A new history of ecclesiastical writers containing an account of the authors of the several books of the Old and New Testament, of the lives and writings of the primitive fathers, an abridgement and catalogue of their works ... also a compendious history of the councils, with chronological tables of the whole / written in French by Lewis Ellies du Pin.

Historians of England.

THE Kingdom of England has brought forth so many approved Authors, who have ••mploy'd their Pens in writing the History of their Native Country, that they well deserve to be re∣ferr'd to a particular Article.

HENRY OF HUNTINGTON, the Son of a marry'd Priest named Nicolas, and the Pupil of Albinus Andegavius Canon of Lincoln, was made Canon of the same Church, and afterwards * 1.1 Arch-deacon of Huntington, by Alexander Bishop of Lincoln, whom he accompanied in his Journey to Rome. He wrote the History of the English Monarchy from its first Foundation till the Death of King Stephen, which happen'd in 1154. It is dedicated to the said Bishop Alexander, and divided into Eight or Ten Books, being contain'd among the Works of the English Writers in Sir Henry Savil's Collection, printed at London A. D. 1596. and at Francfurt in 1601. Father Luke Dachery has likewise published in the Eighth Tome of his Spicilegium a small Tract of this Author, con∣cerning the Contempt of the World, dedicated to Gauterius. He there shews how the Things of this sublunary World ought to be contemned, relating many Examples of Misfortunes that hap∣pen'd to the Great Personages of his Age, and the miserable Death of divers profligate Wretches: He declares, in the Preface to this Tract, that he had before made a Dedication to the same Person of a Collection of Epigrams, and of a Poem about Love. There are also in the Libraries of Ox∣ford and Cambridge several other Manuscript Works of this Author, particularly a Letter concerning the British Kings, dedicated to Warinus; a Treatise of the Counties of Great Britain; another of the Image of the World; and a Third of the English Saints.

WILLIAM LITTLE, known by the Name of Gu••i••lmus Neubrigensis, was born at Bridlington near York, A. D. 1136. and educated in the Convent of the Regular Canons of Neutbridge, where * 1.2 he embraced the Monastick Life: He compos'd a large History of England, divided into Five Books, from the Year 1066. to 1197. This History is written with much Fidelity, and in a smooth and intelligible Style. It was printed at Antwerp A. D. 1567. ar Heidelberg in 1587. and lastly at Paris with John Picard's Notes in 1610. It is believ'd that he died A. D. 1208.

WALTER, born in the Principality of Wales, Arch-deacon, and even (as some say) Bishop of Oxford, translated out of English into Latin the History of England, composed by Geffrey of Mon∣mouth, * 1.3 and continued to his time.

JOHN PYKE, wrote an History of the English, Saxon, and Danish Kings of England, and flourished with the former Historian under King Henry I.

GERVASE, a Monk of Canterbury, compos'd several Treatises relating to the History of Eng∣land, which are contain'd in Mr. Selden's Collection of the English Historiographers; particularly * 1.4 a Relation of the burning and repairing of the Cathedral Church of Canterbury; an Account of the Contests between the Monks of Canterbury, and Baldwin their Archbishop; a Chronicle from the Year 1122. to 1199. and the Lives of the Archbishops of Canterbury.

GEFFREY ARTHUR, Arch-deacon of St. Asaph, was chosen Bishop of that Diocess A. D. 1151. He left his Bishoprick by reason of certain Commotions which happen'd in Wales, and re∣tir'd * 1.5 to the Court of Henry II. King of England, who gave him the Abbey of Abbington in Commen∣dam. Afterwards in a Council held at London, A. D. 1175. the Clergy of St. Asaph caus'd a Pro∣posal to be made to Geffrey by the Archbishop of Canterbury, either to return to his Bishoprick, or to admit another Bishop to be substituted in his room: He refus'd to return, designing to keep his

Abbey; but both the Abbey and the Bishoprick were dispos'd of, and he was left destitute of any Ecclesiastical Preferment. He wrote, or rather translated out of English into Latin, an History of Great Britain from the beginning to his time; which is full of Fables, dedicated to Robert Duke of Glocester, and divided into Twelve Books. It was printed at Paris A. D. 1517. at Lyons by Potelier in 1587. and by Commelin in the same Year; it is also inserted among the Works of the English Historians printed that Year at Heidelberg. It is reported that he, in like manner, translated out of English into Latin, the ancient Prophecies of Merlin, which were printed at Francfurt with Alanus's Observations, A. D. 1603.

