profane, but though he lived forty-two years after the pubfication of the last-mentioned book, he did not publish any more. All his writings are full of learning and curious researches into antiquity, and he wrote with great clearness and method, judgment and accuracy.

1

FERRARI (OCTAVIUS), of the same family with the former, was born at Milan in 1607. He went through his studies in the Ambrosian college, and after he had completed a course of philosophy and divinity, applied himself entirely to polite literature, in which he made so great progress, that cardinal Frederic Borromeo procured him a professorship of rhetoric in that college, when he was but one and twenty years old. Six years after, the republic of Venice invited him to Padua, to teach eloquence, politics, and the Greek language, in that university, which was then extremely in its decline; but Ferrari restored it to its former flourishing state. The republic rewarded him by enlarging his pension every six years, which from five hundred ducats was at last raised to two thousand. After the death of Ripamonte, historiographer of the city of Milan, Ferrari was appointed to write the history of that city; and a pension of two hundred crowns was settled on him for that purpose. He began, and composed eight books; but finding he could not have access to the necessary materials in the archives of Milan, he desisted, and left what he had done to his heir, on condition that he should not publish it. His reputation procured him presents and pensions from foreign princes. Christina of Sweden, in whose honour he had made a public discourse upon her mounting the throne, presented him with a golden chain, and honoured him with her letters; and Louis XIV. of France gave him a pension of five hundred crowns for seven years. He died in 1682, aged seventy-five. He was remarkable for the sweetness, sincerity, and affability of his temper; and had so happy a way of mitigating persons exasperated against each other, that he acquired the title of "the Reconciler, or Pacificator."

His works are, 1. "De re vestiaria libri tres," Padua, 1642. In 1654 he added four books more to a second edition. 2." Analecta de re vestiaria, sive exercitationes ad Alberti Rubenii Commentarium de re vestiaria et lato clavo. Accessit Dissertatio de veterum lucernis sepulchralibus," Padua, 1670. This was afterwards, in 1685, sub

1 Gen. Dict-Niceron, vol. XXVIII.-Clement Bibl. Curieuse.-Saxii Onom.

66

joined to his book "De re vestiaria," and both are inserted in the sixth and twelfth books of Grævius's "Roman Antiquities." 3. "Pallas Suecica; Panegyricus Suecorum Reginæ imperium auspicanti dictus." 4. " De laudibus Francisci Putei." 5. "Prolusiones xxvi.-Epistolæ. -Formule ad capienda Doctoris insignia.--Inscriptiones. -Panegyricus Ludovico Magno Francorum Regi dictus." All these little pieces, and several others which had been printed separately, were collected and disposed into proper order by John Fabricius, who published them at Helmstad, 1710, in 2 vols. 8vo. 6. "Veneta Sapientia, seu de optimo civitatis statu prolusio." 7. "Electorum libri duo." In this work our author treats of several points of antiquity. 8. Origines Lingue Italicæ," Padua, 1676, folio. The author of the Journal des Sçavans, for April 1677," gives the following judgment of this work: "Scaliger had before treated of this subject, in twenty-four books, which are unfortunately lost. Though Ferrari has not taken so great an extent, yet we find a great deal of learning in him. But he appears so jealous of the language of his country, that he thinks every other origin, but what he gives it, as well as the French and Spanish from the Latin tongue, would be injurious to it. This hinders him from assenting to the opinion of cardinal Bembo, who supposes that the Italian owes many of its words to the jargon of Languedoc and Provence." Menage has written a book upon the same subject, to correct the errors of Ferrari. 9. "De Pantomimis et Mimis Dissertatio." 10. "Dissertationes duæ ; altera de balneis, de gladiatoribus altera." These two last are posthumous, and were published by, John Fabricius, the former at Wolfenbuttel, 1714, in 8vo; the latter at Helmstad, 1720, in 8vo.'

FERRARI (JOHN BAPTIST), a Jesuit of Sienna, was the author of a Syriac Dictionary, published in 1622, in 4to, under the name of "Nomenclator Syriacus." The chief object of the author is to explain the Syriac words in the Bible, in which he was assisted by some learned Maronites. He wrote also, "De Malorum aureorum cultura," 1646, and "De Florum cultura," 1633, both published at Rome. He died in 1655.a

FERRARI (GAUDENZIO), an eminent artist of Valdugia, was born in 1484. He is by Vasari called "Gaudenzio

1 Gen. Dict.-Bibl, Ancienne et Moderne, vol. VI.-Moreri.-Niceron, vol V. Saxii Onomast. * Moreri.-Clement Bibl. Curieuse,

