, 4to. Perhaps the work for which he is now most generally known is his “Emblems,” highly praised by the elder Scaliger. Of these there have been various editions and
Alciati died at Pavia, on the 12th of January, 1550, being then in his 58th year. After the death of his mother,
who died in a very advanced age, he intended to have employed his wealth in the foundation of a college; but, having received an affront from some insolent scholars, he
dropped that design, and chose for his heir Francis Alciati,
his nephew, a promising youth, whom he had brought up
at his house. Mr.Teissier says, that Andrew Alciati passed
his life in celibacy; but this is a mistake, as may be seen
from a passage of a letter he wrote to his friend Francis
Calvus, after he had withdrawn from Milan to Avignon.
He was a man of unquestionable abilities and learning,
but tainted with avarice, which often obscured the lustre
of his reputation. He was very young when his talents
began to attract the admiration of his countrymen. His
“Paradoxes of Civil Law,
” or an explanation of the Greek
terms which occur in the Digest, was written in his fifteenth year, and published in his twenty-second. His
works have been collected and published at Lyons, 1560,
5 vols. folio; at Basil, 1571, 6 vols. folio; and there also
1582, 4 vols. folio; Strasburgh, 1616, 4 vols. folio;
Francfort, 1617, 4 vols. folio. So many editions of a work of this
magnitude afford a striking proof of the reputation of Alciati. Some of the contents of these volumes have been
printed separately, as his “notes on Tacitus,
” and a
“treatise on Weights and Measures;
” but besides these he
wrote, 1. “Responsa nunquam antehac edita,
” Lyons,
De Formula Romani Imperii,
” Basil, Epigrammata selecta ex anthologia Latine versa,
”
Basil, Rerum patriae, seu Historise Mediolanensis libri quatuor,
” De Plautinorurn carminum ratione,
” and “De Plautinis vocabulis Lexicon,
” in an edition of Plautus, Basil, Judicium de
legum interpretibus parandis,
” printed with Conrad Page’s
treatise “Methodica juris traditio,
” Encomium Historiae,
” Palma,
” inserted in
the “Amphitheatrum sapientiae Socraticae Dornavii.
”
9. “Judiciarii processus compendium,
” Contra vitam monastic-am,
” Notae
in Epistolas familiares Ciceronis,
” printed with Thierry’s
edition of these epistles, Paris, 1557, folio. 12. “Twentyseven letters in ‘Gudii Epistolas,’
” Emblems,
” highly praised by the elder Scaliger. Of
these there have been various editions and translations.
The best is that of Padua, 1661, 4to. The piece above
noticed, “Contra vitam monasticam,
” was addressed to
Bernard Mattius, and shews that Alciati entertained the
same notions with his friend Erasmus concerning the religious orders of the church. Mattius, to whom this treatise,
or rather letter, is addressed, was a learned, modest, and
ingenious man, who suddenly left his friends and his aged
mother to embrace the monastic life; but whether Alciati’s
persuasions were effectual is not known.
men of letters. The place of their birth was Oderzo, a city of the Venetian territory. Hieronyrnus, the elder, united in his own person the characters of a skilful
were brothers who flourished in the early part of the sixteenth century, and distinguished themselves as men of letters. The place of their birth was Oderzo, a city of the Venetian territory. Hieronyrnus, the elder, united in his own person the characters of a skilful physician and a pleasing poet. His Latin poems are in general written in a style of singular elegance and purity. The celebrated French critic and commentator, Marc-Antoine Muret, in his correspondence with Lambin, classes them among the best productions of the Italians, in that species of composition. In poems of the light and epigrammatic kind, he particularly excelledThis learned man is also much commended for his urbanity of manners, and the suavity of his disposition. He cultivated his talent for poetry at an advanced age with undiminished spirit, as appears in his verses to his friend Melchior, notwithstanding the complaint they breathe of decaying powers. He died at the place of his nativity, in 1574, in his sixty-eighth year. His fellow-citizens are said to have inscribed an epitaph on his tomb, in which they represent him as another Apollo, equally skilled in poesy and the healing art. His poems, together with those of his brothers, were first collected and published entire by Hieronymns Aleander, at Venice, in the year 1627, and afterwards by Graevius with those of Sannazarius at Amsterdam in 1689.
to be the father and uncle of Antonius the triumvir, than sons of the great man who gave them life.” The elder Marcus, surnamed Creticus, never raised himself beyond
He left two sons, Marcus and Caius, of whom Bayle says,
that they “were more worthy to be the father and uncle
of Antonius the triumvir, than sons of the great man who
gave them life.
” The elder Marcus, surnamed Creticus,
never raised himself beyond the prsetorship, but executed
that office with a prodigious extent of authority, having
the same commission which Pompey had afterwards, for importing corn and exterminating the pirates, which gave him
the whole command of the seas. He committed great extortions in the provinces, particularly in Sicily. He invaded Crete without any declaration of war, on purpose to
enslave it; and with such an assurance of victory, that he
carried with him more fetters than arms. But he met with
the fate that he deserved: for the Cretans totally routed
him in a naval engagement, and returned triumphant into
their ports, with the bodies of their enemies hanging on
their masts. He died soon after this disgrace, infamous in
his character, “nor in any respect a better man,
” says Asconius, “than his son.
”
e new star in Cassiopeia, of the year 1572. He died at Tubing in 1589. One of the comets observed by the elder Apian, viz. that of 1532, had its elements nearly the
Apian left a son, Philip, who many years afterwards taught mathematics at Ingolstadt, and at Tubing. Tycho has preserved his letter to the landgrave of Hesse, in which he gives an opinion on the new star in Cassiopeia, of the year 1572. He died at Tubing in 1589. One of the comets observed by the elder Apian, viz. that of 1532, had its elements nearly the same as of one observed 128 years and a quarter after, viz. in 1661, by Hevelius and other astronomers: from hence Dr. Halley judged that they were the same comet, and that therefore it might be expected to appear again in the beginning of 1789. But it was not found that it returned at this period, although the astronomers then looked anxiously for it: and it is doubtful whether the disappointment might be owing to its passing unobserved, or 'to any errors in the observations of Apian, or to its period being disturbed and greatly altered by the actions of the superior planets.
, the elder, a grammarian and divine, was a native of Alexandria,
, the elder, a grammarian and divine, was a native of Alexandria, and flourished about the middie of the fourth century. When, under the reign of Julian, the Christians were prohibited the use of the Greek and Roman classics in their schools, he drew up a grammar in a Christian form, and translated the books of Moses, and the whole history of the Hebrews down to the time of Saul, in Greek heroic verse, divided, in imitation of Homer, into twenty-four books. He translated other parts of the Old Testament into verse, which Sozomen has praised, but of which it is now impossible to form a judgment. He was the father of the Apollinarius in the next article.
, a Latin poet, flourished under Theodosius the elder, in the fifth century. We have by him a translation in
, a Latin poet, flourished under Theodosius the elder, in the fifth century. We have by him a translation in verse of the Phænomena of Aratus, Venice, 1488, 4to, and Madrid, 1634, 4 to of the description of the Earth by Dionysius of Alexandria; and of some fables of Æsop, far inferior to those of Phædrus for purity and elegance of diction. His translation of Æsop in elegiac verses is to be found in the Phaedrus of Paris, 1747, 12mo, and the Variorum edition of Amsterdam, 1731, in 8vo. He also turned all the books of Livy into iambic verse: a very strange undertaking, of which it is not easy to conceive the use at that time, although at present it may supply in part what is wanting of that historian.
ebted for this article, does not mention the time of his death. There was another la Bastide, called the elder, who published, in 1773, two volumes of a history of French
, a very industrious
French writer, was born at Marseilles, July 15, 1724, and
after studying in his own country, came to Paris, where he
engaged in a great variety of literary enterprises. He was
editor of the “Bibliotheque universelle des Romans,
” Paris, Choix des
anciens Mercures,
” L'etre pensant,
” a kind of romance,
Paris, Les choses comme ont doit les
voir,
” ibid. Le Nouveau Spectateur,
” 2 vols. 8vo, an
attempt at a periodical essay in the manner of the Spectator, but without the materials which a free country
furnishes. 4. “Aventures de Victoire Ponty,
” Amsterdam
and Paris, Confessions d'un Fat,
”'
Paris, Le Depit et le Voyage,
” a poem
with notes, and “Letlres Venitiennes,
” Paris, Le Monde comme il est,
” ibid. Le Tombeau Philosophique,
” Amsterdam, Les Tetes Folles,
” Paris, Varietes Litteraires, Galantes, &c. ibid. 1774, 8vo. 11.
” Le Tribunal de l'Amour,“ibid. 1750, 12mo. 12.
” La
Trentainede Cythere," Paris, 1753, 12mo. In the opinion
of his countrymen, there are few of these works which rise
above mediocrity, although the author generally pleases by
his sprightly manner. The Dict. Hist, to which we are
chiefly indebted for this article, does not mention the time
of his death. There was another la Bastide, called the elder, who published, in 1773, two volumes of a history of
French literature, but how far connected with the author
we know not.
Le Manage de Figaro,” 1784, twa pieces since familiarized to the English stage, the former by Coiman the elder, and the latter by Holcroft. 7. “Tarare,” an opera, 1787,
His works are, 1. “Memoires centre les sieurs de Goetznian, La Blache, Marin d'Arnaud,
” Memoire en reponse a celui de Guillaume Kornmann,
”
Paris, Eugenie,
” a drama in five acts, Les deux amis,
” Le Barbier de
Seville,
” Le Manage de Figaro,
” Tarare,
” an opera, La
Mere coupable,
” Memoire en reponse au manifeste du roi d'Angleterre,
” afterwards suppressed. 10.
“Memoires a Lerointre de Versailles, ou mes six Epoques,
”
Paris,
, the elder, one of the most eminent scholars of the fifteenth century,
, the elder, one of the most eminent scholars of the fifteenth century, descended from an ancient and noble family of Bologna, was born there, Dec. 7, 1453. Having lost his father in his infancy, he was brought up by his mother with the greatest care, able masters being provided for his education, whose pains he rewarded by an uncommon proficiency, aided by an astonishing memory. Besides the lessons which they gave him, he studied so hard by himself, that at the age of eighteen, he fell into a very dangerous disorder, from which he recovered with much difficulty. When it was discovered that he could learn nothing more from his tutors, it was thought that the best way to increase his knowledge was to employ him in teaching others. When only nineteen, therefore, he opened a school first at Bologna, and afterwards at Parma and Milan. After continuing this for some time, the high reputation of the university of Paris made him very anxious to visit that city, which accordingly he accomplished, and gave public lectures for some months to a very large auditory, some say, of six hundred scholars. Every thing in science then was done by lecturing, and Beroaldo, no doubt gratified by the applause he had met with, would have remained longer at Paris had he not been recalled to his own country, his return to which created a sort of public rejoicing. His first honour was to be appointed professor of belles-lettres in the university of Bologna, which he retained all his life, and although he would have been content with this, as the summit of his literary ambition, yet this promotion was followed by civic honours. In 1489 he was named one of the ancients of Bologna, and some years after made one of a deputation from the city, with Galeas Bentivoglio, to pope Alexander VI. He was also for several years, secretary of the republic.
, the younger, a noble Bolognese, was born at Bologna, Oct. 1, 1472. He was the nephew and pupil of the elder Beroaldo, the subject of the preceding article, under
, the younger, a noble Bolognese, was born at Bologna, Oct. 1, 1472. He was the nephew and pupil of the elder Beroaldo, the subject of the preceding article, under whose instructions he made such early proficiency in the Greek and Latin languages, that in 1496, when he was only twenty-four years of age, he was appointed public professor of polite literature at Bologna. Having afterwards chosen the city of Rome as his residence, he there attracted the notice of Leo X. then cardinal de Medici, who received him into his service, as his private secretary and when Leo arrived at the pontificate, Beroaldo was nominated president of the Roman academy, but probably relinquished this office on being appointed librarian of the Vatican. Bembo, Bibiena, Molza, Flaminio, and other learned men of the time, were his particular friends at Rome. He appeared also among the admirers of the celebrated Roman courtesan Imperiali, and is said to have been jealous of the superior pretensions of Sadoleti (afterwards cardinal) to her favour. The warmth of his temperature, indeed, sufficiently appears in some of his poems, but such was the taste of that age, and particularly of the licentious court of LeoX. His death, which happened in 1518, is said to have been occasioned by some vexations which he experienced from that pontiff, as librarian, but this seems doubtful.
He was equally learned with the elder Beroaldo, and wrote with more taste, particularly in poetry,
He was equally learned with the elder Beroaldo, and
wrote with more taste, particularly in poetry, but he
was less laborious, his only productions being, 1. “Taciti
Annalium libri quinque priores,
” Home, Odarum libri tres, et epigrammatum liber
unus,
” Rome, Delitiae poet. Italorum
” of
Toscano.
, painter, and disciple of Jouvenet and de Boullogne the elder, was born at Paris in 1664. His father was a sculptor.
, painter, and disciple of Jouvenet and de Boullogne the elder, was born at Paris in 1664. His father was a sculptor. The academy of painting decreed him the first prize at the age of eighteen, and admitted him afterwards of their number. During his stay at Rome he completed his studies. At his return to France he was appointed director of the Roman school but an affair of gallantry, which rendered it unsafe for him to return to Rome, prevented him from accepting that place. Louis XIV. and the electors of Mentz and of Bavaria employed him successively in various works. The last was desirous of attaching him to himself by handsome pensions but Berlin would never consent to quit his country. He died at Paris in 1736. His manner was vigorous and graceful; but his excellence lay chiefly in small pictures. At Paris there are several works of his in the church of St. Luke, the abbey of St. Germain des pres, and in the halls of the academy.
a treatise written on the subject by father Cæsar Calino, a Jesuit. When he had completed this work, the elder of his pupils, who by the death of his father bad succeeded
, an Italian scholar of the last
century, was born at Parma, March 12, 1673. Aftertaking ecclesiastical orders, he was engaged in 1702 by the
illustrious house of Sanvitali, both as domestic chaplain
and tutor to the two young sons of that family, and at his
leisure hours cultivated the study of history, chronology,
and antiquities. One of his works was written while in
this family, a very elaborate treatise, “Trattinemento
Istorico e Chronologico,
” &c. Naples, 2 vols. 4to, in which
he endeavours to prove that Josephus’s history is neither
false nor contrary to scripture, positions which had been
denied in a treatise written on the subject by father Cæsar
Calino, a Jesuit. When he had completed this work, the
elder of his pupils, who by the death of his father bad succeeded to the estate, and was very much attached to the
Jesuits, informed Biacca that the publication of it would
not be agreeable to him. On this Biacca entrusted his
manuscript to the celebrated Argelati, at Milan, and either
with, or without his consent, it was printed at Naples in
1728. This provoked Sanvitali to forget his own and his
father’s attachment to Biacca, who had resided twenty-six
years in the family, and he ordered him to leave his house.
Biacca, however, was received with respect into many other
families, who each pressed him to take up his abode with
them. After having lived at Milan for some years, he
died at Parma, 8ept. 15, 1735. Being a member of the
Arcadians, he, according to their custom, assumed the
name of Parmindo Ibichense, which we find prefixed to
several of his works. Besides his defence of Josephus, he
wrote, 1. “Ortographia Manuale, o sia arte facile di correttamento Scrivere e Parlare,
” Parma, Notizie storiche di Rinuccio cardinal Pallavicino, di Pompeo Sacco Parmigiano, di Cornelio Magni, e del conte
NiccoloCicognari Parmigiano,
” printed in vols. I. and II. of
the “Notizie istoriche clegli Arcadi morti,
” Rome, Le Selve de Stazio, tradotte in verso sciolto.
”
He translated also Catullus, and both make part of the collection of Italian translations of the ancient Latin authors,
printed at Milan. In the poetical collections, there are
many small pieces by Biacca.
tier Cerberus et de Cardine,” Paris, 1583, 8vo, and 1597, both editions very rare. In 1793, however, the elder Didot thought it worth while to print an elegant edition
, one of the king of France’s
gentlemen of the household, distinguished himself for his
taste for French poetry, although an Italian by birth. He
took Ronsard for his model, and copied at least his faults.
His “Premieres oeuvres poetiques
” were printed at Paris,
in L‘Enfer de la mere Cardine, traitant
de l’horrible bataille qui fut aux enfefs, aux noces du portier Cerberus et de Cardine,
” Paris,
m the honour of knighthood. At the first breaking out of the civil war, he, following the example of the elder branches of his illustrious family, who were eminently
, father to the preceding, and
a considerable writer in the last century, was descended
from a very ancient and honourable family, and born December 15, 1602, at his father, sir Thomas Pope Blount’s,
seat at Tittenhanger, in Hertfordshire. He received the
first tincture of letters in the free-school of St. Alban’s,
where he manifested an unusual quickness of parts, and
having qualified himself for the university, was removed
to Trinity-college, in Oxford, and entered a gentleman
commoner there in 1616, before he was full fourteen years
of age. Some years he spent in that learned society, with
great reputation and universal respect, not so much on
account of his family, by which he was nearly related to
the founder, sir Thomas Pope, as from his personal merit.
For in his youth he was of a cheerful disposition, a sprightly
wit, an easy address, and frank and entertaining in conversation, charmed all who were of his acquaintance, and
was justly esteemed as promising a genius as any in the
university. In the year 1618 he took the degree of B.A.
and soon after left Oxford for Gray’s-inn, where for some
time he applied himself to the study of the law, and set
out on his travels in the spring of the year 1634, being
then lately become of age. He made first the tour of France,
part of Spain and Italy, and then passing to Venice, he
there contracted an acquaintance with a Janizary, with
whom he resolved to pass into the Turkish dominions.
With this view he embarked on the 7th of May, 1634, on
board a Venetian galley, in which he sailed to Spalatro,
and thence continued his journey by land to Constantinople. There he was very kindly received by sir Peter
Wich, then our ambassador at the Port. His stay at Constantinople was short, because, having an earnest desire
to see Grand Cairo, and meeting with a sudden opportunity, he readily embraced it, and after a peregrination of
near two years, returned safely into England, where, in
1636, he printed an account of his travels, London, 1636,
4to, which soon after came to a second edition, and in
1638 to a third, in the same size. It was then printed in
12mo, and reached many editions the title of the eighth
runs thus “A Voyage into the Levant, being a brief relation of a Journey lately performed from England by the
way of Venice, into Dalmatia, Sclavonia, Bosnia, Hungary, Macedonia, Thessaly, Thrace, Rhodes, and Egypt,
unto Grand Cairo; with particular observations concerning
the modern condition of the Turks, and other people under
that empire. By sir Henry Blount, knight.
” This book
made him known to the world, and so much noticed, that
shortly after, king Charles I. who desired to fill his court
with men of parts, appointed him one of the band of pensioners, then composed of gentlemen of the first families
in the kingdom. In 1638, his father, sir Thomas Pope
Blount, died, and left him the ancient seat of Blount’s
hall, in Staffordshire, and a very considerable fortune.
On the 21st of March in the succeeding year, the king
conferred on him the honour of knighthood. At the first
breaking out of the civil war, he, following the example
of the elder branches of his illustrious family, who were
eminently loyal, attended the king at York, at Oxford,
and other places, was present at the battle of Edgehill,
and had there (according to a tradition in the family) the
honour of taking care of the young princes. Afterwards
he quitted his majesty’s service, and returned to London,
where he was questioned for his adhering to the king
but he being now grown a very wary and dexterous
speaker, so well excused himself, by alleging his duty on
account of his post, that he escaped all censure, and was
thenceforward well received. It appears, however, that
he had not the courage to be faithful, or that Ije had seriously repented his loyalty to the king, for he complied
with the usurping government so implicitly, that in 1651
he was named on a committee of twenty persons, for inspecting the practice of the law, and remedying its abuses.
He declared himself very warmly against tithes, and
would willingly have reduced the income of parish ministers to one hundred pounds a year. A man of this opinion
must have been very acceptable at that time. His next appearance, however, was more to his credit. He sat with Dr.
Hichard Zouch, Dr. William Clarke, Dr. William Turner, civilians, and with several other eminent persons in the court
of king’s (then called the upper) bench, in Westminster
hall, on the 5th of July, 1654, by virtue of a commission
from Oliver Cromwell, for trying Don Pantalion Saa,
brother to the Portuguese ambassador, for murder, of
which, being found guilty, he was, much to the honour
of the justice of this nation, by sentence of that court, adjudged to suffer death, and was executed accordingly,
Jn, the same year, by the death of his elder brother Thomas Pope Blount, esq. the estate of Tittenhanger descended to him. His great reputation for general knowledge and uncommon sagacity was the reason that his
name was inserted in the list of twenty-one commissioners
appointed, November 1, 1655, to consider of the trade and
navigation of the commonwealth, and how it might be best
encouraged and promoted, in which station he did his
country eminent service. But whatever his compliances
with the forms of government set up between 1650 and
1660, he was received into favour and confidence on the
ling’s restoration, and appointed high sheriff of the county
of Hertford, in 1661. He lived after that as an English
gentleman, satisfied with the honours he had acquired, and
the large estate he possessed, and having passed upwards
uf twenty years in this independent state, be died on the
9th of October, 1682, when he wanted but four months of
four-score, and was two days afterwards interred in the
vault of his family, at Ridge in Hertfordshire. As to what
appears from his writings, he seems to have had strong
parts, a lively imagination, and, in consequence of these,
some very singular opinions. His style was manly, flowing,
and less affected than could be expected, considering the
times in, and the subjects on, which he wrote. A Latin
fragment, published by his son, in his “Oracles of Reason,
” better explains his sentiments than all the rest of his
works, and demonstrates that he was a man of an irregular
way of thinking.
ulture; being inhumed the day following without ceremony at three o clock in the morning. M. Parfait the elder, who inherited the works of Boindin, gave them to the
, born at Paris in 1676, the son
of an attorney in the office of the finances, entered into the
regiment of musqueteers in 1696. The weakness of his
constitution, unable to resist the fatigues of the service,
obliged him to lay down his arms and take to his studies.
He was received in 1706 into the academy of inscriptions
and belles-lettres, and would have been of the French
academy, if the public profession he made of atheism had
not determined his exclusion. He was afflicted towards
the latter end of his days with a fistula, which carried him
off the 30th of Nov. 1751, at the age of 75. He was denied the honours of sepulture; being inhumed the day
following without ceremony at three o clock in the morning. M. Parfait the elder, who inherited the works of
Boindin, gave them to the public in 1753, in 2 vols. 12mo.
In the first we have four comedies in prose: and a memoir on his life and writings, composed by himself. This
man, who plumed himself on being a philosopher, here
gives himself, without scruple, all the praises that a dull
panegyrist would have found some difficulty in affording
him. There is also by him a memoir, very circumstantial
and very slanderous, in which he accuses, after a lapse of
forty years, la Motte, Saurin, and Malaffaire a merchant,
of having plotted the stratagem that caused the celebrated
and unhappy Rousseau to be condemned. Boindin, though
an atheist, escaped the punishment due to his arrogance,
because, in the disputes between the Jesuits and their adversaries, he used frequently to declaim in the coffeehouses against the latter. M. de la Place relates, that he
said to a man who thought like him, and who was threatened for his opinions, “They plague you, because you
are a Jansenistic atheist; but they let me alone, because
I am a Molinistic atheist.
” Not that he inclined more to
Molina than to Jansenius; but he fouiul that he should get
more by speaking in behalf of those that were then in
favour.
, the elder, painter to the king, and professor in the French academy,
, the elder, painter to the king, and professor in the French academy, was born at Paris in 1609, and was principally distinguished for his ability in copying the works of the most famous ancient painters, which he did with astonishing fidelity. Tbere are also in the church of Notre Dame at Paris three pictures of his own of considerable merit. He died at Paris in 1674, leaving the two following sons:
ndelible impression on the mind of his pupil. On the 30th of January, 1712-13, the whole property of the elder Mr. Bowyer was destroyed by a dreadful fire; on which
, the most learned English printer
of whom we have any account, was born in Dogwelt-court,
White Fryars, London, on the 19th of December, 1699. His
father, whose name was also William, was of distinguished
eminence in the same profession; and his maternal grandfather (Thomas Dawks) was employed in printing the celebrated Polyglott Bible of bishop Walton. At a proper
age, he was placed, for grammatical education, under the
care of Mr. Ambrose Bonwicke, a non-juring clergyman of
known piety and learning, who then lived at Headley, near
Leatherhead in Surrey. Here Mr. Bowyer made such advances in literature as reflected the highest credit both on
himself and his preceptor; for whose memory, to his latest
years, he entertained the sincerest respect; and to whose
family he always remained an useful friend. The attachment, indeed, was mutual; and the following instance of
the good school-master’s benevolence made an indelible
impression on the mind of his pupil. On the 30th of
January, 1712-13, the whole property of the elder Mr.
Bowyer was destroyed by a dreadful fire; on which occasion, Mr. Bonwicke, with great generosity, and no less
delicacy (endeavouring to conceal its being his own act of kindness), took upon him, for one year, the expences of
his scholar’s board and education. In June 1716, young
Mr. Bowyer was admitted as a sizar at St. John’s college,
Cambridge, of which Dr. Robert Jenkin was at that time
master. The doctor had been a benefactor to the elder
Mr. Bowyer in the season of his calamity; and the son, at
the distance of sixty years, had the happiness of returning
the favour to a relation of the worthy master, in a manner
by which the person obliged was totally ignorant to whom
he was indebted for the present he received, Mr. Bowyer
continued at Cambridge under the tuition, first, of Dr. Anstey, and afterwards of the rev. Dr. John Nevvcome, till
June 1722, during which time he obtained Roper’s exhibition, and wrote, in 1719, what he called “Epistola pro
Sodalitio a rev. viro F. Roper mihi legato;
” but it does not
appear that he took his degree of bachelor of arts. Notwithstanding an habitual shyness of disposition, which
was unfavourable to him at his first appearance, the
regularity of his conduct, and his application to study, procured him the esteem of many very respectable members
of the university. Here it was that he formed an intimacy
with Mr. Markland and Mr. Clarke, two learned friends
with whom he maintained a regular correspondence
through life and their letters contain a treasure of polite literature and sound criticism. On the death of Mr.
Bonwicke, his grateful scholar had an opportunity of requiting, in some measure, the obligations he had received,
by officiating, for a time, in the capacity of a schoolmaster, for the benefit of the family; but before this, he
had entered into the printing business, together with his
father, in June 1722; and one of the first bucks which received the benefit of his correction, was the complete edition of Selden by Dr. David Wilkins, in three volumes,
folio. This edition was begun in 1722, and finished in
1726; and Mr. Bowyer’s great attention to it appeared in
his drawing up an epitome of Selden “de Synedriis,
” as
he read the proof-sheets, and tue several memoranda
from “The privileges of the Baronage
” and “Judicature
in Parliament,
” &c. which are now printed in his “Miscellaneous Tracts.
