied philosophy and divinity, and distinguished himself by his learning, and regular and exemplary life. When he had finished his studies there, he became a Benedictine monk at Durham. Soon after he was made tutor to prince Edward, afterwards king Edward III. Being treasurer of Guienne in 1325, he supplied queen Isobel, when she was plotting against her husband king Edward II. with a large sum of money out of that exchequer, for which being questioned by the king’s party, be narrowly escaped to Paris, where he was forced to hide himself seven days in the tower of a church. When king Edward III. came to the crown, he loaded his tutor Aungervyle with honours and preferments, making him, first, his cofferer, then treasurer of the wardrobe, archdeacon of Northampton, prebendary of Lincoln, Sarum, and Lichfield, and afterwards keeper of the privy seal. This last place he enjoyed five years, and was in that time sent twice ambassador to the pope. In 1333 he was promoted to the deanery of Wells, and before the end of the same year, being chosen bishop of Durham, he was consecrated about the end of December, in the abbey of the black canons of Chertsey in Surrey. He was soon afterwards enthroned at Durham, on which occasion he made a grand festival, and entertained in the hall of his palace at Durham, the king and queen of England, the queen-dowager of England, the king of Scotland, the two archbishops, and five bishops, seven earls with their ladies, all the nobility north of Trent, with a Tast concourse of knights, esquires, and other persons of distinction. The next year he was appointed high-chancellor, and in 1336, treasurer of England. In 1338 he was twice sent with other commissioners to treat -of a peace with the king of France, though to no purpose.
anon of St. John of Lateran, died at Rome in 1637. His knowlege of history made him be considered by pope Urban VIII. as one of the most learned historians of his age.
, a native of La Perousa, and canon
of St. John of Lateran, died at Rome in 1637. His knowlege of history made him be considered by pope Urban VIII.
as one of the most learned historians of his age. He published an “Abridgement of Tursellin’s Universal History,
”
in Baronius’s Annals,
” and another
of Bzovius’s great work on ecclesiastical history, in 9 vols.
folio. He wrote also “A History of the Revolt of Bohemia
against the Emperors Matthias and Ferdinand,
” Rome,
Ferrara when he went to assist at a council assembled by Eugene IV. Aurispa bepame secretary to this pope and also to Nicholas V. his successor, who bestowed upon him
was born at Noto, a town of Sicily, in 1369. He applied himself to the study of the Greek language, and went to Constantinople to collect Greek manuscripts. Here he became acquainted with, and was highly respected by, the emperor John Palaeologus, who found him afterwards at Ferrara when he went to assist at a council assembled by Eugene IV. Aurispa bepame secretary to this pope and also to Nicholas V. his successor, who bestowed upon him two rich abbeys. He died at Rome in 1459, in the 90th year of his age. He translated part of the works of Archimedes, Hierocles’s Commentary on the Golden verses of Pythagoras, and published some poems and letters. His translation of Hierocles was printed at Basle in 1543, 8vo. By a part of the preface, quoted by Gesner, it appears that he made this translation when in his eightieth year.
eir word and, though he made the greatest interest, and even prevailed on the king of France and the pope to take his part, he could never recover him from their snares.
, in Latin Ærodius, lieutenant-criminal in the presidial of Angers, was born there in 1536.
He studied Latin and philosophy at Paris, and law at Toulouse from thence he went to Bourges for the advantage
of the public lectures of Duarenus, Cujas, and Doneau,
three of the most excellent civilians of that age. Having
taken the degree of bachelor at Bourges, he returned to his
own country, where he read public lectures upon the civil
law, and pleaded several causes. He returned to Paris
some time after, and became one of the most famous advocates in the parliament. He published there, in 1563,
“The Declamations of Quintilian,
” which he corrected in a
variety of places, and illustrated with notes. The year following he published, in the same city, a treatise “
coneerning the power of Redemption,
” written by Francis
Grimaudet, the king’s advocate at Angers, and wrote a preface to it concerning “the nature, variety, and change of
Laws.
” In Decretorum Rerumve
apud diversos populos et omni antiquitate judicatarum libri
duo accedit tractatus de origine et auctoritate rerum judicatarum,
” which he much enlarged in the subsequent
editions. He left Paris the year following, in order to take
upon him the office of lieutenant-criminal in his own
country, and performed it in such a manner as to acquire
the name of “the rock of the accused.
” Some other
writings came from his pen, political or controversial, but
that which acquired most fame among foreigners was his
treatise “De Patrio Jure,
” on the power of fathers, written
in French and Latin, and occasioned by his son having
been seduced by the Jesuits. His father, for the purposes
of education, had put him under their tuition, but perceiving that he had a lively genius, a strong memory, and other
excellent qualifications, he very earnestly desired both the
provincial of that order, and the rector of the college, not
to solicit him to enter into their society, which they readily
promised, but soon broke their word and, though he made
the greatest interest, and even prevailed on the king of
France and the pope to take his part, he could never recover him from their snares. The young man answered his
father’s book, but his superiors were ashamed to publish it,
and employed Richeome, the provincial of the Jesuits at
Paris, to answer it, but even this they did not venture to
publish. Peter Ayrault died July 21, 1601. His son not
until 1644.
who was accused of heresy before the inquisition, and whose cause, first argued in Spain, was by the pope’s order removed to Rome. Azpilcueta exerted himself to the utmost,
, commonly called Navarre (doctor Navarrus), was born of a noble family, Dec. 13, 1491, at Varasayn, near Pampeluna in Navarre. He was first educated, and took the habit, in the monastery of regular canons at Roncevaux, and afterwards studied at Alcala and at Ferrara, where he made such progress in law, as to be employed in teaching that science at Toulouse and Cahors. Some time after, he returned to Spain, and was appointed first professor of canon law at Salamanca, an office he filled with high reputation for fourteen years, at the end of which John III. king of Portugal, chose him law-professor of his new-founded university at Coimbra, and gave him a larger salary than had ever been enjoyed by any French or Spanish professor. After filling this chair also, with increasing reputation, for sixteen years, he was permitted to resign, and went first into Castile, and afterwards to Rome, on purpose, although in his eightieth year, to plead the cause of Bartholomew de Caranza, archbishop of Toledo, who was accused of heresy before the inquisition, and whose cause, first argued in Spain, was by the pope’s order removed to Rome. Azpilcueta exerted himself to the utmost, but without success, which we cannot be surprised at when we consider that the inquisitors were his opponents and although they could prove nothing against Caranza, they contrived that he should die in prison. Azpilcueta, however, was honourably received at Rome pope Pius V. appointed him assistant to cardinal Francis Alciat, his vice-penitentiary, and Gregory XIII. never passed his door without a visit, or met him in the street, without enjoying some conversation with him. He was much consulted, and universally esteemed for learning, probity, piety, and chanty. Antonio informs us that he used to ride on a mule through the city, and relieve every poor person he met, and that the creature of itself would stop at the sight of a poor person until its master relieved him. He died June 21, 1586, then in his ninetyfourth year. His works, which are either on morals or common law, were published, Rome, 1590, 3 vols. Lyons, 1591, Venice, 1602.
St. Elpidio, in the march of Ancona. He became professor of medicine at Rome, and first physician to pope Sixtus V. and was celebrated for great skill and his works prove
, an eminent Italian physician, was
born at St. Elpidio, in the march of Ancona. He became
professor of medicine at Rome, and first physician to pope
Sixtus V. and was celebrated for great skill and his works
prove that he had great learning. The time of his death
is uncertain, but he was alive in 1596. His works are,
1. “DeThermis, libri septem,
” Venice, De Naturali Vinorum Historia,
” Rome,
De Venenis et Antidotis Prolegomena,
” Rome, De Gemmis
ac lapidibus pretiosis in S. Scriptura relatis,
” Rome, Tabula simplicium Medicamentorum,
” Rome, De Conviviis Antiquorum.
”
itings should extend beyond the limits of his convent, and be seen by any besides themselves and the pope. But there is great reason to believe, that though his application
, a learned English monk of the Franciscan order, who flourished in the
thirteenth century, was born near Ilchester in Somersetshire, in 1214, and was descended of a very ancient and
honourable family. He received the first tincture of letters at Oxford, where having gone through grammar and
logic, the dawnings of his genius gained him the favour
and patronage of the greatest lovers of learning, and such
as were equally distinguished by their high rank, and the
excellence of their knowledge. It is not very clear, says
the Biographia Britannica, whether he was of Merton college, or of Brazen-nose hall, and perhaps he studied at
neither, but spent his time at the public schools. The latter is indeed more probable than that he studied at Merton
college, which did not then exist. It appears, however,
that he went early over to Paris, where he made still greater
progress in all parts of learning, and was looked upon as
the glory of that university, and an honour to his country.
In those days such as desired to distinguish themselves by
an early and effectual application to their studies, resorted
to Paris, where not only many of the greatest men in Europe resided and taught, but many of the English nation,
by whom Bacon was encouraged and caressed. At Paris
he did not confine his studies to any particular branch of
literature, but endeavoured to comprehend the sciences in
general, fully and perfectly, by a right method and constant application. When he had attained the degree of
doctor, he returned again, to his own country, and, as some
say, took the habit of the Franciscan order in 1240, when
he was about twenty-six years of age but others assert
that he became a monk before he left France. After his
return to Oxford, he was considered, by the greatest men
of that university, as one of the ablest and most indefati^
gable inquirers after knowledge that the world had ever
produced and therefore they not only shewed him all due
respect, but likewise conceiving the greatest hopes from
his improvements in the method of study, they generously
contributed to his expences, so that he was enabled to lay
out, within the compass of twenty years, no less than two
thousand pounds in collecting curious authors, making trials of various kinds, and in the construction of different instruments, for the improvement of useful knowledge. But if
this assiduous application to his studies, and the stupendous progress he made in them, raised his credit with the
better part of mankind, it excited the envy of some, and
afforded plausible pretences for the malicious designs of
others. It is very easy to conceive, that the experiments
he made in all parts of natural philosophy and the mathematics, must have made a great noise in an ignorant age,
when scarcely two or three men in a whole nation were tolerably acquainted with those studies, and when all the
pretenders to knowledge affected to cover their own ignorance, by throwing the most scandalous aspersions on those
branches of science, which they either wanted genius to
understand, or which demanded greater application to acquire, than they were willing to bestow. They gave out,
therefore, that mathematical studies were in some measure
allied to those magical arts which the church had condemned,and thereby brought suspicions upon men of
superior learning. It was owing to this suspicion that Bacon
was restrained from reading lectures to the young students
in the university, and at length closely confined and almost
starved, the monks being afraid lest his writings should extend beyond the limits of his convent, and be seen by any
besides themselves and the pope. But there is great reason to believe, that though his application to the occult;
sciences was their pretence, the true cause of his ill-usage
was, the freedom with which he had treated the clergy in,
his writings, in which he spared neither their ignorance
nor their want of morals. But notwithstanding this harsh
feature in the character of the times, his reputation continued
to spread over the whole Christian world, and even pope
Clement IV. wrote him a letter, desiring that he would send
him all his works. This was in 1266, when our author was
in the flower of his 4 age, and to gratify his holiness, collected together, greatly enlarged and ranged in some order,
the several pieces he had written before that time, and sent
them the next year by his favourite disciple John of London, or rather of Paris, to the pope. This collection, which
is the same that himself entitled Opus Majus, or his great
work, is yet extant, and was published by Dr. Jebb, in
1773. Dr. Jebb had proposed to have published all his
works about three years before his edition of the Opus Majus, but while he was engaged in that design, he was informed by letters from his brother at Dublin, that there
was a“manuscript in the college library there, which contained a great many treatises generally ascribed to Bacon,
and disposed in such order, that they seemed to form one
complete work, but the title was wanting, which l,iad been
carelessly torn off from the rest of the manuscript. The
doctor soon found that it was a collection of those tracts
which Bacon had written for the use of pope Clement IV.
and to which he had given the title of Opus Majus, since it
appeared, that what he said of that work in his Opus Tertium, addressed to the same pope, exactly suited with this;
which contained an account of almost all the new discoveries and improvements that he had made in the sciences,.
Upon this account Dr. Jebb laid aside his former design,
and resolved to publish only an edition of this Opus Majus.
The manuscripts which he made use of to complete this
edition, are, 1. ms. in the Cotton library, inscribed^
” Jul.
