rence, and there studied with so much ardour as to lay in a vast store of literature of every kind, under Salvini, Bellini, and other eminent instructors. The famous Magliabecchi introduced to him all foreigners illustrious for their talents, and it was thus that he became acquainted with sir Isaac Newton and Montfaucon. Not contented with this confined intercourse with the learned, he began to travel in 1710, and went through Germany to Holland, where he conversed with Basnage, Le Clerc, Kuster, Gronovius, and Perizonius. He then crossed into England, where he was honourably received by Bentley, Newton, the two Burnets, Cave, Potter, and others. Passing afterwards. into France, he formed an intimate friendship with the amiable and illustrious Fenelon; and became known to all the principal literati of that country. The exact account of the travels of Quirini would contain, in fact, the literary history of Europe at that period. Being raised to the dignity of cardinal, he waited on Benedict XIII. to thank him for that distinction. "It is not for you," said that pope, "to thank me for raising you to this elevation, it is rather my part to thank you, for having by your merit reduced me to the necessity of making you a cardinal.” Quirini spread in every part the fame of his learning, and of his liberality. He was admitted into almost all the learned societies of Europe, and in various parts built churches, and contributed largely to other public works. To the library of the Vatican he presented his own collection of books, which was so extensive as to require the addition of a large room to contain it. What is most extraordinary is, that though a Dominican and a cardinal, he was of a most tolerant disposition, and was every where beloved by the Protestants. He died in the beginning of January 1755. His works are numerous; among them we may notice, 1. "Primordia Corcyræ, ex antiquissimis monumentis illustrata ;" a book full of erudition and discernment. The best edition is that of Bresse, 1738, 4to. 2. A work on the Lives of certain Bishops of Bresse, eminent for sanctity. 3. "Specimen variæ Literaturæ, quæ in urbe Brixia, ejusque ditione, paulo post incunabula Typographiæ florebat," &c. 1739, 4to. 4. An Account of his Travels, full of curious and interesting anecdotes. 5. A collection of his Letters. 6. A sketch of his own life, to the year 1740, Bresse, 1749, 8vo. 7. Cardinal Pole's Letters, mentioned in our account of that celebrated ecclesiastic. 8. An edition of the works of St. Ephrem, 1742, 6 vols. fol. in Greek, Syriac, and Latin. With many smaller productions.' QUISTORP (JOHN), a German Lutheran divine and professor, was born at Rostock in 1584, and studied first at home, and then at Berlin, and at Frankfort on the Oder. He afterwards travelled through Holland, Brabant, and Flanders, as tutor to the son of a patrician of Lubeck. In 1614, his learning and abilities having pointed him out as a fit person to fill the divinity chair at Rostock, he was created doctor of divinity, and paid a visit to the universities of Leipsic, Wirtemberg, Jena, &c. He obtained other preferments in the church, particularly the archdeaconry of St. Mary's at Rostock. In 1645, he was appointed pastor of the same church, and superintendant of the churches in the district of that city. During Grotius's last fatal illness at Rostock he was called in as a clergyman, and from him we have the particulars of the last moments of that celebrated scholar; some of which particulars, Burigny informs us, were misrepresented or misunderstood. Quistorp died May 2, 1648, at the age of sixtyfour. He was the author of "Annotationes in omnes Libros Biblicos;" "Commentarius in Epistolas Sancti Pauli," and several other works. He left a son of the same name, who was born at Rostock in 1624, and died in 1669. He became pastor, professor of divinity, and rector of the university of that city, and published some works, "Catechesis Anti-papistica," "Pia desideria," &c. Another John Nicholas Quistorp, probably of the same family, died in 1715, and left some works on controversial subjects. 2 1 Dict. Hist.-Moreri. 2 Moreri.-Dict. Hist. R. RABANUS MAURUS (MAGNENTIUS), a celebrated arch bishop of Mentz, and one of the most learned divines in the ninth century, was born in the year 785 at Mentz, or rather at Fulda, and descended from one of the most noble families in that country. Mackenzie, however, has inserted him among his Scotch writers, but without much apparent authority. The parents of Rabanus sent him, at ten years old, to the monastery of Fulda, where he was instructed in learning and virtue, and afterwards studied under the famous Alcuinus, at Tours. In this situation he made so rapid a progress, as to acquire great reputation from his writings at the age of thirty. On his return to Fulda he was chosen abbot there, and reconciled the emperor Louis le Débonnaire to his children. Rabanus wrote a letter of consolation to this prince when unjustly deposed, and published a tract on the respect due from children to their parents, and from subjects to their princes, which may be found in "Marca de Concordiâ," published by Baluze. He succeeded Orgar, archbishop of Mentz, in the year 847, but was so much a bigot, as to procure the condemnation of Godeschalc. He died at his estate of Winsel, in the year 856, aged sixty-eight, after having bequeathed his library to the abbeys of Fulda and St. Alban's, leaving a great number of works printed at Cologn, 1627, 6 vols. in 3 folio. The principal