Constantinople, whither that prince was carried, after the reduction of Trebizond, in 1461; when being seduced by the sultan's promises, he renounced the Christian religion, and embraced Mahometanism, changing his name to that of Mahomet Beg. Mahomet II. honoured him with several employments in the seraglio, and by his order he translated many books of the Christians into Arabic.

PETER POMPONAZZI, a celebrated peripatetic philosopher, was born at Mantua in the year 1462. He pursued his studies at the university of Padua, where he became a professor, and greatly distinguished himself. During the war in which the republic of Venice was engaged against the league of Cambray, the university being for a time dispersed, he retired to Bologna, where he occupied the philosophical chair till his death, which happened in 1525, when he was in the 63rd year of his age. His remains were afterwards conveyed to Mantua, where they were interred, by the direction of cardinal Hercules Gonzaga, in a magnificent tomb, on which a statue in bronze was erected to his memory. He was addicted to superstition and fanaticism, and was a zealous advocate for judicial astrology, as appears.from his book, "De Naturalium Effectuum admirandorum Causis, seu de Incantationibus." He had, however, an understanding capable of penetrating into the depths of the peripatetic system; and his writings, though barbarous and inelegant in style, discover great acuteness and subtlety of thought. He, like many persons of considerable talents in the present day, publicly taught, that the natural reasons asserted for the doctrine of the immortality of the soul, are not solid and satisfactory; that Aristotle did not believe it; and that the whole proof of a future existence depends upon revelation, on which ground he was firmly convinced of its truth. On this subject he published a treatise, "De Immortalite Animæ," and the doctrine became so popular, that pope Leo. X. thought it necessary to issue a bull to suppress it; and the monks were so clamorous in denouncing it as an impious production, that the book was condemned to be publicly burnt at Venice, and it was with some difficulty that the author himself escaped the flames.

SIMON PORTA, or PORTIUS, was a native of Naples, and the disciple of Pomponazzi. He became professor of philosophy at Pisa, and died at Naples, in 1554, aged 57. He is author of De Menta Humanâ; De Voluptate et Dolore; De Coloribus Oculorum, 4to.; De Rerum Naturalium Principiis Libri Duo; Opus Physiologicum, 4to., &c.

ALEXANDER ACHILLINI, born at Bologna, October 29, 1463, was professor of philosophy in that university. He was an accurate interpreter of Averroes upon Aristotle, but is most admired for his acuteness in private and public disputations. He made a rapid progress in his studies, and was very

early promoted to the professorship; in which he acquitted himself with so much applause, that his name became famous throughout all Italy; and in the year 1506, the university of Padua made choice of him, to succeed Francatiano in the first chair of philosophy. His fame brought vast numbers of students to his lectures at Padua; but the war, in which the republic of Venice was engaged against the league of Cambray, putting a stop to the lectures of that university, he returned to his native country, where he was received with the same marks of honour as before, and again appointed professor of philosophy in Bologna. He spent the remainder of his life in this city, where he died, August 12, 1512, and was interred with great pomp in St. Martin's church. Jovius, who knew Achillini, and heard his lectures, says, that he was a man of such extreme simplicity, and so unacquainted with address, that he was a laughing-stock to the saucy young scholars, although esteemed on account of his learning. He published several pieces on philosophical subjects, dedicated to Bentivogle.

AUGUSTIN NIPHUS, one of the most famous philosophers of his day, was born at Sessa, in the kingdom of Naples, in 1473. About 1500, he was appointed professor of philosophy at Padua. He maintained that there is but one soul which animates all nature. This opinion caused him many enemies. He had a quarrel with the monks, and was brought to the brink of ruin. Niphus having quelled this storm, by the assistance of the bishop of Padua, and by correcting his work, which contained the noxious doctrine, published a series of other books, which gained him so much reputation, that the most celebrated universities offered him a professorship. Pope Leo X. highly esteemed him, and gave him leave to blazon with his own arms those of the house of Medici; he also created him count Palatine, and conferred upon him many privileges. Niphus was not, in a moral sense, worthy of the title of philosopher, as he was remarkable for levity and intrigue, even down to old age. He indulged in the pleasures of the table; and such were the charms of his conversation, that the nobility and ladies of rank, anxiously sought his company. He died about 1548. His commentaries on Aristotle and Averroes, make 14 vols. folio. He also wrote a treatise "De Intellectu et Demonibus ;" and other works.

