, more generally known by his Latin name of Gulielmus Belendenus, a
, more generally known by his
Latin name of Gulielmus Belendenus, a native of Scotland, was born in the sixteenth century. We find him
mentioned by Dempster as humanity professor atParis, in
1602. He is reported by the Scots to have possessed an
eminent degree of favour with James VI. to whom he was
master of requests, and “Magister Supplicum Libellortim,
”
or reader of private petitions, which, it is conceived, must
have been only a nominal office, as his more constant residence was in France. By the munificence of that monarch, Bellenden was enabled to enjoy at Paris all the conveniences of retirement. While he continued thus free
from other cares, he suffered not his abilities to languish;
but employed his time in the cultivation of useful literature. His first work, entitled “Ciceronis princeps,
” was
printed at Paris in Tractatus de processu et
scriptoribus rei politicae.
” “Ciceronis Consul
” was the
next publication of Bellenden. It appeared also at Paris
in 1612, and both were inscribed to Henry prince of
Wales. In 1616 was published a second edition, to which
was added “Liber de statu prisci orbis,
” with a dedication to prince Charles, the surviving brother of Henry.
While Bellenden was occupied in the composition of these
three treatises, he was so much attracted by the admiration of Cicero, that he projected a larger work, “De Tribus Luminibus Romanorum,
” and what he had already
written concerning Cicero he disposed in a new order.
Death, however, interrupted his pursuit, before he could
collect and arrange the materials which related to Seneca
and Pliny, but of the time of his death we have no account.
The treatises of Bellenden which remain, have been esteemed as highly valuable, and worthy the attention of the
learned. They were extremely scarce, but had been much
admired by all who could gain access to them. At length
they were rescued from their obscure confinement in the
cabinets of the curious, by a new edition which appeared
at London in 1787, in a form of typography and an accuracy of printing which so excellent an author may jusily
be said to merit. It was accompanied with an eloquent
Latin preface in honour of three modern statesmen. Dr.
Samuel Parr, the author of the preface, and to whom literature is indebted for the restoration of such a treasure, has
charged Middleton with having meanly withheld his acknowledgments, after having embellished the life of Cicero
by extracting many useful and valuable materials from the
works of Bellenden. This, if we mistake not, had been
before pointed out by Dr. Warton in the second volume of
his “Essay on Pope.
”