field a scarlet label for distinction sake It is recorded that he also was Governour of Ere 's and of intimate acquaintance with Charles the Third to whom the King of France did soon succeed From him the familie was again divided into two Branches for he had two Sons Fulke and William both of them expert Souldiers and skillfull in the Lawes For having borne Armes in the Expedition of Pidmont after their return they gave themselves wholly to the study of the Laws For William the younger being adopted by his great Uncle Elziarius Portanerius Brinoniensis a learned Man he went to Orleance and Vierron to study the Laws and having married a wife who was an Arvernian he setled his abode in that Country to expresse his gratitude he took unto himself the Coat of Armes of the House of Portaneria which was a Bende with Roses argent in a field Azure And he left behind him besides Hugh a famous Lawyer another Son named John the father of another John who begat another John the Father of that John who is now Master of Requests having two Honourable Ladies to his Sisters viz. the Lady Magdalena wife to the ilustrious Chancellor of France the Lady Mary wife to Philbertus Pompadorius Viceroy or Governour of the Limosins But Fulke after the Supreame Senate was erected at Aix in the beginning of the soregoing Age did plead causes with great commendation and was many times by the Governours of that Province taken in to sit with them as an Assistant and employed more then once to Lewis the twelfth and to Francis the first Who perceiving the Learning and Integritie of Fulke made him a Senator by his bare command in the year 32. And when the Emperour Charles was about to invade Provence he joyned him as Counsellour to Annaeus Monmorantius Generall of his Majesties Forces Also that good Advice is worthy to be recorded which he gave to Monmorancie which he also practised transporting the ancient Records of the Crown into the Castle of Baulcs by which meanes those precious Monuments escaped burning when as afterwards the Palace of Aix was fired by the Duke of Savoy his Souldiers Moreover when the City could not hold out against the Emperours forces he advised the Cittizens to withdraw themselves and that they might not leave any thing therein to relieve the Enemie he began in so good earnest to exhort them to destroy their food and what else might advantage the Enemie that he himself was the first that emptied his Granarie into a well and staved his vessels of Wine and Oyle and let them run about the Streets Fulke being dead his Son Nicolaus was made a Senator in the year 45. whos 's virtue also was taken notice of not only by Claudius Sabaudus Governour of Provence and Earle of Tenda but also by Charles the 9th himself Who taking away the Senate and setting in place thereof a Coutt of ten Chief-Justices it was his pleasure that Nicolaus should be one of the ten and he gave of his own accord to his Brother Charles after he had brought his forces off from the Expedition of Corsica and behaved himself there exceeding Valiantly the Lordship of Brigantium to him and his Heires And now that we may draw near to the Father of our Peireskius Nicolaus left two Sons Claudius and Reginaldus Claudius had a small and infirme body but a mind truly generous and mettlesome so that from the year 72. in which he was invested with the Honour and Dignity of his Father and Grandfather he was much renowned both in the Senate and the whole Province and exceeding favoured by Henricus Engolismensis great Master of the French Knights of Malta and Viceroy of Provence But Reginald being brought up from a boy with Renata Dutchess of Ferraria and Daughter of Lewis the twelfth when shee betook her self to passe over her old daies at Montargis he gave himself to study the Law and was made one of the Lords of the Subsidies and the Church's Patrimony and a Master of the accounts And when those troublesome times of the Henotick faction or league happened he and his Brother remained constant in their Loialtie to the King which Bernardus Nogaretius Valletanus at that time Viceroy counted a notable piece of service he procured by the power that he had the Castle of Ere 's and all that Coast to revolt from the Duke of Savoy And whereas his Brother lived a single life he himself married Margareta Bomparia who of her Fathers side was descended from Knights and Praesidents and on her Mothers side shee did belong to the families of Vallevoria and Forbinus Now we have heard it reported that shee was of so neat and comely a countenance and so composed that when Catharina Medicea the Queen Mother was visited at Aix by the Ladies of that place shee made choice of her alone among all the rest upon whom he would vouchsafe to bestow the honour of a Kisse And this Reginaldus Fabrius it was and this very Margarcta Bomparia whom our Peireskius of whom we treat did acknowledge for his Parents But because he was born at Beaugensier we must take notice that this Towne is seated in a very straight yet exceeding pleasant valley enriched by the Interfluxe of the same River Gapell It is distant from Tolon on this hand and from Ere 's on that just as far as those Cities are distant one from the other namely about three Province miâ—es and being seated North of both it likewise far excells them in goodnesse of Aire The