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§. 8. As to the library of my friends, Some rethe Iponites, it was far from being a grand paffage in one, but I faw many curious books in it Binius; which had not come in my way before. thoughts From them I made feveral extracts, and in relation to gratify my reader's curiofity a little, I vocation of will here favour him with one of them.

The first book I chanced to open in this library, was the fecond volume of Severin Bini's edition of the Councils (3), (edit. Paris, 1630) and over-against a very remarkable paffage from Cyril, (p. 548) I found feveral written leaves, bound up in the volume, and these leaves referred to by an afterifk. The paffage I call remarkable, is part

of

to the in

faints.

the editors

of them.

(3) Severin Bini, or Binius, as he is commonly cal- of counled, was a doctor of divinity at Cologne, in the circle cils, and of the Lower Rhine in Germany, and canon of that archiepifcopal cathedral. He published in that city, in the year 1606, an elegant edition of all the councils in four very large volumes, folio, and by this work, made the editions or collections of James Merlin, Peter Crabb, and Lawrence Surius, of no value: but the 2d edition published by Binius in the year 1618, in nine volumes fmaller folic, is far preferable to the first: and the Paris Edition of Bini's Councils in 1638, in ten large volumes, folio, is enlarged, more correct, and of confequence ftill better than the 2d edition af Binius. This is not however the best edition to buy, if you love to read that theological fluff called Councils. The Louvre edition des Conciles en 1644, in 37 volumes in folio, is what you should purchase; or, that of 1672, Paris, by the Jefuits Labbé and Coffart, in: 18 large

volumes

of a homily pronounced by the Alexandrian Patriarch before the council of Ephefus on St. John's day, in a church dedicated to his

name,

volumes in folio. This laft is what I prefer, on account of the additions, correctnefs, and beauty of the impreffion. Pere Hardouin did likewife print a later very fine edition of the Councils, with explications and free remarks; an extraordinary and curious work I have been told but I could not even fee it in France, as the parliament of Paris had ordered the work to be fecreted, on account of the remarks.

N. B. Binius, whom I have mentioned, was born in the year 1543, and died 1620, æt. 77.

N.B. James Merlin, the firft editor of the Councils, was a doctor of divinity, and chanoine of Notre-dame de Paris. Befides the Councils, two large volumes in folio, he published the works of Richard de St. Victor, Paris, 1518.

the works of Peter de Blois, Paris, 1519. and the works of Durand de St. Pourçain, Paris, 1515. His own works are, A Defence of Origen, in 4to. a good thing; and, Six Homilies on Gabriel's being fent to the Virgin Mary, in 8vo; which homilies are not worth half a farthing.- Merlin was born in the year 1742, and died 1541, aged 69.

N. B. Peter Crabb, the 2d editor of the councils, was a Francifcan friar. He published two volumes in folio of Councils, at Cologne, in 1538; and a third volume in 1550.-Was born 1470; died 1553; æt. 83.

N. B. Lawrence Surius, the third editor of the Councils, a monk of the Chartreux, publifhed his edition of them, in four large volumes in folio, 1560; and a few years after printed his Lives of the Saints, in fix tomes. He writ likewife a fhort Hiftory of his own Time; and, An Apology for the Maffacre of St. Barthelemi. He was the most outragious, abufive bigot that ever writ against the Proteftants. The great men of his own church despised him; and Cardinal Perron, in particu

lar,

name. In rehearfing In rehearfing his difcourfe to the Holy Fathers, the Saint cites Heb. i. 6. and then addreffes himself to the apoftle.

Όταν

lar, calls him bête and l'ignorant. He was born 15223 died 1578, æt. 56.

I

N. B. Philip Labbé, the Jefuit, the 5th editor of the councils, and the next after Binius, was born in 1607; died 1667, æt. 60. He lived only to publifh II vols. of the Councils, the 11th came out the year he died; and the other feven were done by Coffart. Labbé was a man of learning, and befides his collection of Councils, writ feveral other pieces. The best of them are, Bibliotheca bibliothecarum: Concordia chronologica: Bellarmini philologica and The Life of Galen.

Gabriel Goffart, the continuator, published the other feven volumes in 1672, and died at Paris, the 18th of December, 1674, æt. 59.