” In A View of a Book, entitled, * Reliquiae Baxtevianae.' In a Letter to a Friend;
” a single sheet, 8vo.
Very few copies were printed; and, having never been
published, it is seldom found with the Glossary; but it was
reprinted in the “Miscellaneous Tracts.
” Dr. Wotton and
Mr. Clarke were highly pleased with this first public proof
given by Mr. Bowyer of his literary abilities. On the 20th
of December, 1727, he lost an affectionate mother, upon
which occasion he received a letter of pious consolation,
from Mr. Chishull, the learned editor of the “Antiquitates
Asiaticae.
”
ly ascribed to our learned printer, though it was in reality the production of Mr. Amtyruse Bonwicke the elder, but the preface was probably Mr. Buwyer’s. About the
Very highly to his own and his father’s satisfaction, he
entered, on the 9th of October, 1728, into the marriage
state, with Anne Prudom, his mother’s niece. His happiness, however, with this accomplished woman, lasted
bait little more than three years; he being deprived of her,
by death, on the 17th of October, 1731. Of two sons,
venom he had by her, William died an infant, and Thomas
survived him. His friends Mr. Clarke and Mr. Chishull
wrote him very affectionate and Christian letters on this
melancholy event.
In 1729, he ushered into the world a curious treatise,
entitled “A Pattern for young Students in the University,
set forth in the Life of Mr. Ambrose Bonwicke, some
time scholar of St. John’s college, Cambridge.
” (See Bonwicke). This little volume was generally ascribed to our
learned printer, though it was in reality the production of
Mr. Amtyruse Bonwicke the elder, but the preface was probably Mr. Buwyer’s. About the same time, it appears,
from a letter of Mr. Clarke, that Mr. Bowyer had written a
pamphlet against the Separatists; but neither the title nor
the occasion of it are at present recollected. Through the
friendship of the right honourable Arthur Onslow, he was,
likewise, appointed, in 1729, printer of the Votes of the
House of Commons; an office which he held, under three
successive speakers, for nearly fifty years. In 1730, he
was avowedly the editor of “A Discourse concerning the
Confusion of Languages at Babel, proving it to have been
miraculous, from the essential difference between them,
contrary to the opinion of M. Le Clerc and others. With
an Enquiry into the primitive language before that wonderful event. By the late learned William Wotton, D. D.
&c.
” In The Traditions of the Clergy destructive of Religion, with an Enquiry into the Grounds and Reasons of
such Traditions.
” This performance, which was charged
with containing some of the sentiments that had been advanced by Dr. Tindal in his “Rights of the Christian
Church,
” and by Mr. Gordon in his “Independent Whig,
”
excited no small degree of offence; and several answers
were written to it, and strictures made upon it, both of a
serious and ludicrous nature. Mr. Bowyer, upon this occasion, printed a pamphlet, called “The Traditions of
the Clergy not destructive of Religion; being Remarks
on Mr. Bowman’s Sermon; exposing that gentleman’s deficiency in Latin and Greek, in ecclesiastical history, and
true reasoning.
” The dispute, like many others of a
similar kind, is now sunk into oblivion. In 1733, he published “The Beau and Academick,
” two sheets, in 4to;
a translation from “Bellus Homo & Academicus, &c.
” a poem
recited that year at the Cornitia in the Sheldonian theatre,
and afterwards printed in his Tracts. On the 7th of July,
1736, Mr. Bowyer was admitted into the Society of Antiquaries, of which he had been chosen printer in May
preceding; and he was an active, as well as an early member
of that respectable body, regularly attending their meetings, and frequently communicating to them luatters of
utility and curiosity, which were reprinted in his “Tracts.
”
In conjunction with Dr. Birch, he was, also, materially
concerned in instituting “The Society for the Encouragement of Learning.
” Of this Mr. Nichols has given an interesting account. It was certainly well-meant, but injudicious, and became dissolved by its own insufficiency.
On the 27th of December, 1737, Mr. Bowyer lost his father, at the age of seventy-four; and it is evident, from his
scattered papers, that he severely felt this affliction; applying to himself the beautiful apostrophe of Æneas to
Anchises, in Virgil:
ion or hesitation, he sang the praises, in beautiful poetry, of Catullus, Cornelius Nepos, and Pliny the elder; nay, he delivered in the same extempore manner all the
, of a noble family of Florence, in the fifteenth century, was surnamed Lippus, on
account of the loss of his sight, which did not, however,
prevent his becoming a scholar of much reputation, and
an orator, musician, and poet. His fame procured him
an invitation from Matthias Corvinus, king of Hungary,
to teach oratory, which he accepted, and taught at the
university of fiada. After returning to Florence, he took
the habit of the friars of St. Augustin, was made priest
some time after, and preached to numerous auditories.
He died of the plague at Rome, in 1497. Wonders are
told of his powers of extempore versification, and he is
classed among the first of the improvisator!. As to his
preaching, Bosso says that those who heard him might
fancy they listened to a Plato, an Aristotle, and a Theopfcrastus; he is yet more extravagant in noticing his extempore effusions. The circumstance, says he, which
placed him above all other poets, is, that the verses they
compose with so much labour, he composed and sang impromptu, displaying all the perfections of memory, style,
and genius. At Verona, on one occasion, before a numerous assemblage of persons of rank, he took up his lyre,
and handled every subject proposed in verse of every measure, and being asked to exert his improvisitation on the
illustrious men of Verona, without a moment’s consideration
or hesitation, he sang the praises, in beautiful poetry, of
Catullus, Cornelius Nepos, and Pliny the elder; nay, he
delivered in the same extempore manner all the subjects
in Pliny’s thirty-seven books of natural historj r without
omitting any one circumstance worthy of notice. Whatever credit may be given to these prodigies, his works
prove him to have been a man of real learning. The principal of these are: 1. “Libri duo paradoxorum Chris tianorum,
” Basil, Dialogus de humanae vitae conditione
et toleranda corporis aegritudine,
” Basil, De ratione scribendi Epistolas,
”
Basil, de laudibus musicae.
” Julius Niger mentions also some
works of his on the laws commentaries on St. Paul’s
epistles, and the Bible histories, in heroic verse, but,
whether printed, does not appear.
ucceeded by his worthy son James Brown, esq. F. S. A. now of St. Alban’s. Mr. Lysons informs us that the elder Mr. Brown published also a translation of two “Orations
, an English traveller and scholar, the
son of James Brown, M. D. (who died Nov. 24, 1733), was
born at Kelso, in the shire or Roxburgh, in Scotland, May
23, 1709, and was educated under Dr. Freind at Westminster school, where he made great proficiency in the Latin
and Greek classics. In the latter end of 1722, he went
with his father to Constantinople, and having a great aptitude for the learning of languages, acquired a competent
knowledge of the Turkish, vulgar Greek, and Italian; and
on his return home in 1725, made himself master of the
Spanish tongue. About the year 1732, he first started the
idea of a very useful book in the mercantile world, although
not deserving a place in any literary class, “The Directory,
”
or list of principal traders in London; and having taken
some pains to lay the foundation of it, he gave it to the
late Mr. Henry Kent, printer in Finch-lane, Cornhill, who
continued it from year to year, and acquired an estate by it.
In 1741, Mr. Brown entered into an agreement with
twenty-four of the principal merchants of London, members of the Russia Company, as their chief agent or factor,
for the purpose of carrying on a trade, through Russia, to
and from Persia, and he sailed for Riga Sept. 29. Thence
he passed through Russia, down the Volga to Astracan, and
sailed along the Caspian sea to Reshd in Persia, where he
established a factory, in which he continued near four years.
During this time, he travelled in state to the camp of
Nadir Shah, commonly known by the name of Kouli Khan,
with a letter which had been transmitted to him from the
late George II. to that monarch. While he resided in this
country, he applied himself much to the study of that language, and made such proficiency in it that, after his return home, he compiled a very copious “Persian Dictionary and Grammar,
” with many curious specimens of
their writing, which is yet in manuscript. But not being
satisfied with the conduct of some of the merchants in London, and being sensible of the dangers that the factory was
constantly exposed to from the unsettled and tyrannical
nature of the government of Persia, he resigned his charge
to the gentlemen who were appointed to succeed him, returned to London Dec. 25, 1746, and lived to be the last
survivor of all the persons concerned in the establishment
of that trade, having outlived his old friend Mr. Jonas
Hanway above two years. In May 1787, he was visited
with a slight paralytic stroke, all the alarming effects of
which very speedily vanished, and he retained his wonted
health and chearfulness till within four 1 days of his death;
when a second and more severe stroke proved fatal Nov.
30, 1788. He died at his house at Stoke Newington,
where he had been an inhabitant since 1734, and was succeeded by his worthy son James Brown, esq. F. S. A. now
of St. Alban’s. Mr. Lysons informs us that the elder Mr.
Brown published also a translation of two “Orations of
Isocrates
” without his name. He was a man of the strictest
integrity, unaffected, piety, and exalted, but unostentatious benevolence; of an even, placid, chearful temper,
which he maintained to the last, and which contributed to
lengthen his days. Few men were ever more generally
esteemed in life, or more respectfully spoken of after death
by all who knew him.
e obtained a pastorship, and profited by the society of Hemsterhuis, of Valkenäer, and especially of the elder Schultens. His literary acquirements were eminent; he
, a Lutheran divine, settled in
England, was born in the small island of Cadsand, near
the Belgic frontier, Dec. 31, 1726, and was educated
with a view to the theological profession, chiefly at the
university of Franeker, whence he passed to Leyden,
There he obtained a pastorship, and profited by the society
of Hemsterhuis, of Valkenäer, and especially of the elder
Schultens. His literary acquirements were eminent; he
read the Hebrew and the Greek; he composed correctly;
and has preached with applause in four languages, Latin,
Butch, French, and English. In 1752, Mr. Columbine,
of a French refugee family, which had contributed to
found, and habitually attended, the Walloon church at
Norwich, was intrusted by that congregation, when he was
on a journey into Holland, to seek out a fit successor to
their late pastor, Mr. Valloton, and applied, after due inquiry, to Mr. Bruckner, who accepted the invitation, and
early in 1753 settled as French preacher at Norwich, where
he officiated during fifty-one years, with undiminished approbation. About the year 1766, Mr. Bruckner succeeded
also to Dr. Van Sarn, as minister of the Dutch church, of
which the duties gradually became rather nominal than
real, in proportion as the Dutch families died oft', and as
the cultivation of their language was neglected by the
trading world for the French. The French tongue Mr.
Bruckner was assiduous to diffuse, and gave public and
private lessons of it for many years. His income was now
convenient and progressive. He kept a horse and a pointer,
for he took great pleasure in shooting. He drew occasionally, and has left a good portrait of his favourite dog.
He cultivated music, and practised much on the organ.
In 1767 was printed at Leyden his “Theorie du Systme
Animal,
” in the seventh and tenth chapters of which there
is much anticipation of the sentiments lately evolved in
the writings of Mr. Mai thus. This work was well translated into English, under the title “A Philosophical
Survey of the Animal Creation,
” published for Johnson
and Payne in Criticisms on the Diversions of Purley,
” which attracted some hostile flashes from Mr. Home Tooke, in his
subsequent quarto edition. This pamphlet displays a profound and extensive knowledge of the various Gothic dialects, and states that the same theory of prepositions and
conjunctions, so convincingly applied in the “Epea pteroenta
” to the northern languages, had also been taught
concerning the Hebrew and other dead languages by
Schultens. Mr. Wakefield’s pamphlet against Social Worship drew from Mr. Bruckner, in 1792, a learned reply.
In the preface to these “Thoughts on Public Worship,
”
hopes are given of a continuation still desiderated by the
friends of religion. Mr. Bruckner began a didactic poem
in French verse, which had for its object to popularize in
another form, the principles laid down in. his Theory of
the Aoimal System. A gradual failure rather of spirits
than of health, seems often to have suspended or delayed
the enterprise; to have brought on a restless and fastidious vigilance; and to have prepared that termination of his life, which took place on the morning of Saturday, May 12, 1804. He was buried, according to his
own desire, at Guist, near the kindred of his respected
widow. His society was courted to the last; as his conversation was always distinguished for good sense, for
argument, and for humour. He was beloved for his attentions and affability; esteemed for his probity and prudence; and admired for his understanding and learning.
, the last writer on music in the Greek language that has come to our knowledge, flourished under the elder Paiaeologus, about the year 1320, and it is probable that
, the last writer on music in the Greek language that has come to our knowledge, flourished under the elder Paiaeologus, about the year 1320, and it is probable that he was a descendant of the house of Brienne, an ancient French family, that went into Greece during the crusades, at the beginning of the thirteenth century. His work is divided into three books, all which are confined to harmonics: the first is a kind of commentary on Euclid; and the second and third little more than explanations of the doctrines of Ptolemy. Meibomius had promised a Latin translation of this book, but dying before it was finished, Dr. 'Wallis performed the task, and it now constitutes a part of the third volume of his works, published at Oxford, 1699, 3 vols. fol.
emains, is supposed to have been a native of Sicca, a town of Numidia, in Africa. This we learn from the elder Pliny; and we might almost have collected it, without
, or, as some have called him,
Lucius Cælius Arianus, an ancient physician, and the only
one of the sect of the methodists of whom we have any
remains, is supposed to have been a native of Sicca, a
town of Numidia, in Africa. This we learn from the elder
Pliny; and we might almost have collected it, without any
information at all, from his style, which is very barbarous,
and much resembling that of the African writers. It is
half Greek, half Latin, harsh, and difficult; yet strong,
masculine, and his works are valuable for the matter they
contain. He is frequently very acute and smart, especially
where he exposes the errors of other physicians and always nervous. What age Cælius Aurelianus flourished in
we cannot determine, there being so profound a silence
about it amongst the ancients; but it is very probable that
he lived before Galen, since it is not conceivable that he
should mention, as he does, all the physicians before him,
great as well as small, and yet not make the least mention
of Galen. Le Clerc places him in the fifth century. He
was not only a careful imitator of Soranus, but also a
strenuous advocate for him. He had read over very
diligently the ancient physicians of all the sects and we are
obliged to him for the knowledge of many dogmas, which
are not to he found but in his books “De celeribus et
tardis passionibus.
” The best edition of these books is
that published at Amsterdam, 1722, in 4to. He wrote, as
he himself tells us, several other works; but they are all
perished. This, however, which has escaped the ruins of
time and barbarism, is highly valued, as being the only
monument of the Medicina methodica which is extant. He
is allowed by all to be judicious in the history and description of diseases
er the passing of the act of uniformity, and was not undertaken without some timidity on the part of the elder nonconformists, such as Mr. Howe and Dr. Bates, who seemed
, a very eminent divine among the
nonconformists, grandson to Mr. Edmund Calamy, minister
of Aldermanbury, by his eldest son Mr. Edmund Calamy
(who was ejected out of the living of Moreton in Essex, on St. Bartholomew’s day, 1662), was born April 5, 1671.
Having made a considerable progress in grammar learning
at several private schools, and under Mr. Hartcliffe at Merchant Taylors, where he contracted a close friendship with
Mr. Dawes, afterwards sir William Dawes, and archbishop
of York, as also with Mr. Hugh Boulter, the primate of
Ireland, he went through a course of logic, natural philosophy, and metaphysics, under the tuition of Mr. Samuel
Craddock at the academy kept by him at Wickham Brook
in Suffolk. In March 1688, he went over to the university of Utrecht, where he studied philosophy under De
Vries, and civil law under Vander Muyden, and attended
Graevius’s lectures upon Sophocles and Puffendorf’s Introduction. His application to his studies at this place
was so great, that he spent one whole night every week
among his books; and his proficiency gained him -the
friendship of two of his countrymen at that university, who
rose afterwards to very high stations in church and state,
lord Charles Spencer, the famous earl of Sunderland, and
his tutor Mr. Charles Trimnell, afterwards successively
bishop of Norwich and of Winchester, with both of whom
he kept up his acquaintance as long as he and they lived.
Whilst he resided in Holland, an oiler of a professor’s chair
in the university of Edinburgh was made him by Mr. Carstairs, principal of that university, sent over on purpose to
find a person properly qualified lor such an office; which
he declined, and returned to England in 1691, bringing
with him letters from Graevius to Dr. Pocock, canon of
Christ-church, and regius professor of Hebrew, and to Dr.
Edward Bernard, Savilian professor of astronomy, who obtained leave for him to prosecute his studies in the Bodleian
library; and his resilience at Oxford procured him the acquaintance of the learned Mr. Henry Dodvvell. Having
resolved to make divinity his principal study, he entered
into an examination of the controversy between the conformists and nonconformists, and was led to join the latter.
Coming to London in 1692, he was unanimously chosen
assistant to Mr. Matthew Sylvester at Blackfriars; and oa
June 22, 1694, was ordained at Mr. Annesley’s meetinghouse in Little St. Helen’s, which was the first public transaction of the kind, after the passing of the act of uniformity, and was not undertaken without some timidity on
the part of the elder nonconformists, such as Mr. Howe
and Dr. Bates, who seemed afraid of giving offence to government. Six other young ministers were ordained at
the same time, and the ceremony lasted from ten o'clock
in the morning to six in the evening. He was soon after
invited to become assistant to Mr. Daniel Williams in
Hand-alley, Bishupsgate-street. Oct. 20, 1702, he was chosen
one of the lecturers at Salters’-lmll, and in 1703 succeeded
Mr. Vincent Alsop, as pastor of v. congregation in Westminster. He drew up the table of contents to Mr. Baxter’s
History of his life and times, which was sent to the press
in 1696, made some remarks on the work itself, and added
to it an index; and reflecting on the usefulness of the
book, he saw the expediency of continuing it, for Mr.
Baxter’s history came no lower than 1684. Accordingly
he composed an abridgment of it; with an account of many
others of those ministers who were ejected after the restoration of Charles II. their apology for themselves and their
adherents; containing the grounds of their nonconformity
and practice, as to stated and occasional communion witlx
the church of England; and a continuation of their history
till the year 1691. This work was published in 1702. The
following year Mr. Hoadly (afterwards bishop of
Winchckter) published the two parts of his “Reasonableness of
Conformity to the Church of England, &c. in answer to Mr.
Calamy’s Abridgement of Mr. Baxter’s history, &c.
” As a
reply to these treatises, Mr. Calamy published the same
year, “A Defence of moderate Nonconformity;
” and soon
after Mr. Hoadly sent abroad, “A serious admonition to
Mr Calamy,
” occasioned by the first part of his “Defence,
of moderate Nonconformity.
”
n the favour of both court and city. He was made prelect of the bedchamber to the emperor Andronicus the elder, but lost his favour about 1320, by addicting himself
, emp.eror of Constantinople, and a celebrated Byzantine historian, was born at Constantinople about the year 1295, of a very ancient and noble family; his father being governor of Peloponnesus, and his mother a near relation of the emperor’s. He was bred to letters and to arms, and afterwards to the highest offices of statej in which he acquitted himself in such a manner as to gain the favour of both court and city. He was made prelect of the bedchamber to the emperor Andronicus the elder, but lost his favour about 1320, by addicting himself too much to the interest of his grandson Andronicus. In 1328, when the grandson seized the empire, he loaded Cantacuzenus with wealth and honours; made him generalissimo of his forces; did nothing without consulting him; and fain would have joined him with himself in the government, which Cantacuzenus refused. In 1341 Andronicus died, and left to Cantacuzenus the care of the empire, till his son John Paleologus, who was then but nine years of age, should be fit to take it upon himself: which trust he discharged very diligently and faithfully. But the empress dowager, the patriarch of Constantinople, and some of the nobles, soon growing jealous and envious of Cantacuzenus, formed a party against him, and declared him a traitor: upon which a great portion of the nobility and army besought him to take the empire upon himself, and accordingly he was crowned at Hadrianopolis in May 1342. A civil war raged for five years, and Cantacuzenus was conqueror, who, however, came to the following terms of peace with John Paleologus; viz. that himself should be crowned, and that John should he a partner uith him in the empire, though not upon an equal footing, till he should arrive at years sufficient. He gave him also his daughter Helen, to whom he had formerly been engaged, for a wife; and the nuptials were celebrated in May 1347. But suspicions and enmities soon arising between the new emperors, the war broke out again, and lasted till John took Constantinople in 1355. A few days after that city was taken, Cantacuzenus, unwilling to continue a civil war any longer, abdicated his share of the empire, and retired to a monastery, where he took the habit of a monk, with the new name of Joasaphus, and spent the remainder of his life in study and writing. His wife retired also at the same time to a nunnery, where she changed her own name Irene for the new one of Eugenia.
t grandfather of the lord treasurer Godolphin, and had by her two sons and three daughters. Francis, the elder son, was created knight of the bath at the coronation
, brother to Richard, hereafter mentioned, and second son of Thomas Carew, esq. and Elizabeth his wife, was probably born at his father’s seat at East Anthony, but in what particular year we are not able to ascertain. He was educated in the university of Oxford, after which he studied law in the inns of court, and then set out on his travels. On his return to his native country he was called to the bar, and after some time was appointed secretary to sir Christopher Hatton, lord chancellor of England, by the especial recommendation of queen Elizabeth, who gave him a pro thonotary ship in the chancery, and conferred upon him the honour of knighthood. In 1597, being then a master in chancery, he was sent ambassador to the king of Poland. In the next rei.gn, he was one of the commissioners for treating with the Scotch concerning an union between the two kingdoms; after which he was appointed ambassador to the court of France, where he continued from the latter end of the year 1605 till 1609. During his residence in that country, he was regarded by the French ministers as being too partial to the Spanish interest, but probably ttoeir disgust to him might arise from his not being very tractable in some points of his negotiation, and particularly in the demand of the debts due to the king his master. Whatever might be, his political principles, it is certain, that he sought the conversation of men of letters; and formed an intimacy with Thuanus, to whom he communicated an account of the transactions in Poland, whilst he was employed there, which was of great service to that admirable author in drawing up the 12lst book of his History. After sir George Caret’s return from France, he was advanced to the post of master of the court of wards, which honourable situation he did not long live to enjoy; for it appears from a letter written by Thuanus to Camden, in the spring of the year 1613, that he was then lately deceased. In this letter, Thuanus laments his death as a great misfortune to himself; for he considered sir George’s friendship not only as a personal honour, but as very useful in his work, and especially in removing the calumnies and misrepresentations which might be raised of him in the court of England. Sir George Carew married Thomasine, daughter of sir Francis Godolphin, great grandfather of the lord treasurer Godolphin, and had by her two sons and three daughters. Francis, the elder son, was created knight of the bath at the coronation of king Charles the First, and Attended the earl of Denbigh in the expedition for the relief of ilochelle, where he acquired great reputation by his courage and conduct; but, being seized with a fit of sickness in his voyage homeward, he died in the Isle of Wight, on the 4th of June, 1628, at the age of twenty-seven.
s for the book-binders, and for the chasing of silver plate. Whilst he was engaged in this business, the elder Mr. Bowyer accidentally saw in a bookseller’s shop, the
, eminent in an art of the greatest consequence to literature, that of letter-founding, was born in 1692, in the part of the town of Hales-Owen which is situated in Shropshire. Though he justly attained the character of being the Coryphaeus in letter-founding, he was not brought up to the business; and it is observed by Mr. Mores, that this handiwork is so concealed among the artificers of it, that he could not discover that any one had taught it to another; but every person who had used it had acquired it by his own ingenuity. Mr. Caslon served a regular apprenticeship to an engraver of ornaments on gun-barrels, and, after the expiration of his term, carried on this trade in Vine-street, near the Minories. He did not, however, solely confine his ingenuity to that instrument, but employed himself likewise in making tools for the book-binders, and for the chasing of silver plate. Whilst he was engaged in this business, the elder Mr. Bowyer accidentally saw in a bookseller’s shop, the lettering of a book uncommonly neat; and inquiring who the artist was by whom the letters were made, was thence induced to seek an acquaintance with Mr. Caslon. Not long after, Mr. Bowyer took Mr. Caslon to Mr. James’s foundery, in Bartholomew-close. Caslon had never before that time seen any part of the business; and being asked by his friend if he thought he could undertake to cut types, he requested a single day to consider the matter, and then replied that he had no doubt but he could. Upon this answer, Mr. Bowyer, Mr. Bettenham, and Mr. Watts, then eminent printers, had such a confidence in his abilities, that they lent him 500l. to begin the undertaking, and he applied himself to it with equal assiduity and success. In 1720, the society for promoting Christian knowledge, in consequence of a representation from Mr. Solomon Negri, a native of Damascus, in Syria, who was well skilled in the Oriental tongues, and had been professor of Arabic, in places of note, deemed it expedient to print, for the use of the eastern churches, the NVw Testament and Psalter in the Arabic language. These were intended for the benefit of the poor Christians in Palestine, Syria, Mesopotamia, Arabia, and vEgypt, the constitution of which countries did not permit the exercise of the art of printing. Upon this occasion, Mr. Caslon was pitched upon to cut the fount; in his specimens of which he distinguished it by the name of English Arabic. After he had finished this fount, he cut the letters of his own name in pica Roman, and placed them at the bottom of one of the Arabic specimens. The name being seen by Mr. Palmer (the reputed author of a history of printing, which was, in fact, written by Psalmanaazar), he advised our artist to cut the whole fount of pica. This was accordingly done, and the performance exceeded the letter of the other founders of the time. But Mr. Palmer, whose circumstances required credit with those whose business would have been hurt by Mr. Caslon’s superior execution, repented of the advice he had given him, and endeavoured to discourage him from any farther progress. Mr. Caslon, being justly disgusted at such treatment, applied to Mr. Bowyer, under whose inspection he cut, in 1722, the beautiful fount of English which was used in printing Selden’s works, and the Coptic types that were employed in Dr. Wilkins’s edition of the Pentateuch. Under the farther encouragement of Mr. Bowyer, Mr. Bettenham, and Mr. Watts, he proceeded with vigour in his employment, and Mr. Bowyer was always acknowledged by him to be his master, from whom he had learned his art. In letter-founding he arrived at length to such perfection, that he not only relieved his country from the necessity of importing types from Holland, but in the beauty and elegance of those made by him, he so far exceeded the productions of the best artificers, that his workmanship was frequently exported to the continent. Indeed, it may with great justice and confidence be asserted, that a more? beautiful specimen than his is not to be found in any part of the world. Mr. Caslon’s first foundery was in a small house in Helmet-row, Old-street. He afterwards removed into Ironmonger-row; and about 1735, into Chiswell-street, where his foundery became, in process of time, the most capital one that exists in this or in foreign countries. Having acquired opulence in the course of his employment, he was put into the commission of the peace for the county of Middlesex. Towards the latter end of his life, his eldest son, William, being in partnership with him, he retired in a great measure from the active execution of business. His last country residence was at Bethnal-green, where he died Jan. 23, 1766, aged seventy-four. He was interred in the church-yard of St. Luke, Middlesex, in which parish all his different founderies were situated, and where they are still carried on by one of his descendants, under the firm of Caslon and Cattierwood. Mr. Caslon was universally esteemed as a fist-rate artist, a tender master, and an nonest, friendly, and benevolent man and sir John Hawkins has particularly celebrated his hospitality, his social qualities, and his love of music.
