ISAAC, was born at Geneva in 1559; and Henry IV. appointed him his library keeper in 1603. After this prince's death, he went to England with Sir Henry Wotton, ambassador from King James I. where he was kindly received and engaged in writing against Baronius's annals. He died not long after this, in 1614; and was interred in Westminster-abbey, where a monument was erected to him. He was greatly skilled in the Greek, and in criticism; published several valuable commentaries; and received the highest eulogiums from all his contemporaries.

MERIC, a son of the preceding, was born at Geneva in 1599. He was bred at Oxford, and took the degree of master of arts in 1621. The same year he published a book in defence of his father against the calumnies of certain Roman Catholics; which gained him the favour of King James I. and a considerable reputation abroad. He was made prebendary of Canterbury by Archbishop Laud. In the beginning of the civil war he lost all his spiritual promotions, but still continued to publish excellent works. Oliver Cromwell, then lieutenant general of the parliament's forces, would have employed his pen in writing the history of the late war; but he declined it, owning that this subject would oblige him to make such reflections as would be ungrateful, if not injurious, to his lordship. Notwithstanding this answer, Cromwell, sensible of his worth, ordered three or four hundred pounds to be paid him by a bookseller in London, whose name was Cromwell, on demand, without requiring from him any acknowledgement of his benefactor. But this offer he rejected, though his circumstances were then mean. At the same time it was propounded by his friend Mr Greaves, Cafurina Greaves, who belonged to the library at St James's, that, if Cafaubon would gratify Cromwell in the request above mentioned, all his father's books, which were then in the royal library, having been purchased by King James, should be restored to him, and a pension of 300l. a-year paid to the family as long as the youngest son of Dr Cafaubon should live; but this also was refused. He likewise refused handsome offers from Christina queen of Sweden, being determined to spend the remainder of his life in England. At the Restoration he recovered all his preferments, and continued writing till his death in 1671. He was the author of an English translation of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus's Meditations, and of Lucius Florus; editions of several of the classics, with notes; a treatise of use and custom; a treatise of enthusiasm; with many other works; and he left a number of MSS. to the university of Oxford.

CASURINA. See Botany Index.