John, was born probably at Lausanne towards the end of the sixteenth century, and studied at Lausanne. His name is recorded in the annals of literature, neither on account of his talents, nor learning, nor virtuous industry, but for a gross act of disingenuity and fraud which he committed against an eminent literary character of the sixteenth century. Being employed by Henry Stephens as a corrector of his press while he was publishing his Thesaurus Linguae Graecæ in 1572, Scapula extracted those words and explications which he reckoned most useful, comprised them in one volume, and published them as an original work, with his own name. This book appeared in 1579, and bore the title of Lexicon Graeco Latinum. The compilation and printing of the Thesaurus had cost Stephens immense labour and expense; but it was so much admired by those learned men to whom he had shown it, and seemed to be of such essential importance to the acquisition of the Greek language, that he reasonably hoped his labour would be crowned with honour, and that the money he had expended would be repaid by a rapid and extensive sale. But before his work came abroad, Scapula's abridgment appeared, which, from its size and price, was quickly purchased, while the Thesaurus itself lay neglected in the author's hands. The consequence was a bankruptcy on the part of Stephens, while he who had occasioned it was enjoying the fruits of his treachery. Scapula's Lexicon was afterwards enlarged, and published in folio; and has gone through several editions, while the valuable work of Stephens has never been reprinted. Its success is, however, not owing to its superior merit, but to its moderate price and commodious size.