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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88706	The true effigies, or portraicture of the chief philosophers, historians, poets, grammarians, and oratours. Or, A compendious view of each, both dignified with, and distinguished by, their peculiar characters. By Ed. Larkin, A.M. late fellow of Kings Colledge in Cambridge, and now of Limesfield in Surrey minister	Larkin, Edward, 1623-1688.	1659 (1659)	Wing L445; Thomason E1786_1; ESTC R202702	74,354	230

and gravity of Demosthenes Quintus Aurelius Symmachus QVintus Aurelius Symmachus was a man of Cosular degree and Praefect of the City He is much commmended by Marcellinus for his Learning and modesty and thus Characterized by Boethius Illud pretiofissimum generis humani decus vir totus ex sapientia ac virtutibus factus That most pretious Ornament of Mankind altogether composed of Wisdome and the Vertues As also thus by Prosper Mirabili eloquie scientia praeditus Endued with wonderfull knowledge and Eloqution Ausonius writing an Epistle to him gives him therein these following Commendations Haud quisquam ita nitet ut comparatus tibi non sordeat Quis ita Aesopi venustatem Quis sophisticas Socratis conclusiones Quis Enthymemata Demosthenis aut opulentiam Tullianam aut proprietatem nostri Maronis accedat Quis ita affectet singula ut tu imples omnia Quid enim aliudes quam ex omni bonarum artium ingenio collecta perfectio Who comes so neer the Grace of Aesop who the sophisticall conclusions of Socrates Who the Enthymem● of Demosthenes Or the Opulency of Cicero Or the propriety of our Maro Who so affects each as thou fillest all For what art thou else but collect Perfection from the Wit of all good Arts I l'e but add a Note from Dempster In Epistolis eloquens in Relatione vehemens Eloquent in his Epistles in his Relation vehement ΧΑΡΑΚΤΗ'Ρ ΠΟΙΗΤΩ̄Ν OR THE POETS In their lively PICTURES LONDON Printed by E.C. for Henry Eversden at the Grey-hound in S. Pauls Church-yard 1659. TO HIS HONOURED FRIEND JOHN HOLMDEN Of Limsfield in the County of Surrey ESQUIRE Ingenious SIR AND I hope as kind otherwise I must expect to meet with Frowns for so slender hath my performance been that if there be such a Grace as Modesty I may blush to own it However a courteous Eye may pass over all my slips with a generous Indulgence Indeed this is the presage to which I may impute all my boldness and if I am deceived it s my too forward praeconception of your Candor hath beguiled me And yet I am brief enough and therefore guilty of the fewer Faults had I been more prolix I might have tyred out the greatest Patience but seeing you are secured from that I hope it will be one Graine more in the Scale to make your Lenity the heavier If I shall attain this undeserved Favour I shall have my wish and be engaged to approve my self SIR Yours to all Civilities Edward Larkin THE NAMES Of the POETS As they are handled in Order ORpheus Alcaeus Sappho Musaeus Homerus Hesiodus Pindarus Anacreon Theognis Theocritus Aratus Lycophron Aeschylus Sophocles Euripides Menander Aristophanes Plautus Terentius Callimachus Afranius Lucilius Accius Ennius Lucretius Catullus Virgilius Corn. Gallus Horatius Ovidius Manilius Tibullus Propertius Gratius Seneca Persius Pedo Albin Pomponius 2 us Arunt Stella Juvenalis Valerius Flac. Silius Italic Lucanus Martialis Statius Ausonius Oppianus Sidonius Prudentius Claudianus Pontius Paul Dracontius ΧΑΡΑΚΤΗ'Ρ ΠΟΙΗΤΩ̄Ν OR THE POETS In their lively PICTURES Orpheus ORpheus an excellent Musitian and Poet was a Thracian by Birth the Son of Oeagrus and the Muse Calliope much reverenced by the Odrysae a Mountainous and wild People their manners answering to the Climate of their Country who notwithstanding their Native Ferity danced after his wel-tuned Instrument nay the very senseless Trees are reported to have skipt whensoever his Harp sounded whereunto the Poet Horace hath alluded Unde vocalem temere insecutae Orphea sylvae Artemat erna rapidos morantem Fluminum lapsus celeresque ventos Blandum auritas fidebus canoris ducere quercus Suidas saith of him that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A wise man and instructed in many Secrets He was torn in pieces by the raving Maenades neer the River Hebrus whose rent and dispersed Members the Muses gathered