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

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. 1

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, înμaσɛv éπì Zereúne to toxάts. "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 Toxverns, 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.

tated the style and manner of Menippus, who had lived before him in the same city. He afterwards resided at Tyre; but in his old age, on account of the wars which then ravaged Syria, he changed his abode to the island of Cos, where he died. In the Anthologia are extant three epitaphs upon this poet, two of which, at least, are supposed to have been written by himself. Of one there can be no doubt from internal evidence, "Nacos eμa," &c.

There was a Cynic of Gadara, of the name of Meleager, whom some confound with this poet, and others distinguish ; it seems very unlikely that this elegant writer was a Cynic. Meleager formed two collections of Greek verses, under the name of Anthologia; one, it is melancholy to say, was entirely dedicated to that odious passion of the Greeks, which among us it is a shame even to mention. To this infamous collection was prefixed a poem, still extant, in which the youths whose beauty was celebrated, are described as flowers. A poet named Strato, increased this collection, and prefixed to it his own name: but Agathias and Planudes, to their honour, rejected this part altogether, and formed their collections from the second Anthologia of Meleager, which consisted of compositions entirely miscellaneous. On this the present collections of Greek epigrams are founded. The poems of Meleager in Brunck's edition, amount to 129, the greater part of which are epigrams. They display great elegance of genius, and do as much honour to the collection, as most of those which it contains. Lord Chesterfield's indiscriminate censure of the Greek epigrams, must be the result of mere ignorance, since many of them are of the highest elegance. He had seen, probably, a few of the worst, and knew nothing of the rest. Of the epigrams of Meleager, many are truly elegant, but those numbered, in Brunck's Analecta, 50, 51, 52, 55, 57, 58, 61, 63, 109, 111, 112, and several others, have beauty enough to rescue the whole collection from the unjust censure of the witty, but not learned earl.'

MELETIUS, bishop of Lycopolis in Thebais, who is known in church history as the chief of the sect of Meletians, was convicted of sacrificing to idols, during the Dioclesian persecution, and imprisoned and degraded by a council held by Peter, bishop of Alexandria. Upon his

1 Harles in edit. Fabric. Bibl, Græc. vol. IV. p. 416.-Schneider Peric. Criti cum, p. 65.-Saxii Onomast.

release, Meletius caused a schism about the year 301, separating himself from Peter, and the other bishops, charging them, but particularly Peter, with too much indulgence in the reconciliation of apostates. By the council of Nice, A. D. 325, he was permitted to remain in his own city, Lycopolis, but without the power either of electing, or ordaining, or appearing upon that account either in the country or city; so that he retained only the mere title of bishop. His followers at this time were united with the Arians. Meletius resigned to Alexander, bishop of Alexandria, the churches over which he had usurped superiority, and died some time after. When he was dying, he named one of his disciples his successor. Thus the schism began again, and the Meletians subsisted as far as the fifth century, but were condemned by the first council of Nice.1

MELISSUS, a philosopher of Samos, of the Eleatic sect, who flourished about the year 444 B. C. was a disciple of Parmenides, to whose doctrines he closely adhered. He was likewise a man of political wisdom and courage, which gave him great influence among his countrymen, and inspired them with a high veneration for his talents and virtues. Being appointed by them to the command of a fleet, he obtained a great naval victory over the Athenians. As a philosopher, he maintained that the principle of all things is one and immutable, or that whatever exists is one being; that this one being includes all things, and is infinite, without beginning or end; that there is neither vacuum nor motion in the universe, nor any such thing as production or decay, that the changes which it seems to suffer, are only illusions of our senses, and mere appearances; and that we ought not to lay down any thing positively concerning the gods, since our knowledge of them is so uncertain. Dr. Cudworth, in his "Intellectual System," has opposed these opinions.❜

MELITO, an ancient Christian father, was bishop of Sardis in Asia, and composed several works upon the doctrine and discipline of the church; of which we have nothing now remaining but their titles, and some fragments preserved by Eusebius, in his Ecclesiastical Hist. book IV. The most valuable of these is part of an humble petition, which he presented to the emperor Marcus Antoninus; in

Cave, vol. I.-Dupin.-Lardner's Works,

Brucker.-Moreri.