7, being the younger son of the preceding, whom he succeeded as astronomer at the royal observatory, the elder son having lost his life at the battle of La Hogue.
, a celebrated French astronomer, and member of the several academies of sciences of France, England, Prussia, and Bologna, was born at Paris Feb. 18, 1677, being the younger son of the preceding, whom he succeeded as astronomer at the royal observatory, the elder son having lost his life at the battle of La Hogue.
t kiss the man, but the mouth that has uttered so many charming things.” His works were published by the elder Du Chesne, in 1617, 4to; the first part consisting of
, a native of Bayeux, one of the
first French writers who aspired to elegance, flourished
about 1430. He was secretary to the kings Charles VI.
and VII. and employed in several embassies. His compositions in prose excelled those that were poetical, and he
spoke as well as he wrote, so that he was esteemed the father of French eloquence. The following curious anecdote relating to him is recorded: Margaret of Scotland,
first wife to the dauphin, afterwards Lewis XI. as she
passed through the Louvre, observed Alain asleep, and
went and kissed him. When her attendants expressed
their surprize that she should thus distinguish a man remarkable for his ugliness, she replied, “I do not kiss the
man, but the mouth that has uttered so many charming
things.
” His works were published by the elder Du
Chesne, in 1617, 4to; the first part consisting of his
works in prose, viz. the “Curial;
” a “Treatise on Hope;
”
the “Luadrilogus Invectif,
” against Edward III.; and
others, partly spurious; and the second part containing
his poems, which are for the most part obscure and tedious. Alain Chartier died at Avignon in 1449. We find
much difference in the biographers of Chartier, some ascribing to him the “Chroniques de St. Denys,
” Paris, History
of Charles VII.
” likewise attributed to him, is given by Du
Chesne to Berri, first herald to Charles VII. and by Moreri
to Gilles de Bouvier.
Child, who was the year following lord mayor of London and by her he had two sons and two daughters. The elder of his sons died in his infancy. Anthony, the younger,
In July 1698, when he was just entered into his 23d year, he married Martha, the daughter of sir Francis Child, who was the year following lord mayor of London and by her he had two sons and two daughters. The elder of his sons died in his infancy. Anthony, the younger, was born Oct. 1701, and was a gentleman of great sweetness of temper, a fine understanding, and of good learning. He was educated at Bene't college in Cambridge, and died universally lamented by all that knew him, Dec. 20, 1723. The year after, Collins married a second wife, namely Elizabeth, the daughter of sir Walter Wrottesley, bart. but had no children by her. His daughters survived him, and were unmarried at his death.
y difficult poem. In opposition to Dr. Hurd, he supposes, “that one of the sons of Piso, undoubtedly the elder, had either written or meditated a poetical work, most
While Mr. Colman was thus shewing his attention to the
theatre, he did not entirely neglect his classical studies.
He gave the public, in 1783, a new translation of “Horace’s Art of Poetry,
” accompanied with a commentary, in
which he produced a new system to explain that very difficult poem. In opposition to Dr. Hurd, he supposes,
“that one of the sons of Piso, undoubtedly the elder, had
either written or meditated a poetical work, most probably
a tragedy; and that he had, with the knowledge of the
family, communicated his piece or intention to Horace;
but Horace, either disapproving of the work, or doubting
of the poetical faculties of the elder Piso, or both, wished
to dissuade him from all thoughts of publication. With
this view he formed the design of writing this epistle, addressing it with a courtliness and delicacy perfectly agreeable to his acknowledged character, indifferently to the
whole family, the father and his two sons: Epistola ad Pisones de arte poetica.
” This hypothesis is supported with
much learning, ingenuity, and modesty; and the bishop
of Worcester, on its publication, said to Dr. Douglas, the
late bishop of Salisbury: “Give my compliments to Colman, and thank him for the handsome manner in which he
has treated me, and tell him, that 1 think he is right
” It
may be added, that the late Dr. Warton and Dr. Beattie
were of the same opinion.
, painted miniatures, both in enamel and water-colours, and was in great practice during the life of the elder, but quitted the art some years ago.
Mr. Cotes was, very early in life, afflicted with the stone; and before he attained the age of forty-five, fell a victim to that disease. He died at his house in Cavendishsquare, July 20, 1770, and was buried at Richmond, Surrey. His younger brother, Samuel Cotes, painted miniatures, both in enamel and water-colours, and was in great practice during the life of the elder, but quitted the art some years ago.
he, 1702, by his son John, who died in the life-time of his father, 1681, leaving two sons, of whom the elder, John, succeeded his grandfather, and died without issue
He died of a fever, at his house in Westminster, May 6, 1631, aged 60 years, three months, and 15 days. He married Elizabeth, one of the daughters and coheirs of William Brocas, of Thedingworth in the county of Leicester, esq, by whom he left one only son, sir Thomas the second baronet, who died 1662, and was succeeded by sir John the third, and he, 1702, by his son John, who died in the life-time of his father, 1681, leaving two sons, of whom the elder, John, succeeded his grandfather, and died without issue 1731. The title and part of the estate went to his uncle Robert, by whose death, at the age of 80, July 12, 1749, the tide became extinct. He had one son, John, who died before his father; and one grandson, John, who died of the small-pox, on his return from his travels, in 1739.
The elder brother, sir William Courten, besides his capital concern
The elder brother, sir William Courten, besides his capital concern in the original partnership above mentioned, traded very extensively on his own account to Guinea, Portugal, Spain, and the West Indies. He married first a Dutch woman of the name of Cromling, the daughter of Mr. Peter Cromling, an opulent merchant in Haerlem, who, though both deaf and dumb, was book-keeper to her father. By this marriage he got, it is said, 60,000l. of which he was enjoined to lay out 50,000l. in the purchase pf lands in England, to be settled upon his son by this lady, of whom she was delivered in London, and whose name was Peter. This son, who was all the offspring from this marriage, king James I. made one of the first rank of his baronets. He was afterwards married to lord Stanhope’s daughter, but died without issue, leaving the estate in lands to his father sir William, who settled that estate, and 3000l. more per annum, upon his only son and heir, by a second wife, the daughter of Mr. Moses Tryon. Sir Peter, the uncle to Peter just mentioned, and brother to sir William Courten, kept the books of the family partnership, and died unmarried in 1630 at Middleburgh. It is affirmed that he was worth at his death 100,000l. and that he left his nephew Peter Boudean, the son of his sister by her first husband, his sole heir and executor, who seems at this time to have taken the name of Courten, which he annexed to his own. This crafty man took immediate possession, not only of his uncle sir Peter’s property, which could not have been ascertained without balancing the accounts of the copartnership, but seized likewise the shipping and goods that belonged unquestionably to his other uncle sir William, and Mr. Money, amounting, as it is stated, to 100,000l. more; nor could he, to the very end of his life, which lasted above thirty years longer, be brought, by argument or law, to settle the accounts of the company.
ceeded to the Hebrew professorship in the superior college. In 1725 he succeeded John James Lavater, the elder, as professor of theology, and after some other preferments,
, a learned protestant
divine, was born at Elcau, Feb. 14, 1678, and was first
instructed in classical learning by his father, who was a
pastor of the reformed church, and who intended him for
the medical profession, but by the advice of his brother,
professor of the oriental languages at Zurich, he studied
divinity, after the death of his father, in 1693, and was
admitted into the ministry in 1699. The same year he accompanied his brother to Herborn, where the latter had
been appointed professor of divinity, and pursued his
studies in that place for two years, under the ablest professors. He then removed to Leyden, and having made
great progress in Hebrew antiquities, he published there,
in 1702, his “Seven Dissertations on the Hilcoth Biccurim.
” His brother dying at Zurich the same year, he
was unanimously chosen to succeed him as Hebrew professor, and on Sept. 18, he opened his lectures with a discourse “de philologis a reformatione in schola Tigurina
claris.
” In 1705 he was appointed to teach sacred and
profane history, and the year following succeeded to the
Hebrew professorship in the superior college. In 1725 he
succeeded John James Lavater, the elder, as professor of
theology, and after some other preferments, the duties of
which appear to have affected his health, he died July 14,
1737. His works are very numerous: 1. “Decas Thesium
Theologicarum,
” Constitutiones de primitivis R. Mosis F. Maimonis, &c. cum versione et notis
philologicis,
” Leyden, De Summa pryedicationis apostolicae, quod Jesus sit Christus,
” De genuina indole fidei Jesum ceu Christum recipientis,
” two parts, Dissertationes Theolog. VII. de benedictione Mosis in tribum
Levi enunciata,
” 1725, 1736, 4to. 6. “Positiones theolog. ex pastorali instructione sancti Pauli ad Titum data,
”
Demonstratio quibus in rebus S'erae religionis prsestantia ponenda sit,
” 172H. 8. “De nonnullis
Antichrist! characteribus,
” Meditatio sacra in verba S. Pauli,
quee beatitudinem in Domino morientium veram ac certam
demonstrat,
” Zurich,
ed Dutchman, was born at Delft, about the end of the sixteenth century, and was first educated under the elder Trelcatius at Leyden, and afterwards at Franeker, where
, or, as he signs in his French letters,
La Croix, a learned Dutchman, was born at Delft, about
the end of the sixteenth century, and was first educated
under the elder Trelcatius at Leyden, and afterwards at
Franeker, where he studied divinity, Hebrew, and Greek,
under Drusius, &c. He also read history, philosophy,
and poetry, and occasionally amused himself with writing
Latin poetry. He became pastor at Delft, the only situation he appears to have held in the church. When he
died is not mentioned by Foppen or Moreri; and the little
we know of him is gleaned from his curious volume of
miscellanies and epistolary correspondence, the best edition of which was published at Amsterdam, 1661, 12mo,
under the title of “Jacobi Crucii Mercurius Batavus, sive
epistolarum opus, monitis theologicis, ethicis, politicis,
ceconomicis, refer turn, editio aucta et recognita.
” This
work is replete with judicious remarks, and literary anecdote, and contains many letters from Rivet, Colvius,
Lanoy, Salmasius, Vossius, and other learned contemporaries. The freedom of some of Crucius’s observations procured it a place in the Index Expurgatorius, Jan. 25, 1684.
He published also “Suada Delphica, sive orationes LXIX.
varii argurnenti, ad usury studiosae juventutis,
” Amst. 1675,
12mo, and often reprinted.
under the title of “The Country Attorney” at the summer theatre, when it was under the direction of the elder Mr. Colman. At the same theatre appeared in 1794 his “Box
In 1793, he brought out a comic opera in three acts,
founded on the story of Wat Tyler; which, being objected
to by the lord chamberlain, he was obliged to new-mode!,
and produce under the title of “The Armourer.
” He aUo
brought out a comedy under the title of “The Country
Attorney
” at the summer theatre, when it was under the
direction of the elder Mr. Colman. At the same theatre
appeared in 1794 his “Box Lobby Challenge,
” a comedy, and his drama of “Don Pedro.
” On the opening
of the new theatre at Drury Lane, his comedy of “The
Jew
” was represented; which he had composed with great
rapidity. This was the second instance of his coming forward to raise the character of that people from the unmerited contempt and ridicule which they had uniformly
before experienced. In the preceding season came out.
his comedy of “The Wheel of Fortune,
” which was
closely followed by “First Love, a Comedy.
”
provement in these branches, he went to Leyden, and put himself for some time under the direction of the elder Gronovius. He came afterwards to Paris, and while he was
, a learned philologist,
was born Sept. 14, 1644, at Hemmem, in the duchy of
Guelderland, and educated first at home, and then at
Nimeguen, where after attending a course of rhetoric,
philosophy, mathematics, history, law, and theology, he
found his inclination drawing him more closely to matters
of taste and polite literature. With a view to further improvement in these branches, he went to Leyden, and put
himself for some time under the direction of the elder
Gronovius. He came afterwards to Paris, and while he
was about to leave that city for Italy, he was appointed
professor of history at Deventer, when he was only in his
twenty-fifth year. The reputation he acquired in this
office, raised him to the magistracy, and he was employed
by the states of Overyssel in various important transactions.
Having carried on a correspondence with some distinguished
members of the French academy of inscriptions, he was
chosen an honorary member. He died at Deventer,
Nov. 22, 1716, in the seventy-third year of his age. His
works are: 1. “Observationum Libri III.
” on different
Greek and Latin authors,“Utrecht, 1670, 8vo. 2.
” Harpocrates, et Monumenta antiqua inedita,“Utrecht, 1676,
1687, and 1&94, 4to. 3. An additional book or volume of
observations on the Greek and Latin authors, Deventer,
1678, 8vo. 4.
” Apotheosis, vel consecratio Homeri,“Amst. 1683, 4to. 5.
” Historia trium Gordianum,“Deventer, 1697, 12mo; and ibid. 1697, 8vo. 6.
” Lettres
de critique, d'histoire, de litterature, &c.“Amst. 1742,
4to. He also wrote a preface and notes to the edition of
Lactantius.
” de mortibus persecutorum,“Abo, 1684, and
Utrecht, 1692. His correspondence with the literary men
of his age was very extensive, and many of his letters
have been published in various collections particularly in
” Celeberrimorum virorum epistolae,“Wittemberg, 1716,
8vo, in
” Schelhornii Amcenitates,“Leipsic, 1738, 8vo
in Burman’s Sylloge;
” in the “Sylloge nova Epistolarum,
”
Nuremberg, De Aris et Lapidibus Votivis ad Neomagum et Sanctenum
effosis,
” Neomag.
, an historical painter, was born at Florence in 1595, and was the elder brother and first instructor of Vincent Dandini, the uncle
, an historical painter, was born at Florence in 1595, and was the elder brother and first instructor of Vincent Dandini, the uncle of Pietro. This master had successively studied as a disciple with Curradi, Passignano, and Christofane Allori from whom he acquired a very pleasing but fugitive manner of colouring. He was extremely correct in his drawing, and finished his pictures highly. His best altar-piece is at Ancona, and several other noble altar-pieces in the churches of Florence are of his hand one, which is in the chapel l'Annonciata, is particularly admired. He died in 165S.
in Latin in 1542, 4to. One publication of Danes’s merits particular notice, viz. an edition of Pliny the elder, very beautiful and correct, Paris, 1532, folio. This,
, born in 1497, at Paris, of a noble
family, studied at the college of Navarre, and was the
pupil of Budeus and of John Lascaris. Being appointed
by Francis I. to open the Greek school at the college-royal,
he was professor there for five years, and had scholars that
afterwards signalized themselves. He next became preceptor and confessor to the dauphin, afterwards Francis If.
He was sent to the council of Trent, where he delivered a
very celebrated speech in 1546, which was afterwards published; and during the session of this council he was made
bishop of Lavaur. Sponde and de Thou have handed down
to us an ingenious answer of this prelate. Nicholas
Pseaume, bishop of Verdun, speaking very freely one day
in the council, the bishop of Orvietta looking at the
French, said to them with a sarcastic smile, “Gallus cantat,
” (the cock crows), “Utinam,
” replied Danes, “ad
istud Gallicinium Petrus resipisceret!
” (I wish that Peter would repent at this cock’s crowing.) This prelate died at
Paris the 23d of April, 1577, at the age of 80. He had
been married. When news was brought him of the death
of his only son, he retired for a moment into his closet;
and, on rejoining the company, “Let us be comforted,
”
said he, “the poor have gained their cause,
” alluding to
his being wont to distribute a part of his revenues among
the poor, which he now thought he might increase. With
the erudition of a true scholar he had the talent of speaking
well, integrity of character, and a great simplicity of manners. His custom was to write much, and almost always
to conceal his name. It has been suspected by some
critics that the tenth book of the history of France, by
Paulus Æmilius, is his. At least it was Danes who sent it
from Venice to the printer Vascosan. His “Opuscula
”
were collected and printed in Disquisitiones Pliniani,
” is to be found amongour author’s
“Opuscula.
” This edition is so rare on the continent that
Rezzonicus was able to find only two copies of it in Spain,
and not a single one in Italy; and Ernesti pronounces it
as valuable as it is rare.
His business is still successfully carried on by his sons, Peter and Firmia Didot. The reputation of the elder Didot was much assisted by the labours of his brother,
, an eminent French printer,
who deserves a more satisfactory article than the French
biographers have as yet enabled us to give him, was born
at Paris in 1730, and was the son of a printer and bookseller, who provided him with an excellent classical education before he introduced him into business. Full of
enthusiasm for the advancement of the art of printing,
young Didot determined to rival those celebrated printers,
Joachim Ibarra of Spain, and Baskerville of England, and
lived to surpass both. He soon brought his press to a state
of excellence unattained by any of his contemporaries;
and extended his skill to every branch connected with it.
Among the number of improvements perfected by his
exertions, is the construction of mills for making fine
paper, which he assisted not only by his zeal and activity,
but by pecuniary contribution. He also invented a press
by which the workman is enabled to print, equally and at
once the whole extent of a sheet; and he was the inventor of
many other machines and instruments now commonly used
in printing offices, all which have powerfully contributed
to the modern advancement of the typographical art. The
elegant editions of the classics published by order of Louis
XIV. for the education of the Dauphin, were the production of the Didots 1 press, as well as the collection of romances called the D'Artois, in 64 vols. 18mo; the Theatrical Selections by Corneille, the works of Racine, Telemachus, Tasso’s Jerusalem, two superb Bibles, and a
multiplicity of other inestimable works, each of which, on
its publication, seemed to make nearer approaches to perfection. Didot sedulously endeavoured to unite in his
family every talent auxiliary to the printing art; one of his
sons became a celebrated type-founder; and the voice of
fame announces the superior rank which they both deservedly hold among the printers of the age. The fond
father delighted to observe that he was excelled by his
children; while they dutifully ascribed their success to the
force of his instruction, and the benefit of his example.
The life of JDidot was the life of honour; his abilities were
universally known and respected; and the following anecdote will prove the goodness of his heart: in one of his
journeys to the paper mills of Anonay, he met an artist
who had introduced in France an improvement in the application of cylinders, &c. and believing that his ingenuity
merited reward, exerted all his interest with government;
but unfortunately, when he was on the point of succeeding,
the artist died, leaving two girls in the helpless state of
infancy. Didot took the orphans in his arms, proclaimed
himself their father, and kept his word. At the age of
seventy-three, Didot read over five times, and carefully
corrected, before it was sent to the press, every sheet of
the stereotype edition of Montague, printed by his sons.
At four o'clock in the morning he was pursuing this fatiguing occupation. The correctness of the text will therefore render this work particularly valuable among the productions of the modern press. About eighteen months
previous to his death, he projected an alphabetical index
of every subject treated upon in Montague’s Essays. He
had collected all his materials, at which he laboured unceasingly; and perhaps too strict an application to this
favourite study accelerated the death of this eminent artist
and benevolent man, which took place July 10, 1804.
His business is still successfully carried on by his sons,
Peter and Firmia Didot. The reputation of the elder
Didot was much assisted by the labours of his brother,
Peter Francis, who died in 1795, and to whom we owe
the beautiful editions of Thomas a Kempis, fol. of Telemachus, 4to the “Tableau de l'empire Ottoman,
” &c.
ancient poet and geographer, concerning whom we have no certain information but what we derive from the elder Pliny. Pliny, speaking of the Persian Alexandria, afterwards
, was an ancient poet and
geographer, concerning whom we have no certain information but what we derive from the elder Pliny. Pliny,
speaking of the Persian Alexandria, afterwards called Antioch, and at last Charrax, could not miss the opportunity
of paying his respects to a person who had so much obliged him, and whom he professes to follow above all men
in the geographical part of his work. He tells us, that
*' Dionysius was a native of this Alexandria, and that he
had the honour to be sent by Augustus to survey the
eastern part of the world, and to make reports and observations about its state and condition, for the use of the
emperor’s eldest son, who was at that time preparing an
expedition into Armenia, Parthia, and Arabia.“This passage, though seemingly explicit enough, has not been
thought sufficient by the critics to determine the time
when Dionysius lived, whether under the first Augustus
Caesar, or under some of the later emperors, who assumed
his name: Vossius and others are of opinion, that the former is the emperor meant by Pliny; but Scaliger and
Salmasius think he lived under Severus, or Marcus
Aurelias, about A. D. 130 or 150. Dionysius wrote a great
number of pieces, enumerated by Suidas and his commentator Eustathius: but his
” Periegesis," or survey of the
world, is the only one we have remaining; and it would
be superfluous to say, that this is one of the most exact
systems of ancient geography, when it has been already
observed, that Pliny himself proposed it for his pattern.
It is written in Greek hexameters; but some think that
Dionysius is no more to be reckoned a poet, than any of
those authors who have included precepts in numbers, for
the sake of assisting the memory. Yet, although his book
is more valuable for matter than manner, it has been
thought that he had a genius capable of more sublime
undertakings, and that he constantly made the Muses the
companions, though not the guides, of his travels. As
proofs of this, we are referred to his descriptions of the
island of Lucca, inhabited by departed heroes; of the
monstrous and terrible whales in Taprobana; of the poor
Scythians that dwelt by the Meotic lake; to the account
of himself, when he comes to describe the Caspian sea,
and of the swans and bacchanals on the banks of Cayster,
which shew him to have possessed no small share of poetic
spirit.
al negotiations. He wrote a history, which is still extant, of the Grecian empire, from the reign of the elder Andronicus, to the fall of that empire. Ducas is preferred
, was a Greek historian, concerning the life of whom it is only known that he was employed inseveral negotiations. He wrote a history, which is still extant, of the Grecian empire, from the reign of the elder Andronicus, to the fall of that empire. Ducas is preferred to Chalcondylas, though he writes in a barbarous style, because he relates facts not to be found elsewhere, and was an attentive witness of what passed. His work was printed at the Louvre, in 1649, folio, under the care of Ismael Bouillaud, who accompanied it with a Latin version and learned notes. The president Cousin translated it afterwards into French, and it concludes the 8th volume of his History of Constantinople, printed at Paris, in 1672 and 1674, 4to; and reprinted in Holland, 16S5, 12mo.
indolent disposition, frequently asked his assistance privately; which at length being discovered by the elder Taverner, was probably the means of his first introduction
, a miscellaneous writer of some reputation in the last age, and well known to the scholars of that
period, was the son of Mr. James Ellis, and was born in
the parish of St. Clement Danes, March 22, 1698. His
father was a man of an eccentric character, roving, and
unsettled. At one time he was clerk to his uncle and
guardian, serjeant Denn, recorder of Canterbury, and kept
his chambers in Gray’s-inn, on a starving allowance, as
Mr. Ellis used to declare, for board-wages. Leaving his
penurious relation, who spent what his father left him in a
litigious process, he obtained a place in the post-office at
Deal in Kent, from whence he was advanced, to be searcher
of the customs in the Downs, with a boat; but being imposed upon, as he thought, in some way by his patron, he
quitted his employment and came to London. He was represented by his son as particularly skilful in the use of
the sword, to which qualification he was indebted, through
the means of a nobleman, for one of his places. He was
also much famed for his agility, and could at one time
jump the wall of Greenwich park, with the assistance of a
staff. At the trial of Dr. Sacheverel he was employed to
take down the evidence for the doctor’s use. His wife,
Susannah Philpot, our author’s mother, was so strict a
dissenter, that when Dr. Sacheverel presented her husband
with his print, framed and glazed, she dashed it on the
ground, and broke it to pieces, calling him at the same
time a priest of Baal; and at a late period of our author’s
life, it was remembered by him, that she caused him to
undergo the discipline of the school, for only presuming
to look at a top on a Sunday which had been given to him
the day preceding. The qualifications which Mr. Ellis’s
father possessed, it will be perceived, were not those which
lead to riches; and indeed so narrow were his circumstances, that he was unable to give his son the advantages
of a liberal education. He was first sent to a wretched
day-school in Dogwell-court, White Fryars, with a brother and two sisters; and afterwards was removed to another, not much superior, in Wine-office-court, Fleet-street,
where he learned the rudiments of grammar, more by his
own application than by any assistance of his master. He
used, however, to acknowledge the courtesy of the usher,
who behaved well to him. While at this school he translated “Mars ton Moore; sive, de obsidione praelioque Eboracensi carmen. Lib. 6. 1650, 4to. Written by Payne
Fisher;
” which, as it has not been found among his papers, we suppose was afterwards destroyed. At what period, or in what capacity he was originally placed with
Mr. John Taverner, an eminent scrivener in Threadneedlestreet, we have not learned; but in whatever manner the
connexion began, he in due time became clerk or apprentice to him; and during his residence had an opportunity
of improving himself in the Latin tongue, which he availed
himself of with the utmost diligence. The son of his
master, then at Merchant Taylors’ school, was assisted by his
father in his daily school-exercises; which being conducted
in the presence of the clerk, it was soon found that the
advantage derived from the instructions, though missed by
the person for whom it was intended, was not wholly lost.
Mr. Ellis eagerly attended, and young Taverner being of
an indolent disposition, frequently asked his assistance privately; which at length being discovered by the elder Taverner, was probably the means of his first introduction
to the world, though it cannot be said much to his advantage, as old Taverner had the address to retain him in the
capacity of his clerk during his life-time, and at his death
incumbered him with his son as a partner, by whose imprudence Mr. Ellis was a considerable sufferer both in his
peace of mind and his purse, and became involved in difficulties which hung over him a considerable number of
years. His literary acquisitions soon, as it might be expected, introduced him to the acquaintance of those who
had similar pursuits. In 1721, the rev. Mr. Fayting, afterwards of Merchant Taylors’ school, rector of St. Martin
Outwich, and prebendary of Lincoln, being then about to
go to Cambridge, solicited and obtained his correspondence, part of which was carried on in verse. With this
gentleman, who died 22d Feb. 1789, in his eighty-sixth
year, Mr. Ellis lived on terms of the most unreserved
friendship, and on his death received a legacy of 100l. bequeathed to him by his will. At a period rather later, he
became also known to the late Dr. King of Oxford. Young
Taverner, who probably was not at first intended for a
scrivener, was elected from Merchant Taylors’ school to
St. John’s college, Oxford, and by his means Mr. Ellis
was made acquainted with the tory orator. By Dr. King
he was introduced to his pupil lord Orrery; and Mr. Ellis
atone time spent fourteen days in their company at college,
so much to the satisfaction of all parties, that neither the
nobleman nor his tutor ever afterwards came to London
without visiting, and inviting Mr. Ellis to visit them. In,
the years 1742 and 1713, Dr. King published “Templum
Libertatis,
” in two books, which Mr. Ellis translated into
verse with the entire approbation of the original author.
