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Drusius, Johannes

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(Jan van den Driesche), an eminent critic and Orientalist, was born at Omdenarde, in Flanders, June 28, 1550, and was educated at Ghent and Louvain. "His father, having been outlawed in 1567, and deprived of his estate, retired to England, and Drusius soon followed him. His mother, who continued a Roman Catholic, did all she could to prevent him. His studies were taken care of, and masters provided for him; and he had soon an opportunity of learning Hebrew under Anthony Cevellier, who was come over to England, and taught that language publicly in the University of Cambridge. Drusius lodged at his house, and had a great share in his friendship. He did not return to London till 1571, and, while he was preparing to go to France, the news of the massacre on St. Bartholomew made him change his resolution. Soon after this he was invited to Cambridge by Cartwright, the professor of divinity and the Oriental languages there, at the age of twenty-two. He taught at Oxford four years with great success; after which, being desirous of returning to his own country, he went to Louvain, where he studied the civil law. The troubles on the account of religion obliged him to come back to his father at London, but upon the pacification of Ghent, 1576, they both returned to Louvain" (New Gen. Dictionary, 4:506). He was made professor of Oriental languages at Leyden in 1577, and of Hebrew at Franeker 1585, where he died February 12, 1616. His works, which are held in great esteem, have been for the most part incorporated into the Critici Sacii. Among the most important are Veterum interpretum Grcecorum in totum vetus Testamentur fragnenta (Arnhemiae, 1622, 4to): — Annotationum in totum Jesu Christi Testamentum libri decem (Franek. 1612, 4to): — Ecclesiasticus, Greece et Latine (Franek. 1600, 4to): — Proverbiorum Sacrorum classes duce (Franek. 1590, 4to): — Parallela Sacra, seu comparatio locorum Vet. Test. cum iis, quae in Novo citantur (Franek. 1588, 4to): — Libri decem Annotationum in totum Jesu Christi Testamentum (Amst. 1632, 4to). For a list of his writings, see Niceron, Menoires, 22:65; see also Richard Simon, Histoire Crit. du N.T. (Paris, 1680); Curiander, Vita Drusii (Francf. 1616); Bayle, Dictionary, s.v.; Herzog, Real Encyklop. 3:529.