John, a learned professor of philosophy and divinity at Duisburg, was born at Solingen in 1622. He travelled into Holland, France, and England, and in each country obtained the esteem of the learned. The elector of Brandenburg gave him public testimonies of his esteem. He died in 1665. His works were printed at Amsterdam in 2 vols 4to. The most celebrated of these is his treatise, entitled Logica vetus et nova, &c.

CLAUDE le Lorrain, or Claude Gellee, a celebrated landscape painter, and a striking example of the efficacy of industry to supply, or at least to call forth, genius. Claude was born in the diocese of Toul in Lorraine in 1600; and, being dull and heavy at school, was put an apprentice to a pastry-cook: he afterwards rambled to Rome to seek a livelihood; but, being very ill-bred, and unacquainted with the language, nobody cared to employ him. Chance threw him at last in the way of Augustin Tassi, a painter, who hired him to grind his colours, and to do all the household drudgery. His master hoping to make him serviceable to him in some of his greatest works, taught him by degrees the rules of perspective and the elements of design. Claude at first did not know what to make of those principles of art; but being encouraged, and not failing in application, he came at length to understand them. Then his soul enlarged itself apace, and cultivated the art with wonderful eagerness. He exerted his utmost industry to explore the true principles of painting by an incessant examination of nature, that genuine source of excellence; for which purpose, he made his studies in the open fields; where he very frequently continued from sunrise till the dusk of the evening compelled him to withdraw himself from his contemplations. It was his custom to sketch whatever he thought beautiful or striking; and every curious tinge of light, on all kinds of objects, he marked in his sketches, with a similar colour; from which he perfected his landscapes with such a look of real nature, and gave them such an appearance of truth, as proved superior to any artist that had ever painted in that style.

The beauties of his paintings are derived from nature herself, which he examined with uncommon fidelity; and Sandrart relates, that Claude used to explain to him, as they walked through the fields, the causes of the different appearances of the same prospect at different hours of the day, from the reflections or refractions of light, from dews or vapours in the evening or morning, with all the precision of a philosopher. He worked on his pictures with great care, endeavouring to bring them to perfection, by touching them frequently over again; and if any performance did not answer his idea, it was customary with him to alter, to deface, and repaint it several times over, till it corresponded with the image pictured in his mind. But whatever struck his imagination, while he observed nature abroad, it was so strongly impressed on his memory, that on his return to his work, he never failed to make the happiest use of it.

His skies are warm and full of lustre, and every object is properly illumined. His distances are admirable, and in every part a delightful union and harmony not only excite our applause but our admiration. His invention is pleasing, his colouring delicate, and his tints have such an agreeable sweetness and variety, as have been but imperfectly imitated by the best subsequent artists, but were never equalled. He frequently gave an uncommon tenderness to his finished trees by glazing; and in his large compositions which he painted in fresco, he was so exact that the distinct species of every tree might readily be distinguished. As to his figures, when he painted them himself, they are very indifferent; but he was so conscious of his deficiency in this respect, that he usually engaged other artists who were eminent to paint them for him; of which number were Courtois and Philippo Laura. His pictures are now very rare, especially such as are undamaged; and those are at this time so valued, that no price, however great, is thought to be superior to their merit. In order to avoid a repetition of the same subject, and also to detect such copies of his works as might be injurious to his fame, by being sold for originals, it was his custom to draw (in a paper-book prepared for this purpose) the designs of all those pictures which were transmitted to different countries; and on the back of the drawings, he wrote the name of the person who had been the purchaser. That book, which he titled Libro di Verità, is now in the possession of the duke of Devonshire.

Claude, John, a Protestant divine, born in the province of Angenais in 1619. Meff. de Port Royal using their utmost endeavours to convert M. de Turonnerie to the Catholic faith, presented him with a piece calculated to that end, which his lady engaged Mr Claude to answer; and his performance gave rise to the most famous controversy that was ever carried on in France between the Roman Catholics and Protestants. Claudia stants. On the revocation of the edict of Nantz, he retired to Holland, where he met with a kind reception, and was honoured with a considerable pension by the prince of Orange. He died in 1687; and left a son, Isaac Claude, whom he lived to see minister of the Walloon church at the Hague, and who published several excellent works of his deceased father.