MOREL, Frederick, the younger, one of the most learned Hellenists of his age, was born at Paris in 1558, and, after completing his classical studies, sent to Bourges to attend the prelections of the celebrated Cujas. Having compared with the text the version which Amyot had just published of part of the works of Plutarch, he found that the translator had not always rendered faithfully the sense of the original, and ventured to intimate this to himself. Amyot, far from taking amiss the boldness of the youth, received his communication kindly, and ever afterwards took a deep interest in his success. Young Morel succeeded his father as printer to the king in the year 1581, but it was not until 1583 that his name appeared in the imprint of the works which issued from this press. The editions he published were remarkable for their beauty and correctness; and he commonly enriched them with interesting prefaces and notes. Having married the daughter of Leger Duchesne, professor of eloquence in the Royal College, he obtained, through the influence of Amyot, the chair of his
father-in-law, which the advanced age of the latter obliged him to resign in the year 1585. But the duties of this office did not abridge his typographical labours; for he suffered not a year to elapse without publishing some new editions of Greek authors, with learned commentaries or translations, the merit of which is still recognised. In 1600, he took into partnership with him his brother, Claude Morel, to whom he committed the direction of the printing establishment; and applied with more ardour than ever to the collation of manuscripts, and the verbal criticism of the ancient authors. Nor did the zeal which he evinced for the advancement of letters remain without recompense. Henry IV. augmented his salary as professor, and made him several grants to facilitate the impression of works, the sale of which was not likely to be proportional to their utility. In 1617, Morel renounced the exercise of his art, at least no work of a posterior date with his name affixed to it has yet been discovered; in 1619, he published a new edition of the Plutarch of Amyot, with numerous corrections, and a curious advertisement which Mattaire has inserted in his Vitæ Typographorum Parisiensium (p. 135); and he died on the 27th of June 1630, being at the time of his decease deacon of the royal printers and professors. Besides the numerous editions which he published with prefaces, advertisements, and corrections, he was the author of, 1. Notes on Strabo, Catullus, Tibullus, Propertius, the Sylva of Statius, Dion-Chrysostom, Ecumenius, &c.; 2. Translations into Greek verse of several Hymns and Epigrams selected from Martial; 3. Various translations into Latin prose and verse; 4. Alexander Severus, Tragedia togata, 1600, in 8vo. (A.)