nearnesse of situation was the cause that his Ancestors having their abode at Ere 's did not only procure certaine Country houses in that Towne but in their retirement thither they dwelt in an ancient Castle which is now demolished for the House with those goodly Gardens joyning to it was not yet built into which that water might more safely and plentifully be derived from the adjacent River Claudius built a fair Aqnaeduct or Conduit Peireskius therefore was born in the Castle of Belgenser or Beaugensier aforesaid 1580. when his Parents did retire thither by reason of that memorable Pestilence which in the year 1580. began to rage all over Provence but especially at Aix He was born upon the first day of December in the year aforesaid near upon seven a-Clock in the Evening Which I therefore mention that I may not seeme negligent touching the Circumstance of time but not to give an occasion to Fortune-tellers to calculate his Nativitie and tell his destinie after his Death with more certainty then they were able to do during his life For it is wonderfull to consider how many lies the Astrologers have told either in respect of years which he never lived or of Wife and Children other things which he never had or touching many other things which he attained Moreover his Parents having lived together divers years without a Child his Mother for that cause as soon as she
heroicall virtues For the clearer evincement whereof I shall collect some testimonies to witnesse the truth of what is suggested in this particular And in the first place I shall cire the famous Paulus Gualdus who wrote the life of Pinellus and of whom mention was lately made He after he had lamented the death of that worthy man and said That Nature was sparing in her production of such personages and that they had need to live Met huselahs age who should look for another Pinellus viz. such an one whose study might restore the studies of Humanity to their splendour whose riches might be laid out in collecting the most renowned books and whose Dignity might be a Patronage to learned Men at last he adds Verily if our Age shall produce such another sure I am it cannot be any save Nicolas Fabricius a French-man of Aix in Provence a most renowned young Gentleman who at Rome and Padua when he was but a youth in comparison did so earnesty and eagerly embrace Pinellus and his studies that he seemed to us and all learned men delighted with these studies a very Miracle This was indeed an excellent Prediction But let us consider likewise the Wish of Erycius Puteanus then as we said before Professor of Eloquence and Chronologie at Millain He writing to Peireskius O the wound quoth he Which we have received by the death of Pinellus That never to be forgotten man is gone away satisfied with honour and renown and secure of his own fame But he hath left us in Griefe and want and the muses in mourning weeds Who shall stand up in his stead and take sorrow from us and Sack-cloath from the muses Not only Learning but Wealth also is requisite for such a work Who will be the Man Does mymind deceive me or are you the man called to this work to be what Pinellus was I wish it I vow it and so God save thee thou hopefull young man And here peradventure it will not be unpleasing to insert the answer of Peireskius which was in these words You tear my soul in pieces with grief while you rip up that wound which is made in my mind by the Death of that incomparable man 'T is not without cause you double your mournfull and sorrowfull words you justly bewaile our hard hap and cause enough you have while you invite us all to mourn and exclaime Who will take grief from us and Sackcloath from the Muses But in the Conclusion you make us laugh when as if you would prophesie you add that I shall be what Pinellus was and seriously wish the same as if it were a thing possible Which is all one as if when an huge Fir-Tree is Cutt down you should wish that some low shrub might aequal the Strength Tallnesse thereof But your love to me forced this vow and wish from you when you were thinking of some other thing for which I suppose you never imagined you should he called in question And in case I wishing and vowing the same thing to you should say with the Poet TUNUNC ERIS ALTER AB ILLO THOU SHALT TO HIM SUCCEED these I am sure who thoroughly know you will say that I am no vain Prophet for in this case there is need of your help and not of mine A witty and neat answer verily how beit he takes no notice of that which was most truly said by Putean that to undergo such a ask there was also need of Wealth as well as Learning There were likewise other very elegant Letters which passed betwixt them one of which is printed in the second Century of the Epistles of Putean wherein about the beginning of the next year which was 1602. he after a most becoming way complaines that he was termed Deorum Genus one of the immortall Race of the Deities There were I say other Letters written but I have collected what is usefull to my present purpose by which it is easy to undentand how fitly Janus Gruterus in the Preface to his great Volume of Inscriptions did joyne together by way of Commendation Erycius Puteanus and N'colaus Fabricius calling them Young men who excell all others Whouse to haunt the Muses sacred Springs And drink dry Aganippes Waterings