Treatise of Religion and Learning, Book 4 · Chapter 12
CHAP. XII.
JOseph Mede, a Learned Divine of our own.
There is his
Clavis Apocalyptica, and many English Works.
De Medicis.
The House de Medicis in Florence hath been and still is a great favourer of Learning and Learned men.Mediceorum nomen, etsi pluribus de causis fuit celebre, hac tamen potissimum re celebrius evasit, quòd Musas è Graecia exulantes hospitio exceperint, & libris praesertim Graecis maximo sumptu tota Graecia, & Asia conquisitis non solum Bibliothecam instituerunt & ornarunt, sed bonarum ardium studia in Italia, non sine magnis impensis foverunt. Cosmus enim senior insignem construxit Bibliothecam, quam Petrus ejus filius, nec non Julianus, & Laurentius Cosmi Nepotes, & Petri filii auxerunt, viri sane clarissimi, & bonarum artium, nominisque Platomei, ejusque doctrinae cultores. Ang. Roccha Append. Biblioth. Vatic. De Biblioth. Medicorum domus publicum omni doctrinae liberali hospirium Florentiae fuit, & Cosmus Medicus magnus propterea cognominatus est. Hic enim Chrysolo…as primus Graecas literas tota Europa Latina multis jam seculis inter mortuas excitavit, unde Luteriam à Tifernate Chrysoloiae discipulo protinus indeque in omnes Europae regiones delarae sunt. Hic Argyropylus Graece Aristotelis Philosophiam docuit, & è Graece in Latinum conversam, Cosmo nuncupavit. Rami Praefat. 3da Mathematicae. Vide plura ibid. & Pet. Crinit. De Honesta Disciplina l. 15. c. 9. & Paul. Jov. de vita Leonis decimi l. 1. & Pauli Manut. Praefat. ad Epist. See Les. Vies Des Hommes Illustres du nom de Medicis by Le Brillant.
They give three Pills still for their Arms.
Cosmi de Medicis, was a lover and preferren of Learned men, for he brought unto Florence Argyropylus a Grecian born, and in that time of singular Learning, that the youth of Florence might be by him instructed in the Greek tongue, and other good Learning. He intertained in his house Marsilius Ficinus, a second Father of the Philosophy of Plato, and entirely loved him. Machiav. Hist. of Florence. l. 7.
His Sepulchre in the Church of Laurence in Florence, is of Marble, with this inscription,
Decreto Publico Pater Patriae.
Vide Leand. Alb. Descript. Ital. in Thuscia.
Laurentius de Medicis his grandchilde was a lover of Learning. Papyrius Massonies hath written his life well. He greatly esteemed men that excelled in any Art. He marvellously delighted in Musick, Architecture and Poetry, as many of his own verses and Commentaries yet extant do testifie. He erected an University in Pisae, whither he brought the most excellent men of all Italy.
Laurentius Medicis maxima hac tempestate studiorum patronus: qui missis per universum terrarum orbem nunciis in omni disciplinarum genere libros summa ope conquirit. Polit. Epist. l. 2. Epist. 6. Vide etiam l. 3. Epist. 6. & l. 4. Ep. 2. & l. 8. Epist. 1. & l. 11. Epist. 25.
Pope Leo the tenth was his Great Grandchild.
Petrus Medices.
Non minus jam sua: quam familiae gloria: scilicet in quo patris ingenium: patrui virtus: patrui magni humanitas: avi probitas: proavi prudentia: Polit. Epist. l. 12. Epist. 7. Avus tuus, magnanime Laurenti, magnus Cosmus, Petrus deinde pius genitor me à teneris annis, quo philosophari possem, suis opibus aluerunt. Ficini proaem. ad Laurent. Med. de Religione Christiana.pietas abavi reviviscit: omnium vero majorum suorum liberalitas: omniumque animus.
Petrus Medices Laurentii filius, vir & Graecis & Latinis litteris, optimè, quod omnes fateamini, peritus. Nam hoc & scripta ejus indicant, & quaedam ex Plutarcho, de Amore conjugali, quae vidimus, traducta ab eo locupletissimè testantur. Pier. Valer. De Litteratorum infelicitate l. 2. Vide plura ibid.
Jo. de Medina.
