, surnamed the Resolute Doctor, and one of the most learned men of his time,
, surnamed
the Resolute Doctor, and one of
the most learned men of his time, was born about the end
of the 13th century, at Baconthorp, an obscure village in
Norfolk, from which he took his name. In his youth, he
was a monk in the convent of Blackney, a small town in
Norfolk, about five miles from Walsingham. After some
years dedicated to learning and piety, he removed to Oxford, and from thence to Paris, where he was honoured with
the degrees in divinity and laws, and acquired a great reputation for learning, being esteemed the head of the followers of the philosopher Averroes. Upon his return into
England, he was unanimously chosen the twelfth provincial of the English Carmelites, in a general assembly of
that order held at London, in the year 1329. Four years
after he was invited by letters to Rome where, in several
disputations on the subject of marriage, he gave no little
offence, by carrying the papal authority too high in the
case of divorces; but he thought fit afterwards to retract
his opinion, and was held in great esteem at Rome, and
other parts of Italy. His biographers report that he was
of small stature, but of a great and lofty genius, and besides the encomiums bestowed upon him by his own countrymen, he has had the praises, not less high, of Baptista
Mantuanus, and Paulus Panza. Bale seems to think that
he anticipated the better opinions of more enlightened
times. Of his works, which are numerous, the following
have been published “Commentaria, seu Questiones
per quatuor libros sententiarum,
” which has undergone
six editions; “Compendium iegis Chris ti,- et Quodlibeta,
”
Venice,
sician to the duke de Longueville, with a salary of 20O pistoles. During the plague at Paris, he had the resolute humanity to continue in that city, much to his own
, another brother of the preceding, was born probably about 1526, at Dumfermling
in Fifeshire, and educated at St. Andrew’s. He was also
sent by his uncle, the bishop of Orkney, to Paris, where
in 1551, he taught philosophy. He afterwards applied
himself to the study of physic, became a member of the
college of physicians, and was finally honoured with the
dignity of clean of the faculty, a place of considerable importance in the college of Paris. He was also appointed
physician to the duke de Longueville, with a salary of 20O
pistoles. During the plague at Paris, he had the resolute
humanity to continue in that city, much to his own honour,
and the consolation of the people. He is supposed to have
died in 16 J 3, or 1614. He wrote several medical and philosophical treatises, of which we only know of two that
were printed 1. “Hippocratis quaedam cum Mss. collata,
” Paris, 1625, and 2. “Questio Medica, an visceribus nutritiis aestuantibus aquarum metal licarum potus salubris
” ibid. 4to. He had a son of both his names, likewise a physician of eminence, of whom Moreri gives a
short account.
, the Resolute, as he used to style himself, was born in London in
, the Resolute, as he used to style himself, was born in London in the reign of Henry VIII. and descended from the Florii of Sienna, in Tuscany. A little before that time his father and mother, who were Waldenses, had fled from the Valtoline into England, from the persecutions of popery; but when Edward the Sixth died, and the protestant religion became oppressed under Mary, they left England, and went to some other country, where John Florio received his juvenile literature. Upon the re-establishment of protestantism by Elizabeth, they returned; and Florio for a time lived in Oxford. About 1576, Barnes bishop of Durham, sending his son to Magdalencollege, Florio was appointed to attend him as preceptor in French, and Italian; at which time he was admitted a member of that college, and became a teacher of those languages in the university. After James came to the cvown, he was appointed tutor to prince Henry in those languages; and at length made one of the privychamber, and clerk of the closet to queen Anne, to whom he was also tutor. He was a very useful man in his profession, zealous for the protestant religion, and much devoted to the English nation. Retiring to Fulham in Middlesex, to avoid the plague which was then in London, he was seized and carried off by it in 1625, aged about eighty.