, a man of singular character and learning of the seventeenth century,
, a man of singular character and learning of the seventeenth century,
was born in Transylvania, in the village of Apatza, and
was sent at the expense of the government of his country
to Utrecht, where he studied the Oriental languages,
theology, and philosophy, with such distinguished success as
to be offered the rank of professor. But this he refused
out of regard to his country, to which he returned in 1653.
He was then appointed to teach geography, natural philosophy, and astronomy, in the college of Weissenburgh,
but having declared in favour of the philosophy of Descartes,
and many of the opinions of the reformed church, his
enemies were so inveterate as to sentence him to be thrown
from the top of a high tower. By powerful intercession,
however, they were induced to change his sentence to
banishment. He now went to Clausenburgh, and taught
for some time, but a fresh persecution arose, in which he
would probably have been sacrificed, had he not died a
natural death in 1659. He wrote “Dissertatio continens
introductionem ad philosophiam sacram,
” Utrecht, Magyar Encyclopedia!, &c.
” an Encyclopedia in the
Hungarian language, Utrecht, 1653. 3. “A system of
Logic,
” in the same, Weissenburgh, Oratio
tie studio sapientiae,
” Utrecht, Dissertatio de
politia ecclesiastica,
” Clausenburgh,