bishop of Breslaw, he embraced the Roman Catholic religion. At this place he continued his critical researches on Quintus Curtius, Plautus, the twelve ancient Panegyrics, Tacitus, and some other authors. In 1594, he published, at Francfort, his "Animadversiones in Quintum Curtium," 8vo; which have been adopted in the Francfort edition of that author, 1597, and Snakenburg's edition, Leyden, 1724, 4to. His sudden death, May 25, 1595, at the age of 28, put a stop to his useful labours. At that time his observations on Plautus were in the press, and were published the following year at Francfort, 8vo, and again in 1607; and they are inserted in J. Gruter's "Lampas Critica." They conferred upon him a wellearned reputation; and Barthius and Lipsius, with others, bore testimony to his growing merit as a critic. His remarks on the Ancient Panegyrics and on Tacitus were published in 1607, and the former were added to J. Gruter's edition, Francfort, 1607, 12mo. They are, likewise, examined and compared with those of other scholars, in the fine edition of the Panegyrics published at Utrecht by Arntzenius, in 1790, 4to. His notes on Tacitus are in the edition of that author printed at Paris, 1608, fol. (where he is by mistake called Acidalus); in that of Gronovius, Amsterdam, 1635, 4to, and 1673, 2 vols. 8vo. We also owe to Acidalius, some notes on Ausonius, given in Tollius' edition of that author, Amsterdam, 1671, 8vo. and notes on Quintilian's dialogue de Oratoribus, added to Gronovius' edition of Tacitus, Utrecht, 1721, 4to. It appears by his letters, that he had written observations on Apuleius and Aulus Gellius, but these have not heen printed. His letters were published at Hanau, 1606, 8vo, by his brother Christian, under the title of "Epistolarum centuria una, cui accesserunt apologetica ad clariss. virum Jac. Monavium, et Oratio de vera carminis elegiaci natura et constitutione." In the preface, his brother vindicates his character against the misrepresentations circulated in consequence of his embracing the Roman Catholic religion, particularly with regard to the manner of his death. Some asserted that he became suddenly mad, and others that he laid violent hands on himself. It appears, however, that he died of a fever, brought on by excess of study. It still remains to be noticed, that he is said to have been the author of a pamphlet, published in 1595, entitled, "Mulieres non esse homines," "Women are not men; i. e. not thinking and reasonable beings;" but he had no other hand in this work than in conveying it to his bookseller, who was prosecuted for publishing it. It was, in fact, a satire on the Socinian mode of interpreting the Scriptures; and a French translation of it appeared in 1744, 12mo.'

ACKERMANN (JOHN CHRISTIAN GOTTLIEB), a physician and medical writer of considerable note in Germany, and professor of medicine at Altdorf, in Franconia, was born in 1756, at Zeulenrode, in Upper Saxony. His father was a physician, and initiated bis son in that science at a very early age. When scarcely fifteen, he prescribed with success to many of his friends during a dangerous epidemic which prevailed at Otterndorf. He afterwards finished his studies at Jena and Gottingen, under Baldinger, and became a very excellent classical scholar under the celebrated Heyne. After having practised medicine in his own country for some years, and distinguished himself by various translations of Italian, French, and English works, as well as by his original compositions, he was appointed to the professorship at Altdorf. He was also a member of various medical societies; and his practice is said to have been as successful, as his theory of disease was sound. He died at Altdorf in 1801. His principal works are: 1. "Institutiones Historiæ Medicinæ," Nuremberg, 1792, 8vo. 2. "A Manual of Military Medicine, 2 vols. 8vo, Leipsic, 1794-95, in German. 3. "The Life of J. Conr. Dippel," Leipsic, 1781, 8vo; also in German. For Harles' edition of Fabricius' Bibl. Græca, he furnished the lives of Hippocrates, Galen, Theophrastus, Dioscorides, and Aretæus; which are said to be well executed.*

ACKWORTH (GEORGE), LL. D. an English divine and civilian, of whose birth and family we have no account. During the reign of queen Mary, he travelled in France and Italy, where he studied the civil law. In 1560, he was public orator at Cambridge; and, in the following year, created doctor of laws. In 1562, he was admitted an advocate in the Arches court; and afterwards lived in the family of archbishop Parker, who gave him a prebend, probably that of Southwell. In 1567, he was vicar-general to Horne, bishop of Winchester; and, in 1575, the archbishop of Canterbury permitted him to hold the rectory of Elington, alias Wroughton, in the diocese of Sarum, with any other benefice. In 1576, he was appointed master of the faculties, and judge of the prerogative court, in Ireland, after he had been turned out of all the situations he held in England, on account of his dissolute conduct. When he died is not known. He wrote, in his better days: 1. "Orationem encomiasticam in restitutione Buceri et Fagii," printed in "Hist. Buceri," Argentor. 1562, 8vo. 2. The preface to Book II. of Bucer's works, fol. Basil, 1577. 3. "De visibili Romanarchia, contra Nic. Sanderi Monarchiam," Lond. 1622, 4to. This was written while he lived with archbishop Parker, and probably at his instigation. At one time he enjoyed the confidence of this great and good prelate, and assisted him in his Antiquitates Britannicæ,

ACOLUTHUS (ANDREW), a learned Orientalist, and professor of divinity at Breslaw, was born at Bernstadt, March 6, 1654. It is said that, at six years of age, he could speak Hebrew. He died Nov. 4, 1704. His most celebrated works are some chapters of a polyglot Koran, which he intended to have completed. The specimen, which is very scarce, is "Tetrapla Alcoranica, sive Specimen Alcorani quadrilinguis Arabici, Persici, Turcici, et Latini," Berlin, 1701, fol. He published also, "Obadias Armenus et Latinus, cum annotationibus," Leipsic, 1680, 4to. In printing this work, in which he followed as his guides Ambrose Theseus and Francis Rivoli, he was obliged to have the Armenian types cast at his own expence. He corresponded with many learned contemporaries, as Longuerue, Spanheim, and Leibnitz, who, however, did not approve his notion of the Armenian being the ancient language of Egypt.s

ACOMINATUS. See NICETAS.

