, a native of Verona, who flourished in the sixteenth century, was
, a native of Verona, who
flourished in the sixteenth century, was disciple to Bagolinus, who explained Aristotle’s Logic in the university of
Bologna. Burana shewed great subtlety in his disputations,
which made the scholars very desirous of hearing him read
public lectures on this part of philosophy, which he did,
illustrating his subject from the Greek and Arabian interpreters. He had studied Hebrew with great success. Having quitted his profession, he applied himself to the practice of physic. He also undertook to translate some treatises of Aristotle and of Averroes, and to write commentaries on them; but death hindered him from finishing
this work. He desired however that it might be printed,
and charged his heirs to publish it, after his manuscript
had been corrected by some learned man. Bagolinus undertook that task, and published the work under the title
of “Aristotelis Priora resolutoria, &c.
” Paris,
, or Emili, a famous historian, was a native of Verona, and acquired so much reputation in Italy,
, or Emili, a famous historian, was
a native of Verona, and acquired so much reputation in
Italy, that Stephen Poncher, bishop of Paris, advised king
Lewis XII. to engage him to write in Latin a history of
the kings of France. He was accordingly invited to Paris,
and a canonry in the cathedral church was given him. He
retired to the college of Navarre, to compose this work;
yet after about thirty years of application to this his only
employment, it was not completed at his death. The
tenth book, which contained the beginning of the reign of
Charles VIII. was left unfinished. But the history was
continued by Arnoldus Feronius, who added nine books,
which include the supplement to the former reign, and
end at the death of Francis I. This continuation was
published at Paris in 1650; but the best edition of the
whole is that entitled “Emilii Pauli,'de Gestis Francorum,
libri decem, cum Arnoldi Feroni libris novem.
” Paris,
2 vols. fol.
tenth book was found among his papers in a confused condition, so that the editor, Daniel Xavarisio, a native of Verona, and relation of Emilius, was obliged to collate
He is said to have been very nice and scrupulous in regard to his works, having always some correction to make;
hence Erasmus imputes the same fault to him that was
objected to the painter Protogenes, who thought he had
never finished his pieces; “That very learned man Paulus
Emilius (says he) gave pretty much into this fault he was
never satisfied with himself but, as often as he revised his
own performances, he made such alterations, that one
would not take them for the same pieces corrected, but for
quite different ones; and this was his usual custom. This
made him so slow, that elephants could bring forth sooner
than he could produce a work; for he took above thirty
years in writing his history.
” Lipsius was much pleased
with this performance: “Paulus Emilius (says that author)
is almost the only modern who has discovered the true and
ancient way of writing history, and followed it very closely.
His manner of writing is learned, nervous, and concise,
inclining to points and conceits, and leaving a strong impression on the mind of a serious reader. He often intermixes maxims and sentiments not inferior to those of the
ancients. A careful examiner, and impartial judge of
facts; nor have J met with an author in our time, who has
less prejudice or partiality. It is a disgrace to our age that
so few are pleased with him; and that there are but few
capable of relishing his beauties. Among so many perfections there are, however, a few blemishes, for his style
is somewhat unconnected, and his periods too short. This
is not suitable to serious subjects, especially annals, the
style of which, according to Tacitus, should be grave and
unaffected. He is also unequal, being sometimes too studied and correct, and thereby obscure; at other times
(this however but seldom) he is loose and negligent. He
affects also too much of the air of antiquity in the names
of men and places, which he changes, and would reduce to
the ancient form, often learnedly, sometimes vainly, and
in my opinion always unbecomingly.
” Emilius’s history is
divided into ten books, and extends from Pharamond to
the fifth year of Charles VIII. in 1438. The tenth book
was found among his papers in a confused condition, so
that the editor, Daniel Xavarisio, a native of Verona, and
relation of Emilius, was obliged to collate a great number
of papers full of rasures, before it could be published. He
has been censured by several of the French writers, particularly by M. Sorel: “It does not avail (says this author)
that his oratorical pieces are imitations of those of the
Greeks, and Romans: all are not in their proper places; for
he often makes barbarians to speak in a learned and eloquent manner. To give one remarkable circumstance:
though our most authentic historians declare, that Hauler,
or Hanier, the counsellor, who spoke an invective, in presence of king Lewis Hautin, against Enguerrand de Mar
rigny, came off poorly, and said many silly things; yet
Paulus Emilius, who changes even his name, calling him
Annalis, makes him speak with an affected eloquence. He
also makes this Enguerrand pronounce a defence, though
it is said he was not allowed to speak; so that what the
historian wrote on this occasion was only to exercise his
pen.
” He has been also animadverted upon for not taking
notice of the holy vial at Ilheims. “I shall not (says Claude de Verdier) pass over Paulus Emilius of Verona’s
malicious silence, who omitted mentioning many things
relating to the glory of the French nation. Nor can it be
said he was ignorant of those things, upon which none
were silent before himself; such as that oil which was sent
from heaven for anointing our monarchs; and also the
lilies. And even though he had not credited them himself, he ought to have declared the opinion of mankind.