up and buried His Harp upon his death was faigned to have been taken up into Heaven Suidas in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 affirmeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That he was the first Inventor of the Mysteries of the Greeks so doth also Tertullian in Apologetico Alcaeus ALcaeus of Mitylene a Lyrick Poet equall with that Pittacus which was one of the seven wise men amongst other of his Works wrote a Book called Stasiotica wherein he sharply reproved Pittacus Myrsilus Meglagyrus Cleanthis and other Tyrants for oppressing their Native Country Stobaeus doth recite two of his Verses concerning the dispraise of Poverty the same being also recorded by that learned Writer Athenaeus Plutarch the Philosopher in the life of Flaminius doth rehearse those Verses which this Author hath written in the dishonour of King Philip He was a most excellent Musitian and a great Warrior preferring his strength far before his Poetry Athenaeus doth describe him to have been a Lover of Drink wherein he would exceed without regard had either to the time of the year or the disposition of the Heavens And Barthius gives him this mark Quod erat omnium post Anacreonta maxime bibulus That after Anacreon he was the greatest Tipler It s sayd that one part of his Writings is worthy of a golden Harp but in the other part he descends to his vain sports and loves being indeed fitter for matters of greater weight and moment Sappho SAppho a Lyrick Poetress was born about the forty second Olympiad she wrote Epigrams Elegies Iambicks nine Books of Lyrick Verses Suidas saith of her Quod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That she was the first Inventress of the Harp she is cited both by Athenaeus and Stobaeus Plutarch in the life of Demetrius makes mention of a Book that she should write of Loves Others say That there was another Sappho and a Poetress which entirely loved the young man Phaon however the Latines do commend but one who is by Gyraldus stiled Mascula for her Virile Studies which Epithet is likewise given her by Horatius Temperat Archilochi musam pede mascula Sappho And she is called also Pulchra Fair a●carminum pulchritudine From the beauty of her Poems In the Greek Anthology they characterize he● thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The sweet Pierian Bee Whatsoever is extant of her composure is printed in Greek and Latine by Henricus Stephansis Musaeus MVsaeus a famous Poet was the Disciple of Orpheus if as some say not his Son he had that renowned Harp of his conferd upon him at his death being for his great skill in Musick thought worthy of it He is the first that wrote of the Genealogy of the Gods so great was his esteem among his Countrymen that Tertullian saith they accounted of him as a God Deus a suis habitus There goeth a Poem under his authority and Name called Leander and Hero but learned Casaubon hath cleerly discoverd that he was never the Author of it Scaliger in his Poetices speaketh thus of him Arbitror ego Musaei stylum longe esse Homerico politiorem ●o comptiorem Quod si Musaeus ea quae Homerus scripsit

History in the sixteenth yeare of Tiberius his Ancestors were all famous for Military Discipline he dedicated his two Books of History to Marcus Vinicius Tacitus maketh mention of him in the sixth of his Annals where speaking of his Descent he tels us that his Father and Grandfather were of Consular Degree and Dignity a great part of what he writ is lost Vossius thus Characteriseth him and in his little Work Dictio ejus plane Romana ac elegans Quaedam etiam habet quae haud alibi invenias sed in sui aevi rebus nimis Domui Augustae Sejano adulatur His phrase of Speech is truly Roman and elegant he hath also some things which you may not elswhere meet with but in the Affaires of his owne time he too much flatters both Caesars House and Sejanus Dempster herein complies with Vossius who speaking of his History affirms it to be Styli elegantis sed pudendae adulationis of elegant Stile but of shamefull Adulation I 'le end with that of Lipsius Compendium Velleianum laudabile fuit sed potior pars periit judicio ordine tamen scriptum quod exemplar pleniori Chronologiae sit ad Imitandum Velleius his Epitome was worthy of praise but the better part thereof is perisht yet written judiciously