N. B. 1. Richard de St. Victor (whofe works I faid were published by Merlin, at Paris, 1518) was a Scotchman, and prior of the abbey of St. Victor in Paris. He died the 10th of March, 1173, æt. 91. He was the author of Three critical and hiftorical differtations on the Tabernacle; two on the Temple; three on the harmony of the chronology of the kings of Judea and Ifrael; Commentaries on the Pfalms, Canticles, the Epiftles of St. Paul, and the Revelation; Some treatifes in divinity; and Several dif quifitions relating to fpiritual life. There have been four editions of these pieces, and the beft of them is that of Rouen in 1650, in two volumes, by Father John de Toulouse, who writ the life of Richard, and added it to his edition. The three other editions are that of Paris, 1518; of Venice, 1592; of Cologne, 1621. Rich ard de Victor has been highly commended by feveral celebrated writers, by Henri de Grand, Trithem, Bellarmine, and Sixte de Sienne. There are many curious and fine things in his writings, it must be allowed; but in general, he is too fubtil, too diffufe, and too full

of

Όταν δε πάλιν εισαγάγη τον πρωτότοκον

nai

εις την οικεμένην, λέγει, καὶ προσκυνησάτωσαν αὐτῶ πάντες Αγγελοι Θεῖ.

are weak.

"When be bringeth

of digreffions. His commentaries, for the most part, I am fure he did not understand St. Paul. But, for the 12th century, he was an extraordinary

man.

But who was St. Victor, to whom the abbey of Chanoines Regulieres in Paris, and the greater abbaye of Chanoines in Marfeilles, are dedicated? He was a Frenchman, who fought under the Emperors Dioclefian and Maximian with great applaufe, in the moft honourable poft; but in the year 302, fuffered martyrdom for refufing to facrifice to the idols. He was executed on the fpot where the abbey of St. Victor in Marfeilles now ftands, and there they have his reliques, a la referve du pié, that is, except his foot, which lies in the Abbaye de St. Victor de Paris. William Grimaud, abbot of St. Victor de Marfeille, on his being made Pope Urban the 5th, A. D. 1362, took the foot of St. Victor from his abbey, when he left it, and made a prefent of it to John, Duke of Berry, (one of the fons of John, the first king of France, who was taken prifoner by Edward the Black Prince, in the battle of Poitiers, Sept. 19, 1356): and this duke of Berry gave the ineftimable foot to the monks of St. Victor in Paris. There it remains to this day; and tho' fo fmall a part of the blessed Victor, fheds immense benefits on the pious Catholics who adore it. Happy Catholics!

2. As to Peter de Blois, he was archdeacon of Bath, in the reign of Henry the fecond, and died in London, in the year 1200, æt. 71. His works are 183 letters on various fubjects, 20 fermons, and 17 tracts of feveral kinds. They were first printed at Mayence in 1500.Then by Merlin, Paris, 1519, as before mentioned.Afterwards, John Bufée, the Jefuit, gave an edition of

them

bringeth in the first-begotten into the world, be faith, Let all the angels of God worship Μυταγώγεσον Ευαγγελικά, επε καὶ Νυν, ὦ Μακάριε Ἰωάννε, &c.-O blefed

bim."

John

them in 1600, which is far preferable to that of Merlin. But the most valuable edition is that of Peter de Gouffainville, in folio, Paris, 1667: to this edition is prefixed the life of Peter de Blois, and very learned remarks on Peter's writings, and the fubjects he writ on, are added, by Gouffainville. De Blois's works contain many excellent things, and his life is a curious piece, Some of his notions relating to the fcriptures are very good, and he writes well against vice. He is a good author for the age he lived in. His letters are well worth reading; efpecially fuch of them as relate to his own time. King Henry the fecond ordered him to make a collection of them for his (the king's) ufe.

3. Durand de St. Pour gain, was bishop of Meux, in 1326, and died the 13th of September, 1333, in the 89th year of his age. His works are, Liber de origine jurifdictionum, (a learned piece); and Commentaries on the four books of fentences. (The book called, The Sen tences, was written by the famous Peter Lombard, bifhop of Paris, who died in the year 1164. æt. 82. In the Sentences, one of the propofitions argued on is this: Chriftus fecundum quod eft homo, non eft aliquod. Some call thefe Sentences excellent, which is what I cannot think them but in Durand's Commentary on them, there are feveral excellent things.)

As to the Jefuit, Jean Bufee, (who publifhed the 3d edition of Peter de Blois) he died at Mayence the 30th of May, 1611, aged 64, and was the author of many books not worth mentioning.

The learned Goufainville (who printed the laft edi tion of De Blois, with notes, and the life) died in the year 1683, extremely poor and miferable. He like

G 2

wife

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