A Fit Conjucture of Religion and Learning, Book 4 · Chapter 9
CHAP. XI.
M
NIcolaus Machiavellus, a great Historian. He lived in the age of Philip Historicus & secretarius Florentinus, floruit ante annos 80. Is sua historia impressa Italicè saepè clarè ostendit, ex ambitione & crudelitate Pontificum, pleraque mala ac bella Christianis provenis…e. Illyr. Catal. Test. Verit. l. 19.Strozius, and Clement the 8th Pope.
Although his Politicks be full of poyson, yet since his history hath much hidden wisdom in it, some think the judicious and wary may reade it with profit.
Ioh. Macc…vius, a Learned Divine.
There is his Theologia Polemica, and another Work.
Macrobius. Some commend his Saturnals.
Qui dapibus partim emendicatis, partim suffuratis suas caenas instruxit. Polit. Miscel. Cent. 1. c. 22.
Georgius *Rarae soelicitatis Poeta, plurima cùm sacra tum profana argumenta Comico stylo exornavit: exactae insuper diligentiae Grammaticus, utriusque linguae Rudimenta, & Dialectica non memoria modo, sed & litterarum monumentis complexus est. Auberti Miraei Elogia Belgica.Macropedius, a learned Poet.
Caius Cilnius Maecenas.
He was Councellour to Augustus the Emperour, and so great a favourer andHoratius Ode. 1. Maecenatem vocat suum:—praefidiun… & dulce decus. In pace nempe decus, praesidium, cosumen & tutelam in bello. Meibomii Maecenas, c. 17. Fuit is & ipse elegantissimè doctus, & doctorum hominum patronus munificentissimus, ut & nomen ejus, jam à tot seculis posteritati transcriptum, jerit in proverbium, ac Maecenates dicantur, qui litterarum aut litteras amantium tutelam ac patrocinium in se recipiant. Meibomii vita Maecenatis. c. 1. countenancer of Learned men, that he hath conveyed his name to all the Patrons of Learning.
He favoured Poets above others, and advanced them. He exceedingly loved and favoured Virgill the Prince of Poets, & absque ipso fuisset, nos hodie & hujus & plurium aliorum monumentis careremus.
He also favoured Horace.
Otia dat nobis, sed qualia fecerat olim
Maecenas Flacco Virgiloque suo.
Mart. l. 1. Epigr. 108. ad Lucium Iulium.
Propertius also was his friend, and other Poets mentioned by Meibomius, c. 18. and there he addes this sentence, Ex tam propenso vero in literatos amore ac favore …d praemii inter caetera retulit Maecenas, ut celebriores doctissimorum hominum lucubrationes ipsius virtuti consecrarentur.
Ioannes Petrus Maffeius, a very eloquent Italian.
Hujus aevi Latinae linguae lumen, he in prose honoured his Country at the same time that Torquatus Tassus did it in verse, being his Countries Tully, as the other was its Virgill.
There are Epistolae Selectae published of his cum vita Ignatii Loiolae.
Raphael aVir fuit habitu corporis venusto, facundia elegante, & morum gravitate vitaeque sanctimonia clarus. Boissardi Bibliotheca.Maffeus, a most learned man, as his writings sufficiently testifie. His Works are mentioned by Boissard.
Ferdinandus bFerdinandus quidam Maegellanus, Natione Lusitanus, cui fretum Magellanicum una navigatione simul & immortalem gloriam, & mortem attulit. Boxhornii Historia Universalis.Magellanus.
He found out the straight of Magellane.