The History of the Church of Durham was written by several Authors, the first of whom is * 1.6 TURGOT, a Monk of that Diocess, who compos'd one from its first Foundation to the Year 1096.

SIMEON OF DURHAM, copied out Turgot's History almost word for word, from the Year * 1.7 635. to 1096. and continued it to 1154. He likewise wrote an History of the Kings of England and Denmark, from the Year 731. to 1130. A Letter to Hugh Dean of York, about the Archbi∣shops of that City; and a Relation of the Siege of Durham. These Three last Pieces were pub∣lished by Father Labbé, in the first Tome of his Library of Manuscripts. The Historians of the Church of Durham, by Turgot and Simeon, were printed at London, with the Works of the other English Historiographers, A. D. 1652.

WILLIAM OF SOMERSET, a Monk of Malmesbury, is justly preferr'd before all the other * 1.8 English Historians. His History of England, divided into Five Books, contains the most remark∣able Transactions in this Kingdom, since the arrival of the Saxons to the 28th Year of King Henry I. that is to say, from the Year of our Lord 449. to 1127. He afterwards added Two Books, con∣tinuing the History to A. D. 1143. and annexed to the whole Work Four Books, containing the History of the Bishops of England, from Augustin the Monk, who first planted Christianity in these Parts, to his time. These Works were printed at London, and published by Sir Henry Savil, A. D. 1596. and at Francfurt in 1601. Father Mabillon has likewise set forth, in the first Tome of his Benedictin Centuries, the Life of St. Adelm Bishop of Salisbury, compos'd by this Author, who died A. D. 1143.

JOHN OF HEXAM, a Native of the County of Northumberland, Monk and Provost of the * 1.9 Monastery of Hagulstadt, flourished about the Year 1160. He made a Continuation of Simeon of Durham's History of the Kings of England and Denmark, from A. D. 1130. to 1154. This Work is extant among those of the other English Historians, printed at London in 1652.

SYLVESTER GIRALD, born in Wales, flourished in the end of the Reign of King Henry II. to whom he dedicated a Natural History, a Topography of Ireland, and a History, in form of a Prediction, of the Conquest of Ireland by that Monarch, printed at Antwerp. These Works were published by Mr. Camden, and printed at Francfurt in 1602. He also wrote an Itinerary of Wales, upon a Visitation there made by him, with Baldwin Archbishop of Canterbury, to excite the People of that Country to undertake a Voyage to the Holy Land. This last Work is extant among the others, and was likewise printed at London in 1585. with a Description of the same Country of Wales. Besides these Pieces, he wrote the Lives of several Saints, and died Bishop of St. Davids in the beginning of the following Century. One of his Letters is contain'd in Archbishop Usher's Collection of the Letters of Ireland, and divers other Works of this Author are found among the Manuscripts of the publick Libraries of England.

ROGER OF HOVEDEN, an Officer under King Henry II. and afterwards Regius Professor * 1.10 of Divinity in the University of Oxford, compos'd the Annals of England from the Year 731. where Venerable Bede ends to 1202. This Work is among those of the English Historians pub∣lished by Sir Henry Savil, and printed at London A. D. 1595, as also at Francfurt in 1601.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Henry, Arch-dea∣con of Hun∣tington.
• * 1.2

  Gulielmus Neubri∣gensis.
• * 1.3

  Walter, Arch-dea∣con of Ox∣ford. John Pyke.
• * 1.4

  Gervase, Monk of Canter∣bury.
• * 1.5

  Geffrey Arthur, Bishop of St. Asaph.
• * 1.6

  Turgot, Monk of Durham.
• * 1.7

  Simeon of Durham.
• * 1.8

  William of Somerset, Monk of Malmes∣bury.
• * 1.9

  John of Hexam, Provost of Hagul∣stadt. Sylvester Girald, Bi∣shop of St. Davids,
• * 1.10

  Roger Hoveden, Regius Professor of Divi∣nity.