ACONTIUS, or ACONZIO (JAMES), a divine, philosopher, and civilian of the sixteenth century, was born at Trent, where he was afterwards in orders; but, being disposed to a liberality of sentiment not tolerated there, he went to Switzerland in 1557, and made profession of the Protestant religion on the principles of Calvin. From thence he went to Strasburgh, and lastly to England, where he was hospitably received. Queen Elizabeth gave him a pension, not as a divine, but as an engineer. In gratitude, he addressed to her his book on the "Stratagems of Satan," a work in which are unquestionably many sentiments of greater liberality than the times allowed, but, at the same time, a laxity of principle which would reduce all religions into one, or rather create an indifference about the choice of any. It was first printed at Basle, in 1565, under the title of "De stratagematibus Satanæ in religionis negotio, per superstitionem, errorem, heresim, odium, calumniam, schisma, &c. libri VIII." It was afterwards often reprinted and translated into most European Janguages. His latest biographer says, that this work may be considered as the precursor of Lord Herbert of Cherbury, and those other English philosophers who have reduced the articles of religion to a very small number, and maintain that all sects hold its essential principles. Acontius, however, had his enemies and his supporters; and even the former could allow that, in many respects, he anticipated the freedom and liberality of more enlightened times, although he was, in many points, fanciful and unguarded. A better work of his is entitled "Dė methodo sive recta investigandarum, tradendarumque artium, ac scientiarum ratione, libellus," Basle, 1558, 8vo. This has often been reprinted, and is inserted in the collection "De Studiis bene instituendis," Utrecht, 1658. His "Ars muniendorum oppidorum," in Italian and Latin, was published at Geneva in 1585. In one of the editions of his "Stratagemata," is an excellent epistle by him, on the method of editing books. He had also made some progress in a treatise on logic, as he mentions in the above epistle, and predicts the improvements of after-times.

Tanner er gives 1566 as the date of his death, but we have no account of it. We only know that he died in England; and that, in 1560, he belonged to the Dutch church in Austin Friars; and, with Hadrian Hamstedius, was accused of Anabaptist and Arian principles, and fell under the censure of excommunication pronounced by Grindall, then bishop of London, and bishop-superintendant of the foreigners' churches. On this occasion Acontius wrote a long expostulatory letter to the Dutch church, which is still extant in the library at Austin Friars. Our authority does not state how this matter ended; but Hamstedius refused subscription to certain articles drawn up by the bishop previously to the ceremony of absolution.

1 Biographie Universelle, 1811. - Gen. Dict. - Tanner. - Strype's Life of Grindall, pp. 42. 45. VOL, I,

ACOSTA (JOSEPH D'), a celebrated Spanish author, born at Medina del Campo, about the year 1539. At the age of fourteen, he entered the society of the Jesuits, where he had already four brothers, all of whom he excelled in knowledge and enterprize. In 1571 he went to the East Indies, and became second provincial in Peru. In 1588, he returned to Spain, and acquired the good graces of Philip II. by entertaining him with accounts of the New World. He then went to Italy, to render a more particular account to the general of the Jesuits, Claude Aquaviva, with whom he had afterwards a difference, of little importance now, relative to certain ecclesiastical offices, and became superior of the order at Valladolid, and rector of Salamanca; at which last place he died, Feb. 15, 1600. He wrote: 1. "Historia natural y moral de las Indias," Seville, 1590, 4to; also 1591, 8vo, a corrected edition; and again, Madrid, 1608 and 1610; a work in great estimation, and often quoted by Dr. Robertson. It has been translated into Latin and French; the latter by Robert Regnault, who says that the original became scarce, the Spaniards having burnt all the copies; but in this he has mistaken Acosta for Acuna. It has also been translated into Flemish, Italian, and German. 2. "De Natura Novi Orbis, libri duo," Salamanca, 1589 and 1595, 8vo. This was translated by the author into Spanish, and added to the preceding work. 3. " De Promulgatione Evangelii apud Barbaros," Salamanca, 1588, 8vo, Cologne, 1596. 4. "De Christo revelato, libri novem," Rome, 1590, 4to; Lyons, 1591, 8vo. 5. "Conciones, tomi tres," Salamanca, 1596, 4to, and often reprinted.'

ACOSTA (URIEL), a Portuguese, born at Oporto towards the close of the sixteenth century. He was educated in the Romish religion, which his father also sincerely professed, though descended from one of those Jewish families who had been forced to receive baptism. Uriel had a liberal education, having been instructed in several sciences; and at last studied the law. He had by nature a good temper and disposition; and religion had made so deep an impression on his mind, that he ardently desired to conform to all the precepts of the church. He applied with constant assiduity to reading the scriptures and religious books, carefully consulting also the creed of the confessors; but difficulties occurred, which perplexed him to such a degree, that, unable to solve them, he thought Biographie Universelle, 1811. Moreri: