1457. He was never married, but he confesses in one of his answers to Poggio, that he took a young woman to live with him, by whom he had three children, and whose fidelity he extols, adding that he hoped to procure her a husband; but concubinage was at that time very common among the scholars attached to the court of Rome. In the capacity of a reviver of letters he has always held a high rank, which he merited by unwearied application, and an enlarged course of study, comprehending history, criticism, dialectics, moral philosophy, and theology. He has many eulogists among the learned, and has been particularly praised by Erasmus, as one of those who have the most contributed to the revival of sound learning. His principal works are, a Latin translation of Homer; notes on Livy; a translation of Thucydides; another of Herodotus; illustrations of the New Testament; and, above all the rest, his "Elegantiæ Linguæ Latinæ," printed at Rome, in 1471, fol. and at Paris, in 1542, 4to.

BERNARD GUISTINIANI, a noble Venetian and man of letters, was born in 1408. He obtained great reputation for his eloquence, and was employed by the republic on several honourable missions. In 1451 he was appointed to receive the emperor Frederic III., on his passing through the Venetian territory. He afterwards was sent on embassies to Ferdinand king of Naples, to several of the popes, and to Lewis XI. of France, who honoured him with knighthood. In 1467 he was made captain-commandant of Padua, admitted into the council of ten, made counsellor, savio-grande, and finally procurator of St. Mark. He died in 1489. Guistiniani was the author of several works; of which are a number of Orations upon public occasions; the life of his uncle, the Blessed Lorenzo Guistiniani; three pieces on the life, the translation, and the appearance of St. Mark; a version of the book of Isocrates to Nicocles, some Latin letters of his father Leonardo, and the ancient history of Venice, in fifteen books, from its foundation to the year 809, written in Latin. This has been several times printed, and has been translated into Italian by Lodov Domenichi.

CECILIA DE GONZAGA, a young lady of high birth and family, gave proofs of a remarkable fondness for learning, even when a child. Her father, John Francis Gonzaga, who was lord of Mantua, procured the first masters to instruct her, and at eight years of age she is said to have obtained a knowledge of Greek. As she advanced in years, she was not merely celebrated for her knowledge, but for the religious and amiable turn of her mind; for instead of enjoying those amusements to which her rank entitled her, she spent her fortune in relieving the distresses of mankind. She gave marriage portions to all the young women in her neighbourhood, repaired several convents, and beautified churches which were decayed, but at length, in spite of all the remonstrances of her father,

she deprived herself of all power of doing good, by taking the veil.

CHRISTOPHER PERSONA, a Roman by birth, and prior of the convent of Santa Balbina, of the order of the Guillelmites, upon mount Aventinus, was eminent for his skill in the Greek language. He translated Agathias and some other authors into Latin. He died of the plague in 1486.

WILLIAM BOTONER, or WILLIAM WORCESTER, an English writer in history, antiquities, heraldry, physic, and astronomy, was a native of Bristol and born about 1415. The name of his father was Worcester, and that of his mother Botoner, hence he often names himself William Wyrcester, alias Botoner. He was educated at Hart-hall, Oxford, 1434. He was engaged in the wars 44 years; and so faithfully served Sir John Fastolff, that he made him one of his executors. He died about 1490. He translated from the French, "Cicero on Old Age," 1475, and wrote besides, antiquities of England; abbreviations of the learned; Medicinal Collections; Treatises on Astronomy and Astrology; the Acts of Sir John Fastolff'; and of John Duke of Bedford; also the Polyandrium Oxoniensium, or Memoirs of Oxford Students.

GEORGE CHASTELAIN, or Castellanus, a learned Flemish gentleman, educated at the court of the duke of Burgundy. He died in 1475, leaving in French verse, an account of all the remarkable events which happened in his time, 1531, 4to. He was also the author of Le Chevalier delibere ou la Mort du Duc de Bourgogne, 1489, 4to; Histoire du Chevalier Jacques de Lalain, 4to; and Les Epitaphes d'Hector et d'Achille, 1525, 8vo.

