GERARD, a learned writer on law, was born at Leyden in 1722, and was early distinguished for his erudition. In 1748 he was nominated pensionary of Rotterdam; and in 1757 he was sent on an embassy to Great Britain. He died at Aix-la-Chapelle in December 1771. The principal works of Gerard Meerman are Novae The-saurus Juris Civilis et Canonici, in 7 vols. folio, 1751-54; and Origines Typographicae, 4to, 1765. In the latter he attempts to prove that his countryman Lawrence Koster was the inventor of the art of printing. To the former an eighth volume was added by his son.

JAN, an eminent Dutch scholar and statesman, was the only son of the subject of the preceding article, and was born at the Hague in 1753. Scarcely was he ten years old when he published, with the aid of his teacher, a translation of the Mariage Force of Molére. He afterwards studied under Ernesti, at Leipsic, and under Heyne at Göttingen. On his return from a tour through Saxony and Prussia, he repaired to Leyden to finish his studies, and there he received the diploma of Doctor of Laws in 1774. Jan Meerman was a great tourist, and published full accounts of the observations he made during his travels through almost every country in Europe; yet at the same time he had become so conspicuous for his learning and public activity, that on the accession of Louis Bonaparte in 1806 to the throne of Holland, he was appointed director of the fine arts, and minister of public instruction. These offices he discharged with great zeal and success. In 1810, when Holland was incorporated with France, Meerman became count of the empire and senator. In the latter capacity he was a thorough-going supporter of Napoleon. He died at the Hague on the 15th August 1815. Meerman's principal works are.—Specimen Juris Publici de Solutione Vinculi quod olim fuit inter sacrum Romanum Imperium et Federati Belgii res publicas, 4to, Leyden, 1771; History of William, Count of Holland, and King of the Romans, in 5 vols. 8vo, 1783-97; and An Historical Account of the North and North-East of Europe, in 6 vols. 8vo, Hague, 1805-6.