D. V.“which contains the first part of the Opus Majus,
under the title of a treatise
” Jl)e utijitate Scientiarnii). “2. Another ms. in the same library, marked
” Tib. C. V."
containing the fourth part of the Opus Majus, in which is
shewn the use of the mathematics in the sciences and affairs of the world in the ms. it is erroneously called the
fifth part. 3. A ms. in the library belonging to Corpus
Christi in Cambridge, containing that portion of the fourth
part which treats of geography. 4. A ms. of the fifth part,
containing a treatise upon perspective, in the earl of Oxford’s library. 5. A ms. in the library of Magdalen college, Cambridge, comprehending the same treatise of
perspective. 6. Two Mss. in the king’s library, communicated to the editor by Dr. Richard Bentley, one of which
contains the fourth part of Opus Majus, and the other the
fifth part. It is said that this learned book of his procured
him the favour of Clement IV. and also some encouragement in the prosecution of his studies but this could not
have lasted long, as that pope died soon after, and then
we find our author under fresh embarrassments from the
same causes as before; but he became in more danger, as
the general of his order, Jerom de Ascoli, having heard
his cause, ordered him to be imprisoned. This is said
to have happened in 1278, and to prevent his appealing to pope Nicholas III. the general procured a confirmation of his sentence from Rome immediately, but it is not
very easy to say upon what pretences. Yet we are told by
others, that he was imprisoned by Reymundus Galfredus,
who was general of his order, on account of some alchemistical treatise which he had written, and that Galfredus
afterwards set him at liberty, and became his scholar.
However obscure these circumstances may be, it is certain
that his sufferings for many years must have brought him
low, since he was sixty-four years of age when he was first
put in prison, and deprived of the opportunity of prosecuting his studies, at least in the way of experiment. That
he was still indulged in the use of his books, appears very
clearly from the great use he made of them in the learned
works he composed.
Pope Nicholas III. dying in the year 1280, Simon de Brie, cardinal
Pope Nicholas III. dying in the year 1280, Simon de
Brie, cardinal of St. Cecilia, was elected pope, and four
years after, was succeeded by cardinal Savelli, who
took the name of Honoring IV. in the year 1285. Both
reigns were full of troubles and very short so that in all
this time our author could find no opportunity of applying
to the holy see for the mitigation of the sentence pronounced against him- But when he had been ten years
in prison, Jerom de Ascoli, who had condemned his doctrine, was chosen pope, and assumed the name of Nicholas
IV. As he was the first of the Franciscan order that had
ever arrived at this dignity, was reputed a person of great
probity and much learning, our author, notwithstanding
what had before happened, resolved to apply to him for his
discharge and in order to pacify his resentment, and at
the same time to shew both the innocence and the usefulness of his studies, he addressed to him a very learned and
curious treatise, “On the means of avoiding the infirmities
of Old Age,
” printed first at Oxford, The cure of Old Age and preservation of Youth,
” London, A compendium of Theology,
” which seems to
have been his last work, and of which there is a copy in the
royal library. He spent the remainder of his days in
peace, and dying in the college of his order, on the 11th of
June 1292, as some say, or in 1294, as others assert, was
interred in the church of the Franciscans. The monks
gave him the title of “Doctor Mirabilis,
” or the Wonderful Doctor, which he deserved, in whatever sense the phrase
is taken.
also offered a much more effectual and perfect reformation, than that which was made in the time of pope Gregory XIII. There are also remaining some works of his relating
He was certainly the most extraordinary man of his time. He was a perfect master of the Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, and has left posterity such indubitable marks of his critical skill in them, as might have secured him a very high character, if he had never distinguished himself in any other branch of literature. In all branches of the mathematics he was well versed, and there is scarcely any part of them, on which he has not written with a solidity and clearness, which have been deservedly admired by the greatest masters in that science. In mechanics particularly, the learned Dr. Freind says, that a greater genius had not arisen since the days of Archimedes. He understood likewise the whole science of optics, with accuracy and is very justly allowed to have understood, both the theory and practice of those discoveries, which have bestowed such high reputation on those of our own and of other nations, who have brought them into common use. In geography also he was admirably well skilled, as appears from a variety of passages in his works, which was the reason that induced the judicious Hackluyt to transcribe a large discourse out of his writings, into his Collection of Voyages and Travels. But his skill in astronomy was still more remarkable, since it appears, that he not only pointed out that error which occasioned the reformation in the calendar, and the distinction between the old stile and the new, but also offered a much more effectual and perfect reformation, than that which was made in the time of pope Gregory XIII. There are also remaining some works of his relating to chronology, which would have been thought worthy of very particular notice, if his skill in other sciences had not made his proficiency in this branch of knowledge the less remarkable. The history of the four great empires of the world, he has treated very accurately ind succinctly, in his great work addressed to pope Clelent IV. He was so thoroughly acquainted with Cheistry at a time that it was scarcely known in Europe, id principally cultivated among the Arabians, that Dr. Freind ascribes the honour of introducing it to him, who speaks in some part or other of his works, of almost every operation now used in chemistry. Three capital discoveries lade by him deserve to be particularly considered. The first is, the invention of gun-powder, which, however confidently ascribed to others, was unquestionably known to him, both as to its ingredients and effects. The second is that which commonly goes under the name of alchemy, or the art of transmuting metals, of which he has left many treatises, some published, and some still remaining in ms. which, whatever they may be thought of now, contain a multitude of curious and useful passages, independently of their principal subject. The third discovery in chemistry, not so deserving of the reader’s attention, was the tincture of gold for the prolongation of life, of which Dr. Freind says, he has given hints in his writings, and has said enough to shew that he was no pretender to this art, but understood as much of it as any of his successors. That he was far from being unskilled in the art of physic, we might rationally conclude, from his extensive knowledge in those sciences, which are connected with it: but we have a manifest proof of his perfect acquaintance with the most material and useful branches of physic, in his Treatise of Old Age, which, as Dr. Freind, whose authority on that subject cannot well be disputed, observes, is very far from being ill written; and Dr. Brown, who published it in English, esteemed it one of the best performances that ever was written. In this work he has collected whatever he had met with upon the subject, either in Greek or Arabian writers, and has added a great many remarks of his own. In logic and metaphysics he was excellently well versed, as appears by those parts of his works, in which he has treated of these subjects; neither was he unskilled in philology and the politer parts of learning. In ethics, or moral philosophy, he has laid down some excellent principles for the conduct of human life. But, as his profession required a particular application to theology, it appears, that he made all his other studies subservient thereto. He had the highest deference for the Holy Scriptures, and thought that in them were contained the principles of true science, and of all useful knowledge. He therefore pressed the study of them in their original languages, and an assiduous application to the several branches of learning, which he thought necessary for the thorough understanding of them,
odes by the same author. He published also " Carmen pancgyricum/' Toulouse, 1667, 4to, dedicated to pope Clement IX.
, the only Protestant who went back to popery that was made bishop in the reign of Louis XIV. was born at Castelgeloux, in Gascony. After having quitted his religion, he entered himself of the Franciscan order, was then made bishop of Glandeve, and afterwards of Pamiers, where he died in 1694, at the age of ninety-four. His Latin poem on the Education of a Prince, 1671, 4to, procured him the episcopal dignity, by the interest of the duke of Montausier. This poem was reprinted in 8vo, in 1685, with notes, and the addition of some odes by the same author. He published also " Carmen pancgyricum/' Toulouse, 1667, 4to, dedicated to pope Clement IX.
ccused at the court of Rome, and seventy-six propositions drawn from his writings, were condemned by pope Pius V. in a circular letter expressly composed for that purpose.
This bold step drew upon Baius the indignation of some
of his academical colleagues, and the heavy censures of
several Franciscan monks. Whether the Jesuits immediately joined in this opposition, and may be reckoned
among the first accusers of Baius, is a matter unknown, or
at most, uncertain, but it is evident that, even at the rise of
this controversy, they abhorred the principal tenets of
Baius, which he had taken from Augustm, and adopted as
his own. In 1567, he was accused at the court of Rome,
and seventy-six propositions drawn from his writings, were
condemned by pope Pius V. in a circular letter expressly
composed for that purpose. The principal doctrines maintained in these propositions were, that unregenerate men
have no ability to perform what is spiritually good, and that
no man’s best works are meritorious of eternal life. The
pope’s condemnation, however, was issued out in an artful
and insidious manner, without any mention being made of
the name of the author for the fatal consequences that
had arisen from the rash and inconsiderate measures employed by the court of Rome against Luther, were too
fresh in the remembrance of the prudent pontiff to permit
his falling into new blunders of the same nature. The
person and functions of Baius, therefore, were spared,
while his tenets were censured. About thirteen years after
this transaction, instigated by Tolet, the Jesuit doctor,
Gregory XIII. confirmed the sentence, and again condemned the propositions. Dreading further severity, or
more probably because his condemnation was vague and
ambiguous, Baius submitted but others exclaimed against
the papal decisions, as manifestly unjust. Baius’s doctrine was propagated with no inconsiderable zeal, in the
flourishing universities of Douay and Louvaine. When
the Jesuits Lessius and Hamelius attempted to preach a
scheme of predestination, different from that of Augustin,
the doctors of these universities condemned their opinions
in 1587 and 1588. The bishops of the Low Countries prepared to do the same, but pope Sixtus V. suspended their
proceedings, and by imposing silence on both parties,
hushed the controversy. Even at this day, many“divin
of the Romish communion, and particularly the Jansenists
declare openly that Baius was unjustly treated, and that
the two edicts of Pius and Gregory are absolutely destitute
of all authority. He died the 16th of September 1589, at
the age of 76. We have his controversial tracts against
Maniix, 1579 and 1582, 2 vols. 8vo. His entire works were
collected in 1696, in 4to, at Cologn, and the following year
were prohibited by the pope. His style is greatly superior
to that of the divines of his time, being simple and close.
Baius had studied the fathers with such care, that it is affirmed he read St. Augustin over nine times a proof of his
patience, if not of his judgment. Baius by his will founded a college for education. His nephew, James Baius,
likewise doctor of Louvain, and who died in 1614, left behind him a tract on the Eucharist, printed at that city in
1605, 8 vo, and a catechism in folio, Cologn, 1620. The
opinions of Michael Baius did not die with him. Cornelius
Jansenius revived a great number of them in his book, entitled
” Augustinus."
, of Sicily, was physician to pope Leo X. who had a high esteem for him. He was no less skilled
, of Sicily, was physician to pope Leo X. who had a high esteem for him. He was no less skilled in the belles lettres than in medicine and cultivated poetry and Greek with much success. He translated, from the Greek into Latin, several pieces of Galen; which were first printed separately, and afterwards inserted in the works of that ancient physician, published at Venice in 1586, in folio. He flourished at Rome about the year 1555.
suum corporis sui,“Munich, 1663, 8vo. This work, which is in elegiac verse, gave so much pleasure to pope Alexander VII. that he sent the author a gold medal, a very
, an eminent German
poet, was born at Ensisheim, in Alsace, in the year 1603.
He entered the order of Jesuits in 1624, and after bestowing several years on the study of theology and the
languages, became a preacher of note, even at the court
of Bavaria. He was requested to write the history of Bavaria, and Leibnitz says he saw some parts of the performance but such was his attachment to the muses, that
his history suffered many interruptions, while he gratified
with eagerness those friends who asked him for poetical
pieces. He died at Nieubourg, Aug. 9, 1663. His works
are, 1. “Carmen panegyricum Henrico Ottoni Fuggero
vellere aureo donate,
” Augs. Francisco Andrew,
comiti de Tilly, geniale ac praesagum carmen,
” Ingold.
Maximilianus primus Austriacus,
” Ingold. Epithalamion Maximiliano Boiarioe duci et Marise Austriacae,
” Munich, Hecatombe de vanitate
mundi,
” Munich, Poema de vanitate mundi,
” Munich, Batrachomyomachia Homeri, tuba
Romana cantata, et in libros V distributa.
” 8. “Interpretatio Homeric! poematis oratione soluta.
” 9. “Usus
Batrachomyomachix ethicus, politicus, et polemicus,
”
Ingold. Templum honoris
apertum virtute Ferdinand! III. Austriaci, regis Romanorum,
” Ingold. 1637, 8vo. 11. “Agathyrsus; encomii
etbiGorum,
” in Anacreontic verse, Munich, 1638, 24mo.
