John Drusius

, or Driesschus, commonly called Vander Driesche the most noted Critick, Linguist, and Theologist of his time, was born at Oudenard a City of Flanders, situated between Gaunt and Tourney, 28. June 1550. educated in Grammar learning in Gaunt, in Academical in the University of Lovaine, where he took the degree of B [•] ch. of Arts. About which time his Father Clement Driesche, being proscribed for Religion, and deprived of his Estate, fled into England, and took this his Son with him. When he came to London he met with Anth. Cevallerius a Professor at Caen in Normandy, exceeding skilful in the Hebrew Tongue, who reading there to several Scholars and Laicks, our author attended him, went also with him to Cambridge, where he read the said Language, and afterwards for a time into France, and by his diligence became an exact proficient in the Hebrew, as well as in the Greek, Language. Soon after he returned to London, and when he purposed to go back into France he heard of the Massacre at Paris, which made him alter his mind. So that turning his course to Oxon, in the beginning of the year 1572. he was entertained by the Society of Morton coll. admitted to the degree of Bach. of Arts, as a Member of that house, in July the same year, and in the beginning of Aug. following had a Chamber set apart (a)(a) Reg. 2. Act. coll. M [•] rton, p. 27. 35. 47. 53, &c. for him by the Society; who then also decreed that he should have forty shillings yearly allowed to him, so long as he read a Hebrew Lecture in their common Refectory. For 4 years, at least, he lived in the said house, and constantly read (as he did sometimes to the Scholars of Magd. coll. upon the desire of Dr. Laur. Humphrey President thereof) either Hebrew, Chalde, or Syriack Lectures. In 1573. he was, as a Member of the said house of Merton, licensed to proceed in Arts, and in the year following was (b)(b) Reg. Univ. Oxon. KK. fol. 177. b. recommended by the Chancellour of the University to the Members of Convocation, that he might publickly read the Syriack Language in one of the publick Schools, and that for his pains he receive a competent stipend. Soon after, upon consideration of the matter, they allowed him twenty marks to be equally gathered from among them, and ordered that the same respect be given to him, as to any of the Lecturers. In 1576. he left Oxon, and in the year following the States of Holland chose him to be the Professor in Hebrew, Chalde, and Syriack in the University of Leydon. Soon after, being Married, the States of Frisland, who had erected an University at Franeker, invited him thither to be a Professor; where continuing many years, was held in high esteem of all Scholars and Foreigners, that repaired thither. He was an excellent Hebrician, and well versed in the Rabbines, and hath given great light to a large part of the Scriptures, as these books following shews most of which are remitted into the several Tomes of the Criticks.

Comm. ad Voces Hebraicas Novi Testum. viz. pars prior.

Com. ad Voc. Hebr. N. Test. viz. pars posterior. Antw. 1582. qu. Both printed together at Franek. 1616. fol.

Quaestionum Hebraicarum libri 3. In quibus varia S. Scripturae explicantur. Lugd. 1583. oct.

Animadversionum lib. 2. Lugd. 1585. oct.

Com. in librum Esther. Lugd. Bat. 1586. oct. Additiones Apocryphae latinè versae, cum Scholiis.

Miscellanea locutionum Sacrarum. Franek. 1586. oct.

Versio & Com. in lib. Ruth, ejusque translatio Graeca cum notis ad candem. Franek. 1586. oct. &c.

Alphabetum Hebraicum vetus, & veterum Gnomae Heb. Lat. Franek. 1587.

Parallela, seu locorum vet. Testamenti quae Novo citantur, conjuncta commemoratio. Franek. 1588. qu.

Proverbiorum sacrorum classes 2. seu explicatio Proverb. Salomonis. Franek. 1590. qu.

Lectiones in Amos, Nahum, Habuc, Sophoniam, Joel, Jonam, & Abdiam. Lugd. Bat. 1591. oct. &c.

Liber Tobias Graecè, cum castigationibus. Franek. 1591. qu.

Lectiones in Jonam. Lugd. Bat. 1591. oct.

