A Fit Conjucture of Religion and Learning, Book 3 · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
BEssarion, a Grecian and Monk of St Basil made Cardinal for his LearningBessario natione Graecus, patria Trapezuntinus, Patriarch à Constantinopolitanus. Primus omnium ex Graecis fuit, qui communibus patrum suffragiis, cum Isidoro, in Senatum Cardinalitium electus est. by Eugenius the fourth, his house was the shop of liberal Arts, whilst he lived, he especially honoured Plato, in defence of whom he put out Commentaries against Trapezuntius.
He and Chrysoloras, and Trapezuntius, and Argyropilus brought Greek and pure Latine into Europe.
He gave his Library to Venice, Venetiis Bibliothecam libris Graecis & Latinis instructissimam exexit, quos ex Graecia in Italiam multis impensis emptos transportari curavit. Boiss. Icon.
He wrote many learned Works, which are mentioned by Boissard in his Icones.
Bessarion Cardinalis Nicaenus, ea fuit morum gravitate, & doctrinarum cultura, ut nemo eo Christiana probitate spectatior, Paulo Jovio teste, nemo fuerit doctrina admirabilior. Is Cornelium Tacitum in delitiis habuit, scriptorem civilis prudentiae Mortuus est Ravennae ex legatione Gallica rediens. Anno aetatis LXXVII. Anno Domini M. CCCC. LXXIII. Boissardi Icones & B…xhorn. Monum. Illust. vir. & Elog. Extat Venetiis publica Reipublicae Bibliotheca insignis, tam Graecis, quam Latinis libris instructissima, quam instituit Bessarion Nicaenus, vir apprimè eruditus & clarissimus, S. R. E. Cardinalis, & Patriar…ha Constantinopolitanus. Hanc nobilem & copiosam Bibliothecam Bessarion eidem Reipublicae dono dedit, ut ipsemet restatur in quadam Epistola Italice conscripta, quam videre est inter litteras, quae dicuntur Principum. Biblioth. Ang. Roc. Append. Vatic.magistrum, & quod non minima laus est, Livio nostro in hac etiam parte proximum. Pignor. Symb. Epistol. Epist. 21.
Xystus Betuleius a Learned Writer.Immensi laboris, studii at que lectionis vir, de quo testari possunt Commentarii ejus eruditi & luculenti in Lacta…tii opera Neand. Geog. part. 1.
Theodore Beza, Anno mundi 5661.
His translation of the New Testament, and his accurate Notes upon it haveVenerandus senex, Theodorus Beza, cum per longinquitatem aetaris factus sit ob. liviosus adeo, ut post frequentes de novo Rege Angliae sermones subinde me rogaret de Regina an verum esset quod fama jactaret illam satis concessisse: idem tamen in literis visus nobis esse quem ante annos xx. noveramus. Loquitur Latine, interdum & Graece, ut antea audivimus de Historia veteri differentem è re nata …uculentissime: ut videretur recens esse à lectione Scaligeri, Plutar…bi, & id genus autorum. Casaub. Epist. 463. Vir admodùm celebris, & non solùm Genere, sed & Doctrina imprimis Nobilis, deque Literis tam Sacris, quam Philosophicis (si quis alius hoc aevo) praeclarè meritus. Tych. Brahe De nova Stella l. 1. pars secunda c. 3. made him famous. Beza edidit Psalterium suum jucundum opus & utile. Zanch. Epist. l. 2. Danaeus Zanchio.
His French Psaltery was so well liked, that it was well translated into the Germane, Bohemian, English, Scottish, and many Languages, and all the Orthodox Churches use it, and much esteem it.
He lived 86 years, and towards his later end began to forget what he had spoken. He would (saith Thuanus) repeat whole Psalms in Hebrew, and what ever Chapter one could name out of Pauls Epistles, he would rehearse it all in Greek, for the things he had formerly learned his judgement failed him not, but he presently forgat what he had spoken.
His French Works are mentioned by Verdier in his Bibliotheque. His Latine are known.
Bibles divers.