12. “Ode Parthenia, sive de laudibus beatae Mariae Virginis,
” in German, Munich, Olympia sacra in stadio Mariano, sive certamen poeticum de
laudibus beatse Mariae Virginis super ode Parthenia Germairica,
” Cologne. 14. “Lyricorum lib. IV. Epodon lib. I.
”
Munich, 1643, but a more correct and complete edition was
published by Bleau at Amsterdam, which has, however, Cologne in the*title, 1646, 12mo. 15. “Sylvae Lyricae,
” Munich,
Medicinas gloria per Satyras XXII. asserta prcemittitur
hymnus in laudem sanctorum Cosmae etDamiani.
” 17. “Vultuosae torvitavis encomium, in gratiam philosophorum et
poetarum explication, cum dissertatione de studio poetico.
”
18. “Satyra contra abusnm tabaci.
” 19. “Antagathyrsus,
apologia pro pinguibus,
” in heroic verse, Munich, Poesis osca, sive drama Georgicum, in
quo belli mala, pacis bona carmine antique, aetellano, osco,
casco,
” Munich, Chorea mortalis, sive
Lessus in obitu augustissimae imperatrices Leopoldinae,
Caesari Fernandino III. nuptae an. 1648, in puerperio
mortuae anno 1649,
” Munich, 1649, Latin and German.
22. “Jephtias, tragcedia,
” Amberg, Eleonorae Magdalenae Theresiae Neoburgicae genethliacon,
”
Nieubourg, Musae Neoburgicae in ortum
J. G. J. Ignatii ducis Neoburgici,
” Nieubourg, Paraphrasis lyrica in Philomelam sancti Bonaventurae.
” 26. “Poematum tomi IV.
” 1660, 12mo, an incorrect collection of odes, epodes, and lyric pieces.
27. “Solatium podagricorum,
” Munich, Munich, 1662, 12mo.
29.
” Urania victrix, sive animse Christianae certamina
adversus illecebras quinque sensuum corporis sui,“Munich, 1663, 8vo. This work, which is in elegiac verse,
gave so much pleasure to pope Alexander VII. that he
sent the author a gold medal, a very considerable mark of
regard from one who was himself a good Latin poet.
30.
” Paean Parthenius, sive hymnus in honorem S.
Ursulas et sociarum martyrum,“Cologne, 1663, 8vo.
31.
” Expeditio polemico-poetica sive castrum ignorantise, a poetis veteribus ac novis obsessum, expugnatum,
eversum.“32.
” Apparatus novarutn inventionum et
thematum scribendorum," Munich, 1694, 12mo.
who object to the style and taste of some of his works,
allow that if he had not written too rapidly, he might have
attained great excellence and reputation.
bé of Bourgueil, in 1089, bishop of Dol, in Britanny, in 1114, and 1115 he received the pallium from pope Paschal II. at the council of Rheims. About the year 1095, he
, a French historian, a native of Orleans, according to some writers, or of Mehun, a small town on the Loire, according to others, -flourished in the twelfth century. He was abbé of Bourgueil, in 1089, bishop of Dol, in Britanny, in 1114, and 1115 he received the pallium from pope Paschal II. at the council of Rheims. About the year 1095, he had assisted at the council of Clermont, held upon account of the holy war, of which he wrote a history in four books, from its commencement to the taking of Jerusalem by Godfrey of Boulogne in 1099. He wrote also various works of the historical kind in verse and prose, with the life of Robert D'Abrissel, founder of the order of Fontevraud. Michael Cosnier, curate of Poitiers, published an edition of this life, with very curious notes and Du Chesne has printed Balderic’s poems in the fourth volume of his collection of French writers. Balderic is said to have died Jan. 7, 1131, but this does not agree with his epitaph, which says that he was bishop of Dol twenty-two years, to which, as mentioned above, he was appointed in 1114.
. He taught law himself at Perugia, where he had for his scholar cardinal Peter Beaufort, afterwards pope Gregory XI. He next became professor at Padua, from which the
, a celebrated lawyer of the fourteenth century, was a native of Perugia, and the son of Francis Ubaldi, a learned physician, who had him educated with great care. After studying philosophy and belles lettres, he became the pupil of Bartolus in law studies, and afterwards was his powerful rival. He taught law himself at Perugia, where he had for his scholar cardinal Peter Beaufort, afterwards pope Gregory XI. He next became professor at Padua, from which the duke of Milan invited him to the same office at Pavia. He died April 28, 1400, aged 76, of the consequences of the bite of a favourite cat, a circumstance thus expressed on his epitaph:
and mathematics. He was so pleased with Rome as to determine to take up his abode there and when the pope offered him the‘ place of nuncio at Brussels, and in Poland,
, an Italian count, and a man of learning, was a native of Placentia, where he was born July 3, 1654. After studying philosophy and the classics in the college of St. Francis Xavier at Bologna, he went to Rome, and passed through a course of theology, law, and mathematics. He was so pleased with Rome as to determine to take up his abode there and when the pope offered him the‘ place of nuncio at Brussels, and in Poland, he preferred a life of literary employment. Some time after, however, he accompanied cardinal d’Estrees to Paris, and the marchioness of Montecuculi to St. Germain and afterwards went to Poland, to be present at the election of a successor to king John Sobieski, then deceased. In 1698, duke Francis, of Parma, sent him to Madrid, as his deputy; and in 1710 Sophia Dorothy duchess of Placentia employed him in the same honourable office at Vienna, and at several courts in Germany, England, and Utrecht. On his return, he passed the rest of his life in a retired manner, and died Feb. 23, 1725. When in England he was elected a member of the royal society, with M. Bianchini. His rich cabinet of natural history, and his extensive library, were always open to men of learning, many of whom he assisted in their pursuits with great liberality. We know of none of his writings, except a discourse on the maps in the Atlas Historique, published at Amsterdam in 1719.
place, and acquired the first reputation throughout Italy. His great ambition was to be physician to pope Innocent X. which he had no sooner obtained than he contracted
, Baldi, or Baldius, a native of Florence,
in the seventeenth century, was a very eminent physician
and medical writer. He was reader on medicine in the
university of Rome, where he held a canon’s place, and
acquired the first reputation throughout Italy. His great
ambition was to be physician to pope Innocent X. which
he had no sooner obtained than he contracted a distemper
which proved fatal a few months after his promotion.
None of his biographers give the date of his death (probably about 164. ), but all attribute it to the luxurious
change in the mode of living at court. He published
many works which bear a high character, and among
others: 1. “Praelectio de Contagione pestifera,
” Rome,
Disquisitio iatrophysica de Aere,
” Rome,
De loco affecto in pleuritide disceptationes,
” Paris,
304. But, his election being controverted, he was obliged to repair to Rome and, having obtained the pope’s confirmation, was consecrated at Lyons by Peter Hispanus,
, bishop of London in the reigns
of Edward I. and II. was educated at Merton college in
Oxford, became archdeacon of Middlesex, and, in 1294,
dean of St. Paul’s. The see of London being vacant by
the death of Richard de Gravesend, Baldock was unanimously chosen, Sept. 20, 1304. But, his election being
controverted, he was obliged to repair to Rome and,
having obtained the pope’s confirmation, was consecrated
at Lyons by Peter Hispanus, cardinal of Alba, Jan. 30,
1306. Being returned into England, he made profession of canonical obedience to the archbishop in the
church of Canterbury, March 22, 1306. The same
year he was appointed by the pope one of the commissioners for the examination of the articles alleged
against the knights templars, and in that year also
he was made lord high chancellor of England but Edward I. dying soon after, he held that post little more than
a year. Dec. 2, 1308, this prelate, with the approbation
of the chapter, settled a stipend on the chancellor of St.
Paul’s for reading lectures in divinity in that church, according to a constitution of his predecessor, Richard de
Gravesend. He contributed 200 marks towards building
the chapel of St. Mary, on the east side of St. Paul’s. He
founded also a chantry of two priests in the said church,
near the altar of St. Erkenwald. He was a person of a very
amiable character, both for morals and learning, and deserved well of his country by his writings, which were,
1. “Historia Anglica, or a history of the British affairs
down to his own time.
” It is not now extant, though Leland says he saw it at London. 2. “A collection of the
statutes and constitutions of the church of St. Paul’s,
” extant in the library of that cathedral in
ntics, and particularly the encomiastic verses he wrote on the distinguished persons of the court of pope Urban VIII. procured him fame, and might have enriched him,
, a celebrated Italian poet of the
seventeenth century, was distinguished in his youth for his
attachment to polite literature, and some verses of acknowledged excellence. He was a native of Palermo, and on
account of his talents, very early admitted into the academy of the Reaccensi, but his confined circumstances
obliged him to leave his native country in pursuit of better fortune. He went first, for a short time, to Naples,
and thence to Rome, where he entered into the army, and
served in Hungary in the papal army under the command
of John Francis Aldobrandini. He returned afterwards to
Rome, and having resumed his studies, was received with
great honour into the academy of the Humourists. Here
his poetry, his anacreontics, and particularly the encomiastic verses he wrote on the distinguished persons of the
court of pope Urban VIII. procured him fame, and might
have enriched him, if he had not been deficient in the article of ceconomy, which some of his biographers ascribe
to his extravagance, and others to his charity. It is certain, however, that he became poor, and was obliged to
enter into the service of some gentlemen in the capacity of
secretary, but either from feeling the miseries of dependarpce, or from an unsettled turn, he very frequently changed
his masters. Erythraeus relates many stories of the manner in which he shifted for subsistence, which are not much
to his credit, but the veracity of Erythneus on this as well
as many other occasions, has been called in question by
contemporary biographers of good authority, and whatever
truth may be in his account, we do not find that Balducci
lost the esteem of the learned at Rome. At length he took
prders, and officiated as chaplain in the hospital of St.
Sixte, but having afterwards been attacked by an illness
at the house of a nobleman, who had a high regard for
him, and would have administered to all his wants, he
caused himself to be removed to the hospital of St. John
Latran, where he died in 1642, or according to Crescembini, either in 1645 or 1649. His works were, 1. “Tributo di Parnasso alia Maesta Cesareo di Ferdinando III.
d' Austria,
” Rome, 1638, 4to. 2. “La Pace Urbana,
”
Naples, Poesie degli Accademici Fantastici di Roma,
” Rome, Rime, parte prima,
”
Rome, Rime, parte seconda,
”
Rome, Canzoni Siciliane,
” and prefaces to part of the
works of his friend Stigliani.
ignity. He was enthroned at Canterbury the 19th of May 1185, and the same day received the pall from pope Lucius III. whose successor Urban III. appointed him his legate
, archbishop of Canterbury in the reigns of
Henry II. and Richard I. was born of obscure parents at
Exeter, where he received a liberal education, and in his
younger years taught school. Afterwards, entering into
holy orders, he was made archdeacon of Exeter; but soon
quitting that dignity and the world, he took the habit of
the Cistertian order in the monastery of Ford in Devonshire, and in a few years became its abbot. From thence
he was promoted to the see of Worcester (not Winchester, as Dupin says), and consecrated August 10, 1180. Upon
the death of Richard, archbishop of Canterbury in 1184,
he was translated to that see, with some difficulty, being
the first of his order in England, that was ever advanced to
the archiepiscopal dignity. He was enthroned at Canterbury the 19th of May 1185, and the same day received
the pall from pope Lucius III. whose successor Urban III.
appointed him his legate for the diocese of Canterbury.
Soon after he was settled in his see, he began to build a
church and monastery at Hackington, near Canterbury, in
honour of St. Thomas Becket, for the reception of secular
priests but, being violently opposed by the monks of
Canterbury, supported by the pope’s authority, he was
obliged to desist. The 3d of September 1189, he solemnly
performed the ceremony of crowning king Richard I. at
Westminster. The same year, the king having given the
see of York to his bastard brother Geoffry bishop of Lincoln, archbishop Baldwin took this occasion to assert the
pre-eminence of the see of Canterbury,' forbidding the
bishops of England to receive consecration from any other
than the archbishop of Canterbury. The next year, designing to follow king Richard to the Holy Land, he made
a progress into Wales, where he performed mass pontifically in all the cathedral churches, and induced several of
the Welsh to join the crusade. Afterwards embarking at
Dover, with Hubert bishop of Salisbury, he arrived at the
king’s army in Syria where being seized with a mortal
distemper, he died at the siege of Acre, or Ptolemais, and
was buried there. Giraldus Cambrensis, who accompanied
this prelate, both in his progress through Wales and in
his expedition to the Hgly Land, tells us, he was of a dark
complexion, an open and pleasing aspect, a middling stature, and a spare, but healthful, constitution of body
modest and sober, of great abstinence, of few words, and
not easily provoked to anger. The only fault he charges
him with is a remissness in the execution of his pastoral
office, arising from an innate lenity of temper whence
pope Urban III. in a letter addressed to our archbishop,
began thus, “Urban, &c. to the most fervent monk, warm
abbot, lukewarm bishop, and remiss archbishop
” intimating, that he behaved better as a monk than as an abbot,
and as a bishop than as an archbishop. His principal
works were, 1. “Of the Sacrament of the Altar.
