(John Gerard), one of the most learned and laborious writers of the 17th century, was of a considerable family in the Netherlands; and was born in 1577, in the Palatinate, near Heidelberg, at a place where his father, John Voßius, was minister. He became well skilled in polite literature, history, and sacred and profane antiquities, and was made director of the college of Dort. He was at length made professor of eloquence and chronology at Leyden, from whence he was called in 1633 to Amsterdam, to fill the chair of a professor of history. He died in 1649. He wrote many learned works, of which a complete edition has been printed at Amsterdam, in 9 vols folio.

Vossius (Isaac), a man of great parts and learning, the son of John Gerard Voßius, was born at Leyden in 1618. He had no other tutor but his father, and employed his whole life in studying; his merit recommended him to a correspondence with queen Christina of Sweden; he made several journeys into Sweden by her order, and had the honour to teach her the Greek language. In 1670 he came over to England, where king Charles made him canon of Windsor; though he knew his character well enough to say, That there was nothing that Voßius refused to believe, excepting the Bible. He appears indeed by his publications, which are neither so useful nor so numerous as his father's, to have been a most credulous man, while he afforded many circumstances to bring his religious faith in question. He died at Windsor castle in 1688.