There are Biblia Latina byaElegantiae plus satis curiosus, qui protervè in re seria Dei verbum Ciceronianae dictionis flore vestive insolenti temeritate molitus est. Morus exe…cit. de Script. sac. Vide Thuan. Hist. Tom. 2. l. 34. p. 210. Magnam proculdubio ab eruditis omnibus & piis gratiam initurus, nisi sacrosanctam rerum divinarum majestatem visus esset aliquot in locis pro nimio Latinitatis & facundiae studio violasse. Scaev. Samarth▪ Gallorum doctrina illust. Elog. Sebastian Castalio with his Annotations, an ethnicalbSome say his was Translatio Ethnica, and Munsters Iudaica, because he followeth the Iewish Writers. Complutum celebre à Bibliis polyglottis ibi excusis anno 1515. biennio antequam Megalander Lutherus doctrinam Ecclesiae repurgare inciperet, unde & Complutensia etiam nunc dicuntur, sumptibus Francisci Simenii Archiepiscopi Tole…ani, qui fuisse scribuntur ducatorum sexaginta millia. Ac profuerunt illa Biblia initio renascentis doctrinae Megalandro Luthero plurimum. Neand Geog part. 1. Vide Biblioth. Hispan. Tom. 1. c. 2. Ximenes ducatorum sexcentiis millenis millibus impensis sex tomos emisit, ita ut in V. T. textum Hebraicum & paraphrasin Chaldaicam, cum duabu… versionibus Latinis, in Novo Textum Graecum cum versione Latina collocaret. Meritò numeratur hoc opus inter instrumenta & media, quibus Deus superiori seculo doctrinae coel…stis puritatem in lucem revocare voluit. Alsted. Eucyclopaed. l. 32. c. 7. Translation, he using Lotio for baptismus, Respublica for Ecclesia. Beza often reproveth him in his Annotations upon the New Testament.
Biblia Hebraica printed at Venice by Bombergus in four Volumes, and by Iohn Buxtorph in two Volumes with the emendation of the Chaldee Translation.
Biblia Hebraea Hutteri.
Biblia Hebraica, vulgò Complutensia in six Volumes, the Chaldee, Greek and Latine Interpretations being added, by Cardinal Ximenes Archbishop of Toledo, published in the year of Christ 1515, a little before Luther, an excellent work, which made way for the Gospel, since both the original languages of the Bible, before only in the hands of the Jews and Grecians, were now generally made known.
The King of Spains Bible in eight Tomes with Apparatus Sacer, printed byBiblia illa Augusta, quae edenda Rex Philippus, unde Regia nuncupantur, cum aeterna sua gloria procuravit. Meursi Athenae Batavae. l 1. c. 13. Opus Hispanicum à Benedicto Ariá Montano, viro decem linguarum perito, sumptu Philippi Hispaniae Regis Antuerpiae est editum, ita ut cum Textu V. T. Hebraico Chaldaica paraphrasis, versio LXX. Interpretum & Latina cum Textu Graeco N. T. Syriaca & Latina versio sit conjuncta. Alsted. Encyclop. l. 32. c. 7. Plantine.
The Old Testament in the four first Volumes, in Hebrew, Chaldee and Greek, with a threefold Latine Interpretation, the first of which is the vulgar, and is annexed to the Hebrew Text, the second and third answer to the Greek Text and Chaldee Paraphrase.
In the fifth Volume the New Testament is contained, in Greek and Syriack withBenedicti Ariae M…ntani studio opera & labore indefesso prodierunt annis superioribus, ex officina Plantini Antuerpiani typographi, celeberrimi & doctissimi Biblia polyglotta in papyro regali, quod vocant, typis pulcherrimis excusa, in Tomos octo distincta & initio centum taleris vendita. Neand. Orb. ter. part. Succinc. explicat. part. 1. in Hispania. Vide plura ibid. a double Latine Interpretation, one of which is the vulgar, the other expresseth the propriety of the Syriack Text, being written by Guido Fabricius Boderianus, one very skilfull in the Syriack.
In the sixth, seventh and eight Tomes is the Apparatus Sacer. In the sixth the Old Testament in Hebrew with the Latine Interpretation of Pagnine and Arias Montanus, and the New in Greek with the vulgar Latine Interpretation, and the other of Arias Montanus.
In the seventh Tome the Grammatical precepts of the Languages, and the Dictionaries of them, Hebrew, Syriack, Chaldee, and Greek are contained.
In the eighth and last Tome, there are singular Books of Arias Montanus his, and the Variae Lectiones gathered by the most learned with greatest study, with two Indexes.
Since that, came out Iay the Advocates Bible in France, who hath been at great charge in printing the Bible in Hebrew, and in other oriental Languages, wherein there are two Volumes supernumerary, which have the Samaritane Pentateuch, and a Translation of it, a Syriack Translation of the Old Testament, and an Arabick Translation of the whole Bible, with Latine Translations to each of them, but it hath not the Interlineary, nor any Apparatus.
It is very corruptly printed.
Now there is here printing in England a Bible, which will exceed the French Versiones antiquae praesertim Orientales, tum ratione affinitatis quam habent cum linguis originalibus, tum authoritatis & usus generalis in primaeva Ecclesia optima sunt media ad verum loci sensum in obscuris indagandum, veramque lectionem in dubiis vel depravatis restituend…m. Introduct. ad lectionem Ling. Orat.Bible, because it sets forth all uno conspectu, whereas that is in several Volumes, and hath the best Editions of each, the vulgar Latine of Clement the 8th, and the LXX of Sixtus Quintus their authentick Editions, and it hath the variety of readings of the Alexandrian Copy on the LXX in the Margent, the Chaldee Paraphrase of Buxtorfs Edition.
