Α GENERAL BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY. BY JOHN GORTON, AUTHOR OF THE "GENERAL TOPOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY," &c., &c. A NEW EDITION. TO WHICH IS ADDED A SUPPLEMENTARY VOLUME COMPLETING THE WORK TO THE IN FOUR VOLUMES. VOL. I. www LONDON: HENRY G. BOHN, YORK STREET, COVENT GARDEN. 1851. A GENERAL BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY. A A A B AA (PETER VAN DER) a bookseller of Ley-dinary embassies to England and Venice; L: den, and a laborious publisher and compiler of to England was to negociate the marriage of voyages, travels, and geographical collections, William Prince of Orange with the daughter in the Dutch and French languages. Among of Charles I—the commencement of a family these is the "Galerie du Monde," an immense connexion which led to the most important collection of maps and plates in 66 vols. folio. consequences. Aarsens died ennobled, at an He also continued Grævius' "Thesaurus Anti- advanced age, leaving an only son, the richest quitatum Italiæ," and carried on an extensive man in Holland. A volume of his negociations business from 1682 until his death in 1730.- has been printed.-Bayle. Un. Biog. Nouv. Dict. Hist. ABARIS, a Scythian, the son of Seuthes, priest of the Hyperborean Apollo, and probably a real personage; but the facts recorded of him are so fabulous and contradictory, that the time even of his existence is a subject of dispute. The least absurd of these accounts make him a sort of ambassador from the Scythians to the Athenians, at the time of a general plague, on which mission he is said to have disputed with Pythagoras, in the presence of Phalaris; a story that is contradicted by chronology. He is fabled to have been presented with an arrow by Apollo, astride of which he could fly through the air. This fiction has produced much figurative and humourous allusion to a character, which probably appertains rather to Mythology than to Biography.—Bayle. ABATE (ANDREA) a Neapolitan painter, celebrated for his representation of flowers, fruit, and inanimate life. He was employed by Charles II King of Spain, to decorate the Escurial in conjunction with Luca Giordano. He died in 1732.-Pilkington. ABAUZIT (FIRMIN) a French writer of great merit, was born at Uzes, in Languedoc, in 1679. He lost his father, who was a French Protestant, at two years of age; and the Edict of Nantes being then revoked, his mother, under all the terrors of that perfidious and merci. less persecution, contrived to have him con AARON (PIETRO) a Florentine and a canon of Rimini, was one of the composers in the chapel of Leo X, and an elaborate writer on music. The most considerable of his works is, "Il Toscanello della Musica," Venice, 1523, 1529, 1539, an able production. Pietro Aaron wrote in the Italian language, which rendered his labours more widely useful in his own country, almost all the musical writers before him hav-veyed to Geneva, for which act she was herselt ing written in Latin.-Burney's Hist. Mus. confined for two years in the castle of Somieres. AARSENS (FRANCIS) Lord of Someldyk and On regaining her liberty, she repaired to GeSpyck, one of the ablest negociators ever pro- neva, and expended the remains of a small duced by the United Provinces, was born at fortune in the education of Abauzit, who made the Hague in 1572. Being early introduced great acquirements in languages, history, aninto public life by his father, who was re-tiquities, mathematics, natural history, physics gistrar of the States, he first became resident, and theology. To finish his education, he suband subsequently ambassador to the court of sequently visited Holland and England, where France, where he remained fifteen years. Profoundly skilled in the arts of diplomacy, he seems to have occasionally much annoyed the French Cabinet by the depth of his penetration; but was, nevertheless, held in high esteem by Cardinal Richelieu. He was also employed in extraorB. DICT-Nɔ, I. he was introduced to Sir Isaac Newton, who quickly appreciated his great attainments, and sent him his " Commercium Epistolicum," accompanied with the following honourabie tescmony in writing-"You are well worthy to judge between Leibnitz and me." King William B made handsome offers to Abauzit to settle in England, but filial affection opposed his acceptance of them, and he returned to Geneva, where, in 1726, he was made public librarian. The literary labours of Abauzit, in number and importance, are not on a par with his high reputation, which seems to have been founded on his known great acquirements, universal information, great accuracy, and modest and amiable character, rather than on his actual productions. He published an improved edition of Spon's History of Geneva, with dissertation and notes; but his writings are chiefly theological. One of the most celebrated is "An Essay on the Apocalypse," which throws doubt on the canonical authority of that book. This essay was answered, in London, by Dr Twells, to whom the author sent it; and that so much to his satisfaction, that he stopped an intended impression, although this essay is included by the Dutch editors in their collection of his works. Abauzit has been highly eulogised both by Voltaire and Rousseau, being the subject of the only panegyric which the latter ever wrote on a living person. In his religious opinions, this learned man leaned towards Socinianism, or the modern Unitarian doctrine; but he was not distinguished as a partisan. He died, universally lamented, at the advanced age of 87 years. Hist. of Geneva. Un. Biog. Mahomet. A man of strong character and determined spirit, he at first waged war against the pretensions of his nephew; but on being taken prisoner, either yielding to the ascendancy of that extraordinary impostor, or perceiving the advantages of compliance, he became one of his most devoted partisans, and saved Mahomet's life at the battle of Henain. This chieftain was held in exceeding respect by the Caliphs Omar and Othman, who always alighted to salute him. He died in the 32nd year of the Hegira; and as his grandson Abul Abbas became Caliph one hundred years after his death, he may be regarded as the progenitor of the Abbasside dynasty.