Moreover that great Volumne was in the Presse when Pinellus departed this life and Peireskius supplied such things as were to be inserted thereinto not only out of the Treasuries of Pinellus but also from what he had observed and written-out at Rome Venice and other Places as appears by that which is so frequently read at the bottome of the Inscriptions On t of the Papers of Nicolaus Fabricius I come now to Marcus Velserus at whose request Gruterus obtained those Papers He was almost equall to Pinellus and his singular friend flourishing at Augsburg where he was one of the two that Governed the City Though I hold my tongue his own writings and all Learned men having had experience of his munificent and most ready Assistance do sufficiently speake how brave a man he was and how great a soule he had Velserus therefore in Letters which he wrote to Peireskius did testifie that he so highly valued him and his friendship that there was nothing that Pinellus lest behind him which he had rather inherit yea and he also not only acknowledging him to be the heir of the Virtues of Pinellus but conjecturing that he should be likewise the successor of his own he began to love him as if he had been his Son not ceasing so long as he lived by frequency of Letters to restifie his affection In this one thing he dealt hardly with him constantly refusing to let him have his Picture which Resolution he held towards all others that most passionately desired the same 1602. Yet Peireskius caused him as he had done some others to be drawn when he knew not of it hiring a Painter to stand in a secret place where he might see his Countenance And so he obtained what Occotold him it was in vain to hope for when he received this answer from Velserus Cato major was desirous that Posterity should enquire why no Statue had been erected for him contrarily it lies me in hand I suppose to take heed least any hereafter should wonder if not disdaine and ask what Ambition it was that made me creep into the Society of those famous men whose Images or Pictures Fabricius pretends to Collect. I forbear to tell how excellently our Peireskius ansvvered that passage of his for writing back to Occo Cato quoth he said both wittily and discreetly that he had rather posterity should enquire why he had no Statue then why a statue was erected in Memorie of him yet he never that I ever read of refused to suffer himself to be painted or figured out in a Statue witnesse those many Figures of him which go up and down even at this day And therefore neither ought Velserus the true Picture of Cato to refuse the same to which end I
at his glory or ignorant of those things wherein all good and learned men are agreed For was there ever a man I pray you better skilled in Antiquity Nature Chronologie History and Languages or more ready to assist the labours of studious men by Speech Letters Books Models Plants Animals Pictures Coins and the like Monuments of ancient and latter times Or in a word better fitted to do all this with Will Wealth Authority Knowledge Providence and other Virtues with a mutual consent of all which that man must be adorned that will undertake like the renowned Peireskius to govern the learned world by his beck and at his pleasure Which truly how hard a thing it is to do you may hereby friend Gassendus conjecture in that if you have recourse to all the Heroes of ancient times you shall not find any one that has done the like And though the times immediatly foregoing have afforded Vincentius Pinellus and Dominicus Molinus men peradventure not much inferiour to Peireskius for their endeavours and desire to assist learned men yet I know not how they wanted divers helps which Peireskius had by which he was enabled to hold on his course with full sail from his early youth to his very last age And verily with what facility he did all this no man can be ignorant save he that cannot see the Sun at Noon-day For who knows not that his mouth was not the mouth of a man but of Delphick Apollo out of which Oracles daily issued touching the most abstruse and hidden things and that his house was like a renowned Mart or Fair full of most precious Wares brought from both the Indies Aethiopia Graece Germany Italy Spain England and the nearer Provinces and that no Ship entred the Havens of France which did not bring some strange Beast rare out-landish Plants ancient Marbles engraven or inscribed Books in the Samaritan Coptick Arabick Hebrew China and Creek Tongues or Reliques of highest Antiquity from Peloponesus into the only Treasurie of Peireskius Finally who can be ignorant that he did not gather all this Treasure for his own delight or to adorn his study that they might ly there as in the Cellars of the Capitol or Sepulchres where it was unlawful to remove or take any thing out for the benefit of others but that Peireskius made this Law to himself that if he knew any learned men that might be assisted by his Counsels Wealth Books Statues or Marbles he would not stay till with importunate intreaties they should defire the same but he would offer the same of his own accord and cause it to be brought unto their houses so that I could almost say he did overwhelm all learned men with the greatnesse and frequency of his benefits But what need is there that I should write these things to you most