and with order and which may be an Imitable Platform to a more full Chronology Diodorus Siculus DIodorus Siculus of Agyrium a Towne in Sicily according to the Geograpy of Cluverius though others call it Argyrium and Angyrium lived in the Reign of Julius Caesar as Eusebius reporteth and yet this contradicteth not learned Suidas who would have him to flourish in the time of Augustus and so he did his Life reaching unto the midst of his long Domination He wrote an Historicall Library or as the Sholiast of Aristophanes calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Librarie of Histories who gave it that appellation because it was Catholick as treating of the Affaires of the Egyptians Assyrians Medians Persians Romans Graecians Carthaginians and others and this Work of his he comprized in forty books the Argument whereof he setteth down in his Preface where he also saith that he was full thirty years in compiling of it much of the time being consumed in Travell through Asia and Europe of all which Books we have at present but fifteen remaining What he writ was highly commended both by Justine Martyr and Eusebius and yet Ludovicus Vives reprehends his Matter and Bodinus his Phrase but Photius the Patriarch had a more noble opinion of him who saith Vsum esse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That he used a perspicuous Phrase of Speech not too much adorned with Tropes but most convenient for an History I 'le let him pass with the phrase of Stephanus Quantum solis lumen inter stellas tantum inter omnes quotquot ad nostra tempora pervenerunt historicos si utilitatis potius quam voluptatis habenda sit ratio noster hic Diodorus eminere dici potest As far as the Suns light is beyond the Stars so far doth our Diodorus excell the Historians of our times if so be that we regard rather profit then pleasure And Dempster expresseth him to be an Author of ancient Erudition and blames nothing else in him but his corrupt Roman Names Crispus Sallustius CRispus Sallustius was born at Amiternum of the Sabines the year after that Catullus was at Verona and died four years after the Actiack War as Eusebius hath recorded He was Tribune of the People that same year that Cicero was recalled from banishment and Clodius slaine of Milo and in that Tribuneship of his he behaved himself very loosly for being taken in Adultry with Fausta L. Sylla's Daughter he was scourged with Rods by Milo which was the cause that he acted with the Clodian Party against him he was removed the Senate for his Adulteries and Rapes by Claudius Pulcher and Calpurnius Piso though afterwards restored again by Julius Caesar Dion records that he was set over Numidia which he exceedingly pillaged but was absolved of the Crime by the very power that advanced him yet the Infamy ever stuck to him as one that acted those Obliquities which he highly condemned in all others he was at length so enricht with his Numidian Rapes that he bought those stately Buildings on the Quirinall Hill which were afterwards called Sallustii forum The Court of Sallustius His Deportment was so extravagant in his publick Capacities that in respect of his Conversation it prevented him of all Praise however his Writings were ever matter of Applause unto him being a good Writer though a bad man The Ancients do judge his phrase of Speech to be brief and finuous as one that aemulated Thucidides Turnebus calls him Scriptorem Atticum The Athenian Writer and one that comes neerer to Demosthenes then Cicero himself did Tacitus in the third of his Annals stiles him Rerum Romanarum florentissimum autorem A most flourishing Author of Roman Affaires Scaliger calls him Patrem Historiae The Father of History Scriptorem seriae severae orationis Agellius a Writer of serious and severe Speech Principem senatus Historici Lysius the chief of the Historian Senate Romana primum in historia Martial the first for the Roman Story And S. Augustine calls him Nobilitatae veritatis historicum An Historian of enobled Verity Titus Livius Patavinus TItus Livius Patavinus called by Seneca in his first Book De ira vir disertissimus A most eloquent man flourished in the Reigns of Caesar Augustus and Tiberius in the beginning of the latters Reign he compiled his History consisting of an hundred and forty two Books as Petrarch reporteth though