or DE MEURS, JOHN, a celebrated antiquary, was born in the year 1579 at Losdun, a town near the Hague. His father, having embraced the Reformed doctrines, took refuge in 1569 at the Hague, and some time afterwards obtained the pastoral charge of Losdun. He taught his son the principles of the Latin language, and then sent him to study at Leyden, where he made so rapid progress, that at the age of twelve he composed harangues in Latin, and at thirteen, verses in Greek. His taste having led him to cultivate philology, he particularly directed his attention to Lycophron, the most obscure of all the Greek authors, whom he undertook to illustrate; and at the age of sixteen he completed his commentary on that difficult writer, a work which astonished the greatest scholars and critics of the time. When he had finished his course of study, the grand pensionary Barneveld confided to him the education of his sons; and he was also appointed to accompany them to the different courts of Europe. He turned his travels to account by availing himself of the opportunities which they afforded for extending his knowledge; and in passing through Orleans in 1608 he was honoured with the degree of Doctor of Laws. On his return to Holland in 1610 he was appointed professor of history in the academy of Leyden; and the following year he was promoted to the chair of Greek, which he filled with great distinction. The states of Holland conferred on him the title of historiographer, and honoured him with other marks of their esteem; but after the execution of Barneveld in 1619, Meursius was innocently subjected to much perse- Meurthe. cution from his connection with that unfortunate man. But the King of Denmark came to his relief in 1625, and offered him the chair of history in the university of Sora, together with the place of historiographer, a situation which he at once accepted. The remainder of his life was divided between his official duties and literary pursuits; and he died on the 20th of September 1639, at the age of sixty.

The memory of Meursius has suffered by his being sometimes represented as the author of the infamous dialogues *De Arcanis Amoris et Venerei*. This licentious work, it is now well known, was the production of one Chorier, an advocate of Grenoble, who probably prefixed to it the name of Meursius for the purpose of throwing ridicule on the grave and learned professor. His son John was a scholar of considerable eminence, and produced some works evincing erudition and research.

Meursius rendered a most valuable service to letters by the numerous annotated editions which he published of the Greek authors. The principal works which he edited are,—the *Poems* of Lycophron; the *Tactics* of the Emperor Leo; the *Opuscula* of Hesychius; the *Elements of Music* by Aristoxenus; the *Letters* of Philostratus; the *Historia Lausiana* of Palladius; the *Annals* of Manasses; the *History* of Theodosius Metochites; the *Tactics* of Constantine Porphyrogenetanus; the *Merveilles Histories* of Phlegon Trallianus, Antigonus Carystus, and Appollonius Dyscoles; and the works of Porphyry, Procopius, Gaza, and others. The works of Meursius were collected by Lami, Florence, 1741-1763, in 12 volumes folio. This collection is rare and much prized. In the *Memoires de Niceron* (tom. xii. and xx.) will be found a list of all the productions of this indefatigable writer, in number sixty-seven; but we shall here only indicate those which are most deserving of the attention of the curious. *Glossarium Graeco-Barbarum*, Leyden, 1614, in 4to; a work which, in regard to the Greek writers of the Lower Empire, holds the same place as the Glossary of Du Cange does for the writers of the corresponding age of Latinity. Various treatises on different departments of Greek and Roman antiquities, for the most part reprinted in the *Thesaurus of Gravins*. *Rerum Belgicarum Liber Primus*, Leyden, 1612; *Historia Danica*, Copenhagen, 1630.