excellent Gassendus who have with your own eys seen more of the brave actions of that rare man worthy to be remembred to the daies of Eternity than any other man is able to set down in writing that being a work fit for none but your self who in your love to him and the Elegancy of your style and expression give place to no man Verily seeing no part of his life was without a Miracle seeing there was never man in this world to whom learned men were so much and so greatly endebted since the greatest part of what for some decads of years last past has been beautifully elegantly and learnedly observed came from him for the most part nor should he be reckoned among mortal men were it not for his immature and bitter death ô grief to tell who ought alwaies to have lived I am very well convinced that every man is not fit to transmit his memory to posterity for that a vulgar mouth should do it were great wickednesse yet to find out words sutable to so great and incomparable merits seems to me a very hard thing To gather therefore together a Breviary of the Life of this great Patron of the Muses out of the whole world whereinto it was diffused into a small Volume this is such a work which unlesse you shall perform most learned Gassendus who have the command of a pure elegant proper style used to write of matters Divine Caelestial of which kind all good men account Peireskius to have bin and who art wont to reduce the supream Orbes and their Miracles which are not verily more large than the Fame merits of Peireskius most artificially into a small Globe I can hardly find any man man else who can so fitly and happily perform this work For though all that were friends to Peireskius are furnished with Wit and Eloquence and they are all as well as you concerned to celebrate that man whose memory ought to be to them most sacred and although many things which may be set down and alledged touching his most excellent disposition his industry and wonderful readiness to assist the endeavours of good men may be known to any man as well as your self by his most excellent actions and works yet can it not be denied that the greatest of his Praises are better known to you than any other by reason of the intimate acquaintance you had with him and your continual living in the house and dealing with him for many years together Come on therefore my Gassendus take that pen in hand which has bin accustomed to defend or praise gallant men as well as to explain the Miracles of Nature and the Heavens and think with your self that in so doing you shall profit all the learned honot his and your Countrey advance the glory and splendor of great Person ages and Princes whiles out of that great love you have alwaies borne to him living and dead you shall set forth the true Picture of Peireskius who did incite and assist all men to be vertuous nor only to be seen but imitated also by them As for me who have alwaies so accounted of Peireskius as one in whom Nature was chiefly intended to try her strength in producing such a man as might want nothing excellent and comely as far as mortal nature was capable so that I cannot set him forth with words as I ought because the riches of his Merits have impoverished my Rhetorick therefore I most earnestly beseech you to take this one task in hand and I shall then conceive the piety of my self and others satisfied who are bound to prosecute the memory of Peireskius with eternal honour and grateful veneration if by you both the present Age and future Generation shall be made to understand that Peireskius was not only most learned and most munificent which the whole world can witnesse but a man most great and good beyond comparison a prime Patron of learned men one for prudence and learning and all kind of virtues so excellent that he ought in that respect to be reckoned amongst the miracles of our Age and honored accordingly Farewel and read
printed again I dare say the Original Copy may be procured of that most courteous Gentleman to make the Edition thereby more compleat These things I had to say Renowned Sir touching Peireskius which supposing they would not be to you unpleasing I have therefore more willingly published under your name because I knew you to be a very great Referencer of Persons rarely learned in whose foot steps gloriously treading you daily search into the deepest mysteries furthered by your Genius so desirous to learn and what you search into you examine with a piercing Judgement what you finde out you commit to writing from whence the rich Treasures of Nature will one day advance into the World compleatly written by your eloquent Pen. Which God grant for the common good and your own immortal prayse In the mean while most loving friend as I now present this pledge of my Devotion to you so shall I daily God willing prepare some better and more worthy presents viz. the third and fourth Centuries of wonderful observations one Century of such as belong to our Microcosme a second part of Bibliotheca Chymica the Life Philosophy of Democritus a Treatise of an Universal Language and touching the way to expound the foure-square Venetian Cypher with a Key all which will I hope be acceptable to the curious Dated at Paris the Kalends of July 1654. To Petrus Borellus Dr. of Physick his loving friend F. H. P. L. YOu are an happy man friend