others will have two bated of the said number Therein be comprized all the Roman Affaires from the Foundation of the City to the German War which was managed by Drusus of all which Books there are but left remaining thirty and five No Writer expresseth more Majesty and plenty then this Historian Quintilian stiles it Lacteam ubertatem and compares him to Herodotus as Sallustius to Thucidides On the other-side it s written of Caligula one of the Roman Majesties That he much vilified him calling him Verbosum Likewise Asinius Pollio quarrelling with his Phrase was wont to say that he found therein a smack of Patavinity But the forementioned Emperour did so distaste him that he threatned his removall and ej●ction out of all the Roman Libraries but no wonder that he was thus transported against this noble Historian when as those two renowned Poets Virgil and Homer could not escape his Censure nay he was like to consume them if we may believe Suetonius in these his words Cogitavit de Homeri carminibus abolendis cur enim sibi non liceret dicens quod Platoni licuit qui eum a civitate quam constituebat ejecerit sed Virgilii Titi Livii scripta paulum abfuit quin ex omnibus bibliothecis amoverit quorum alterum nullius ingenii minimaeque

lectione inusitataque memoria penetravit That he pierced to the secrets of all Learning by his infinite reading and unheard of Memory The Monks were wont to say this of him Erasmum posuisse ova Lutherum caeteros exclusesse pullos That Erasmus layed the Eggs and Luther and others brought forth the young Ones A certain Romish Doctor having gotten his Picture imprest upon a piece of Paper set it up within his Parlour which as he passed by he would disdainfully spit upon and being asked the question why he did so he returned answer Se Erasmo acceptum ferre calamitosum illud seculum That he imputed to Erasmus the calamity of that Age. He is called in allusion to his Name by one that wrote his life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Amiable and by Gifanius Alterum orbis jubar maximumque rei literariae decus Another Sun beam of the World and the greatest Ornament and honour of Learning Onely Gyraldus doth endeavour to abate somewhat of his true worth Vir saith he Vbique magnus sed an tantus fuerit quantus a nonnullis existimatur haud mihi parum liquet Certe inter Germanos latinus inter latinos aliquando Germanus A man every where great but whether so great as he is thought by some it s not so clear to me truly amongst the Germans he is a Roman and sometimes among the Latines he is a German There were some that thus expounded this Versicle in that Psalm of Davids Thou shalt tread upon the Lyon and the Dragon Upon the Lyon that was Luther and upon the Dragon that was this Erasmus Gulielmus Budaeus GVlielmus Budaeus called Gallicus Alcides The French Hercules and for his great Erudition and Knowledge by Erasmus Galliae portentum The Wonder of France Nay Jovius preferreth him before all the Learned men of Europe Non Galliae modo sed etiam totius Europae longe doctissimus Not onely the Learnedst of the French-men but also of all the Europaeans Barthius honours him for his incomparable skill in the Greek Tongue which did indeed give occasion to those two Verses of the Poet. Gallia quod Graeca est quod Graecia barbara non est Utraque Budaeo debet utrumque suo It was his earnest desire before he died that all Solemnities should be omitted at his Funeralls and therefore they Inter'd him very privately in the deep silence of the Night It s a gallant report which the Poet Buchanan bestows on him in these following Verses Sunt universi splendor orbis Galliae Et Galliarum splendor est Lutetiae Splendor Camoenae sunt sacrae Lutetiae Budaeus ornat unus innocentia Splendore vitae literis solertia Orbem Camoenas Galliam Lutetiam Julius Scaliger JVlius Scaliger stiled by learned Vossius Eruditorum maximus naturae miraculum vir ad unguem factus The Greatest of Scholars Natures Miracle and a man exactly made even to a Nails breadth He was an excellent Poet as well as a Grammarian whose Poems Justus Lipsius equalls with the Poetry of the Ancients The said Critick speaketh thus of him Quod de Tullio dixit vetus magister profecisse multum cui is placeret ego verius magnum esse cui Julius iste magnus Vossius saith that he was Sed uno