This translation still remains in ms. Of his poetical
friends, however, the late Moses Mendez, esq. appears to
have been the most intimate with him. Several marks of
that gentleman’s friendship are to be found scattered
through his printed works; and about 1749 he addressed a
beautiful epistle to him from Ham, never yet published.
In 1744 Mr. Mendez went to Ireland, and on July 5 sent
a poetical account of his journey to Mr. Ellis. This epistle
was afterwards printed in 1767, in -a collection of poems,
and in the same miscellany Mr. Ellis’s answer appeared.
Soon after Mr. Mendez addressed a poetical epistle to his
friend, Mr. S. Tucker, at Dulwich, printed in the sam
collection.
lebrated his victories over those nations. He fought likewise under Torquatus in Sardinia, and under the elder Scipio; and in all these services distinguished himself
, an ancient Latin poet, was born
at Radian, a town in Calabria, anno U. C. 514, or B.C. 237.
That this was the place of his nativity, we learn from himself, as well as from others; and the Florentines at this
day claim him for their fellow-citizen. He came at first to
Rome, when M. P. Cato was quaestor, whom he had instructed in the Greek language in Sardinia. C. Nepos informs us, that “Cato, when he was praetor, obtained the
province of Sardinia, from whence, when he was quaestor
there before, he had brought Ennius to Rome:
” which
we esteem,“says the historian,
” no less than the noblest
triumph over Sardinia.“He had a house on the Aventine
mount; and, by his genius, conversation, and integrity,
gained the friendship of the most eminent perspns in the
city. Among these were Galba and M. Fulvius Nobilior,
by whose son (who, after his father’s example, was greatly addicted to learning) he was made free of the city. He
attended Fulvius in the war against the Ætolians and Ambraciotae, and celebrated his victories over those nations.
He fought likewise under Torquatus in Sardinia, and under
the elder Scipio; and in all these services distinguished
himself by his uncommon valour. He was very intimate
with Scipio Nasica, as appears from Cicero: Nasica, going
one day to visit Ennius, and the maid-servant saying that
he was not at home, Scipio found that she had told him
so by her master’s orders, and that Ennius was at home.
A few days after, Ennius coming to Nasica, and inquiring
for him at the door, the latter called out to him,
” that he
was not at home.“Upon which Ennius answering,
” What
do I not know your voice“Scipio replied,
” You have
a great deal of assurance for I believed your maid, when
she told me, that you were not at home and will not you
believe me myself?" Ennius was a man of uncommon virtue, and lived in great simplicity and frugality. He died
at the age of seventy years; and his death is said to have
been occasioned by the gout, contracted by an immoderate
use of wine, of which he always drank very freely before
he applied himself to writing. This Horace affirms:
at Oxford; although much opposed by a set of the students, who called themselves Trojans, and, like the elder Cato at Rome, opposed it as a dangerous novelty.
How he spent his time with the bishop of Cambray, with
whom he continued some years, we have no account.
bishop, however, was, now his patron, and apparently
very fond of him; and he promised him a pension to maintain him at Paris. But the pension, as Erasmus himself
relates, was never paid him; so that he was obliged to
have recourse to taking pupils, though a thing highly disagreeable to him, purely for support. Many noble English became his pupils, and, among the rest, William Blunt,
lord Montjoy, who was afterwards his very good friend and
patron. Erasmus tells us, that he lived rather than studied,
“vixit verius qnam studuit,
” at Paris; for, his patron forgetting the promised pension, he had not only no books to
carry on his studies, but even wanted the necessary comforts and conveniences of life. He was forced to take up
with bad lodgings and bad diet, which brought on him a
fit of illness, and changed his constitution so much for the
worse, that, from a very strong one, it continued ever
after weak and tender. The plague too was in that city,
anl had been for many years; so that he was obliged, after
a short stay, to leave it, almost without any of that benefit
he might naturally have expected, as the university at that
time was famous for theology. Leaving Paris, therefore,
in the beginning of 1497 he returned to Cambray, where
he was received kindly by the bishop. He spent some
days at Bergis with his friend James Battus, by whom he
was introduced to the knowledge of Anne Borsala, marchioness of Vere. This noble lady proved a great benefactress to him; and he afterwards, in gratitude, wrote
her panegyric. This year he went over to England for
the first time, to fulfill a promise which he had made to
his noble disciple Montjoy. This noble lord, a man of
learning, and patron of learned men, was never easy, it is
said, while Erasmus was in England, but when he was in
his company. Even after he was married, as Knight relates, he left his family, and went to Oxford, purely to
proceed in his studies under the direction of Erasmus. He
also gave him the liberty of his house in London, when he
was absent; but a surly steward, whom Erasmus, in a letter to Colet, calls Cerberus, prevented his using that privilege often. Making but a short stay in London, he went
to Oxford; where he studied in St. Mary’s college, which
stood nearly opposite New-Inn hall, and of which there
are some few remains still visible. Here he became very
intimate with all who had any name for literature: with
Colet, Grocyn, Linacer, William Latimer, sir Thomas
More, and many others. Under the guidance of these he
made a considerable progress in his studies; Colet engaging him in the study of divinity, and Grocyn, Linacer,
and Latimer teaching him Greek. Greek literature was
then reviving at Oxford; although much opposed by a
set of the students, who called themselves Trojans, and,
like the elder Cato at Rome, opposed it as a dangerous
novelty.
he same name, was at first clerk of the church of Toledo, and when chosen archbishop on the death of the elder Eugenius, retired to Saragossa with, a view to spend his
, archbishop of Toledo in the seventh century, and called the Younger, to distinguish him from his immediate predecessor of the same name, was at first clerk of the church of Toledo, and when chosen archbishop on the death of the elder Eugenius, retired to Saragossa with, a view to spend his days in the retirement of a monastery. Being however discovered, he was brought back to Toledo by order of his sovereign, and appointed archbishop in the year 646, an office which he filled for nine years. He presided at the councils held at Toledo in the years 653, 655, and 656. He was the author of several works, particularly a treatise on the Trinity, two books of miscellanies, and one in prose and verse, which were published by father Sirmond at Paris in 1619, 8vo, along with the poetical pieces of Dracontius. His style is not remarkable for elegance, but his thoughts are often just and pious. He died in the year 657.
e of Naxos, for disturbing the peace of the church. He again returned to Chalcedonia; but Theodosius the elder obliged him to quit that place, and sent him first to
, an Arian heretic of the fourth century, was born at Dacora, a town of Cappadocia and was the son of a peasant but not relishing a country life, he went to Constantinople, and afterwards to Alexandria, where he became the disciple and secretary of Ætius, but was abundantly more subtle than his master, as well as more bold in propagating the doctrines of his sect, who have since been called Eunomians. He then returned to Antioch, where he was ordained a deacon by Eudoxius, bishop of that place; but being sent to defend Eudoxius against Basil of Ancyra, before the emperor Constantius, he was seized upon the road by the partisans of Basil, and banished to Mida, a town, of Phrygia. He returned to Constantinople, and in the year 360 was made bishop of Cyzicum, by his protector Eudoxius, who advised him to conceal his doctrines: but Eunomius was incapable of following this advice, and gave so much disturbance to the church by the intemperance of his zeal, that Eudoxius himself, by the order of Constantius, was obliged to depose him from his bishopric, and he was that year banished again. He retired to a house "which he had in Chalcedonia, where he concealed the tyrant Procopius in the year 365, and being accused by the emperor Valens of having afforded shelter to his enemy, was by him banished a third time to Mauritania. Valens, bishop of Mursa, got him recalled; and he was next banished to the isle of Naxos, for disturbing the peace of the church. He again returned to Chalcedonia; but Theodosius the elder obliged him to quit that place, and sent him first to Halmyris, a desert of Mossia, near the Danube, and afterwards to Caesarea of Cappadocia; where, however, the inhabitants would not suffer him to continue, because he had formerly written against Basil, their bishop. Tired, at length, with being thus tossed about, he petitioned to retreat to the place of his birth; where he died very old, about the year 394, after having experienced great variety of sufferings.
iasticae, libri V.” containing the history of the church from the beginning to the death of Licinius the elder, which includes a period of 324 years. Valesius observes,
Eusebius did not long survive Constantine, for he. died
about the year 33 o, according to Dupin; or the year 340,
according to Valesius. He wrote several great and important works, of which among those that are extant we
have, 1. “Chronicon
” divided into two parts, and carried down to A. D. 325 in which, not long before the
council of Nice, Cave supposes this work to have been
finished. The first part, which is at present extremely
mutilated, contains an history of the Chaldeans, Assyrians,
Medes, Persians, Lydians, Jews, Egyptians, &c. from
the creation of the world. In the second part, which is
called “Canon Chronicus,
” he digests the history of the
several nations according to the order of time. St. Jerom
translated both parts into Latin: but we have remaining
of the version of the first part, only some extracts, containing the names of the kings, printed with the translation of the second part. It was printed at Basil, and afterwards published more accurately by Arnauld de Pontac,
bishop of Baras, at Bourdeaux in 1604. But no person ever
undertook to collect the Greek fragments of the original,
till Joseph Scaliger published them at Leyden, 1606, in
folio, under the following title: “Thesaurus temporum,
complectens Eusebii Pamphili chronicon Latine, S. Hieronymo interprete, cum ipsius chronici fragmentis Graecis
antehac non editis, et auctores omnes derelicta ab Eusebio
continuantes. Edente Josepho Justo Scaligero, qui notas et
castigationes in Eusebium, nee non Isagogicorum Chronologix canonum libros tres adjecit.
” There, was another
edition, much enlarged, printed at Amsterdam in 1658,
in 2 vols. fol. under the care of Alexander Morus. Dupin
says, that “this work of Eusebius displays a prodigious
extent of reading, and consummate erudition. It is necessary to have read an infinite number of books and ancient monuments, in order to compile an universal history;
and to have been master of a very clear understanding at
the same time, in order to collect such a multitude of facts,
and dispose them in their proper order. This is an immense labour, which is a strong proof of the vast reading
and prodigious memory of Eusebius. It must be owned,
indeed, that Africanus’s Chronicle was of great service to
him, and that he has copied that author throughout his
work. However, he has corrected several of Africanus’s
mistakes, though he has fallen into others himself. But
it is almost impossible not to err in a work of such vast
extent and difficulty as an universal chronicle. Mistakes
are excusable in a performance of this kind; nor can they
hinder it from being deservedly considered as one of the
molt useful works of antiquity.
”
His next work is, 2. “Prseparationis Evangelicae, Hbri
XV.
” Valesius tells us that this book, as well as his
treatise “De Demonstratione Evangelica,
” was written before the Nicene council, since they are expressly cited in
his “Ecclesiastical History,
” which Valesius affirms to
have been written also before it; but Cave is of opinion
that the book “De Prseparatione Evangelica
” was written
after that council, undoubtedly after his “Chrdnicon,
”
since his “Canones Chronici
” are expressly cited in it.
3. “De Demonstratione Evangelical
” We have of this
work only ten books extant, though Eusebius wrote twenty.
A beautiful edition of this and the former book was printed
in Greek by Robert Stephens in 1544 and 1545, in 2 vols.
fol. They were reprinted at Paris, 1628, in 2 vols. fol.
with a new version of the book “De Praeparatione,
” by
the Jesuit Francis Vigerus, and with Donatus’s translation!
of the book “De Demonstratione.
” 4. “Historic Ecclesiasticae, libri V.
” containing the history of the church
from the beginning to the death of Licinius the elder,
which includes a period of 324 years. Valesius observes,
that he wrote this after almost all his other works; and
Cave says, that it was written after the Nicene council,
since he mentions in it not only his “Chronicon,
” but
likewise his treatise “De Demonstratione.
” At the end
of the eighth book we find a small treatise “Of the
Martyrs of Palestine;
” in which he describes the martyrdom of those who suffered for the faith of Christ iri
that province. This has been erroneously confounded
with the 8th book of the history; whereas it is a separate
tract, which serves for a supplement to that book. The
Ecclesiastical History has been often translated and printed:
but the best edition is that of Henry Valesius^ who, having
remarked the defects of all the former translations, undertook a new one, which he has joined to the Greek text
revised by four manuscripts, and has added notes full of
erudition. Valesius’s edition was printed at Paris in 1659
and 1671, and at Francfort in 1672, with the rest of the
ecclesiastical historians. It was printed again at Cambridge
in 1720, in three vols. folio, by William Reading, who has
joined to the notes of Valesius such observations of modern
authors as he could collect; but, in Le Clerc’s opinion,
somewhat too harsh, “they might as well have been placed
at the end of the book, since they are much interior to
those of Valesius, both for style and matter; and appear
with the same disadvantage as an ordinary painting placed
by the work of an eminent master.
”
ouncil of AntiocU, and went to Caesarea in Cappadocia in the year 371, at the request of St. Gregory the elder, of Nazianzen, to elect St. Basil bishop of that city.
, bishop of Samosata, in the fourth century, at first joined the Arian party. The see of Antioch being vacant, they agreed with the orthodox to choose Meletus bishop, and entrusted Eusebiiis with the decree of this election; but St. Meletus declaring immediately for the catholic faith, the Ariana, supported by the emperor Valens, resolved to depose him. Eusebius, informed of their mischievous design, retired to his dioeese, with the writings which had been entrusted to him. On this messengers were dispatched after him, and the emperor’s en-> voy threatened to cut off his right hand, if he did not deliver up the act of election; but Eusebius presenting his two handi, said he would suffer them both to be cut pff, rather than part with this act, unless in presence of all those who had entrusted him with it. In the year 353 hp subscribed to the Nicene faith in the council of AntiocU, and went to Caesarea in Cappadocia in the year 371, at the request of St. Gregory the elder, of Nazianzen, to elect St. Basil bishop of that city. His zeal for the faith caused him to be banished by Valeus in the year 373, during which exile he went disguised as a soldier, to comfort the orthodox under their persecutions. After the death of Valens, St. Eusebius assisted at the council of Antioch in, the year 378, and was employed by the members, of it, tq visit some eastern churches, which he did with good success in Mesopotamia, and part of Syria; but baying pr-t dained Maris, bishop of the little city of Doliche in Syria, on his entering the city to put him in possession of his church, a woman of the Arian party threw a tile upon his head, which wounded him mortally. In his last moments he sought and obtained a promise from those who attended him, that the woman should not be prosecuted; which, was done nevertheless, but the catholics procured her pardon. St. Gregory of Nazianzen, and St. Basil, wroe sen veral letters to St. Eusebius.
, is the name of two engravers whose works are held in some estimation among portrait-collectors. The elder was born in Holland, where he learned the art of mezz
, is the name of two engravers whose works are held in some estimation among portrait-collectors. The elder was born in Holland, where he learned the art of mezzotinto-scraping, and also drew portraits from the life, on vellum, with a pen. What time he came into England does not appear, but he resided here a considerable time, in Fountain court in the Strand, London. He died at Bristol in May 1721. He drew many of the portraits which he engraved from nature, but they are not remarkable either for taste or execution. His most esteemed works were, a collection of the founders of the colleges of Oxford, half sheet prints, the heads of the philosophers from Rubens, and a portrait of Dr. Wallis the mathematician, from Kneller. The other John Faber, the younger, was his son, and lived in London, at the Golden Head in Bloomsbury-square, where Strutt thinks he died in 1756. Like his father, he confined himself to the engraving of portraits in mezzotinto; but he excelled him in every requisite of the art. The most esteemed works are the portraits of the Kit-Cat club, and the Beauties of Hampton Court. Some of his portraits are bold, free, and beautiful.
tudy of that celebrated poet. From Amsterdam he went to Leyden, where he became a pupil of Gronovius the elder, who soon distinguished him from the rest of his scholars,
, a Greek and Latin poet, of much
reputation on the continent, was born at Amsterdam, Aug.
19, 1645. He received his early education under Adrian
Junius, rector of the school of Amsterdam, who had the
happy art of discovering the predominant talents of his
scholars, and of directing them to the most adrantageous
method of cultivating them. To young Francius he recommended Ovid as a model, and those who have read his
works are of opinion that he must have “given his days
and nights
” to the study of that celebrated poet. From
Amsterdam he went to Leyden, where he became a pupil
of Gronovius the elder, who soon distinguished him from
the rest of his scholars, and treated him as a friend, which
mark of esteem was also extended to him by Gronovius the
son. After this course of scholastic studies, he set out
on his travels, visiting England and France, in which last,
at Angers, he took his degree of doctor of civil and canon
Jaw. While at Paris he acquired the esteem of many
learned men, and when he proceeded afterwards to Italy,
improved his acquaintance with the literary men of that
country, and wa.s very respectfully received by Cosmo III.
grand duke of Tuscany. After his return to Amsterdam,
the magistrates, in 1674, elected him professor of rhetoric
and history, and in 1686 professor of Greek. In 1692 the
directors of the academy of Leyden made him an offer of
one of their professorships, but the magistrates of Amsterdam, fearing to lose so great an ornament to their city,
increased his salary, that he might be under no temptation
on that account to leave them. He accordingly remained
here until his death, Aug. 19, 1704, when he was exactly
fifty-nine years old. Francius particularly excelled in declamation, in which his first master, Junius, the ablest
declaimer of his time, had instructed him, and in which
he took some lessons afterwards from a famous tragic actor,
Adam Caroli, who, he used to say, was to him what
Koscius was to Cicero. His publications consist of, 1.
“Poemata,
” Amsterdam, omitted in the second, because the author
had an intention of giving a complete translation of that
celebrated collection, which, however, he never executed.
In other respects, the second edition is more ample and
correct. 2.
” Orationes,“Amst. 1692, 8vo, of which an
enlarged edition appeared in 1705, 8vo. His emulation
of the style of Cicero is said to be very obvious in these
orations. Some of them had been published separately,
particularly a piece of humour entitled
” Encomium Galli
Gallinacei.“3.
” Specimen eloquentiac exterioris ad orationem M. T. Ciceronis pro A. Licin. Archia accommoclatnm,“Amst. 1697, 12mo. 4.
” Specimen eloquentia
exterioris ad orationem Ciceronis pro M. Marcello accommodatum,“ibid. 1699, 12mo. These two last were reprinted in 1700, 8vo, with his
” Oratio de ratione declamandi.“5.
” Epistola prima ad C. Valerium Accinctum,
vero nomine Jacobum Perizonium, professorem Leyden*em,“&c. Amst. 1696, 4to. This relates to a personal
dispute between Francius and Perizonius, of very little
consequence to the public, and was answered by Perizonius. 6.
” The Homily of S. Gregoire of Nazianzen, on
charity to our neighbour,“translated from Greek into
German, Axnstt 1700, 8vo. 7.
” A discourse on the
Jubilee, Jan. 1700,“in German, ibid., 1700, 4to. 8.
” Posthums, quibus accedunt illustrium eruditorum ad eutn
Epistolse," ibid. 1706, 8vo.
had them carefully educated, and when grown up, made Edesius his cup-bearer, and Frumentius, who was the elder, his treasurer and secretary of state, entrusting him
, a Romish saint, is usually called the Apostle of Ethiopia, on account of his having first propagated Christianity in that country, in the fourth century. He was the nephew of one Meropius, a philosopher of Tyre, who being induced to travel to Ethiopia, carried with him his two nephews, Frumentius and Edesius, with whose education he had been entrusted. In the course of their voyage homewards, the vessel touched at a certain port to take in provisions and fresh water, and the whole of the passengers were murdered by the barbarians of the country, except the two children, whom they presented to the king, who resided at Axuma, formerly one of the greatest cities of the East. The king, being charmed with the wit and sprightliness of the two boys, had them carefully educated, and when grown up, made Edesius his cup-bearer, and Frumentius, who was the elder, his treasurer and secretary of state, entrusting him with all the public writings and accounts. Nor were they less highly honoured after the king’s death by the queen, who was regent during her son’s minority. Frumentius had the principal management of affairs, and soon turned his attention to higher objects than the politics of the country. He met with some Roman merchants who traded there, and having by their means discovered some Christians who were in the kingdom, he encouraged them to associate for the purposes of religious worship; and at length erected a church for their use; and certain natives, instructed in the gospel, were converted. On the young king’s accession to the government, Frumentius, though with much reluctance on the part of the king and his mother, obtained leave to return to his own country. Edesius accordingly returned to Tyre; but Frumentius, on his arrival at Alexandria, communicated his adventures to Athanasius the bishop, and informed him of the probability of converting the country to Christianity, if missionaries were sent thither. On mature consideration, Athanasius told him, that none was so fit for the office as himself. He consecrated him therefore first bishop of the Indians, and Frumentius returning to a people who had been acquainted with his integrity and capacity, preached the gospel with much success, and erected many churches, although the emperor Constantius endeavoured to introduce Arianism, and actually ordered that Frumentius should be deposed, and an Arian bishop appointed; but the country was happily out of his reach. Frumentius is supposed to have died about the year 360. The Abyssinians honour him as the apostle of the country of the Axumites, which is the most considerable part of their empire.
several Greek authors. Garamond died in 1561; and all his fine types came into the hands of Fournier the elder, an eminent letter- founder at Paris.
, a French engraver and letter-founder, was a native of Paris, and began to distinguish himself about 1510; when he founded his printing types, clear from all remains of the gothic, or, as it is usually called, the black letter. He brought them to so great a degree of perfection, that he can neither be denied the glory of having surpassed whatever had been done in this way before, nor that of not being excelled by any of his successors in this useful mechanic art. His types were prodigiously multiplied, as well by the great number of matrices which he engraved of every size, as by the letters which were founded from these, so that all parts of Europe were supplied with them; and as often as they were used by foreigners, they took care, by way of recommending their works, to distinguish them by his name, both in Italy, Germany, England, and even in Holland; particucularly the small Roman, by way of excellence, was known among the printers in all these countries, by the name of Garamond’s small Roman. He likewise, by the special command of Francis I. founded three species of Greek tj-pes for the use of Robert Stephens, who printed with them all his beautiful editions, both of the New Testament, and several Greek authors. Garamond died in 1561; and all his fine types came into the hands of Fournier the elder, an eminent letter- founder at Paris.
Gelasius the elder, was bishop of Csesarea, in Palestine, and nephew of Cyril,
Gelasius the elder, was bishop of Csesarea, in Palestine, and nephew of Cyril, bishop of Jerusalem, by whom he was consecrated to Caesarea, in the year 380. He is classed by St. Jerome and others, among the ecclesiastical writers of his age. He wrote several works, which have been commended for the correctness and purity oi? their style; but there are extant only some fragments explanatory of the apostles* creed, and of the traditions of the church, which are in the Greek collection of testimonies, under the name of John Damascenus, in the Codex Claromont He died in the year 394.
much collateral information respecting the theological writers and controversies during the life of the elder Gerhard.
, an eminent German Lutheran divine, was born at Quedlinburgh, in Saxony, Oct. 17, 1582,
where he was partly educated, but in 1599, was sent to
Wittemberg, and studied philosophy and divinity under
the ablest masters. In 1601, by the advice of Rauchbach,
a counsellor and vice-chancellor of Saxony (for his father died in 1598) he went through a course of medical studies,
but about two years after, recollecting a vow he had made
during a fit of sickness, he returned again to divinity, the
study of which he farther prosecuted at Jena, to which
he first went as tutor to his friend llauchbach’s son. In
1603 he took his master’s degree here, and in 1604 removing with his pupil to Marpurg, he continued his theological studies, and learned Hebrew. In 1605 he returned
to Jena, took his degree in philosophy, and having been
ordained, was appointed by John Casimir, duke of Saxony,
to a church in Franconia, and at the same time to be professor of divinity in the Casimirian college of Cobourg.
In 1616. by consent of his liberal patron, he accepted the
professorship of divinity at Jena, and continued in that office during the remainder of his life. He was four times
chosen rector of the university, and encreased his reputation by a vast variety of publications which made him
known to all the literati of Europe, many of whom, both
protestants and catholics, bore testimony to his extensive
learning, piety, and usefulness, both as a divine and
teacher. He died of a fever, Aug. 17, 1637. His works,
which are written in Latin and German, consist of treatises
on various theological subjects, critical and polemical;
commentaries on various books of the Old and New Testament common-places, &c. &c. One only of these, his
“Meditations,
” is well known in this country, having gone
through many editions, and having also been translated
into most European languages and into Greek. He left a
numerous family, some of whom became distinguished
as divines, particularly his eldest son, John Ernest, who
was born at Jena in 1621, and studied at Altdorf. He was
appointed professor of philosophy at Wittemberg in 1616,
and in 1652 was nominated professor of history at Jena.
Like his father he devoted mucli of his time to biblical and
theological learning. He died in 1688. Among his works
are, “Harmonia Linguarnm Orientalium;
” “Dispurationum theologicarum Fasciculus;
” De F.cclesiae Copticæ
Ortu, Progressu, et Doctrina." There is a very minute
and curious history of this family in the work from which
these particulars have been taken, with much collateral information respecting the theological writers and controversies during the life of the elder Gerhard.
considerable jointure, as widow of Thomas Thynne, esq. He had just before succeeded to the estate of the elder branch of his family, at Stow; and December 31, he was
SacheverelPs trial, which happened not long after,
brought on that remarkable change in the ministry in 1710,
when Mr. Granville^s friends came again into power. He
was elected for the borough of Helston, but, being returned
at the same time for the county of Cornwall, he chose to
represent the latter; and on September 29, he was declared secretary at war, in the room of Robert Walpole,
esq. afterwards the celebrated minister. He continued in
this office for some time, and discharged it with reputation;
and, towards the close of the next year, 1711, he married
the lady Mary, daughter of Edward Villiers, earl of Jersey,
at that time possessed of a considerable jointure, as widow
of Thomas Thynne, esq. He had just before succeeded to
the estate of the elder branch of his family, at Stow; and
December 31, he was created a peer of Great Britain, by
the title of lord Lansdowne, baron of Bideford, in the
county of Devon. In this promotion he was one of the
twelve peers who were all created at the same time; and so
numerous a creation, being unprecedented, gave much
offence, although but little in his case. His lordship was
now the next male-issue in that noble family, in which two
peerages, that of the earl of Bath, and that of lord Grenville of Potheridge, had been extinguished almost together: his personal merit was universally allowed; and as to
his political sentiments, those who thought him most mistaken, allowed him to be open, candid, and uniform. He
stood always high in the favour of queen Anne; and with
great reason, having upon every occasion testified the
greatest zeal for her government, and the most profound
respect for her person. For these reasons, in the succeeding
year, 1712, he was sworn of her majesty’s privy-council,
made controller of her household, about a year after advanced to the post of treasurer in. the same office; and to
his other honours, says Dr. Johnson, was added the dedication of Pope’s “Windsor Forest.
