emperor conferred many honours upon him, and made him many prefents. He gave him, in particular, an ancient Hebrew manufcript bible, very neatly written, with the text and paraphrafe of Onkelos, and the notes of the Maforets. Frederic died in 1493; and Capnio returned to count Eberhard, who died alfo about three months after the emperor when, an ufurpation fucceeding, Capnio was banished. He retired to Worms, and wrote books but the elector palatine, having a caufe to defend at Rome fome time after, felected him as the fitteft and ableft man for his purpofe; and accordingly, in 1498, Capnio made an oration before the pope and cardinals, concerning the rights of the German princes, and the privileges of the German churches. He ftayed more than a year at Rome; and had fo much leifure, as to perfect himfelf in the Hebrew tongue under Abdias a Jew, and alfo in the Greek, under Argyropylus. He was vexed in his old age by an unhappy difference with the divines of Cologne, occafioned by a Jew named Pfefferkorn, who, though an impoftor detected, contrived to be fupported by thefe noodles in a difpute with Capnio, while all the learned were of his fide. His enemies would have embroiled him in Luther's caufe; but he continued al ways a Catholic, and gave them no advantage.

He died in 1522, after having done as much as any man of his age to promote literature, both by teaching the Latin, Greek, and Hebrew languages, and by writing books. He may be confidered as the firft man who introduced the study of the Hebrew among modern Chriftians. He is fuppofed to have been the chief, if not fole, author of the celebrated work, intituled, "Epiftolæ Obscurorum " Virorum.”

RHENAMUS (BEATUS), a very learned German, was born in 1485, at Sckeleftat; whence he removed to Paris, afterwards to Strasburg, and then to Bafil. At Bafil he corrected Frobenius's prefs, and at the fame time contracted a very intimate friendship with Erafinus: there is a Preface of his at the head of Erafmus's works, whofe life he also wrote. He died at Strafburg in 1547. He was the firft who prefented the public with "Paterculus :" and he wrote hotes upon Tertullian, the elder Pliny, Livy, and Tacitus. But his Hiftory of Germany, under the title of "Res Germanica," in 2 vols. folio, paffes for his capital work. He alfo wrote "Illyrici Provinciarum

utrique

utrique imperio cum Romano tum Conftantinopolitano "fervientis defcriptio;" a very learned work, as all his He was a very excellent perfon.

were.

Dist. in

voce.

RHODOMAN (LAURENTIUS), a learned German, was born in 1546 at Saffowerf, belonging to the counts of Stolberg in Upper Saxony. The happy genius, which Bayle's he had discovered from his tender years, induced thofe counts to maintain him in the college of Ilfield. He continued there fix years; and made fo great a progress in literature, that he was thought a proper man to teach in the most eminent fchools and moft flourishing univerfities. He was especially fkilled in the Greek tongue. He compofed fome Greek verfes, which have been admired by the best judges; but Scaliger did not like his Latin poetry. He was very fuccefsful in a Latin tranflation of "Diodorus Siculus," which he published with the ori ginal: he tranflated alfo into Latin the Greek poem of Cointus Smyrnæus," or "Quintus Calaber," concerning See QUI the taking of Troy; and added fome corrections to it. TUS. At laft, he was appointed profeffor of hiftory in the univerfity of Wittemberg, and died there in 1606. He wrote a great number of books, which it is not material to mention here: a catalogue of them may be feen in Niceron's "Hommes Illuftres," &c. tom. LXII.