There were three famous Medina's: John, Michael, Bartholomew.Tres illustres Medinae cognomento scriptores fuisse competi. Joannem quidem Theologum Complutensem, Michaelem verò familiae Divi Francisci, Bartholomaeum autem professorem Salmanticae vidimus. Biblioth. Hispan.
Jo. de Medina hath written
De Paenitentia, restitutione, & contractibus.
Michael Medina.
He hath written
De Sacrorum hominum continentia.
De recta in Deum fide.
Barth. à Medina hath written
In primam Secundae. In tertiam D. Thomae usque ad quaestionem sextam.
Joannes Henricus Meibomius.
He hath published
Commentarium in Jus jurandum Hippocratis.
Maecenatis vitam.
Marcus Meibomius.
Antiquae Musicae Auctores Sep…em Graece & Latine.He hath put out Greek Authours of the Ancient Musick in two Volumes with Notes.
Balthasar Meisuerus *Acutus quidem Philosophus, sed superbus & magnorum virorum insignis contemptor. Baron. Philos. Theol. ancillans de origine animae Art. 8. Exercit. 2., Learned but haughty.
Adolphus Mekerckus, vulgò Meetkercke, a Learned searcher of Antiquities.
He wrote
De veteri & recta pronunciatione linguae Graecae.
Pomponius Mela aAnno Aerae Christianae 41. H…lv. Chron., a Learned ancient Geographer.
Philip bTheologiae Corcu…m …e forma…ae. Montac. Praefat. ad Apparatum. Natione Germanus, & totius Germaniae summum decus, unus ex primis & praecipuis renascentis literariae rei publicae, omnisque sapientiae revirescentis parentibus ac restauratoribus, aeterna posterorum memoria dignissimus. Multum ei debet Ecclesis, multum quicunque bonas artes & studia amplectuntur. Gesu. Biblioth. Vide Thuan. Hist. tom. 1. l. 26. Philippus Melancthon libe…a…ium artium ac Philosophiae magister, anno aetatis suae 22. Wirebergam vocatus est, ut in tanta corona doctissimorum virorum Graecam linguam doceret. Urbem paulò pòst ingressus est 25 die Augusti, eodem hoc anno Domini 1518. Bunt…gi Chronologia. Theologus & Philosophus aetatis suae post Lutherum, facile princeps▪ & omnium fe…è in Germania eruditorum communis praeceptor. Melch. Ad. in vita Wigandi. Hoc tantum dicam, Locos tuos illes p…iotes, fuisse mihi primum ad perfectam Christi cognitionem paedagogum, quantum aurem quisque debeat suis primis praeceptoribus, illis praesertim qui nos in vera Christi cognitione catechila…unt: tuo optimè nosti. Te igitur observari à me, & fieri quam maximi, potes ex hoc uno colligere. Zanch. Epist. l. 2. Melanchr.M…lancthon. He was a great Mathematician.
Fuit Philippus ver certè magnus (ut totus novit orbis Christianus) singulari pistate, summa eruditione. non vulgari judicio. Cui omnes Scholae & Ecclesiae, omnesque literati debent plurimum. Zanch. Epist. l. 2. Pezelio.
He was excellently learned, not only in Divinity, but also in the Tongues and Sciences, and generally in all good Learning. For what Art or Science was not polished with his Learned hand? He fyled the Tongue with his Precepts of Rhetorick. He made reason more reasonable by his skilfull rules of Logick. He lift up our heads to behold the starres, and taught us to look back into the times that are past. Travers Answ. to a Popish Treatise.
David Chytraeus Adhortat. Ad Orat. Melancth. saith, Plus Rerum & doctrinae ac sapientiae salutaris, in una Philippi orationum pagina inesse, quàm in Ciceronianis aut Demosthenicis aliquot, utcunque verborum splendore, copia & collocatione concinna praestent.
There is a Book (they say, but I cannot meet with it) styled Crisis Melanctoniana, or Judicium de legendis Authoribus, his judgement of Authors collected out of his Works.
Melancthon thus wrote down before his death, the motives of his willingnesse to leave this world,
A Sinistris.
Discedes à Peccatis:
Liberaberis ab aerumnis & à Rabie Theologorum.
A Dextris.
Venias in Lucem:
Videbis Deum:
Intuebiris filium Dei:
Disces illa mira arcana quae in hac vitae intelligere non potuisti:
Cur sic simus conditi:
Qualis sit copulatio duarum naturarum in Christo.
Fearfulnesse was a stain in all his excellencies.