Aristotele minor Inferiour to none but great Aristotle Barthius calleth him Hominum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The great wonder of men Isack Casaubon doth compare him with the very Gods themselves giving him this sacred Epithet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I 'le let him pass with that of Vossius Vir ille hoc uno excepto quod parem sibi filium genuit caetera incomparabilis That man This one think being excepted that he begot a Son not inferiour but equall to him is to all others Incomparable Camerarius CAmerarius graced by Turnebus with this ensuing Appellation Germaniae ornamentum Europae Decus The Ornament of Germany and the Honour of Europe Thuanus saith That he was of Noble Extraction though his Wealth did no way answer to his Descent He was endued with an Ingenuous and handsome Shape and delighted his Mind in such noble Exercises as his Birth and Quality did require He greatly affected good Horsmanship being very skilfull in managing his Bridle and for all such Feats as that Art could instruct him with For his Learning he was of that great Repute that Janus Gruterus on that account stileth him Incomparabilem Incomparable and Justus Lipsius in his Miscellanies thus honours him Vir quem Germania habuit sine paro A man that Germanie could not equall or parallel His knowledge was such both in the Latine and Greek Tongues that Jovius said this of him Quod scribendo pernobilis Ciceronis imitator evaserit That in Writing he shewed himself a very noble Imitator of that eloquent Orator Marcus Cicero Isacus Casaubenus ISacus Casaubonus is by Dempsterus called Quidam Pythius A certain Apollo By Heinsius Eruditionis sol aetatis Decus The Sun of Learning and the Glory of the Age And by Josephus Scaliger Eruditorum Phoenix The Phoenix of the Learned His Writings were of that weight and worth that one said of him Quod tot palladas edidit quot libros conscripsit That he begat so many Pallaces as he wrote Books and therefore saith another Vir erat Nectare Ambrosia qui alatur sarrano qui dormiat ostro dignissimus He was a man most worthy to be fed with Nectar and Ambrosia and to sleep upon a silken Bed His Language and expression is so sweet That Vossius calls him Musarum-Favum The Hive of the Muses and for his great Learning he is stiled by Pareus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 politioris literaturae I l'e but mention Barthius his Character of him and so proceed unto the next Immortale Galliae decus quo digniorom omni laude alium ne historiae quidem continent The Immortal Grace of France then whom History mentions not any more worthy of all Praise Julius Scaliger IVlius Scaliger was the Son of Julius whom Casaubon thus salutes Magni parentis non minor Filius O thou Son no less then thy great Father He is stiled by the same Critick Hercules Musarum The Muses Hercules By Vossius Alter Varro Another Varro By Pareus Criticus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Critick skil'd in many Tongues By Lipsius Rei literariae Aesculapius The Aesculapius of Learning And lastly by Caspar Barthius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Most divine Heinsius in his Funerall Oration breaks out thus into his Praises Alii Abyssum eruditionis alii scientiarum mare alii doctorum solem Alii patris sobolem divinam Alii genus Deorum Alii perpetuum literarum dictatorem Alii maximum naturae opus miraculum Alii aliter vocare Some call him an Abyss of Learning Others a Sea of Sciences Others a Sun amongst the literate Others the divine Off-spring of a divine Father Others the Stock of the Gods Others a perpetuall Dictator of Letters Others the greatest Work and

