Some faults in Moreri[1]] I. It is not true what Verheiden says that James Sturmious was born at Sleida near Cologne. See the remark [A] in the foregoing article. II. It is not true that Sturmius began his studies at Leige, and went on with them in Paris. III. And that he persuaded John Sleidan to write the History that made him so famous. See in the remark [B] of the [article on James Sturmius], how far he contributed to that history. IV. It is not true that John Sturmius persuaded him to undertake the establishment of an university at Strasburgh: the only thing they had in view then was a school, or what they call in Holland and Germany an illustrious school[2], which is different from an university: however it be, John Sturmius did not advise such an establishment; for he was sent for from Paris for no other reason, but because they had already formed the project of that school, that is, they had resolved to introduce into the school that was already at Strasburgh, and of which James Sturmius was one of the Curators, the best regulations, and the most proper method to promote study; and they thought, with great reason, that John Sturmius was a man well qualified both to teach and to have the direction of the school. V. Moreri should not have said, that the design of founding an university was happily executed; for, I repeat it again, nothing but a school was designed at that time. VI. He should therefore have said, not that John Sturmius had the foundation of that university confirmed by the emperor, but that he obtained from that prince, that the school should be erected into an university. VII. When Moreri says, that after the year 1566, John Sturmius performed. ... several embassies . . . . and assisted at several conferences; he intimates that Sturmius had no such employment before that time, which is a mistake; for not to mention the other deputations that preceded the year 1566, it is certain that in 1540, he was sent to the conferences of Worms with Calvin, Capito, and Bucer[3]. VIII. He did not lose his sight after he had taught at Strasburgh for the space of fifty-one years. He began to teach there in 1538, and was deprived of his place in 1583, and therefore he taught but forty-five years. IX. If he had taught for the space of fifty-one years, and then if he had lost his sight, Moreri should not have distinguished between the time when he died, and the time when he lost his eyes: for in the year 1589, in which he died, according to Moreri, and according to the truth, falls in with the fifty-first year since he began to teach in that city. X. Moreri should not have said that he died at eighty years of age, for he had said that Sturmius was born in the year 1507, and died in 1589. Judge whether Moreri had got the art of writing; how carelessly does he make use of Melchior Adam[4]? I omit his calling James and John Sturmius’s deputations, by the names of embassies. He should have known that an imperial city has, indeed, agents, residents, envoys, and deputies, but not ambassadors. He knew not that the Latin word legatio has a larger sense than the words embassy and deputation.
[1] [Additional
Editor’s Note] Louis Moreri compiled Le Grand Dictionnaire Historique, a
dictionary which competed with Bayle’s.]
[2]
Note that in the illustrious schools, they do not teach grammar and
rhetoric; but they were taught in the
school of Strasburgh.
[3]
See the second Anti-Pappus of Sturmius, p. 112.
[4] [Additional
Editor’s Note] Adam, Melchior. Vitae Germanorum Medicorum. Heidelberg,
1620. Third edition, Frankfort: Maximilianum
à Sandel, 1705. Vita JOANNES STURMIUS, 158.]
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