, in German Von Watte, one of the most learned men of his nation
, in German Von Watte, one
of the most learned men of his nation or time, was born at
St. Gal, Nov. 29, 1484, of which city his father, Joachim
Von Watte, was a senator. After some education at home
he was sent to Vienna to pursue the higher studies, but
for some time entered more into the gaieties of the place,
and was distinguished particularly for his quarrels and his
duels, until by the sensible and affectionate remonstrances
of a merchant of that city, to whose care his father had
confided him, he was induced to devote his whole time and
attention to books, and never relapsed into his former follies. When he had acquired a competent share of learning
he wished to relieve his father from any farther expence,
and with that honourable view taught a school at Villach,
in Carinthia; but finding this place too remote from literary
society, he returned to Vienna, and in a short time was
chosen professor of the belles lettres, and acquitted himself with such credit, and gained such reputation by some
poetry which he published, that the emperor Maximilian
I. honoured him with the laurel crown at Lintz in 1514.
After some hesitation between law and physic, both of
which he had studied, he determined in favour of the
latter, as a profession, and took his doctor’s degree at Vienna
in 1518. He appears to have practised in that city, and
afterwards at St. Gal, until the controversies arose respecting the reformation. After examining the arguments of
the contending parties, he embraced the cause of the reformers; and besides many writings in favour of their principles, befriended them in his rank of senator, to which he
had been raised. In 1526 he was farther promoted to the
dignity of consul of St. Gal, the duties of which he performed
so much to the satisfaction of his constituents that he was
re-elected to the same office seven times. He died April
6, 1551, in his sixty-sixth year. He bequeathed his books
to the senate of St. Gal, which were ordered to be placed
in the public library of the city, with an inscription, honourable both to his character and talents. The latter were
very extensive, for he was well versed and wrote well on
mathematics, geography, philosophy, and medicine. He
was also a good Latin poet, and, above all, a sound divine
and an able controversial writer. Joseph Scaliger places
him among the most learned men of Germany. He was
intimate with our illustrious prelate, archbishop Cranmer,
but preceded him in some of the doctrines of the reformation. About 1536 he wrote a book entitled “Aphorismorum libri sex de consideratione Eucharistiae,
” &c. which
was levelled at the popish doctrine of the corporal presence,
and thinking it a proper work for the archbishop to patronize, presented it to him; but Cranmer had not yet considered the question in that view, and therefore informed
Vadian that his book had not made a convert of him, and
that he was hurt with the idea of being thought the patron
of such unscriptural opinions. Vadian therefore pursued
the subject at home, and wrote two more volumes on it.
The only medical work he published was his “Consilium
contra Pestem, Basil, 1546, 4to. Those by which he is
best known in the learned world, are, 1. A collection of
remarks on various Latin authors, in his
” Epistola responsoria ad Rudulphi Agricolas epistolam,“ibid. 1515, 4to.
2. His edition of
” Pomponius Mela,“first printed at Vienna in 1518, fol. and often reprinted. 3.
” Scholia qoaedam in C. Plinii de Nat. Hist, librum secundum,“Basil,
153 1, fol. 4.
” Chronologia Ablmtum Monasterii St.Galli“”De obscuris verborum significationibus epistola;“” Farrago antiquitatum Alamannicarum,“&c. and some other
treatises, which are inserted in Goldnst’s
” Alamanniae
Scnptores."