bishopric, that of Sarlat, and met with a refusal, though e had all the qualities requisite to a bishop. He could not forbear complaining of this usage to his friends; telling them that those, whom he had often served effectually, had been very cold to him on this occasion. He entered into the congregation of the Oratory in 1650, and continued amongst them till his death, which happened at Paris, Oct. 7, 1678. His dedication to M. Perefixe was suppressed after his death and the death of Perefixe, and one of a different cast substituted by M. de Harlay, in the edition of 1688, 2 vols. 4to, and the work has been often reprinted with and without notes. The chief objection made to him, on the score of veracity, is that he boasted of having consulted all the manuscripts of Europe, which he afterwards confessed he had not seen; but it is answered, that although he had not seen these manuscripts, he took great pains in procuring transcripts of their various readings.1

His

AMENTA (NICHOLAS), an Italian lawyer and miscellaneous writer, was born at Naples in 1659, and for the first fourteen years of his life, was obliged to be confined in a dark room, owing to a complaint in his eyes. On his recovery, he made very rapid progress in general science, went through a course of law, and had very considerable practice at Naples. His leisure hours he dedicated to polite literature, and particularly cultivated the Tuscan language, which he wrote with the greatest purity, and used in all his works. He died at Naples, July 21, 1719. principal writings are, 1. Seven prose comedies, La Costanza, il Forca, la Fante, &c. which are, Baretti says, perhaps the wittiest we have in Italian; but the author makes some of his actors appear masked and speak, the different dialects of Italy, especially the Neapolitan. 2. " Rapporti di Parnasso," part I. the only one ever published, Naples, 1710, 4to. These are somewhat in the manner of Bocca→ lini's advertisements, but unlike them in their subiects, which are matters of literature and literary history. 3. "Il Torto è il Diritto del non si puo, &c. esaminato da Ferrante Longobardi," i. e. father Daniel Bartoli, whose work is here reprinted with Amenta's Observations, Naples, 1717, Svo, 1728, 8vo; the latter edition has the remarks of the abbe Cito. 4. Della lingua Nobile d'Italia, &c." another work on language divided into parts, Naples, 1723,

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1 Gen. Dict.-Moreri.-Biog. Universelle,Le Long Bibl. Sacr. VOL. II.

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4to. 5. The lives of Scipio Pasquali, and Lionardo, a Neapolitan poet. 6. Twenty-four "Capitoli," or satirical pieces, in the style of the capitoli of Berni, and other burlesque poets, Naples, 1721, 12mo. 7. "Rime," or poetical pieces, published in various collections.1

AMERBACH (JOHN), a learned printer of the fifteenth century, was born at Rutlingen, in Suabia, and settled at Basil. He was the first who made use of the round type, instead of the Italic and Gothic. In 1506, he published the first edition of the works of St. Augustine, corrected by himself, with a type known long by the name of the St. Augustine type. He began also the works of St. Jerome; but his death, which took place in 1515, prevented his finishing them, and he left them to the care of his sons, by whom they were published. All his editions are valued for their accuracy. Boniface, his eldest son, who died in 1562, was for thirty years law professor at Basil, five times rector of the university, and went through the different offices of magistracy with the reputation of a man of great integrity. In 1659, was printed at Basil, 4to, the "Bibliotheca Amerbachiana," a scarce work, which throws considerable light on the history of printing, and mentions many early editions omitted in our largest catalogues. Erasmus and Boniface Amerbach contributed to this Bibliotheca. Boniface had a son Basil, also a man of learning, syndic of the city, and rector of the university. He contributed much to the cabinet of pictures, and medals, and to the library which his father had founded. He founded likewise some charitable establishments, and a new professorship in the university, called the Amerbachian.*

AMERBACH (VITUS) was born at Wedinguen in Bavaria, and studied law, philosophy, and divinity, at Wittemberg, where he professed to be a follower of Luther; but on returning to his own country, he became a Roman catholic, and professor of philosophy at Ingoldstadt, where he died in 1557, at the age of 70. He translated into Latin the orations of Isocrates and Demosthenes; the treatise of St. Chrysostom on Providence, and that of Epiphanius on the catholic faith. He published also commentaries on Cicero's Offices, on the poems of Pythagoras and Phocyllides, on the Tristia of Ovid, and Horace "De arte poeti

1 Biog. Universelle.-Haym Bibl. Ital.-Baretti's Italian Library. Moreri.-Biog. Universelle,-Saxii Onomasticon.

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ca." To much learning he added a considerable talent for poetry, in which he left various small pieces, epigrams, epitaphs. His philosophical works "De Anima, de philosophia naturali, &c." are less known; but a list of them may be seen in Teissier's Essays, vol. I.1

AMERICUS. See VESPUTIUS.

AMES (JOSEPH), the celebrated typographical historian, was descended from an ancient family in Norfolk, where they are to be traced back as far as the middle of the sixteenth century. He was born at Yarmouth, Jan. 23, 1688-9, and removed by his father, who appears to have been the master of a merchant ship trading from Yarmouth to London, and placed at a little grammar-school at Wapping. At the age of fifteen, it is said, he was put apprentice to a plane-maker in King or Queen-street near Guildhall, London; and it is added that after serving out his time with reputation, he took up his freedom, and became a liveryman of the Joiners' Company, but on inquiry both at Joiners' hall and at the Chamberlain's office, it does not appear that he ever took up his freedom: he settled, however, near the Hermitage, in Wapping, in the business of a ship-chandler, or ironmonger, and continued there till his death.

