Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

regret of his friends, he was found expiring. The time of his death is stated to have been in 1663-4, in the seventysecond year of his age, but at the bottom of the portrait prefixed to his works, is the inscription " ætat. 59. 1663.” This contradiction has not been reconciled by Granger. His works were printed in a large folio volume, in 1674, 1682, and 1689, and often since. They consist of pious tracts on various subjects, and have ever been popular.

[ocr errors]

AMBROSINI (BARTHOLOMEW), was a physician of considerable eminence and professor of botany at Bologna, where he died in 1657. He was also director of the botanic garden, and was appointed by the senate superintendant of the museum of natural history belonging to the republic. His principal botanical work was entitled "De Capsicorum varietate cum suis iconibus: accessit panacea ex herbis quæ a sanctis denominantur," Bologna, 1650, 12mo. He was also distinguished as a successful medical practitioner; and during the plague in 1630, his extensive experience furnished the materials of a work on that subject, "Modo, è facile preserva, è cura di peste à beneficio de popolo di Bologna," 1631, 4to. He published afterwards, "Theorica medicina in tabulas digesta," 1632, 4to, ibid. "De Pulsibus," 1645, 4to; "De externis malis opusculum," 1656; "De Urinis," &c. He likewise discovered great ability as an editor, in the publication of the 9th, 10th, 1ith, and 12th volumes of the works of Aldrovandus. 2

AMBROSINI (HYACINTH), brother to the preceding, and his successor in the direction of the botanic garden at Bologna, in 1657 published the catalogue "Hortus Bononiæ studiosorum consitus," ibid. 1654, 1657, 4to; and a little before his death, "Phytologia, hoc est, de plantis partis primæ tomus primus, &c." ibid. fol. 1666. This .contains the names, synonyms, and etymologies of the plants, with a botanical lexicon, and index in three languages. It has been often consulted for the synonyms, but the etymologies are thought to be sometimes fanciful. The second volume, which was to include trees, never appeared. The Ambrosini were skilful botanists, but living before the science was so well understood as it has been since the time of Linnæus, their works are deficient in

1 Biog. Brit.-Calamy.—Ath, Ox.-Granger.

Biog. Universelle.Manget. Bibl.-Diet. Historique.

order and precision. Bassi dedicated a genus of plants to their memory, under the name of Ambrosinia, a genus of the polyandria order, of which there is but one species, a native of Turkey.

1

AMELINE (CLAUDE), a French ecclesiastic, born at Paris about 1629, for a few years practised at the bar, but from some disgust with the world, entered the congregation of the oratory in April 1660, and having repaired to the university of Saumur to study divinity, became there intimately acquainted with father Malebranche. He was ordained a priest in 1663, and about the same time was appointed grand chantor of the church of Paris; but this situation affording no scope for his zeal, he exchanged it for that of grand archdeacon, an office which placed under his inspection the greater part of the curates of the diocese. He published, 1. "Traite de la volonté," Paris, 1684, 12mo, the fruit of his intimacy with Malebranche, but which Bayle has erroneously attributed to M. Nicole. 2. "Traite de l'amour de souverain bien, &c." Paris, 1699, 12mo, against the Quietists. Some also think he wrote "L'art de vivre heureux," Paris, 1690, which others give to Louis Pascal. 2

AMELIUS GENTILIANUS, an eclectic philosopher of the third century, was a native of Tuscany, and the contemporary of Porphyry, and studied the principles of the Stoic philosophy under Lysimachus. He became afterwards acquainted with the writings of Numenius, and from him learned and adopted the dogmas of Plato, but at last, about the year 246, became the disciple of Plotinus. For twenty-four years he associated with this master, and probably never would have quitted him, if Plotinus, on account of his health, had not been obliged to go to Campania. Amelius then settled at Apamea in Syria, and it was no doubt his long residence here which led Suidas into the mistake that he was a native of the place. The word Amelius in Greek signifies negligent, but no epithet could ever be worse applied than to him. Porphyry therefore tells us that he preferred being called Amerius, and he is accordingly recorded under this name by Eunapius in his lives of the Greek sophists. His disciples also bestowed on him the title of noble. He wrote nearly an hundred

Biog. Universelle.-Manget. Bibl.-Dict. Historique. 2 Moreri. Bayle Republique des lettres, Jan. 1685.

treatises, none of which have descended to our times. One of them was a discussion on the difference between the doctrines of Numenius and Plotinus. Eusebius, Theodoret, and St. Cyril, quote a passage from Amelius in which he brings the beginning of the Gospel of St. John in confirmation of the doctrine of Plato on the divine nature. He had an adopted son, Justin Hesychius, to whom he left his writings. The time of his death is not known. 1