” 2. “Faith
recommended.
” 3. “Of Orthodox Opinions. 4.
” Of
Heretical Sects.“5.
” Of the Unity of Charity.“6.
” Of
Love.“7.
” Of the Priesthood of John Hircanus.“8.
” Of the Learning of Giraldus.“9.
” Thirty-three
Sermons.“10.
” Concerning the Histories of Kings.“11.
” Against Henry bishop of Winchester.“12.
” In
praise of Virginity.“13.
” Concerning the Message of
the Angel.“14.
” Of the Gross.“15.
” Concerning
Mythology.“16.
” A Devotionary Poem.“17.
” Letters," These were collected and published by Bertrand
Tissier, in 1662.
Balsham, finding he was not likely to succeed at home, went to Rome, in order to be confirmed by the pope who then was allowed to dispose of all ec^ clesiastical preferments.
, or de Bedesale, or Belesale, the tenth bishop of Ely, and founder of St. Peter’s college, or Peter-house, in Cambridge, was in all probability born at Balsham, in Cambridgeshire, from whence he took his surname, about the beginning of the thirteenth century. He was at first a monk, and afterwards sub-prior of the Benedictine monastery at Ely. In 1247, November 13, he was chosen, by his convent, bishop of Ely, in the room of William de Kilkenny, deceased, but king Henry III. who had recommended his chancellor, Henry de Wengham, being angry at the disobedience of the monks, refused to confirm the election, and wasted the manors and estates belonging to the bishoprick. He endeavoured at last to persuade the monks to proceed to a new election aU ledging, that it was not fit so strong a place as Ely should be intrusted with a man that had scarcely ever been out of his cloister, and who was utterly unacquainted with political affairs. Balsham, finding he was not likely to succeed at home, went to Rome, in order to be confirmed by the pope who then was allowed to dispose of all ec^ clesiastical preferments. In the mean time, Boniface, archbishop of Canterbury, used his interest at Rome to obstruct Balsham’s confirmation, though he could alledge jiothing against him and recommended Adam de Maris, a learned Minorite friar, to the bishopric but all his endeavours proved unsuccessful. As to Wengham, having been recommended by the king without his own desire and knowledge, he declined the honour, alledging that the two others, (Balsham and Maris), were more worthy of it than himself. This matter remained in suspense for above ten years, and was at length determined in favour of Balsham for Wengham being promoted to the bishopric of London, upon Folk de Basset’s decease, the pope confirmed Balsham’s election on the 10th of March, 1257, and he was, consecrated the 14th of October following. Being thus fived in his see, he applied himself to works of charity, and particularly in the year 1257, or 1259, according ta some, put in execution what he had designed, if not begun, before, the foundation of St. Peter’s college, the first college in the university of Cambridge. He built it without Trumpingtun gate, near the church of St. Peter, (since demolished), from whence it took its name and on the place where stood Jesus hostel, or de poenitentia Jcsu Christ i, and St. John’s hospital., which he purchased, and united. At first, he only provided lodgings for the scholars, who were before obliged to hire chambers of the townsmen at an extravagant rate and they, and the secular brethren of St. John the Baptist, lived together till the year 1280. Then the monks making over to him their right to the hospital above-mentioned, he endowed his college on the 30th of March of the same year, with maintenance for one master, fourteen fellows, two bible-clerks, and eight poor scholars, whose number might be increased or diminished, according to the improvement or abatement of their revenues. And he appointed his successors, the bishops of Ely, to be honorary patrons and visitors of that college. The revenues of it have since been augmented by several benefactors. The munificent founder had not the satisfaction to see all things finished before his decease. He died at Dodington, June 16, 1286, and was buried in the cathedral church of Ely, before the high altar.
r potentates of Europe. But he distinguished himself chiefly by his embassy from king Henry VIII. to pope Julius II. who created him a cardinal, with the title of St.
, archbishop of York, and cardinal-priest of the Roman church, was born at Hilton near Appleby in Westmorland, and educated at Queen’s college in Oxford. Having taken holy orders, he became rector of Aller in the diocese of Bath and Wells. He enjoyed three prebends successively in the cathedral church of Salisbury that of South-Grantham in 14&5, that of Chardstock the same year, and that of Horton in 1486i He was elected provost of Queen’s college in 1495, and about the same time created doctor of laws. On September 28, 1503, he was admitted prebendary of Strenshall in the cathedral church of York, void by the consecration of Jeoffrey Blyth to the see of Litchfield and Coventry and on the 2 1st of December following, he was installed in the deanery of that church, in the room of the said Blyth. In 1505 he was made dean of Windsor, and the same year master of the rolls, and one of the king’s privy council. In 1507, he was advanced to the see of Durham, and received the temporalities the 1.7th of November. The next year he was translated to the archbishopric of York, and received the temporalities the 12th of December. Pits assures us, that Bambridge had been very intimate with Morton archbishop of Canterbury, and shared in that prelate’s sufferings during the usurpation of Richard III. after whose death, his affairs took a more prosperous turn, as he was appointed almoner to king Henry VII. and employed by that prince on several embassies to the emperor Maximilian, Charles VIII. king of France, and other potentates of Europe. But he distinguished himself chiefly by his embassy from king Henry VIII. to pope Julius II. who created him a cardinal, with the title of St. Praxede, in March 1511, and, eight days after, appointed him legate of the ecclesiastical army, which had been sent into the Ferrarese, and were then besieging the fort of Bastia. In return for which marks of honour, our new cardinal and legate prevailed with the king his master, to take part with his holiness against the king of France, nor was he less zealous in the service of that pontiff during his life, than in honouring and defending his memory after his death. There are extant in Rymer’s Fœdera, &c, two letters; one from cardinal Barnbridge, during his residence at Home, to king Henry VIII. concerning the pope’s bull giving him the title of mostChristian king and another from the cardinal de Sinigallia, to the king, acquainting his highness that he had delivered that instrument to cardinal Bamhridge. This prelate died at Rome July 14, 1514, being poisoned by one of his domestics, whom he had chastised, and was buried there in the English church of St. Thomas. Pits commends him for his extensive learning, and adds, that he wrote some treatises on subjects of civil law, but that biographer erroneously calls him Urswic, which was the name of his predecessor in the deanery of.Windsor.
has likewise joined to it a small Italian tract, which contains the lax which was made use of under pope Innocent X. and he has explained the value of the money as it
, a Swedish lawyer, was born at
Norcopin, and was professor of civil law in the university
of Franeker for fifteen years, a place conferred upon him
on account of his high reputation when a scholar. He
died Oct. 13, 1662. In 1649 he published at Franeker a
work, “De tyrannide papae in reges et principes Christianos,
” and seven years after, “Roma triumphans, seu
inauguratio Innocentii X.
” also some writings, “de Bancse ruptoribus,
” “de Duellis,
” “de conciliis et consiliariis
principum
” but his most celebrated work was an edition of
the Taxes of the Roman Chancery, on the sums paid for
absolution for crimes, even of the most atrocious kind.
It was published at Franeker in 1651, in 8vo, after he had
consulted the most ancient copies, printed or manuscript,
and by comparing them word for word, supplied by means
of one what was wanting in others. He made use of the
edition of Cologne in 1523, of that of Wittembergin 1538,
of that of Venice in 1584, and of a manuscript, which had
been communicated to him by John Baptista Sibon, a
Bernardine monk, and reader in the college of Rome. By
this means he has made his edition somewhat larger than
all that had been published before, and he has added notes,
in which he explains a great many terms, which are difficult to be understood it is a kind of glossary. He has
likewise joined to it a small Italian tract, which contains
the lax which was made use of under pope Innocent X.
and he has explained the value of the money as it was at
that time. It is almost unnecessary to add, that this work
was soon added to the list of prohibited books.
attained his twenty-seventh year. Henry II. who had a regard for the Fregosas, Jiad agreed with the pope, on the death of the cardinal de Lorraine, bishop of Agen, to
, a celebrated Italian novelist, was born at Castelnuovo in the district of Tortona,
where he remained for some years, under the patronage of
his uncle Vincenzio Bandello, general of the order, of Do^
minicans, with whom he also travelled through various parts
of Italy, France, Spain, and Germany, where it was the
4uty of the general to inspect the convents of his order.
After the death of his uncle, at the convent of Altomonte in
Calabria, in 1506, Bandello passed a considerable part of
his time at the court of Milan, where he had the honour of
instructing the celebrated Lucretia Gonzaga, in whose
praise he wrote an Italian, poem, which still remains, and
where he formed an intimacy with many eminent persons
of the age, as appears from the dedicatory epistles prefixed
to his novels. Having early enrolled himself in the order
of Dominicans, in a fraternity at Milan, he entered deeply
into the ecclesiastical and political affairs of the times, and
after various vicissitudes of fortune, obtained at length, in
1550, the bishopric of Agen in France, conferred on him
by Henry II. but being fond of the poets, ancient and
modern, addicted himself much more to the belles lettres
than to the government of his diocese. He filled the episcopal chair of Agen for several years, and died about 1561,
at the chateau de Bazens, the country seat of the bishops of
Agen. His monument was erected in the church of the
Jacobins du port St. Marie. He had resigned the bishopric
of Agen in 1555, when his successor, Janus Fregosa, son of
the unhappy Cæsar, assassinated by the marquis de Guast,
had attained his twenty-seventh year. Henry II. who had
a regard for the Fregosas, Jiad agreed with the pope, on the
death of the cardinal de Lorraine, bishop of Agen, to give,
by interim, this bishopric to Bandello, till Janus should
arrive at the age required. Bandello consented to this arrangement, and gave up the see according to promise.
The best edition of his novels is that of Lucca, 1554, 3
vols. 4to, to which belongs a fourth volume, printed at
Lyons in 1573, 8vo. This edition is scarce and dear.
Those of Milan, 1560, 3 vols. 8vo, and of Venice, 1566,
3 vols. 4to, are curtailed and little esteemed but that
of London, 1740, 4 vols. 4to, is conformable to the first.
Boaisteau and Belleforest translated a part of them into
French, Lyons, 1616, et seq. 7 vols. 16mo. It is entirely
without reason that some have pretended that these novels
are not by him, but were composed by a certain John Bandello, a Lucchese, since the author declares himself to be
of Lombardy, and even marks Castelnuovo as the place of
his nativity. On the other hand, Joseph Scaliger, his contemporary and his friend, who calls him Bandellus Insuber,.
positively asserts that he composed his novels at Agen.
Fontanini is likewise mistaken in making him the author of
a Latin translation of the history of Hegesippus, which he
confounds with the novel of Boccace entitled Sito e Gisippo, which Bandello did really translate into Latin. We
have by him likewise the collection of poems beforementioned, entitled “Canti xi. composti del Bandello,
ilelle lodi della signora Lucrezia Gonzaga,
” &c. printed
at Agen in
ed "works is the copy of the Laocoon, in the garden of the Medicis at Florence. This was intended by pope Clement VII. as a present to Francis I. but when he saw it,
, an eminent sculptor, was born at Florence in 1487, and died in 1559. He was intended by his father, who was a goldsmith, to follow that business, but discovered an early and much higher relish for sculpture. It is said that at the age of nine he made a statue of snow, which was remarkable for justness of proportion. He attempted also painting, but was deficient in colouring, and wanted perseverance to acquire execution and handling. He was, however, a great designer, and his compositions of the Martyrdom of St, Lawrence, and the Massacre of the Innocents, shew exuberance of fancy. In the former, the draped figures that compose the upper rank of spectators, are equally admirable for simplicity and elegance, whilst the saint' himself, and those around him, exhibit little more than clumsiness, or barefaced contrast. The Massacre of the Innocents, with a display of anatomic prowess, presents a scene, not of terror and pity, but loathsomeness and horror. As a sculptor, however, he was esteemed the greatest after Michael Angelo. Among his most admired "works is the copy of the Laocoon, in the garden of the Medicis at Florence. This was intended by pope Clement VII. as a present to Francis I. but when he saw it, he was so much pleased that he could not part with it, and in its stead sent a present of antique statues to the king of France. Another of his admired productions was a bas relief of a Descent from the Cross, which he presented to Charles V. who rewarded him with a commandery of St. James and to this, not inferior in excellence, maybe added his Hercules and Cacus, a colossal groupe, and his statues of Leo X. and Clement VII. Vasari, who has written his life, justlv censures his envious disposition, and particularly his jealous hatred of Michael Angelo.