R. M. Mai…mon, or Rabbi Ben Maimon, Anno à Nativitate Christi 1131.D… hoc apud Hebraeos celcbratissimum fertur. elogium, quod A Mose usque ad Mosem non surrexit alter Moses, sicut iste, hoc est à Mose legislatore usque ad Mosem Aegyp…ium, non …uerit ullus huic Mosi eruditione conferendus. Hunc Judaei Rambam, hoc est, Rabbi Mosem, Ben Maimonis vocant, nomen ipsius ac dignitatis ipsius, & patris ipsius unico vocabulo, ex quatuor capitalibus earundem appellationum literis composito, perstringentes, quod & in plerisque aliis Rabbinorum titulis facere solent. …ixt. Senens Biblioth. Sanct. l. 4. Rabbi Moses Maimonides omnium Judaeorum doctissimus & acutissimus. Scalig. Canon. …agog. l. …. Vide B…x…or…. Praefat. ad More Nevochim. Fuit autor iste candidus minimeque superstitio…us. Plus certè▪ veritati add…ctus erat, quam naeniis importunis Neotericorum Judaeorum. Drus. in Tetragram. notae. Moses Maimonides Cord. ubae. natus, circa quadringentos octoginta ab hinc annos in Hispania floruit, ubi Judaeorum suorum juris, etiam quod ibi in usu erat scientissimus. Seldenus De Syned. Vet. Ebr. l. 3. c. 3.
One famous among Jews, Christians, and Mahometans.
He dwelt in Egypt, therefore Aegyptius dicitur.
He hath written a Book styled More Nevochim, Doctor Perplexorum, which because it seems too much to favour the Christians, the Jews generally conspired together, and thought to burn it, but it was so much dispersed through the whole world that they could not accomplish what they had intended. Drus. in Tetrag. N…t.
Mr Selden in his 2d part de Syned. saith he hath five severall Editions of Maimonides, besides a Manuscript, and every edition hath somewhat that the other hath not.
The Aquinas of the Rabbins.
Inter Hebraeos celebratissimus, Merc. praefat. in lib. Iob. Celeberrimus inter. Iudae…s Maimonides. Constant. L'Empereur praefat. ad Itin. Benjam.
Diligentissimus Rabinorum Mosche ben Maymon Schickardi Ius Regium Hebraeorum. c. 1.
Io. Major Scotus.
Johannes Major qui in studio Theologiae, magnum nomen, me puero habuit. Buchan. Rer. Scot. Hist. l. 7.
He hath written Historiam Majoris Britanniae, and on four Books of the Sentences.
Cum scateat nugis solo cognomine Major,
Nec sit in immenso pagina sana libro:
Non mirum titulis quod se veracibus ornat:
Nec semper mendax fingere Creta solet. Buchan. Epig. lib. 1.
This was much in Buchanan, Major being his Master.
M. Ant. Majoragius.
He hath written upon Aristotles Rhetorick, upon some of Tullies Works, and Orations of his own.Eruditissima Commentaria in quatuor Evangelistas meliora & integrio…a multorum judicio futura, si superstite autore edita fuissent: quibus tamen si pari diligentia elaboratae in Acta Apostolorum & Apostolicas Epistolas interpretationes, quas scripsisse illum constat, …im accedunt, hab…bunt profecto omnes docti & pii opus paucis in hoc genere comparandum, & quod unum multorum instar esee possit. Lansius Orat. pro Hispania. Vide Casaub. ad Front. Duc. Epist. p. 41. Vir judicii exasciati & veritatis Historicae Hyperaspistes, si quis alius, Iacobus Thuanus (Hist. tom. 3. l. 79) alium nobis vita & moribus Maldonatum depingit, quam se nobis ille exhi…uit in Commentariis. Montacut. Orig. Eccles. Vide ejus Apparat. & Orig. Eccles. Tom. prior. part. poster. p. 26. & Antidiat. ad c. 23. Scripsit succinctos & literales Commentarios in Ieremiam, Ezechielem, Danielem. …rae omnibus verò laudantur ipsius Commentaria in quatuor Evangelistas pau…o fusius & nervosius conscripta. Si…t. Se…ens. Bibli…th. Sanct. l. 4.
Maldonate, a Spaniard and a Jesuite.
