Ludolf, a very learned writer in the 18th century, was born at Blomberg in Westphalia. When very young, he was upon the recommendation of Baron Spanheim appointed tutor to the two sons of the count de Schwerin, prime minister of the king of Prussia, who, upon our author's quitting that station, procured him a pension of 400 livres. He was promised a professorship in the university of Joachim; and till this should be vacant, being then but 25, he resolved to travel. He read lectures at Utrecht; went to England; and from thence to France, where he collated Suidas with three MSS. in the king's library, which furnished him with a great many fragments that had never been published. He was honoured with the degree of doctor by the university of Cambridge, which made him several advantageous offers to continue there; but he was called to Berlin, where he was installed in the professorship promised him. Afterwards he went to Antwerp; and being brought over to the Catholic religion, he abjured that of the Protestants. The king of France rewarded him with a pension, and ordered him to be admitted supernumerary associate of the Academy of Inscriptions. But he enjoyed this, however, a very short time; he died in 1716, aged 46. He was a great matter of the Latin tongue, and wrote well in it; but his chief excellence was his skill in the Greek language, to which he almost entirely devoted himself. He wrote many works; the principal of which are, 1. Historia critica Homeri. 2. Jamblicus de vita Pythagorae. 3. An excellent edition of Suidas, in Greek and Latin, three volumes, folio. 4. An edition of Aritophanes, in Greek and Latin, folio. 5. A new Greek edition of the New Testament, with Dr Mills's Variations, in folio.