HEINSIUS, DANIEL, professor of politics and history at Leyden, and librarian to the university there, was born at Gand in Flanders in 1580. He became a scholar to Joseph Scaliger at Leyden, and was indebted to the encouragement and care of that great man for the perfection to which he attained in literature, and which at the beginning of his life there was little reason to hope from him. He distinguished himself as a critic by his labours on many classical authors; and was highly honoured as well abroad as at home: Gustavus Adolphus king of Sweden, gave him a place among his counsellors of state; the republic of Venice made him a knight of the order of St Mark; and Pope Urban VIII. made him great offers, if he would come, as he expressed it, "to rescue Rome from barbarism." He died in 1669, leaving several works of his own, both in poetry and prose.