130

DIOS

DIOSCORIDE S.

that he had corrected many errors of others, added many new things of his own, and digested the whole into a regular order. Salmasius considers all this as so much boasting, and treats Dioscorides as merely a laborious compiler, or pillager of others; but Galen has pronounced these books of Dioscorides to be the best that had been written upon the subject, and it is evident that in the early stages of botanical science he was looked up to with a reverence which is no longer paid. His object being solely the Materia Medica, he discusses each subject specifically, and in a separate chapter, dividing the whole into five books; in which, as far as any order takes place, they arrange into aromatic, alimentary, and medicinal plants. His descriptions are chiefly taken from colour, size, mode of growing, comparison of the leaves and roots, with other plants well known, and therefore left undescribed. In general they are short, and frequently insufficient to determine the species; and hence arise the endless and irreconcileable contentions among his commentators. In this manner, however, he has described near 700 plants; to which he subjoins the virtues and uses; and to him all posterity have appealed as decisive on the subject.

Besides these five books, there are a sixth and a seventh mentioned by Photius; but the genuineness of them is justly doubted, since Galen takes no notice of them in several places where he could hardly be supposed to overlook them. There are also two other books " upon simple and compound medicines easy to be come at," which have been attributed to Dioscorides; but these are supposed to be spurious, though they seem to have borne his name when Atius read them. Several manuscripts of this author's works with figures are extant, which have often been cited by his commentators. Of these the most celebrated is in the imperial library at Vienna, the figures of which were partly engraved in the reign of the empress Maria Theresa, under the inspection of Jacquin. Two impressions only of these plates, as far as we can learn, have ever been taken off, as the work was not prosecuted. Of these, one was sent to Linnæus, with notes by Jacquin, and is now in the valuable library of Dr. Smith; the other was given, out of professor Jacquin's own library, to Dr. Sibthorp, to assist his inquiries in Greece, and remains at Oxford. The Linnæan copy consists of 142 plates, in oblong quarto, in alphabetical order; but nothing can be more rude than

these figures; and they scarcely afford any information that is not familiar to botanists versed in the subject. Haller asserts, that perhaps a third part of the plants of Dioscorides is still unknown, and it is to be feared they will never be entirely determined. The inquiry, indeed, at present, is rather a matter of curiosity than of any considerable medical importance. Dioscorides was first published at Cologn, in a Latin translation, 1478, folio, and in the original by Aldus, 1495, folio. It was afterwards published in Latin by Hermolaus Barbarus, and Ruellius, 1516; by Vergilius, 1518; and by Cornarus, 1529, all in folio. There are many other editions, but the learned prefer that with a translation by Saracenus, Lyons, 1598, and Francfort, 1620, folio. 1

DIPPEL (JOHN CONRAD), an author famous for his extravagancies, and who styled himself in his writings Christianus Democritus, was born Aug. 10, 1672, at Frankenstein, near Darmstadt, where he commenced his studies. He afterwards studied philosophy and theology at Giessen, where he took his master's degree in 1693. He began his literary career by a controversy with the pietists, a sect against which he declaimed publicly at Strasburg. Being obliged, for some irregularities, to quit that city, he returned to Giessen, and shewed himself as zealous in behalf of pietism as he had been before in opposition to it. Having failed in his views of getting a wife, and a professor's chair, he threw off the mask, and openly attacked the reformed religion, in his "Papismus Protestantium vapulans." This book having incensed the protestants against him, he abandoned theology for chemistry; and gave out, that, after a process of eight months, he had succeeded in making a sufficient quantity of gold to enable him to keep a country house, which he bought for 50,000 florins; but he was at that time actually in the utmost indigence; and could think of no better expedient for avoiding the pursuit of his creditors than by commencing his travels. After having run over various countries, Berlin, Copenhagen, Francfort, Leyden, Amsterdam, Altona, Hamburgh, and having experienced the discipline of the prison in every one, he was invited to Stockholm in 1727 to prescribe for the king of Sweden. The clergy of that kingdom, pleased

Moreri.-Haller Bibl. Bot.-Fabric. Bibl. Græc.-Pulteney's Sketches.Rees's Cyclopædia.

with the hope of the king's recovery, but unwilling to owe it to a man that openly derided their religion, procured an order for the medical alchemist to quit the kingdom. Dippel returned to Germany, without having changed either his opinions or his conduct. The report of his death having been several times falsely propagated, he in 1733 published a sort of certificate, in which he affirmed that he should not die till the year 1808; a prophecy which was not fulfilled: for he was found dead in his bed at the castle of Witgenstein, the 25th of April, 1734, at the age of 62.

His works were published together in 1747, 5 vols. 4to, and, notwithstanding his many extravagancies and absurdities, many have considered him as an eminent teacher of true piety and wisdom. He probably deserved more praise as a physician and chemist. He is said to have invented Prussian blue; and there is still an oil called Dippel's oil, which he first discovered, a powerful sudorific, and deserving of more notice than it now receives. '

1

DIROIS (FRANCIS), a learned doctor of the Sorbonne, was at first a friend to the society of Port-royal, but afterwards disagreed with them on account of the formulary, which he defended in several of his writings. He was very intimate with Richard Simon, and died canon of Avranches at the end of the seventeenth century. Besides his works in favour of the formulary, he left a treatise, entitled "Preuves et Préjugés pour la Religion Chrétienne et Catholique, contre les fausses Religions, et l'Atheisme," 4to, much esteemed by his Roman catholic brethren. It was Dirois who inserted the ecclesiastical history of each century in Mezeray's History of France.