, for a collection of which he solicited a subscription, and sent his proposals, with a poem, to Mr. Pope, who answered him in a letter, and subscribed for two copies.
, an English miscellaneous writer of
some note, was born at Sunning, in Berkshire, in 1709,
and put apprentice to a weaver at Reading but accidentally breaking his arm before the expiration of his time,
he was unable to follow his trade, and for some time,
probably, lived upon charity. Ten pounds, however,
being left him by a relation, he came up to London, and
set up a book-stall in Spital-nelds, hoping to be as lucky
as Duck, who about this time raised himself to notice by
his poem called “The Thresher,
” in imitation of which
Banks wrote “The Weaver’s Miscellany,
” but without
success, which he afterwards acknowledged was not unjust.
He then quitted this settlement, and lived some time with
Mr. Montague, a bookseller and bookbinder, employing
his leisure hours in the composition of small poems, for a
collection of which he solicited a subscription, and sent
his proposals, with a poem, to Mr. Pope, who answered
him in a letter, and subscribed for two copies. He was
afterwards concerned in a large work in folio, intituled
the “Life of Christ,
” which was drawn up with much
piety and exactness. He also wrote the celebrated “Critical Review of the Life of Oliver Cromwell,
” 12mo,
which has been often printed, and is, upon the whole, an
impartial work. Towards the end of his life he was employed in writing the Old England and Westminster
Journals, and was now enabled to live in easy circumstances. He died of a nervous disorder at Islington, April
19, 1751. His biographer represents him as a pleasing
and acceptable companion, and a modest and unassuming
man, free from every inclination to engage in contests,
or indulge envy or malevolence.
490, he returned to his native city, and about a year after, was appointed ambassador in ordinary to pope Innocent VIII. who conferred the patriarchate upon Hermolaus,
In June 1484, having again retired to Padua, to avoid the plague then raging at Venice, he undertook, at the earnest request of several of the students, to expound some of the Grecian poets and orators, particularly Theocritus and Demosthenes. He had already borne two important offices in the republic, and was exulted to the dignity of senator in 1484, in the thirtieth year of his age. In the same year he opened, at his own house at Venice, a private school of philosophy, delivering his lectures at an early hour in the morning, and although he meant to admit only a few friends, his audience speedily increased, and he continued this employment until June 1485, when he was appointed on an embassy to congratulate the archduke Maximilian, who had recently been elected king of the Romans. On this occasion, Maximilian, whom he addressed in a complimentary oration, conferred on him order of knighthood. In 1488, the senate again interrupted his favourite studies, by appointing him ambassador to Ludovico Sforza, duke of Milan, an office which his grandfather and father had both formerly filled. At Milan, his house became the general resort of the learned, and he contrived, amidst his public labours, to resume his criticisms on Aristotle and Dioscorides. In 1490, he returned to his native city, and about a year after, was appointed ambassador in ordinary to pope Innocent VIII. who conferred the patriarchate upon Hermolaus, and he accepted it, notwithstanding he knew that the republic of Venice had made an express law forbidding all the ministers they sent to Rome to accept of any benefice. Hermolaus excused himself by saying the pope forced him to accept of the prelacy but this availed nothing with the council of ten, who signified to him that he must renounce the patriarchate, and if he refused to comply, that Zachary Barbarus his father should be degraded from all his dignities^ and his estate confiscated. Zachary was a man much advanced in years, and filled one of the chief posts in the commonwealth. He employed all the interest in his power to gain the consent of the republic to his son’s being patriarch but his endeavours proved ineffectual, and Hernaolaus was condemned by the Venetians to perpetual exile.
in English, 1611, in 4to, Mussiponti, 1610, 8vo, and Parisiis, 1600, 4to. In this he proves that the pope has no power, direct or indirect, over sovereigns in temporals,
, a learned and eminent Civilian,
was born in Aberdeenshire, in 1541, and descended from
one of the best families in Scotland. He was in favour
with Mary queen of Scots but, after that princess was
dethroned, and detained in captivity in England, finding
that he had no prospect of making his fortune in the court
of her son James, he resolved to retire into France, which.
he did about 1573. He was then more than thirty years
of age, and went to Bourges, in order to study law. He
there took his doctor’s degree in that faculty, and had
applied himself so closely to his books, that he was qualified
to fill a chair. Edmund Hay, the Jesuit, who was his
countryman, and is said to have been related to him, procured him accordingly a professorship in civil law in the
university of Pontamousson, by his interest with the duke
of Lorrain, who had lately founded that seminary. And
the duke not only conferred upon Barclay the first professorship, but also appointed him counsellor of state, and
master of requests. In 1581, Barclay married Anne de
Malleville, a young lady of Lorrain, by whom he had his
son John, who afterwards became a writer of considerable
note, and whom the Jesuits endeavoured to prevail on to
enter into their society. But Barclay opposing their
scheme, the Jesuits resented it so highly, and did him so
many ill offices with the duke, that he was obliged to leave
Lorrain. He then went to London, where king James I.
is said to have offered him a place in his council, with a
considerable pension but he declined these offers, because
it was made a necessary condition of his accepting them,
that he should embrace the protestant religion. In 1604,
he returned into France, and accepted the professorship
of the civil law, which was offered him by the university
of Angers. He taught there with reputation, and is said
to have been fond of making a splendid appearance in his
character of professor. But he did not hold this office
long, dying in 1606. He was buried in the church of the
Franciscans. He appears to have been much prejudiced
against the Protestants and was a zealous advocate for
passive obedience, and the divine right of kings, as appears from his writings, of which the following are “the
principal, 1.
” De Reguo et llegali Potestate ad versus
Buchananum, Brutum, Boucherium, et reliquos Monarchoniachos,“Paris, 1600, dedicated to Henry IV. 2.
” De
Potestate Papse, quatenus in Reges et Principes seculares
Jus et Imperium habeat,“Franco!'. 1609, 1613, 1621, Hannovias, 1612, in 8vo, and Lond. in English, 1611, in 4to,
Mussiponti, 1610, 8vo, and Parisiis, 1600, 4to. In this
he proves that the pope has no power, direct or indirect,
over sovereigns in temporals, and that they who allow him,
any such power, whatever they may intend, do very great
prejudice to the Roman catholic religion. 3.
” A commentary
upon the Title of the Pandects de Rebus creditis et de Jure] urando,“Paris, 1605, 8vo. 4.
” Prcemetia in vitam
Agricolse," Paris, 1599, 2 vols. 8vo. This last is said to
be an excellent commentary on Tacitus. There are two
letters from him to Lipsius in Burman’s Sylloges Epistolarum, and four from Lipsius to him.
he Turkish dominions from that which was assailed by the French, In 1615, invited, as it is said, by pope Paul V. Barclay determined to fix his residence under the immediate
During the course of three years residence in England,
Barclay received no token of the royal liberality. Sunk in
indigence, he only wished to be indemnified for his English
journies, and to have his charges defrayed into France. At
length, he was relieved from those urgent distresses by his
patron Salisbury. Of these circumstances we are informed
by some allegorical and obscure verses written by Barclay
at that sad season. (Delit. Poet. Scot. I. 92 100.) Never
did dependent offer incense to a patron more liberally than
he did. Burleigh, he admits, was a wise man, but, he
adds, “that the wisdom of Burleigh bore the like proportion to that of his son, as the waters of the Thames do to
the ocean.
” In 1610 he published his Apology for Euphormion, the severity of which satire had excited enemies
against him in every quarter of Europe. In this year also
he, published his father’s work, “De Potestate Papse,
”
and when it was attacked by cardinal Bellarmin, be published a treatise entitled “J. Barclaii Pietas, sive, publics
pro regibus ac principibus, et privates pro Gulielmo Earclaio parente vindici*, adversus Roberti Bellarmini tractatum, de Potestate summi Pontificis ia rebus temporal!bus,
” Paris, 4to.
In Icon animarum,
” perhaps
the best, although not the most renowned of his compositions. It is a delineation of the genius and manners of
the European nations, with remarks, moral and philosophical, on the various tempers of men. Mr. Malone observes, as a curious circumstance, that in this work, Barclay has suggested an expedition against the Turkish empire, similar in the most material circumstances to that
undertaken in 1798 by the French republic, (particularly in the number of the troops employed) though it was proposed to be directed against a different part of the Turkish
dominions from that which was assailed by the French,
In 1615, invited, as it is said, by pope Paul V. Barclay
determined to fix his residence under the immediate power
of a pontiff whose political conduct he had reprobated, and
of a court whose maxims he had censured with extraordinary freedom. About the end of that year he quitted
England, but not clandestinely, as his enemies reported,
and having hastily passed through France, he settled at
Rome with his family, in the beginning of the year 1616.
In the “Paraenesis,
” or “Exhortation to the Sectaries,
”
he mentions two reasons which induced him to quit England, and take up his abode in Italy. His first was, lest
his children, by remaining in England, should have been
perverted from the faith. But he could have obviated that
danger, by removing into France, in which country he had
for his friends Du Vair (president of the parliament of Provence, afterwards keeper of the great seals, and lastly, bishop of Lisieux), and M. Peiresc. His second reason
was more singular he perceived that his “Pietas,
” or
vindication of his father, was pleasing to heretics, and that
it disgusted many persons of the Romish communion. He
repented of having written it: he then found that it contained erroneous propositions, and he wished to settle in
Italy that he might have leisure and freedom to refute
them.
tin churches, he was also instructed to treat of this measure. These two princes gave him letters to pope Benedict XII. to whom he proposed the assembling of a general
, a monk of the order of St. Basil, in the fourteenth century, was in 1339 sent by the Greek emperor Andronicus the younger, as ambassador to Philip king of France, and Robert king t)f Sicily, to solicit assistance against the Mahometan power; and as there was little prospect that this would be granted without a previous union between the Greek and Latin churches, he was also instructed to treat of this measure. These two princes gave him letters to pope Benedict XII. to whom he proposed the assembling of a general council; but as he desired, in the mean time, that a reinforcement might be sent to the Greek emperor, the pope replied that the procession of the Holy Ghost was a point already settled, and therefore did not require a new council, and as for the assistance required, it could not be granted unless the Greek church would shew more sincerity in its wishes for a junction. Barlaam, at his return from Constantinople, had a controversy with the monks called Quietists, who were charged with reviving the Messalian heterodoxy. These monks pretended to see the light which appeared upon Mount Tabor at our Saviour’s transfiguration. They asserted this light to be uncreated and incorruptible, though not part of the divine essence and held other strange opinions, which induced Barlaani to accuse Palamas and his disciples of this sect, to the emperor and to the patriarch of Constantinople, on which a council was called in that city in 1340, but BarJaain failed in maintaining his charges, and was himself censured. Barlaam beinp; thus condemned in the east, retired to the west, joined himself to the Latins, and was made bishop of Hieracium or Gerace in Calabria, where he died about 1348. As he changed from the Greeks to the Latins, his writings will be found to be both for and against the latter. Against them he wrote a treatise on the pope’s primacy, printed first in Gr. and Lat. at Oxford, 1592, 4to, by Lloyd, and afterwards at Hainault, 1608, 8vo, with notes by Sahnasius, who again reprinted it, along with his own treatise of the primacy of the pope, Amsterdam, 1645. Barlaam wrote also a treatise of the procession of the Holy Ghost, containing eighteen articles, of which Ailatius gives the titles. For the Latins he wrote a discourse of the union of the two churches, and five letters, published by Bzovius, Canisius, and in the Bibl. Patrnm separately also at Strasburgh, 1572; and a treatise on arithmetic and algebra from his pen was published at Paris, 1600.
