A biographical, historical and chronological dictionary: containing accurate accounts of the lives, characters, and actions, of the most eminent persons of all ages and all countries; : including the revolutions of states, and the succession of sovereign princes / By John Watkins.

  • Watkins, John, active 1792-1831.
Date:
1807
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A biographical, historical and chronological dictionary: containing accurate accounts of the lives, characters, and actions, of the most eminent persons of all ages and all countries; : including the revolutions of states, and the succession of sovereign princes / By John Watkins. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ABR ABU > born at Lisbon in 1437. He was a member of the council of Alphonsus, king of Portu- gal ; but fell into disgrace on the death of that monarch, and fled to Castile, where he was protected by Ferdinand and Isabella. In 1492, he was obliged to quit Spain in con- sequence of an edict against the Jews, on which he retired to Naples, where he re- commended himself to the favour of king Ferdinand, and his successor Alphonso. When the latter was driven from Naples by Charles VIII. king of France, Abrabanel ac- companied him to Sicily, and at his death retired to the island of Corfu; but in 1496 he returned to Italv, and was employed at Venice to settle a dispute between the Por- tuguese and Venetians, respecting trade. Here he finished his commentaries on the scriptures, and died in 1.408.-—Bayle. Abraham, the patriarch, was at first called Abram, which was altered by divine appointment. He was born A. M. 2004, at Ur, in Chaldee. His father Terah, in his old age, went to reside at Haran, in Canaan, where Abram received a promise that he should be the father of a great nation ; on which he, with his wife uSarah, and his ne- phew Lot, left Haran, and dwelt at Xichem. A famine drove them from thence into Egypt, and on their return, a dispute arose between the servants of Abram and those of Lot, which induced the two kinsmen to part. When Lot was taken prisoner by the prince of Elam, Abram armed his ser- vants, and retook his nephew, and the spoil. Having no prospect of a child by Sarah, he took Hagar, an Egyptian, as a'concubine, by whom he had Ishmael; but at the age of ninety he received a promise that Sarah should have a son, and, in consequence, his name was changed to Abraham, which sig- nifies “ the father of a great multitude.” At this time circumcision was instituted. Going afterwards to Gerar, Sarah was delivered of a son named Isaac. When Isaac was grown to maturity, Abraham was commanded, as a trial of his faith, to offer him up as a sa- crifice; but as he was about to fulfil the divine command, an angel stopped his hand, and provided a ram for a burnt-offering. After the death of Sarah, Abraham mar- ried Keturah, by whom he had six sons. He died about A. M. 2179.—S'N’. Abraham (Nicholas), a learned Jesuit, was born in Lorrain, in 1589. He was theological professor in the university of Pont-a-Mousson, where he died 1655. He wrote a commentary on some of Cicero’s orations, and on Virgil.—Morcri. Abraham (Ben Chaila), a Spanish rabbi and astrologer, who predicted the birth of the Messiah to happen in 1358, but died in 1303, fifty-five years before the time. He wrote a treatise on the figure of the earth. '—Now. Did. Hist. Abraham UfcguE,a Portuguese Jew, but thought bv some to have been a Christian. He published, in conjunction with Tobias Athias, in 1553, a translation of the Bible into Spanish.—Moreri. Akrosi (John), an Italian physician and astronomer, who lived in the beginning of the 16th century. His Dialogue on Astro- logy, 4to, Venice, 1494, is in the Index Ex- purgatorius.—Ibid. Absai.om, the son of David, was a hand- some, but vicious prince. He assassinated his brother-in-law Amnon for violating his sister Tamar, and raised a rebellion against his father,but his army being routed,heyvas slain by Joab about 1030 years B. C.—SS. Abstf.mius (Laurentius), an Italian wri- ter, was born in Ancona. He was librarian at the court of Urbino, where also he taught the belles-lettres. He wrote some pieces of repute, but the best known are his fables, which have been frequently printed with those of iEsop, Ph.vdrus, &c. He lived in the 15th century.—Bayle. Abubeker, the successor of Mohammed, and the first who assumed the title of caliph. He acquired a great extent of territory, by conquering the Persians, Syrians, and Greeks. He died in 632, and was interred by the side of Mohammed, his son-in-law. D'Herbelol. Abucaras (Theodore), bishop of Caria in the 8th century, was a partisan of Pho- tius, but recanted at the council of Con- stantinople and was re-admitted to his seat. He wrote several controversial treatises, which were published at Ingoldstadt, in 4to, 1606. There was also published at Paris, in 1685, a work entitled “ De Unione et Incarnatione,” by tin's writer, from a MS. found in the Bodleian library. Ca-ues Hist. Lit. Bayle. 3 Abudhaher, founder of the sect called Karmatians, and a great enemy to the Mus- sulmans. He plunders^ Mecca, slew the pi l- gj lms, and carried away the Had which the I in ks pi etend came down from heaven. But the relic was returned when the Krr- matians tound it to be of no value. He died in 953.—D'Her be lot. Abulfaraoius (Gregory), an Armenian physician, bishop, and historian, was born in PiSg, at Malatia near the source of the Euphrates. He wrote an universal history in Arabic, which Dr. Pococke published in 1663, With a Latin translation, and a supple- ment. He died in 1286.—Pococke's Pref. to Specimen Hist. Arab. Bayle. , Abui.jteda (Ismael), prince of Hamah, m Syria, who wrote a valuable piece, enti- tled “ A Description of Chorasmia and Mawaramahre, or the Regions beyond the River Oxus, from the Tables of Abulfeda Ismael, prince of Hamah.” This book was edited by John Greaves, who added to the original, which is in Arabic, a Latin trans- lation. Anew edition was published at Ox- foid, in 1(12, by Hudson. Abulfeda also wrote the lives of Mohammed and Sa ladin. He died about the vear 1335b-* Bayle. Moreri,