, whose family name was Schalter, one of the best Latin poets of his
, whose family name was Schalter,
one of the best Latin poets of his time, was born in the
electorate of Brandenburg in 1508; and, at fifteen, sent
to Wittemberg, where he was privately instructed by
Melancthon, in whose house he lived. He had a great
ambitioft: to excel and an enthusiastic regard for what was
excellent, especially in Latin poetry and although the
specimens ht^ studied made him somewhat diffident of his
powers, he ventured to submit to the public, in his twenty-second year, a poem, entitled “Res Gestse Csesarum
Germanorum,
” which spread his reputation all over Germany, and made all the princes, who had any regard for
polite literature, his friends and patrons. Afterwards he
travelled into Italy, where he contracted an acquaintance
with Bembus and other learned men; and, on his return
visited Erasmus at Friburg, when that great man was in
the last stage of life. In 1536, he married Melancthon’s
eldest daughter, at Wittemberg, to whom he was engaged
before his journey into Italy. She was only fourteen, but
very handsome, and understood Latin well and Sabinus
always lived happily with her but he had several altercations with Melancthon, because he wanted to raise himself
to civil employments; and did not relish the humility of
Melancthon, who confined himself to literary pursuits, and
would be at no trouble to advance his children. This misunderstanding occasioned Sabinus to remove into Prussia
in 1543, with his wife, who afterwards died at Konigsberg
in 1547. He settled, for some little time, at Francfort
upon the Oder, and was made professor of the belles lettres
by the appointment of the elector of Brandenburg; and
was afterwards promoted to be rector of the new university of Konigsberg, which was opened in 1544. His eloquence and learning brought him to the knowledge of
Charles V. who ennobled him, and he was also employed
on some embassies, particularly by the elector of
Brandenburg into Italy, where he seems to have contracted
an illness, of which he died in 1560, the same year in
which Melancthon died. His Latin poems were published
at Leipsic in 1558 and 1597, the latter with additions and
letters. He published some other works, less known,
which are enumerated by Niceron.