DAMIENS. DAMOCLES, &c.

he lived with fome hermits. Damian's works were printed at Paris in the year 1663.

DAMIENS, a native of France, executed upon the 28th of March, 1757, for attempting to affaffinate his king. For the form and manner of his execution, which was very grievous, fee the article CHASTEL.

DAMOCLES, a flatterer of the tyrant Dionyfius, af fecting, upon fome occafion or other, to admire the fortune of that prince, Dionyfius, to convince him that princes are not always fo happy as they feem to be, invited him to a feaft; and caufed a naked fword to be hung over his head, which was only held by a fingle hair. Damocles, extremely ftruck with a fenfe of the hazardous fituation he was in, changed his opinion at once; and, for his own particular part, begged of Dionyfius, that he might retire from court and high life into that mediocrity of condition, where no danger was, and where he should not be subject to a reverse of fortune.

DANCHET (ANTONY) an eminent French poet, was born at Riorn in the year 1671; and went to Paris, where he distinguished himself very early in the republic of letters. At the age of nineteen, he was invited to Chartres, to be profeffor of rhetoric; which office he difcharged with high repute for four years. Upon his return to Paris, he devoted his labours intirely to the service of the theatre; for which he continued to write fongs, opera's, and tragedies, to the end of his life. He was admitted a member of the academy of inscriptions in the year 1706, and of the French academy in 1712. He had a place in the king's library, and died at Paris on the 21st of February, 1748, after having long poffeffed the efteem of the public, as well by his integrity as by his writings. His works were collected and printed at Paris in 1751, in four volumes, 12mo.

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DANDINI (JEROME) an eminent Italian jefuit, was Bayle's diet, born at Cefena in the ecclefiaftical ftate, in the year 1554; and was the firft of his order who taught philofophy at Paris. He bore feveral honourable offices in the fociety; for, befides teaching divinity at Padua, he was rector of the feveral colleges at Ferrara, Forli, Bologna, Parma, and Milan; vifitor in the provinces of Venice, Toulouse, and Guienne; provincial in Poland, and in the Milanese. He taught philosophy

in Perugia in 1596, when he was pitched upon by pope Clement VIII. to be his nuncio to the Maronites of Mount Libanus. He embarked at Venice in July the fame year, and returned to Rome in Auguft the year following. The French translation, which was made of his journey to Mount Libanus by father Simon, was printed at Paris in the year 1675, and reprinted at the Hague in 1685 in the preface to which the tranflator fays, that "father Dandini endeavoured to divest "himfelf of all the prejudices, which he attributes to those who

had been thither before him. He did not wholly rely on "the pope's bulls, although they made the best part of his in"ftructions, because he did not think them infallible as to

pa

the facts in question: but he heard with a great deal of "tince the patriarch and the principal Maronites, who com- . "plained of fome jefuits who went before him in the fame "employ; all which precautions are convincing proofs of his "prudent conduct." Dandini's book was printed at Cesena in 1656, under the title of Miffiona apoftolica al patriarcha e Maroniti del Monte Libano. It contains the relation of his journey to the Maronites and to Jerufalem; but father Simon has left out the journey to Jerufalem in his tranflation, becaufe, he fays, there is nothing new in it," nothing but "what has been obferved by travellers already."

Dandini died at Forli, upon the 29th of November 1634, aged eighty years. His commentary on the three books of Ariftotle de anima was printed at Paris in 1611, in folio; and after his death, was printed at Cefena in 1651, in the fame fize, his ethics. Father Simon has given him a great character; and, after obferving that he was defcended from a noble family in Italy, fays, that " he was a man of a pene"trating wit, folid judgment, and great experience; that, ❝befides the school-divinity, which he understood perfectly,

he was mafter of the theology of the fathers, and, above all, of moral philofophy, of which he has compofed an ex"cellent treatife; that the pope could not make choice of a "man better qualified to treat with the Maronites; that in

deed he wanted skill in the oriental languages, but that he "eafily fupplied that deficiency by an interpreter." Bayle fays, that this could not be prejudice of father Simon in his favour, because he has taken great liberties with him, criticifed him, ftrongly refuted him on a thousand occafions, in the remarks he has added to the tranflation of his travels.

DANET

DANET (PETER) a French abbe, was of the number of thofe learned perfons, who were pitched upon by the duke of Montaufier, to illuftrate claffical authors for the use of the dauphin. He had Phædrus allotted to his fhare, which he published with a Latin interpretation and notes. He was the author alfo of a dictionary, which was once much read, but is now grown obfolete; and of fome other works. He died at Paris in the year 1709..

Somerset

v. i.

DANIEL (SAMUEL) an eminent poet and hiftorian of Fuller's our own country, who flourished in the reigns of queen Eli- Worthies of zabeth and king James I. was the fon of a mufic-mafter, and hire, p. 28. born near Taunton in Somersetshire, in the year 1562. In the year 1579, he was admitted a commoner of Magdalen college in Oxford, where he continued three years, and, by the benefit of an excellent tutor,: made a confiderable progrefs in academical learning; but his genius inclining him more to studies of a softer and gayer kind, he left the university without a degree, and applied himself to poetry and hiftory. Wood Wood's Atells us, that at about twenty-three years of age, mr. Daniel then. Oxon. tranflated into English the worthy tract, as he calls it, of " Paul Jovius, containing, "A difcourfe of rare inventions both "military and civil, called Imprese;" which was printed at London in 1585, and to which he put an ingenious preface of his own writing. His own merit, added to the recommenda- Ibid. tion of his brother-in-law John Florio, fo well known for his Italian dictionary, procured him the patronage of queen Anne, the confort of king James I. who was pleased to confer on him the honour of being one of the grooms of the privy chamber. The queen took great pleasure in mr. Daniel's converfation; and the encouragement he met with from the court, together with his own perfonal qualifications, eafily introduced him to the acquaintance and friendship of the most ingenious and learned men of his time; fuch as fir John Harrington, mr. Camden, fir Robert Cotton, fir Henry Spelman, Edmund Spencer, Ben Johnfon, Stradling, Owen, &c. He rented a fmall house and garden in Oldstreet near London, where in Langbaine's private he compofed most of his dramatic pieces. Afterwards Lives of he became tutor to the lady Anne Clifford, who, when she poets, p came to be countess of Pembroke, was a great encourager of -learning and learned men; and, upon the death of the famous Spencer, was made poet-laureat to queen Elizabeth. Towards the end of his life, he retired to a country farm, which