Whose skill in expounding Scriptures (save only where doting love unto their Church hath made him blinde) none of theirs, few of our Church hath surpassed. Dr Iackson upon the Apost. Creed, first Vol. l. 3. c. 13. The most judicious Expositor among the Jesuites. Id. ibid. c. 15.
Some think him very arrogant and bitter, Vide Scalig. Elench. Trihaeres. Serar. cap. 11.
Others say that he read Lectures in Paris by way of preface (before his Exposition of the Evangelists,) of the Scriptures, and said that there was more Divinity in one Chapter of St Pauls Epistles, then in all Aquinas his Summes. Many Protestants frequented his Lectures, and he was suspected to be too favourable to them.
Ne ipsi quidem Calvinistae & Calvinistarum ministri ipsius praelectionibus abstinerent. Alegambe Biblioth. Script. Soc. Ies. Vide plura ibid.
Gulielmus Malmesbùriensis, a famous Historiographer of our own. Anno Dom. Inter quos cum & narrationis …ide, & judicii maturitate principem locum teneat Gulielmus Malmesburien…is, homo, ut erant illa tempora, literate doctus, qui septingentorum plus minus annorum res tanta fide & diligentia pertexuit, ut è nostris propè solus historici munus explesse videatur. Savil. praefat. ad rerum anglicarum scripto…es. Vir erat …uo saeculo in omni genere bona…um literarum plane eruditissimus, & in eruendis antiquitatibus ingenio, diligentia & industria singula…is. Balaeus De Script. Brytan. Cent. 2.1130.
Io. Manaraus, a famous Physitian, who wrote 20 Books Epistolarum Medicinalium.Vir ▪ G…aecè & Latinè doctissimus rem medicam & naturae arcana iisdem vestigiis prosequitur, cujus rei specimen da…e possunt Epistolae quas proximo edidit. Eras. Epist. l. 20. Epist. 54.
M. Manilius, sive Manlius.Historiae ac Literaturae omnis indagator, floruit temporibus Marii & Syllae. Voss. De Histor. Lat. l. 1. c. 9.
He was a Poet at Rome in the time of Augustus the Emperour, to whom he dedicated his five Books of Astronomy, made in Hexameter verses.
Baptista Faustus Mantuanus, a Monk born at Mantua, as Virgill also was.Florebat Anno Christi 1494. Boiss. Icon. Laudo institutum piumque propositum, verùm extemporalis magis quam poeta maturus. Extant illius versus penè innumerabiles, ex quibus apud vulgus & barbaros quosdam laudem tantam est adeptus, ut unus propè poeta, & alter penè Maro haberetur, at bone Deus quam dispar ingenium. Nam ut ubique Maro perfectus, ita hic immodica & penè teme…aria ubique usus est licentia, quam & magis atque magis indies auxit. Lil. Gyrald. De Poet. Nostr. Temp. Dial. 1. Anno Dom. 1516. Obiit Baptista Ma…tuanus, omnium qui unquam fuerunt, fraterculorum doctissimus, anno ae…atis suae 72 vitae severitate, morumque sanctitate clarus, ac disciplinarum omnium scientissimus. Nemo aut pulchrius aut dulc…us poema scripsisse legitur. Wols. Lect. Memorab. Fuerunt ejus scripta tanto in precio & aestimatione, ut Baptistae Hispaniolae (sic enim cognominabatur, licet Mantuae natus) opera cum Vergilanis conferrentur. Boissardi Icones.
Poeta fuit doctus & pius. Bellarm. de Script. Eccles. He was a Learned and pious Poet.
Of that fame that he was made equall by some to the more ancient Poets even under Augustus: Amougst other verses of his wisely written also those are wont often to be used and rehearsed,
Ambitiosus honos, & opes, & foeda voluptas,
Haec tria pro trino numine mundus habet.
Stephanus Paschasius in his Icones hath these verses of him,
Mantua foelicem genuit foecunda Maronem;
Haec eadem faustis me tulit auspiciis.
His Works are mentioned by Boissard in his Icones.
He often grievously accuseth the Church of Rome.