AMELOT DE LA HOUSSAYE (NICHOLAS), called by some ABRAHAM NICHOLAS, but, according to Niceron, Nicholas only appears in his baptismal register, was born February 1634, at Orleans. He was much esteemed at the court of France, and appointed secretary of an embassy which that court sent to the commonwealth of Venice, as appears by the title of his translation of father Paul's history of the council of Trent; but he afterwards published writings which gave such offence, that he was imprisoned in the Bastile. The first works he printed were the "History of the Government of Venice, and that of the Uscocks, a people of Croatia:" in 1683, he published also translations into French of Machiavel's Prince, and father Paul's history of the council of Trent, and political discourses of his own upon Tacitus. These performances were well received by the public, but he did not prefix his own name to the two last mentioned works, but concealed himself under that of La Mothe Josseval. His translation of father Paul was attacked by the partisans of the pope's unbounded power and authority. In France, however, it met with great success; all the advocates for the liberty of the Gallican church promoting the success of it to the utmost of their power; though at the same time there were three memorials presented to have it suppressed. When the second edition of this translation was published, it was violently attacked by the abbé St. Real, in a letter he wrote to Mr. Bayle, dated October 17, 1685, and Amelot defended himself, in a letter to that author. In 1684, he printed, at Paris, a French translation of Baltasar Gracian's Oraculo manual, with the title of "l'Homme de Cour." In his preface he defends Gracian against father Bouhours' critique, and gives his reasons why he ascribes this book to Baltasar and not to Laurence Gracian. He also mentions that he had altered the title, because it appeared too

Biog. Universelle.-Moreri.--Gen, Dict.-Brucker.

ostentatious and hyperbolical; that of "l'Homme de Cour," the Courtier, being more proper to express the subject of the book, which contains a collection of the finest maxims for regulating a court-life. In 1686, he printed "La Morale de Tacite," in which he collected several particular facts and maxims, that represent in a strong light the artifices of court-flatteries, and the mischievous effect of their conversations. In 1690, he published at Paris a French translation of the first six books of Tacitus's annals, with his historical and political remarks, some of which, according to Mr. Gordon, are pertinent and useful, but many of them insipid and trifling. Amelot having employed his pen for several years on historical and political subjects, began now to try his genius on religious matters; and in 1691 printed at Paris a translation of "Palafox's theological and moral Homilies upon the passion of our Lord."— Frederic Leonard, a bookseller at Paris, having proposed, in the year 1692, to print a collection of all the treaties of peace between the kings of France and all the other princes of Europe, since the reign of Charles VII. to the year 1690, Amelot published a small volume in duodecimo, containing a preliminary discourse upon these treaties; wherein he endeavours to show the insincerity of courts in matters of negociation. He published also an edition of cardinal d'Ossat's letters in 1697, with several observations of his own; which, as he tells us in his advertisement, may serve as a supplement to the history of the reigns of Henry III. and Henry IV. of France. Amelot died at Paris, Dec. 8, 1706, being then almost 73 years of age, and left several other works enumerated by Niceron, who objects to his style, but praises his fidelity. The freedom with which he wrote on political subjects appears to have procured for him a temporary fame, unaccompanied with any other advantages. Although he was admired for his learning and political knowledge, he was frequently in most indigent circumstances, and indebted to the bounty of his friends. '

AMELOTTE (DENIS), a celebrated French writer, was born at Saintonge in 1606. He maintained a close correspondence with the Fathers of the Oratory, a congregation of priests founded by Philip of Neri. He wrote the "Life of Charles de Gondren," second superior of this congregation, and published it at Paris in 1643. In this piece he

Gen. Dict.-Chaufepie.-Moreri.-Saxii Onomasticon.

introduced a passage respecting the famous abbé de St. Cyran, which greatly displeased the gentlemen of Port Royal; who, out of revenge, published a pamphlet against him, entitled "Idée generale de l'esprit et du livre de pere Amelot," and he was so much provoked by this satire, that he did all in his power to injure them. They had finished a translation of the New Testament, known by the name of the Mons New Testament, and were desirous to have it published, for which purpose they endeavoured to procure an approbation from the doctors of the Sorbonne, and a privilege from the king. They had some friends in the Sorbonne, but at the same time very powerful enemies, and as to the privilege, it was impossible to prevail with the chancellor Seguier to grant them one, as he hated them; so that father Amelotte, whose advice the chancellor gene rally followed in matters of religion, easily thwarted all their measures, not only out of zeal for what he thought the true doctrine, or out of aversion to the Port Royalists, but also from a view to his own interest; for he was about to publish a translation of his own of the New Testament, which, accordingly, with annotations, in four volumes 8vo, was printed in the years 1666, 1667, and 1668, but, according to F. Simon, it contains some very gross blunders. It was dedicated to M. de Perefixe, archbishop of Paris, whom he addresses in these words: "You will be confirmed in that zeal which obliged you to take up the holy arms to defend the true grace of God, and the decrees of the holy see, against the new heresy: you will daily strengthen yourself against these blind rebels, whose fury, impostures, and calumnies, add new splendour to your glory, which they endeavour to blemish. They place you in the same rank with the Athanasiuses and Hilaries, when they abuse you in the same manner as the Arians did those great and holy bishops." In this translation he endeavoured to find expressions more proper and elegant than those of the former versions; for which reason he committed his work into Mr. Conrart's hands, to polish and correct whatever he should judge inelegant or improper. Amelotte wrote also an 66. Abridgment of Divinity," a "Catechism for the Jubilee," and a kind of "Christian Manual for every day, (Journée Chretienne.)" Though he had always been a very zealous Anti-Port-Royalist, yet he was but poorly rewarded for all his labour and trouble, since towards the end of his life he sued for a very small

« ZurückWeiter »