are, 1. "Commentaries on the Holy Scriptures," the greatest part of which are mere extracts from the fathers, as was the usual method among commentators in his time. 2. A poem in honour of the holy cross, of which there is a neat edition printed at Augsburg, 1605, in folio; but the most rare is that printed at Phorcheim, in ædibus Thomæ Anselim, 1503, curiously ornamented. Of the frontispiece the first figure is that of Albinus, abbot of Fulda, who presents Rabanus to the pope, with a poetical piece entitled "Intercessio Albini ;" Rabanus appears next, presenting his book to the pope, with a poetical piece, entitled "Commendatio Papæ." Then follows a kind of dedication to the emperor Louis le Débonnaire, who is delineated on this dedication holding a shield in one hand, and a cross in the other, his head surrounded with glory; all the letters comprised in these ornamented lines, form a discourse foreign to the dedication. The poem is in the same style; on each of the 28 pages of which it consists, are figures of the cross, stars, cherubim, seraphim, &c. The last represents a cross, with the author adoring it; the letters comprised in this cross form various pious exclamations. 3. A treatise on the Instruction of the Clergy." 4. A treatise on "the Ecclesiastical Calendar," in which he points out the method of distinguishing the leap years, and marking the indictions. 5. A book "on the sight of God, purity of heart, and the manner of doing penance." 6. A large work, entitled "De Universo, sive Etymologiarum Opus." 7. "Homilies." 8. "A Martyrology," &c. But a treatise on "Vices and Virtues," which is attributed to Rabanus Maurus, was written by Halitgarius bishop of Orleans. His treatise" against the Jews," may be found in Martenne's "Thesaurus;" and some other small tracts in the "Miscellanea" of Baluze, and Father Sirmond's works. Rabanus was unquestionably one of the most learned men of his age, and his character in this respect has been highly extolled both by Dupin and Mosheim.' RABELAIS (FRANCIS), a celebrated French wit, was the son of an apothecary, and born about 1483, at Chinon, in the province of Touraine. He was bred up in a convent of Franciscan friars in Poictou, the convent of Fontenaile-Comte, and received into their order. His strong inclination and taste for literature and the sciences made him transcend the bounds which restrained the learned in his times; so that he not only became a great linguist, but an adept in all branches of knowledge. His uncommon capacity and merit soon excited the jealousy of his brethren. Hence he was envied by some; others, through ignorance, thought him a conjuror; and all hated and abused him, particularly because he studied Greek; the novelty of that language making them esteem it, not only barbarous, but antichristian. This we collect from a Greek epistle of Budæus to Rabelais, in which he praises him highly for his great knowledge in that tongue, and exclaims against the stupidity and malice of the friars. Dupin. Mosheim.-Mereri.-Mackenzie's Lives, vol. I. p. 81. Having endured their persecutions for a long time, he obtained permission of pope Clement VII. to leave the society of St. Francis, and to enter into that of St. Benedict; but his mercurial temper prevailing, he did not find any more satisfaction among the Benedictines, than he had found among the Franciscans, so that after a short time he left them also. Changing the regular habit for that which is worn by secular priests, he rambled up and down for a while; and then fixed at Montpellier, where he took the degrees in physic, and practised with great reputation. He was universally admired for his wit and great learning, and became a man of such estimation, that the university of that place, when deprived of its privileges, deputed him to Paris to obtain the restitution of them, by application to the chancellor Du Prat, who was so pleased with him, and so much admired his accomplishments, that he easily granted all that he solicited. He returned to Montpellier; and the service he did the university upon this occasion, is given as a reason why all the candidates for degrees in physic there, are, upon their admission to them, formally invested with a robe, which Rabelais left; this ceremony having been instituted in honour of him. In 1532, he published at Lyons some pieces of Hippocrates and Galen, with a dedication to the bishop of Mailezais; in which he tells him, that he had read lectures upon the aphorisms of Hippocrates, and the "ars medica" of Galen, before numerous audiences in the university of Montpellier. This was the last year of his continuance in that place; for the year after he went to Lyons, where he became physician to the hospital, and joined lectures with practice for some years following. John du Bellay, bishop of Paris, and afterwards cardinal, with whom he had been acquainted in his early years, going to Rome in 1534, upon the business of Henry VIII's divorce from Catherine of Spain, and passing through Lyons, carried Rabelais with him, in quality of his physician; who returned home, however, in about six months. He had sometime before quitted his religious connections for the sake of leading a life more suitable to his taste and humour; but now renewed them, and in a second journey to Rome, obtained in 1536, by his interest with some cardinals, a brief from pope Paul III. to qualify him for holding ecclesiastical benefices. John du Bellay, had procured the abbey of St. Maur near Paris to be secularized; and into |