Julius Caesar, a learned critic, poet, physician, and philosopher, was born at the castle of Ripa, in the territories of Verona, in 1484; and is said to have been descended from the ancient princes of Verona, though this is not mentioned in the letters of naturalization he obtained in France in 1528. He learned the first rudiments of the Latin tongue in his own country; and in his 12th year was presented to the emperor Maximilian, who made him one of his pages. He served that emperor 17 years, and gave Scaliger signal proofs of his valour and conduct in several expeditions. He was present at the battle of Ravenna in April 1512, in which he had the misfortune to lose his father Benedict Scaliger, and his brother Titus; on which his mother died with grief: when being reduced to necessitous circumstances, he entered into the order of the Franciscans, and applied himself to study at Bologna; but soon after changing his mind with respect to his becoming a monk, he took arms again, and served in Piedmont; at which time a physician persuaded him to study physic, which he did at his leisure-hours, and also learned Greek; and at last the gout determined him, at 40 years of age, to abandon a military life. He soon after settled at Agen, where he married, and began to apply himself ferociously to his studies. He learned first the French tongue, which he spoke perfectly in three months; and then made himself master of the Gallican, Italian, Spanish, German, Hungarian, and Slavonian: but the chief object of his studies was polite literature. Meanwhile, he supported his family by the practice of physic. He did not publish any of his works till he was 47 years of age; when he soon gained a great name in the republic of letters. He had a graceful person, and so strong a memory, even in his old age, that he dictated to his son 200 verses which he had composed the day before, and retained without writing them down. He was so charitable, that his house was as it were an hospital for the poor and sick; and he had such an aversion to lying, that he would have no correspondence with those who were given to that vice; but, on the other hand, he had much vanity, and a satirical spirit, which created him many enemies. He died of a retention of urine in 1558. He wrote in Latin, 1. A Treatise on the Art of Poetry. 2. Exercitations against Cardan: which works are much esteemed. 3. Commentaries on Aristotle's History of Animals, and on Theophrastus on Plants. 4. Some Treatises on Physic. 5. Letters, Orations, Poems, and other works, in Latin.

Scaliger, Joseph Justus, one of the most learned critics and writers of his time. He was the son of the former, and was born at Agen in France in 1540. He studied in the college of Bordeaux; after which his father took him under his own care, and employed him in transcribing his poems; by which means he obtained such a taste for poetry, that before he was 17 years old he wrote a tragedy upon the subject of Oedipus, in which he introduced all the poetical ornaments of style and sentiment. His father dying in 1558, he went to Paris the year following, with a design to apply himself to the Greek tongue. For this purpose he for two months attended the lectures of Turnebus; but finding that in the usual course he should be a long time in gaining his point, he shut himself up in his closet, and by constant application for two years gained a perfect knowledge of that language. After which he applied to the Hebrew, which he learned by himself with great facility. He made no less progress in the sciences; and his writings procured him the reputation of one of the greatest men of that or any other age. He embraced the reformed religion at 22 years of age. In 1569, he attached himself to Lewis Caffeignier de la Roch Pozay, whom he attended in several journeys; and in 1593, was invited to accept of the place of honorary professor. professor of the university of Leyden, which he complied with. He died of a dropy in that city in 1609. He was a man of great temperance; was never married; and was so close a student, that he often spent whole days in his study without eating; and though his circumstances were always very narrow, he constantly refused the presents that were offered him. He published many works; the principal of which are, 1. Notes on Seneca's Tragedies, on Varro, Aufonius, Pompeius Festus, &c. 2. His Latin Poems. 3. A Treatise de Emendatione Temporum. 4. Eusebius's Chronicle, with Notes. 5. Canones Uragogici; and many other works. The collections entitled Scaligeriana, were collected from his conversations by one of his friends; and being ranged into alphabetical order, were published by Isaac Vossius.