“A preface touching that horrid conspiracy, dated Feb. 1, 1678-9.” 4. “Brutum Fulmen, or the bull of pope Pius Sextus against queen Elizabeth,” 1681, 4tn. 5. “Whether
, a very learned divine and bishop
in the seventeenth century, was born at Langhill, in the
parish of Orton, in Westmorland, in 1607; being the son
<*f Mr. Richard Barlow, descended from the ancient family
of Barlow-moore in Lancashire. He had his first education at the free-school at Appleby, in his own country.
From thence being removed, in the sixteenth year of his
age, to Queen’s college in Oxford, he took his degrees in
arts, that of master being completed the 27th of June,
1633, and the same year was chosen fellow of his college.
In 1635, he was appointed metaphysic-reader in the university; and his lectures being much approved of, were
published in 1637 for the use of the scholars. When
the garrison of Oxford surrendered to the parliament
in 1646, he submitted to the persons then in power and
by tb-^ interest of colonel Thomas Kelsey, deputy governor of that garrison, or more likely by that of Selden or
Dr. Owen, preserved his fellowship, notwithstanding the
parliamentary visitation, of which he gave a ludicrous account, in a pamphlet entitled “Pegasus.
” In The case of a Toleration in matters of religion,' 7 addressed to the famous Rob. Boyle, esq. in which
that subject fs handled with great candour. In 1661, he was
appointed archdeacon of Oxford, in the room of Dr. Barten Holiday, deceased but he was not installed till June 13,
1664, owing to a contest between him and Dr. Thomas
Lamplugh about thut dignity, which, after having lasted
some time, was at length decided in favour of Dr. Barlow, at the assizes held at Oxford, March 1, 1663-4. Being eminent for his skill in the civil and canon law, he was
often applied to as a casuist, to resolve cases of conscience,
about marriage, &c. And on one of these occasions, in
1671, he wrote
” Mr. Cottington’s case of Divorce,“in
which is discussed the validity of his marriage with a lady
whose former husband was living and some years after,
another case of marriage, inserted in his
” Genuine remains.“Upon the death of Dr. W. Fuller, bishop of
Lincoln, which happened April 22, 1675, he obtained, the
same day, a grant of that bishopric, at the recommendation of some of the nobility, and chiefly through the interest of the two secretaries of state, Henry Coventry, esq.
and sir Joseph Williamson, both some time of his college,
and the first formerly his pupil. The 27th of June following, he was consecrated at Ely-house chapel. Archbishop
Sheldon opposed his promotion, though the reasons of it
are not assigned. After his advancement to this see,
bishop Barlow wrote several curious things. They were
generally short, and most of them by way of letter. The
most considerable are these: In 1676,
” The original of
Sine Cures >“concerning
” Pensions paid out of Churchlivings“and a” Survey of the numbers of Papists within
the province of Canterbury
” in 1679, “A letter concerning the Canon Law, allowing the whipping of heretics.
”
But he was most distinguished by his writings against
popery the chief of which were, “Popery, or the principles and positions approved by the Church of Rome, &c.
are very dangerous to all,
” and “A discourse concerning
the Laws ecclesiastical and civil, made against heretics by
popes, emperors, and kings, provincial and general councils, approved by the Church of Rome,
” evidently levelled
against the duke of York. He expressed his zeal against
the papists, not only in writing, but in action. For when,
in 1678, after the discovery of the popish plot, a bill was
brought into parliament, requiring all members of either
house, and all such as might come into the king’s court, or
presence, to take a test against popery our bishop appeared for that bill in the house of lords, and spoke in favour of it. Notwithstanding which we are told, that after
king James II.'s accession to the throne, bishop Barlow
took all opportunities to express his affection, or submission, to him for he sent up an address of thanks to him,
for his first declaration for liberty of conscience, signed by
six hundred of his clergy. He wrote reasons for reading
that king’s second declaration for liberty of conscience
he caused it to be read in his diocese , nay, he was
prevailed upon to assert and vindicate the regal power of dispensing with penal laws, in an elaborate tract, with numerous quotations from canonists, civilians, and divines.
And yet, after the revolution, he was one of those bishops
who readily voted that king James had abdicated his kingdoms. He took the oaths to his successors and no bishop
was more ready than he, to fill the places of such clergymen as refused to take the oaths to king William and queen
Mary. There was nothing in this, however, inconsistent
in one who held his sentiments *in favour of toleration. It
is more doubtful that he was entirely addicted to the Aristotelian philosophy, and a declared enemy to the improvements made by the royal society, and to what he called in
general the new philoso'phy. He was, however, a rigid
Calvinist, and the school divinity was that which he most
admired but when his attachment to Calvin’s notions engaged him in a public opposition to some of Mr. Bull’s
works, he declined a public disputation on the subject.
He has also been blamed for never appearing in his cathedral, nor visiting his diocese in person, but residing constantly at his manor of Bugden but against this he appears to have vindicated himself. His enemies are willing
to allow that he was a good casuist, a man of very exten^
sive learning, an universal lover and favourer of learned
me if, of what country or denomination soever, and a great
master of the whole controversy between the Protestants
and Papists. He died at Bugden, October 8, 1691, in the
eighty-fifth year of his age; and was buried the llth of
the said month, on the north side of the chancel belonging to
that church, near the body of Dr. R. Sanderson, some time
bishop of Lincoln, and, according to his own desire, in the
grave of Dr. William Barlow, formerly bishop of the same
see to whose memory, as well as his own, is erected a
monument, with an inscription which he composed himself
a few days before his death. He bequeathed to the
Bodleian library, all such books of his own, as were not in that
noble collection at the time of his death and the remainder he gave to Queen’s college in Oxford, on which the
society erected, in 1694, a noble pile of buildings, on the
west side of their college, to receive them. All his manuscripts, of his own composition, he left to his two domestic
chaplains, William Otfley and Henry Brougham, prebendaries of Lincoln, with a particular desire that they
would not make any of them public after his decease.
Besides the works already mentioned, he wrote against
popery, 1.'“Confutation of the infallibility of the church
of Rome,
” written in 167S. 2. “A letter to J. Evelyn,
esq. concerning invocation of Saints, and adoration of the
Cross,
” London, The Gun-powder Treason, with a discourse of the manner of its discovery, &c.
” printed at first
in A preface
touching that horrid conspiracy, dated Feb. 1, 1678-9.
”
4. “Brutum Fulmen, or the bull of pope Pius Sextus
against queen Elizabeth,
” Whether the
pope be Antichrist, &c.
” 6. “A few plain reasons why
a Protestant of the church of England should not turn
Roman catholic,
” Pietas in Patrem, or a few tears upon
the lamented death of his most dear and loving Father
Richard Barlow, late of Langhill in Westmorland, who
died December 29, 1636,
” Oxford, A
letter to Mr. John Goodwin, concerning Universal Redemption, by J. Christ,
” For toleration of the Jews,
”
3655. 10. “A letter to Mr. John Tombes in defence of
Anabaptism, inserted in one of Tombes’s books.
” 11. “A
tract to prove that true grace doth not lie so much in the
degree, as in the nature.
” This also is inserted in a book,
entitled Sincerity and Hypocrisy, &c. written by William
Sheppard, esq. 12. “The Rights of the Bishops to judge
in capital eases in parliament cleared, &c.
” Lond. A letter (to his clergy) for the putting in execution the Laws against
Dissenters, written in concurrence to that which was drawn
up by the justices of the peace of the county of Bedford,
at the quarter-sessions held at Ampthill for the said county,
Jan. 14, 1684.
” After his decease, sir Peter Pett
lisbed in Several miscellaneous and weighty
cases of conscience, learnedly and judiciously resolved by
the right rev. father in God, Dr. T ho. Barlow, late lord
bishop of Lincoln.
” Sir Peter published also in The genuine Remains of that learned
prelate, Dr. Thomas Barlow, late lord bishop of Lincoln,
containing divers discourses, theological, philosophical,
historical, &c. in letters to several persons of honour and
quality.
” But these two volumes being published without
the knowledge or consent of the bishop’s two chaplains
above-mentioned, to whom he had left all his manuscripts,
with orders that they should not be published, they severely
Reflected upon the publisher, for the unwarrantable liberty
he had taken.
ynaud in 1627. His next work, entitled “Catholico-Romanus Pacificus,” gave yet more offence, and the pope wrote to the king of France, and to cardinal Richelieu, desiring
, was an English Roman Catholic, of
the seventeenth century, whose history has been imperfectly related. According to Moreri (who refers to “Memoires du temps
”) he was an Englishman by birth, and
studied with great success at Lou vain. Wood savs he was
of a Lancashire family, and educated for some time at Oxford, whence he went to Spain, and studied divinity and
philosophy under the famous Dr. J. Alph. Curiel, who,
adds Wood, was wont to call Barnes by the name of John
Hiiss, because of a spirit of contradiction which was always
observed in him, but which, it appears by his writings,
was a spirit of thinking for himself that could not be very
acceptable to his superiors. He is said to have been
young when he entered among the English Benedictines
near Douay, for fear of the inquisition, with which he was
threatened at Louvain and some time after he was obliged
to leave the Benedictines, under the same alarm, for holding some sentiments they did not approve. Wood says,
that before this he was sent into England on a mission, but
being discovered there, he was imprisoned and sent to
Normandy with certain priests and Jesuits. Moreri says,
that on leaving Douay, he took refuge in Paris, where he
was protected by some persons of distinction, and admitted into the friendship of several men of learning. In
1625, at which time he was one of the confessors of the
abbey of Chelles, he published a work against mental reservation, entitled “Dissertatio contra equivocationes,
”
Paris, 8vo, of which a French translation was published at
the same time. In the approbation of the faculty of theology at Paris prefixed to this work, he is styled doctor of
arts and divinity, professor of the English mission, and
first assistant of the congregation of Spain. This work
made a considerable noise, and was attempted to be answered by father Theophilus Raynaud in 1627. His next
work, entitled “Catholico-Romanus Pacificus,
” gave yet
more offence, and the pope wrote to the king of France,
and to cardinal Richelieu, desiring they would send the
author of these publications to Rome. Barnes was accordingly taken up in December 1625. He wrote also an answer
to Clement Reyner’s “Apostolatus Benedictinorum in Anglia,
” which Wood makes to precede the former. It appears certain, however, that in consequence of the moderation of his opinions, he was hurried like a malefactor
from place to place through Germany. While confined at
Mechlin, he contrived to make his escape from the room
by means of the strings of a bass viol, of which he had procured a quantity under pretence that the dampness of the
place had injured what belonged to his instrument; but he
was discovered while stepping into a vessel at Antwerp, and
conveyed to Rome. Here he was put into the prison belonging to the inquisition, in which he died, after thirty
years confinement. During part of this time, his sufferings
had brought on insanity. An edition of his “CatholicoRomanus Pacificus
” was printed at the theatre at Oxford
in Ancient Liberty of the Britannic
church.
” Wood mentions other writings by Barnes, but
without specifying their titles.
axony, and joined with the English ambassadors, who proposed to this elector an alliance against the pope, and desired that Henry VIII. might be associated in the league
, professor of divinity, and chaplain to Henry VIII. king of England, was sent to Germany by his master in 1535, where he held a conference
with the protestant divines upon the affair of the divorce
after that he had several audiences of the elector of Saxony, and joined with the English ambassadors, who proposed to this elector an alliance against the pope, and desired that Henry VIII. might be associated in the league
of Smalcalde. He gave them hopes of a reformation in
England but in fact, they had no other design than to
obtain their doctors approbation of the divorce of their
master, and a political alliance, in order to find the emperor more employment, who threatened to revenge the
injury upon king Henry for divorcing his aunt. They carried away with them the opinion of the divines of Witternberg which was not entirely favourable to them but they
suppressed the conclusion, wjien they shewed it to the
king. Barnes’s conduct however pleased the king, and
induced him to employ him in carrying on a correspondence with the princes of Germany. He was sent several
times to those courts and among other negociations, he
w r as the first who was employed in the project of the marriage with Anne of Cleves. He was a zealous Lutheran,
which he did not conceal in his sermons for in Lent in
1540 he confuted the sermon, which bishop Gardiner had
preached against Luther’s doctrine. He took the same
text as Gardiner had done, and taught a doctrine absolutely contrary to what this prelate had laid down concerning
justification nay he even attacked the bishop personally,
and jested upon the name of Gardiner. Gardiner’s friends
complained to the king of this, who ordered 'Barnes to
give him satisfaction, to sign certain articles, and to make
a formal recantation in the pulpit. All this was done, but
in such a manner, that there was a complaint, that in one
part of his sermon he artfully maintained what he had retracted in the other. Upon these complaints he was sent
to the Tower by the king’s command, which he never
came out of but to suffer death in the midst of the flames
for he was condemned* as an heretic by the parliament,
without being permitted to make his defence. He declared his belief a little before his death he rejected justification by works, invocation of saints, &c. and desired
that the king would undertake a thorough reformation.