those because they had been hastily and as it were on a suddain heat compiled by him yet Sidonius Apollinaris doth greatly praise them in these his Hendecasyllablis Non quod Papinius tuus meusque Inter Labdaicos sonat furores Aut cum forte pedum minore rythmo Pingit gemmea prata sylvularum The Emperor Domitian was so well affected towards him that he entertaind him with a magnificent and royall Banquet his Verse is so lofty and Stile so sublime that they named him by the name of Aquilinus so saies Barthius Scaliger calls him Equum alatum The winged or flying Horse only upon this account of his mounting Language He is preferd by the same Author before Renowned Homer and also in these following words compared with heroick Virgil. Non ullus veterum ac recentiorum propius ad Virgilianm majestatem accedere valuit etiam propinquior futuus si tam prope esse voluisset None of the ancient or latter Poets were able to approach so neer Virgils Majesty as he who indeed if he would have assented might have come neerer unto it then he did Lipsius giveth him these honourable Characters Sublimis ac celsus magnus summus poeta And Dempster does assigne unto each Book its deserved praise Eruditus in Sylvis Learned in his Woods Sublimis in Thebaide Sublime in his Thebais blandus in Achilleide Pleasant in his Achilleis He lived untill he was very aged Decius Ausonius DEcius Ausonius by Nation a French-man was the Son of Julius Ausonius a Physician which Julius was of so great account with the Aquitanes that they would compare him with any of the wise men They have his saying frequently in their Mouthes Beatum esse non qui habet quae cupit sed qui non cupit quae non habet That he is happy not that hath the things which he desireth but that desireth not the things which he hath not This mans Son the Epigrammatist was high in favour with Valentinus and Valentinianus the Emperors but most familiar with Gratianus Caesar whom he tuto●●● by whose Affection and Countenance he was advanced to consular Dignity He was excellently well skild both in the Greek and Latine Tongues wherefore he expressed the Greek Epigrams in most elegant and sweet Latine amongst his speciall good Friends he chiefly placed Tetradius Gallus Paulinus the Poet and Hesperius neither was there less familiarity betwixt him and Symmachus who in his Epistles delivers his Judgment of this Authors Poems Oratio alticis salibus aspersa thymo odorata Barthius would have us believe that what we read in Ausonius we may finde both in Lucilius and Ennius of whose Composures he was a great Admirer and Peruser His Writings express him to have been a Christian of his death we have nothing that is certain some report that he lived to the Age of ninety but they mistake him for Julius his Father who died very aged Oppianus OPpianus a Poet of Cilicia and of the City Anazarba wrote five Books of Fisher which he called Halieutica and foure of Venation wherein he hath shewn both Elegancy of expression and inoffensiveness or chastity of Verse what he wrote of the Nature and Genius of living Creatures he dedicated to Antoninus Bassianus Caracalla with which Present the Emperor being highly pleased wisht him in a way of recompense to ask any thing that he could like at his royall hands The Poet forth with begged his Fathers return from banishment which request of his was with much good will and approbation granted and besides or over and above the Emperor gave him for every Verse Aureum staterum whence from that time forward his Verses were called Aurea carmina Golden Verses Julius Scaliger thus writeth of him Musarum alumnus prudentissimus poeta candidissimus atque magniloquentissimus cui Graecorum neminem ausis comparare cujus unius spiritu Virgiliana divinitas repraesentata The most prudent Scholar of the Muses a Poet most candid and magniloquent to whom thou canst not compare any of the Greeks one whose Spirit represents the diviness of Virgil And Dempster also honours him with these following Characters Suavis Generosus Incomparabililis Poeta A Sweet a Generous and an Incomparable Poet. Claudius Claudianus CLaudius Claudianus an Aegyptian though some would have him to be a Florentine was had in great reverence by those two learned Emperors Arcadius and Honorius whom they honoured with a Statue having this Inscription engraved upon it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And now if he had the mind of Virgil and the Muse of Homer of how great Fame then must we think that he was in the World His Genius at first was much propense to Poetry so that what I read in Crinitus of him I cannot but assent unto Ingenio excellenti fuit maximeque apto ad carmen componendum nam assurgit feliciter variisque figuris ac sententiis mirifice delectat ut videatur a natura ipsa instructus ad poeticam facultatem He was of a most excellent Wit and very apt to compose Verses for he happily swelleth and wonderously delighteth with variety of Figures and Sentences so that