Th…uet Vies des hommes Illustres. l. 6. confesseth he was Satyricall and discovered the abuses of Rome, and then saith he was a bastard, and gives many examples of famous men that were bastards.
Aldus Manutius Senior.Typographus Venetus, celeberrimus, laboriosissimus, & doctissimus, & qui▪ primus è Bibliothecis manuscriptis plerosque Graecos autores in omni doctrinarum genere pulcherrimis typis excusos in publicum edidit. Nea…d. Geog. parte 1•. Vide Ia…i Nic. Eryth. Pinacoth.
He collected and published two famous Volumes, one which Henry Stevens lately reprinted at Genevah. Another which in 2 Tomes gives 700 Epistles, 40 Volumes of Greek Authours, rare and yet full of Learning, Wisdom and Eloquence.
He first also published a Volume of Greek Grammers.
Paulus aHic annus nobis eripuit duo magna Italiae & Germaniae lumin…, Paulum Manutium ct Ioachimum Camerarium. In Paulo quidem praeter exactam puritatis Latinae & Antiquitatis Romanae cognitionem, quam ad Ciceronem suum illustrandum attulit, plerisque scriptis dum vixit publicatis, & post mortem a filio Ald… virtutum paternarum haerede editis, &c. Thua…. Hist. Tom. 3. l. 59.Manutius his sonne, homo & diligentissimus & doctissimus. Turneb. Advers. l. 8. c. 24.
Besides many other Learned Writings (as his Epistles) he also published ten Books of the Roman Antiquities.
Aldus Manutius minor, Vir quidem eruditus, & in Antiquorum monumentis indagandis accuratissimus. Ang. Roccha.
A…gelus Roccha in his Appendix Bibl. Vatican, De Bibliothecis, quae adhuc extant, mentions three Manutii, Aldus, and his sonne Paulus, and Pauls sonne Aldus.
Aldus senior publicae consuluit utilitati, dum impressoriam artem miro exercuit studio, ut Latinam linguam, & Graecam, quas optime callebat, in pristinum splendorem, Ioanne Baptista Alberto, Nicolao Peroto Episcopo Sipontino, Francisco Philelpho, Io. Iucundo, Theodoro Gaza, Trapezumtio, Lascare, Chrysolora, Musuro, Urbano, & Bessarione ad eandem rem praestandam inscribendo ad laborantibus, typis perpulchris restituere.
Paulus autem Aldi filius Paulus Aldi filius, alter Cicero in Latine scribendo, Romanam linguam collabentem in pristinum nitorem studuit revocare, dum Latinorum monumenta diligenter scrutatus est.
Aldus denique junior Aldi nepos, & Pauli filius, dum Avum, & Patrem, & typis, ac scriptis imitatur, utriusque linguae non ignarus, Avum & Patrem imitatione repraesentat.
Gualt. Mapes.Vi… literatissimus Gualterus Mapes, Henrici secundi Anglorum Regis Clericus familiaris fuit. Romam visi…avit, & Pontificis vidit fastum execrandum. Vidit Cardinalium & Praelatorum superbiam, luxum, libidines, avaritiam, nec potuit, domum reversus, perditorum istorum nebulonum oblivisei, sed illos quam d…u vixit, Satyris aculeatissimis ad sanam mentem revocare, conatus est. Illyr. Catal. Test. Verit. l. 14.
Archdeacon of Oxford, a man of an excellent wit, who in his verses points forth in lively colours the life of the Popes, and he describes also the exactions, rapines of the Court of Rome, the riot and pride of the Prelates, in a book of his entitled, Diversa Poemata, de corrupto Ecclesiae statu.