His freedom of speech had for a long time before exposed
him to trouble. While Wolsey was in favour, he preached
so vehemently at Cambridge against the luxury of prelates,
that every body saw immediately that he designed it
against the cardinal. Upon that account he was carried to
London, where by the solicitations of Gardiner and Fox,
he was rescued from that prosecution, having agreed to
abjure some articles which were proposed to him. Afterwards he was again committed to prison upon some newaccusations and then it was generally believed that he
would be burnt, but he escaped, and went over into Germany, where he applied himself entirely to the study of
the bible and divinity in which he made so great a progress, that he was very much esteemed by the doctors and
princes. When the king of Denmark sent ambassadors to
England, he desired Barnes to accompany them, or even
to be one of them. We have at least two books written
by Barnes, one, the “Articles of his Faith,
” published in
Latin, with a preface by Pomeranus, and again in Dutch
in 1531. The other is his “Lives of the Popes,
” from
St. Peter to Alexander II. published, with a preface by
Luther, at Wirtemberg, 1536, and afterwards at Leyden,
1615; together with Bale’s Lives of the Popes. Luther
also published an account of his martyrdom.
n vols. folio. The first volume was printed at Rome in 1686, and begins with the year 1198, in which pope Innocent the Third gave habit to the founders, and is carried
, whose true name
was Fitz-Gerald, was descended from a branch of the FitzGcralds of Burnchurch in the county of Kilkenny, a family
settled in Ireland soon after the English acquisitions in that
country, which has produced several men of figure in the
church. But he has been more remarkable in the learned
world for his maternal genealogy, being the son of a sister
of Luke Wadding, that eminent Franciscan friar, who, in
the seventeenth century, demonstrated his great abilities
and industry, by many voluminous treatises of genius and
labour. His uncle Wadding took great care of his education in his youth, which he saw rewarded by an uncommon
diligence: and when he was of a proper age procured his
admission into the Franciscan order, and sent for him toRome; where he lived under his own eye in the college
of St. Isidore, a society of thut order founded by himself
in 1625, for the education of Irish students in the study of
the liberal arts, divinity, and controversy, to serve as a
seminary, out of which the mission into England, Scotland, and Ireland, might be supplied. Baron, after some
time, grew into high reputation, and became especially
remarkable for the purity of -his Latin style, which procured
him great reputation. He was for a considerable time lecturer on divinity in the above-mentioned college, and in all
resided at Rome about sixty years, where he died, very
old, and deprived of sight,. March 18, 1696, and was
buried at St. Isidore’s. His works are, 1. “Orationes
Panegyricce Sacro-Prophanre decem,
” Romae, Romse, 1645, 24to. 3.
” Prolusiones Philosophicee,“Romae, 1651, 12mo. 4. a Harpocrates quinque Ludius; seu Diatriba silentii,
” Romce,
Obsidio et Expugnatio Arcis Duncannon ia Hibernia, sub Thoma Prestono.
” 6. “Boetius
Absolutus; sive de ConsolationeTheologiae, lib. iv.
” Roma-,
Controversial et Stratagemata,
” Lug'duni, Scotus Defensus,
” Colonize, Cursus Philosophicus,
” Colonise, Epistolæ Familiares Parceneticse,
” &c. These are
among his 11. “Opuscula varia Herbipoli,
” Theologia,
” Paris, Johannes
Duns Scotus, ordinis minorum, Doctor subtilis de Angeiis contra adversantes defensus, nunc quoque Novitate amplificatus,
” FlorentitE, Annales Ordinis S. S.
Trinitatis Redemptions Captivorum, Fundatoribus 8. S.
Johanne de Matha, et Felice de Valois,
” in vols. folio.
The first volume was printed at Rome in 1686, and begins
with the year 1198, in which pope Innocent the Third gave
habit to the founders, and is carried down to the year 1297,
just one hundred years. In this volume we have an account
of the foundations of their convents, their privileges, and
benefactions, the eminent fathers of their order, their miracles and actions; as also, the number of slaves delivered
by them from bondage.
m great applause; but that of a St. Margaret raised his reputation to the highest pitch, and induced pope Pius IV. to invite him to Home, where he employed him in the
, an eminent Italian artist, was born at Urbino, in 1528, and was the disciple of Battista Venetiano, by whom he was carefully instructed in the principles of painting, but he derived his knowledge of perspective from his uncle Bartolomeo Genga. Under those preceptors he practised assiduously, till he was in his twentieth year; and then visited Rome, where, under the patronage of cardinal della Rovere, he pursued his studies incessantly, and proved one of the most graceful painters of his time. At his return to his native city Urbino, he painted several pictures which procured him great applause; but that of a St. Margaret raised his reputation to the highest pitch, and induced pope Pius IV. to invite him to Home, where he employed him in the decorations of his palace of Belvedere, in conjunction with Federigo Zucchero. He excelled equally in history and portrait, but his genius inclined him more particularly to the painting of religious subjects; and his works sufficiently evince, that the utmost of his ambition was to imitate Correggio in his colouring, and Raphael in his manner of designing. But Correggio has somewhat so natural, so grand, so unaffectedly graceful, that Baroccio was far inferior to him, although perhaps more correct in the outlines. Sir Joshua Reynolds, who thought him, upon the whole, one of Correggio’s most successful imitators, says, that sometimes in endeavouring at cleanness or brilliancy of tint, he overshot the mark, and falls under the criticism that was made on an ancient painter, that his figures looked as if they fed upon roses. It is, however, singular to see colours of such variety coalesce so sweetly under his pencil, that perhaps no music reaches the ear with purer harmony, than his pictures the eye; an effect produced, in a great measure, by his attention to chiaroscuro, which he may be said to have introduced to the schools of Lower Italy, and which to obtain he rarely painted any historical figure without having either modelled it in wax, or placed some of his disciples in such attitudes as he wished to represent, it is sajd that when young, he was attempted to be poisoned at a dinner &ivc.5i by some of his rival artists, and that although he escaped with his life, he continued long in an infirm state. He must, however, have completely recovered from this attack, as his life was prolonged to the advanced age of eighty-four. He died at Urbino in 1612. Baroccio was also an engraver from some of his own compositions, and his plates, although slight, and not well managed, with respect to the mechanical part of the workmanship, are nevertheless most admirable, on account of the expression, and excellent drawing, which is discovered in them. His heads are very beautiful and characteristic; and the other extremities of his figures finely marked. Amidst all the difficulties he appears to have met with, in biting his plates with the aquafortis, after he had etched them, and his unskilfulness in handling-the graver, to harmonize and finish them, the hand of the master appears so evident, that the beauties we discover in them far overbalance the defects.
or his province in the general chapter held in 1656, in which he presided at the theses dedicated to pope Alexander VII. which gained him the esteem of all the city and
, a learned father
of the Romish church, and a monk of the Benedictine order, was born at Martres in the diocese of Rieux in Gascony, and entered into the order of the preaching friars
at Toulouse in 1622. He taught divinity several years
with applause in the convent of the same city, and was
made prior there; as he was likewise at Avignon, and in
the general novitiate of the suburb of St. Germain at Paris.
He was definitor for his province in the general chapter
held in 1656, in which he presided at the theses dedicated
to pope Alexander VII. which gained him the esteem of all
the city and his whole order. He was present at the assembly, in which the pope ordered the definitors and
fathers of the chapter to be told, from him, that he was
extremely grieved to see the Christian morality sunk into
such a deplorable relaxation, as some of the new casuists
had reduced it to, and that he exhorted them to compose
another system of it, which should be conformable to the
doctrine of St. Thomas. This was what engaged father
Baron to undertake the works which he wrote upon that
subject. He was again chosen provincial; and afterwards
sent by the father general as commissary to Portugal, upon
important affairs, which he managed with such success,
that the queen, the court, and all the monks gave testimony of his merit by a public act. He returned to Paris
to the general novitiate, and died there, Jan. 21, 1674,
aged seventy years. Besides several Latin poems, which
he left as instances of his capacity in polite literature, he
published the following works: 1. “Theologia Moralis,
”
Paris, Libri
Apologetici contra Theophilum Rainaudum,
” Paris, Mens sancti Augustini & Thorn ae de
Gratia & Libertate,
” Ethica Christiana,
”
Paris, Responsio ad Librum Cardense,
” ibid, in 8vo. 6. “L'Heresie Convaincue,
” Paris,
Panegyriques des Saints,
” ibid.
congregation of the oratory, thought he could not appoint a more worthy successor than Baronius, and pope Clement VIII. who knew his merit, in compliance with the desires
, an eminent ecclesiastical writer,
and a cardinal of the Roman church, was born at Sora, an
episcopal city in the kingdom of Naples, October the 30th,
1538, of Camillo Baronio and Porcia Phebonia, who educated him with great care. He went through his first
studies at Veroli, and afterwards applied himself to divinity
and civil law at Naples. But the troubles of that kingdom
obliged his father to remove him in 1557 to Rome, where
he finished his studies in the law under Cesar Costa, afterwards archbishop of Capua, and put himself under the
discipline of St. Philip de Neri, founder of the congregation of the oratory, who employed him in the familiar instructions which his clerks gave to the children. After he
was ordained priest, St. Philip de Neri sent him, with some
of his disciples, in 1564, to establish his congregation in
the church of St. John the Baptist. He continued there
till 1576, when he was sent to 8,t. Mary in Vallicella, and
in both houses he was much admired for his pious zeal and
charity. St. Philip de Neri having, in 1593, laid down the
office of superior of the congregation of the oratory,
thought he could not appoint a more worthy successor than
Baronius, and pope Clement VIII. who knew his merit,
in compliance with the desires of the founder and his congregation, approved the choice, and some time after made
him his confessor. The esteem which that pope had for
him, increased as he had an opportunity of growing more
intimately acquainted with him, and induced him to appoint our author apostolical prothonotary in 1595, and to
advance him to the dignity of cardinal, June 5th, 1596, to
which he afterwards added the post of library-keeper to
the see of Rome. Upon the death of Clement VIII. m
1605, Baronius had a great prospect of being chosen pope,
one and thirty voices declaring for him; but the Spaniards
strongly opposed his election on account of his treatise,
“Of the Monarchy of Sicily,
” in which he argued against
the claim of Spain to Sicily. His intense application to
his studies weakened his constitution in such a manner,
that towards the end of his life he could not digest any
kind of food. He died June the 30th, 1607, aged sixtyeight years and eight months, and was interred in the
church of St. Mary in Vallicella, in the same tomb where
his intimate friend cardinal Francesco Maria Taurusio was
buried the year following. Dupin observes, that “an high
regard ought to be paid to the memory of Baronius, who
was a man of sincere religion, probity, learning, and extensive reading, and laboured with success for the service
of the church, and the clearing up of ecclesiastical
antiquity. But it were to be wished that he had been exempt
from the prejudices which his education and country inspired him with*
” In a book of lather Parsons, printed in
1607, and entitled “I)e sacris alienis non adeundis qusestiones du; ad usum praximque Angliae breviter explicate,
” is published the judgment of Baronius, together with
that of cardinal Bcllarmin and others, declaring that it was
absolutely unlawful for the Roman Catholics to be present
at the religious worship of the Protestants in England.
The work for which Baronius was most celebrated, and
which is certainly a wonderful monument of industry and
research, was his “Ecclesiastical Annals.
” He undertook
this work at the age of thirty, and laboured for thirty years
in collecting and digesting the materials for it, by reading
over carefully the ancient monuments of the church, as
well in printed books as in manuscripts, in the Vatican
library. He published in 1588 the first volume, which contains the first century after the birth of Christ. The second, which followed after, contains two hundred and five
years. These two volumes are dedicated to pope Sixtus V.
The third, dedicated to king Philip 11. of Spain, comprehends the history of fifty-five years immediately following.
The fourth, dedicated to Clement VIII. contains the history of thirty-four years, which end in the year 395. The
fifth, dedicated to the same pope, as well as the following
volumes, extends to the year 440. The sixth ends in the
year 518. The seventh contains seventy-three years.
The eighth extends to the year 714. The ninth, dedicated
to king Henry IV. of France, concludes with the year 842.
