1. "A commentary on the Pentateuch;" a translation of which into Latin was published at Jena, 1710, fol. a work highly praised by Simon, in his Critical History of the Old Testament, and by Wolfius, in his Bibl. Hebraica. It appears by a manuscript of the original, in the library of the Oratory at Paris, that it was written in 1294. 2. "A commentary on the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings, translated from the Arabic into Hebrew," a manuscript in the library at Leyden. 3. "A commentary on Isaiah and the Psalms," in the same library. 4. "A commentary on Job," which the author notices in his firstmentioned work on the Pentateuch. 5. "A treatise on

Grammar," a very rare work, printed at Constantinople in 1581, which some have attributed to another Aaron. 6. "The Form of Prayer in the Caraite Synagogue," Venice, 1528-29, 2 vols. small quarto1..

AARON (PIETRO), who flourished in the sixteenth century, was a Florentine, of the order of Jerusalem, and a voluminous writer on Music. He first appeared as an author in 1516, when a small Latin tract in three books, "De institutione Harmonica," which he wrote originally in Italian, was translated into Latin, and published at Bologna, by his friend Joh. Ant. Flaminius, of Imola, 4to. 2. "Toscanello della Musica, libri tre." This treatise, the most considerable of all his writings, was first printed at Venice, 1523; then in 1529, and lastly, with additions, in 1539. In the Dedication he informs us, that he was born to a slender fortune, which he wished to improve by some reputable profession; that he chose Music, and had been admitted into the Papal chapel at Rome during the pontificate of Leo X. but that he sustained an irreparable loss by Leo's death. 3. "Trattato della natura e cognizione di tutti li Tuoni di Canto figurato," Venice, 1525, fol. 4. "Lucidario in Musica di alcune Oppenioni Antiche e Moderne," 4to. Venice, 1545. In this work we have discussions of many doubts, contradictions, questions, and difficulties, never solved before. 5. "Compendiolo di molti dubbj segreti et sentenze intorno il Canto-fermo e figurato," 1547, 4to. This seems a kind of supplement to his Lucidario. There is not much novelty in any of his works; but, in the state of musical science in his time, they were all useful'.

1 Simon Biblioth. critique, vol. II. p. 201-205.-Clement Bibl. cur, des liv. rares.-Dict, Hist. 1810.-Moreri.

? Burney's Hist. of Music, vol. III.-Dict. Hist. 1810.

AARSENS (FRANCIS), lord of Someldyck and Spyck, one of the most celebrated negociators of the United Provinces, was the son of Cornelius Aarsens, (who was greffier, or secretary of state, from 1585 to 1623,) and was born at the Hague in 1572. His father put him under the care of Duplessis Mornay at the court of William I. prince of Orange. The celebrated John Barnevelt sent him afterwards as agent into France; and, after residing there some time, he was recognised as ambassador, the first whom the French Court had received in that capacity from the United States; and the king, Louis XIII. created him a knight and baron. After holding this office for fifteen years, he became obnoxious to the French Court, and was deputed to Venice, and to several German and Italian princes, on occasion of the troubles in Bohemia. But such was the dislike the French king now entertained against him, that he ordered his ambassadors in these courts not to receive his visits. One cause of this appears to have been a paper published by Aarsens in 1618, reflecting on the French king's ministers. In 1620 he was sent as ambassador to England, and again in 1641: the object of this last embassy was to negociate a marriage between prince William, son to the prince of Orange, and a daughter of Charles I. Previous to this, however, we find him again in France, in 1624, as ambassador extraordinary, where it appears that he became intimate with and subservient to the cardinal Richelieu; who used to say that he never knew but three great politicians, Oxenstiern, chancellor of Sweden, Viscardi, chancellor of Montferrat, and Francis Aarsens. His character, however, has not escaped just censure, on account of the hand he had in the death of Barnevelt, and of some measures unfriendly to the liberties of his country. He died in 1641. The editors of the Dict. Historique attribute to him "A Journey into Spain, historical and political," published by De Sercy at Paris, 1666, 4to, and often reprinted; but this was the work of a grandson, of both his names, who was drowned in his passage from England to Holland, 1659'.

ABANO. See APONO.

ABARIS, a celebrated sage, or impostor, whose history has been the subject of much learned discussion. Jambli cus, in his credulous Life of Pythagoras, mentions Abaris. as a disciple of that philosopher, and relates the wonders 1 Du Maurier's Memoirs.-Wicquefort's Treatise on Ambassadors.-Gen. Dict

he performed by means of an arrow which he received from Apollo. He also gives the particulars of a conversation which he had with Pythagoras, whilst the latter was detained prisoner by Phalaris, the tyrant. But this narration is filled with so many marvellous circumstances, and chronological errors, that it deserves little credit. Brucker, whom we principally follow in this article, gives the following instance. It is said that, in the time of a general plague, Abaris was sent from the Scythians on an embassy to the Athenians. This plague happened in the third olympiad. Now, it appears, from the learned contest between Bentley and Boyle, on the subject of Phalaris, that this tyrant, in whose presence Abaris is said to have disputed with Pythagoras, did not exercise his tyranny, at the most, longer than twenty-eight-years, and that his death happened not earlier than the fourth year of the fifty-seventh olympiad, which is the opinion of Bentley, nor later than the first year of the sixty-ninth olympiad, which is the date fixed by Dodwell. It is evident, therefore, that Abaris could not have lived, both at the time of the general plague mentioned above, and during the reign of Phalaris. The time when he flourished may, with some degree of probability, be fixed about the third olympiad; and there seems little reason to doubt, that he went from place to place imposing upon the vulgar by false pretensions to supernatural powers. He passed through Greece, Italy, and many other countries, giving forth oracular predictions, pretending to heal diseases by incantation, and practising other arts of imposture. Hence the fabulous tales concerning Abaris grew up into an entire history, written by Heraclides. Some of the later Platonists, in their zeal against Christianity, collected these and other fables, and exhibited them, not without large additions from their own fertile imaginations, in opposition to the miracles of Christ'.