” His lordship continued in his office of treasurer to the queen, until her
death, when he kept company with his friends in falling a
sacrifice to party-violence, being removed from his treasurer’s place by George I. Oct. 11, 1714.
of the army was quartered at Nazianzum, where the commander peremptorily required the church (which the elder Gregory had not long since built) to be delivered to him.
Julian had now ascended the throne; and in order to suppress Christianity, published a law, prohibiting Christians not only to teach, but to be taught the books and learning of the Gentiles. The defeat of this design, next to the two Apollinarii in Syria, Was chiefly owing to Na0ianzen, who upon this occasion composed a considerable part of his poems, comprehending all sorts of divine, grave, and serious subjects, in all kinds of poetry; by which means the Christian youth of those times were completely furnished;, and found no want of those heathen authors that were taken from them. Julian afterwards coming to Caesarea, in the road to his Persian expedition, one part of the army was quartered at Nazianzum, where the commander peremptorily required the church (which the elder Gregory had not long since built) to be delivered to him. But the old man stoutly opposed him, daily assembling the people to public prayers, who were so affected with the common cause, that the officer was forced to retire for his own safety. Julian being slain not long after, Nazianzen published two invective orations against him, which are at once remarkable proofs of his wit and eloquence, but which qualities were mixed with too much virulence and acriiony.
rivy-counsellor to Henry VIII. (both sons to Nicholas Hare of Homersfield, in the county of Suffolk, the elder branch being seated at Stow Bardolph, in Norfolk) was
, third and last baron
of that name and family, descended from John, younger
brother to sir Nicholas Hare, baronet, master of the rolls,
and privy-counsellor to Henry VIII. (both sons to Nicholas Hare of Homersfield, in the county of Suffolk, the elder branch being seated at Stow Bardolph, in Norfolk)
was born at Blechingley, in Surrey, May 10, 1693; educated at Enfield, under Dr. Uvedale, who had also the
honour of educating, among many other eminent men, the
late earl of Huntingdon, and sir Jeremy Sambrooke, bart.
After the death of his grandfather, Hugh lord Colerane,
in 1708, he succeeded to the title, and was admitted a
gentleman commoner of Corpus Christi college, Oxford,
under the tuition of Dr. Rogers, who afterwards married
Lydia, one of his lordship’s sisters . A lyric poem by
lord Colerane appeared in the “Academiae Oxoniensis
Comitia Philologica, 1713,
” and in the “Musaj Anglicanae,
” vol. III. p. 303, under the title of “Musaruin
oblatio ad reginam.
” Dr. Basil Kennet, who succeeded
Dr. Turner in the presidency of that society, inscribed
to his lordship an epistolary poem on his predecessor’s
death. He was a great proficient in the learned languages, particularly the Greek; and eminently versed
in history, both civil and ecclesiastical. He was grand
master of the society of free-masons, and had made the
tour of Italy three times; the second time with Dr.
Con yers Middle ton, about 1723, in which he made a noble collection of prints and drawings of all the antiquities,
buildings, and pictures in Italy; given after his decease
to Corpus Christi college. The esteem in which he was
held by the literati procured him admittance into the Republica Literaria di Arcadia, and the particular intimacy
of the marquis Scipio Maffei; who afterwards visited him
at his ancient manor and seat at Tottenham, in Middlesex.
His lordship died at Bath, Aug. 4, 1749; and was buried
in the family vault at Tottenham, built, with the vestrv,
by his grandfather. His very valuable collection of prints
relative to English antiquities, with a portrait of him when
a young man, by Richardson, were obtained after his
death by Mr. Henry Baker for the Society of Antiquaries.
His books were sold to T. Osborne, who detained some of
the family papers, which were with difficulty recovered
from him. The pictures, bronzes, marble, tables, urns,
vases, and other antiquities, were sold by auction, March
13 and 14, 1754, for 904l. 135. 6d. The coins, it is supposed, were disposed of privately. His lordship married
in 1717, Anne, only daughter of John Hanger, esq. by
whom he had a fortune of 100,000l. but she, having unaccountably left him within three years, and resisted every
effort of his to recall her, after twenty more years he
formed a connexion with a foreign lady, Miss Duplessis, by
whom he had a natural daughter, Henrietta Rosa Pevegrina, born in Italy, and afterwards naturalized. She was
married in 1764 to James Townsend, esq. alderman of
Bishopsgate ward, who in her right -enjoyed the extensive manor of Tottenham, and repaired the family seat,
commonly called Bruce-castle, from having anciently belonged to theBruces earls of Huntingdon, which had been
considerably modernized in the close of the seventeenth
century. It is now the property of William Curtis, esq.
son to sir William Curtis, bart.
t long survived, and was lieutenant-general and governor of Collioure and Port Vendre in Roussillon. The elder daughter married M. le Veneur, count de Tillieres, and
In 1763 Henault drew near his end. One morning,
after a quiet night, he felt an oppression, which the faculty
pronounced a suffocating cough. His confessor being
sent to him, he formed his resolution without alarm. He
mentioned afterwards, that he recollected having then said
to himself, “What do I regret
” and called to mind that
saying of madame de Sevigne, “I leave here only dying
creatures.
” He received the sacraments. It was believed
the next night would be his last; but by noon the next
day he was out of danger. “Now,
” said he, “I know
what death is. It will not be new to me any more.
” He
never forgot it during the following seven years of his life,
which, like all the rest, were gentle and calm. Full of
gratitude for the favours of Providence, resigned to its decrees, offering to the Author of his being a pure and sincere devotion; he felt his infirmities without complaining,
and perceived a gradual decay with unabated firmness.
He died Dec. 24, 1771, in his 86th year. He married, in
1714, a daughter of M. le Bas de Montargis, keeper of
the royal treasure, &c. who died in 1728, without leaving
any issue. He treated as his own children, those of his
sister, who had married, in 1713, the count de Jonsac,
and by him had three sons and two daughters. The two
younger sons were killed, one at Brussels, the other at
Lafelt, both at the head of the regiments of which they
were colonels; the eldest long survived, and was lieutenant-general and governor of Collioure and Port Vendre
in Roussillon. The elder daughter married M. le Veneur,
count de Tillieres, and died in 1757; the second married
the marquis d'Aubeterre, ambassador to Vienna, Madrid,
and Rome. In 1800 a very able posthumous work of the
president’s was published at Paris, entitled “Histoire
Critique de l'Etablissement des Francois dans les Gaules,
”
2 vols. 8vo.
y scarce from the number of copies that were burnt in the fire which consumed the printing-office of the elder Mr. Bowyer in White-Friars. Having purchased the old plates
On his return home, having produced a number (if plans of the several settlements, he received from the India company 300l. These plans were afterwards incorporated into a publication by Bowles, printseller, near Mercers’ chapel. Mr. Herbert had now, probably, acquired a considerable knowledge of the relative situations of coasts, countries, and rivers, which he had surveyed abroad, and, in consequence, thought himself competent to set up the business of an engraver of charts and printseller, which he
did on London-bridge; and when the houses on that bridge
were pulled down, removed to Leadenhall-street. About
this time he, and a Mr. Nicholson, published a “New Directory for the East-Indies,
” 4to, to which Herbert supplied the greater part of the materials. He afterwards removed to^Goulston-square, and frequently published lists
of his vendible books, charts, and maps.
Having now the means as well as the inclination to gratify his passion for literary antiquities, he became an attendant on book-sales, made frequent purchases, chiefly
of black-letter volumes, which were carefully examined,
and treasured in his library, to augment the “History of
Printing,
” by Ames. Of this work he had purchased the
author’s own copy, enriched with numerous manuscript
notes, and was most assiduous in preparing materials for a
new edition. In the mean time, in 1769, he came forward as the republisher of Atkyns’s “History of Gloucestershire,
” originally published in
eserved his name ever since. He wrote it in the isle of Samos, according to the general opinion; but the elder Pliny affirms it to have been written at Thurium, a town
, an ancient Greek historian of Halicarnassus in Caria, was born in the first year of the 74th
olympiad; about 484 years before Christ. This time of
his birth is fixed by a passage in Aulus Gellius, Book xv.
chap 23. which makes Helianicus 65, Herodotus 53, and
Thucydides 40 years old, at the commencement of the
Peloponnesian war. The name of his father was Lyxes; of
his mother, Dryo. The city of Halicarnassus being at that
time under the tyranny of Lygdamis, grandson of Artemisia queen of Caria, Herodotus quitted his country, and
retired to Samos; whence he travelled over Egypt, Greece,
Italy, &c. and in his travels acquired the knowledge of the
history and origin of many nations. He then began to
digest the materials he had collected into order, and composed that history which has preserved his name ever
since. He wrote it in the isle of Samos, according to the
general opinion; but the elder Pliny affirms it to have
been written at Thurium, a town in that part of Italy then
called Magna Graecia, whither Herodotus had retired with
an Athenian colony, and where he is supposed to have
died, not however before he had returned into his own
country, and by his influence expelled the tyrant Lygdamis. At Samos he studied the Ionic dialect, in which
he wrote, his native dialect being Doric. Lucian informs
us, that when Herodotus left Caria to go into Greece, he
began to consider with himself, what he should do to obtain celebrity and lasting fame, in the most expeditious
way, and with as little trouble as possible. His history,
he presumed, would easily procure him fame, and raise his
name among the Grecians, in whose favour it was written;
but then he foresaw, that it would be very tedious, if not
endless, to go through the several cities of Greece, and
recite it to each respective city; to the Athenians, Corinthians, Argives, Lacedaemonians, &c. He thought it most
proper, therefore, to take the opportunity of their assembling all together; and accordingly recited his work at the
Olympic games, which rendered him more famous than
even those who had obtained the prizes. None were ignorant of his name, nor was there a single person in
Greece, who had not either seen him at the Olympic games,
or heard those speak of him who had seen him there; so
that wherever he came, the people pointed to him with
their ringers, saying, “This is that Herodotus, who has
written the Persian wars in the Ionic dialect; this is he
who has celebrated our victories.
”
, the elder, surnamed Hassaken, was born at Babylon, of poor parents,
, the elder, surnamed Hassaken, was born at Babylon, of poor parents, but of the royal stock of David, in the year 112 B. C. After residing forty years in Babylon, where he married, and had a son, he removed with his family to Jerusalem, for the purpose of studying the law. Shemaiah and Abdalion were at that time eminent doctors in Jerusalem. Hillel, unable on account of his poverty to gain a regular admission to their lectures, spent a considerable part of the profits of his daily labour in bribing the attendants to allow him a place at the door of the public hall, where he might gather up the doctrine of these eminent masters by stealth; and when this expedient failed him, he found means to place himself at the top of the building near one of the windows. By such unwearied perseverance he acquired a profound knowledge of the most difficult points of the law; in consequence of which his reputation gradually rose to such an heignt, that he became the master of the chief school in Jerusalem. In this station he was universally regarded as an oracle of wisdom scarcely inferior to Solomon, and had many thousand followers. He had such command of his temper, that no one ever saw him angry. The name of Hillel is in the highest esteem among the Jews for the pains which he took to perpetuate the knowledge of the traditionary law. He arranged its precepts under six general classes; and thus laid the foundation of that digest of the Jewish law which is called the Talmud. Hillel is said to have lived to the great age of one hundred and twenty years. Shammai, one of the disciples of Hillel, deserted his school, and formed a college of his own, in which he taught dogmas contrary to those of his master. He rejected die oral law, and followed the written law only, in its literal sense. Hence he has been ranked among the Karaites. The schools of Hillel and Shammai long disturbed the peace of the Jewish church by violent contests, in which, however, the party of Hillel was at last victorious. Hillel, we have yet to mention, laboured much to give a correct edition of the sacred text, and there is an ancient ms Bible which bears his name ascribed to him, part of which is among the Mss. of the Sorbonne.
io pro statu ecclesiae fluetuantis,“printed with art. 3. 5.” Sermon at the funeral of George Purefoy the elder, of Wadiey in Berks, esq. who was buried by his ancestors
The publications of Dr. Hinckley re, 1. “Four Sermons viz. 1. at the assizes at Reading 2. at Abmgdon
3 and 4.at Oxford, 1657,
” 8vo. 2. “Matrimonial instruction to persons of honour,
” printed with the “mons
” 3 " Epistola veridica ad homines 4to, (reprinted in his
” Fasciculus Literaruin“).
4
” Oratio pro statu ecclesiae fluetuantis,“printed with
art. 3. 5.
” Sermon at the funeral of George Purefoy the
elder, of Wadiey in Berks, esq. who was buried by his
ancestors at Drayton in Leicestershire, 21 April, 1661;“1661, 4to. 6.
” A persuasive to Conformity, by way of
letter to the dissenting brethren, 1670,“8vo. 8.
” Fasciculus literarum; or Letters on several occasions, 1680,“8vo. The first half of tnis book contains letters between
Mr. Baxter and Dr. Hinckley, in which many things are
discussed which are repeated in Baxter’s plea for the nonconformists. There are four in number, written by each,
and our author’s third letter was written soon after Baxter’s
book
” Of Church Divisions“came forth; he having not
only obliquely reflected on Dr. Hinckley’s second letter,
but particularly signified his discontent both with Hinckley
and his book. The reason of the publication of tuese letters five years after their first penning, was occasioned by
the account which Baxter had given in many of his writings of Hinckley’s Letters: the last, of which Letters was
answered by Baxter in his third,
” Of the Cause of Peace,
&c."
he works of these two ladies were collectively published in 1747, in 2 vols. 12mo. Several maxims of the elder of these ladies are much cited by French writers; as,
, a French
poetess, was born at Paris in 1638, and possessed all the
charms of her sex, and wit enough to shine in the age of
Louis XIV. Her taste for poetry was cultivated by the
celebrated poet Henault, who is said to have instructed her
in all he knew, or imagined he knew; but she not only
imitated him in his poetry, but also in his irreligion; for
her verses savour strongly of Epicureanism. She composed epigrams, odes, eclogues, tragedies; but succeeded best in the idyllium or pastoral, which some affirm
she carried to perfection. She died at Paris in 1694,
and left a daughter of her own name, who had some talent
for poetry, but inferior to that of her mother. The first
verses, however, composed by this lady, bore away the
prize at the French academy; which was highly to her
honour, if it be true, as is reported, that Fontenelle wrote
at the same time, and upon the same subject. She was a
member of the academy of the Ilicovrati of Padua, as,was
her mother, who was also of that of Aries. She died at
Paris in 1718. The works of these two ladies were
collectively published in 1747, in 2 vols. 12mo. Several
maxims of the elder of these ladies are much cited by
French writers; as, that on gaming, “On commence par
tre dupe, on finit par etre fripon.
” People begin dupes,
and end rogues. And that on self-love: “Nul n'est content cle sa fortune, ni mécontent de son esprit.
” No one
is satisfied with his fortune, or dissatisfied with his talents.
hat “it is pleasing to find one, who must necessarily have been bred among the exploded doctrines of the elder economists, shaking himself almost quite loose from their
Having in early life bent his turn for literature to political studies, he became eminently conversant more especially with the laws of nations, and the principles and details of commerce, and political arithmetic. Of these
studies the following fruits appeared at various periods of
his life: I. “A discourse on the establishment of a national
and constitutional Force in England,
” A discourse on the conduct of
Great Britain in respect to Neutral Nations during the
present War,
” A Collection pf Treaties.,
from 1648 to 1783,
” 3 vols. 8vo, 1785. 4. “A Treatise
on the Coins of the realm, in a letter to the king,
” it is pleasing to find one, who must necessarily have
been bred among the exploded doctrines of the elder
economists, shaking himself almost quite loose from their
influence at an advanced period of life, and betraying,
while he resumes the favourite speculations of his early
years, so little bias towards errors, which he must once
have imbibed. It is no less gratifying, to observe one
who has been educated in the walks of practical policy,
and grown old amid the bustle of public employments,
embellishing the decline of life by pursuits, which unite
the dignity of science with the usefulness of active exertion.
”
born in 1615, at Ville-Seiche, in the valley of St. Martin, in Piedmont, was nephew of Anthony Leger the elder. He was minister of several churches, particularly that
, a learned protestant divine, born in 1615,
at Ville-Seiche, in the valley of St. Martin, in Piedmont,
was nephew of Anthony Leger the elder. He was minister of several churches, particularly that at St. Jean,
and escaped from the massacre of the Waldenses in 1655.
Having been deputed to several protestant powers in 1661,
the court of Turin ordered his house at St. Jean to be
razed to the ground, and declared him guilty of high treason. He became pastor afterwards of the Walloon church
at Leyden, in which city he was living in 1665, and there
published his “Hist, des Eglises Evangeliques des Vallees
de Piemont,
” fol. The year of his death is unknown.
Suidas calls his father “Phasganius” but this was the name of one of his uncles; the other, who was the elder, was named Panolbius. His great-grandfather, who excelled
, a celebrated sophist of antiquity, was born
of an ancient and noble family at Antioch, on the Orontes,
in the year 314. Suidas calls his father “Phasganius
” but
this was the name of one of his uncles; the other, who was
the elder, was named Panolbius. His great-grandfather,
who excelled in the art of divination, had published some
pieces in Latin, which occasioned his being supposed by
some, but falsely, to be an Italian. His maternal and paternal grandfathers were eminent in rank and in eloquence;
the latter, with his brother Brasidas, was put to death by
the order of Dioclesian, in the year 303, after the tumult
of the tyrant Eugenius. Libanius, the second of his father’s three sons, in the fifteenth year of his age, wishing
to devote himself entirely to literature, complains that he
met with some “shadoxvs of sophists.
” Then, assisted
by a proper master, he began to read the ancient writers
at Antioch; and thence, with Jasion, a Cappadocian, went
to Athens, and residing there for more than four years,
became intimately acquainted with Crispinus of Heraclea,
who, he says, “enriched him afterwards with books at
Nicomedia, and went, but seldom, to the schools of Diophantus.
” At Constantinople he ingratiated himself with
Nicocles of Lacedosmon (a grammarian, who was master to the emperor Julian), and the sophist Bermarchius. Returning to Athens, and soliciting the office of a professor,
which the proconsul had before intended for him when he
was twenty- five years of age, a certain Cappadocian happened to be preferred to him. But being encouraged by
Dionysius, a Sicilian who had been prefect of Syria, some
specimens of his eloquence, that were published at Constantinople, made him so generally known and applauded,
that he collected more than eighty disciples, the two sophists, who then filled the chair there, raging in vain, and
Bermarchius ineffectually opposing him in rival orations,
and, when he could not excel him, having recourse to the
frigid calumny of magic. At length, about the year 346,
being expelled the city by his competitors, the prefect
Limenius concurring, he repaired to Nice, and soon after
to Nicomedia, the Athens of Bithynia, where his excellence in speaking began to be more and more approved by
all; and Julian, if not a hearer, was a reader and admirer
of his orations. In the dame'city, he says, “he was particularly delighted with the friendship of Aristaenetus;
” and
the five years which he passed there, he styles “the spring
or any thing else that can be conceived pleasanter than
spring, of his whole life.
” Being invited again to Constantinople, and afterwards returning to Nicomedia, being
also tired of Constantinople, where he found Phoenix and
Xenobius, rival sophists, though he was patronised by
Strategius, who succeeded Domitian as prefect of the East,
not daring on account of his rivals to occupy the Athenian
chair, he obtained permission from Gallus Cassar to visit
for four months, his native city Antioch, where, after Gallus was killed, in the year 354, he fixed his residence for
the remainder of his life, and initiated many in the sacred
rites of eloquence. He was also much beloved by the emperor Julian, who heard his discourses with pleasure, received him with kindness, and imitated him in his writings.
Honoured by that prince with the rank of quaestor, and
with several epistles of which six only are extant, the‘ last
written by the emperor during’ his fatal expedition against
the Persians, he the more lamented his death in the flower
of Ms age, as from him he had promised himself a certain
and lasting support both in the worship of idols and in his
own studies. There was afterwards a report, that LibaIhus, with the younger Jamblichus, the master of Proclus,
inquired by divination who would be the successor of Valens, and ia consequence with difficulty escaped his cruelty, Irenaeus attesting the innocence of Libanius. In like
manner he happily escaped another calumny, by the favour
of duke Lupicinus, when he was accused by his enemy
Fidelis, or Fidustius, of having written an eulogium on the
tyrant Procopius. He was not, however, totally neglected
by Valens, whom he not only celebrated in an oration,
but obtained from him a confirmation of the law against
entirely, excluding illegitimate children from the inheritance of their paternal estates, which he solicited from the
emperor, no doubt for a private reason, since, as Eunapius
informs us, he kept a mistress, and was never married.
The remainder of his life he passed as before mentioned,
at Antioch, to an advanced age, amidst various wrongs
and oppressions from his rivals and the times, which he
copiously relates in his life, though, tired of the manners
of that city, be had thoughts, in his old age, of changing
his abode, as he tells Eusebius. He continued there, however, and on various occasions was very serviceable to the
city, either by appeasing seditions, and calming the disturbed minds of the citizens, or by reconciling to them
the emperors Julian and Theodosius. That Libanius lived
even to the reign of Arcadius, that is, beyond the seventieth year of his age, the learned collect from his oration
on Lucian, and the testimony of Cedrenus; and of the
same opinion is Godfrey Olearius, a man not more respectable for his exquisite knowledge of sacred and polite
literature than for his judgment and probity, in his’ ms
prelections, in which, when he was professor of both languages in the university of his own country, he has given
an account of the life of this sophist.
, the elder, a celebrated hermit of the fourth century, said to be
, the elder, a celebrated hermit of the fourth century, said to be a disciple of St. Antony, was born at Alexandria, in the year 301, of poor parents. He was bred a baker, which trade he pursued to the age of thirty; then, being baptized, he retired and took up a solitary life. He passed sixty years in a monastery in mount Sceta, dividing his time between prayer and manual labour. He died about the year 391. Fifty homilies in Greek have been attributed to him, which were printed at Paris in 1526, with Gregory Thaumaturgus, in folio; and in 2 vols. 8vo, at Leipsic, in 1698.
ore the world as an editor in form. From that moment he seems to have been regarded with jealousy by the elder commentator, who appears to have sought an opportunity
Mr. Steevens having published a second edition of his
Shakspeare, in 1778, Mr. Malone, in 1780, added two
supplementary volumes, which contained some additional notes, Shakspeare’s poems, and seven plays which
have been ascribed to him. There appears up to this
time to have been no interruption to their friendship; but,
on the contrary, Mr. Steevens, having formed a design of
relinquishing all future editorial labours, most liberally
made a present to Mr. Malone of his valuable collection of
old plays, declaring that he himself was now become “a
dowager commentator.
” It is painful to think that this
harmony should ever have been disturbed, or that any thing
should have created any variance between two such men,
who were so well qualified to co-operate for the benefit of
the literary world. Mr. Matone, having continued his researches into all the topics which might serve to illustrate
our great dramatist, discovered, that although much had
been done, yet that much still remained for critical industry; and that a still more accurate collation of the early
copies than had hitherto taken place was necessary towards
a correct and faithful exhibition of the author’s text. His
materials accumulated so fast, that he determined to appear before the world as an editor in form. From that moment he seems to have been regarded with jealousy by the
elder commentator, who appears to have sought an opportunity for a rupture, which he soon afterwards found, or
rather created. But it is necessary to go back for a moment, to point out another of Mr. Malone’s productions.
There are few events in literary history more extraordinary
in all its circumstances than the publication of the poems
attributed to Rowley. Mr. Malone was firmly convinced
that the whole was a fabrication by Chatterton; and, to
support his opinion, published one of the earliest pamphlets which appeared in the course of this singular controversy. By exhibiting a series of specimens from early
English writers, both prior and posterior to the period in
which this supposed poet was represented to have lived, he
proved that his style bore no resemblance to genuine antiquity; and by stripping Rowley of his antique garb,
which was easily done by the substitution of modern synonymous words in the places of those obsolete expressions
which are sprinkled throughout these compositions, and at
the same time intermingling some archaeological phrases in
the acknowledged productions of Chatterton, he clearly
showed that they were all of the same character, and
equally bore evident marks of modern versification, and a
modern structure of language. He was followed by Mr.
Warton and Mr. Tyrwhitt, in his second Appendix; and
the controversy was soon at an end. While Mr. Malone
was engaged in his Shakspeare, he received from Mr.
Steevens a request of a most extraordinary nature. In a
third edition of Johnson and Steevens’s Shakspeare, which
had been published under the superintendance of Mr.
Reed, in 1785, Mr. Malone had contributed some notes
in which Mr. Steevens’s opinions were occasionally controverted. These he was now desired to retain in his new
edition, exactly as they stood before, in order that Mr. S.
might answer them. Mr. Malone replied, that he could
make no such promise; that he must feel himself at liberty
to correct his observations, where they were erroneous;
to enlarge them, where they were defective; and even to
expunge them altogether, where, upon further consideration, he was convinced they were wrong; in short, he was
bound to present his work to the public as perfect as he
could make it. But he added, that he was willing to transmit every note of that description in its last state to Mr.
Steevens, before it went to press; that he might answer it
if he pleased; and that Mr. Malone would even preclude
himself from the privilege of replying. Mr. Steevens persisted in requiring that they should appear with all their imperfections on their head; and on this being refused, declared that all communication on the subject of Shakspeare
was at an end between them. In 1790, Mr. Malone’s
edition at last appeared and was sought after and read
with the greatest avidity. It is unnecessary to point out
its merits; the public opinion upon it iias been long pronounced. It cannot indeed be strictly said that it met
with universal approbation. Mr. Ritson appeared against
it in an angry and scurrilous pamphlet, replete with misrepresentations so gross, and so easy of detection, though
calculated to mislead a careless reader, that Mr. Malone
thought it worth his while to point them out in a letter
which he published, addressed to his friend Dr. Farmer.
Poor Ritson, however, has not been the only one who has
attempted to persuade the world that they have been mistaken in Mr. Malone’s character as a critic. Mr. Home
Tooke in particular, who, whatever were his talents as a
grammarian, or his knowledge as an Anglo-Saxon, had by
no means an extensive acquaintance with the literature of
Shakspeare’s age, has mentioned Mr. Malone and Dr.
Johnson with equal contempt, and immediately after proceeds to sneer at Mr. Tyrwhitt. It may readily be supposed that Mr. Malone would not feel very acutely the
satire which associated him with such companions. But,
to counterbalance these puny hostilities, his work gained
the highest testimonies of applause from all who were best
qualified to judge upon the subject, and from men whose
approbation any one would be prpud to obtain. Dr. J.
