Theodore Haak

was born at Newhausen near Wormes in the Palatinate, on the day of S. James S. V. an. 1605, educated in Grammar, and in the Reform’d Religion in those parts, travelled into England in 1625, retired to Oxon about the beginning of Aug. the same year, while the two Houses of Parliament were sitting there, continued half an year in obtaining Academical learning, and afterwards at Cambridg as much. Thence he went and visited several Cities and recesses of the Muses beyond the Seas, returned in 1629, became a Communer of Glocester Hall, continued there near three years, but took no degree, and soon after was made a Deacon by Dr. Jos. Hall Bishop of Exeter. In the time of the German Wars he was appointed one of the Procurators to receive the benevolence money which was raised in several Diocesses in England to be transmitted into Germany, which he usually said was a Deacons work, and when the Wars broke out in this Nation he seemed to favour the interest of Parliament, having been alwaies Calvinistically educated. The Prince Elector did afterwards kindly incite him to be his Secretary, but he, loving Solitude, declined that employment, as he did the Residentship at London for the City of Hamburgh, and for Fred. 3. King of Denmark, &c. The Reader may be pleased now to understand that when the Synod of Dort was celebrated in 1618, care was then taken that the most learned and pious Divines of the United Provinces should make a new and accurate Translation of the Bible, and Annotations to be put thereunto: In which work they were assisted by many eminent and able Divines from most of the reformed Churches, and particularly from England by Dr. Geo. Carleton Bishop of Chichester, Dr. Jo. Davenant B. of Sarum, Dr. Hall B. of Exon, Dr. Sam. Ward of Cambr. &c. by whose great and assiduous Labours, jointly for many years together, the said Annotations were compleated, and came forth in print first, an. 1637. These Annotations I say, commonly called the Dutch Annotations, being thought very fit, and of great use, by the Assembly of Divines sitting at Westm. to be translated into English by the hand of Th. Haak, it was ordered and ordained by the Lords and Commons assembled in Parl. 30. of March 1648. for the encouragement of the said undertaker Theod. Haak, that he, or whom he should assign, should have the priviledge of printing and vending the said Annotations for the space of 14 years: (which terme should begin from the time of the first impression) So that none else, under what pretence soever should be permitted to intermeddle in printing the whole, or any part thereof, upon the pain of forfeiting a thousand pounds to the said Theod. Haak, &c. Afterwards the work going forward and the whole Englished by Haak, it came out with this title The Dutch Annotations upon the whole Bible, together with their translation according to the direction of the Synod of Dort, 1618. Lond. 1657. in two vol. in fol. Before which, is an exact narrative touching the work, and the said translation. Besides the translation of this great work Mr. Haak hath translated into High Dutch several English books of practical Divinity, as (1) Of the deceitfulness of mans heart, written by Dan. Dyke (2) The Christians daly walke, &c. written by Hen. Scudder, (3) The old Pilgrim, being the Hist. of the Bible, written by Anon. but not yet printed, as other translations, which he had made, are not. He also translated into High Dutch in blank verse, half the Poem called Paradise lost, written by Joh. Milton; which comming into the hands of J. Secbald. Fabricius the famous Divine at Heidelberg, he was so much taken with it, that in a Letter sent to the Translator he tells him—incredible est quantum nos omnes afficerit gravitas stili & copia lectissimorum verborum, &c. He also made ready for the Press before his death about 3000 Proverbs out of the Germ. into the English tongue, and as many into the Germ, from the Language of the Spaniard, who are famous for wise sayings and had most part of them from the Arabians. This Mr. Haak who was several years Fellow of the Royal Society, hath Observations and Letters in the Philosophical Collections, which were published in the beginning of May 1682, and perhaps in the Transactions, Quaere. At length this virtuous and learned person departing this mortal life in the house of his kinsman Fred. Slare or Slear M. D, situate and being in an Alley joyning to Fetter Lane, on Sunday the ninth day of May in sixteen hundred and ninety,1690. was buried three days after in a vault under the Chancel of S. Andrews Church in Holbourn near London: At which time Dr. Anth. Horneck a German, preached his Funeral Sermon, wherein were delivered several remarks of Mr. Haaks life; but that Sermon being not yet extant, I cannot therefore refer you to it. Among the many great and learned acquaintance which Mr. Haak had, were Prince Rupert, Dr. Usher Primate of Ireland, Dr. Williams Archb. of York, Joh. Selden, Dr. Hall Bishop of Exeter, Dr. Predeaux B. of Worc. Dr. Walton B. of Chester, Dr. Wilkins B. of the same place, Briggs and Pell Mathematicians, Dr. W. Alabaster the Poet, (whose Manuscript called Elisaeis he had by him, and kept it as a choice relique of his deceased friend to the time of his death) Sir Will. Boswell Ambassador at the Hague, who encouraged him to keep and continue his correspondence with the learned Marseanus, and others of later time.