It hath also the Interlineary Translation of the Hebrew Bible, and the Ethiopick Translation of the New Testament. Some emendations of the Latine Translation, of the Samaritane Pentateuch, and in the Apparatus, the variety of readings of all the Texts.
There are Biblia Hebraica with the Targum, and divers Commentaries of the Rabbies.Anno 1543. Vide Thuan. Hist. Tom. 2. l. 35. p. 223. Quae Leo Iud… vir Hebraicè doctissimus non sine aliorum adminiculo adornavit. Nam & antequam convertere… Apocryphos & Novum Testamentum ipse obiit. Hanc editionem Robertus Stephanus Lutetiae cum vulgata conjunxit in octavo, vel suis, vel Vatabli Annotationibus adjectis quae ideo Biblia Vatabli nomine veniunt, & fortè Stephani non immerito dicerentur. Vide Pellica…um de vitâ propriâ sub finem. Mori Exercitat. de Script. sac.
There are Biblia Tig…rina begun by Leo Iudae, and finished by other Reformed Divines, published by Robert Steven with Notes annexed.
There are Biblia Latina à Sixto Edita.
There is the Latine Bible translated by Immanuel Tremellius and Francis Iunius, with their Notes.
There is the Latine Bible with the ordinary Glosse of Strabus Fuldensis the brother of Beda, the Postils of Nich. de …yra, and the additions of Paulus Burgensis.
There is the French Bible reviewed by the Professours of Genevah.Biblia Italica doctissimi Diodati, mis…u ipsius accepi, quae praestare possum, omnium, quaecunque prodierunt, praestantissima esse, sive fidem in reddendo, sive verborum Hetruscorum delectum spectes. Scalig. Epist. l. 3. Epist. 25….
There is the Italian Bible by Diodate. Scaliger saith, he makes use of it stil at his study.
There is the Spanish Bible of Cypriano Valera, well approved of.
Theodorus Bibliander was a good Linguist. Vir multijugae eruditionis. Thuanus.Theodorus Bibliander, nation… Helveti…, colendissimus praeceptor meus, vir incomparabilis doctrinae, eloquentiae, tribus in linguis praestantiae, sic pietate moribus & vita exemplar omnibus optimum. Gesu. Biblioth.
Besides many other learned Works which he hath written, he hath also published a Commentary De Ratione Communi omnium Linguarum & Literarum.
Gab. Biel. aScholasticorum rhapsodus Gasp. Peuc. Hist. Carc. Vir in divinis Scripturis eruditus & in humanioribus literis doctissimus fuit. Pantal. De Vir. Illust. German. parte secunda.1480.
Nicolaus Biesius a learned Dutchman. He published an Oration Pro Studiis Literarum, two Books De dicendi Arte, two Books De Universate, five Books De Natura, and four De Republica, a little Book De Opinionum varietate, Commentaries in Galeni Artem, the Method and Theory of Physick.
Hieron. Bignonius. Who may be called the Varro of this Age.
Eberardus Bilichius bOb ingenii in enodandis sacrae doctrinae perplexis quaestionibus subtilitatem magni nominis theologus. Thuan. Hist. Tom. 1. l. 11.. He died at Trent coming thither to the Councel.
Iacobus Billius Primaeus a very learned man. He was famous for his exact knowledg in the Greek Tongue, which he specially exercised in illustrating the Greek Fathers.
He translated Nazianzene into Latine, and illustrated it with Scholia. There are also Sacrae Observationes, and Sacra Anthalogia of his, with divers French works mentioned by Antoine du Verdier in his Bibliotheque.
Thomas Bilney a learned and godly Martyr. I have spoken of him elswhere.
Thomas Bilnius Concionator vehemens, litterarum & virtutis existimatione celebris. Camp. Narrat. Div…rt. Henrici octavi.
Thomas Bilson. His rising was meerly by his Learning.
He hath written,
Survey of Christs Sufferings.
De perpetua Ecclesiae Christi Gubernatione.
Answer to the Apology.
L…lius Bisciola, an Italian.
His H…rae subcesivae are commended by Alegambe, containing excellent things in all kinde of Philology.
Bilibaldus Birkheimerus. He was born at Norimberg, Anno 1501.
A great Mathematician, and most familiar with Erasmus for his great learning. He wrote a Description of Germany, and divers other works mentioned by Boissard.
Peter Blesensis. 1160. a worthy learned man, he spared not at times sharply to reprehend the enormities of the Clergy. Divers of his Epistles are yet to be seen,He lived in the 12th Age. wherein he rebuketh the arrogancy of Thomas Becket.
