Mr. Fox must now be considered as an author. While at Eton, his compositions were highly distinguished, some of which are in print; as one composed in or about 1761, beginning, "Vocat ultimus labor;" another, "I, fugias, celeri volitans per nubila cursu," written in 1764; and his "Quid miri faciat Natura," which was followed by a Greek dialogue in 1765. See "Musa Etonenses," &c. He was also author of the 14th, 16th, and perhaps, says the present lord Holland, his nephew, a few other numbers of a periodical publication in 1779, called the "Englishman." In 1793 he published "A Letter to the Electors of Westminster," which passed through thirteen editions within a few months. This pamphlet contains a full and ample justification of his political conduct, with respect to the discussions in which he had engaged on the French revolution.

It does not appear that the parliamentary speeches, printed separately as his, of which there are many, were ever revised by him, but were taken from the public papers. But "A Sketch of the Character of the late most noble Francis duke of Bedford, as delivered in his introductory speech to a motion for a new writ for Tavistock, on the 16th of March, 1802," was printed by his authority, and from his own manuscript copy; and it is said, that he observed on that occasion," that he had never before attempted to make a copy of any speech which he had delivered in public." After that he wrote an epitaph on the late bishop of Downe, which is engraved on his tomb in the chapel of St. James, in the Hampstead road. "There are," says lord Holland, "several specimens of his composition in verse, in different languages; but the lines on Mrs. Crewe, and those on Mrs. Fox, on his birth-day, are, as far as I recollect, all that have been printed." An ode to Poverty, and an epigram upon Gibbon, though very generally attributed to him, are certainly not his compositions.

To lord Holland, however, the world is indebted for an important posthumous publication of this great statesman, entitled "A History of the early part of the Reign of James the Second, with an introductory chapter," &c. It is not known when Mr. Fox first formed the design of writing a history; but in 1797 he publicly announced in parliament his intention of devoting a greater portion of his time to his private pursuits, and when he had determined to conse❤

crate a part in writing history, he was naturally led, from his intimate knowledge of the English constitution, to prefer the history of his own country, and to select a period favourable to the general illustration of the great principles of freedom on which it is founded. With this view he fixed on the revolution of 1688, but had made a small progress in this work when he was called to take a principal part in the government of the country. The volume comprehends only the history of the transactions of the first year of the reign of James II. with an introductory chapter on the character and leading events of the times immediately preceding. Whatever opinion may be entertained of the views Mr. Fox takes of those times, or of some novel opinions advanced, there is enough in this work to prove that he might have proved an elegant and sound historian, and to make it a subject of regret that he did not employ his talents on literary composition when they were in their full vigour.

FOX MORZILLO (SEBASTIAN), or SEBASTIANUS FOXIUS MOKZILLUS, a learned Spaniard, originally of the family of Foix, in Aquitaine, was born at Seville in 1528, and passed the whole of his short life in the study of philosophy and the belles lettres, acquiring such reputation from his works ás made his untimely death a subject of unfeigned regret with his countrymen. After being educated in grammar learning at Seville, he studied at Louvaine and other universities, and acquired the esteem of some of the most eminent professors of his time. Before he was twenty years of age he had published his "Paraphrasis in Ciceronis topica," and in his twenty-fourth year his Commentary on the Timæus of Plato. About this time the reputation he had acquired induced Philip II. king of Spain, to invite him home, and place his son the infant Carlos under his care; but returning by sea, he unhappily perished by shipwreck in the flower of his age, leaving the following works as a proof that his short space of life had been employed in arduous and useful study: 1. "De Studii philosopliici ratione," of which there is an edition joined to Nunnesius's "De recté conficiendo curriculo Philosophico," Leyden, 1621, 8vo. 2. "De usu et exercitatione Dialectica," and "De Demonstratione," Basil, 1556, 8vo.

From various periodical journals.-Sir E. Brydges's edition of Collins's Peerage. Rees's Cyclopædia.—Character of C. J. Fox, selected and in part written by Philopatris Vaŕvicensis, i. e. Dr. Parr, 1809, Svo.

3. "In Topica Ciceronis paraphrasis et scholia," Antwerp, 1550, 8vo. 4. "De naturæ philosophiæ seu de Platonis et Aristotelis consensione, libri quinque," Louvaine, 1554, 8vo, often reprinted. 5. "De Juventute atque de Honore," Basil. 6. "Compendium Ethices, &c." Basil, 1554, 8vo. 7. "In Platonis Timæum seu de universo commentarius," ibid. 1554, fol. 8. "In Phædonem, et in ejusdem decem libros de republica commentarii," Basil. 9. "De Imitatione," Antwerp, 1554, 8vo. 10. "De conscribenda historia," Antwerp and Paris, 1557, 8vo, and Antwerp again, 1564. Miræus, Gerard Vossius, Gabriel Naudeus, and others, speak of this author as one of the most learned men of his time.1

FRACASTORIO, or FRACASTORO, (JEROM,) an eminent Italian poet and physician, was born at Verona in 1483. Two singularities are related of him in his infancy; one, that his lips adhered so closely to each other when he came into the world, that a surgeon was obliged to divide them with his knife; the other, that his mother, Camilla Mascarellia, was killed by lightning, while he, though in her arms at the very moment, escaped unhurt. Fracastorio was of parts so exquisite, and made so wonderful a progress in every thing he undertook, that he became eminently skilled, not only in the belles lettres, but in all arts and sciences. He was a poet, a philosopher, a physician, an astronomer, and a mathematician. He was a man also of great political consequence, as appears from pope Paul III.'s making use of his authority to remove the council of Trent to Bologna, under the pretext of a contagious distemper, which, as Fracastorio deposed, made it no longer safe for him to continue at Trent. He was intimately acquainted with cardinal Bembo, Julius Scaliger, and all the great men of his time. He died of an apoplexy, at Casi near Verona, in 1553; and in 1559 the town of Verona erécted a statue in honour of him.

