Fœlix consortium, or, A fit conjuncture of religion and learning in one entire volume, consisting of six books : the first treating of religion in general ... the second of learning ... the third, fourth, fifth and sixth books particularizing the men eminent for religion or learning ... : in an alphabetical order / by Edward Leigh ...

CHAP. XII.

M. CIcero. Anno Mundi 3855. Helv. Chron.

He was born in Arpinum.

He propounded to himself Demosthenes for a patern to imitate, whence he was called the Roman Demosthenes.

Some think that he exceeds Demosthenes, and Virgil Homer.

Oratores verò vel praecipuè Latinam eloquentiam parem facere Graecae possunt. Nam Ciceronem cuicunque eorum fortiter opposuerim. Ille se profecisse sciat, cui Cicero valde placebit. Quintil. Institut. Orat. l. 10. c. 1.

He compares there Tully and Demosthenes, and concludes, Salibus certe & com∣miseratione qui duo plurimum affectus valent vincimus. Quid quod & Cicero dissi∣milimus Demosthenis: Nihil enim adjici alteri: Nihil alteri detrahi potest: vide∣licet orationis ille succu•• alteri quidem penè deest: alteri vero quasi superfluit. Polit. l. 5. Epist. Ep. 1.

Terentius Varro and Iulius Caesar chose him for an Umpire, when both wrote concerning the Latine Tongue, the first of Etymology, the other of Ana∣logy. See Plin. l. 7. c. 30.

Romani maximus auctor eloquii. Aug. de civit. Dei, l. 14. c. 18. Vide Campianum de imitat. Rhetor. c. 2.

Non tantum perfectus Orator, sed etiam Philosophus fuit, siquidem solus extitit Platonis imitator. Lactant. Institut. l. 1. De falsa relig.

Some therefore preferre his Philosophical Works.

His Offices was the first book that was printed, and an excellent piece.

Liber non suo pretio habitus ideo quod omnium manibus teritur. Grotii Ep. ad Gallos.

His Epistles ad Atticum are an excellent History of those-times.

He set himself to imitate the Grecians, he expresseth the form of Demosthenes,

the copiousnesse of Plato, the pleasantnesse of Isocrates, saith Quintilian in the place before-cited.

His Repetitions without any Reason sometimes are disliked by Ramus, and his vain-glorious boasting.

O fortunatam natam me Consule Romam: Cedant arma togae, concedat laurea linguae.

Yet Turnebus in his 7^th book of his Adversaria, c. 19. both defends Tully, and that former verse.

Versus ille Ciceronis, qui obtrectatorum ejus & invidorum virulentos morsus exci∣tavit in ipsum.

O fortunatam natam me Consule Romam.

hanc opinor sententiam centinet, ••••licem illo Reipublicae statu Romam fuisse, quam constituerat confirmaratque in Consulatu, optimatum enim potestatem & Senatus au∣ctoritatem stabilierat, & cum principibus conjunxerat equites. Neque verò est cur vel à Quintil. lib. 9. c. 4. vel Juven. Sat. 19. versus irrideatur ob iterationem earundem syllabarum, hoc enim veteres in deliciis habebant, ut Maro 3. Aeneid.

—tales casus Cassandra canebat.

Many which strive to imitate Tully, differ much from him, and among them∣selves.

Aspice nunc eos homines: qui sibi elegerunt Marcum Tullium imitandum: quan∣tum ab eo distent: quantum etiam inter se dissimiles sint. Profluentem quandam sine modestia ubertatem Linius arripuit: acumen Quintilianus: sonum Lactantius: leui∣tatem Curtius: elegantiam Columella. Polit. Epist. l. 8. Epist. 17. Vide Campianum de Imit. Rhetor. c. 4, 5. & 6.

Iohn Claimund President of Corpus Christi Colledge in Oxford.

He hath written learned Commentaries upon all Plinies Natural History.

Isidorus Clarius.

He hath written,

In Evang. Lucae.

In Sermones Domini in Monte.

De modo divitiarum.

Orationes Extraordinariae.

Scholia in Novum Testamentum.

Claudia Rufina, Anno Dom. 80.

Martial the Poet commends her in his Epigrams for her beauty, fruitfulnesse, conjugal fidelity, learning, and her husband for his courtesie, friendship, liberality, piety, learning, study and Ciceronian-eloquence.