-D'Herbelot. ABBAS (EBN ABBAS ABDALLA) son of the above, and cousin german to Mahomet, was the most considerable of the doctors called Sahabah," or companions of the prophet. He is author of a commentary on the Koran.Ibid. ABBAS (HALI, or ALI EBNOL ABBAS) a Persian physician and follower of Zoroaster, of the 10th century. He wrote a book on physic, entitled "Almaleci," or Royal Work, which was translated into Latin by Stephen of Antioch in 1127.-Friend's Hist. Med. ABBAS I (SHAH) the Great. This celebrated Persian sovereign was born about the year 1558, and ascended the throne on the murder of his brother Ismael, in 1585. The character of Abbas was sanguinary, but politic and determined. When he assumed the sovereignty, Persia was divided into satrapcies or governments, the kahns or heads of which were nearly independent. Added to this source of weakness, a body of soldiery existed, similar to the Prætorian guards of Rome and the Janizaries of Turkey-a description of troops always dangerous to the throne they are nominally raised to protect. These, as well as the leading families, were of the race of Kurchi, or Turkmans, whose interests being the same, they formed a party for mutual support, which materially weakened the royal authority. Abbas commenced his reign with a determination to crush this source of weakness, and pursued his object with great ability, but at the same time with all the perfidy and cruelty which have ever characterised Eastern political expediency. In other respects, the life of Abbas was very warlike, and he enlarged his dominions by successful expeditions on every side. It was he who first removed the seat of government to Ispahan. One of the most remarkable exploits of Shah Abbas was the taking of Ormuz, in the Persian gulf, from the Portuguese: in this enterprise he was assisted by an English fleet, to which the place surrendered in 1622. The result of this exploit was a commercial treaty between Abbas and the English, that was very advantageous to the latter. A few years after this ABBADIE (JAMES) a celebrated Protestant divine, born at Hay in Berne, in 1654, or as one authority asserts, in 1658. He studied at Sedan, and obtained the degree of doctor of divinity; but the wretched policy of Louis XIV towards his Protestant subjects obliged him to repair to Holland, and subsequently to Berlin, where he became pastor of the French church, established under the patronage of the elector of Brandenburgh. After the death of this prince, Abbadie returned to Holland with Marshal Schomberg, and accompanying that nobleman in the train of King William to England, was present when he fell at the battle of the Boyne. Rendered thus by connexion a zealous partisan of the English revolution, he wrote warmly in defence of it, in answer to Bayle; and after being for some time pastor of the French church in the Savoy, was promoted to the deanery of Killaloe, a preferment which has not been deemed equal to his theological pretensions. He died in London, in 1727, much esteemed as a man, and admired as a writer and preacher. His works are of course chiefly theological, of which the most celebrated, the Traité de la Vérité de la Religion Chrétienne," bears a high character, and has been translated into English. His "Defense de la Nation Britannique" has already been noticed; and he is also author of another, at present very scarce, work, entitled Histoire de la Conspiration derniere de l'Angleterre," which was written by command of William III, and contains all the particulars of the assas-transaction, Shah Abbas died, at the advanced sination plot. All the writings of this active and zealous, yet occasionally fanciful, divine, are in the French language; but several of them have been translated.-Niceron. Biog. Brit. ABBAS, son of Abdal Mothleb, and uncle of age of seventy, and was succeeded by hi grandson Shah Sephi. In his family he dis played the same jealous rigour as elsewhere having three sons by as many wives, the twa youngest were deprived of sight, and he put ABBE (LOUISA L') wife of a ropemaker of Lyons in the sixteenth century, celebrated for her personal attractions and poetical talent. She was usually denominated "La Belle Cordonniere;" she was the author of several light poems.-Nouv. Dict. Hist. the eldest to death, in consequence of a con- | have been relieved several years afterwards b spiracy in his favour, which the dutiful prince a compassionate lady to whom she sang her had himself assisted to put down. This murder misfortunes. The romantic nature of these in produced a great tumult among the people; cidents has rendered the loves of Giaffer and and even the Shah, who excused himself on Abassa celebrated throughout the East; and the score of self-preservation, affected or felt certain amatory poetry exists in the Arabic langreat remorse, and never would wear the in-guage, which is said to have been composed by signia of royalty afterwards. It was the son the latter and addressed to Giaffer.