, a native of Rome, and a Jesuit of great reputation for learning.
, 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.
, a Latin poet of the sixteenth century, was a native of Rome, and gained a reputation in the epigrammatic
, a Latin poet of the
sixteenth century, was a native of Rome, and gained a reputation in the epigrammatic species of poetry, for which
he had a natural bent. He imitated Martial, particularly
in his lively style, and was master of the art of pointing his
terminations, which he exercised with the greatest ease.
In the verses he composed for the illustrious characters of
antient Rome he proposed Catullus for his model; but he
is far from attaining to that purity and delicacy which
charm us in the Latin poet; and though he sometimes
comes up to him in elegance, yet his diction is more strong
than mellow. His poems are to be found in the “Delicise
Poetaruin Italorum.
” Having exercised his wit at the expence of pope Clement VII. to please the Colonna family,
he was imprisoned and condemned to death, but received
a pardon. When Rome was taken by the Imperialists in
1527, he was stripped of all, reduced to beggary, and died
in that year, either of famine or the plague.
, a native of Rome, where he died in 1605, excelled in theology,
, a native of Rome, where
he died in 1605, excelled in theology, and was priest of
the congregation of the oratory. His works were numerous, but he is chiefly known by his “Trattato de gli
instrumenti di Martirio, &c.
” “A Treatise on the different kinds of Cruelties inflicted by the pagans on the
Martyrs of the primitive Church, illustrated with engravings of the instruments of torture made use of by them.
”
This work, first published in Italian in De Sanctorum Martyrum Cruciatibus, &c.
” illustrated with wood cuts. It has since gone through many
editions on the continent. In 1591 he published his
“History of the Virgins,
” also in Italian “The Lives of
certain Martyrs,
” The Life of St. Philip
Neri
” and “De Monachatu Sancti Gregorii,
” the account of St. Gregory when a monk, in
, a native of Rome, appears to have come to London in the early
, a native of Rome, appears
to have come to London in the early part of the last century, as a musical professor, and engaged with two others,
Clayton and Dieupart, in an attempt to establish an Italian
opera here. This scheme had some success until 1710,
when the superior merits of Handel’s “Rinaldo
” diverted
the public attention from Haym and his colleagues. Haym
appears afterwards to have tried various literary projects,
one of which was his “II Tesoro Britannico,
” Lond.
1719 20, 2 vols. 4to, in which he proposed to engrave
and describe all the coins, statues, gems, &c. to be found in
the cabinets in England, and not before made public. In
the execution of this work, however, he committed so many
egregious blunders, and advanced so many ignorant and
rash conjectures, that it has ever been thrown aside with
contempt by able antiquaries. His most useful publication was his “Notizia de Libri rari nella Lingua Italiana,
”
which appeared first in
ity. Tho ancient writer of his life, ascribed to Suetonius, and, after him, St. Jerom, have made him a native of Rome: father Hardouin has also taken some pains to
, called the elder, to
distinguish him from his nephew, was one of the most
learned of the ancient Roman writers, and was born in the
reign of Tiberius Caesar, about the year of Christ 23. His
birth-place was Verona, as appears from his calling Catullus his countryman, who was unquestionably of that city.
Tho ancient writer of his life, ascribed to Suetonius, and,
after him, St. Jerom, have made him a native of Rome:
father Hardouin has also taken some pains to confirm this
notion, which however has not prevailed. We can more
readily believe Aulus Gellius, who represents him as one of
the most ingenious men of his age; and what is related of
his application by his nephew the younger Pliny, is almost
incredible. Yet his excessive love of study did not spoil
the man of business, nor prevent him from filling the
most important offices with credit. He was a procurator,
or manager of the emperor’s revenue, in the provinces of
Spain and Africa; and was advanced to the high dignity
of augur. He had also several considerable commands in
the army, and was distinguished by his courage in the
field, as well as by his eloquence at the bar.
His manner of life, as it is described by his nephew,
exhibits a degree of industry and perseverance scarcely to
be paralleled. In summer he always began his studies as
soon as it was night: in winter, generally at one in the
morning, but never later than two, and often at midnight.
No man ever spent less time in bed; and sometimes he
would, without retiring from his books, indulge in a short
sleep, and then pursue his studies. Before day-break, it
was his custom to wait upon Vespasian, who likewise chose
that season to transact business: and when he had finished
the affairs which the emperor committed to his charge, he
returned home again to his studies. After a slender repast
at noon, he would frequently, in the summer, if he was
disengaged from business, recline in the sun: during
which time some author was read to him, from which he
made extracts and observations. This was his constant
method, whatever book he read; for it was a maxim of
his, that “no book was so bad, but something might be
learned from it.
” When this was over, he generally went
into the cold-bath, after which he took a slight refreshment of food and rest and then, as if it had been a new
day, resumed his studies till supper-time, when a book
was again read to him, upon which he would make some
remarks as they went on. His nephew mentions a singular
instance to shew how parsimonious he was of his time, and
how covetous of knowledge. His reader having pronounced a word wrong, some person at the table made
him repeat it: upon which, Pliny asked that person if he
understood it? and when he acknowledged that he did,
“Why then,
” said he, “would you make him go back
again we have lost, by this interruption, above ten lines.
”
In summer, he always rose from supper by clay-light and
in winter, as soon as it was dark. Such was his way of life
amidst the noise and hurry of the town but in the country
his whole time was devoted to study without intermission,
excepting only when he bathed, that is, was actually in
the bath for during the operation of rubbing and wiping,
he was employed either in hearing some book read' to him,
or in dictating himself. In his journeys, he lost no time
from his studies, his mind at those seasons being disengaged from all other thoughts, and a secretary or amanuensis constantly attended him in his chariot; and that he
might suffer the less interruption to his studies, instead of
walking, he always used a carriage in Rome. By this
extraordinary application he found leisure to write a great
many volumes.