Pope, was born at Utrecht in 1459. His father was not able to maintain him at school, but he got a place at Louvain, in a college in which a certain number of scholars were maintained gratis. It is reported that he used to read in the night-time by the light of the lamps in the churches or streets. He made a considerable progress in all the sciences, led an exemplary life, and there never was a man less intriguing or less forward than he. He took his degree of doctor of divinity at Louvain, was soon after made canon of St Peter's and professor of divinity at Utrecht, and then dean of St Peter's and vice-chancellor of the university. He was obliged to leave an academical life to be tutor to the archduke Charles. This young prince made no great progress under him; however, never was a tutor more considerably rewarded; for it was by Charles V.'s credit that he was raised to the papal throne. Leo X. had given him the cardinal's hat in 1517. After this pope's death, several cabals in the conclave ended in the election of Adrian, with which the people of Rome were very much displeased. He would not change his name, and in every thing he showed a great dislike for all ostentation and sensual pleasures, though such an aversion had been long ago out of date. He was very partial to Charles V. and did not enjoy much tranquility under the triple crown. He lamented much the wicked morals of the clergy, and wished to establish a reformation of manners among them. He died September 14, 1523.

ADRIAN, cardinal priest, of the title of St Chrysogonus, was a native of Corneto, in Tuscany. Innocent VIII. sent him nuncio into Scotland and into France; and after he had been clerk and treasurer of the apostolic chamber, Pope Alexander VI., whose secretary he had been, honoured him with the cardinal's hat. His life was a continued scene of odd alterations. He narrowly escaped death on the day on which Alexander VI. poisoned himself by mistake. Afterward he drew upon himself the hatred of Julius II. so that he was obliged to go and hide himself in the mountains of Trent. Having been recalled by Leo X., he was so ungrateful that he engaged in a conspiracy against him. The pope pardoned his fault; but the cardinal, not caring to trust to this, made his escape, and it could never be known exactly what was become of him. He was one of the first who effectually reformed the Latin style. He studied Cicero with great success, and made many excellent observations on the propriety of the Latin tongue. The treatise he composed, De Sermone Latino, et de modis Latine loquendi, is a proof of this. It was published at Rome in 1515, in folio. He also wrote, in elegant Latin, a treatise on the Christian religion, entitled De Vera Philosophia, printed at Cologne in 1548.