OF

BIBLICAL LITERATURE,

EXHIBITING

THE HISTORY AND FATE OF THE

Sacred Writings,

FROM THE

EARLIEST PERIOD TO The presenT CENTURY;

INCLUDING

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES OF TRANSLATORS, AND OTHER

EMINENT BIBLICAL SCHOLARS.

BY THE REV. JAMES TOWNLEY,

Author of "Biblical Anecdotes.”

VOL. III.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR LONGMAN, HURST, REES, ORME, AND BROWN,

PATERNOSTER ROW.

-

1821.

SIXTEENTH CENTURY CONTINUED.

Roman edition of the Septuagint. Editors of the Septu-
agint. Italian Versions. Leo of Modena. Talmudi-
cal books prohibited. Spanish Version. Spanish
or Antwerp Polyglott. Vatablus's Bible. Index
Expurgatorius. South American Versions. India.
Synod of Diamper. Akbar, Emperor of the Moguls.
Persian Version. Geronimo Xavier. Ethiopic
Version. Romaic Version.

A

BOUT the time that the Sixtine edition of the
Vulgate was published, another important Bib-
lical work was undertaken and executed under papal
patronage and authority. This was a revised and mag-
nificent edition of the GREEK, or SEPTUAGINT transla-
tion. The design originated with Sixtus V. before his
advancement to the pontificate, who, whilst cardinal,
earnestly solicited Pius V. and Gregory XIII. to ren-
der that service to the church. The former of these
pontiffs committed the care of the work to the Car-
dinals W. Sirlet and Anton. Caraffa, and associated
with them several learned men, as Latinus Latinius,
Marianus Victorius, Paulinus Dominicanus, Emanuel Sa,
Petrus Parra, and Ant. Agellius. Pope Pius V. dying
before the work was completed, Gregory XIII. who
succeeded him, continued the design, and devolved the
superintendence of it on Cardinal Ant. Caraffa, who

called in to his assistance, Lælius, his theologian, Franciscus Turrianus, Petrus Ciaconius, Joannes Maldonatus, Fulvius Ursinus, Paulus Comitolus, Joannes Livinejus, Petrus Morinus, Barth. Valverda, Robertus Bellarminus, Franciscus Toletus, and Flaminius Nobilius. This com

mittee assembled several days in every week at the palace of Cardinal Caraffa, to examine the different MSS. collected for the purpose of being collated with the celebrated Codex Vaticanus, an ancient and valuable MS. formerly preserved in the Vatican Library, supposed by these critics to have been written in the fourth century, but by others, to be of the fifth, or sixth century. Some parts of this MS. being faded, or injured by age, the defects were supplied from two ancient MSS.; one belonging to Cardinal Bessarion, and the other in the possession of Cardinal Caraffa, brought from a library in Calabria. The Vatican MS. is written in uncial characters, without distinction of chapters, verses, or words, and without accents or spirits. After nine years labour, from 1578 to 1587, this edition was published under the auspices of Sixtus V. who had during that period obtained the tiara, and to whom the work was indebted for unceasing patronage from its commencement, during his cardinalate, to its successful termination. It was printed at Rome, in 1587, fol. by Francis Zanetti. The Greek Text was first published alone, but, in 1588, was followed by a Latin translation, by Flaminius Nobilius, principally taken from the Itala, or old Latin version. The Vatican text was reprinted by Bishop Walton, in the London Polyglott, 1657, and forms the basis of the celebrated edition commenced by the Rev. Dr. Holmes, dean of Winchester, and continued, and now in the course of publication, by the Rev. J. Parsons, M. A. of Oxford.'

(1) Clement, Bibliotheque Curieuse, IV. pp. 15-17.

Horne's Introd. to the Critical Study of the Bible, I. p. 279.
Le Long, edit. Masch, pt. ii. vol. II. sec. 1, § 57. pp. 275-283.

Several of the learned critics engaged in the publication of this edition of the Septuagint, were also employed in the papal edition of the Vulgate, and of some of the others we merely know the names, as PAULINUS DOMINICANUS, and PETRUS PARRA; of the rest, some information has been preserved.

WILLIAM SIRLET, or SIRLETTI, a native of Squilaci, (Erythræus says of Stili,) in Calabria, was raised to the cardinalate by Pope Pius IV. who also made him librarian of the Vatican, at the solicitation of St. Charles Borromeo. He was a man of extensive learning, and excellent character. He died in 1585, at the age of seventy-one, leaving behind him a large collection of curious books. These were offered to Cardinal Montalto, nephew to Pope Sixtus V. for 6000 pistoles, but the pope prevented the purchase, saying, "His instructions would serve him instead of books whilst he was alive, and after his death, he would have something else to do than read." *

LATINO LATINI, in Latin Latinius, was the last survivor of the family of the Latini of Viterbo, where he was born, about A. D. 1513. He acquired an extensive knowledge of the belles lettres and sciences, and was chosen, with other learned men, in 1573, to correct Gratian's "Decretal," in which great work he took much pains. He spent many years in correcting the works of the Fathers, paticularly those of Tertullian. His observations were given to the public under the title of Bibliotheca sacra et profana, sive observationes, correctiones, conjecturæ et variæ lectiones. He died January 21st, 1593, at Rome.3

MARIANUS VICTORIUS, Or VICTORINUS, a native of Ameria, or Amelia, a city of Italy, noted for his acquaintance

(2) Nouv. Dict. Hist. VIII. p. 478.

Leti's Life of Sixtus V. pp. 177. 317.

(3) Dupin, Nouvelle Bibliotheque des Auteurs Ecclesiastiques, XVI. p. 157. Utrecht, 1730, 4to.