Samuel Maresius, a Learned French Divine, Professor of Groning.Principum virtutes ac vitia, ut optimus quisque scriptor summa fide notavit. Bod. Method. Hist. cap. 4. Fidei & judicii satis clarus est, modo styli. Lips. Not. ad 1. Lib. Polit. Vide plura ibid. Floruit sub Gratiano ac Valentiniano, ac libros scripsit 31. ex quibus tredecim primi deperierunt. Est verò hic scriptor gravis planè, ac serius, & dignus qui ab omnibus, ac Germanis praecipuè ametur. Mirificè enim illustrat veteris Germaniae situm, eóque m…orem hac parte fidem meretur, quia in hoc stipendia ipse meruerit adversos Germanos. Dictio horridior est. Sed virtutes hujus scriptoris sunt tantae, ut hoc in rationem venire non debeat. Et quid mirum, si duri militis phrasis quoque duriuscula sit, homóque Graecus Graecas sapiat loquendi formas. Vossiu… De Histor. Lat. lib. 2. cap. 9.
His books are mentioned Vit. Profes. Groningae.
Ammianus Marcellinas. In the year of our Lord 361.
He writes a military and rough style, as himself confesseth.
He wrote 30 Books, beginning from the rule and dominion of Nerva, even to the death of Valens, in whose Court he flourished, but 13 of these are lost.
Scriptor suae aetatis fide & judicio probatissimus. Rivi… Justin. Defens. adversus Alemannum.
Io. Mariana, a Learned Jesuite.
He hath written Scholia upon the Old and New Testament.
Maximus Margunus. Cytherorum Episcopus.De vitis Sanctorum Grper Sim. Metaphrasten.
Sir Henry S…vill in his notes on Chrysostoms Psalmes cals him Graecorum Neotericorum longè doctissimum, and publisheth there an Epistle of his sent to David Haeschelius.
Psalterium B. Mariae, our Ladies Psalter.
Bonaventure the authour thereof, to shew himself a devout servant to his Lady,Psalterium B. Mariae, ex impresso Parisiensi codice descriptum, Martinus Chemnitius inseruit tertiae parti examinis Concilii Tri dentini, in quo sunt centum quinquaginta Psalmi, quibus Davidicae preces & laudes, quas ille Domino obtulit, transferuntur in B. Virginem Mariam, horrendo planè sacrilegio. Hoc opus Bonaventurae Doctori Seraphico & Cardinali tribuunt. Bellarniinus lib. de script. Eccles. & Possevinus in Apparatu sacro. Forb…s. Iustruct. Historico. Theol. l. 7. c. 7. hath taken every Psalm of Davids Psalter (which he peculiarly made and referred to Almighty God) and hath in divers of the said Psalms and verses put out the Name of the Lord, and placed in the name of our Lady: This being done through the whole Psalms, and every one of them, it is now called our Ladies Psalter, used to be sung and said in the praise and service of our Lady.
Alsted in his Encyclopaed. l. 35. saith this book is falsly ascribed to Bonaventure, for he on Lombard saith, Cavendum est, ne dum matris excellentia ampliatur, filii gloria minuatur.
Marianus Scotus.Anno Aerae Christianae 1056. Helv. Chron. Fuldensis Monachus Theologus & insignis historiographus, praeter alia annales ab orbe condito duxit: optimo ordine usque ad annum Domini 1082. qui erat aetatis suae 56. Geneb. Chronol. l. 4.
He hath put out Chronicorum lib. 3.
Augustine Marlorat, one of the Ministers of the Reformed Church at Roan in France.
A man excellently Learned, and of an unblameable life, who had the testimonyHe was hanged upon a gibbet before our Ladies Church in Roan. even of the Papists themselves, that in his Sermons he never uttered ought that tended to sedition or rebellion.
He hath written upon Genesis, Esaey, and the Psalmes, and an Ecclesiasticall Exposition upon the New Testament, which last is generally well esteemed of, and Dr Willet somewhere wisheth, that the like had been done by some on all the Old Testament. Enchiridion locorum Communium.
Philippus Marnixius, Anno Christi 1538. a Learned and famous Writer.Natus est Bruxellis nomen ejus per Europam totam Clarissimum; & in viro genus, ingenium, eruditio, eloquentia, virtus at que industria certabant. Mel…b. Ad. & Muer…i Athenae Batavae.
