JOHN, a distinguished printer in the sixteenth century, was born at Hamelburg in Franconia, and settled at Basil. He had before studied in that university, where he acquired a reputation for great learning; and having set up a printing-house in that city, he was the first of the German printers who brought the art to any degree of perfection. Being a man of great probity and piety, as well as skill, he was particularly choice in the authors whom he printed; and would never for the sake of profit suffer libels or any thing that might injure the reputation of another to issue from his press. The high character of this printer was the principal motive which induced Erasmus to reside at Basil, in order to have his own writings printed by him. The works of a great number of valuable authors were printed by Frobenius with great care and accuracy; among which were the works of St Jerome, Augustine, and Erasmus. He designed to have printed the Greek Fathers, but died in 1527, before he could put his design in execution. Erasmus wrote his epitaph in Greek and Latin.

John Frobenius left a son named Jerome Frobenius, and a daughter married to Nicholas Episcopius, who, joining in partnership, continued Frobenius's printing-house with reputation, and printed correct editions of the Greek Fathers.