Observationum Sacrarum lib. 16. Franek. 1594. oct.

Carmina Hebraica in obitum Jos. Scaligeri. Franek. 1591. qu.

De quaesitis per Epistolam. Printed 1595. oct.

Ecclesiastices Graecè, cum versione & notis. Franek. 1596. qu.

Versio & Scholia ad Proverbia Ben-Syrae. Franek. 1597. qu.

Adagiorum Hebraicorum Decuriae aliquot, cum Scholiis.

Quaest. Hebr. lib. 3. Franek. 1599. oct.

Lectiones in Hoseam. Lugd. Bat. 1599. oct.

Versio & notae ad librum Hasmonaeorum seu priorem Machabaeorum. Franek. 1600. qu.

Grammatica Chaldaica ex tabb. Merceri descripta. Franek. 1602. oct.

De Hasidaeis. Franek. 1603. oct.

De nomine Elohim. Franek. 1604. oct.

De nomine Tetragrammato, cum Scholiis in Pauli Burgensis 12. questiones de eodem subjecto. Franek. 1604. oct. Amst. 1634. qu.

Comm. de 3 sectis Judaeorum, contra Serarium. Franek. 1605.

Comm. de sectis Judaicis, viz. de Hasidaeis, & de 3. sectis Judaeorum, & spicilegium Tribaeresii Nic. Serarii. Franek. 1603. and 1605. oct. Arnh. 1619. qu.

Respons. ad Nic. Seraerii Minerval. Franek. 1606. oct.

Notae ad Sulpitii severi historiam sacram. Franek. 1607. oct.

Opuscula Grammaticalia. Franek. 1609. qu.

Annot. in Nov. Test. sive praeteritorum libri 10. Franek. 1612. qu. &c.

Annot. pars altera. Franek. 1616. qu.

Apothegmata Hebraeorum ac Arabum, ex variis authoribus collecta, Lat. Franek. 1612. qu. &c.

De Patriarchâ Henoch & ejus libro: ubi etiam de libris in S. Scriptura memoratis qui nunc interciderunt. Franek. 1615. qu.

Comm. in difficiliora loca Pentateuchi. Franek. 1617. qu.

Comm. in difficiliora loca Josuae, Judicum, & Samuchs. Franek. 1618.

Vet. Gr. Interp. fragm. in vetus Test. cum notis. Arnh. 1622. qu.

Com. seu Lectiones in 12 Prophetas Minores. Amstel. 1627. Published with additions and amended by Sixt. Amama.

Annot. in librum Kohèleth seu Ecclesiasten. Amstel. 1635.

Versio & Scholia in lib. Job. Amstel. 1636.

Veterum Interpretum Graecorum fragmenta in Pentateuchum, cum notis.

Conjectanea in Graecam editionem 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 lxx.

Tetragrammaticon: sive de nomine dei proprio, &c. Amstel. 1634. qu.

Historia Ruth Graece ad exemplar Complutense cum Latina versione ex Ebraeo, & cum comment. Amstel. 1632. qu.

Animadversionum libri duo pro emendatione [〈◊〉] Ebr. & veterum Interpr. in plurimis locis S. Scripturae. Amstel. 1634. qu.

Grammatica linguae s [••] ctae. Franek. 1612. qu. Catechesis religionis christianae Heb. Gr. & Lat. pr. 1591. oct. Other things, as ’tis probable, he hath published, but such I have not yet seen. He surrendred up his pious soul to God:1615-16. on this 12. of Feb. in sixteen hundred and fifteen, and was buried, as I suppose, at Franeker, after he had lived there a most severe student, and in continual labour for the good and benefit of Literature about 31. years. He left behind him a Son of both his names, bred partly in this University, but not to be numbred among most learned men, especially such as was his Father, as also a Daughter named Agnes, the wife of Abel Curiander author of the Latin life of his Father-in-Law Joh. Drusius, printed at Franaker 1616. qu. In which the Reader may see more of his life and works, than are here set down by me.