Warton, in a most friendly letter, which accompanied a curious volume of old English poetry which had belonged to
his brother Thomas, and which he presented to Mr. Malone as the person for whom its former possessor felt the
highest esteem and the most cordial regard, observes to
him that his edition is by far, very far, the best that had
ever appeared. Professor Person, who, as every one who
knew him can testify, was by no means in the habit of bestowing hasty or thoughtless praise, declared to Mr. Malone’s biographer, that he considered the Essay on the
three parts of Henry the Sixth as one of the most convincing pieces of criticism that he had ever read; nor was
Mr. Burke less liberal in his praises.
, the elder of three justly celebrated printers, was born about 1447,
, the elder of three justly celebrated printers, was born about 1447, at Bassiano, a small town in the duchy of Sermonetta, He was educated at Rome, under Caspar of Verona and Domitius Calderinus, both of whom he has mentioned in several of his prefaces, as men of talents and erudition. Having acquired a knowledge of the Latin language from them, he went to Ferrara to study Greek under Baptist Guarini, and, probably after his own studies were completed, became the preceptor of the prince of Carpi, a nephew of the celebrated Picus of Mirandula. In 1482, Ferrara being closely besieged by a Venetian army, he retired to Mirandula, and spent some time in the society of Picus, who, though not quite twenty years of age, was already a consummate master of almost all learning. From Mirandula, Aldus went, some time after, to reside with his pupil, who, though only twelve years of age, had made such advances in learning, that he was already qualified to take a part in the serious conversations, and the designs of his uncle and his preceptor; and it is believed to have been at this time, that Aldus conceived the project of his subsequent printing establishment at Venice, to the expences of which, Picus and his pupil probably contributed. He began, however, to print, at Venice, in 1488, with an edition of the small Greek poem of Musseus, in quarto, with a Latin translation, but without date. In 1494 he published the Gre*k grammar of Lascaris, and in 1495, in one collection, the grammatical treatises of Theodore Gaza, Apollonius, and Herodian.
vernor of the Hudson’s Bay company. His grandfather, who was a captain in the royal navy, and one of the elder brethren of the Trinity-house, established the commerce
, an English poet of considerable
merit, was born in London, April 1755, and was descended
in a right line from sir Henry Merry, who was knighted
by James I. at Whitehall. Mr. Merry’s father was governor of the Hudson’s Bay company. His grandfather, who
was a captain in the royal navy, and one of the elder brethren of the Trinity-house, established the commerce of
the Hudson’s Bay company upon the plan which it now
pursues. He made a voyage to Hudson’s Bay, and discovered the island in the North seas, which still bears the
name of Merry’s island. He also made a voyage to the
East Indies, and was, perhaps, the first Englishman who
returned home over land; in which expedition he encountered inconceivable hardships. Mr. Merry’s mother was
the eldest daughter of the late lord chief justice Willes,
who presided for many years with great ability in the
court of Common Pleas, and was for some time first lord
commissioner of the great seal. Mr. Merry was educated
at Harrow, under Dr. Sumner, and had the celebrated
Dr. Parr as his private tutor. From Harrow he went to
Cambridge, and was entered of Christ’s college. He left
Cambridge without taking any degree, and was afterwards
entered of Lincoln’s-inn, but was never called to the bar.
Upon the death of his father he bought a commission in
the horse-guards, and was for several years adjutant and
lieutenant to the first troop, commanded by lord Lothian.
Mr. Merry quitted the service, and went abroad, where he
remained nearly eight years; during which time he visited
most of the principal towns of France, Switzerland, Italy,
Germany, and Holland. At Florence he stayed a considerable time, enamoured (as it is said) of a lady of
distinguished rank and beauty. Here he studied the Italian
language, encouraged his favourite pursuit, poetry, and
was elected a member of the academy Delia Crusca. Here
also he was a principal contributor to a collection of poetry,
by a few English of both sexes, called “The Florence Miscellany.
” The name of the academy he afterwards used
as a signature to many poems which appeared in the periodical journals, and the newspapers, and excited so many
imitators as to form a sort of temporary school of poets,
whose affectations were justly ridiculed by the author of
the “Baviad and Maeviad,
” and soon despised by the public. Mr. Merry, however, had more of the qualities of a
poet than his imitators, although not much more judgment.
His taste, originally good, became vitiated by that love of
striking novelties which exhausts invention. Of his poems
published separately, scarcely one is now remembered or
read.
earned Grecians in the fourteenth century. He held considerable offices under the emperor Andronicus the Elder, but in the reign of his successor, was banished, and
, of Constantinople, was
one of the most learned Grecians in the fourteenth century. He held considerable offices under the emperor Andronicus the Elder, but in the reign of his successor, was
banished, and his goods confiscated. He was afterwards
recalled, and died in 1332, in a monastery which he had
founded. He was called a living Library, from his great
erudition; and left several valuable works, the principal
among which are, “An Abridgement of the Roman History,
from Julius Caesar to Constantine the Great,
” The Sacred History,
” in two books,“translated by Herve,
Paris, 1555, 4to
” The History of Constantinople“and
” A Paraphrase on Aristotle’s Physics.“In 1790, was
published
” Specimina operum Theod. Metochitae, cum
praefatione et nods primum vulgata ab Jano Bloch," Haunise, in 8vo.
stre, harmony, and truth of his paintings; altogether, however, they are not quite equal to those of the elder Mieris. He died in 1747, at the age of eighty-five. He
, called the Young Mieris, was born at Leyden in 1662, and during the life of his father made a remarkable progress under his instructions. When he lost this aid, which was at the age of nineteen, he turned his attention to nature, and attained still higher excellence by an exact imitation of his models. He painted history occasionally, and sometimes animals, and even landscapes; and modelled in clay and wax with so much skill, as to deserve the name of an excellent sculptor. In the delicate finishing of his works he copied his father, and also in the lustre, harmony, and truth of his paintings; altogether, however, they are not quite equal to those of the elder Mieris. He died in 1747, at the age of eighty-five. He left a son named Francis, who is called the Young Francis Mieris, to distinguish him from his grandfather. He painted jn the same style, but was inferior to his father and grandfather; yet there is no doubt that his pictures are often sold in collections under the name of one of the former.
France, recommending his widow and children to his majesty’s bounty. The next we meet with, Frederic the elder, a native of Champagne, was king’s printer at Paris, and
is the name of a family well known among the
eminent French printers, although we are not sure that
they were all closely related. The first, William, an excellent scholar in the early part of the sixteenth century,
was corrector of the press of Louis Tilletan, and then succeeded Turnebus as director of the royal printing-office,
in 1555. He employed his attention principally on Greek
authors, and his editions are much esteemed. He also
wrote critical commentaries on “Cicero de finibus,
” Paris, I am sorry for
it she was a good woman.
” He died in
ich he applies a great deal of Hebrew learning very judiciously; and for this he was complimented by the elder Buxtorf. There are several other lesser pieces of his
In 1596 he published a piece entitled “The just Procedures of those of the Reformed Religion;
” in which he
removes the imputation of the present troubles and dissentions from the protestants, and throws the blame on those
who injuriously denied them that liberty, which their
great services had deserved. In 1598 he published his
treatise “upon the Eucharist;
” which occasioned the conference at Fontainbleau in 1600, between Du Perron, then
bishop of Evreux, afterwards cardinal, and M. du Plessis;
and raised his reputation and credit among the protestants
to so great a height, that he was called by man)* “the
Protestant Pope.
” In The Mystery of Iniquity, or the History of the
Papacy;
” which was written, as most of his other works
were, first in French, and then translated into Latin.
Here he shews by what gradual progress the popes have
risen to that ecclesiastical tyranny, which was foretold by
the apostles; and what opposition from time to time all
nations have given them. This seems to have been a work
of prodigious labour; yet it is said, that he was not above
nine months in composing it. About this time, also, he
published “An Exhortation to the Jews concerning the
Messiah,
” in which he applies a great deal of Hebrew
learning very judiciously; and for this he was complimented by the elder Buxtorf. There are several other
lesser pieces of his writing; but his capital work, and for
which he has been most distinguished, is his book “Upon
the Truth of the Christian Religion;
” in which he employs
the weapons of reason and learning with great force and
skill against Atheists, Epicureans, Heathens, Jews, Mahometans, and other Infidels, as he tells us in his title.
This book was dedicated to Henry IV. while he was king
of Navarre only, in 1582; and, the year after, was translated by himself into Latin. “As a Frenchman,
” says he,
in his preface tp the reader, “I have endeavoured to serve
my own country first; and, as a Christian, the universal
kingdom of Christ next.
” Baillet observes, with justness,
that “the Protestants of France had great reason to be
proud of having such a man as Mornay du Plessis of their
party; a gentleman, who, besides the nobleness of his
birth, was distinguished by many fine qualities both natural
and acquired.
”
almudical index, at Basil, in 1581, and at Rome, by Calasio, in 1622, in four volumes folio. Buxtorf the elder published at Basil in 1632 another, and the best edition;
, a learned rabbi, who flourished in the
fifteenth century, was the first Jew who compiled a Hebrew concordance to the bible, principally, as he allowed,
from Latin concordances. It was entitled “Light to the
Path,
” or “Meir Netib,
” and was first printed at Venice
in
under the emperors Andronicus, John Palacologus, and John Cantacuzenus. He was a great favourite of the elder Andronicus, who made him librarian of the church of C
, a Greek historian, was
born about the close of the thirteenth century, and flourished in the fourteenth, under the emperors Andronicus,
John Palacologus, and John Cantacuzenus. He was a
great favourite of the elder Andronicus, who made him
librarian of the church of Constantinople, and sent him
ambassador to the prince of Servia. He accompanied Andronicus in his misfortunes, and attended at his death;
after which he repaired to the court of the younger Andronicus, where he appears to have been well received; and
it is certain, that, by his influence over the Greeks, that
church was prevailed on to reject any conference with the
legates of pope John XXII. But, in the dispute which
arose between Barlaam and Palamos, happening to take
the part of the former, he maintained it so zealously in
the council that was held at Constantinople in 1351, that
he was cast into prison, and continued there till the return
of John Palseologus, who released him; after which he
held a disputation with Palamos, in the presence of that
emperor. He compiled the Byzantine history in a barbarous style, and very inaccurately, from 1204, when Constantinople was taken by the French, to the death of Andronicus the younger, in 1341. Besides this work, he is
the author of some others. His history, with a Latin translation by Jerome Wolf, was printed at Basil in 1562, and
again at Geneva in 1615. We have also a new version of
it, and a new edition more correct than any of the preceding, printed at the Louvre in 1702, by Boivin the
younger, the French king’s librarian, 2 vols. fol. This
edition contains, in the first volume, the thirty-eight books
of Gregoras, which end with the year 1341; and in the
second are the thirteen following, which contain a history
of ten years. There are still fourteen remaining to be
published; as also fourteen other pieces of Gregoras.
Gregoras also wrote Scholia upon “Synesius de Insomniis,
” published by Turnebus in
ilosopher, who died in the year 911. He dedicated this history to the emperor Andronicus Palseologus the elder: it was translated into Latin, by John Langius, and has
, the son of Callistus Xanthopulus, a learned monk of Constantinople, is placed by
Wharton at 1333, but by Lardner in 1325. He wrote in
Greek an “Ecclesiastical History,
” in twenty-three books,
eighteen of which are still extant, containing the transactions of the church from the birth of Christ to the death of
the emperor Phocas in the year 610. We have nothing
left besides the arguments of the five other books, from the
commencement of the reign of the emperor Heraclius to
the end of that of Leo the philosopher, who died in the
year 911. He dedicated this history to the emperor Andronicus Palseologus the elder: it was translated into Latin,
by John Langius, and has gone through several editions,
the best of which is that of Paris, in 1630. There is only
one manuscript of this history, which was said to be formerly in the library of Matthias, king of Hungary, and
now in that of Vienna. Nicephorus was no more than
thirty years of age when he compiled it, and it is said to
abound in fables, and therefore has been treated with contempt by Beza, and by Gesner. Some other pieces are
ascribed to our author. Labbe, in his preliminary discourse
prefixed to the “Byzantine Historians,
” has given a catalogue of the emperors and patriarchs of Constantinople,
composed by Nicephorus. His abridgment of the Bible
in iambic verse was printed at Basil in 1536, and Dr. Hody
has attributed to him a small piece which he published in
Greek and Latin, during his controversy with Mr. Dodwell, under the title of “Anglicani Schismatis Redargutio.
” His homilies on Mary Magdalen are also inserted
in Bandini “Monumenta,
”
ieutenant and custos rotulorum of the county of Somerset; recorder of Gloucester and Taunton, one of the elder brethren of the Trinity-house; president of the Found
Some facts, however, may be added, which are admitted on all sides, and on which future information can
throw very little new light. It may be added that lord
North entered upon the war with America upon a principle
recognized not only by the most decided majorities in parliament, but by the voice of the nation. To this last there
was no exception but in the proceedings of a party in the
metropolis, whose dissatisfaction arose from other causes,
and who embraced this favourable opportunity to mix
something national with the petty concerns of John Wilkes.
On the other hand, no minister had ever to contend with
so many difficulties; a question of right, which many disputed; the disaffection of the colonies, which was applauded and encouraged within his hearing in the house of
commons; an army which, even if it had appeared at once
in the field of battle, had to encounter physical difficulties;
but which was sent out with hesitation, and in such divisions
that the portion to be assisted was generally defeated before
that which was to assist had arrived; a navy likewise incapable of coping with the numerous European enemies
that combined against Great Britain, and as yet in the infancy only of that glory to which we have seen it arrive.
Added to these, lord North had to contend in parliament
with an opposition more ample in talents and personal consequence than perhaps ever appeared at one time, and
with the uninterrupted hostility of the corporation of London to all his measures, and to the court itself. For such
a force of opposition lord North was not in all respects
qualified. Even Burke, whose irritating language during
tfye American war seemed beyond all endurance, could
allow, that “lord North wanted something of the vigilance
and spirit of command that the time required.
” Yet with
all these discouragements, it was only the actual failure of
the measures of subjugation that lessened his majorities,
and turned the tide of popular sentiment. It was not
conviction, but disappointment, which made the war obnoxious; and the “right of taxation,
” the “ingratitude
of the colonies,
” “unconditional submission,
” ana even
the epithet “rebellion,
” applied to their resistance, never
ceased to be urged until repeated failures prescribed a different language, and made thousands question the principle as well as the policy of the war, who at its commencement did not entertain a doubt on the subject. It was
now that the ministry of lord North was charged with misconduct and incapacity; and such misconduct and incapacity being but too obvious in the blunders of those who
had to execute his orders, it was not wonderful that the
supporters of the war should gradually desert the ministerial
standard, and that ministers should sink under the accumulated weight of parliamentary and popular odium. After
a few faint efforts, therefore, to which he seemed rather
impelled than inclined, lord North gave in his resignation
in March 1732. That he had lately acted under the influence to which we formerly alluded, seemed to he about
this time more generally believed, for some of the last
endeavours of the opposition to procure his dismissal, had
the “influence of the crown
” for their avowed object; and
as they approached nearer the accomplishment of their
wishes, their threats to bring this guilty minister to his
trial became louder. When, however, he made way for
his successors, they not only granted him fu-ll indemnity
for the past, but at no great distance of time, associated
with him in a new administration, a measure to which the
public could never be reconciled. The coalition which
placed lord North and Mr. Fox in the same cabinet was
more repugnant to general feeling than any one, or perhaps the aggregate, of lord North’s measures, when in the
plenitude of his power. When the voice of the nation,
and the spirit of its sovereign, had dismissed this administration, lord North returned no more to power, and took
110 very active part in politics, except on two occasions,
when he maintained the consistency of his former political
life, by opposing the repeal of the test act, and a scheme
for the reform of parliament. In 1790 he succeeded his
father in the earldom, but survived him only two years,
during which he had the misfortune to lose his sight. He
passed his last days in the calmness and endearments of
domestic privacy, to which his cheerful and benign temper m
was peculiarly adapted. His lordship died August 5, 1792.
He was at this time, ranger and warden of Busby Park;
chancellor of the university of Oxford; a knight of the
garter; lord lieutenant and custos rotulorum of the county
of Somerset; recorder of Gloucester and Taunton, one of
the elder brethren of the Trinity-house; president of the
Foundling-hospital and the Asylum, and governor of the
Turkey company and Charter-house.
y with Jonathan Ben Uzziel, author of the second “Targum upon the Prophets.” Prideaux thinks, he was the elder of the two, for several reasons the chief of which is
, surnamed the Proselyte, a famous Rabbi
of the first century, and author of the Chaldee Targum on
the Pentateuch, flourished in the time of Jesus Christ, according to the Jewish writers; who all agree that he was, at
least in some part of his life, contemporary with Jonathan
Ben Uzziel, author of the second “Targum upon the Prophets.
” Prideaux thinks, he was the elder of the two, for
several reasons the chief of which is the purity of the style
in his “Targum,
” coming nearest to that part of Daniel
and Ezra which is in Chaldee. This is the truest standard
of that language, and consequently the most antient; since
that language, as well as others, was in a constant flux, and
continued deviating in every age from the original: nor does
there seem any reason why Jonathan Ben Uzziel, when he
understood his “Targum,
” should pass over the law, and
begin with the prophets, unless that he found Onkelos had
done this work before him, and with a success which he
could not exceed.
e Christ, according to the chronology of Gauz; who adds, that Onkelos was contemporary with Gamaliel the elder, St. Paul’s master, who was the grandson of Hillel, who
Azarias, the author of a book entitled “Meor Ena'im,
”
or the Light of the Eyes, tells us, that Onkelos was a proselyte in the time of Hillel and Samnai, and lived to see
Jonathan Ben Uzziel one of the prime scholars of Hillel.
These three doctors flourished twelve years before Christ,
according to the chronology of Gauz; who adds, that Onkelos was contemporary with Gamaliel the elder, St. Paul’s
master, who was the grandson of Hillel, who lived twentyeight years after Christ, and did not die till eighteen years
before the destruction of Jerusalem. However, the same
Gauz, by his calculation, places Onkelos 100 years after
Christ; and, to adjust his opinion with that of Azarias, extends the life of Onkelos to a great length. The Talmudists tell us, that he assisted at the funeral of Gamaliel,
and was at a prodigious expence to make it most magnificent. Some say, he burnt on the occasion goods and effects to the value of 7000 crowns; others, that he provided
seventy pounds of frankincense, which was burnt at the
solemnity.
s original productions, and many of his copies from Adrian, are palmed upon amateurs as the works of the elder Ostade. But the disparity is easily discernible by the
, a most celebrated Flemishpainter, was born at Lubeck in 1610, and was a disciple of Frank Hals, in company with Brouwer, with whom he contracted a close intimacy. In his choice of subjects he followed Teniers, and, as Fuseli says, may, more properly than any other Dutch, Flemish, or German artist, be said to have raised flowers from a dunghill. He has contented himself to trace the line which just discriminates the animal from the brute, and stamps his actors with instinct rather than with passions. He has personified the dregs of vulgarity without recommending them by the most evanescent feature of taste, and yet decoys our curiosity to dive with bim into the habitation of filth, beguiles our eye to dwell on the loathsome inmates and contents, and surprises our judgment into implicit admiration, by a truth of character, an energy of effect, a breadth and geniality of touch and finish, which leave no room for censure- If he is less silvery, less airy than Teniers, he is far more vigorous and gleaming; if his forms be more squat and brutal, they are less fantastic and more natural; if he group with less amenity, he far excels the Fleming in depth and real composition. His pictures, it is true, are not always of low subjects, but he seldom rises to any thing like gentility in character, and very seldom attempted it. His works are not numerous, and therefore very high-priced. He is also to be ranked among engravers; and Strutt enumerates fiftytwo etchings of various sizes, all from his own designs, and the greater part are justly held in estimation. He died in 1685, at the age of seventy-five. His younger brother, Isaac Van Ostade, was taught by him the art of painting, and imitated the style and taste of his instructor but he died young, and never arrived at any degree of skill in the art comparable to that of his brother. As, however, he wrought in the same manner, and upon the same kind of subjects, some of his original productions, and many of his copies from Adrian, are palmed upon amateurs as the works of the elder Ostade. But the disparity is easily discernible by the judicious, the touch is not so free, the colouring not so transparent; nor have they an equal warmth or force of effect, in comparison with each other.
ga, and towards the extreme parts of Siberia; and he was the most calculated for that expedition, as the elder Gmelin, who had been his precursor in those regions, had
He made his appearance among the Russians at a critical
period. The empress had already ordered the Academy
of Sciences to send astronomers into various parts of the
Russian empire, to observe the transit of Venus over the
sun’s disk in 1769. Being just returned from a voyage
down the Volga, and from visiting the interior provinces
of European Russia, she had perceived the deficiencies of
the topographical and geographical accounts, and anticipated the advantage of deputing learned and skilful men to
visit the distant provinces of her extensive dominions. For
this purpose Catharine had directed the academy to send,
in company with the astronomers, the most able naturalists
and philosophers. Pallas instantly offered to accompany
this expedition; and was as eagerly accepted. He was
immediately charged with drawing out general instructions
for the naturalists, and was gratified with the choice of his
associates. To him was submitted, at his own request, the
conduct of the expedition to the east of the Volga, and towards the extreme parts of Siberia; and he was the most
calculated for that expedition, as the elder Gmelin, who
had been his precursor in those regions, had almost entirely neglected the zoology of those remote districts.
Pallas employed the winter previous to his departure in
forming a systematic catalogue of the animals in the cabinet of the Academy of Sciences; in putting into order the
celebrated collection of professor Breyn of Dantzic, lately
purchased by prince Orlof; in preparing for the press six
numbers of his “Spicilegia Zoologica,
” which were printed
during his absence, under the direction of Dr. Martin; and
in forming the necessary arrangements and notices for his
intended expedition.
reedom, and without the appearance of labour. Vasari describes, with great fervour, a composition of the elder Palma, at Venice, representing the ship in whicii the
, an eminent artist, born at Serinalto, in
the territory of Bergamo, about the middle of the sixteenth
century, was a disciple of Titian. He emulated his master’s
manner, but, according to Fuseli, was more anxious to attain
the colour and breadth of Giorgioni. This appears chiefly
in his “St. Barbara.
” His colouring had extraordinary
strength and brightness, and his pictures are wrought to great
perfection, yet with freedom, and without the appearance
of labour. Vasari describes, with great fervour, a composition of the elder Palma, at Venice, representing the ship
in whicii the body of St. Mark was brought from Alexandria to Venice. “In that grand design,
” he says, “the
vessel was struggling against the fury or an impetuous tempest, and is expressed with the utmost judgment; the distress of the mariners, the violent bursting of the waves
against the sides of the ship, the horrid gloom, only enlivened with flashes of lightning, and every part of the
scene filled with images of terror, are so strong, so lively,
and naturally represented, that it seems impossible for the
power of colour or pencil to rise to a higher pitch of truth
and perfection; and that performance very deservedly
gained him the highest applause.
” Notwithstanding this
deserved praise, his pictures in general are not correct in
design, and his latter works did not maintain his early reputation. He died, according to Vasari, at the age of
forty-eight, but in what year is not absolutely known, although some fix it in 1588.
ter him. She had several daughters by the czar; the youngest of which, Elizabeth, after the heirs of the elder branches were extinct, ascended the throne in 1741.
The czarina, his widow, whom he nominated his successor, was, upon his death, immediately acknowledged empress of Russia by the several estates of the empire. The history of this lady is’rather extraordinary. She was born in Livonia, in 1684; and losing her parents, who were of low condition, she became destitute. The parishclerk, who kept a school, took her into his house, and supported her, till Dr. Gluck, minister of Marienburg, happening to come to that village, eased the clerk of the girl, whom he liked exceedingly, and carried her home with him. Dr. Gluck treated her almost in the same manner as if she had been his own daughter; and not only had her taught spinning and sewing, but instructed her also himself in literature above her sex, and especially in the German language. At length a Livonian serjeant in the Swedish army, fell passionately in love with her, and she agreed to marry him: but the next day the Russians made themselves masters of Marienburg; and the general, casting his eyes accidentally on Catherine, and observing something very striking in her air and manner, took her then under his protection, and afterwards into his service. Some time after, she was advanced to be a housekeeper to prince Menzikoff, who was the general’s patron; and there the czar seeing her, she made such an impression on him that he married her. She was taken at Marienburg in 1702, and married to the czar in 1710: what became of her former husband, the serjeant, is not known. She was a woman of wonderful abilities and address, and a very fit consort for such a man as Peter the Great. It has been already observed in what manner she rescued him from rujn by her management, when he was surrounded by the Turks: and he seems to have made her the partner of his councils and undertakings, as well as of his bed. He shewed the high opinion he had of her by nominating her to succeed him;. but she died in little more than two years after him. She had several daughters by the czar; the youngest of which, Elizabeth, after the heirs of the elder branches were extinct, ascended the throne in 1741.
l. and 9,000l. to be full 20,000l. which is much short of what I have given her younger brother; and the elder brother may have 3,800 per ann. and 9,000l. in money,
This singular composition bears date May 2, 1685, and
runs thus: “In the name of God, Amen. I, sir William.
Petty, knt. born at Rumsey, in Hantshire, do, revoking
all other and former wills, make this my last will and
testament, premising the ensuing preface to the same,
whereby to express my condition, design, intentions, and
desires, concerning the persons and things contained in,
and relating to, my said will, for the better expounding
any thing which may hereafter seem doubtful therein, and
also for justifying, on behalf of my children, the manner
and means of getting and acquiring the estate, which I
hereby bequeath unto them; exhorting them to improve
the same by no worse negociations. In the first place I
declare and affirm, that at the full age of fifteen years I
had obtained the Latin, Greek, and French tongues, the
whole body of common Arithmetic, the practical Geometry
and Astronomy conducing to Navigation, Dialling, &c.
with the knowledge of several mathematical trades, all
which, and having been at the university of Caen, preferred me to the king’s navy; where, at the age of twenty
years, I had gotten up about threescore pounds, with as
much mathematics as any of my age was known to have
had. With this provision, anno 1643, when the civil wars
between the king and parliament grew hot, I went into the
Netherlands and France for three years, and having vigorously followed my studies, especially that of medicine, at
Utrecht, Leyden, Amsterdam, and Paris, I returned to
Rumsey, where I was born, bringing back with me my
brother Anthony, whom I had bred, with about 10l. more
than I had carried out of England. With this 70l. and my
endeavours, in less than four years more, I obtained my
degree of M. D. in Oxford, and forthwith thereupon to be
admitted into the College of Physicians, London, and into
several clubs of the Virtuous (Virtuosi); after all which
expence defrayed, I had left 28l. and in the next two
years being made Fellow of Brazen -Nose, and Anatomy
Professor in Oxford, and also Reader at Gresham-college,
I advanced my said stock to about 400l. and with 100l.
more advanced and given me to go for Ireland, unto full
500l. Upon the 10th of September, 1652, I landed, at
Waterford in Ireland, Physician to the army who had suppressed the rebellion begun in the year 1641, and to the
general of the same, and the head quarters, at the rate of 20^.
per diem, at which I continued till June 1659, gaining,
by my practice, about 400l. a year above the said salary.
