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led by, former authors. In 1758 he obtained much celebrity by publishing a treatise "on Fluxions," dedicated to his patron, Dr. Smith; and in 1763 a work entitled "Fasciculus plantarum circà Cantabrigiam nascentium, quæ post Raium observatæ fuere," 8vo. Mr. Banks (now sir Joseph Banks, bart. and president of the royal society), whom he first instructed in this science, sent for him to Oxford, about 1762 or 1763, to read lectures; which he did with great applause, to at least sixty pupils; but could not be induced to make a long absence from Cambridge. He had a salary of a hundred pounds per annum for calculating the "Nautical Almanack," and frequently received presents from the board of longitude for his inventions. He could read Latin and French with ease; but wrote the former ill; had studied the English history, and could quote whole passages from the Monkish writers verbatim. He was appointed by the board of longitude to go with captain Phipps (afterwards lord Mulgrave) to the North pole in 1773, and made the astronomical and other mathematical calculations, printed in the account of that voyage. After his return he married and settled in London, where, on May 1, 1775, he died of the measles. He was then engaged in publishing a complete edition of all the works of Dr. Halley. His "Calculations in Spherical Trigonometry abridged," were printed in "Philosophical Transactions, vol. LXI. art. 46. After his death his name appeared in the title-page of "A Geographical Dictionary," of which the astronomical parts were said to be "taken from the papers of the late Mr. Israel Lyons, of Cambridge, author of several valuable mathematical productions, and astronomer in lord Mulgrave's voyage to the Northern hemisphere." It remains to be noticed, that a work entitled "The Scholar's Instructor, or Hebrew Grammar, by Israel Lyons, Teacher of the Hebrew Tongue in the University of Cambridge: the second edition, with many Additions and Emendations which the Author has found necessary in his long course of teaching Hebrew," Cambridge, 1757, 8vo, was the production of his father; as was a treatise printed at the Cambridge press, under the title of "Observations and Enquiries relating to various parts of Scripture History, 1761," published by subscription at two shillings and six-pence. He died in August 1770, and was buried, agreeably to his own desire, although contrary to the Jewish principles, in Great St. Mary's Church-yard, VOL. XXI.

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Cambridge. He was on this occasion carried through the church, and his daughter Judith read some form of interment-service over his grave. He had resided near forty years at Cambridge.

LYRA (NICHOLAS DE), or LYRANUS, a celebrated Franciscan, in the 14th century, and one of the most learned men of his time, was born of Jewish parents at Lyre, a town in Normandy, in the diocese of Evreux. After having been instructed in rabbinical learning, he embraced Christianity, entered among the Franciscans at Verneuil, 1291, and taught afterwards at Paris with great credit. He rose by his merit to the highest offices in his order, and also gained the esteem of the great; queen Jane, countess of Burgundy, and wife of Philip the Long, appointed him one of her executors in 1325. He died at a very advanced age, October 23, 1340, leaving some "Postils," or short Commentaries on the whole Bible, which were formerly in considerable reputation: the most scarce edition of them is that of Rome, 1472, seven vols. folio; and the best that of Antwerp, 1634, six vols. folio. These commentaries are incorporated in the "Biblia Maxima," Paris, 1660, nineteen vols. folio; and there is a French translation of them, Paris, 1511, and 1512, five vols. folio. He published also "A Disputation against the Jews," in 8vo, a treatise against a particular rabbi, who made use of the New Testament to combat Christianity. These, and his other works not printed, show the author to have had a much more perfect knowledge of the Holy Scriptures than was common at that time. 2

LYSERUS (POLYCARP), a learned Protestant theologian, was born at Winendeen in the territory of Wittemberg, in the year 1552. He was educated at Tubingen, at the expence of the duke of Saxony, and became a minister of the church of Wittemberg in 1577. He was one of the first to sign the "Concord," and was deputed, with James Andreas, to procure the signature of the divines and ministers in the electorate of Saxony. He died at Dresden, where he was then minister, February 14, 1601, aged 50, leaving a great number of works, both in German and Latin. The principal are, 1. " Explanations of Genesis," in six parts, or six volumes, 4to, each of which bears the name of the patriarch whose history it explains. 2. "Com1 Nichols's Bowyer.-Cole's MS Athenæ in Brit. Mus. 2 Moreri.-Dupin.-Dict. Hist.

mentaries on the two first chapters of Daniel," 2 vols. 4to. 3. "A Paraphrase on the History of the Passion," 4to, or 12mo. 4. "Explanation of Psalm CI," 8vo. 5. "Commentaries on the Minor Prophets," 4to, published at Leipsic, 1609, by Polycarp Lyserus, his great-grandson, who has added some remarks on Haggai, according to his ancestor's method. 6. "Commentaries on the Epistle to the Hebrews." 7. "Centuria quæstionum de articulis libri Christianæ Concordiæ," 4to. 8. "Christianismus, Papis. mus, Calvinismus," 8vo. 9. "Harmonia Calvinianorum et Photinianorum in Doctrina de Sacra Cena," 4to. 10. "Vindicia Lyserianæ, an sincretismus in rebus fidei cum Calvinianis coli prodest," 4to. 11. "Disputationes IX. Anti Steinianæ quibus examinatur defensio concionis Irenica Pauli Steinii," 4to. 12. "Harmonia Evangelistarum continuata ad Christianam Harmoniam et ejusdem Epitome," 8vo. 13. "Disput. de Deo patre Creatore cœli et terræ,' 14. "De æternitate Filii Dei," 4to. 15. "De sacramentis decades duæ," 4to. He published also the "History of the Jesuits," written by Elias Hasenmuller, who having quitted that society, and turned Lutheran, retired to Wittemberg, and died there before his work was printed. Father Gretser attacked this history, and Lyserus answered him by "Strena ad Gretserum pro honorario ejus," 8vo.1

4to.