Borellus whom good Fortune has made after so many years an Amplifier of the Dignity of Peireskius Happy man am I to whom you have directed your commendations of a man so heroically vertuous And we are both happy whom Gassendus has thought fit to propagate the memory of that renowned Man himself being the most worthy praiser of the Vertues of Peireskius and the perfect writer of his life By whose meanes Posterity will abundantly honour the most glorious name of that great Heroe which all learned men ought to admire and commend the same to eternity What was the habit of his Body what the manners of his minde and what his Studies have bin so punctually set down by Gassendus and in a style so sublime that no man well advised can pretend to add a tittle thereunto For he has given us a most perfect Picture of that brave Man expressed his rare works and in a pure style graphically painted forth his manners and inclination to all excellent Learning He has set forth to Posterity a genuine example of polite Literature and plentiful grounds of emulation to the learned World For by his most happy undertakings the Muses have recovered their spirit life and Countrey whom the Barbarisme of the former Age had banished out of the World To whom therefore must the Muses acknowledge their liberty when they shall reflourish to whom shall Studies and Arts acknowledge their recovery to whom shall learned men attribute the increase of Sciences and those helps tending to unlock the most abstruse points of knowledge To whom but to Peireskius and in the next place to Gassendus who was the first that did what no body else could do in painting out to the Life that worthy Heroe in a Picture which shall last to eternity I shall not go about ambitiously to praise the one or the other for they need no prayses who are above all Commendation and greater then any Titles can be given them whose renown will be immortal I shall only resume his Studies which Gassendus has most accurately prosecuted in his sixth Book and contract them into a small handful propounding his Manuscripts at large for the common good of those who desire the same But I need not explain these things to the learned I conceive it may suffice to say that this most unwearied Gentleman laboured all his life in gathering the same to this only end that he might be as a Midwife to Posterity Give me leave here to set down the very words of Gassendus and therein to admire the lowly modesty of that most eminent Man whose words touching himself are these in Gassendus viz. that he was unable to produce a mature and elegant birth or to lick the same into any shape as if he could be thought insufficient for such a burthen who left at his death fourscore and two Books of his own hand-writing of all most exquisite Arguments considerable for their Bulk but more for the variety and excellency of the subject matter in which he sets open to all men a Treasury of most choyse Learning by assistance whereof they who like him are wont to search into the depths of Erudition may be inabled to support the decaying Arts and save them from perishing Now what chance this great treasure of his has undergone which has bin hitherto hid from the learned I shall here briefly hint yea and ingenuously intimate who it is which hides the same that such as are disposed particularly to examine these great Riches by him heaped up or if possible to publish the same so as to satisfie the great thirst of those that earnestly enquire after them they may have the opportunity to search into the very bowels of these Books and bring forth the Treasure they meet with for the common good that the victorious labours of that rare man may be admired and that others being enriched with his spoiles may prosecute and perfect what has bin by him begun and deliver the same as an Inheritance to Posterity through the munificence of that great Maecenas Ten years after his Death his Heires caused his Library to be brought to Paris vvhich in the year 1647 I saw there consisting of a great Company of Books most curiously bound But alas what a miserable fate it underwent vvhen it came to sale they know vvho grieve for such a losse never to be repaired For this most rich Library might yea and ought to have bin reserved for the Muses or at least those precious Books vvhich by infinite Labour vvere procured from all the choisest Libraries in the World should have bin sold all together but the renowned Genius of this Librarie being extinct so fate ordered the matter that being torn into piece-meales it miserably perished vvhich is so ordered I conceive by the eternal providence of God that all men may remember in the midst of their most eager Collections of Books vvho are apt with too much confidence to brood over their learned Treasures that such things as are collected in time will likewise after certain revolutions passe away with time His Manuscripts doubtles had better fortune For that excellent and learned Man Petrus Puteanus when he was living caused very providently his said Manuscripts to be separated from the rest of the Books both to preserve the Labours of his friend from perishing and to satisfie the learned Common-wealth which is extream thirsty after abstruse knowledge Having therefore put all the sheets being in certain bundles according to the accurateness