RICAUT, or RYCAUT (Sir PAUL), an English writer, was the tenth fon of Sir Peter Ricaut, and the author of fome useful works. When and where he was Collier's born is not mentioned; nor yet where he was educated: Dict. and Biograph. but his education was undoubtedly a genteel one. He Britan. travelled many years, not only in Europe, but alfo in Afia and Africa; and performed fome public fervices. In 1661, when the earl of Winchelfea was fent ambaffador extraordinary to the Ottoman Porte, he went as his fecretary; and while he continued in that ftation, which was eight years, he wrote "The prefent State of the "Ottoman Empire, in three books; containing the "maxims of the Turkish Politie, their Religion, and "Military Difcipline." Illuftrated with figures, and printed at London, 1670, in folio. Ricaut afferts, in this work, that the Mahometan women have no hopes of going to Heaven: but, as Bayle obferves, he is mistaken, Dia. HAthey expecting to be one day admitted there as well as the LIBEIGH Afterwards, he was madé conful for the English

F 3

nation

Weidleri

nation at Smyrna; and during his refidence here, at the command of Charles II. compofed "The prefent State "of the Greek and Armenian churches, anno Chrifti "1678." Upon his return to England, he prefented it with his own hands to his majefty; and it was published in 1679, 8vo. Having acquitted himfelf, for the fpace of eleven years, to the entire fatisfaction of the TurkeyCompany, he obtained leave to return to England; where he lived in honour and good efteem. The earl of Clarendon, being appointed lord lieutenant of Ireland in 1685, made him his principal fecretary for the provinces of Leinster and Connaught: and James II. knighted him, conftituted him one of the privy council for Ireland, and judge of the high court of admiralty, which he enjoyed till the Revolution in 1688. Soon after this, he was employed by king William, as his refident with the Hanfe-towns in Lower Saxony, namely, Hamburg, Lu, beck, Bremen; where he continued for ten years, and gave the utmost fatisfaction. At length, worn out with age and infirmities, he had leave in 1700 to return to England, where he died that year. He was fellow of the Royal Society, for many years before his deceafe; and a paper of his, upon the "Sable Mice," or "Mures Nor

wegici," is published in the Philofophical Tranfactions. He understood perfectly the Greek. both ancient and modern, the Turkifh, Latin, Italian, and French languages.

66

He was the author of other productions, befides those already mentioned. He wrote a continuation of Knolles's Hiftory of the Turks," from 1623 to 1677, 1680, in folio: and again from 1679 to 1699, 1700 in folio, making together with Knolles's three volumes. He continued Platina's "Lives of the Popes," from 1471 to his own time. He tranflated from the Spanish of Garcilaffo de la Vega into English, "The Royal Commentaries of Peru, in "two parts," folio; and there goes alfo under his name "The Spanish Critic, 1681," 8vo.

RICCIOLUS (JOANNES BAPTISTA), an Italian Aftronomie aftronomer, mathematician, and philosopher, was born at Hitt. cap. Ferrara in 1598; and, at fixteen, admitted into the foxv. fect. 5. ciety of the Jefuits. He had very uncommon parts joined with as uncommon application; fo that the progrefs he made in every branch of literature and fcience was very extraordinary. He was ordered to teach rhetoric, poetry, philofophy, and fcholaftic divinity, in the Jefuits colleges

at

at Parma and Bononia; yet applied himself in the mean time to making obfervations in geography, chronology,. and aftronomy. This was his natural bent; and at Jength he obtained leave from his fuperiors to quit all other employment, that he might devote himself entirely to it. He projected a large work, which was to be divided into three parts, and to contain as it were a complete fyftem of philofophical, mathematical, and aftronomical knowledge. The first of these parts, which regards aftronomy, came out at Bologna 1651, 2 vols. folio, with this title: "J. B. Riccioli Almageftum Novum, Aftrono"miam veterem novamque complectens, obfervationibus aliorum et propriis, novifque theorematibus, proble"matibus ac tabulis promotam. Ricciolus imitated Ptolemy in this work, by collecting and digefting into proper order, with obfervations, every thing ancient and modern, which related to his fubject; fo that Gaffendus very juftly called his work, " Promptuarium et thefaurum In vita Co"ingentem Aftronomiæ."

Ricciolus did not complete his plan, by publishing his fecond and third parts: he only publifhed fome felect portions of thofe parts: as "Geographia et Hydrographia Reformata, 1661;""Aftronomia Reformata, 1665;" Chronologia Reformata, 1669;" all printed at Bologna in folio. He died in 1671, aged 73.

pernici.