About Sept. 1654, I perceiving that the admeasurement
of the lands, furfrited by the aforementioned rebellion, and
intended to regulate the satisfaction of the soldiers who
hadsuppressed the same, was most insufficiently and absurdly
managed; I obtained a contract, dated llth December,
1654, for making the said admeasurement, and, by God’s
blessing, so performed the same, as that I gained about
9,000l. thereby, which, with the 500l. abovementioned,
and my salary of 20s. per diem, the benefit of my practice,
together with 600l. given me for directing an after survey
of the adventurer’s lands, and 800l. more for two years’
salary as clerk of the council, raised me an estate of about
13,000l. in ready and real money, at a time when, without art, interest, or authority, men bought as much lands
for ten shillings in real money, as in this year, 1685, yields
10s. per annum rent, above his majesty’s quit-rents. Now
I bestowed part of the said 13,000l. in soldier’s debentures, part in purchasing the earl of Arundel’s house and
garden in Lothbury, London, and part I kept in cash to
answer emergencies. Hereupon I. purchased lands inIreland, with soldiers’ debentures , bought at the above
market-rates, a great part whereof I lost by the Court of Innocents, anno 1663; and built the said garden, called Tokenhouse Yard, in Lothbury, which was for the most part destroyed by the dreadful fire, anno 1666. Afterwards, anno
1667, I married Elizabeth, the relict of sir Maurice Fenton,
bart. I set up iron-works and pilchard-fishing in Kerry,
and opened the lead -mines and timber-trade in Kerry: by
all which, and some advantageous bargains, and with living
under my income, I have, at the making this my will, the
real and personal estate following: viz. a large house and
four tenements in Rumsey, with four acres of meadow
upon the causeway, and four acres of arable in the fields,
called Marks and Woollsworths, in all about 30A per ann.;
houses in Token-house Yard, near Lothbury, London,
with a lease in Piccadilly, and the Seven Stars and Blazing
Star in Birching-lane, London, worth about 500l. per
annum, besides mortgages upon certain houses in Hoglane, near Shoreditch, in London, and in Erith, in Kent,
worth about 20l. per annum. I have three fourth parts of
the ship Charles, whereof Derych Paine is master, which
I value at 80l. per annum, as also the copper-plates for
the maps of Ireland with the king’s privilege, which I rate
at lOOl. per annum, in all 730l. per annum. I have in
Ireland, without the county of Kerry, in lands, remainders, and reversions, about 3,100l. per annum. I have of
neat profits, out of the lands and woods of Kerry, above
1,100l. per annum, besides iron-works, fishing, and leadmines, and marble-quarries, worth 600l. per annum; in all
4,800l. I have, as my wife’s jointure, during her life,
about 850l. per annum; and for fourteen years after her
death about 2001. per ann. I have, by 3,300l. money at interest, 20l. per annum; in all about 6,700l. per annum. The
personal estate is as follows, viz. in chest, 6,600l.; in the
hands of Adam Loftus, 1,296l.; of Mr. John Cogs, goldsmith, of London, 1,2 5 1l.; in silver, plate, and jewels,
about 3,000l.; in furniture, goods, pictures, coach-horses,
books, and watches, 1,1 So/.; per estimate in all 12,000l.
I value my three chests of original map and field -books,
the copies of the Downe-survey, with the Barony-maps,
and chest of distribution-books, with two chests of loose
papers relating to the survey, the two great barony-books,
and the book of the History of the Survey, altogether at
2,000l. I have due out of Kerry, for arrears of my rent
and iron, before 24th June, 1685, the sum of 1,912l. for
the next half year’s rent out of my lands in Ireland, my
wife’s jointure, and England, on or before 24th June next,
2,000l. Moreover, by arrears due 30th April, 1685, out
of all my estate, by estimate, and interest of money, 1,800l.
By other good debts, due upon bonds and bills at this
time, per estimate, 900l. By debts which I call bad 4000l.
worth perhaps 800l. By debts which I call doubtful,
50,0007. worth, perhaps, 25,000l. In all, 34,4 12l. and
the total of the whole personal estate, 46,412l.: so as my
present income for the year 1685 may be 6,700l. the profits of the personal estate may be 4,64 \l. and the demonstrable improvement of my Irish estate may be 3,659l. per
ann. to make in all I5,000l. per ann. in and by all manner
of effects, abating for bad debts about 28,000l.; whereupon
I say in gross, that my real estate or income may be 6,600l.
per ann. my personal estate about 45,000l. my bad and
desperate debts 30,000l. and the improvements may be
4,000 /. per ann. in all 15,000l. per ann. ut supra. Now
my opinion and desire is (if I could effect it, and if I were clear from the law, custom, and other impediments)
to add to my wife’s jointure three fourths of what it now
is computed at, viz. 637l. per ann. to make the whole
1,487l. per ann. which addition of 637l. and 850l. being
deducted out of the aforementioned 6,600l. leaves 5,113l.
for my two sons whereof I would my eldest son should
have two-thirds, or 3,408l. and the younger 1,705l. and
that, after their mother’s death, the aforesaid addition of
637l. should be added in like proportion, making for the
eldest 3,S32l. and for the youngest 1,916l. and I would
that the improvement of the estate should be equally divided between my two sons; and that the personal estate
(taking out 10,000l. for my only daughter) that the rest
should be equally divided between my wife and three
children; by which method my wife would have 1,587l.
per ann. and 9,000l. in personal effects; my daughter
would have 10,000l. of the Crame, and 9,000l. more, with
less certainty: my eldest son would have 3,800l. per ann.
and half the expected improvement, with 9,000l. in hopeful effects, over and above his wife’s portion: and my
youngest son would have the same within 1,900l. per ann.
I would advise my wife, in this case, to spend her whole
l,587l. per ann. that is to say, on her own entertainment,
charity, and munificence, without care of increasing her
children’s fortunes: and I would she would give away
one-third of the above mentioned 9,000l. at her death,
even from her children, upon any worthy object, and dispose of the other two-thirds to such of her children and
grand-children as pleased her best, without regard to any
other rule or proportion. In case of either of my three
children’s death under age, I advise as follows; viz. If my
eldest, Charles, die without issue, I would that Henry
should have three-fourths of what he leaves; and my daughter Anne the rest. If Henry die, I would that what he leaves
may be equally divided between Charles and Anne: and if
Anne die, that her share be equally divided between Charles
and Henry. Memorandum, That I think fit to rate the
30,000l. desperate debts at 1,1 Ooj. only, and to give it my
daughter, to make her abovementioned 10,000l. and 9,000l.
to be full 20,000l. which is much short of what I have given
her younger brother; and the elder brother may have
3,800 per ann. and 9,000l. in money, worth 900l. more,
2,0001. by improvements, and 1,300l. by marriage, to make
up the whole to 8,000l. per ann. which is very well for the
eldest son, as 20,000l. for the daughter.
” He then leaves
his wife executrix and guardian during her widowhood,
and, in case of her marriage, her brother James Waller,
and Thomas Dame: recommending to them two, and his
children, to use the same servants and instruments for
management of the estate, as were in his life- time, at certain salaries to continue during their lives, or until his
youngest child should be twenty-one years, which would be
the 22d of October, 1696, after which his children might
put the management of their respective concerns into what
hands they pleased. He then proceeds:
d Thomas Southouse, of Gray’s Inn, esq. His*' Poems,“Lond. 1646, vo, is a volume of rare occurrence. The elder Ptiilipot is supposed to have been the author of” The
His eldest son, Thomas Philipott, or Philpot, M. A. was
educated at Clare-hall, and published the “Villare Cantianum,
” London, A brief Historical Discourse of the original and
growth of Heraldry, demonstrating upon what rational
foundations that noble and heroic science is established,
”
London, Monasticon
Favershamiensis,
” Lond. 1646, vo, is a volume of rare occurrence. The elder Ptiilipot is supposed to have been
the author of
” The Citie’s great concern in this case, or
question of Honour and Arms, whether Apprenticeship extinguisheth Gentry? discoursed; with a clear refutation of
the pernicious error that it doth,“1674, 12mo. Another
production of John Philipot was,
” A perfect Collection
or Catalogue of all Knights Bachelours made by king
James,“&c. 1660, 8vo. Mr. Lysons gives an extract from
the parish register of Greenwich, which has been supposed
to relate to him:
” Mr. Thomas Philipott, buried September 30, 1682;“adding,
” that besides the above works, he
wrote on the origin and growth of the Spanish Monarchy,
and a Life of jsop," and remarking, that Anthony Wood
attributes to him some theological works; but Mr. Lysons
thinks it is more probable that they were the production of
his contemporary, Thomas Philipott, D. D. rector of Turveston and Akeley, Bucks. Wood places his death in
1684-.
f Plato’s first visit to Sicily, which happened in the fortieth year of his age, during the reign of the elder Dionysius, the son of Hermocrates, was, to take a survey
The professed object of Plato’s first visit to Sicily, which happened in the fortieth year of his age, during the reign of the elder Dionysius, the son of Hermocrates, was, to take a survey of the island, and particularly to observe the wonders of Mount Etna. Whilst he was resident at Syracuse, he was employed in the instruction of Dion, the king’s brother-in-law, who possessed excellent abilities, but had not escaped the general depravity of the court. Such, however, was the influence of Plato’s instructions, that he became an ardent lover of wisdom, and hoping that philosophy might produce the same effect upon Dionysius, he procured an interview between Plato and the tyrant. This had like to have proved fatal, for Donysius, perceiving that the philosopher levelled his discourse against the vices and cruelties of his reign, dismissed him with high displeasure from his presence, and conceived a design against his life. And although he did not accomplish this barbarous intention, he procured him to be sold as a slave in the island of Ægina, the inhabitants of which were then at war with the Athenians. Plato, however, could not long remain unnoticed: Anicerris, a Cyrenaic philosopher, who happened to be at that time in the island, discovered him, and purchasing his freedom, sent him home to Athens, and afterwards refused the repayment of the purchase-money, that, as he said, Plato’s friends might not monopolize the honour of serving so illustrious a philosopher.
in general that he was some years younger than Naevius or Ennius, and that he died the first year of the elder Cato’s censorship, when Claudius Pulcher and Lucius Portius
, a comic writer of ancient Rome, was born at Sarsina, a small town in Umbria, a province of Italy; his proper name was Marcus Accius he is supposed to have acquired the surname of Plautus, from having broad and ill-formed feet. His parentage seems to have been mean; and some have thought him the son of a slave. Few circumstances of his life are known; Cicero has told us in general that he was some years younger than Naevius or Ennius, and that he died the first year of the elder Cato’s censorship, when Claudius Pulcher and Lucius Portius Licinius were consuls. This was about the year of Rome 569, when Terence was about nine years old, and 184 years B. C. A. Gellius says, that Plautus was distinguished at the same time for his poetry uptm the theatre, that Cato was for his eloquence in the forum and observes elsewhere, from Varro, that he was so well paid for his plays, as to think of doubling his stock by trading in which, however, he was so unfortunate, that he lost all he had got by the Muses, and for his subsistence was reduced, in the time of a general famine, to work at the mill. How long he continued in this distress, is uncertain; but Varro adds, that the poet’s wit was his best support, and that he composed three plays during this daily drudgery.
that this v as the case, but certainly the publication of Purcell’s catches in two small volumes of the elder Walsh in queen Anne’s time, was th means of establishing
His second son, Henry, succeeded his father as a musicseller, at first at his shop in the Temple, but afterwards in
the Temple Exchange, Fleet-street; but the music-books
advertised by him were few compared with those published
by his father. Among them were the “Orpheus Britannicus,
” and the ten sonatas and airs of Purcell. He published, in 1701, what he called the second book of the
'< Pleasant Musical Companion, being a choice collection
of catches for three or four voices" published chiefly for
the encouragement of the musical societies, which, he
said, would be speedily set upn the chief cities and towns
of England. We know not that this v as the case, but
certainly the publication of Purcell’s catches in two small
volumes of the elder Walsh in queen Anne’s time, was th
means of establishing catch-clubs in almost every town in
the kingdom. It is conjectured that Henry Playford survived his father but a short time, for we meet with no publication by him after 17 10.
, called the elder, to distinguish him from his nephew, was one of the most
, 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.
, which contains an account of all the authors of the name of Psellus. One of them, “Michael Psellus the Elder, who flourished in the ninth century, was author of” De
, the younger, a
Greek physician, mathematical writer, critic, and commentator of the writings of the classic ages, flourished
about 1105. He is, for his various and extensive learning,
ranked among the first scholiasts of his time. He commented and explained no less than twenty-four plays of
Menander, which, though now lost, were extant in his
time. The emperor Constantine Ducas made him preceptor to his son Michael, who succeeded to the crown in
1071. His principal works are, 1. “De Quatuor Mathematicis Scientiis,
” Bas. De Lapidum
Virtutibus,
” Tol. De Victus ratione,
”
in 2 books, Bale, 1529, 8vo. 4. “Synopsis Legum, versibus Grsecis edita,
” Paris, Michael Psellus the Elder, who flourished in the
ninth century, was author of
” De Operatione Daemonum,"
Gr. & Lat. Paris, 1623, which has been improperly given
to the preceding author.
folio, with the eleven books of commentaries by Theon, who flourished at Alexandria in the reign of the elder Theodosius. In 1454, it was reprinted at Basil, with a
Science is greatly indebted to this astronomer, who has
preserved and transmitted to us the observations and principal discoveries of the ancients, and at the same time augmented and enriched them with his own. He corrected
Hipparchus’s catalogue of the fixed stars; and formed
tables, by which the motions of the sun, moon, and planets,
might be calculated and regulated. He was indeed the
first who collected the scattered and detached observations of
the ancients, and digested them into a system which he set
forth in his “Μεγαλη συνταξις, sive Magna Constructio,
” divided into thirteen books, and which has been called from
him the Ptolemaic system, to distinguish it from those of
Copernicus and Tycho Brahe. About the year 827, this
work was translated by the Arabians into their language,
in which it was called “Almagestum,
” by the command
of one of their kings and from Arabic into Latin, about
1230, under the encouragement of the emperor Frederic II. There were other versions from the Arabic into
Latin and a manuscript of one, done by Girardus Cremonensis, who flourished about the middle of the fourteenth century, is said by Fabricius to be still extant, and
in the library of All Souls college at Oxford. The Greek
text began to be read in Europe in the fifteenth century
and was first published by Simon Grynaeus, at Basil, 1538,
in folio, with the eleven books of commentaries by Theon,
who flourished at Alexandria in the reign of the elder Theodosius. In 1454, it was reprinted at Basil, with a Latin
version by Georgius Trapezuntius and again at the same
place in 1551, with the addition of other works of Ptolemy, to which are Latin versions by Camerarius. We
learn from Kepler, that this last edition was used by
Tycho.
lication brought on a disorder, of which he died at Lisbon, May 20, 1728, aged 81, leaving two sons, the elder of whom was knight of St. Louis, and major of the dauphin
Quien de la Neufville (James Le), a good historian, was
born May 1, 1647, at Paris, and was the son of Peter Le
Quien, a captain of horse, descended from an ancient
Boulenois family. He made one campaign as a cadet in
the regiment of French guards, and then quitted the service,
meaning to attend the bar; but a considerable disappointment, which his father met with, deranged his plans, and
obliged him to seek a resource in literary pursuits. By
M. Pelisson’s advice, he applied chiefly to history, and
published in 1700, a “General History of Portugal,
” 2
vols. 4to, a valuable and well-written work, which obtained
him a place in the academy pf inscriptions, 1706. This
history is carried no farther than the death of Emmanuel I.
152 1.“M. de la Clede, secretary to the marechal de
Coigni, published a
” New History of Portugal,“1735,
2 vols. 4to, and 8 vols. 12mo, that comes down to the present time; in the preface to which he accuses M. Le Quien
of having omitted several important facts, and passed
slightly over many others. M. le Quien afterwards published a treatise on the origin of posts, entitled
” L' Usage
des Postes chez les Anciens et les Modernes," Paris,
1734, 12mo. This treatise procured him the direction of
part of the posts in Flanders, and in France. He settled
at Quesnoy, and remained there till 1713, when the abbe
de Mornay, being appointed ambassador to Portugal, requested that he might accompany him, which was granted,
and he received the most honourable marks of distinction
on his arrival; the king of Portugal settled a pension of
1500 livres upon him, to be paid wherever he resided,
created him a knight of the order of Christ, which is the
chief of the three Portuguese orders, and worn by himself.
His majesty also consulted him respecting the academy of
history which he wished to establish, and did establish
shortly after at Lisbon. Le Quien, flattered by the success of his Portuguese history, was anxious to finish it; but
his too close application brought on a disorder, of which
he died at Lisbon, May 20, 1728, aged 81, leaving two
sons, the elder of whom was knight of St. Louis, and
major of the dauphin foreign regiment, and the younger
postmaster general at Bourdeaux.
sturbed state of happiness, when the first husband returned, claimed his wife, and had her. Mr. Quin the elder retired with his son, to whom he is said to have left
The marriage of Mr. Quin’s father, was attended with circumstances which so materially affected the subsequent interest of his son, as probably very much to influence his destination in life. His mother was a reputed widow, who had been married to a person in the mercantile way, and who left her, to pursue some traffic or particular business in the West-Indies. He had been absent from her near seven years, without her having received any letter from, or the least information about him. He was even given out to be dead, which report was universally credited; she went into mourning for him; and some time after Mr. Quin’s father, who is said to have then possessed an estate of 1000l. a-year, paid his addresses to her and married her. The offspring of this marriage was Mr. Quin. His parents continued for some time in an undisturbed state of happiness, when the first husband returned, claimed his wife, and had her. Mr. Quin the elder retired with his son, to whom he is said to have left his property. Another, and more probable account is, that the estate was suffered to descend to the heir at law, and the illegitimacy of Mr. Quin being proved, he was dispossessed of it, and left to provide for himself.
til the appearance of Garrick in 1741, he was generally allowed the foremost rank in his profession. The elder Mills, who succeeded to Booth, was declining; and Milward,
From the time of Quin’s establishment at Drury-lane until the appearance of Garrick in 1741, he was generally allowed the foremost rank in his profession. The elder Mills, who succeeded to Booth, was declining; and Milward, an actor of some merit, had not risen to the height of his excellence, which, however, was not at the best very great and Boheme was dead. His only competitor seems to have been Delane, whose merits -were soon lost in indolent indulgence. In the Life of Theophilus Gibber, just quoted, the character of this actor, compared with that of Quin, is drawn in a very impartial manner.
consult him, assisted by the supply from Geneva. But two ladies, whom he met at Moirans, especially the elder, Mad. N. at once banished his fever, his vapours, his
In the ensuing winter he received some music from Italy,
and, being now of age, it was agreed that he should go
in the spring to Geneva, to demand the remains of his
mother’s fortune. He went accordingly, and his father
came also to Geneva, undisturbed, his affair being now
buried in oblivion. No difficulty was occasioned by our
author’s change of religion; his brother’s death not being
legally proved, he could not claim his share, and therefore
readily left it to contribute towards the maintenance of his
father, who enjoyed it as long as be lived. At length he
received his money, turned part of it into livres, and flew
with the rest to “Mama,*' who received it without affectation, and employed most of it for his use. His health,
however, decayed visibly, and he was again horribly oppressed with the vapours. At length his researches into
anatomy made him suspect that his disorder was a polypus
in the heart. Salomon seemed struck with the same idea.
And having heard that M Fizes, of Montpellier, had cured
such a polypus, he went immediately to consult him,
assisted by the supply from Geneva. But two ladies,
whom he met at Moirans, especially the elder, Mad. N. at
once banished his fever, his vapours, his polypus, and all
his palpitations, except those which she herself had excited, and would not cure. Without knowing a word of
English, he here thought proper to pass for an Englishman
and a Jacobite, and called himself Mr Budding. Leaving
the other lady at Romans, with madam N. and an old sick
marquis, he travelled slowly and agreeably to Saint Marcellin, Valence, Montelimar (before which the marquis left them), and at length, after having agreed to pass the
winter together, these lovers (for such they became) parted
with mutual regret. Filled with the ideas of madam N.
and her daughter, whom she idolised, he mused from
Pont St. Esprit to Remoulin. He visited Pont-du Card,
the first work of the Romans that he had seen, and the
Arena of Nimes, a work still more magnificent; in all
these journeys forgetting that he was ill till he arrived at
Montpellier. From abundant precaution he boarded with
an Irish physician, named Fitz- Moris, and consulted M.
Fizes, as madam N, had advised him. Finding that the
doctors Jcnew nothing of his disorder, and only endeavoured to amuse him and make him
” swallow his own
money,“he left Montpellier at the end of November, after
six weeks or two months stay, leaving twelve louis there
for no purpose, save for a course of anatomy, just begun
under M. Fitz-Moris, but which the horrible stench of
dissected bodies rendered insupportable. Whether he
should return to
” Mama,“or go (as he had promised) to
madam N. was now the question. Reason, however, here
turned the scale. At Pont St. Esprit he burnt his direction, and took the road to Chambery,
” for the first time
in his life indebted to his studies, preferring his duty to
pleasure, and deserving his own esteem.“At his return
to madam de Warens, he found his place supplied by a
young man of the Pays de Vaud, named Vintzenried, a
journeyman barber, whom he paints in the most disgusting colours. This name not being noble enough, he
changed it for that of M. de Courtilles, by which he was
afterwards known at Chambery, and in Maurienne, where
he married. He being every thing in the house, and
Rousseau nothing, all his pleasures vanished like a dream,
and at length he determined to quit this abode, once so
dear, to which his
” Mama" readily consented. And being
invited to educate the children of M. de Maiby, grand
provost of Lyons, he set out for that city, without regretting a separation of which the sole idea would formerly
have been painful as death to them both. Unqualified for
a preceptor, both by temper and manners, and much disgusted with his treatment by the provost, he quitted his
family in about a year; and sighing for madam de Warens,
flew once more to throw himself at her feet. She received
him with good nature, but he could not recover the past.
His former happiness, he found, was dead for ever. He
continued there, however, still foreseeing her approaching
ruin, and the seizure of her person; and to retrieve her affairs, forming castles in the air, and having made an improvement (as he thought) in musical notes, from which he
had great expectations, he sold nis books, and set out for
Paris, to communicate his scheme to tht academy.
visited the hermits who inhabited the deserts, and having been told much of the chamy of St. Melania the elder, had the satisfaction of seeing ner at Alexandria, where
, orRUFINUS, a very celebrated priest of
Aquileia, called by some Toranius, was born about the
middle of the fourth century, at Concordia, a small city in
Italy. He retired to a monastery in Aquileia, and devoted
himself wholly to reading and meditating on the sacred
scriptures and the writings of the holy fathers. St. Jerome
passing that way became much attached to him, and vowed
an indissoluble friendship. When St. Jerome retired into
the east some years after, Ruffinus, inconsolable for their
separation, resolved to quit Aquileia in search of his friend.
He accordingly embarked for Egypt, visited the hermits
who inhabited the deserts, and having been told much of
the chamy of St. Melania the elder, had the satisfaction of
seeing ner at Alexandria, where he went to hear the celebrated Didymus. The piety which Melania observed in
Ruffinus induced her to make him her confident, which he
continued to be while they remained iti the East, which was
about thirty years. But the Arians, who ruled in the reign
of Valens, raised a cruel persecution against Ruffinus, cast
him into a dungeon, and loaded him with chains, where he
suffered the torments of hunger and thirst, and they afterwards banished him to the most desolate part of Palestine.
Melania ransomed him, with several other exiles, and returned to Palestine with him. It was at this period, that
St. Jerome, supposing Ruffinus would go directly to Jerusalem, wrote to a friend in that city to congratulate him
on the occasion, in the following terms: “You will see
the marks of holiness shine in the person of Ruffinus,
whereas I am but his dust. It is enough for my weak eyes
to support the lustre of his virtues. He has lately been
further purified in the crucible of persecution, and is now
whiter than snow, while I am defiled with all manner of
sins.
” Ruffinus built a monastery on mount Olivet, converted numbers of sinners, re-united to the church above
400 solitaries, who had engaged in the schism of Antioch,
and persuaded several Macedonians and Arians to renounce
their errors. He, at the same time, translated such Greek
books as appeared to him the most interesting; but his
translations of Origen’s works, particularly “the Book of
principles,
” occasioned that rupture between him and St.
Jerome, which made so much noise in the church, and so
deeply afflicted St. Augustine, and all the great men of
their time. Ruffinus was cited to Rome by pope Anastatius, who is said to have condemned his translation of
“the Book of principles.
” Being accused of heresy, he
published some very orthodox apologies, which discover
great ingenuity. His chief plea was, “That he meant to
be merely a translator, without undertaking to support or
defend any thing reprehensible in Origen’s works.