His Works are mentioned by Melchior Adam in his life. His*Editum hoc scriptum anno septuage…imo primo, quo tempore crudelissimè in viscera Belgicae saeviebat Albanus, estque var…etate historiarum, & acumine sententiarum refertissimum jocis facetiisque, in Papistarum theatrales nugas & fabulas mi…è condi…um: adeò ut lectoribus istorum temporum praecipuè, singularem attulerit voluptatem: & occasionem multis praebuerit, de religione Christiana seriò cogitandi. Et hic liber ut populari applausu exceptus, sic non sine fructu plu…imorum lectus, plus rei Belgicae illa tempestat… in religionis negotio profuit; quàm eruditi aliquot commentarii. Edidit & tabulam, qua differentiam exponit Christianae & Pontificiae Religionis. In hac multa ex alveatio hausta: multa nervosis argumentis serio tractata: à Belgis Gallisque summo studio desiderata & lect…. Melohior. Ad. in ejus Vira. Alvearium Romanum, Romish Beehive (it is translated into English) and Table of the differences of Religion are very well liked.
Gruterus wrote these verses of him being dead,
Orbis delities amorque Marnix,
Quo digno poteris tegi sepulcro?
Defunctis aliis satis sepul…ro est
Pars terrae brevis: orbis ipse dignum
Vix totus fuerit tibi sepulcrum
Orbis delities, amorque Marnix.
Cl…m. Marot, a French Poet.Equidem vereor ut absurdum videatur inter literatos illum collocare, cui defuerunt literae. Quae si adfuissent, vix ullus erat fui…rus poeta melior. Ho… certè Galliae praestitisti, quòd cum illius temporis scriptores sermone uterentur tam impuro, ut nec intelligi possent, primus in meliorem aptè & dilucidè loquendi viam ingressus es. Scav. Samarth G…l. Elog. Is propter ingenil facilitatem ad Poësim naturali inclinatione ferebatur; adeoque promptus, ut qui ejus scripta legunt, nihil in iis requirunt, praeter exactiorem Graecae, Latinaeque …inguae cognitionem, in quibus non satis instructus erat. Qua…vis Metamorphosis Ovidii ab …o versa, & Psalmi Davidis satis indicant, non vulgari doctrina fuisse praeditum. Boissardi Bibliotheca.
Poëte de Princes & Prince de Poëtes de son aage. Antoin Verd. Biblioth.
In the Vulgar tongue he surmounted far all Poets that either were before his daies, or that lived also in his time. He turned 50 of Davids Psalms into French Meeter, which are read with admiration of his excellent wit. He set them forth at Genevah, for he might not safely longer abide in France for suspition of Lutheranism. See Pasquiers Recherches de la France, l. 7. c. 5.
Marguerite Queen of Navarre, Sister to Francis the first.Princesse qui a esté souue: rainement parfaict… en poësie, docte en philosophie, a escrit en sa langue autant doctement (selonque portoit le temps auquel elle viv…it) que les G…ecs ou les Latins ont faict en la beur Bibliotheque La D' Antoi…e Du Verdier.
There are her Memoires. In the Epistle to the Reader are these words, Que Rome vante tant qu' il luy plaira les Commentaires de son premier Empereur, La France a maintenant les memoires d' une grande Roine qui ne leur cedent en rien.
Her Poeticall Works are joyned together.
Marsilius de Sancta Sophia.Celebratur à Plinio Secundo pro re maximè mirabili, quòd in una familia Curionum, tres continuata serie oratores ex…iterin. At quanto majori celebritate digna res est, quòd Sancta Sophia nobilis familia Pa…avii habue…it continuata s…rie septem philosophos, simulque illustres medicos, ut quasi prodigii loco haberi possit gentis hujus cognomen: quando sicut Sophiae nomine decoratur, sic etiam reipsa in ea tam diu perfusus Sophiae splendor illuxerit. Bernardinus Scardeonius De Clar. Medic. & Philosoph. Pa…av.
