died 1621, aged sixty-six. He also was a literary man, and has left "Sonnets," "Hymns," and other poetical pieces, 1608, 4to. 1

URSATUS. See ORSATO.

URSINS (JOHN JUVENAL, or rather JUVENAL DES), an eminent archbishop of Rheims, in the fifteenth century, brother of William des Ursins, baron de Traynel, and chancellor of France, was descended from an illustrious family of Champagne. After having distinguished himself in several posts, being master of requests, he took the ecclesiastical habit, became bishop of Beauvais in 1432, of Laon in 1444, and archbishop of Rheims in 1449, in which see he succeeded his brother James Juvenal des Ursins. He was one of those appointed in 146 I to revise the sentence pronounced against the famous Maid of Orleans. He died July 14, 1473, aged eighty-five, leaving a "History of the Reign of Charles VI." from 1380 to 1422, printed at the Louvre, folio. This family has produced several other great men.

2

URSINUS (FULVIUS), an eminent classical scholar and antiquary, was the illegitimate son of a commander of the order of Malta, of the Ursin family, and was born at Rome Dec. 2, 1529. His education would probably have been neglected, as his mother and himself were turned out of doors by the unnatural father, and were in great poverty, had not some early appearance of talents recommended him to the notice of a canon of the Lateran, Gentilio Delfini, who took him under his protection, and instructed him in elassical literature; after which, by this benevolent patron's interest, he obtained considerable preferment in the church of St. John of Lateran. His talents afterwards made him be taken into the service of the cardinals Ranutius and Alexander Farnese, who rewarded him liberally; and by this means an opportunity was afforded him of collecting a great number of books and ancient manuscripts, and employing them for the benefit of literature. He was in habits of correspondence with the most eminent literary characters of Italy, and he contributed much valuable assistance to the authors of that period. He had attained to great skill in discovering the antiquity and value of MSS., which he seems to have considered as an important secret. Cardinal Frederic Borromeo, being once in his company, requested Ursinus to point out from a book that lay before

Moreri.-Dict. Hist.

2 Moreri.-Dict. Hist.

them, the rules by which he distinguished ancient from modern manuscripts; but he immediately shut the book, and turned the discourse. He died at Rome Jan. 18, 1600, at the age of seventy. He was author of several learned works, as "De Familiis Romanis ;" and an Appendix to Ciaconio's treatise "De Triclinio." He also published notes on Sallust, Cæsar, Livy, and most of the Roman historians, the writers de Re Rustica, Cicero, &c. He also caused engravings to be made of a large collection of statues, busts, and other monuments of antiquity, and published them under the title of "Imagines et Elogia Virorum illustrium et eruditorum ex antiquis lapidibus et numismatibus expressa, cum annotationibus Fulvii Ursini.” Mr. Pinkerton, however, says that this work is not to be depended on, and prefers that of Canini, which is better, although far from perfect. Ursinus, in order to keep together the books which, with great labour and at vast expence, he had accumulated, bequeathed them to the Vatican. Castalio published a Life of Ursinus, at Rome, 1657, 8vo. In his will, which is appended to this Life, he bequeaths two thousand crowns to Delfini, bishop of Camerino, probably a near relation of his early patron.'

URSINUS (ZACHARY), one of the most celebrated Protestant divines of the 16th century, was born at Breslau, in Silesia, July 28, 1534. He had already made a considerable progress, for one so young, when he was sent to Wittemberg in 1550, where he studied seven years, and, as his father was not rich, he was assisted by gratuities both private and public, and by the profits of taking pupils. At the same time, he applied himself so closely to study, that he acquired great skill both in poetry, languages, philosophy, and divinity. Melancthon, who was the ornament of that university, had a particular esteem and friendship for him. Ursinus accompanied him in 1557 to the conference of Worms, whence he went to Geneva, and afterwards to Paris, where he made some stay, in order to learn French, and improve himself in Hebrew under the learned John Mercerus. He was no sooner returned to Melancthon at Wittemberg, than he received letters from the magistrates of Breslaw in September 1558, offering him the mastership of their great school; and having accepted it, he discharged the duties of his employment

Niceron, vol. XXIV,-Moreri.

in so laudable a manner, that he might have continued in it as long as he pleased, had he not been prosecuted by the clergy, the instant they perceived he was not a Lutheran. When he explained Melancthon's book, “De examine ordinandorum ad Ministerium," he handled the subject of the Lord's supper in such a manner, as made the demagogues or factious orators (for so the author of his Life calls them) term him Sacramentarian. He wrote, however, a justification of himself, in which he discovered what his opinions were with regard to Baptism and the Lord's Supper; and when he found that this did not pacify his adversaries, he obtained an honourable leave from the magistrates; and as he could not retire to his master Melancthon, he being dead a little before, in April 1560, he went to Zurich, where Peter Martyr, Bullinger, Simler, Gesner, and some other eminent personages, had a great friendship for him. From this place he was soon removed by the university of Heidelberg, which was in want of an able professor; and in September 1561 was settled in the Collegium Sapientiæ (College of Wisdom) to instruct the students. He also attempted to preach, but finding he had not the talents requisite for the pulpit, he laid that aside. As a professor, he evinced, in the most eminent degree, the qualifications requisite: a lively genius, a great fund of knowledge, and a happy dexterity in explaining things, and therefore, besides the employment he already enjoyed, he exercised the professorship of the loci communes, or common places in that university. To qualify him for this place, it was necessary for him, agreeably to the statutes, to be received doctor of divinity, and accordingly he was solemnly admitted to that degree the 25th of August, 1562, and he was professor of the common places till 1568. It was he who wrote the Catechism of the Palatinate, which was almost universally adopted by the Calvinists, and drew up an apology for it by order of the elector Frederic III. in opposition to the clamours which Flacius Illyricus, Heshusius, and some other rigid Lutherans, had published in 1563. The elector, finding himself exposed, not only to the complaints of the Lutheran divines, but likewise to those of some princes, as if he had established a doctrine concerning the Eucharist, which was condemned by the Augsburg Confession, was obliged to cause to be printed an exposition of the true doctrine concerning the Sacraments. Ursinus the