RICHARDSON (SAMUEL), inventor of a peculiar Anecdotes fpecies of moral romance, was born in 1689, the fon of a of Bowyer, farmer in Derbyshire. He had no acquaintance with the by Nichols, Pp. 156. learned languages but what the grammar-fchool of Chrift's 310. Hofpital afforded; his mind, like that of Shakspeare, being much more enriched by nature and obfervation. He exercifed the profeffion of a printer, with the highest reputation, for a long feries of years in Salisbury Court, Fleet-ftreet. Diffimilar as their geniufes may feem, when the witty and wicked duke of Wharton (a kind of Lovelace) about the year 1723 fomented the fpirit of oppofition in the city, and became a member of the Waxchandlers company; Mr. Richardfon, though his political principles were very different, was much connected with, and favoured by him, and for fome little time was the printer of his True Briton," publifhed twice a week. He fo far exercifed his own judgement, however, in peremptorily refufing to be concerned in fuch papers as

he apprehended might endanger his own fafety, that he ftopt at the end of the fixth number, which was poffibly his own production [A]. He printed for fome time a news-paper called "The Daily Journal;" and afterwards "The Daily Gazetteer." Through the intereft of his friend Mr. Speaker Onflow, he printed the first edition of the Journals of the Houfe of Commons." Mr. Onflow had a high esteem for him; and not only might, but actually would have promoted him to fome honourable and profitable ftation at court; but Mr. Richardfon, whofe bufinefs was extenfive and profitable, neither defired nor would accept of fuch a favour,

"

In 1754 he was mafter of the company of Statiòners. He purchased a moiety of the patent of law-printer at Midfummer 1760, and carried on that department of bufinefs in partnership with Mifs Catherine Lintot [B]. By his first wife Martha Wilde, daughter of Mr. Allington Wilde, printer, in Clerkenwell, he had five fons and a daughter, who all died young. His fecond wife (who furvived him many years) was Elizabeth fifter of the late Mr. Leake, book, feller of Bath. By her he had a fon and five daughters. The fon died young; but four of the daughters furvived him; viz. Mary, married in 1757 to Mr. Ditcher, an eminent furgeon of Bath, fince dead; Martha, mar, ried in 1757 to Edward Bridgen, efq. F. R. and A. SS.; Anne, unmarried; and Sarah, married to Mr, Crowther, furgeon, of Bofwell Court, and fince dead. His country retirement, firft at North End near Hammerfmith, and afterwards at Parfons Green, was generally filled with his friends of both fexes [c]. He was regularly there from

[A] Informations were lodged a gainst Payne the publisher, for Numbers 3, 4, 5, and 6, as more than common libels, "as they not only infulted every branch of the Legislature, but "manifeftly tended to make the con"Atitution itself odious to the people." Payne was found guilty; and Mr. Richardfon efcaped, as his name did not appear to the paper. The danger made him in future ftill more cauτίους.

[B] After Mr. Richardfon's death, his widow and Mifs Lintot (fince married to Sir H. Fletcher, bari.) were for fome time joint patentees.

[c] Many of thefe he has particularly diftinguished, in his laft will, by the bequest of a ring; namely, " he

kind Dr. Heberden," Dr. Young,

Dr. Delany, the right honourable Arg thur Onflow, Mr. George (now lord) Onflow, Mifs Talbot, Mifs Lintot, Mrs. Millar (now lady Grant), Mr. Dyfon, Mr. Poyntz, Mr. Yeates, Mr. Barwell, Mr. Hatfell, Mr. Stracey, Mr. Harper, Mr. S. Harper, Mrs. Chapone, Mr. James Bailey, Mr. John Rivington, Mr. William Tewley (his faithful overfeer), and eleven others. In enumerating his friends, he appears to have been embarraffed by the multitude which occurred to him." Had "I given rings," he fays, "to all the "ladies who have honoured me with "their correfpondence, and whom I

fincerely venerare for their amiable "qualities, it would, even in this last folemn act, spear like oftentation.”

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