he seems naturally instructed and fitted for the Poeticall Faculty Barthius hath afforded him two notable Characters first he saith that he is Praecentor choragus poetarum panegyricorum The prime Singer and Ring-leader of the panegyricall Poets as also Obeuntis jam eloquentiae supremus Fulgor The last Lightning of fading Eloquence Dempster tells us that he is before all the Latines for plenty of matter and amongst the Greeks only inferiour to Homer for glory of Invention He wrote foure Books of the Rape of Proserpine but the fourth had not the success as to come unto our hands Even S. Austine hath commended the Wit and Erudition of this Poet. Of his death I read not Aurelius Prudentius AVrelius Prudentius was skilfull in the Law and Consul of Messalia and that he was honoured with Military Dignities as well as Civill his own Verses shew it as they follow Froenis nobilium reximus urbium Jus civile bonis reddidimus reos Tandem terruimus militiae gradu Evectum pietas principis extulit Sidonius Apollinaris no contemptible Author in reading and observing the ancient Writers when he comes to speak of this Poet Prudentius he does not fear to joyn him with Horace he acquired much praise especially from that Poem wherein he commended their patience and constancy that suffered Martyrdome for the Christian Faith He was by the Ancients named Amaenus because he surpassed all other Christian Poets in sweetness Caspar Barthius tells us Quod nemo divinius de Christianis rebus unquam scripsit That no man ever wrote more divinely of Christian matters And saith another of him Vnius omnium inter poetas christianos lectores suos pascere sufficiet lautissime sive pretiosissimas panis coelestis h. e. verbi divini epulas esurias sive efficacis eloquen●iae condimenta requiras

History it is Stephanus his Observation Quod nulla Romana Historia extat quae tam mirabiles rerum in Romano Imperio vicissitudines non plurium annorum spatio complectatur That there is no Roman History extant which comprehends so wonderful vicissitudes of affairs in the Roman Empire no not in a larger space of years as that doth in so short a time Procopius PRocopius lived when Justinian was Emperor and was called by Suidas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He was Notary to Bellisarius whose Acts he composed and publisht he has written eight Books of History The two first do treat of the Persian War the two next of the Vandall and the foure last of the Gothick Those twain which give an account of the Persian are Epitomized by Photius in the sixty third Chapter of his Bibliotheca but yet a Synopsis of the whole we meet with in the Preface of Agathius who proceeded where this Procopius ended Before he died he added a ninth unto his former eight which he called by the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it contained those things that were not before published Suidas reports That this Historian in this his Addition was very invective against the Emperor Justinian and the Empress Theodora as also against Bellisarius and his Wife whatsoever is extant in the Greek Tongue of this Authors the World is beholding to Heschelius for it but as for the Translation of Porsena it may be justly sayd of him that what he undertook to convert he altogether perverted Dempster stileth this man Historicum Insignem A famous Historian And Bodinus is no way a Detractor from him who writeth thus Cum singulas epistolas Decreta foedera conciones vario dicendi genere ac stilo describit magnum verissimi scriptoris praebet argumentum Seeing that he describes all the Epistles Decrees Leagues Orations with variety both of Speech and stile it is a convincing Argument of a singular true Writer Ammianus Marcellinus AMmianus Marcellinus flourished under Gratianus and Valentinian and wrote one and thirty Books whereof thirteen are not now extant of what Nation and Profession whence he took beginning of his History and where he ended it his own words in his Epilogue will cleerly manifest it he began with Nerva and ended with Valens That he was a Greek not onely a passage in his one and thirtieth Book but also his phrase of Speech or Dialect bewrayeth it Suidas saith That he was familiar with Sallustius the Philosopher who was Captaine of the Praetorians and the first man that designed Valentinian to the