following year was at the conference of Maulbrun, where he spoke with great warmth against the doctrine of Ubiquity. He afterwards wrote on that subject, and against some other tenets of the Lutherans. The plan and statutes which he drew up for the elector, for the establishment of some schools, and several other services, raised him so high in his esteem, that finding him resolved to accept of a professorship in 'divinity at Lausanne in 1571, he wrote a letter to him with his own hand, in which he gave several reasons why it would not be proper for him to accept of that employment. This prince's death, which happened in 1577, produced a great revolution in the palatinate; prince Lewis, his eldest son, who succeeded him, not permitting any clergyman to be there, unless he was a sound Lutheran; so that Ursinus and the pupils educated by him in the Collegium Sapientiæ were obliged to quit it. He retired to Neustadt, to be divinity-professor in the illustrious school which prince Casimir, son to Frederic III. founded there at that time. He began his lectures there the 26th of May, 1578. He also taught logic there in his own apartment; published some books, and was preparing to write several more, when his health, which had been frequently and strongly attacked, occasioned by his incredible application to study, yielded at last to a long sickness, of which he died in Neustadt, the 6th of March, 1583, in the forty-ninth year of his age. His works were collected after his death, by the care of his only son, a minister, and by that of David Pareus and Quirinus Reuterus, his disciples; and to the last of these we are indebted for the publication of them in 1612, 3 vols. folio.

Ursinus was not unknown to our English divines, and some of his works were translated into English; as, his "Catechism," or rather, his lectures upon the catechism, entitled "The Summe of the Christian Religion," translated by Henry Parrie, 1587, 4to. There were also at least two abridgments of it; and a translation of "A collection of learned Discourses," 1600, &c. Ursinus was a very laborious student; and, that no interruption might be given, he caused the following inscription to be placed on the door of his library :

Amice, quisquis huc venis
Aut agito paucis, aut abi.

Sir Philip Sidney, while at Heidelberg, was particularly anxious to cultivate the friendship of Ursinus. "From this VOL. XXX.

M

eminent scholar," says Dr. Zouch," Mr. Sidney learned to estimate the value of time: he learned how criminal it is to waste the hours of life in unedifying discourse, and much more so in vitious pursuits or guilty indulgences." Dr. Zouch observes, that Ursinus's moral character was still more excellent than his literary one. He was all humility, attributing nothing to himself, and perfectly uncorrupted by avarice or ambition.

Among other authors of the same name, was JOHN HENRY URSINUS, a learned Lutheran divine, superintendant of the churches of Ratisbon, where he died May 14, 1667, leaving "Parallela Evangelii ;" "Comment. in Joel, Amos, Jonam, Ecclesiasten;" "Sacra Analecta;" "De Christianis Officiis;" "Arboretum Biblic. ;" "Exercitationes de Zoroastre, Hermete, Sanchoniatone," Norimbergæ, 1661, 8vo; “Sylva Theologiæ Symbolicæ," 1685, 12mo; "Jeremia virga vigilans;""De Ecclesiarum Germanicarum origine et progressu," 1664, 8vo. &c. His son, George Henry Ursinus, a learned philologist, who died Sept. 10, 1707, aged sixty, left the following works: "Diatribe de Taprobana, Cerne et Ogyride veterum;" "Disputatio de locustis ;" "Observationes Philologica;" "De variis vocum etymologicis et significationibus," &c.; "De Creatione mundi ;" "Notule Criticæ ad Eclogas Virgilii;" "Annotationes in Seneca Troada;" "De primo et proprio Aoristorum usu;" "Dionysii Terræ orbis descriptio cum notis." He must be distinguished from George Ursinus, a learned Danish divine, who acquired honour by his "Hebrew Antiquities." "

URSIUS (JOHN JOSEPH). See ORSI.

URSUS (NICOLAS RAIMARUS), a writer distinguished for his skill in astronomy, was born at Henstedt in Dithmarsen, which is part of the dukedom of Holstein, about 1550. He was a swineherd in his younger years, and did not begin to read till he was eighteen; and then he employed all the hours he could spare from his labours in learning to read and write. He afterwards applied himself to the study of the languages; and, having a good capacity and memory, made a very swift progress in Latin and Greek. He also learned the French tongue, mathematics, astronomy, and philosophy; and most of them without the assistance of a master. Having left his native country, he gained a livelihood by teaching; which he did in Denmark in 1584,

1 Melchior Adam.-Gen. Dict.-Zouch's Life of Sir P. Sidney, p. 76.