”
Vossius, however, commends his silence in regard to these
idle tales. Julius Scaliger mentions a book containing the
history of the family of the Scaligers, as translated into
elegant Latin by Paulus Emilius; and in his letter about
the antiquity and splendour of the family, he has the following passage: “By the injury of time, the malice of
enemies, and the ignorance of writers, a great number of
memoirs relating to our family were lost; so that the name
of Scaliger would have been altogether buried in obscurity,
had it not been for Paulus Emilius of Verona, that most
eloquent writer and preserver of ancient pedigrees; who
having found in Bavaria very ancient annals of our family,
written, as himself tells us, in a coarse style, polished and
translated them into Latin. From this book my father extracted such particulars as seemed to reflect the
” greatest
honour on our family." Scaliger speaks also of it in the
first edition of his Commentary on Catullus, in 1586, and
in the second, in 1600, but in such a manner as differs
somewhat from the passage above cited. Scioppius has
severely attacked Scaliger on account of these variations:
he observes, that no mention being made of the place
where this manuscript was pretended to be found, nor the
person who possessed it, and such authors as had searched
the Bavarian libraries with the utmost care, having met
with no such annals; he therefore asserts, that whatever
the Scaligers advanced concerning this work, was all im
posture. Emilius, as to his private life, was a man of exemplary conduct and untainted reputation. He died in
1529, and was buried in the cathedral at Paris.
, one of those scholars who promoted the revival of literature, was a native of Verona, and a professor of Greek at Rome in the sixteenth
, one of those scholars who promoted the revival of literature, was a native of Verona, and a professor of Greek at Rome in the sixteenth century, but we have no dated particulars of his life. It is said he was eminent for his knowledge of the learned languages, and of philosophy and mathematics, and had even studied theology. He translated from Greek into Latin, the Commentaries of Theodoret bishop of Cyarus, on Daniel and Ezekiel, which translation was printed at Rome, 1563, fol. and was afterwards adopted by father Sirmond in his edition of Theodoret. He translated also the history of Scylitzes Curopalates, printed in 1570, along with the original, which is thought to be more complete than the Paris edition of 1648. About 1543 he published the first Latin translation of Sophocles, with scholia. Maflfei says that he also translated Zozimus, and the Hebrew Psalms, and translated into Greek the Gregorian Kalendar, with Santi’s tables, and an introductory epistle in Greek by himself. This was published at Home in 1583.
, a native of Verona, where he was born in 1538, was naturalized
, a native of Verona, where
he was born in 1538, was naturalized in Poland, and made
himself famous both by his sword and pen. He had considerable employments in the Polish armies; and having
displayed his valour in the wars of Livonia and Moldavia,
as well as those of Muscovy, was not only honoured with
the indiginate, by which he ranked as a nobleman, in the
reign of Sigismund Augustus, but also made governor of
the fortress of Witehsk, where he commanded fourteen
years. He at last devoted himself to literature, and drew
up a history of Poland, under the title “Rerum Polonicarum Tomi Tres,
” Francfort, Sarmatiae European Descriptio,
” Spires,
, an eminent antiquary, architect, and critic, was probably a native of Verona, and flourished in the sixteenth century. He
, an eminent antiquary, architect, and critic, was probably a native of Verona, and flourished in the sixteenth century. He was of the order of the Dominicans, but in his travels, and during his scientific labours, wore the habit of a secular priest. When at Rome, where he was first known as an architect, he began to apply to the study of classical antiquities, and made a judicious collection of inscriptions, which he dedicated to Lorenzo de Medici. He was some time at the court of the emperor Maximilian I. and thence went to France about 1500, where Louis X. appointed him royal architect. He built at Paris two bridges over the Seine, that of Notre Dame, and the little bridge. In the mean time, while he had leisure, he employed it in examining ancient manuscripts, and had the felicity to recover all the letters of Pliny the younger, and the work of Julius Obsequens on prodigies. These he arranged for publication, and sent them to Aldus Manutius, by whom they were both printed in 1508, 8vo. He also collated several other classics, and illustrated Caesar’s Commentaries by useful notes and figures, and was the first to give a design of the famous bridge which Caesar built across the Rhine. On his return to Italy, he edited the fine edition of Vitruvius, printed by Aldus in 1511, and enriched it with designs. When the famous bridge the Rialto was burnt down in 1513, he gave a magnificent design for a new one; but that of an inferior architect being preferred, he quitted Venice, and went to Rome, where, after the death of Bramante, he was employed on St. Peter’s church. His last work was the bridge over the Adige, at Verona, which he built in 1520: He died about 1530, at a very advanced age.
hereas in this instrument he is called only “Julius Caesar della Scala de Bordons, doctor of physic, a native of Verona.” When therefore, his critical asperities had
, a very learned and eminent critic, was born, according to his son’s account, April
23, 1484, at Ripa, a castle in the territory of Verona, and
was the son of Benedict Scaliger, who, for seventeen years,
commanded the troops of Matthias, king of Hungary, to
whom he was related. His mother was Berenice Lodronia,
daughter of count Paris. From the same authority we
learn, that Scaliger was a descendant from the ancient
princes of Verona; but while other particulars of the birth
and family ol Scaliger are called in question, this seems to
be refuted by the patent of naturalization which Francis I.
granted him in 1528, in which such an honourable descent
would unquestionably have been noticed, whereas in this
instrument he is called only “Julius Caesar della Scala de
Bordons, doctor of physic, a native of Verona.
” When
therefore, his critical asperities had raised him enemies,
they did not fail to strip him of his royal origin, and instead of it, asserted that he was the son of a school-master
(some say an illuminator) of Verona, one Benedict Borden, who, removing to Venice, took the name of Scaliger,
either because he had a scale for his sign, or lived in a street
called from that instrument; and although Thuanus seems
inclined to consider this story as the fabrication of Augustine Niphus, out of pique to Scaliger, it is certain that the
royal origin of the Scaligers has always appeared doubtful, and we have now no means to remove the uncertainty.