ABATI (ANTONY), an Italian poet of the 17th century, enjoyed much reputation during his life. He was in the service of the archduke Leopold of Austria, and travelled in France and the Netherlands. On his return to Italy, he was successively governor of several small towns in the ecclesiastical state. He died at Sinagaglia, in 1667, after a long illness. The emperor Ferdinand III. made a bad acrostic in honour of his memory, but does not appear

1 Bayle in Gen. Dict.-Brucker Hist. Philos. abridged by Enfield.-Fabric. Bibl. Græc.

to have been a very liberal patron, while he was living. He wrote: 1. "Ragguaglio di Parnasso contra poetastri e partegiani delle nazioni," Milan, 1638, 8vo. 2. "Le Frascherie, fasci tre," satirical poems, with some prose, Venice, 1651, 8vo. 3. "Poesie postume," Bologna, 1671, 8vo. 4. "Il Consiglio degli Dei, dramma per musica," &c. Bologna 1671, written on occasion of the Peace between France and Spain, and the marriage of Louis XIII. to the Infanta of Spain.

ABAUZIT (FIRMIN) was born at Uzes on the 11th of November 1679. His father died in the second year after his birth. As his parents were protestants, the mother removed him from France, to prevent his being educated in the Romish faith; but it being difficult to find a secure retreat, he was sent from one place to another, and at last was obliged to wander among the mountains of Cevennes, and to change his residence as often as his concealment was discovered, until at length he found a safe asylum in Geneva. In the mean time his mother was confined in the castle of Somieres; but nothing could shake her fortitude, or alter her resolution to have her son educated in her own persuasion. Her health was much impaired by confinement, under which she probably must have died, had not a fortunate occurrence required the commander of the fort to visit Paris. His brother, who occupied his place, interested himself in behalf of his prisoner, and obtained her enlargement. Having surmounted various perils, she arrived at Geneva two years after her son. The small share which she had been able to save from the wreck of a fortune which once had been considerable, she expended in the education of young Abauzit, who made a very rapid progress in his studies. Mathematics and natural history chiefly attracted his attention; but he cultivated almost every department of literature. In 1698 he visited Holland, where he became acquainted with the most celebrated literary characters of the place, Bayle, Jurieu, and the Basnages. From Rotterdam he went to England, where he conversed with St. Evremond and sir Isaac Newton. With the latter he afterwards engaged in an epistolary correspondence, and received a compliment which must be esteemed highly honourable. "You," says Sir Isaac, "are a very fit person to judge between Leibnitz and me." William III. invited Abauzit to settle in England, and ordered Michael le Vassor to offer some advantageous pro

1 Biographie Universelle, 1811.

posals; which, however, were not accepted. Filial affec tion, or attachment to the country in which he had obtained a refuge, recalled him to Geneva; where, in 1723, the University offered him the chair of philosophy, which he declined, pleading the weakness of his constitution, and his inability to do credit to the appointment. In 1726, he lost his mother, to whom he had ever been most affectionately attached. In the same year he was admitted a citizen of Geneva, and appointed librarian to the city. He profited by such a favourable opportunity to improve in useful literature. Principally attached to antiquities, he now dedicated to his newly-adopted country the fruit of his labours and his talents. In 1730, he published a new edition of the History and State of Geneva, which had been originally written by David Spon, and printed in two vols. 12mo. The work having already passed through three editions, was committed to Abauzit. Not contented with the mere republication, he corrected the errors, gave two dissertations on the subject, and annexed the public acts and memorials, that were necessary as proofs and illustra→ tions. To these were added a copious variety of learned and useful notes, in which he gave an ample detail of facts which were but imperfectly related in the text. Modest himself, he was not ambitious of fame, but assisted others by his labours. Among those who derived benefit from his learning and researches, M. de Meiran alone had the gratitude to acknowledge his obligation. The labours of Abauzit were assiduous, and his knowledge was extensive. While he declined public notice his name was known, and his communications were frequent to most of the celebrated mathematicians, philosophers, and divines in Europe. Notwithstanding the simplicity of his manners, this modest philosopher was not, perhaps, without a small share of vanity. For he employed himself in discovering what to his apprehension seemed errors in the different translations of the Bible. He could believe nothing but what he saw, or was suggested by his own ideas, or could be reduced to mathematical demonstration, and, becoming sceptical, wished to divest the scriptures of several miracles. He even made some efforts in poetry; but they were soon forgotten. He is acknowledged to have excelled more in diligence, accuracy, and precision, than in taste or genius. Voltaire, who had as great an aversion to miracles as Abauzit, esteemed and consulted him. As. a citizen of Geneva, the philoso