PASCHĄSIUS RATBERT, a celebrated Benedictine of the ninth century, was born at Soissons, and carefully educated by the monks of Notre Dame in his native city, in the exterior part of their abbey. He afterwards took the religious habit under St. Adelard in the abbey of Corbey, and during the exile of his abbot Wala, who succeeded Adelard, wrote, about the year 831, a treatise "On the Body and Blood of Christ;" for the instruction of the young monks at New Corbey in Saxony, where he teaches, that the same body of Christ which was born of the Virgin, which was crucified, rose again, and ascended into heaven, is really present in the Eucharist. This treatise made a great noise in the reign of Charles the Bald. Bertram (otherwise Ratram), John Scotus Erigena, and some others, wrote against Paschasius, who was then abbot of Corbey; and Frudegard, abbot of New Corbey, wrote to him on the subject about the year 864, informing him that many persons understood in a figurative sense the words "this is my Body; this is my Blood," in the institution of the Eucharist, and supported themselves on the authority of St. Augustine. Paschasius on the other side maintained that he taught nothing in his treatise different from the faith of the church, nor from what had been universally believed from the time of the apostles; but these disputes, together with some disturbances raised against him, induced him to resign his abbey, and he died soon after, April 26, in the year 865. He was only a deacon, having declined taking priest's orders from a principle of humility. Claude, and several other protestant writers, have asserted that Paschasius was the first who taught the doctrine of the real presence; but the popish writers maintain that this doctrine has been always believed and taught in the Romish church. His remaining works are, "Commentaries" on St. Matthew, on Psalm xliv. and on the Lamentations of Jeremiah; "The Life of St. Adelard," and other works in the Library of the Fathers, which Father Sirmond printed separately at Paris, 1618, folio. Father d'Acheri, in tom. XII. of his "Spicilegium, has published Paschasius Ratbert's treatise "De Partu Virginis;" another question much agitated in the ninth century. His treatise "De Corpore Christi" has been inserted by Martenne in his collection, where it is more accurate than in P. Sirmond's edition. 1

1 Cave, vol. II.-Dupin.-Dict. Hist. de L'Avocat.

PASOR (MATTHIAS), the son of George Pasor, a learned professor of divinity and Hebrew in the academy of Herborne, by Apollonia his wife, daughter of Peter Hendschius, senator of that place, was born there April 12, 1599. Discovering a very docile disposition, he was carefully educated in the elements of Greek and Latin in his native place, until the appearance of the plague obliged him to be removed to Marpurg in 1614; but the following year he returned to Herborne, and again applied himself closely to his studies. In 1616, he was sent to Heidelberg; and, meeting there with skilful professors, he made such improvement, that he was employed as a tutor, and taught in private both mathematics and Hebrew. He was honoured also with the degree of M. A. by the university in Feb. 1617, and then studied divinity under David Pareus, Abraham Scultetus, and Henry Alting. In April 1620, he was appointed mathematical professor; which office he retained until Heidelberg was invested by the duke of Bavaria's troops, in September 1622, when he lost his books and MSS. and narrowly escaped with his life to Herborne, where he found a comfortable employment in the academy till 1623. Proceeding thence to Leyden, he constantly attended the lectures of the most eminent Dutch divines, particularly those of Erpenius upon the Arabic tongue, and of Snellius upon divinity.

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After a few weeks stay at this university, he arrived in England; and, bringing proper testimonials with him to Oxford, was incorporated M. A. there, in June 1624. Here he began to teach Hebrew and the mathematics privately, but at the end of the year took a tour into France with some gentlemen of Germany; and spending the winter at Paris, attended the lectures of Gabriel Sionita, regius professor of Syriac and Arabic: who, having left off reading in public some years for want of auditors, was prevailed upon by Pasor to resume those exercises in his own house. Having much improved himself under this excellent master, he returned to Oxford in 1625, and had chambers in Exeter college, in which he preferred residing, notwithstanding the plague had dispersed the students, rather than go to Ireland with archbishop Usher, who offered him his table and a handsome pension. As soon as the infection ceased, he had some pupils, either in divinity or the oriental tongues; and in the latter he was tutor to the celebrated Pococke. Afterwards, upon his petition, he was

appointed to read public lectures in Arabic, Chaldee, and Syriac, twice a week in term time, in the divinity-school, for which he was handsomely rewarded. He held this temporary professorship for about three years from Oct. 1626, during which time he also delivered a Hebrew lecture in New college. In 1629 he accepted an invitation to be professor of moral philosophy at Groningen; and, upon the death of Muller, the mathematical professor, six years after, Pasor succeeded to that chair; but when, in 1645, he was raised to that of divinity, of which faculty he was then created doctor, he resigned his mathematical profes-sorship, retaining that of moral philosophy. All these favours induced him to remain at Groningen, where he died Jan. 28, 1658.