POETRY.

MAXUNUS PACIFICUS, a native of Asioli, born in 1400, who lived near a century. His Latin poems have often been printed under the title of "Hecateligium, sive C. Eliga." The venereal disease is so accurately described in one of them, as to give reason to believe, that it was known in Europe pre

vious to Columbus's discovery of America, in 1493; for Pacificus's work was published in 1489.

THE MARQUIS of VILLENA, a Spanish poet, was of the royal house of Arragon. He translated the Eneid into verse, and Dante into prose, and wrote a book on the "Gaya Scientia," in which he describes the ceremonies of the Troubadours.

MAPHÆUS VEGIO, a modern Latin poet, was born at Lodi, in 1406. He became professor of law and poetry at Pavia, but afterwards went to Rome, where he was made secretary of the Apostolic briefs, and died there in 1458. He wrote a poem on the Death of Astyanax, and a supplementary book to Virgil's Eneid, which he called "The Thirteenth Book of the Eneid." This latter work has been translated into English by Moses Mendez, and burlesqued by John Ellis. He also wrote several works in prose, the best of which is entitled, "De Educatione Liberorum et eorum claris Moribus," which is pronounced by Dupin to be the most complete work of the kind extant, treating on the duties of fathers and mothers, the studies proper for children, and the virtues proper to be instilled into them, and filled with truly Christian morality and uncommon wisdom.

JUAN DE MENA, a Castilian poet of great celebrity, was born at Cordova, about the year 1411. It was not till the age of twenty-three, that he discovered any propensity towards literature; but then he made up for the time which he considered as having been lost, and betook himself most passionately to his studies, which he pursued first at Cordova, then at Salamanca, and afterwards at Rome. By his poetical talents he soon attracted a considerable degree of notice, and was patronized by several considerable persons, and by Juan II. This king, though far from respectable as to character or talents, was a lover of learning, and an encourager of it, and appointed Juan de Mena his chronicler, communicated to him materials for the history of his reign, and took delight in beholding the progress of his works. The history was never finished by de Mena; and he is chiefly known as a poet. He died in 1456, at Tordalaguna, and was buried at the parochial church of that town.

BASIN, or BASINIO, of Parma, a celebrated Italian poet, was born at Parma, about 1421. He resided sometime at the court of Sigismund Pandolph Malatesta, lord of Rimini, where he died at the age of 36, in 1457. He composed a Latin poem on the death of Meleager, which may be found in manuscript in the libraries of Modena, Florence, and Parma. Basinio was the principal contributor to a collection of poems written in honour of the beautiful Isotta degli Atti, mistress, and afterwards wife to Sigismund. The poets represent this lady as extremely beautiful, as in poetry a Sappho, and in wisdom and

virtue, a Penelope. The collection was printed at Paris, in 1549, under the title of "Trium Poetarum Elegantissimorum, Porcellii Basinii, et Trebanii, Opuscula nunc primum edita." He wrote many other poems which have not been published.

TITUS and HERCULES STROZZI, father and son, two Italian poets, natives of Ferrara. They both wrote in Latin, and their poems were printed together in 8vo. at Venice, in 1513. They consisted of elegies, odes, &c. in a pleasing style. Titus was born in 1422, and died in 1502, aged 80. Hercules was occupied like his father, in the magistracy of Ferrara, but excelled him in the province of literature. He is highly commended by Caliagnini, in his funeral oration, as an admirable writer in prose and verse, both in Latin and Italian; and in Greek also he wrote a poem on the war of the Giants, which happily imitated the style of Homer. His moral qualities were much esteemed, and he was the distinguished patron of literature and merit. Duke Hercules I., who was much attached to theatrical spectacles, employed Strozzi in planning them. He was likewise the intimate friend of cardinal Bembo. Having married a lady named Barbara Torella, to whom a person of high rank was attached, the disappointed lover caused him to be assassinated in 1508, with circumstances of peculiar aggravation.