Claudianus a famous Poet.

He flourished in the times of Theodosius, and his sonnes Arcadius and Honorius. Alexandria in Egypt was his Countrey. He was much esteemed, for the most lear∣ned

Emperours say, that in him alone was both Virgils minde, and Homers muse. Lil. Gyrald. De Poet. Histor. Dial. 4.

There are these Works of his,

Epistola Sidonio.

Carmina de Fontibus Apeni.

The Rape of Proserpine, englished by learned Digges.

Claudius the Emperour, though simple, was not illiterate.

Christophorus Clavius, a Jesuite, and famous Professour of the Mathematicks at Rome.

His several Works are mentioned in the Oxford Catalogue.

Nic. de Clamangis.

He flourished about the year 1416. a pious and learned man, a follower of po∣liter speech and learning. Illyr. Catal. Test. verit. l. 19.

His Works are together in one Volume.

Clemens Alexandrinus, so called, because he was Governour of the School at Alexandria after Pantanus his Master. He lived under Severus and Caracalla, as himself witnesseth, l. 1. Strom.

He was Origens Master, saith Bellarmine.

He lived about the year 200, viz. in the beginning of the third Age or Centu∣ry. Calvis. in his Chronology saith, he flourished in the year of Christ 194.

He wrote a little after the death of Commodus. He abounded in all sacred and exotick knowledge to a miracle, and those many excellent Monuments of his wit which are published, he doth imbellish with much learning and many testimonies of Christians, Philosophers, and also Hereticks.

Eusebius l. 5 Hist. c. 10. saith, He was exercised in the Divine Scriptures. Casaub. Exercit. 1. ad Baron. apparat. p. 2. cals him inexhaustae Doctrinae virum.

Clemens Romanns Episcopus.

He is the first and most ancient of all writers since the Apostles.

He is counted by some of the Papists to be the Author of the Apostolical Con∣stitutions. He was contemporary to the Apostles, and is mentioned by S^t Paul as his fellow-worker, Phil 4. 3.

Nicholaus Clenardus was of Brabant.

He was a good Linguist, most skilfull in the Hebrew, Greek and Latine Tongues, and taught them all with praise at Lovain, to which that he might adde the profes∣sion of the Arabick, he travelled almost ten years.

It is said, that he was killed by his own slave which taught him Arabick, because he thought he would make use of his skill therein against the Alcoran.

There is his Grammatica Graeca, his Epistolae, Mediationes Graecanicae in Artem Graecam.

Cleobulina daughter to Cleobulus, one of the seven Wise men of Greece. She wrote certain Riddles in hexameter verses.

Ioh. Climachus, in the year 580.

His Works are Greek and Latine.

There is his Vita & Opuscula, Scala Paradisi.

Ioh. Cloppenburgus a learned Writer. There is his Book Contra Socinum, and others.

Carolus Clusius, a great Linguist. Lipsius thus sported on him,

Omnia Naturae dum Clusi, arcana recludis, Clusius haud ultra sis, sed Aperta mihi.

His Works are mentioned by Boissard.

Pet. Cluniacensis. In the year 1150.

He was called Venerabilis Petrus. His Works are in one Volume.

Philippus Clunerius. His Works are mentioned in Oxford Catalogue.

Vir stupendae lectionis & curae. Dilher. Disput. Acad.

Princeps aetatis nostrae Geographus. Voss. de Histor. Graec.

Magnum Germaniae ornamentum doctissimus Cluuerius noster, Voss. Hist. Pelag.

Iohn à Coch, or Cocceius.

Amama in an Epistle to Martinius before that book of his, entituled, Duo ti∣tuli Thalmudici Sanhedrin & Maccoth, gives this Elogy of him, Excitatum eum di∣vinitus esse statuo ad provehenda altius linguarum Orientalium studia, & reseranda nobis Iudaeorum sacraria. Nullus equidem Christianorum tantum in thalmudicis pub∣lice unquam praestitit, quantum ille eruditissimo hoc & de quo non nisi eruditissimi ju∣dicabunt, scripto.

His Exposition of Iob, the small Prophets, and his Book De foedere, are well esteemed.

Christ. Columbus an Italian, a most skilfull Cosmographer.

He found out America, called the New world Anno 1492.