AUGUSTINE DATI, a learned Italian writer, the son of a lawyer at Sienna, was born at that place in 1420, and educated under Francis Philephus, who declared him his most promising scholar. Dati suffered much ridicule from his school-fellows, on account of a hesitation in his speech, which he cured by the means adopted by Demosthenes, that of speaking with small pebbles in his mouth. Odo Anthony, duke of Urbino, invited him to Urbino to teach the belles lettres. He accordingly set out for that city in April, 1442, where he was received with every mark of honour and friendship by the duke, but this prosperity was not of long duration. He had not enjoyed this situation two years when the duke, on account of his excesses and tyranny, was assassinated in a public tumult, with two of his favourites. Dati saved himself by taking refuge in a church, while the mob pillaged his house. Dati returned to Sienna, in 1444, where he opened a school, and acquired so much reputation, that the cardinal of Sienna, Francis Piccolomini, permitted him to lecture on the Holy Scriptures, although he was a married man. He was also much employed in pronouncing harangues on public occasions in

Latin, many of which are among his works. He was advanced to the first offices of the magistracy, and entrusted with the negotiation of various affairs of importance. In 1457 he was appointed secretary to the republic, which office he held for two years. Towards the close of his life he devoted himself to the study of the Scriptures and ecclesiastical history. He died of the plague at Sienna, April 6, 1478. His son Nicholas collected his works for publication, "Augustini Dathi, Senensis, opera," of which there are two editions, that printed at Sienna, 1503, fol. and an inferior one printed at Venice, 1516. They consist of a treatise on the immortality of the soul; letters; three books on the history of Sienna; a history of Piombino ; on grammar; &c. &c.

GONZALES PETER DE MENDOZA, a Spanish cardinal, born in 1428. He was eminent as a statesman, and got the hat from Sixtus IV. He translated Homer and Virgil into Spanish, and died in 1495.

GACE DE LA BIGNE, was born of a noble family of the diocese of Bayeux, about 1428. He was chaplain to king John, and accompanied that prince to England after the battle of Poictiers. Being at Rochefort in 1459, he began a poem on the chace, entitled "Le Roman des Oiseaux," which he finished on his return to France. This he did at the command of the king for the instruction of his son Philip duke of Burgundy. It was printed with Gaston de Foix's work on the Chace in 1520. Bigne was alive in 1475.

WILLIAM FICHET, or FISCHET, an eminent prior and doctor of the Sorbonne in 1454, and rector of the university of Paris in 1467, who lectured on rhetoric, philosophy, and theology, with high reputation. He opposed the plan formed by Louis XI. of arming the scholars, and was entrusted with several commissions of importance. Fichet went to Rome with cardinal Bessarion, who dedicated his orations to him in 1470, and he was well received by pope Sixtus IV., and appointed his chamberlain. A work of his exists, on "Rhetoric," and also some "Epistles," elegantly written, printed at the Sorbonne, 1471, 4to, and which has been sold at the high price of 50%. Fichet and his friend John de la Pierre, were the means of bringing Martin Crantz, Ulric Gering, and Michael Friburgei, from Germany to the Sorbonne, for the purpose of introducing printing into France; and Fichet's works, above mentioned, were among the first specimens of the art produced in that country.

JOHN ARETIN, surnamed Zortelius, was librarian and chamberlain to pope Nicholas V. He was the author of a grammatical work "De Postate Literarum," on the power of letters. It is much to his credit, that he never, like many of his contemporaries, dishonoured learning by fierce and injurious

disputes. He had many friends among the learned; Laurentius Valla dedicated to him his book "De Latina Elegantia.' PAUL ALBERTINI, a celebrated Venetian writer, was born in 1430, and at ten years of age, entered among the Servites. On taking orders he became famous for preaching, and his skill in politics was such, that the senate employed him on an embassy to Turkey. He died in 1475, and the republic honoured his memory, by causing a medal to be struck in honour of him. He was the author of some theological works in Latin.

HENRY INSTITOR, a German Dominican, and inquisitor general of Mayence, Treves, and Cologne. He, with the assistance of his colleague, James Springer, composed a work, entitled Malleus Maleficarum, printed at Lyons in 1484, and several times afterwards. He also wrote a book on monarchy, and another against errors on the sacrament.

STEPHEN AQUÆUS, lord of Beauvais, in Berry, his native country, made himself famous by his military actions, and his writings. He wrote a commentary on Pliny, which was printed in 1530.

GEORGE VALLA, a professor of polite literature, was a native of Placentia. He taught at Milan and Pavia, in the latter of which universities he was a professor in 1471 and 1476. Thence he removed to Venice, where he held the chair of eloquence in 1486. From his translations of medical works, it has been thought he was a physician, but we have no proof that he prac tised in that profession. In Venice, the zeal which he displayed for the party of the Trivulzi, excited the resentment of Lodovico Sforza, duke of Milan, to such a degree, that he procured the imprisonment of Valla. The cause, however, being examined, he was set at liberty, and restored to his professorship. Not long after, as he was preparing one morning to go to his school, where he was engaged in explaining the Tusculan questions of Cicero, and holding daily learned disputations on the immortality of the soul, he died suddenly, about the close of the century. His works are, 1. De tuenda Sanitate per Victum. 2. Commentaries on Cicero, Horace, Juvenal, &c. 3. A Comment on Pliny's Natural History. 4. De expetendis et fugiendis rebus, 2 vols. fol.

DOMITIUS CALDERINUS, a learned critic, born at Calderia. He read lectures upon polite literature at Rome with great reputation; and was the first who ventured to write upon the most difficult of the ancient poets. He died very young, in 1477.

GEORGE MERULA, an Italian of extraordinary parts and learning, born at Alexandria about 1420. He taught youth at Venice and Milan for 40 years, and laboured much in restoring and correcting ancient authors. He wrote and ad

dressed to Lewis Sforza, " Antiquitates Vicecomitum," &c. or "The actions of the dukes of Milan," in ten books; with some other pieces. He died in 1494, unlamented, as he had abused almost all his contemporary scholars.

BARTHOLOMEW SCALA, an eminent Italian writer, who flourished when literature was reviving in Europe. He was born about 1424, and was the only son of a miller; but going early to Florence, Cosmo de Medicis gave him his education. He studied the law, became LL.D. and frequented the bar. On Cosmo's death, in 1464, Peter de Medicis employed him in some very important negotiations. In 1471 he was made a citizen of Florence; in 1472 he was ennobled, and made chancellor. In 1484, he was sent on an embassy to pope Innocent VIII., to whom he made an oration that so well pleased the pope, that he made him a Roman knight and senator. He died at Florence in 1497. He wrote-1. "De Historia Florentina." 2. Vita di Vitaliani Borromeo, printed at Rome, in 1677, 4to. 3. Apologues, orations, and poems.

RAYMOND DE SEBONDE, or SABUNDE, professor of philosophy, medicine, and theology, in the university of Toulouse. He wrote some novels, the most noted of which was first entitled, "Liber Creaturarum," and afterwards "Theologia Naturalis." This book was brought into notice by Montagne, who was pleased with some sentiments in it conformable to his own, and translated it into French. What he says in its praise is, that he thinks no writer has equalled him in establishing the articles of Christianity, by natural reason. Grotius refers to him in his book "De Veritate," and says, alluding to his own subject, that this matter has been discussed with philosophical subtilty by Raymond Sebunde.

MATTHEW BOSSO, an eminent Italian scholar, born at Verona in 1427. In 1451 he entered the congregation of the regular canons of St. John of Lateran, and after going through several offices obtained the abbey of Fiesole. He died at Padua in 1502. Mr. Roscoe characterizes him as a profound scholar, a close reasoner, and a convincing orator; and as possessing a candid mind, and inflexible integrity, and an interesting simplicity of life and manners. His works are, 1. De Instituendo Sapientiâ Animo, 1495. 2. Deveris et salutaribus animi gaudiis, 1491. 3. Epistolarum, lib. iii. 4. Orationes.

DONATA ACCIAIOLI, was born in the year 1428. He was famous for his learning, and the honourable employments he possessed in Florence, his native country. He wrote a Latin translation of some of Plutarch's lives; Commentaries on Aristotle's ethics and politics; and the life of Charlemagne. He was sent to France by the Florentines, to sue for succour from Lewis XI, against pope Sixtus IV., but died on his journey, at