Johan

. LUDOVIC VIVES was born at Valenza in Spain, educated in Grammar learning there, but in Logic at Paris, at which time all good Arts were banished thence, and the Students totally bent on Sophistical Cavils. Soon after being taken off from those vain bablings, he applied himself to the Study of Humanity, and became (his Age consider’d) noted for it. Afterwards he went to the University of Lovaine, where he seriously applied himself to Lat. and Gr. learning, and sought out all ways to be acquainted with polite and learned Men, being then, by that time, so polite himself, that in detestation of his former errors in following vain sophistry, he wrot a Book Contra Pseudo-Dialecticos. At riper Years he applied himself to the study of the Civil Law and of Divinity, and to the searching of the Writings of all the learned Doctors of the Church by the advice of Des. Erasmus, who had a particular respect for him for mending and correcting some of his Writings, and collecting his Adagies. On the 4. July 1517. he was made (being then at Lovaine) one of the first Fellows of Corp. Chr. Coll. in Oxon. by the Founder therof. By which time his fame being spread over England, and the more for this reason that Catherine of Spain, the first Wife of K. Hen. 8. had a peculiar respect for him, and cherished his Muse, he was invited into England by Cardinal Wolsey (as it seems) in the Year 1523, and coming to Oxon in Aug. or Sept did (p)(p) See Hist. & Antiq. Vnivers. Oxon. lib. 2. p. 36. a. read the said Cardinals lecture of Humanity in the Hall of the said College, and that (as ’tis said) of the Civil Law before the Members of the University. Farther also to add grace and honor to him, it pleased K. Hen. 8. Qu. Catherine, and the prime Persons of their Courts to be (as (q)(q) Brian. [〈◊〉] in Ap 1. lib. 3. §. 210. &c. some report) his Auditors about the latter end of the aforsaid Year, he having been solemnly incorporated Doctor of the Civil Law before, as he had stood in another University. While he remained here he wrot his Books De ratione studii puerilis, and De consultatione, and became so much admired by the Academians, for his great learning and eloquence, (and the more for this reason, that their studies were then wholly bent towards Humanity) that they revived the Degrees of Grammar, Rhetorick, and Poetry, which had been before much neglected. Afterwards he retired to Bruges in Flanders from whence he came, where, about that time he took to him a Wife, but the next Year, viz. in March 152 4-5 he was at Oxon again, as it appears from an Epistle to K. Hen. 8. dated then thence, at which time, if I mistake not, he continued his Lectures either in Humanity or the Civil Law, and was constituted Tutor for the Latin tongue to the Young Lady Mary Dau. of King Hen. 8. His Writings are many, being mostly printed in two Tomes at Basil 1555, but least I should break the Method that I have hitherto followed, I shall make a recital of some.

Jesu Christi triumphans. Wrot at Paris in Apr. 1514.

De initiis, sectis, & laudibus philosophiae lib. 1.

De tempore quo natus est Christus.

Virginis Deiparae Oratio.

Fabula de homine.

Written and finished at Lovaine. 1518.

Pompeius fugiens.

Liber in Pseudo-Dialectios.

Veritas sucata, seu in triumphum prae lectio.

Written at Lovaine. 1519.

Praelectio in somnium Scipionis apud Ciceronem. Written at Lovaine 1520.

Declamationes septem. Finished at Bruges.

In Suetonium quaedam. Finished at Lovaine.

1521.

De consultatione. Fin. at Oxon. 1523.

De institutione feminae Christianae. lib. 3. Written to Catherine Qu. of England from Bruges 1523.

De ratione studii puerilis. Dedicated by his Epist. dat. at Oxon. non. Oct. an. 1523 to Catherine Qu. of England his only Patroness.

Introductio ad sapientiam. Written at Bruges, 1524.

Satellitium animi, vel symbola. Ded. to Princess Mary Dau. of K. Hen. 8. from Bruges 1524.

Epist. ad Hen. 8. dat. Ox. 12. Mar. 1525.

De concordia & discordia. lib. 4

De subventione pauperum.

Written at Bruges 1526.

De passione Christi meditatio.

De sudore Jesu Christi, sacrum diurnum.

At Bruges 1529.

De corruptis artibus. Tom. 3.

De disputatione. lib. 1.

At Burges 1531.

De ratione dicendi. lib. 3. At Brug. 1532.

De communione rerum ad Germanos inferiores: At Bruges 1535.

Exercitationes animi in Deum. At Antw. Aug. 1535.

Preces & meditationes diurnae. At Bruges 1535.

Exercitatio linguae latinae. Written at Breda 1538.

De anima & vita. lib. 3. At Bruges: 1538. With many other things, which for brevity sake I shall now omit. He also translated into Latin, Isocrates his Nicocles, dedicated to Card. Wolsey, by his Epist. dat. at Oxon 15. Dec. 1523. with other translations which I also shall omit. As to the time of this worthy Authors death, many Writers differ, and the just day or year is yet uncertain. Anton. Postevin saith he died at Bruges in Flanders 1536. or therebouts, having left off writing in 1535. Ludovic. Guicciard in his description of Bruges reports it, an. 1540. Thuanus who saith he was a Professor at Lovaine, tells us that he died there 1541, and Job. Whyte in his Diacosio-Martyrion printed 1553, would have it at Bruxels 1545. Which last Author being before all the former in time, and perhaps may know, or remmeber Vives, ought therefore to be believed before the rest. But these matters notwithstanding being uncertain, I shall venture to put his death under Fifteen hundred forty and four, 1544 which being at Bruges, was buried in the Church of St. Donantius there. See more of him in a Book intit. Bibliotheca Hispanica. Printed at Rome in two Tomes in fol. 1672. Tom. 1. p. 552, 553, &c. Both which Tomes were written by Nicholaus Antonius Hispalensis, J. C. Kt. of the Order of St. James.