Mr. Ames very early discovered a taste for English history and antiquities, in which he was encouraged by his two friends Mr. Russel, preacher at St. John's Wapping, and Mr. John Lewis, minister of Margate, an eminent divine and antiquary. Some time before 1720, in attending Dr. Desaguliers' lectures, he formed an acquaintance with Mr. Peter Thompson, an eminent Hamburgh merchant, and member for St. Alban's, a gentleman of great humanity, and strong natural parts, who supplied the want of a liberal education by a conversation with men and books. He was also a lover of our national antiquities, and many years fellow of the royal and antiquary societies. This friendship continued uninterrupted till the death of Mr. Ames. Some time before 1730, Mr. Lewis, who had himself collected materials for such a subject, suggested to Mr. Ames the idea of writing the history of printing in England. Mr. Ames declined it at first, because Mr. Palmer, a printer, was engaged in a similar work, and because he thought himself by no means equal to an undertaking of

1 Moreri.-Biog. Universelle.-Saxii Onomast.

so much extent. But when Mr. Palmer's book came out, it was far from answering the expectations of Mr. Lewis, or Mr. Ames, or those of the public in general. Mr. Ames, therefore, at length consented to apply himself to the task, and after twenty-five years spent in collecting and arranging his materials, in which he was largely assisted by Mr. Lewis and other learned friends, and by the libraries of lord Oxford, sir Hans Sloane, Mr. Anstis, and many others, published, in one vol. 4to, 1749, "Typographical Antiquities, being an historical account of Printing in England, with some memoirs of our ancient Printers, and a register of the books printed by them, from the year 1471 to 1600; with an appendix concerning printing in Scotland and Ireland to the same time." In his preface he speaks with great humility of his work, and of its imperfections; but it certainly has no faults but what may well be excused in the first attempt to accomplish an undertaking of such vast extent. He inscribed this work to Philip lord Hardwicke, lord high chancellor of Great Britain. Mr. Ames was at this time fellow of the royal and antiquary societies, and secretary to the latter of these learned bodies. He was. elected F. A. S. March 3, 1736, and on the resignation of Alexander Gordon, previous to his going to settle in Carolina, 1741, was appointed secretary. In 1754, the rev. W. Norris was associated with him, and on his decease became sole secretary till 1784. This office gave Mr. Ames further opportunities of gratifying his native curiosity, by the communications as well as the conversation of the literati; and these opportunities were further enlarged by his election into the royal society, and the particular friendship shewn to him by sir Hans Sloane, then president, who nominated him one of the trustees of his will.

Besides his great work, Mr. Ames printed a "Catalogue of English Printers, from 1471 to 1700," 4to, intended to accompany the proposals for the former; "An Index to lord Pembroke's Coins;" "A Catalogue of English heads, or an account of about 2000 prints, describing what is peculiar on each, as the name, title, or office of the person, the habit, posture, age, or time when done, the name of the painter, graver, scraper, &c. and some remarkable particulars relating to their lives," 1748, 8vo. This was a kind of index to the ten volumes of English portraits, which had. been collected by Mr. John Nickolls, F. R. and A. SS. of Ware in Hertfordshire, in four volumes folio, and six in

4to; and which after his death in 1745, were purchased, for 80 guineas, by the late Dr. Fothergill. The last of Mr. Ames's literary labours was the drawing up the "Parentalia, or Memoirs of the family of Wren," 1750, in one volume folio, from the papers of Mr. Wren. At his expence two plates were engraved, one of a Greek inscription in honour of Crato, the musician of Pergamos; the other an ancient marble pillar, in his possession, with the Cufic inscription.

Mr. Ames died suddenly of a fit of coughing, Oct. 7, 1759, and on the 14th was interred in the church-yard of St. George in the East, in a stone coffin, on the lid of which is an inscription in Latin by the rev. Dr. Flexman; and over the grave was placed a ledger-stone with two inscriptions, one in English, the other in Latin. His collection of coins, natural curiosities, inscriptions, and antiquities, were sold by Mr. Langford, Feb. 20 and 21, 1760: his library of books, manuscripts and prints, on May 5-12, 1760. Many of the books had notes by him, and Mr. Gough has enumerated many valuable articles among his collection, with the buyers' names.

Mr. Ames married April 12, 1714, Mary, daughter of Mr. Wrayford, merchant of London, who died August 12, 1734, and by whom he had six children, one only of whom, a daughter, survived him, and was married to Edward Dampier, esq. lately deputy surveyor of shipping to the East India Company, and descended from, or related to the voyager of that name.

Of Mr. Ames's character, the opinion seems to be uniform, that he possessed an amiable simplicity of manners, and exemplary integrity and benevolence in social life. Mr. Cole, who bears him no good will, because, as he asserts, he was an Anabaptist, allows that he "was a little, friendly, good-tempered man, a person of vast application, and industry in collecting old printed books, prints, and other curiosities, both natural and artificial." It is confessed, on the other hand, that he had not much of what is called literature, and knew nothing of composition. His preface to the "Typographical Antiquities" commences in the form of a preamble to an act of parliament, "Whereas it appears from reason and ancient history," &c. His style, indeed, very much resembles that of his brother antiquary and equally laborious collector, Strype. With all this, he appears to have been a man entitled to high re