Dominus eum fortiore spiritu instruat, ne gravem ex ejus timiditate jacturam sentiat posteritas. Calvinus Joanni Sleidano.
Philippus timidus est, ita ut saepenumero agat, quae non probet. Zanch. Epist. l. 2. Bullingers.
Stephanus Paschasius in his Icones hath these Verses of Melancthon,
Doctrina volito clarus super aesthera quamvis
Cognomen dederit terra nigella mihi.
Andrew Melvin.
A learned Scotchman, an excellent Poet.
Some of his Poems are printed,
He was committed for writing Verses against the Altar in White-Hall, and the Lady Arabella was committed for being contracted to the Earl of Hartford, thereby having a greater Title to the Crown, and so in likelihood of causing Commotions.
He made these Verses of the Lady Arabella,
Causa mihi tecum communis Carceris ara
Bella tibi causa est Carceris, ara mihi.
Dr. Barlow Bishop of Lincoln made these Verses of him,
Cor tibi felle nigrum est & aceto lingua redundat,
Ex melle & vino quam male nomen habes.
Menander an ancient Poet.Inter omnes novae Comediae Poetas facile princepa. Lil. Greg. Gyrald. De Poet. Histor. Dial. 7.
Menasseh *Judaeus singulari modestia, & laudabili S. Scripturas Vet. Test. explicandi studio praeditus; de quo spes non infirma, fore, ut arbori, ex qua excidit, inseratur. Dilher. Disputat. Acad. Tom. 1.17. Dissertat.Ben Israel, a learned Jew living at Amsterdam.
He hath put out a Book in Latine, entitled Conciliator, in which he endeavours to reconcile out of the Writings of the Rabbins Loca Pentateuchi foreign.
Jacobus Menochius. A learned Lawyer of great fame.
His Works are in nine Volumes in Oxford.
Stephanus Menochius.
He hath written a brief and literal Explication of all the Scripture, collected out of the best Authors, and also a learned Treatise De Republica Hebraeorum.
Paulus *Anno Christi 1539.Milissus Schedius a learned Poet.
He hath put out
Schediasmata Poetica.
Epigrammata in urbes Italiae.
Gerard Mercator, a most famous Mathematician and Cosmographer,Temporum emendatissimus scriptor. …ed. De Repub. l. 4. c. 2. Mathematicorum sui temporis princeps. Fuit home sedatissimo ingenio, singulari animi c…ndore, pacis & tranquillitatis tum publicae tum pri…atae autentissimus. Swertli Athenae Belgicae. Vide Thuan. hist. tom. 5. l. 109. Pinacographus acutissimus, idem que Mathematicus peritissimus. Ful Miscel. Sac. l. 2. c. 5. and the Ptolomy of our age, he was born at Rapelmonda in Flanders.
Quatuor linguarum peritissimus, ad incredibilem diligentiam acerrimum judicium attulit, accedente rursus ad eximiam doctrinam candore, modestiâ & summâ morum innocentiâ, adeo ut ex ipsius poene unius Scholâ, quicunque in Gallia hodiè paullò melius Chaldaicam & Hebraicam linguam callent. Thuan. Hist. Tom. 3. l. 56. Corpore fuit gracili & à studiorum laboribus macilento, sed voce robusta & virili quae auditorium probè impleret, temperantia autem, pudore, modestia & caeteris animi bonis supra variae doctrinae laudem nulli secundus. Scaev. …amarth. Elog. Gall.Jo. Mercerus, a learned Protestant. A man singularly versed in the Hebrew Tongue, and Hebrew Writers.
He succeeded Vatablus in the profession of the Hebrew Tongue at Paris.
He escaped (as I have heard) at the great Massacre at Paris, being thrown into the River, and lived after, and put forth his learned Commentary on Genesis.
Joannes Mercerus, vir totius humanioris literaturae intelligentissimus, Regius Hebraeae linguae Professor, eruditione solertia, diligentiáque praestantissimus. Prane Jun. Orat. Funeb. in obitum Lucae Trelcatii. Vide Ludovic. Elsevir Praefat. ad L…cto…em ante Comment. Mercer. in lib Job.