He was the author of many productions, both as a poet and as a physician; yet never man was more disinterested in both these capacities, evidently so as a physician, for he practised without fees; and as a poet, whose usual reward is glory, no man could be more indifferent. It is owing to this indifference that we have so little of his poetry, in comparison of what he wrote; and that among other

Antonio Bibil, Hisp.-Baillet Jugemens, and Enfans celebres.-Saxii Onomast.

compositions his odes and epigrams, which were read in manuscript with infinite admiration, and would have been. most thankfully received by the public, yet not being printed, were lost. He wrote in Latin, and with great elegance. His poems now extant are the three books of "Siphilis, or De Morbo Gallico," a book of miscellaneous. poems, and two books of his poems, entitled "Joseph,' which he began at the latter end of his life, but did not live to finish. And these works, it is said, would have perished with the rest, if his friends had not taken care to preserve and communicate them: for Fracastorius, writing merely for amusement, never took any care respecting his works, when they were out of his hands.

His astronomical, critical, and philosophical treatises are enlivened with occasional poems. Several of them are composed in the form of conversations: a species of writing sanctioned by some of the finest models of antiquity, and much used in those early periods of the revival of letters. Their titles are borrowed from the names of the speakers, The "De Anima Dialogus" is denominated Fracastorius; the treatise "De Poetica" is entitled Naugerius; and the books "De Intellectione" have the title. of Turrius. A young man, in the character of a minstrel, who is supposed to be more especially subject to the authority of Naugerius, sings to his lyre the verses that are occasionally introduced. The pretence is merely relaxation from severer thought; and the poems are often unconnected with the main subject.

Perhaps the productions of no modern poet have been more commended by the learned, than those of Fracastorio. His poems are, in general, written with a spirit which never degenerates into insipidity. But on his "Siphilis" the high poetical reputation of Fracastorio is principally founded. Sannazarius, on reading this poem, declared he thought it superior to any thing produced by himself, or his learned contemporaries, and Julius Scaliger was not content to pronounce him the best poet in the world next to Virgil, but affirmed him to be the best in every thing else; and, in short, though he was not generally lavish of his praise, with respect to Fracastorio he scarcely retained himself within the bounds of adoration. Fracastorio's medical pieces are, "De sympathia et antipathia,-De contagione et contagiosis morbis,-De causis criticorum dierum,-De vini temperatura, &c." His works

have been printed separately and collectively. The best edition of them is that of Padua, 1735, in 2 vols. 4to.!

FRACHETTA (JEROM), an eminent political writer, was a native of Rovigno in Italy, and spent several years at Rome, where he was greatly esteemed by Sessa, ambassador of Philip II. king of Spain. He was employed in civil as well as military aflairs, and acquitted himself always with great applause; yet he had like to have been ruined, and to have even lost his life, by his enemies. This obliged him to withdraw to Naples; and still having friends, to protect his innocence, he proved it at length to the court of Spain, who ordered count de Benevento, viceroy of Naples, to employ him, and Frachetta lived in a very honourable manner at Naples, where a handsome pension was allowed him. He gained great reputation by his political works, the most considerable of which is that entitled "Il Seminario de Governi di Stato, et di Guerra." In this work he has collected, under an hundred and ten chapters, about eight thousand military and state maxims, extracted from the best authors; and has added to each chapter a discourse, which serves as a commentary to it. This work was printed twice, at least, by the author, reprinted at Venice in 1647, and at Genoa in 1648, 4to; and there was added to it, "Il Principe," by the same writer, which was published in 1597. The dedication informs us, that Frachetta was prompted to write this book from a conversation he had with the duke of Sessa; in which the latter observed, among other particulars, that he thought it as important as it was a difficult task, to inform princes truly of such transactions as happen in their dominions. His other compositions are, "Discorso della Ragione di Stato: Discorso della Ragione di Guerra: Esposizione di tutta l'Opera di Lucrezio." He died at Naples in the beginning of the seventeenth century, but at what age is unknown.

FRAGUIER (CLAUDE FRANCIS), a French writer, was. born of a noble family at Paris in 1666. His first studies were under the Jesuits; and father La Baune had the forming of his taste to polite literature. He was also a disciple of the fathers Rapin, Jouvenci, La Rue, and Commire; and the affection he had for them induced him.

1 Tiraboschi.-Moreri.-Niceron, vol. XVII.-Greswell's Politian.-The best account, we think, is in Roscoe's Leo X.-Saxii Onomast.

2 Gen, Dict.-Moreri.