General Dictionary/Lascaris, Constantine

by Pierre Bayle

LASCARIS (CONSTANTINE) left Conſtantinople, his native place, in the year 1454, and retired into Italy. He was one of thoſe who reſtored polite Literature in the Weſt. He taught it firſt at Milan, whither he was called by Francis Sforza. He went afterwards to meet Cardinal Beſſarion at Rome, who gave him ſeveral proofs of his friendſhip. Then he went to Naples, where he taught Rhetoric and the Greek Tongue with reputation. Laſtly he went to Meſſina, where he ſettled for the remainder of his days. He drew a great many ſcholars thither, and amongſt others Peter Bembus, who was promoted to the dignity of a Cardinal by Pope Clement VII. He bequeathed his Library to the Senate of Meſſina: it contained excellent books, which he had brought with him from Conſtantinople. The Senate had complimented him^{[notes 1]} with the freedom of the City, and had him buried at the expence of the public. His marble tomb, which was in the Church of the Carmelites, has been ruined by the injury of the time, and has never been repaired.^{[notes 2]} Our Laſcaris has compoſed ſome works.^[1]

1. They treat of the Greek Grammar; Aldus Manucius printed them with ſome other ſmall treatiſes of the ſame kind in Greek and Latin. Laſcaris alſo made a collection of the lives of the learned men who flouriſhed anciently in Sicily.^[1]

Notes

1. In the year 1465.
2. Taken from Jerom Raguſa, in Elogiis Siculorum.

References

1. ↑  The Jeſuit Jerom Raguſa has inſerted it in his Elogia Siciliorum, a book printed at Avignon in the year 1690.