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.

PONTIUS.

SAint Jerome reckons Pontius amongst the Ecclesiastical Authors, who writ the Life of St. Cyprian, whose Deacon he had been. Some Learned Persons, and Rigaltius in particular, seem to * 1.1 have doubted whether this work was not Supposititious; and indeed, we must own, that it is written with so much affectation of Eloquence, that it might well be suspected to be spuri∣ous, if St. Jerome had not owned it as genuine. But, after the Testimony of that Learned Father, I don't think we ought to question the truth of it. This Life is not written, as Rigaltius has well ob∣serv'd, after an Historical manner, but in the Language of one that desired to be thought an Orator, and has more Rhetorical Ornaments, than Historical Exactness in it. The Narration which ought to be plain and single, is full of Rhetorical Figures; and the Style, which ought to be concise, is swelling. In short, as I have observed already, there is rather an affectation of Eloquence, than any true Elo∣quence in this Book.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Pontius.