He was the sonne of Nicolas Sancta Sophia.
He wrote many things most worthy to be known, of healing sicknesses.
His Opera varia are in Oxford Catalogue.
M. Val…rius Martialis, a witty Poet but too obscene.
Scriverius hath many Elogies of him in his Comment.Floruit à Christi nata…i anno ferrè centesimo. Biblioth. Hispan. Juvenalis, Martialis, Statius Poetae, item Quintilianus, Josephus, Philo &c. sub Domitiano scripserunt. Calvis. Chronol. Multa sunt ejus epigrammata divina: in quibus & sermonis castitas & argumenti species luculenta est, versus verè candidi, numero…i, pleni; denique optimi. Alia foeda ne legerim quidem, tantum abest ut ad censuram voce…. Scalig. Hype…crit. c 6. Vir fuit, ut Plinii verbis utar, ingeniosus, acutus, acer, & qui plu…imum in scribendo & salis haberet & fellis, nec candoris minus. Cui quantum accedendum censeam, haud facilè dixerim, non certe ejus omnia epigrammata, nec plurima quidem video doctis placere: Romae diu versatus est, Domitiani, Nervae, & Trajani temporibus, id quod ex ipsius versibus, facile colligitur. Lil. Greg. Gyrald. De Poet. Histor. Dial. 10.
Matthias Martinius, Professor of Divinity and Rector of Brema.Alma illa optimorum ingeniorum nutrix, Germania, & in ea illustre vestrum Gymnasium, multos pietate, ingenio & eruditione insignes juvenes ad nos transmisit S. A…am. Matthiae Martinio.
Some much prize Theologos Bremenses & Salmurienses.
His Lexicon Philologicum is very well esteemed of.
Petrus Martinius.
He hath put out an Hebrew and Chaldee Grammer, which is englished by Iohn Udall with Observations upon it.
Peter Martyr, a Learned Italian.Anno à parta salute 1500. Tanto fuit ingenio▪ ta… excellenti doctrina, ▪ ea praeterea pietate, modestia, morumque facilitate, ut non modo iis quibuscum vixit, gratus, charus, reverendus fuerit, sed ab hostibus quoque & adversariis inter summos numeratus sit, & admirationi illis fuerit. Orat. de vita & obitu Pet. Mat. Natione Italus, Italiam ob Evangelii professionem relinquere coactus multum valet eloquentia, & in tribus linguis eruditionis est Clarissimae. Gesn. Biblioth.
He was born at Florence the most flourishing City not onelyonly of Hetruria, but of all Italy.
Of whom I cannot speak without great reverence, B. Iewels Def. of his Apol.
At Padua he first obtained a full knowledge of the Greek tongue, and of Philosophy, afterward at Bon…nia he diligently studied the Hebrew tongue and Divinity. He was at first a Monk, and was counted the chief of his order; but when he more seriously punished their loose lives, he got thereby much envy.
He hath written Common-places, a large*Opus longè accuratissimum, in quo quicquid de Eucharistia in sacris literis, Patrum, Conciliorumque monumentis proditum est, accuraté & Copiosè tractatur. Verheiden. Vide Thuan. Hist. Tom. 1. l. 3. Book in defence of Bishop Cranmer against Gardiner of the Eucharist: and excellently expounded divers books of Scripture, Genesis, Iudges, Kings, Samuell, the Epistle to the Romans, the first Epistle to the Corinthians, and hath published other Treatises.
He was Canon of Christ-Church in Oxford, as is said in his life, and as he himself affirms in his Epistles.