The tenth, dedicated to the emperor Rodolphus II. begins
with the year 843, and reaches to 1000. The eleventh,
dedicated to Sigismond III. king of Poland, and published
in 1605, continues the history to the year 1099. The
twelfth, printed under the pontificate of Paul V. in 1607,
concludes with 1198. So that we have, in these twelve
volumes, the history of the twelve first ages of the church.
Henry Spoudunns informs us, that Baronius had left memoirs for three more volumes, which were used by Odoricus Kaynaldus in the continuation of his work. The first
edition of Baronius’ s Annals, begun in 158S, and continued
the following years, was printed at Rome, where the first
volumes were reprinted in 1593. It was followed by some
others, with alterations and additions. The second edition
was that of Venice, and was begun in 1595. The third was
printed at Cologne in 1596, and the foil owing years. The
fourth at Antwerp in 1597, &c. The fifth at Mentz in
1601, The sixth at Cologne in 1609. There were several other editions published afterwards, at Amsterdam in
1610, at Cologne in 1624, at Antwerp in 1675, at Venice
in 1705, and at Lucca in 1738—1759, by far the best.
Before this, the best editions, according to the abbe Longlet de Fresnoy, in his “New method of studying History,
”
were that of Home, as the original, and that of Antwerp,
and the most convenient for study, is that of Mentz, because
the authorities of the ecclesiastical writers are marked in it
by a different character from the text of Baronius, and the
impression is in two columns. The edition of Cologne has
the same advantage, though ill printed.
ends on the authority of Varro and Dr. Clarke. This judicious scheme, and his elegant translation of Pope’s pastorals into Latin verse, fully established Mr. Barret’s
Early in life Mr. Barret was an intimate friend of Dr.
Johnson, and of Edward Cave, the founder of the Gentleman’s Magazine, to which he became a frequent contributor. One very interesting letter, signed by his name, appears in vol. XXIV. on a new method of modelling the
tenses of verbs, which he defends on the authority of Varro
and Dr. Clarke. This judicious scheme, and his elegant
translation of Pope’s pastorals into Latin verse, fully established Mr. Barret’s reputation as a Latin scholar; and he
also discovered some poetical talent in “War,
” a satire,
but was less fortunate in his translation of “Ovid’s Epistles
into English verse.
” This had critical essays and notes,
and was said in the title (1759) to be “part of a poetical
and oratorial lecture, read in Ashford school, calculated to
initiate youth in the first rudiments of taste.
”
er. In this station, he not only discharged his own duty, but supplied, likewise, the absence of Dr. Pope the astronomy professor. Among his lectures, some were upon
However, he wrote an ode upon that occasion, in which
he introduces Britannia congratulating the king upon his
return. In 1660, he was chosen, without a competitor,
Greek professor of the university of Cambridge. His oration, spoken upon that occasion, is preserved among his
Opuscula. When he entered upon this province, he designed to have read upon the tragedies of Sophocles: but,
altering his intention, he made choice of Aristotle’s rhetoric. These lectures, having been lent to a person who
never returned them, are irrecoverably lost. The year
following, which was 1661, he took the degree of bachelor
in divinity. July the 16th, 1662, he was elected professor
of geometry in Gresham-college, in the room of Mr. Lawrence Rooke, chiefly through the interest and recommendation of Dr. Wilkins, master of Trinity-college, and afterwards bishop of Chester. In this station, he not only
discharged his own duty, but supplied, likewise, the
absence of Dr. Pope the astronomy professor. Among his
lectures, some were upon the projection of the sphere
which being borrowed and never returned, are lost but
his Latin oration, previous to his lectures, is in his works.
The same year, 1662, he wrote an epithalamium on the
marriage of king Charles and queen Catherine, in Greek
verse. About this time, Mr. Barrow was offered a valuable living, but the condition annexed of teaching the patron’s son, made him refuse it, as too like a simouiacal
contract. Upon the 20th of May 1663, he was elected a
fellow of the royal society, in the first choice made by the
council after their charter. The same year, Mr. Lucas
having founded a mathematical lecture at Cambridge, Mr.
Barrow was so powerfully recommended, by Dr. Wilkins,
to that gentleman’s executors Mr. Raworth and Mr. Buck,
that he was appointed the first professor; and the better to
secure the end of so noble and useful a foundation, he
took care that himself and his successors should be obliged
to leave yearly to the university ten written lectures. We
have his prefatory oration, spoken in the public mathematical school, March the 14th, 1664. Though his two
professorships were not incompatible, he resigned that of
Gresham-college, May the 20th, 1664. He had been invited to take the charge of the Cotton library; but, after
;a short trial, he declined it, and resolved to settle in the
university. In 1669, he resigned the mathematical chair
to his very worthy friend the celebrated Isaac Newton,
being now determined to exchange the study of the mathematics for that of divinity, partly from a strong inclination for the latter, and partly because his mathematical
works were less favourably received than he thought they
deserved. In 1670, he wrote a Latin poem upon the
death of the duchess of Orleans, an epicedium upon the
duke of Albemarle, and a Latin ode upon the Trinity.
He was only a fellow of Trinity-college, when he was collated by his uncle, the bishop of St. Asaph, to a small
sinecure in Wales, and by Dr. Seth Ward, bishop of
Salisbury, to a prebend in that cathedral; the profits of
both which he applied to charitable uses, and afterwards
resigned them, when he became master of his college. In
the same year he was created doctor in divinity by mandate. In 1672, Dr. Pearson, master of Trinity-college,
being, upon the death of bishop Wilkins, removed to the
bishopric of Chester, Dr. Barrow was appointed by the
king to succeed him; and his majesty was pleased to say
upon that occasion, “he had given it to the best scholar
in England.
” His patent hears date February the 13th,
1672, with permission to marry, which he caused to be
erased, as contrary to the statutes, and he was admitted
the 27th of the same month. He gave the highest satisfaction to that society, whose interest he constantly and
carefully consulted. In 1675, he was chosen vice-chancellor of the university. This great and learned divine
died of a fever, the 4th of May 1677, and was buried in
Westminster-abbey, where a monument was erected to
him by the contribution of his friends. His epitaph was
written by his friend Dr. Mapletoft. He left his manuscripts to Dr. Tillotson and Mr. Abraham Hill, with permission to publish what they should think proper. He left
little behind him, except books, which were so well
chosen, that they sold for more than the prime cost.
Though he could never be prevailed to sit for his picture,
some of his friends contrived to have it taken without his
knowledge, whilst they diverted him with such discourse
as engaged his attention. As to his person, he was low of
stature, lean, and of a pale complexion, and negligent of
his dress to a fault; of extraordinary strength, a thin skin,
and very sensible of cold; his eyes grey, clear, and somewhat short-sighted; his hair a light brown, very fine, and
curling. He was of a healthy constitution, very fond of
tobacco, which he used to call his panpharmacon, or universal medicine, and imagined it helped to compose and
regulate his thoughts. If he was guilty of any intemperance, it seemed to be in the love of fruit, which he thought
very salutary. He slept little, generally rising in the
winter months before day. His conduct and behaviour
were truly amiable; he was always ready to assist others,
open and communicative in his conversation, in which he
generally spoke to the importance, as well as truth, of any
question proposed; facetious in his talk upon fit occasions,
and skilful to accommodate his discourse to different capacities; of indefatigable industry in various studies, clear
judgment on all arguments, and steady virtue under all
difficulties; of a calm temper in factious times, and of
large charity in mean estate; he was easy and contented
with a scanty fortune, and with the same decency and moderation maintained his character under the temptations of
prosperity. In short, he was, perhaps, the greatest scholar of his times and, as an ingenious writer expresses it,
“he may be esteemed as having shewn a compass of invention equal, if not superior, to any of the moderns, sir
Isaac Newton only excepted.
”
ey compelled to sheer off, Barrow keeping his post at the gun assigned him to the last. And when Dr. Pope in their conversation asked him, “Why he did not go down into
Several good anecdotes are told of Barrow, as well of
his great integrity, as of his wit, and bold intrepid spirit
and strength of body. His early attachment to fighting
when a boy is some indication of the latter; to which may
be added the two following anecdotes: in his voyage between Leghorn and Smyrna, already noticed, the ship was
attacked by an Algerine pirate, which after a stout resistance they compelled to sheer off, Barrow keeping his post
at the gun assigned him to the last. And when Dr. Pope
in their conversation asked him, “Why he did not go
down into the hold, and leave the defence of the ship to
those, to whom it did belong r
” He replied, “It concerned no man more than myself: I would rather have lost
my life, than to have fallen into the hands of those merciless infidels.
”
rly agreeable by the continuance of Mons. cle Stainville there, who introduced him to the celebrated pope Benedict XIV. At Naples he became acquainted with Mazocchi,
The succeeding year Mons. de Stainville, afterwards duke de Choiseul, being appointed ambassador at Rome, invited our author to accompany him to Italy, an offer which his official duty induced him to decline. In 1755, however, he was enabled to take this journey with his friend Mons. de Cotte, and his residence in Italy was rendered particularly agreeable by the continuance of Mons. cle Stainville there, who introduced him to the celebrated pope Benedict XIV. At Naples he became acquainted with Mazocchi, who was employed in the task of unfolding the numerous ancient manuscripts that had been found in Herculaneum. So little success had attended this undertaking at that period, that it would probably have been abandoned, but for the encouragement given to the prosecution of it by our author. It is related as a proof of the extent of his memory, that having applied in vain for liberty to copy one of these manuscripts, in order to send a fac-simile of the ancient hand-writing to France, and being only suffered to examine it, he read it over attentively five or six times, and suddenly leaving the apartment, copied the fragment from memory, and correcting when he came back some slight errors, he sent it the same day to the academy of belles lettres, enjoining secrecy, that no blame might attach to Mazocchi. While at Rome he gave a new and satisfactory explanation of the beautiful mosaic of Palestina, afterwards pri >ted in the Transactions of the Academy of Inscriptions.
se his functions in the most exemplary manner. In 1561 he was present at the council of Trent, under pope Pius IV. where he discovered such knowledge and spirit as to
, a pious and
learned Dominican, and archbishop of Braga in Portugal,
was born in May, 1514, in the city of Lisbon. His father’s
name was Dominic Fernandez; but as the son happened to
be baptised in the church of our Lady of the Martyrs, he
adopted this last name instead of that of his family. In
1528 he took the habit of the order of St. Dominic, and
after arriving at his doctor’s degree, was appointed preceptor to Don Antonio, son of the infant Don Lewis, brother of
king John III. For twenty years also he taught divinity,
and acquired such a character for sanctity and talents, that
on a vacancy for the archbishopric of Braga, Bartholomew
was universally recommended; but he persisted for a long
time in refusing it, until threatened with excommunication.
Nor was this reluctance affected, for he had such a fixed
repugnance against undertaking this high charge, that the
compulsion employed threw him into a disorder from which
it was thought he could not recover. When it abated, however, he went to his diocese, and began to exercise his
functions in the most exemplary manner. In 1561 he was
present at the council of Trent, under pope Pius IV. where
he discovered such knowledge and spirit as to acquire general esteem. It was he who advised the fathers of this
council to begin business by a reformation of the clergy;
and when some of the bishops demanded if he meant to
extend his reform to the most illustrious cardinals, he replied, that those “most illustrious
” cardinals stood very
much in need of a “most illustrious
” reformation. In
1563 he went with cardinal de Lorraine to Rome, where the
pope received him with every mark of esteem and confidence. Here he spoke his mind on ecclesiastical abuses
with great freedom, and observing the custom in one of
their assemblies, that the bishops stood uncovered, while
the cardinals sat covered, he remonstrated with the pope so
effectually, that this affront to the episcopal dignity was no
longer tolerated. His principal motive, however, for this
journey to Rome, was to obtain leave to resign his archbishopric; but the pope refused, on which he returned to
Trent, and as soon as the council was over, went to Braga,
where he remained until the pontificate of Gregory XIII.
who at length accepted his resignation. After this he led a
retired life, entirely occupied in acts of charity and devotion. He died in the convent of Viana, July 16, 1590, in
the seventy-seventh year of his age. His works were published at Rome, 1744, 2 vols. fol. and consist of pious treatises, and an itinerary of his travels, in which we discover
much of the excellence of his character. M. le Maitre de
Saci published his life in 4to and 12mo, 1664. He was
beatified by pope Clement XIV. in 1773.