Archbishop first in England, then at Roane.Blondelli diligentiam pridem admiratus, quo plura ejus lego, eo admiror magis. Grot. Epist. Claudio Saravio. Pe…curri cum voluptate D. Blondelli Diatribam de Suburcariis de ipsa re nunquam allud quam ipse sensi. Non possum satis laudare viri summam diligentiam defaecatumque judicium. Id. alibi Claudio Saravio.
David Blondell.
In antiquitate Ecclesiastica versatissimus. Rivetus Grot. discript. dialys. Sect. 10. He is very well versed in Ecclesiastical Antiquities.
Bochart speaking of Church-Government saith, Blondellus vir piissimus & supra fidem in hisce doctus. Bocharti Epist.
He hath published many learned Works in Latine and French. Pseudo. Isidorus & Turianus Vapulantes.
Modeste Delaration De La Sinceritè & Veritè Des Eglises Reformees de France.
An Answer to Cardinal Per…on, and other Works.
Flavius Blondus a famous Historian and Secretary to many Popes, deserves wellEugenii quarti pluriumque Pontificum Romanorum Secretarius. Ad honorem ejus non parum pertinet, quòd scripta illius in epitomen contrahere dignatus sit Piu… secundus Pontifex Dictione est, non admodum culta: ut etiam Volaterianus agnoscit; sed de antiquitate tamen, utcunque interdum aliquid humani patiatur, sane pro aetate, qua vixit, optimè meretur. Box…orni monum. Vir. Illust. & elog. Idem ferè habet. Vossius De Histor. Lat. l. 3. c. 1. of Antiquity for the age in which he lived.
He died poor at Rome, Ut Philosophum decuit, as it became a Philosopher, saith Boxhornius.
He wrote three Decads, De gestis Romanorum, a Book of Epistles, and another of Orations, and divers others.
He died Anno salutis Christianae. 1363.
Ludovicus Blosius, Abbas Laetiensis.Homo Graecis Hebraeisque literis sic institutus, ut quandoque ad me scripserit Epistolas trilingues. Cle…. Epist. l. 2.
Ioannes Bocatius, a famous Poet of Hetruria, as Petrarch also, but too obscene.Anno ae…ae Christ. 1346. Helv. Chron. Petrarchus & ille, praeter ea quae multa soluta oratione uterque composuit, nonnulla qu…que tarminae latina scrips…re, in quibus non multò praestat alter alteri. In his licet, quod temporum tamen vitio adscribendum putarim, judic…i minus sit & limae, multum tamen poetici spiritus habere videntur. At Deus bone, quae illi lingua patria & vernacula uterque scripsere, hic scilicet rhythmis Lyricis cantiones & epigrammata, ille soluto sermone, & cùm primis fae…tus & jocosus decem dierum narrationes (sic enim illum Graecè foreign librum inscripsit) qualis est utriusque lepos, quae gratia? Nihil fieri potest omnium bonorum judicio, candidius, suavius, elegantius. Lil. Gyrald. De Poet. Histor. Dial. 4. Magnam eruditionis & industriae laudem retulit genealogiâ suâ Deorum. Gloriam quoque meruit compendio historiae, Romanae, item lib. de illustribus viris, de claris mulieribus, de bellis imperatorum de Florentinorum bellis, de capta Constantinopoli, atque aliis. Ob…t anno aetatis LXII. uno post Petrarcham anno. Voss. de Histor. Lat. l. 3. c. 1.
Petrarch was his Master.
His Life is written by Papirius Massonus.
He put forth a Book De Genealogia Deorum, which contains fourteen Tomes, and many others mentioned by Boissard in his Icones. He died in the …3. year of his age.
Trajanns • Boccalinus.Non ine…egans neque invenustus vi…ae morum que magister Trajanus Bo…calinus, vir acri ingenio, adjocandum cum aliquo maledicto facetus, omni elegantia doctrinae excultus. Iani Nicii. Erythraei Pinacotheca tertia. Vid… plura ibid.
Sir Isaac Wake called his Collections of Pernassus the first Satyre in prose, and Master Selden said, he would rather lose any humane Book in his study then that.
Samuel Bochart an able French Divine, Pastor of the Church of Can…, who hathDoctissimus, linguarumque Orje…talium pericissimu… vir S. Bochartu… in admirando opere. Geog. Sac. Ouzel. Animadvers. ad Minuc. Felic octav. Samu…lis Bocharti laboriosum & varia cruditione refer…um opus de Geographia Sacra. Voct. Biblioth. Studios. Theol. l. 2. Append. 2. de Geograph Sac. written a learned Treatise De Geographia Sacra.
Mr Pocock in his learned Miscellaneous Notes in Portam Mosis c. 3. styles him Virum longe doctissimum, and quoting that Book saith, In illo diffusae eruditionis opere.
Peter du Moulin dedicates his Antibar barian to him, and styles him his Nephew.