Josias Mercer *Vir eruditissimus, magni illius Johannis filius tali parente dignissimus. Casaub. in in Spartian. not. Galliarum lumen tanto patre dignissimus filius. Montacut. Antidiat. Vide … Prolego…d Solinum. Et Thuan. Hist. Tom. 3. l. 56. Famae alicujus radius tibi quoque illucet à magno … virtus c…ara apud omnes. Et tu succedes, imo praecedes: si pergis modo in hoc … studio … recto & foelici pede. Nam notae tuae ad Cornelium nostrum quas mittis (verè non blande dicam) vix tuae aetatis. Lips. Epist. Cent. 1. Epist. 32. Jofiae Merecro., a Frenchman, and Sonne to John Mercer, as Thuanus and others say.
He hath written learnedly upon Tacitus.
Josias Mercorus praestantissimi ingenii vir, nec doctrina tantùm & eruditione, sed & singulari rerum agendarum solertia …, Salmas…i socer, notis suis ad Novium Grammaticum. Herald. Animadvers …. Observat. Ad Jus Att. & Rom. lib. 4. cap. 1.
Hier. Mercurialus, a learned Physician of Padua.
Vir doctissimus. Casaub. Not. ad Diog. Laert. Medicus celebris sed homo foreign. Scalig. Animadvers. in Euseb.His Works are mentioned by Boissard in his Icones.
Ethnicorum Pontificum princeps Hermes: quem tanto in honore Aegyptii habuerunt, ut in Deorum numerum referretur. Crakanth. De Provi. Dei.Mercurius Trismegistus.
A noble and excellent Mathematician, called by the Aegyptians Trismegistus, because he was a most excellent Philosopher, a soveraign Priest, and a most vertuous King.
His Works are in one Volume.
Marinus Mersennus.
Leo Allatius in his Apes Vrbanae speaks honourably of him, and Mr Solden often mentions him with respect.
His Life is lately written in French by a French man, where his several Works are mentioned.
Quaestiones celeberrimae in Genesin cum accurata textus explicatione.
La veritè des sciences.
L' Harmonie vniverselle, contenant la Theorie & la Pratique de lae Musique, with many others.
*Fuit quidem Merlinus vir in rerum naturalium cognitione, & praecipuè in Mathesi vel ad miraculum usque eruditus: quo nomine Princibus ejus aetatis meritó gratissimus erat. Lelandi Assertio Arturii.Merlinus.
He is commonly called Merlin the Prophet, though some question whether there were such a one.
There is in Oxford Catalogue under him.
Expositio de arcano lapidis, and in the Appendix Ses propheties & histoires.
Peter Merlin a godly and learned French Divine, who was Bezas Scholar, and miraculously preserved, when there was a great Massacre of the Protestants at Paris on Bartholomew-day.
He hath put out an Exposition upon Job and Esther.
Georgius Merula.
There are in Politians sixth Book of Epistles, the second, and the third, and the eighth against him, and in his eleventh Book of Epistles, Epist. first and second against him, to which Merula answers Epist. 5th and 7th, and Politian replies Ep. 6th and 10th.
Paulus Merula.
After many voyages he was made Professour of History in his own Countrey in Holland.
He hath three Books of General Cosmography, and four Books of particular Geography.Juris, historiae, antiquitatum, variarum linguarum Callentissimus, & in istis omnibus cum paucis comparabilis. Boxborn. Theat. Holland.
D. Methodius a Christian Poet, and Martyr.Methodius Graecus (nam plures fuerunt) Tyri Episcopus, florult circa 255. Domini annum. Illyr. Catal. Test Verit. l. 2. Christianus Poeta & Martyr sub Decio & Valeriano Martyrii coronam adeptus sub est. Lil. Gyrald. De Poet Hist. Dial. 5.
Jo. Meursius, a most learned man, Quo vix alius literis minori tractabat ambitione. Vossius De vitiis Sermonis l. 2 c. 2.Ad Graecae linguae studium natura pronior, vix tredecim annorum carmen scribebat. Remotissimam Graeciae historiam & sepultas poene cum ipso tempore Antiquitates, eruit. Meursi Athenae Batavae, & Swertii Athenae Belgicae. Anno aetatis decimo sexto in Lycophronem obscurissimum totius Graeciae Poetam: Commentari insticait. Meursi Athen. Bat. l. 2.
Vir meritorum in Remp. litterariam clarissimorum. Dilh. Disputat. Acad.
Minutius Foelix Octavius, Anno Dom 230.