Columbus by his glorious discoveries more justly deserved a place for a Ship among the Southern constellations, then ever the Argonantes did for their so cele∣brated Argo. M^r George Sandys Commentary upon the 13^th Book of Ovids Meta∣morphosis.

To him most truly agrees Plus ultrá.

Realdus Columbusa, Anatomicorum post Vesalium princeps. Neand.

Pet. Comestor.

He and Peter Lombard and Gratian were brethren born in adultery, as some hold, but Bellarmine thinks that opinion is without ground, seeing they were of several Countreyes.

Philip de Commines Knight, was born at Commines a Town in Flanders.

In his youth he served Charles Duke of B••rgnudy, and afterward Lewis the 11^th of that name King of France, who imployed him in his weightiest and secretest af∣fairs. The French Tongue he spake perfectly and eloquently, the Italian, Dutch and Spanish reasonably well.

He hath written the History of France under Lewis the 11^th and Charles the 8^th his Sonne.

He was the Spectator and actor of his History.

Nothing more grieved him, then that in his youth he was not trained up in the Latine Tongue, which his misfortune he often bewailed. The Emperour Charles the fifth, and Francis the first King of France made so great account of this Histo∣ry, that the Emperour carried it continually about with him, and the King was much displeased with the publishing thereof.

Philippus Cominius rerum gerendarum usu clarissimus senator. Bod. de Repub. lib. 3. cap. 7.

He in his History dived so farre into, and writ so plainly of the greatest affairs of State, that Queen Catharine de Medices used to say, that he had made as many hereticks in State-policy, as Luther had done in Religion.

Stephanus Paschasius hath this Epitaph of him,

Gallorum, & nostrae laus una & gloria gentis, Hic Cominaee jaces, si modo fortè jaces: Historiae vitam potuisti reddere vivus, Extincto vitam reddidit Historia.

Hier▪ Commelinus.

Annas Comnenas. Empresse of the East, a learned woman. She hath written eight books, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 De rebus à Patre gestis Gr.