PETER VINCENT DANTE, a native of Perugia, of the family of Rainaldi. He received the name of Dante on account of his imitation of the verses of that poet. He was also skilled in the mathematics and in architecture. He died at an advanced age in 1512. He invented several machines, and wrote a commentary on the sphere of Sacrobosco.

JOHN ANTHONY CAMPANUS, an Italian poet and prelate, was born in 1427 at Cavelli, a village of Campania. The obscurity of his family was such, that he is known by no other name than one borrowed from his native province; it is even said that a country woman while at work in the fields, was delivered of him under a laurel tree. He was brought up to keep sheep; but attracting the notice of a priest, who discerned in him tokens of genius, he was taken home by him, taught the elements of letters, and then sent to pursue his studies at Naples, where the celebrated Lorenzo Valla was one of his masters. Intending to visit Tuscany, he was plundered by robbers on the road, and with difficulty escaped to Perugia. Here he rose to be professor of eloquence, and filled that chair with so much reputation, that in 1452, pope Pius II. made him bishop of Crotona, and afterwards of Teramo. Pope Paul II., sent him to the congress of Ratisbon, which assembled for the purpose of forming a league of the Christian sovereigns against the Turks. Sixtus IV., who had been one of his pupils, made him governor of Todi, Foligno, and Citta di Castello; but the

pope having laid siege to the last named city, because the inhabitants hesitated to receive his troops, Campanus, touched with the sufferings of the people, wrote so freely to the pope, that his holiness took offence, and deprived Campanus of his government, and banished him from the ecclesiastical states. Campanus retired to his bishopric at Teramo, where he died of chagrin and disappointment, July 15, 1477. Campanus distinguished himself as a writer in various walks. When residing at Perugia, he wrote the "History of Andrew Braccio," a famous captain of that place, which work was greatly admired for its style, though it was too much of a panegyric. He also wrote some political and moral treatises, orations, a number of letters, and eight books of Latin poems in various measures, and on various subjects, some of them more free than became his station. His poetry has been much commended by several writers, for the ingenuity and facility it displays; but like other ready composers, he did not bestow pains necessary to render his pieces duly correct. His works were published first by Michael Ferno; and a new collection of them was edited at Leipsic by Mucken, in 1707, and 1734.

LEWIS PULCÍ, an eminent Italian poet, born at Florence, 1431. He wrote a celebrated poem, on a tournament held at Florence, in which Lawrence de Medicis was victor, entitled, "Giostra di Lorenzo de Medicis." He had two brothers equally devoted to the muses; one of whom wrote an elegy, entitled Bernardo, on the death of the great Cosmo de Medicis. Lewis died about 1487.

JANUS PANNONIUS, a modern Latin poet, born in 1434, was a native of Hungary. He travelled into Italy for instruction in polite literature, in which he excelled, and for the spread of which he felt so much ardour, that he used every effort to promote the study of it in his own country. He was raised to the see of Funfteirchen, in Lower Hungary, where he died, in 1472. He was distinguished for his proficiency in the Greek and Latin languages, in the latter of which he composed a variety of poems.

PIERRE MICHAUT, secretary to the count de Charolois, son of the duke of Burgundy, in 1466, was the author of the poem entitled "Doctrinal de la Cour, or Danse des Aveugle;" Instructions for the Court, or Blind Man's Buff. From a beautiful copy of this satirical poem, finely illuminated, M. Laborde has given representations of all the musical instruments used in France during the 15th century, in the hands of the performers. JOHN AURELIO AUGURELLO, an Italian poet, born at Rimini, in 1441. He was professor of the belles lettres at Trevisa, at which place he died, in 1524. He wrote several pieces, but his chief work was a Latin poem, entitled Chrysopacia, or the art of making gold. He dedicated this poem to