-D'Her of this prince who succeeded him. Notwith-belot. standing the public and domestic rigour of Abbas, he was much esteemed by his subjects, and his memory is held by the Persians in great veneration. This is often the case in despotic governments, where cruelty and tyranny only extend to individuals or a small circle round the court, while the general policy ABBO (CERNUUS) a monk of St. Germainis popular and beneficial. By putting down des-Pres, and author, among other things, of “A the independent kahns, the people were bene-poetical relation of the Siege of Paris by the fitted, as also by the alliance of their sove-Normans and Danes, towards the end of the reign with European rulers, in furtherance of Ninth Century." Abbo was an eye witness of commercial intercourse. Abbas also patron- the events which he describes, a fact that renized a rigid administration of justice between ders his work curious as a narrative, although man and man, and adorned his dominions with the poetry is miserable. It is contained in the many magnificent and useful works. As an collection of Duchesne, as well as in the "Noueastern sovereign, politician, and conqueror, velles Annales de Paris," by Duplessis. It has he may therefore merit the name of Great, been translated from the original Latin into which has been bestowed upon him. Craft French.-Vossins. Cave. and cruelty have not unfrequently distinguished the dominating sovereigns of Europe, but in Asia they form no small share of the art of government. Shah Abbas was a man of low stature, with a keen aspect, small and grey eyes, a high hooked nose, a pointed beardless chin, and thick mustachoes-a characteristic physiognomy.-Mod. Un. Hist. ABBAS II (SHAH) great grandson of the above, succeeded his father Shah Sephi when only thirteen years of age. This prince has been made known to Europe by Tavernier and other travellers, who, in consequence of his taste for the arts, found access to him. He was humane for an eastern sovereign, and was thought to possess capacity, although obscured by his attachment to wine and women. His reign was signalized by nothing memorable; but a reply of his, when solicited to propagate Islamism by compulsion, deserves recording. "The Almighty alone,” said Abbas, " is Lord of men's minds; and for my own part, instead of meddling with private opinion, I feel it my duty to administer justice impartially." This was the observation of a Mahometan prince not many years before Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes.-Mod. Un. Hist. ABBO (FLORIACENCIS) or Abbot of Fleuri, a Benedictine monk of the tenth century, highly celebrated for his learning. Abbo resided for some time in England, and became a great favourite with King Ethelred. He was subsequently employed by King Robert of France, to negotiate with Pope Gregory V, who bad laid France under an interdict; and he was killed on his return, in 1004, in a fray originating in an attempt to restore the discipline of a monastery. He wrote an epitome of the lives of the Popes, a life of St Edmund the Martyr, and various ecclesiastical epistles.-Cave. ABBOT (GEORGE) archbishop of Canter bury in the reign of James I and Charles I, was born at Guildford in Surrey, in October, 1562. He was the second son of Maurice Abbot, a clothworker, who, having suffered persecution for his religious opinions under the reign of Mary, naturally instilled into his children that aversion to popery by which the arch bishop was all his life distinguished. The latter having passed through Guildford school, became a student at Baliol college, Oxford, and after a rapid attainment of academical honours, was elected master of University college, and three times vice-chancellor of the University; ABBASSA, sister of the Caliph Haroun Al having in the mean time received the preferRaschid, who was betrothed by her brother to ment of dean of Winchester. His early adhis celebrated vizier Giaffer, the Barmecide, vancement has been attributed to his antibut under a strict injunction that the marriage catholic zeal, which was a recommendation in should never be consummated. The mutual the reign of Elizabeth; but his reputation for affection of the lovers soon led to a neglect of learning doubtless much assisted his promotion, this mandate, and a son was born, whom his as he was second in the list of the eight learned parents contrived to forward to Mecca, but not men of Oxford to whom the charge of transwith so much secresy as to escape detection.lating the historical parts of the New Testament The death of the unfortunate Giaffer and several of his kindred, was immediately pronounced by the irascible caliph, who also turned his sister, in a state of destitution, from the palace. The unhappy princess is said to have wandered kot reciting her own story in verse, and to was intrusted. At Oxford, Dr Abbot displayed great zeal against the Arminian doctrines, and there commenced the hostility between him and Laud, by which their more public life was subsequently distinguished. A new path to ecciesiastical honours was soon after opened to Ab B2 |