historian. Lardner has quoted some important passages from him, in his "Testimonies of Ancient Heathens." His death is supposed to have taken place about the year

390.

There are many editions of Ammianus: the first, Rome,. 1474, a rare book, was edited by Sabinus, with scrupulous fidelity to the manuscript; Castellus published one in 1517, at Bologna, and Frobenius another at Basil, 1518, all in folio, but comprising only thirteen books. The other five were added to Accursius' edition, 1533, in which he boasts of having corrected five hundred errors. The best, perhaps, is that of Gronovius, Leyden, 1693, fol. and 4to. There are differences of opinion among bibliographers respecting the early editions, which we have not been able to reconcile, some making the princeps editio to consist only of eleven books.1

AMMIRATO, or AMMIRATI (SCIPIO), an eminent historian, was born at Lucca, in the kingdom of Naples, the 27th of September 1531. He studied first at Poggiardo, afterwards at Brundusium; and, in 1547, he went to Naples, in order to go through a course of civil law. When he was at Barri with his father, he was deputed by that city to manage some affairs at Naples, which he executed with great success. Some time after, he determined to enter into the church, and was accordingly ordained by the bishop of Lucca, who conceived so high an esteem for him, as to give him a canonry in his church; but not meeting afterwards with the preferment he expected, he formed a design of going to Venice, and entering into the service of some ambassador, in order to visit the several courts of Europe. Alexander Contarini, however, dissuaded him from this resolution of travelling, and engaged him to continue with him at Venice; where he had an opportunity of contracting a friendship with many learned men. But he was prevented by a very singular circumstance. The wife of Contarini, who used to take great pleasure in Ammirato's conversation, having sent him a present as a token of her friendship, some ill-natured persons represented this civility in a light sufficient to excite the resentment of a jealous husband, and Ammirato was obliged immediately to fly, in order to save his life. He returned to Lucca, and

1 Moreri.-Biog. Universelle.-Lardner's Works, vol. VIII-Cave, vol. I.-Saxii Onomasticon.

his father being then at Barri, he went thither to him, but met with a very cool reception, as he was dissatisfied to find him in no probable way of making a fortune, from having neglected the study of the law; and with this he reproached him very frequently.

Marcellus Marcini being chosen pope in 1555, under the name of Marcellus II. Ammirato, who knew that Nicolao Majorano, bishop of Molfetta, a city near Barri, had been formerly a friend of the pope's, persuaded him to go to Rome, and congratulate him upon his election, with a view, by attending the bishop in his journey, to procure some place under the nephews of that pope; but, as they were preparing for this journey, the death of Marcellus put a stop to their intended scheme, and destroyed their hopes; upon which Ammirato retired to a country-seat of his father's, where he applied himself closely to his studies. At last he was determined to return to Naples, in order to engage again in the study of the law, and to take his de grees in it; his relish for this profession was not in the least increased, but he thought the title he might procure would be of advantage to him. He had not, however, been six months at Naples, before he grew weary of it, and entered successively into the service of several noblemen as secretary. Upon his return to Lucca, he was appointed by this city to go and present a petition to pope Pius IV. in their favour, which office he discharged with success. Upon his return to Lucca, he was appointed by the city of Naples to settle there, and write the history of that kingdom; but the cold reception he met with from the governors who had sent for him, disgusted him so much, that he left the city with a resolution to return no more, and although they repented afterwards of their neglect of him, and used all possible means to bring him back, he continued inflexible. He then went to Rome, where he procured a great many friends; and, having travelled over part of Italy, visited Florence, where he resolved to settle, being engaged by the kind reception which the Grand Duke gave to men of letters. He was appointed to write the history of Florence, and received many instances of that prince's bounty, which he increased after this publication, by presenting him with a canonry in the cathedral of FloThis easy situation now gave him an opportunity of applying himself more vigorously to his studies, and writing the greatest part of his works. He died at Flo

rence.

rence the 30th of January, 1601, in the 69th year of his age. His works are as follow: 1. "Arguments," in Italian verse, of the cantos of Ariosto's Orlando Furioso, which were first published in the edition of that poem at Venice, in 1548, in 4to. 2. "Il Decalione dialogo del poeta," Naples, 1560, Svo. 3. "Istorie Fiorentine dopo la fondatione di Fierenze insino all' anno 1574," printed at Florence, 1600, in 2 vols. folio. 4. "Discorsi sopra Cornelio Tacito," Florence, 1598, 4to. 5. "Delle famiglie nobili Napolitane," part I. at Florence, 1580, in folio; part II. at Florence, 1651, folio. 6. "Discorsi delle famiglie Paladina et l'Antoglietta," Florence, 1605, in 4to. 7. "Albero et storia della famiglia de conte Guidi, coll' agiunte de Scipione Ammirato Giovane," Florence, 1640 and 1650. 8. "Delle famiglie Fiorentine," Florence, 1615, folio. 9. "Vescovi de Fiesoli di Volterra, e d'Arezzo, con l'aggiunta di Scipione Ammirato il Giovane," Florence, 1637, 4to. 10. "Opuscoli varii," Florence, 1583, in 8vo. 11. "Rime varie," printed in a collection of poems by different authors. Venice, 1553, in 8vo. 12. "Poesi Spirituali," Venice, 1634, in 4to. 13. "Annotazioni sopra la seconde parte de Sonetti di Bernardino Rota fatti in morte di Porzia Capece sua moglia," Naples, 1560, in 4to. He left a manuscript life of himself, which is said to have been deposited in the library of the hospital of St. Mary. He made his secretary, Del Bianco, his heir, on condition of taking his name, who accordingly called himself Scipio Ammirato the younger. He was editor of some of his benefactor's works, particularly of his history of Florence, a performance of great accuracy and credit.1