DISNEY (JOHN), a learned English divine and magistrate, was born at Lincoln in 1677. At the grammar school in that city he received the early part of his education, and afterwards studied at a private academy among the dissenters, to whom his father was attached. He was next entered at the Middle Temple with a view of making himself so far acquainted with the law as to enable him to become respectable as a magistrate and an author. The former character he sustained with dignity and much reputation he was diligent, disinterested, and impartial in his decisions he took an active part with those who formed themselves into a society for the suppression of vice and

Moreri.-Mosheim's Eccles. Hist.

2 L'Avocat.-Moreri.

immorality. His regard to duty gained him the respect of the wise and good, and on some occasions he was singled out as meriting the thanks of the judges of the circuit for services that he had rendered his country. As he advanced in life, and after he had acted as a magistrate more than twenty years, he conceived the design of becoming a minister in the church of England, with which he had communicated from the time that he had attained to manhood. He was accordingly first ordained a deacon, and afterwards, in 1719, a priest. In the same year he was presented with the vicarage of Croft, and to the rectory of Kirby-superBaine, both in his native county. In the year 1722, he was instituted to the vicarage of St. Mary in Nottingham, to which town he removed; and here he remained till his death, Feb. 3, 1729-30, in the 53d year of his age. He was buried, according to his own request, in the chancel of his church, near to the communion-table, having no other inscription over his grave than the initial letters of his name, and the year of his death. He left a widow, who afterwards lived at her own family-seat, Flintham-hall, in Nottinghamshire, and died there May 20, 1763, in the 86th year of her age, by whom he had five sons and three

daughters.

He was a zealous advocate for, and a great friend to, the religious societies (particularly that for the reformation of manners), then in their infancy. His temper was naturally warm and impatient; but he was formed by nature also with a generous and forgiving mind, and his warmth and impatience were generally under the government of his reason. His principles of religion were orthodox in regard to points of doctrine and articles of faith: in respect to the principles of others, they were truly catholic. Mr. Disney's correspondence with some persons of high name for literature in his age does honour to both parties. His own learning was acknowledged, and the great work which he had designed to have published, under the title of "Corpus Legum de Moribus Reformandis," was greatly approved by several judicious and learned men, and forwarded by their ready answers to queries proposed to them by the writer, as occasion suggested them, and not unfrequently by their voluntary contributions. His own library contained a very extensive and valuable collection of books in all languages; but he spared not journies to the public libraries in London, and both of our universities, for the

consultation of such scarce books and manuscripts as were nowhere else to be met with. His manuscripts, which are numerous, are preserved in his family, and his exactness and precision in their arrangement, and the fairness of their transcript, are peculiar to himself.

He published: 1. "Primitiæ Sacræ, the reflections of a devout solitude, consisting of Meditations and Poems on divine subjects," London, 1701 and 1703, 8vo. 2. “Flora,” in admiration of the Gardens of Rapin, and the translation of Mr. Gardiner, written in 1705, prefixed to Subdean Gardiner's translation of "Rapin of Gardens," the third edition of which was published 1728, 8vo. 3. "An Essay upon the Execution of the Laws against Immorality and Profaneness. With a Preface addressed to her Majesty's justices of the peace," London, 1708 and 1710, 8vo. His portrait is prefixed to several copies on large paper. 4. "A Second Essay upon the Execution of the Laws against Immorality and Profaneness. Wherein the case of giving informations to the magistrate is considered, and objections against it answered. By John Disney, esq. With a Preface addressed to grand juries, constables, and churchwardens," London, 1710, 8vo. The preface to this second essay was afterwards printed in a small size by itself, in order to distribute it among those whom it more particularly concerned. 5. "Remarks upon a Sermon preached by Dr. Henry Sacheverell, at the assizes held at Derby, Aug. 15, 1709. In a Letter to himself. Containing a just and modest defence of the Societies for Reformation of Manners, against the aspersions cast upon them in that Sermon," London, 1711, 8vo. 6. Proposals for the publication of his great work, entitled "Corpus Legum de Moribus Reformandis," dated Lincoln, 1713; a single sheet, and republished in the "View of ancient laws." 7. "The Genealogy of the most serene and most illustrious House of Brunswick Lunenburgh, the present royal family of Great Britain; drawn up from the best historical and genealogical writers," 1714. Dedicated to his majesty, king George I. and engraved by J. Sturt, on two sheets of imperial paper, N. B. A mistake in this Genealogical Table is corrected in the " Acta Regia," 1716, 8vo, vol. I, p. 102. Rymer says, that "Albert Great Duke of Brunswick married Adelhard, daughter to Henry the magnanimous duke of Brabant; whereas, Mr. Disney makes Adelhard daughter of the marquis of Montserrat,