BARBARUS (Hermolaus), grandson of the preceding, one of the most learned men in the 15th century. The public employments he was entrusted with early, did not prevent him from cultivating polite learning with great application. As he was very skilful in the Greek, he undertook the most difficult translations, and began with a famous paraphrase upon Aristotle. He then attempted Dioscorides, whose text he corrected, gave a translation of him, and added a commentary. But of all his works, there is none which has gained him so much reputation as that which he made upon Pliny; he corrected in him above 5000 passages, and occasionally restored 300 in Pomponius Mela. Pope Innocent VIII. to whom he was ambassador, conferred the patriarchate of Aquileia upon him. He was so imprudent as to accept of it without waiting for the consent of his
his superiors: though he could not be ignorant that the republic of Venice had made laws to forbid all the ministers they sent to the court of Rome to accept any benefice. His superiors were inflexible; and not being able to gain any thing upon them either by his flattery or his father's interest, the father died of grief, and the son soon followed him.