100.

he had at Beckington near Philips-Norton in Somersetshire; where, fays mr. Wood, after he had enjoyed the mufes and religious contemplation for fome time with very great delight, he died in the year 1619. He was buried in the church of Beckington, and the following infcription was fixed upon the wall over his grave: "Here lies, expecting the fecond "coming of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift, the dead body "of Samuel Daniel, efq; that excellent poet and hiftorian, "who was tutor to the lady Anne Clifford in her youth, fhe "that was daughter and heir to George Clifford earl of Cum**berland; who, in gratitude to him, erected this monument "to his memory, a long time after, when the was countefs "dowager of Pembroke, Dorfet, and Montgomery. He Wood, &c. died in October, an. 1619." Mr. Daniel was a married man, but left no children.

Mr. Daniel's poetical works, confifting of dramatic and other pieces, are as follows: 1. "The complaint of Rofa"mond." Lond. 1594, 4to. 2. "A letter from Octavia "to Marcus Antonius." Lond. 1611, 8vo. These two pieces refemble each other both in the fubject and ftile, being written in the Ovidian manner, with great tenderness and variety of paffions. 3. Hymen's triumph: a pastoral tragi

4.

comedy. Prefented at the queen's court in the Strand, at "her majefty's magnificent entertainment of the king's moft "excellent majefty, being at the nuptials of the lord Rox"borough." Lond. 1623, 4to. 2d edit. It is dedicated to the queen, and is introduced by a pretty contrived prologue, in the way of dialogue; in which Hymen is opposed by Avarice, Envy, and Jealoufy, the difturbers of quiet marriage. "The vifion," or, as fome copies have it," The wisdom of the twelve goddeffes. A mafk." Lond. 1604, 8vo. The poet's defign, under the fhapes, and in the perfons, of the twelve goddeffes, was to fhadow out the bleffings, which the nation enjoyed under the peaceful reign of king James I. By Juno was reprefented power; by Pallas, wifdom and defence; by Venus, love and amity; by Vefta, religion; by Diana, chaltity; by Proferpine, riches; by Macaria, felicity; by Concordia, the union of hearts; by Aftrea, justice; by Flora, the beauties of the earth; by Ceres, plenty; and by Tethys, naval power. All these allegorical perfonages were properly attired, and offered up the feveral emblems of their works, v. i. power to the temple of peace, erected upon four pillars, reprefenting the four virtues, that fupported the globe of the earth. 5. "The queen's arcadia: a paftoral tragi-comedy." Lond.

Daniel's poetical

P. 228.

1623. 6. "The tragedy of Cleopatra." Lond. 1594. 7. "The tragedy of Philotas," 1611, 8vo. Dedicated by a copy of verses to the prince, afterwards Charles I. This play met with fome oppofition, because it was reported, that the character of Philotas was drawn for the unfortunate earl of Effex; which obliged the author to vindicate himself from this charge in an apology, printed at the end of it. Both this play, and that of Cleopatra, are written after the manner of the ancients, with a chorus between each act. 8. "The hiftory " of the civil wars between the houses of York and Lancaster." A poem in eight books, dedicated to prince Charles; 1604, 8vo. Mr. Daniel's picture is before it. 9. "A defence of "rhime, against a pamphlet intitled, Obfervations on the art "of English poefy wherein is demonftratively proved, that "rhime is the fitteft harmony of words, that comports with our language:" 1611, 8vo. It is dedicated " To all the "worthy lovers and learned profeffors of rhime within his

'

majesty's dominions ;" and it is addreffed to William Herbert, earl of Pembroke, who was our author's particular friend and patron. This is a profe-performance. All these pieces, with feveral others, which there is no occasion to particularize here, were published together at London in two volumes, 12mo, in the year 1718.

We come now to confider mr. Daniel as an hiftorian, in which capacity he wrote "The firft part of the hiftory of "England, in three books." Printed at London in 1613, 4to, and reaching to the end of king Stephen's reign. To this he afterwards added "A fecond part," which was printed in the year 1618, and reached to the end of king Edward III. This hiftory was continued to the end of king Richard III. by John Truffel, a trader, and alderman of the city of Winchefter; who however, as bishop Nicholfon has obferved," has English hift. "not had the luck to have either his language, matter, of library, "method, fo well approved, as thofe of mr. Daniel." Of P. 72. mr. Daniel's history a certain writer gives this character: "It Bohun's "is written with great brevity and politenefs; and his politi- tranflation "cal and moral reflections are very fine, useful, and instruc- Method. "tive." Mr. Langbaine is of opinion, that, however well legendi hift. qualified our author's genius was for poetry, yet" his history P. 171. "is the crown of all his works." To conclude the character, Account, and give the reader the beft idea we can of it, we will tran- &c. p. 104. fcribe what is faid of it, in the preface to Kennet's Complete hiftory of England. "Mr. Daniel's hiftory follows next, containing the reigns of William I. and II.' Henry I.

C4

“ king

of Wheare's