Andreas Masius, a great Linguist.Vir fuit foreign: nam praeter Italicam, Gallicam, Hispanicam, ceterásque Europae linguas, & jam Latinae, Graecae, Hebraicae atque Syriacae cognitione non vulgari claruit. Valeri Andreae Bibliotheca Belgica. Bruxellensis omnium seculorum memoria vir dignissimum. Swertii Athenae Belgicae. Doctissimus …osuae interpres. Geneb. Chronol. l. 1. Vir Syncero, Candido, & aperto Ingenio; ad haec rarâ & reconditâ doctrinâ praeditus, & qui ad Hebraicae, Chaldaicae, ac caeterarum Orientalium linguarum cognitionem, summam animi pietatem & exactum retum sacrarum studium attulerat, variaque in eo genere Commentatus fuerat: plura etiam daturus, si viro bono per valetudinem ferè semper adversam licuisset. Specime… eorum prae…ent doctissimi & accura…â diligentiâ scripti in Josuam Commentarii, ante biennium ab ipso auctore publicati. Thuan. Hist, Tom. 3. l. 56. Praeter eximiam Latinae, Graecae, Hebraicae, & linguarum exoticarum cognitionem, cum Romae ageret, tantam linguae Syriacae notitiam, Mose Mardeno, Patriarchae Antiocheni ad Gregorium XIII. Pont. Max▪ Legato, docente, brevi adsecutus est, ut aliquanto post Nestoriani populi patriarcha pariter Romam veniente. Nemo illo aptior repertus sit, qui quas hic a suis popularibus attulerat Syriacas litteras, interpretaretur. Auberti Miraei Elogia Belgic….
He hath written Learnedly on Ioshua, and assisted Arias Montanus in the edition of the King of Spains Bible, and first of all illustrated the Syriack Idiome with Grammaticall Precepts and a Lexicon. There was a great familiarity between him and Laevinus Torrentius and Augerius Busbequius, and at Rome he was intimate with Antonius Augustinus, and other Learned men.
He saith in his Preface to his Grammer of the Syriack tongue, that Moses Mardenus was his Master, Ipsum Romae privatim interdum audiebam doctorom.
Masorites.Masoreth est sepes legis.
They observed not only how many words, but also how many syllables all the Books of Scripture contained.
Christianus Massaeus.In quo mirum adeò illud fuit, virum occupatissimum atque assidui… ludi curis implicatum, tantum otii decidere potuisse, ut praeter Grammaticas Pr… ceptiones, Chronicorum Libros XX. ab orbe condito ad annum usque sui seculi decimi quinti quadragesimum, Kalendariis Aegyptio, Hebraico, Macedonico & Romano praemissis, commentaretur. Quae de Psalmorum Titulis à Joan. Trithemio (quo cum de studiis per litteras saepe communicabat) eximie laudata conseripsit, an lucem aliquando viderint, ignoro. Auberti Miraei Elogia Belgica.
He hath written Chronicorum l. 20.
Papyrius Massonius.Non tam undiquaque Pontificius, quin verò Pontificum vitia libere fateatur. Mortoni Causa Regia, c. 3. Sect. 19.
Such a Writer of the French Chronicle as Camden of the English.
Papyrii Massoni Annalium libri quatuor. Quibus res gestae Francor… explicantur.
Antonius Matthaeus, a Learned Lawyer.
His father was Conradus Matthaeus Professor at the University of Marpurg. He had three brothers famous for Learning, and four sonnes Professors in four Universities.
Vide vitas Profes. Groningae, There his Works are mentioned.
Petrus Matthaeus *Praestantissimus hujus aetatis Histo…iographus. …eric. Casaub. …ietas., a famous Historian.
Pierre Matthieu in French.
He hath written opus Historicum politicum, and divers historicall things in French.
Petrus Andreas Matthiolus, a great Herbalist.
He hath written Learned Commentaries on Dioscorides his six Books de medic… materia.
Maximilian the Emperour was learned himself, he imitating the example of Iulius Caesar; did write in Latine his own Acts and Feats done, and that very exactly. He was also a singular Patron and advancer of Learned Students, as may well appear by the erecting and setting up of the University of Wittenberg.
Barthol▪ Mayerus▪ a very Learned man, as his Philologia Sacra shews.