He was a famous pleader of Causes at Rome, contemporary to Tertullian.Romae insignis Causidicus scripsit dialogum Christiani & Ethnici disputantium, qui Octavius inscribitur Jac. Fris. Biblioth. Philos. Nihil certi fortassis de ipsius aetate definire potero, quantum ramen colligere licet, incidisse in tempora Severi Imperatoris non omnino à vero abludere videtur. Adnumeratur enim ab antiquis iis scriptoribus, qui ejus imperio illustres enituerunt. Juniorem quid…m, sed ferè aequaevum Tertulliano crediderim. Joan. à Wower. ad Minut. Foel. Octav. Not. Aequalem Tertulliano Minutium fuisse semper mihi persuasi & quae in utroque scriptore totidem verbis perscripta extant, uter ab altero mutuatus sit dubito. Sub Heliogabalo ambos scripsisse verisimile est. Jos. Scalig. in Epist. ad Johan Wower.
Jo. Picus Mirandula.
He was skilled in the Greek, Latine, Hebrew, Chaldee and Arabick Tongues.Obiit anno Salutis 1449. vixit annos XXXII. Propter generis nobilitatem & raram singularemque formosissimi corporis & animi pulchritudinem, venustatem, Phoenix cognominatus, vir ingenii pene prodigiosi; & in omnium artium scientiarum & linguarum varietate usque ad miraculum exculti. Sixt. Senens. Biblioth. l. 4. Inter Nongentas Theses, quas Romae publicè dispuravit, hae leguntur, utrum Corpus Christi in Coelo localiter, in Altari sacramentaliter. Non potest per Dei potentiam idem Corpus esse simul in diversis locis, nempe quod induceretur implicatio contradictionis, quod ex Thoma Aquinate tuetur. Morn. myst. Iniq. Phoenix seculi sui, illustris vir Picus Mirandula, delitiae musarum, atque alumnus Philosophiae. calig. Comment. in l. 3. Manil. Mirandulae Comes vir ingenio & doctrina pro aetate maximus. Bellarm. De Script. Eccles.
Johannes Picus Earl of Mirandula. That Phoenix of Learning (as appears in the entrance of his Apology) proposed openly at Rome nine hundred Questions in all kinde of faculties to be disputed, inviting all strangers thither, from any part of the known world, and offering himself to bear the charge of the travel, both coming and going, and during their abode there.
His Epitaph composed by Tibaldeus runs thus,
Iohannes jacet hic Mirandula, caetera norunt
Et Tagus, & Ganges, forsan & Antipodes.
Dr Hackw. Apol. l. 3. c. 6. Sect. 2.
Vir sane prae omnibus quae sint: quique fuerint admirandus. Polit. Epist. lib. 7. Epist. 5. Baccius Ugolinus Roberto Salviato.
Qui tam multis unus bonis abundat, ut unus omnium laudes exhauriat. Polit. Ugolino Ep. 6. ibid.
Gratulatus sum huic saeculo virum tanta doctrina: ut nihil feré: tanta cura: ut nihil omnino scire videatur. Video te poetam egregium: oratorem eminentissimum. Animadverto te Philosophum prius Aristotelicum: nunc etiam Platonicum esse factum. Videris literas Graecas quae in te solae desiderari poterant: & sine quibus nihil eras futurus non didicisse modo: sed haufisse. Polit. Epist. lib. 9. Ep. 3. Manil.
De isto prae cunctis admirando: non Pico jam sed (ut ipse appellare soleo) phoenice potius: qui nunc in tua lauru indificat. Polit. Praefat. ad Miscel. Ad Laur. med. Vide etiam Miscel. Cent. 1. ad finem.
Johan. Franc. Picus Mirandula his Nephew was also most learned in Greek and Latine.
Extant ejus sacra po…mata suis quoque Commentariis illustrata, ne legentibus minus clara viderentur: & libri de veritate fidei Christianae, in quibus disciplinarum omnium aceruus eminet. Paul. Jov. Elog. Doctorum virorum. Both their Works are mentioned by Boissard in his Icones.
Rerum Belgicarum ac totius Historiae Ecclesiasticae eximiè peritus. Gassend. De vit. Peiresk. l. 2. Bruxellensis nascitur anno Domini 1573. Vir historiae Ecclesiae cognitione inprimis excellens. Swertii Athenae Belgicae.Aubertus Miraeus, very skilfull in Ecclesiastical History.