Notes

• Cognomina∣tus est Cicero quia quiddam in figuram Ci∣ceris promi∣nens habebat in naso suo. Whethamsted. De viris illustribus. Vide Eras Epist. Epist. 28. Vide etiam Ludov. Viv. de trad. discip. l. 3. Natura Ciceroni ad summum eloquentiae principatum initia rudia contulit, ars incrementa dedit, sed improbissimus ille perpetuae Commentationis & exercitationis labor infinita quadam accessione & naturae initia, & artis incrementa superavit. Rami Ciceronianus. Vide plura ibid. Hic ille est Marcus Tullius dono quodam providentiae genitus, in quo to••as vires suas eloquentia experiretur, par Imperio Romano ingenium, os magnum, sapiens, beatum, nectare, & am∣brosia diffluens, ex omnium seculorum ingeniorum virtutibus collecta in unum perfectio. Vir de quo dubites, an ipse totus ex eloquentia, an ex ipso tota eloquentia sit confecta. Certè nihil est facundius, tot sunt in eo virtut••••, quot genera eloquentiae, quot dicta tot purpurae, quot verba tot flores. Caussin. Eloq. Sac. & Human. Parallel. l. 1. c. 62. Boxhorn. Monum, Illust. vir. & Elog. habet eadem verba. Vide Casaub. Epist. 354.
• Anima elo∣quentiae Ci∣cero, qui in foro, senatu ro••tisque grandi loquae sacultatis majestate sonuit. Dilh. Disput. Acad.
• Repetitio quaedam & geminatio verborum: idem signifi∣cantium, Cice∣roni familiaris est ac propè perpetua: Hanc uberta∣tem & copiam laudo: com∣mutatis ver∣bis; variatis figuris, quo magis res im∣primatur in animis, non∣nunquam in eadem senten∣tia commora∣tur orator: majoris hujus impressionis commorationem probo: interdum alio loco dicta nulla nova ratione denuò reponit: id ne{que} laudo nequis probo. Rami Ciceronianus. Si quicquam in Cicerone Ciceroniano maxime cavendum fugiendumque ••it, ista sane jactan••ia est, quia maximè animos audientium laedit: maximéque illud quicquid dicendo petitur, amittit. Id. ibid. Vide Quintil. Instit. Orat. l. 10. c. 1.
• Patriâ Brixia∣nus, professio∣ne Benedicti∣mus, vir tribus linguis doctis∣simus, qui ad doctrinam Christianam mores castissi∣mos, vitam integerrimam, animum nihil praeter charitatem & Ecclesiae emendationem ac unionem spirantem attulit. Thuan. Hist. Tom. 1. lib. 16.
• Britannici generis nobi∣lissima mulier, nominis cla∣ritudinem ex ingenti utri∣usque linguae Latinae & Graecae notitia per Italiam & alias mundi nationes commeruit. Maritum habebat fortu∣nis atque eruditione sibi non dissimilem (à quo cognomentum accepit) Aulum videlicet Rufum, cognomine Pudentem, etrusca nobilitate equitem insignem, Poetam Bononiensem, ac Stoicae sectae Philosophum eruditum. Balaeus De Script Brytan. Cent. 1.
• Anno Aerae Christi 379. Helv. Chron. Maximus
• Poeta Claudia∣nus solo argu∣mento ignobi∣l••ore oppressus, addit de inge∣nio quantum deest materiae. Foelix in eo calor, cultus non invisus, temperatum judicium, dictio candida, numeri non affectati, acutè dicta multa sine am∣bitione. Scalig. Hypercritic. c. 5. Claudianus ingenii ac spiritus planè Poetici. Lud. Viv de Tradend. Discip. lio. 3. Poeta est, non qui fabularum obscuris ambagibus aures potius titillet quam animum instruat. Gravissimus & compositae ad politicam doctrinam nervositatis stylus materies, laudum principalium omne genus. Boxhorn. Monum. illust. Vir. & Elog.
• Claudius Im∣perator, quan∣tâ curâ, & poenè dixerim ambitione, tres novas litteras invexit, iisque Romanam linguam auxit? non aliâ, quam si totidem regnis imperii fines. Lips. De Recta Pronunciat. Latinae Linguae. cap. 3.
• Natione Ger∣manus, scien∣tias Mathe∣maticas avi∣dissimè ac stu∣diosissime didicit, & magna cum laude diu professus est. Bibliotheca Scriptorum Societ. Iesu. A Philippo Alegambe edi∣ta. Et certe non video quid Mathematica studia Clavio contulerint, qui his adeo infans est, ut mediocriter literis huma∣nioribus tinctus haec melius intelligat, quam ille qui toto vitae suae tempore nihil praeter Mathematica tractavit. Scalig. Can. Isag. l. 3. Ex omnibus ejus lucubrationibus quibus in lucem prolatis, nominis sui memoriam, omnium saeculorum posteritati commendavit, Euclides, & sphaera. Io de Sacro Bosco, commentariis illustrata, est talis, ut in arce poni possit, quasi Minerva ill Phidiae, in qua nihil est nisi absolutum atque perfectum. Iani Nicii Erythraei Pinacotheca. Vide plura ibid.
• Anno Aerae Christianae 161. Helv. Chron. Clementis A∣lexandrini & antiquitas, & summa con∣summataque eruditio. Erat acer vehemens∣que & sensu sententiisque pollens. Mon∣tacut. Antidiat. Clemens Alexandrinus, scriptor in primitiva olim Ecclesia admodum celebris, tum pietatis, tum eruditionis nomine, flo∣ruit circiter 200 Domini annum. Illyr Catal. Test. Verit. lib. 2. Feruntur ejus insignia volumina, plenaque eruditionis & eloquentiae, tam de Scripturis divinis, quam de saecularis literaturae instrumento. Hieron. de Script. Eccles
• Sub Clementis Romani nomi∣ne jam olim prodiit liber cujus ••i••••l••s, Constitutiones Apostolorum. Nec defuerunt nostris temporibus ex Adversariis nonnulli viri alioquin eruditi, sed judicio hac in parte non u••entes, qui Clementis genuinum opus esse pertinaciter contenderent. Albortinus De Sacramento Eucha∣ristiae l. 2. c. 3. Vide plura ibid. De illis libris Constitutionum nihil habent Eusebius, nihil Hieronymus, nihil Gennadius, Gethardi Patrologia.
• Exoticarum linguarum pe∣ritia vel exte∣rorum homi∣num testimo∣nio, Belgarum poenè propria est. Argumen∣to in eruditis linguis unus è millibus Clenardus sit, qui easdem ratione traditas, non Lovanii modò, sed apud exteros etiam, magna sui admiratione, propagavit. Testantur id Libri Epistolarum peregrinationis suae; quarum plerasque Iacobo Latomo Doctori suo, Ioachim•• Politae, Rutgero Relcio, aliisque amicis inscripsit. Auberit Miraei Elog. Belg. Praeter La∣tinam, Graecam, & Hebraeam (quae in omnibus pene Academiis regnant) ••rabicam quoque Grammaticam con∣scripsit; extatque manuscripta in Hispania apud I. Peeresium Valentinum hominem doctissimum. Id. ibid. Graecis Hebraicisque literis imbutus, eas Lovanii maxima cum laude docuit. Linguae Arabicae discendae studio in Africam trajecit. Swertii Athenae Belgicae. In Academia Fessana Saracenicae gentis, linguam Arabicam didicit. Neand. Geog. parte tertia.
• Linguarum septem, utpote Latinae, Graecae, Italicae, Galli∣cae, Hispanicae, Lusitanicae & Belgicae, exa∣ctam habuit peritiam. Historiarum vulgo incognitarum & scriptor & censor acutissimus, uti & Cosmographiae doctissimus. Melch. Ad. vit. Germ. medic. Et Boissardi Icones.
• Petrus abbas Cluniacensis floruit duo∣decimo seculo. Is unus eorum est qui Romanam tyrannidem anim advertit & accusavit. Illyr. Catal. Test. Verit.
• Novum or∣bem in Atlan∣tico mari Hi∣spanis primus aperuit. Thuan. Hist. Tom. 1. lib. 1. Vide Uberti Folietae Elogis. Et Boissardi Icone••.
• a

