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Du Bellai, bishop of Paris. A gentleman, whom Francis had sent into Germany, spoke to Melancthon of the journey to France; and assured him, that the king would write to him about it himself, and would furnish him with all the means of conducting him necessary for his safety. To this Melancthon consented, and the gentleman upon his return was immediately dispatched to him with a letter. It is dated from Guise, June 28, 1535, and declares the pleasure the king had, when he understood that Melancthon was disposed to come into France, to put an end to their controversies. Melancthon wrote to the king, Sept. 28, and assured him of his good intentions; but was sorry, he could not as yet surmount the obstacles to his journey. The truth was, the duke of Saxony had reasons of state for not suffering this journey to the court of Francis I. and Melancthon could never obtain leave of him to go, although Luther had earnestly exhorted that elector to consent to it, by representing to him, that the hopes of seeing Melancthon had put a stop to the persecution of the protestants in France; and that there was reason to fear, they would renew the same cruelty, when they should know that he would not come. Henry VIII. king of England, had also a desire to see Melancthon, but neither he nor Francis I. ever saw him.

His time was now chiefly employed in conferences and disputes about religion. In 1539, there was an assembly of the protestant princes at Francfort, concerning a reformation; and another in 1541, at Worms, where there happened a warm dispute between Melancthon and Eckius respecting original sin. But, by the command of the em-peror, it was immediately dissolved, and both of them appointed to meet at Reinspurg; where Eckius proposing a sophism somewhat puzzling, Melancthon paused a little, and said, "that he would give an answer to it the next day." Upon which Eckius represented to him the disgrace of requiring so long a time; but Melancthon replied, that he sought not his own glory, but that of truth. In 1543 he went to the archbishop of Cologne, to assist him in introducing a reformation into his diocese; but without effect. He attended at seven conferences in 1548; and was one of the deputies whom Maurice, elector of Saxony, was to send to the council of Trent, in 1552. His last conference with the doctors of the Romish communion was at Worms, in 1557. He died at Wittemberg, April

19, 1560, in his sixty-third year; and was buried near Luther, in the church of the castle, two days after. Some days before he died, he wrote upon a piece of paper the reasons which made him look upon death as a happiness; and the chief of them was, that it "delivered him from theological persecutions." Nature had given him a peaceable temper, which was but ill-suited for the time in which he lived. His moderation greatly augmented his uneasiness. He was like a lamb in the midst of wolves. Nobody liked his mildness; it looked as if he was lukewarm; and even Luther himself was sometimes angry at it. It was, indeed, considering his situation, very inconvenient; for it not only exposed him to all kinds of slander, but would not suffer him to "answer a fool according to his folly." The only advantage it procured him, was to look upon death without fear, by considering, that it would secure him from the "odium theologicum," the hatred of divines, and the discord of false brethren. He was never out of danger, but might truly be said, "through fear, to be all his life-time subject to bondage." Thus he declared, in one of his works, that he "had held his professor's place forty years without ever being sure that he should not be turned out of it before the end of the week."

He married a daughter of a burgomaster of Wittemberg in 1520, who lived with him till 1557. He had two sons and two daughters by her; and his eldest daughter Anne, in 1536, became the wife of George Sabinus, one of the best poets of his time. His other daughter was married, in 1550, to Gaspar Peucer, who was an able physician, and very much persecuted. Melancthon was a very affectionate father; and there is an anecdote preserved of him, which perfectly agrees with his character for humility. A Frenchman, it is said, found him one day, holding a book in one hand, and rocking a child with the other; and upon his expressing some surprise, Melancthon made such a pious discourse to him about the duty of a father, and the state of grace in which the children are with God," that this stranger went away," says Bayle, "much more edified than he came." Melchior Adam relates a curious dialogue which passed between his son-in-law Sabinus, and cardinal Bembus, concerning Melancthon. When Sabinus went to see Italy, Melancthon wrote a letter to cardinal Bembus, to recommend him to his notice. The cardinal laid a great

stress upon the recommendation; for he loved Melancthor for his abilities and learning, however he might think himself obliged to speak of his religion. He was very civil therefore to Sabinus, invited him to dine with him, and in the time of dinner asked him a great many questions, particularly these three: "What salary Melancthon had? what number of hearers and what he thought concerning the resurrection and a future state?" To the first question Sabinus replied, "that his salary was not above 300 florins a year." Upon hearing this, the cardinal cried out, "Ungrateful Germany! to value at so low a price so many labours of so great a man." The answer to the second was, "that he had usually 1500 hearers." "I cannot believe it," says the cardinal: "I do not know an university in Europe, except that of Paris, in which one professor has so many scholars." To the third, Sabinus replied, that Melancthon's works were a full and sufficient proof of his belief in those two articles." "I should think him a wiser man," said the cardinal, "if he did not believe any thing about them."