He published few books, for which he is said to have given two reasons: first, "Because he was not willing that youth should be diverted from reading the good books already published;" and secondly, "Because he did not care that the booksellers should risk their money." He published, however, while at Oxford, an "Oratio pro linguæ Arabicæ professione, publicè ad academicos habita in Schola Theologica universitatis Oxon. 25 Oct. 1626," Oxon. 1627, 4to. He was also editor of those useful: works which his father (who died in 1637) compiled for the use of Greek scholars, and which were at one time very popular; viz. his "Manuale Græcorum vocum Novi Testamenti, deque Græcis N. Testamenti, accentibus." Leyden, 1634, 12mo, often reprinted at Herborn, Amsterdam, and other places; "Syllabus sive idea omnium Novi Test. dictionum, seu dialectorum,' 12mo, Amsterdam, Franeker, Francfort, &c. &c.; "Lexicon Græco-Latinum in N. Testamentum," 8vo. There are editions of this printed at London, Amsterdam, Geneva, &c. and two at least with Leusden's improvements, Amsterdam, 1675, and Leipsic, 1695 *. George Pasor was nineteen years professor at Herborn, and eleven years at Franeker, where he was buried with a monumental inscription. It remains to be mentioned, that a Latin life of Matthew Pasor was published, containing his journal,

*In the Bodleian catalogue we find the following works attributed to him: "Etymon propriorum nominum in Nov. Test." Herborn, 1620, 8vo; "Pædagogus Christianus de quinque religionis capitibus," ibid.1624, 8vo; "Oratio de mi

litia Christiana;" "Oratio in obitum J. Piscatoris," ibid. 1624, 4to; "Analysis difficiliorum vocum in operibus Hesiodi," Amst. 1621, 8vo, often reprinted; and" Index ad Hesiodum,” Amst. 1701, 8vo.

many trifling particulars in which, Bayle says, ought to have been left out. But what would have become of Bayle's own works, particularly his Dictionary, had his editors left out what was trifling, obscene, and impious?1

PASQUIER, or PAQUIER (STEPHEN), a learned Frenchman, was born in 1528 at Paris; of which city he was an advocate in parliament, afterwards a counsellor, and at last advocate-general in the chamber of accounts. He pleaded many years with very great success before the parliament, where he was almost constantly retained in the most difficult causes, and every day consulted as an oracle. He did not, however, confine his studies to the law; but was esteemed a general scholar. Henry III. gave him the post of advocate of the chamber of accounts, which he filled. with his usual reputation, and resigned it some time after to Theodore Pâquier, his eldest son. He was naturally beneficent and generous; agreeable and easy in conversation; his manner sweet, and his temper pleasant. He died at Paris, at the advanced age of eighty-seven, Aug. 31, 1615, and was interred in the church of St. Severin.

His works show considerable knowledge of ancient history, especially that of France; and he raised no little reputation by his attacks on the Jesuits in his "Les Recherches," which was answered by father Garasse. His animosity to that order laid him in some measure open to this antagonist, for he very readily adopted any story, ever so improbable, which he heard of them from their bitterest enemies. All his works, however, are written with elegance and humour, and he appears to have been formed by nature equally for a poet and a lawyer. His works were first printed together at Trevoux, and passed through many editions, the last in 1665. They were afterwards printed along with those of his son Nicholas, at Amsterdam, in 1723, 2 vols. fol. Of his "Letters," the best edition is that at Paris, in 1619, in 5 vols. 8vo. His "Poems" consist of one book "Of Portraits;" six books of "Epigrams;" and a book of" Epitaphs." But in this collection is wanting his "Catechism of the Jesuits;" instead of which are inserted the letters of his son Nicolas. Among his pieces in verse, "La Puce" had at one time a fashionable reputation. It is entitled "La Puce des grands tours de Poitiers;"

1 Effigies et Vitæ Prof. Acad. Groningæ," 1654, fol.-Gen. Dict.-Ath. Ox vol, II.-Foppen Bibl. Belg. vol. I.—Saxii Onomast.

and contains several poems upon a flea which Pâquier spied on the breast of the learned Catharine de Roches, in a visit to her on the extraordinary sessions at Poitiers in 1569. Such are the trifles by which a nation is sometimes amused. He left three sons, of whom the eldest, Theodore, was advocate-general in the chamber of accounts; Nicolas, master of requests, whose "Letters" were printed in 1623, at Paris, containing several discourses upon the occurrences in France in the time of Henry IV. and Louis XIII.; and Guy, who was auditor of the accounts.

1

PASSE, or PAS (CRISPIN), the chief of a family of engravers, and likewise a man of letters, was a native of Utrecht, but we have no account of his education, or dates either of birth or death. It appears that he applied himself very early in life to the study of the arts, and particularly delighted in drawing and designing from the works of the most eminent artists his contemporaries. He was sent by prince Maurice to teach drawing in an academy at Paris. At what time he came to England is not very clear; none of his works done here are dated, says Vertue, later than 1635. From the paucity of English heads engraved by Crispin, and other circumstances, lord Orford seems inclined to doubt whether he ever was in England, and thinks it not improbable that drawings were sent to him from this country, as we know was the case afterwards with Houbraken, when he was employed on the "Illustrious Heads."

How long he lived is not known. His fame was at its highest from 1610 or sooner to 1643. In this last year, when probably very old, he published at Amsterdam his famous drawing book in Italian, French, High and Low Dutch, a folio, with forty-eight plates. His next work, according to lord Orford, was entitled "Instruction du roy en l'exercise de monter à cheval, par Messiré Antoine de Pluvinel," a work in dialogues, French and Dutch, foolish enough in itself, but adorned with many cuts admirably designed and engraved, and with many portraits. Holland's "Heroologia" was executed at his expence, for which he employed the best Flemish engravers, but does not mention any share he had himself in that collection of portraits. Crispin Passe's works are so numerous that it would be difficult to obtain a complete catalogue. Lord

1 Moreri.-Dict. Hict.