  Extant ejus de re Anato∣mica libri 15. Ubi multis ostenditur quid ipse veterum & ante se recentiorum ••••venis hic addiderit. Neand. Geog. part. 1.
• Floret Anno Ae••aè Christi 1••71.
• Petri Lombar∣di frater no∣thus. Galv••••. Chron. Presbyter ••cele•••••• Trecensis, comestor cognominatus est, ut Trithemius autumat, quod Bibliorum Testimoni•• in sui•• scriptis & concionibus adeo frequenter citare solitus sit, ut Scripturarum facr••r••m codicem velut comediss•• diceretur. Illyr. Catal. Test. verit. l. 15.
• Fuit is ex il∣lustri apud Flandros gente Comminaea, Au∣rei velleris equestri orna∣mento splen∣descente, vi•• forma elegan∣ti, & procera corporis digni∣tate. Res gestas omnium gen∣tium, ac prae∣sertim Roma∣norum Galli∣cè redditus (neque enim Latinè sciebat) diligentissimè legerat, & memoria prope tenebat. Qua & in primis valuit, adeò ut Iulii Casaris exemplo, quatuor saepè scribi•• litteras de variis gravissimisque Reipub. negotiis eodem tempote di∣ctaret, tanta quidem facilitate, quasi unum tantùm tractaret argumentum Auberti Miraei Elogia Belgica. Vide Scaev. Samarth. Gallorum doctrina illust. Elog. Entre autres il faut auouer que Philippe de Commines, qui ne scavoit pass'ly avoit vn Polybe & u'n Tacite aumonde, C. Car c••s excellans Historiens combut••oient encor au••c la poudre & les vers, dans les Bibliotheque•• des momes, ne laisse pas de s'accorderau e•• eux, & d▪ estre de mesme aduis en la pluspart de les ingements. Apologie pour M▪ de Balzac. Scrip••it Historiam ante annos paulo minus Centum Phi∣lippus Comminaeus, ita laudabiliter, ut nihil ve••ear compon••re eum cum quovis antiquorum. Incredibile est quam ille omnia videat. penetret, arcana consiliorum erat, & subinde instruat nos salutaribus rarisque praeceptis piis, & id diffuse, Polybiano quodam exemplo. Dignum Alexandris omnibus hic Philippus. Lips. Not. in 1. l. Politic. Vide plura ibid. Philippus Comminaeus Historicus, quinto decimo exeunte seculo, sed cum antiquis melioribus est com∣parandus. Possev. Biblioth. Select. Tom. 2. l. 16. c. 39.
• Natione Gallus, rem literariam multum juvit, editis tum veterum Graecorum plurimis nunquam antea editis monumentis, tum Athanasio imprimis, & B. Io▪ Chry∣sostomi magna operum parte. Thuan. Hist. Tom. 5. l. 119.