Melancthon was a man in whom many good as well as great qualities were wonderfully united. He had great abilities, great learning, great sweetness of temper, moderation, contentedness, and other qualities, which would have made him very happy in any other times but those in which he lived. He never affected dignities, honours, or riches, but was rather negligent of them: too much so, in the opinion of some, considering he had a family; and his son-in-law Sabinus, who was of a more ambitious disposition, was actually at variance with him upon this subject. Learning was infinitely obliged to him on many accounts; on none more than this, that he reduced almost all the sciences, which had been taught before in a vague irregular manner, into systems. We have mentioned that he compiled compendiums for the use of his scholars; and also a treatise "On the Soul," the design of which was, to free the schools from the nugatory subtleties and idle labours of the scholastics, and to confine the attention of young men to useful studies. He industriously ransacked the writings of the ancients, to collect from them, in every branch of learning, whatever was most deserving of attention. Mathematical studies he held in high estimation, as appears from his declamation De Mathematicis Disciplinis, "On Mathematical Learning," which will very well repay

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the trouble of perusal. In philosophy he followed Aristotle as, in his judgment, the most scientific and methodical guide, but always in due subordination to Revelation, and only so far as was likely to answer some valuable purpose. I would have no one," says he, "trifle in philosophising, lest he should at length even lose sight of common sense; rather let him be careful both in the study of physics and morals, to select the best things from the best sources."

If the particular cast of Melancthon's mind be considered, it will not be thought surprising, that in philosophy he preferred a moderate attachment to a particular sect, to any bold attempt at perfect innovation. Though he possessed a sound understanding and amiable temper, he wanted that strength and hardiness of spirit, which might have enabled him to have done in philosophy, what Luther did in religion. He therefore chose rather to correct the established mode of philosophising, than to introduce a method entirely new. If it be a just occasion of regret, that in consequence of the natural gentleness, and perhaps timidity, of his temper, he proceeded no further, it ought not to be forgotten, that while religion was much indebted to his cool and temperate, but honest exertions, philosophy was not without obligation to him, for the pains which he took to correct its eccentricities, and adorn it with the graces of eloquence.

Melancthon made use of the extensive influence, which his high reputation, and the favour of the reigning elector of Saxony, gave him in the German schools, in which he was considered as a kind of common preceptor, to unite the study of the Aristotelian philosophy with that of ancient learning in general. And he was much assisted in the execution of this design, by the labours of many learned protestants of the Germanic schools from Italy and Great Britain, who brought with them an attachment to the Peripatetic system, and, wherever they were appointed public preceptors, made that system the basis of their philosophical instructions. From Wittemberg, Tubingen, Leipsic, and other seminaries, conducted after the manner which was introduced by Melancthon, many learned men arose, who, becoming themselves preceptors, adopted the same plan of instruction, which from Melancthon was called the Philippic method; and thus disseminated the Peripatetic doctrine, till at length it was almost every

where taught in the German protestants schools, under the sanction of civil and ecclesiastical authority. Considering the distractions of his life, and the infinity of disputes and tumults in which he was engaged, it is astonishing, how he could find leisure to write so many books. Their number is prodigious, insomuch that it was thought necessary to publish a chronological catalogue of them in 1582. They are theological, moral, and philosophical; some, however, relate to what is usually denominated the belles lettres, and others are illustrative of various classical authors. The most complete edition was published by the author's son-in-law, Jasper Peucer, 1601, in 4 vols. fol.'

MELEAGER, a Greek epigrammatic poet, and the first collector of the epigrams that form the Greek Anthologia, was the son of Eucrates, and is generally considered as a native of Gadara in Syria, where he chiefly lived; but, according to Harles, was born rather at Atthis, an inconsiderable place, in the territory of Gadara. The time in which he lived has been a subject of controversy. Vavassor, in some degree, with the consent of Fabricius, and Reiske, in his Notitia Poetarum Anthologicorum, p. 131, contend, that he lived under Seleucus VI. the last king of Syria, who began to reign in olym. 170. 3. A. C. 96. This is confirmed by an old Greek scholiast, who says, nasev êtì ZEXEúns to iσxáτ8. "He flourished under Seleucus the last." Saxius accordingly inserts his name at the year abovementioned. Some would carry him back to the 148th olympiad, A. C. 186, which, however, is not incompatible with the other account; and Schneider would bring him down to the age of Augustus, from a supposed imitation of an epigram of Strato, who lived then. But, as it may equally be supposed that Strato imitated him, this argument is of little validity. One of his epigrams in praise of Antipater Sidonius, seems to prove that he was contemporary with him (Epig. cxxiii. ed. Brunck.) and another, in which he speaks of the fall of Corinth as a recent event, which happened in olym. 158. 4. may be thought to fix him also to that time. As he calls himself Touέrns, or aged, in one of his compositions, there will be no inconsistency between these marks, and the account of the scholiast.

In his youth, Meleager lived chiefly at Gadara, and imi

1 Melchior Adam.-Life of Melancthon, by Camerarius.-Brucker. We are happy to find that the public may soon expect a very elaborate life of this great reformer, from the rev. Aulay Macaulay, vicar of Rothley, co. Leicester.

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