Milanese." Some have supposed him a scholar of Perugino, but Lomazzo, who was a nurseling of his school, names Scotto and Luini as his masters. His juvenile works prove what Vasari says, that he had profited by those of Lionardo da Vinci. He went young to Rome, and is said to have been employed in the Vatican by Raffaello; and there, it is probable, that he acquired that style of design and tone of colour which eclipsed what before him had been done in Lombardy. He possessed a portentous feracity of ideas, equal to that of Giulio, but far different; instead of licentious excursions over the wilds of mythology, he attached himself to sacred lore, to represent the majesty of Divine Being, the mysteries of religion, and emotions of piety, and succeeded to a degree which acquired him the name of "eximie pius" from a Novarese synod. Strength was his element, which he expressed less by muscles forcibly marked, than by fierce and terrible attitudes, as in the Passion of Christ, at the grazie of Milano, where he had Titian for a competitor; and in the Fall of Paul, at the conventuals of Vercelli, which approaches that of M. Angelo, at the Paolina; in the expres sion of character and mind, he is inferior perhaps only to Raffaelo; and at St. Cristoforo of Vercelli has shewn himself master of angelic grace. With a full and genial vein of colour, Gaudenzio unites an evidence which admits of no hesitation, and attracts the eye in the midst of other works. His tone is determined by the subject, as his carnations by character; but his draperies and parerga are commended more by caprice and novelty, than simplicity and grandeur. Whether it were modesty, situation, ignorance, or envy, that defrauded powers so eminent, of the celebrity often lavished on minor talents, is not now to be determined. Ferrari was little known, and less favoured by Vasari, whom the blind herd of dilettanti on either side of the Alps generally follow in their search of excellence in He is supposed to have died in 1550. There was aupther of the name JOHN ANDREW FERRARI, or De Ferrara, who was born at Genoa, in 1599, and was a disciple of Bernard Castelli; but, in order to obtain a more extensive knowledge in his profession, he studied afterwards for some time under Bernardo Strozzi. His application was attended with success, for he at last attained to such a degree of excellence, that he was equally expert in painting history, landscape, fruit, animals, and flowers;

art.

and those subjects he finished in a small size, but with extraordinary beauty and exactness, so that few of the princes or nobility of his time were satisfied without possessing some of his compositions. Benedetto Castiglione was his disciple. He died in 1669.'

FERRARI (LEWIS), inventor of the first method of resolving biquadratic equations, was born at Bologna about 1520. He studied mathematics under the celebrated Cardan, who, having had a problem given him for solution, gave it his pupil as an exercise of his ingenuity; and this led to the discovery of a new method of analysis, which is precisely that of biquadratics. Cardan published this method, and assigned the invention to its real author, who, had it not been for this liberal conduct of the master, would have been unknown to posterity. At the age of eighteen he was appointed a tutor in arithmetic, and was equal to the task of disputing with the most distinguished mathematicians of his own age. He was afterwards appointed professor of mathematics at Bologna, where he died in 1565. Ferrari, although, like many other learned men of his age, addicted to astrology, was an excellent classical scholar, a good geographer, and well versed in the principles of architecture."

FERRARIENSIS. See SYLVESTRE.

FERRARS (GEORGE), a learned lawyer, a good historian, a celebrated poet, and a most accomplished courtier, in the reigns of Henry VIII. Edward VI. Mary, and Elizabeth, was descended from an ancient family in Hertfordshire, and born in a village near St. Alban's, about 1512. He was bred at Oxford, and removed thence to Lincoln's-inn, where he applied himself with so much success to the study of the law, that he was soon taken notice of in Westminster-hall as an advocate, at the same time that he was much admired at court for his wit and good-breeding. His first rise in his profession, and at court, was owing to Cromwell earl of Essex, who was himself a man of great parts, and took a pleasure in countenancing and advancing others who had talents. Upon the fall of this patron, he quitted the public exercise of his profession as a lawyer; not, however, before he had given evident testimonies of his knowledge and learning, as ap-/ pears from, 1. "The double translation of Magna Charta

1 Pilkington.

2 Moreri,-Hutton's Dictionary.

from French into Latin and English." 2. "Other laws enacted in the time of Henry III. and Edw. I. translated into English."

Afterwards he became the king's menial servant, whom he attended in war as well as in peace, and served both with his pen and his sword, and rose so much in favour with Henry, as to receive from that monarch a very considerable grant in his native county, out of the king's private estate. This was in 1535, yet he managed so ill, that some years after, when member of parliament for Plymouth, which he was elected in 1542, he had the misfortune, during the session, to be taken in execution by a sheriff's officer, and carried to the compter. This, however, being represented to the house of commons, occasioned such a disturbance there, as not only produced his discharge, but a settled rule with respect to privilege. Yet Mr. Hatsell, in his "Collection of cases of Privileges of Parliament," seems to be of opinion that the measures which were adopted, and the doctrine which was then first laid down with respect to the extent of the privileges of the house of commons, were more owing to Ferrars's being a servant of the king, than that he was a member of the house of commons. He continued afterwards in high favour with Henry all his reign, who fully approved what the house of commons had done; and Ferrars seems to have stood upon good terms with the protector Somerset, in that of king Edward; since he attended him as a commissioner of the carriage of the army into Scotland, in 1548. Edward also had a singular kindness for him, as appeared afterwards at a very critical juncture; for when the unfortunate duke of Somerset lay under sentence of death, the people murmuring on the one hand, and the king uneasy and melancholy on the other, it was thought expedient to do something to quiet and amuse the people, and if possible to entertain and divert the sovereign. In order to this, at the entrance of Christmas holidays, George Ferrars, esq. was proclaimed LORD OF MISRULE, that is, a prince of sports and pastimes. This office, which required no common talents, he discharged for twelve days together at Greenwich, with great magnificence and address, and entirely to the king's satisfaction. In this character, attended by the politest part of the court, he made an excursion to London, where he was very honourably received by officers created for that purpose, splendidly entertained