Empire He is a grave and serious Writer saith Vossius worthy to be beloved of all men especially of the Germans the Scituation of whose Country he most accurately described as who had been engaged into a Military Employment in that Nation But saith the same Grammarian Dictio horridior est and no marvail if it be for why should any wonder if a Soldier speak like a Soldier more roughly then other Writers And besides he was a Greek and therefore the more excusable if he writ after his own Native Idiome he is remembred by Ammianus Priscianus Barthius speaks nobly of him upon the account of a Soldier whom in that respect he thus Characters Homo magno animo Disciplinae militaris assecla inter tubas strepitum armorum pervenire eo absque ulla animi contentione potuit quo nos studia per tot tantosque anfractus vix ducunt A man of great Courage and an Affector of Military Discipline one that could amidst the sound of Trumpets and noise of Armes arrive there without any reluctancy of Mind whither our Studies through so many and great streights can hardly lead us Neither doth the same Critick speak less of him as a Schollar Vtilitate monitorum veritate Historica nescio an quisquam autor ullibi sit supra Ammianum Marcellinum For profitableness of Admonitions and Historicall Truth I know not whether there be any Author before Ammianus Marcellinus I le but add a Note from Dempster to this of Barthius and so end Ammianus Luculentus Rerum Romanarum scriptor THE CHARACTERS Of some of the chief of the GRAMMARIANS AND ORATORS LONDON Printed by E.C. for Henry Eversden at the Grey-hound in S. Pauls Church-yard 1659. THE NAMES Of the chief GRAMMARIANS Herein handled VArro Athenaeus Julius Pollux Aulus Gellius Martianus Capella Suidas Coelius Rhodiginus Erasmus Budaeus Julius Scaliger Camerarius Casaubonus Josephus Scaliger Justus Lipsius Janus Gruterus Caspar Barthius The Orators ANtiphon Gorgias Isocrates Demosthenes Aeschines Lysias Demades Cicero Marcus Seneca Petronius Arbiter Hermogenes Quintilianus Lucianus Elianus Aristides Symmachus ΜΟΡΦΗ ' ΓΡΑΜΜΑΤΙΧ̄Ν OR THE GRAMMARIANS In their due FORMS Marcus Terentius Varro MArcus Terentius Varro was one of the Learnedst among the Romans highly honoured by Cicero himself although Remmius Palaemon could most arrogantly and contemptuously call him Porcum a Hogg Whereunto one wittily replyed That he should have added Literarum unto it A learned one He is by Lactantius equalled to any one of the Latines or Greeks Marcus Varro saith he Quo nemo unquam doctior ne apud Graecos nedum apud Latinos vixit Marcus Varro then whom none lived more Learned either with the Greeks or Latines Quintilian does prefer him before all the other Romans Vir Romanorum eruditissimus Cicero likewise in his Brutus stiles him diligentissimum investigatorem antiquitatis A most diligent Antiquary Valerius Maximus calls him Vitae humane exemplum The Pattern of mans life and Dempster names him Criticorum patrem Incomparabilem The Incomparable Father of the Criticks I le but add to all this his Character from S. Augustine Quis magno Varrone curiosius ista quaesivit Quis invenit doctius Quis consideravit attentius Quis diligentius pleniusque conscripsit qui tametsi minus est suavis eloquio doctrina tamen atque sententiis ita refertus est ut in onmi eruditione quam nos secularem illi autem liberalem vocant studiosum rerum tantum iste doceat quantum studiosum verborum Cicero delectat Who sought into these things more curiously then Marcus Varro Who more learnedly found them who considered them more attentively Who writ them more diligently and fully Who although he be not so sweet in his Language and Expression yet he is so stuft with Learning and Sentences that in all Erudition which they call liberall we secular he teacheth him that is studious of things as much as Cicero doth him that is studious of Words It 's Terentianus his Versicle of him Vir doctissimus undecuncque Varro Athenaeus AThenaeus was a Grammarian in the Reigne of Marcus Antoninus and was called by the name of Noucratita his Deipnosophists are a Work both commendable for variety and also for Erudition he hath thereby described a magnificent and sumptuous Supper The Order and Structure of the Book being the same with that of a great and large Feast Indeed his Disputes are set out with the greatest