AMMONIUS, son of Hermias the peripatetic philosopher, flourished at the beginning of the sixth century, and was the disciple of Proclus. He is said to have excelled in mathematical learning, and wrote a "Commentary on Aristotle De Interpretatione," which was printed by Aldus at Venice, 1503; and a "Commentary In Isagogen Porphyrii," first printed in 1500, and often reprinted. He has been sometimes confounded with Ammonius the grammarian, but the latter flourished in the fourth century, and wrote a valuable work on Greek Synonymes, which may be seen in Stephens's Thesaurus and Scapula's Lexicon. *

1 Gen. Dict.-Moreri.-Saxii Onomasticon. • Moreri.-Fabric. Bibl. Grac.

AMMONIUS (ANDREW), a native of Lucca, born in 1477, was educated in all the polite literature of Italy, and became apostolic notary, and collector for the pope in England. Here he spent the latter years of his life, in the society and intimacy of the most eminent scholars of that time, as Colet, Grocyn, Erasmus, &c. and studied with them at Oxford. He was also Latin secretary, and in much favour with Adrian de Castello, bishop of Bath and Wells, who is said to have made such interest as procured him the secretaryship to Henry VIII. He was also made prebendary of Compton-Dunden in the church of Wells, and, as some report, rector of Dychiat in the same diocese. By the recommendation of the king he was also made a prebendary of Salisbury, and in all probability, would have soon attained higher preferment, had he not been cut off by the sweating sickness, in the prime of life, 1517. mus, with whom he corresponded, lamented his death in most affectionate terms. He is mentioned as a writer of

Eras

poetry, but his poems do not exist either in print or manuscript, except one short piece in the "Bucolicorum auctores," Basil, 1546, 8vo. There are some of his letters in Erasmus's works. According to Wood he was buried in St. Stephen's chapel, Westminster.1

AMMONIUS, surnamed SACCAS, one of the most celebrated philosophers of his age, was born in Alexandria, and flourished about the beginning of the third century. His history and his opinions have been the subject of much dispute among modern writers, to some of whom we shall refer at the close of this article, after stating what appears to be the probable account. In the third century, Alexandria was the most renowned seminary of learning. A set of philosophers appeared there who called themselves ECLECTICS, because, without tying themselves down to any one set of rules, they chose what they thought most agreeable to truth from different masters and sects. Their pretensions were specious, and they preserved the appearance of candour, moderation, and dispassionate inquiry, in words and declarations, as their successors, the modern free-thinkers, have since done. Ammonius Saccas seems to have reduced the opinions of these Eclectics to a system. Plato was his principal guide; but he invented many

$

Gen. Dict.-Ath. Ox. vol. I.-Jortin's Life of Erasmus.-Roscoe's Leo.— Biog. Universelle.

things of which Plato never dreamed. What his religious profession was, is disputed among the learned. Undoubt edly he was educated a Christian; and although Porphyry, in his enmity against Christianity, observes that he forsook the Gospel, and returned to Gentilism, yet the testimony of Eusebius, who must have known the fact, proves that he continued a Christian all his days. His tracts on the agreement of Moses and Jesus, and his harmony of the four gospels, demonstrate that he desired to be considered as a Christian. His opinion, however, was, that all religions, vulgar and philosophical, Grecian and barbarous, Jewish and Gentile, meant the same thing at bottom. He undertook, by allegorizing and subtilizing various fables and systems, to make up a coalition of all sects and religions; and from his labours, continued by his disciples, some of whose works still remain, his followers were taught to look on Jew, philosopher, vulgar Pagan, and Christian, as all of the same creed. Longinus and Plotinus appear to have been the disciples of Ammonius, who is supposed to have died about the year 243. His history and principles are discussed by Dr. Lardner, in his Credibility, and by Mosheim in his history, the translator of which differs from Dr. Lardner in toto, and has been in this respect followed by Milner in his Church History recently published.1

AMNER (RICHARD), a dissenting divine, was born at Hinckley in Leicestershire in 1736, and was for many years a preacher at Hampstead, near London, and afterwards at Coseley, in Staffordshire, from which he retired in his latter days to his native town, where he died June 8, 1803. He was a man of some learning in biblical criticism, as appears by his various publications on theological subjects. He wrote, 1. "An account of the occasion and design of the positive Institutions of Christianity, extracted from the Scriptures only," 1774, 8vo. 2. "An essay towards an interpretation of the Prophecies of Daniel, with occasional remarks upon some of the most celebrated commentaries on them," 1776, 8vo. 3. "Considerations on the doctrine of a Future State, and the Resurrection, as revealed, or supposed to be so, in the Scriptures; on the inspiration and authority of the Scripture itself; on some

1 Lardner's Works.-Mosheim and Milner's Church Histories.-Cave, vol. I. Gen. Dict.-Saxii Onomasticon.