” He
went afterwards into 'Sicily, and died there about the
year 410. He translated from Greek into Latin, “Josephus;
” “The Ecclesiastical History,
” by Eusebius, to
which he added, two books; several of Origen’s writings,
with his “Apology
” by St. Pamphilius; ten of St. Gregory
of Nazianzen’s Discourses, and eight of St. Basil’s, in all
which he has been accused of taking great liberties, and
in some of them acknowledges it. He has also left a Tract
in defence of Origen; two “Apologies
” against St. Jerome; “Commentaries
” on Jacob’s Benedictions, on
Hosea, Joel, and Amos; several “Lives of the Fathers of the
desert,
” and “An Exposition of the Creed,
” which has
always been valued. His works were printed at Paris, 1580,
fol.; but the “Commentary on the Psalms,
” which bears
his name, was not written by him. The abbe“Gervase has
published a
” Life of Ruffinus," 2 vols. 12mo.
natomy exempted, and carried forward their classes in rotation. The anatomical lectures were read by the elder Monro, who had been settled a 3*ear or two before them
In 1721, he settled as a physician at Edinburgh, and soon afterwards Drs. Rutherford, Sinclair, Plummer, and Innes, purchased a laboratory, where they prepared compound medicines, an art then little known in Scotland; but, having higher views than the mere profits of such a speculation, they demonstrated, as far as they were the* known, the operations of chemistry, to a numerous audience: and soon afterwards, by the advice of their old tnaster Boerhaave, they extended their lectures to other branches of physic. In 1725, they were appointed joint professors in the university: where, we believe, each, for some time, read lectures in every department of medical science, anatomy exempted, and carried forward their classes in rotation. The anatomical lectures were read by the elder Monro, who had been settled a 3*ear or two before them in Edinburgh. But on the death of Dr. Innes, a particular branch of medical science was allotted to each of the other three professors. Dr. Plummer was appointed professor of chemistry and materia medica, Dr. Sinclair of the institutes of physic, and Dr. Rutherford of the practice; and thus they had the honour to establish the medical school of Edinburgh. The lectures on the institutes and practice of physic were then, and for many years afterwards, delivered in Latin, of which Dr. Rutherford had a great command, and talked the language more fluently than that of his country. This practice, we believe, was afterwards discontinued by the successors of these founders; but Dr. Rutherford lectured in Latin as long as he filled the practical chair.
and G. Rysl>rach, who painted fish, dead fowls, and landscape, with Considerable merit, particularly the elder, who was born it Paris in 1690, and died in England of
Mr. Rysbrach, who had by no means raised a fortune equal to his deserts, before his death made a public sale of his remaining works and models, to which he added a Jarge collection of his own historic drawings, conceived and executed in the true taste of the great Italian masters. Another sale followed his death, which happened Jan. 8, 1770. He had two brothers, Peter Andreas, and G. Rysl>rach, who painted fish, dead fowls, and landscape, with Considerable merit, particularly the elder, who was born it Paris in 1690, and died in England of a consumption in 1743. He must be distinguished from another landscape painter of the seventeenth century of the same name, who was a native of Antwerp.
more service to the Protestant religion in wearing that habit, than he could do by laying it aside. The elder Daille told me, that in going to and coming from Rome
His tranquillity was now interrupted by other causes.
Upon leaving Venice to go to Rome, he had left his friends
under the direction of Gabriel Collissoni, with whom he
had formerly joined in redressing certain grievances. But
this man did not answer Paul’s expectation, being guilty of
great exactions: and, when Paul intended to return to
Venice, dissuaded him from it, well knowing that his return
would put an end to his impositions. He therefore artfully
represented, that, by staying at Rome, he would be sure
to make his fortune: to which Paul, with more honesty
than policy, returned an answer in cypher, that “there
was no advancing himself at the court of Rome, but by
scandalous means; and that, far from valuing the dignities
there, he held them in the utmost abomination.
” After
this he returned to Venice; and, coming to an irreconcileable rupture with Collissoni, on account of his corrupt
practices, the latter shewed his letter in cypher to cardinal
Santa Severina, who was then at the head of the inquisition.
The cardinal did not think it convenient to attack Paul
himself, although he shewed his disaffection to him by persecuting his friends; but when Paul opposed Collissoni’s
being elected general of the order, the latter accused him
to the inquisition at Rome of holding a correspondence with
the Jews; and, to aggravate the charge, produced the letter in cypher just mentioned. The inquisitors still did not
think proper to institute a prosecution, yet Paul was ever
after considered as an inveterate enemy to the court of
Rome. He was charged also with shewing too great respect
to heretics, who, on account of his reputation, came to see
him from all parts; and this prevented pope Clement VIII.
from nominating him, when he was solicited, to the see of
Noia. He was also accused of being an intimate friend of
Mornay, of Diodati, and several eminent Protestants; and,
that when a motion was*made at Rome to bestow on him a
cardinal’s hat, what appeared the chief obstacle to his advancement was, his having more correspondence with heretics than with Catholics. “Diodati informed me,
” says
Ancillon, in his “Melange de Literature,
” that, “observing in his conversations with Paul, how in many opinions
he agreed with the Protestants, he said, he was extremely
rejoiced to find him not far from the kingdom of heaven;
and therefore strongly exhorted him to profess the Protestant religion publicly. But the father answered, that it
was better for him, like St. Paul, to be anathema for his
brethren; and that he did more service to the Protestant
religion in wearing that habit, than he could do by laying
it aside. The elder Daille told me, that in going to and
coming from Rome with de Villarnoud, grandson to Mornay, whose preceptor he was, he had passed by Venice,
and visited Paul, to whom Mornay had recommended him
by letters; that, having delivered them to the father, he
discovered the highest esteem for the illustrious Mr. Da
Plessis Mornay; that he gave the kindest reception to Mr.
de Villarnoud his grandson, and even to Mr. Daille; that
afterwards Mr. Daille
” became very intimate with father
Paul," &c. All this is confirmed by father Paul’s letters,
which on every occasion express the highest regard for the
Protestants.
as the four greatest men that ever appeared, but adds, that he prefers Scaliger to the three others. The elder Vossius ascribes to him a sort of human divinity; and
Julius Caesar Scaliger was certainly a man of extraordinary capacity, and of great talents both natural and acquired; but those who were his contemporaries, or who
lived nearest to his times, have spoken of him in language'
too nearly approaching to extravagance. Colerus does not
scruple to say, that he was the greatest philosopher since
Aristotle, the greatest poet since Virgil, and the greatest
physician since Hippocrates. Lipsius goes a little farther,
and not only gives us Homer, Hippocrates, Aristotle, and
Scaliger, as the four greatest men that ever appeared, but
adds, that he prefers Scaliger to the three others. The
elder Vossius ascribes to him a sort of human divinity; and
Huet thinks he was expressly formed by nature as a consolation for our degeneracy in these latter days. From
these, and other encomiums, which might be multiplied
by a reference to the works of his contemporaries and im>
mediate successors, it is evident that his reputation was
great and extensive; and if he began to study and to write
so late in life as has been reported, it is easy to believe that
his endowments and application must have been of the
most extraordinary kind. A list of his principal works,
therefore, seems necessary to illustrate his character. 1.
“Exotericarum exercitationum liber quintus decimus de
subtilitate ad Hieronymum Cardanum,
” Paris, Exercitationes,
” which had no
relation to Cardan. These, however, never were published. 2. “In Theophrasti libros sex de causis plantarum commentarii,
” Geneva, Commentarii in Aristoteli adscriptos libros duos de plantis,
” ibid.
Aristotelis Hist. Animalium liber decimus,
ac versione et commentario,
” Lyons, Aristotelis Hist. Animalium, Gr.
& Lat. ex versione et cum commentaries J. C. Scaligeri.
”
5. “Animadversiones in Theophrasti historias plantarum,
”
Lyons, Commentarii in Hippocratis librum de Insomniis,
” Gr. & Lat. Lyons, De causis lingua? Latinos
libri XIII.
” Lyons, 1540, 4to, &c. This is esteemed one
of his most valuable works. 8. “J. C. Scaligeri adversus
Desiderium Erasmum orationes duae eioquentiae Romance
vindices, cum ejusdem epistolis opusculis,
” Toulouse,
Epistolse,
” Leyden, Epistolce nonnullee ex manuscripto Bibliothecre Z. C. ab Uffenbach,
” printed in the sixth and eighth
volumes of the “Arncenitates Litterarise,
” by Schelhorn.
They all relate to his orations against Erasmus. 11. “De
Analogia sermonis Latini,
” subjoined to Henry Stephen’s
“Appendix ad Terentii Varronis assertiones analogies sermonis Latini,
” Poetices Libri Septem,
”
Heroes,
” or epigrams on various personages
of antiquity, Lyons, 1539, 4to. 14. “Epidorpides, seu
carmen de sapientia et beatitudine,
” ibid, Poemata in duas partes divisa,
” 1.574 and 1600, 8vo.
16. “De comicis dimensionibus,
” prefixed to an edition
of Terence printed at Paris, 1552, fol.
udies. Grotius repaid his care by the utmost respect, and Scaliger' s counsels were commands to him. The elder Scaliger lived and died in the church of Rome: but the
, son of the preceding, and
heir to his talents and temper, was born at Agen in 1540;
and, at eleven years of age, was sent with two of his brothers to the college of Bordeaux, where he was taught
Latin. Three years after, on the appearance of the plague,
he was obliged to return home to his father, who then
superintended his education. He required of him everyday a short exercise or theme upon some historical subject, and made him transcribe some poems, which he himself had composed. This last task is supposed to have inspired him with a taste for poetry, and so eager was he to
show his proficiency, that he wrote a tragedy upon the
story of Oedipus before he was seventeen. His father
dying in 1558, he went to Paris the year following to study
Greek, and attended the lectures of Turnebus for two
months. But finding the usual course too dilatory, he resolved to study it by himself, and with the assistance of
some knowledge of the conjugations, attempted to read
Homer with a translation, in which he succeeded very
soon, and at the same time formed to himself a kind of
grammar, with which he was enabled to proceed to the
other Greek poets, and next to the historians and orators,
and by persevering in this course, he gained in the space
of two years a perfect knowledge of the language. He
afterwards turned his thoughts to the Hebrew, which he
learned by himself in the same manner. All are agreed
indeed, that he had an extraordinary capacity for learning
languages, and is said to have been well skilled in no less
than thirteen. He made the same progress in the sciences,
and in every branch of literature; and he at length obtained
the reputation of being the most learned man of his age,
and his biographers have handed down to us little else than
the progress of his studies and the chronology of his publications. In 1503 he was invited to the university of Leyden, to be honorary professor of Belles Lettres, on which
occasion, if we may believe the “Menagiana,
” Henry IV,
of France treated him with great coldness and neglect.
Scaliger had determined to accept the offer; and, waiting
upon the king to acquaint him with his journey, and the
occasion of it, “Well, Mr. Scaliger,
” said his majesty,
“the Dutch want to have you with them, and to allow you.
a good stipend I am glad of it,
” adding some other remarks of a grosser kind. Henry was no patron of learning
or learned men: but some have supposed that he wished to
mortify Scaliger, who had already shewn too much of his
father’s vanity and arrogant spirit. He now went to Leyden, where he spent the remainder of his life; and died
there of a dropsy, Jan. 21, 1609, without having ever been
married. He was a man of perfect sobriety of manners,
and whose whole time was well spent in study. He had as
great parts as his father, and far greater learning, having
been trained to it from his infancy, which his father had
not. He had a profound veneration for his father, and unfortunately extended it to an imitation of his irritable temper, and disrespect for his learned contemporaries. But he
was often a discerner and encourager of merit. While at
Leyden he was so struck with the early appearance of talent in Grotius, that he undertook to direct his studies.
Grotius repaid his care by the utmost respect, and Scaliger' s counsels were commands to him. The elder Scaliger
lived and died in the church of Rome: but the son embraced the principles of Luther, and relates that his father
also had intentions of doing so.
was the only daughter of Celse Benigne de Rabutin, baron de Chantal, &c head of the elder branch of Rabutin, and Mary de Coulanges. She was born
was the only daughter of Celse Benigne de Rabutin, baron de Chantal, &c head of the elder branch of Rabutin, and Mary de Coulanges. She was born February 5, 1626, and lost her father the year following, who commanded the squadron of gentlemen volunteers in the isle of Rhe, when the English made a descent there. In August 1644, at the age of eighteen, she married Henry, marquis de Sevigne, descended of a very ancient family of Bretagne. He was a major-general and governor of Fougeres. She had by him a son and a daughter. It is said that her husband was not so much attached to her as she deserved, which, however, did not prevent madam de Sevigne" from sincerely lamenting his death, which happened in 1651, in a duel.
ed to have lived in the time of Augustus, though in his “Polyhistor” he has made large extracts from the elder Pliny, probably lived about the middle of the third century.
, an ancient Latin grammarian,
and (as it appears) a Roman, whom some have imagined
to have lived in the time of Augustus, though in his “Polyhistor
” he has made large extracts from the elder Pliny,
probably lived about the middle of the third century. We
have of his the abovementioned work, which Salmasius has
published in 2 vols. folio: illustrated with a commentary of
his own, if to overwhelm a small tract, and bury it under
a mass of learning, can be called illustrating. There are
various other editions. The “Polyhistor
” is an ill-digested
compilation of historical and geographical remarks upon
various countries: and the extracts in it from Pliny are so
large, and his manner withal so imitated, that the author
has been called, “The Ape of Pliny.
”
, an eminent antiquary, was the fourth sou of Richard Stephens, esq. of the elder house of that name atEastington in Gloucestershire, by
, an eminent antiquary, was the fourth sou of Richard Stephens, esq. of the elder house of that name atEastington in Gloucestershire, by Anne the eldest daughter of sir Hugh Cholmeley, of Whitby, in Yorkshire, baronet. His first education was at Wotton school, whence he removed to Lincoln-college, Oxford, May 19, 681. He was entered very young in the Middle Temple, applied himself to the study of the common law, and was called to the bar. As he was master of a sufficient fortune, it may be presumed that the temper of his mind, which was naturally modest, detained him from the public exercise of his profession, and led him to the politer studies, and an acquaintance with the best authors, ancient and modern: yet he was thought by all who knew him to have made a great proficience in the law, though history and antiquities seem to have been his favourite study. When he was about twenty years old, being at a relation’s house, he accidentally met with some original letters of the lord chancellor Bacon; and finding that they would greatly contribute to our knowledge of matters relating to king James’s reign, he immediately set himself to search for whatever might elucidate the obscure passages, and published a complete edition of them in 1702, with useful notes, and an excellent historical introduction. He intended to have presented his work to king William but that monarch dying before it was published, the dedication was omitted. In the preface, he requested the communication of unpublished pieces of his noble author, to make his collection more complete; and obtained in consequence as many letters as formed the second collection, published in 1734, two years after his death. Being a relation of Robert Harley earl of Oxford (whose mother Abigail, was daughter of Nathaniel Stephens of Eastington), he was preferred by him to be chief solicitor of the customs, in which employment he continued with unblemished reputation till 172C, when he declined that troublesome office, and was appointed to succeed Mr. Madox in the place of historiographer royal. He then formed a design of writing a history of king James the first, a reign which he thought to be more misrepresented than almost any other since the conquest: and, if we may judge by the good impression which he seems to have had of these times, his exactness and care never to advance any thing but from unquestionable authorities, besides his great candour and integrity, it could not but have proved a judicious and valuable performance. He married Mary the daughter of sir Hugh Cholmeley, a lady of great worth, and died at Gravesend, near Thornbury, in Gloucestershire, Nov. 12, 1732; and was buried at Eastington, the seat of his ancestors, where is an inscription to his memory.
y both became excellent painters. These are the only disciples we know of this David Tenters, styled the elder, who died at Antwerp in 1649, aged sixty-seven.
, a Flemish painter, was born at Antwerp, in 1582, and received the first rudiments of his art from the famous Rubens, who considered him, at length, as his most deserving scholar. On leaving Rubens, he began to be much employed; and, in a little time, was in a condition to take a journey to Italy. At Rome he fixed himself with Adam Elsheimer, who was then in great vogue; of whose manner he became a thorough master, without neglecting at the same time the study of other great masters, and eiKleavouring to penetrate into the deepest mysteries of their practice. An abode of ten years in Italy enabled him to become one of the first in his style of painting; and a happy union in the schools of Rubens and Elsheimer formed in him a manner as agreeable as diverting. When Teniers returned to his own country, he entirely employed himself in painting small pictures, filled with figures of persons drinking, chemists, fairs, and merrymakings, with a number of country men and women. He spread so much taste and truth through his pictures, that few painters have ever produced a juster effect. The demand for them was universal; and even his master Rubens thought them an ornament to his cabinet, which was as high a compliment as could be paid them. Teniers drew his own character in his pictures, and in all his subjects every thing tends to joy and pleasure. He was always employed in copying after nature, whatsoever presented itself; and he accustomed his two sons to follow his example, and to paint nothing but from that infallible model, by which means they both became excellent painters. These are the only disciples we know of this David Tenters, styled the elder, who died at Antwerp in 1649, aged sixty-seven.
was patron alternis vicibus. Hence it has been conjectured, that Mr. Purvey’s father, John, married the elder sister; and they were sharers, in right of their wives,
The manor of Popes had been in this family from 1483.
Mr. Thomas Tooke sold it in 1664 to Stephen Ewre and
Joshua Lomax; and they the next year to Daniel Siiottorden, of Eltham in Kent, esq. He sold it to col. Thomas
Taylor; and Taylor to sir David Mitchel, who gave it to
his lady for life, and afterwards to his nephew John Mitchel, esq. who was not many years ago the possessor. They
were likewise lords of the manor of Wormley in Hertfordshire, and patrons of the rectory. For, we find by the
records, that Henry VIII. at the dissolution of the monastery of Ecclesia Sanctse Crucis de Waltham, or Waltham
Holy Cross, granted the manor of Wormley, and the advowson of the rectory, to Edward North and his heirs, at
the rent of 1l. 13s. per ann. He sold it to Elizabeth Woodcliffe, from whom it came to William Woodcliffe of London. This William, by Elizabeth his wife, daughter of
Fisher of Longworth, left a daughter Angelot, married to
Walter Tooke, of Popes, in Hatfield, esq. This Angelot,
as appears by her epitaph on the north side of the chancel of Wormley church, was a second daughter, in right of
whom her husband presented to the living alternis vicibus.
It appears by Mr. Purvey’s epitaph, who married lord
Denny’s sister, that he also was patron alternis vicibus.
Hence it has been conjectured, that Mr. Purvey’s father,
John, married the elder sister; and they were sharers, in
right of their wives, both of the manor and advowson, till
it fell entirely to Tooke, upon the elder sister’s death.
The Purveys presented twice, and the Tookes four times;
and the first presentation was Purvey’s, as probably marrying the elder sister. Ralph Tooke succeeded his father
Walter, and, dying without issue, was buried at Essingdon, and divided the estate between his brothers George
and John. George sold his part to Richard Woollaston,
esq. who was gun-founder to Oliver Cromwell. He left a
jon John; and John, a son Richard, who conveyed it to
“William Fellows, esq. whose eldest son Coulston Fellows,
csq. succeeded to it. This- Ralph Tooke died December 22, 1635, aged seventy-seven years. He married Jane,
the daughter of Edward Byth, of Smallfield in the county
of Surrey, esq. She died Dec. 8, 1641. George Tooke,
our author, who had the other moiety, called Wormleybury, died possessed of it in 1675, aged eighty years. His
device was a hedge-hog; and under it his family motto,
” Militia mea multiplex.“On which in his old age he
wrote,
” A key to the Hedge-hog combatant and my
motto."
In what year the elder Tradescant died is uncertain, though it seems to have
In what year the elder Tradescant died is uncertain,
though it seems to have happened most probably in 1652.
The son inherited the museum, and bequeathed it by a
deed of gift to Mr. Ashmole, who lodged in Tradescant’s
house. (See Ashmole.) It afterwards becoming part of
the Ashmolean museum, the name of Tradescant was sunk.
John, the son, died in 1662, and was buried April 25 of
that year. Besides the prints prefixed to the “Museum
Tradescantianum,
” there are several portraits of the Tradescant family in the Ashmolean Museum, both male and
female, esteemed good; but there are no dates to the pictures, nor any painter’s name or mark. John’s widow
erected a monument to the family in Lambeth church-yard,
in 1662, which was much injured by time; but two fine
drawings of it, happily preserved in the Pepysian library,
came in aid of the mutilated parts, and in 1773 it was repaired by a public subscription.
h the words imputed to Strafford were alleged to have been spoken; and this minute was recognised by the elder Vane, as taken down by him at the time, in his quality
Strafford at length prepared to obey these repeated mandates; and having discovered a traitorous correspondence,
in which his enemy Savile and some other lords had invited
the Scots to invade England, he resolved to anticipate and
confound his adversaries by an accusation of these popular
leaders. But no sooner were the Commons informed that
he had taken his seat among the peers, than they ordered
their doors to be shut; and after they had continued several
hours in deliberation, Pyrn appeared at the bar of the
House of Lords; and in the name of the Commons of
England, impeached the earl of Strafford of high treason.
This charge was accompanied by a desire that he should
be sequestered from parliament, and forthwith committed
to prison; a request which, after a short deliberation, was
granted. A committee of thirteen was chosen by the
lower House, to prepare a charge against him. The articles of impeachment, produced at his trial, were twentyeight in number, and regarded his conduct, as president of
the council of York, as lord-lieutenant of Ireland, and as
counsellor or commander in England. It would be impossible to detail all the circumstances of his trial, which was
conducted with great solemnity; but though four months
were employed by the managers in framing the accusation,
and all Strafford’s answers were extemporary, it appears
from comparison, not only that he was free from the crime
of treason, of which there is not the least appearance, but
that his conduct, making allowance for human infirmities,
exposed to such severe scrutiny, was innocent, and even
laudable. The masterly and eloquent speech he made on
his trial has always been admired as one of the first compositions of the kind in that age. “Certainly,
” say Whitlocke, who was chairman of the impeaching committee,
“never any man acted such a part, on such a theatre, with
more wisdom, constancy, and eloquence, with greater reason, judgment, and temper, and with a better grace in all
his words and actions, than did this great and excellent
person; and he moved the hearts of all his auditors, some
few excepted, to remorse and pity.
” But his fate was determined upon. His enemies resolved to hasten it, at the
expence of justice, by adopting a proceeding, which overstepped the established forms and maxims of law, and
against which innocence could form no protection. Dreading the decision of the lords, if the charges and evidence
were to be weighed by the received rules, they resolved to
proceed by a bill of attainder: and to enact that Strafford
was guilty of high treason, and had incurred its punishment. The commons endeavoured to veil the infamy of
this proceeding, by an attempt, not less infamous, and
still more absurd, to satisfy the legal rules of evidence.
The advice of Strafford about the employment of the Irish
army, and which, by a forced interpretation, was construed
into a design to subdue England by that force, had hitherto been attested by the solitary evidence of sir Henry
Vane; but an attempt was now made to maintain the
charge by two witnesses, as the laws of treason required.
The younger Vane, on inspecting some of jiis father’s
papers, discovered a minute, as it appeared, of the consultation at which the words imputed to Strafford were
alleged to have been spoken; and this minute was recognised by the elder Vane, as taken down by him at the
time, in his quality of secretary. In reporting this discovery to the House, Pym maintained, in a solemn argument,
that the written evidence of sir Henry Vane, at the period
of the transaction, and his oral evidence at present, ought
to be considered as equivalent to the testimony of two witnesses; and this extravagant position was actually sanctioned by the House, and adopted as a ground of their
proceedings.
eman of small fortune, being descended from an ancient and considerable family in that county, where the elder branch always continued; but the second, in process of
, a learned and ingenious" writer, was born March 26, 1659, at Colon Clanford, in Staffordshire, where his father then resided, a private gentleman of small fortune, being descended from an ancient and considerable family in that county, where the elder branch always continued; but the second, in process of time, was transplanted into other counties. The head of it flourished formerly at Oncot, in the county of Stafford, though afterwards at Shenton, in Leicestershire; and was possessed of a large estate lying in those and other counties. Our author was a second son of a third son of a second son of a second son, yet notwithstanding this remarkable series of younger brothers, his grandfather, who stands in the midst of it, had a considerable estate both real and personal, together with an office of 700l. per annum. And from a younger brother of the same branch sprang sir John Wollaston,lord- mayor of London, well known in that city at the time of the grand rebellion.
nts, and other pictures and ancient curiosities . Sir Thomas has usually been termed sir Thomas Wyat the elder, to distinguish him from sir Thomas Wyat, his son, who
Lord Orford informs us that in Vertue’s manuscript collections he found that Vertue was acquainted with a Mr. Wyat, who lived in Charterhouse-yard, and was the representative descendant of that respectable family. In 1721, and at other times, Vertue says, at that gentleman’s house, he saw portraits of his ancestor for seven descents, and other pictures and ancient curiosities . Sir Thomas has usually been termed sir Thomas Wyat the elder, to distinguish him from sir Thomas Wyat, his son, who suffered death for high treason in the reign of queen Mary., His lady, according to Wood, was Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Brooke, lord Cobham . His son left issue, by Jane his wife, daughter and co-heir of William Hawte of Bourne, knight, a son named George Wyat of Boxley in Kent, restored 13 Elizabeth.
wn to us. The principal of these are, the “Cyropeedia,” or the life, and discipline, and actions, of the elder Cyrus seven books of the “Expedition of the younger Cyrus
Xenophon, being extremely old, died at Corinth in the
firstyear of the 105th Olympiad, or B. C. 360 leaving
behind him many excellent works, of which a fine collection are happily come down to us. The principal of these
are, the “Cyropeedia,
” or the life, and discipline, and actions, of the elder Cyrus seven books of the “Expedition
of the younger Cyrus into Persia, and of the retreat of the
ten thousand Greeks under himself;
” seven books of the
“Grecian History
” four books of the “Memorabilia
” of
Socrates, with the “Apologia Socratis.
” Cicero tells us,
probably grounding his opinion upon what he had read in
the third book of Plato “de legibus,
” that the “Cyropaedia
” is not a real history, but only a moral fable; in which
Xenophon meant to draw the picture of a great prince,
without confining himself to truth, except in two or three
great events, as the taking of Babylon, and the captivity of
Croesus: and in this he has been pretty generally followed,
though some have thought otherwise. The “Hellenica,
”
or seven books of Grecian history, are a continuation of
Thucydides to forty-eight years farther; and here is recorded an instance of Xenophon’s integrity, who freely
gave the public the writings of Thucydides, which he might
either have suppressed, or made to pass as his own. The
smaller pieces of Xenophon are, “Agesilaus;
” of which
piece Cicero says, “that it alone surpasses all images and
pictures in his praise;
” “Oeeonomics
” with which Cu
cero was so delighted, that in his younger years he translated it, and when he was grown old, gave an honourable
testimony of it. The other writings of Xenophon arej
“The Republic of the Lacedemonians,
” and “The Republic of the Athenians
” “Symposium
” “Hiero, or, of
a Kingdom
” *< Accounts of the Revenues, of Horses, of
Horsemanship;“and
” Epistles."
works. Theodore Zwinger, son of James, a learned protestant divine, married the daughter of Buxtorf the elder. He was pastor and physician when the city of Basil was
, a celebrated
physician of Basil, was nephew, on the mother’s side, to
John Oporinus, the famous printer. He studied at Lyons,
Paris, and Padua; and afterwards taught Greek, morality,
politics, and physic, at his native place. He died in 1588,
aged 54. His principal work is, the “Theatrum Vitae
humanae,
” which had been begun by Conrad Lycosthenes,
his father-in-law. Of this voluminous compilation there is
a most splendid copy on vellum in the British Museum.
Zwiriger’s family has produced many other illustrious men,
and his descendants have distinguished themselves greatly
in the sciences. James Zwinger, his son, who died in
1610, was also a skilful physician; he both enlarged and
improved the “Theatrum Vitae humanse,
” Leyden, Theatrum Botanicum,
” Basil, Fasciculus Dissertationum,
” Triga Dissertationum,
”