LYSERUS (JOHN), another learned protestant, of the same family as the preceding, but of opposite character, may be introduced here as the precursor of the celebrated Martin Madan, in supporting the doctrine of polygamy. Lyserus is said to have been so infatuated with the ambition of founding a sect of polygamists, that he sacrificed his life and fortune to prove that polygamy is not only permitted, but even commanded in certain cases; and travelled about Europe, endeavouring to find some countries that would adopt his opinion. At length, after many fruitless journeys, Lyserus took the singular resolution of visiting France, with a view to repair his fortune by chess, a game he was perfectly master of, and accordingly settled at Versailles. Here, however, he likewise failed, and having, when sick, set out to walk from Versailles to Paris, he encreased his disorder so much, that he died at a house on the road, in 1684. He left numerous pieces, under

1 Melchior Adam.-Moreri.-Gen. Dict.

fictitious names, in favour of polygamy, the most considèrable of which is entitled "Polygamia triumphatrix," 1682, 4to. Brunsmanus, a minister of Copenhagen, has refuted this in a book entitled "Polygamia triumphata," 1689, 8vo; and again in another work, " Monogamia victrix,' 1689, 8vo. This poor man's attachment to a plurality of wives appears the more wonderful, Bayle observes, because he had been much embarrassed by one. In less than a century he was succeeded in his opinions by the rev. M. Madan, of whom hereafter. '

LYSIAS, an eminent Greek orator, was born at Syracuse, about the year 459 B. C. He was educated at Athens, and became a teacher of rhetoric, and composed orations for others, but does not appear to have been a pleader. Of his orations, which are said to have amounted to three or four hundred, only thirty-four remain. He died in the eighty-first year of his age, and in the 378th year B.C. Cicero and Quintilian give him a very high character, and suppose that there is nothing of their kind more perfect than his orations. Lysias lived at a somewhat earlier period than Isocrates; and exhibits a model of that manner which the ancients call the "tenuis vel subtilis." He has none of the pomp of Isocrates. He is every where pure and attic in the highest degree; simple and unaffected; but wants force, and is sometimes frigid in his compositions. In the judicious comparison which Dionysius of Halicarnassus makes of the merits of Lysias and Isocrates, he ascribes to Lysias, as the distinguishing character of his manner, a certain grace or elegance arising from simplicity "the style of Lysias has gracefulness for its nature; that of Isocrates seems to have it." In the art of narration, as distinct, probable, and persuasive, he holds Lysias to be superior to all orators; at the same time he admits, that his composition is more adapted to private litigation than to great subjects. He convinces, but he does not elevate nor animate. The magnificence and splendour of Isocrates are more suited to great occasions. He is more agreeable than Lysias; and in dignity of sentiment far excels him. The first edition of Lysias is that by Aldus, folio, 1513, in the first part of the "Rhetorum Græcorum orationes." The best modern editions are that of Taylor, beautifully and correctly printed by Bowyer, in 1739, 4to; of Reiske, at Leipsic, 1772, 8vo; and of

1 Moreri-Gen, Dict.

Auger at Paris, 1782. Auger also published an excellent French translation of Lysias in 1783.1

LYSIPPUS, a celebrated statuary among the ancients, was a native of Sicyon, and flourished in the time of Alexander the Great. He was bred a locksmith, and followed that business for a while; but, by the advice of Eupompus, a painter, he applied himself to painting, which, however, he soon quitted for sculpture, and being thought to execute his works with more ease than the ancients, he became more employed than any other artist. The statue of a man wiping and anointing himself after bathing was particularly excellent: Agrippa placed it before his baths at Rome. Tiberius, who was charmed with it, and not able to resist the desire of being master of it, when he came to the empire, took it into his own apartment, and placed another very fine one in its place. But the Roman people demanding, in a full theatre, that he would replace the first statue, he found it necessary, notwithstanding his power, to comply with their solicitations, in order to appease the tumult. Another of Lysippus's capital pieces was a statue of the sun, represented in a car drawn by four horses; this statue was worshipped at Rhodes. He made also several statues of Alexander and his favourites, which were brought to Rome by Metellus, after he had reduced the Macedonian empire. He particularly excelled in the representation of the hair, which he more happily expressed than any of his predecessors in the art. He also made his figures less than the life, that they might be seen such as statues appear when placed, as usual, at some height; and when he was charged with this fault, he answered, "That other artists had indeed represented men such as nature had made them, but, for his part, he chose to represent them such as they appeared to be to the eye." He had three sons, who were all his disciples, and acquired great reputation in the art.2

LYTTLETON. See LITTLETON.

LYTTELTON (GEORGE), an elegant English writer, was the eldest son of sir Thomas Lyttelton, of Hagley, in Worcestershire, bart. and was born in 1709. He came into the world two months before the usual time, and wAS imagined by the nurse to be dead, but upon closer inspec

1 From his editors.-Saxii Onomast.-Moreri.-Dict. Hist.-Dibdin and Clarke. Blair's Lectures. 2 Plinii Hist. Nat. Lb. III. cap 9.

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