LAN
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1615, being then but twenty five years old. He performed there all the functions of a Miniſter during fifty two years, and always with a great reputation, piety, and eloquence. We have of him two volumes of Sermons, the one on the eighth Chapter of the Epiſtle to the Romans, the other on ſeveral texts of the holy Scripture, and a Diſſertation in the form of a Letter being a defence of Charles I. King of England. Seven years before his death he fell ſick of a palſy, which cauſed an impediment in his ſpeech; but yet he continued to pleaſe and edify by his converſations, which were both pious and witty. He died in the year 1674, at the age of fourſcore and four years, leaving ſeveral children behind him,[1] who have inherited his merit and virtue.[Notes 1]
- ↑ Samuel de Langle his eldeſt ſon was born at London, and was carried into France when he was but a year old; he continued in that country till the laſt perſecution obliged him to retire into England. He was a miniſter at about the ſame age as his father had been, and ſerved the church of Roan with him during three years. He was afterwards called to Paris in the year 1671, to be a miniſter to the congregation which met at Charenton; he was very much eſteemed in both on account of his ſtrict morals, ſound learning, and conſummate wiſdom; there was an intimate friendſhip between him and Monſieur Claude. The perſecution which the reformed ſuffered in France, and particularly the King’s Edict by which the fathers were deprived of their children, forced him to take ſanctuary in England. The Univerſity of Oxford took a pride in conferring the degree of Doctor of Divinity upon him, without his petitioning for it; and King Charles II. ſhewed him how much he eſteemed him by making him a Prebendary of Weſtminſter. He was born in the year 1622. In June 1693, when he was threeſcore and eleven years old, he fell ſick of a violent diſtemper, in which however he enjoyed all the ſtrength of his mind, addreſſing continually excellent diſcourſes to his relations, to his friends, and particularly to his children, to whom he had given the ſame education as he had received from his father. The publick has not yet ſeen any of his writings, but a letter concerning the controverſy between thoſe who are called Epiſcopalians and Preſbyterians in England. Doctor Stillingfleet, now Biſhop of Worceſter,[1] had it printed at the end of one of his books on the ſame ſubject. But they found amongſt his manuſcripts a treatiſe of the Chriſtian truth, which he had begun ſome years ago, and which he had finiſhed a little before he died. It is hoped that his eldeſt ſon, Monſieur de Langle, who is alſo a miniſter, will ſoon publiſh that work. The illuſtrious deceaſed had alſo made ſeveral critical remarks on divers paſſages of the Scripture, and particularly on the Pſalms, which it is thought he would have publiſhed himſelf, had he lived long enough to put them in that order and condition, which it ſeems he deſigned to do.[2]
As for the other children of John Maximilian de Langle, the memoirs I quote do not mention a word of them.
- Notes
- ↑ This article is printed juſt as it has been communicated to me.
- References
LANGUET (HUBERT) born at Viteaux in Burgundy,[Notes 1] gained a great reputation by his learning and virtue in the ſixteenth Century. Having read a book of Melanchthon in Italy, it created in him ſo ſtrong a deſire to be acquainted with that great man, that he went into Germany on purpoſe to viſit him. There was the moſt intimate friendſhip between them.[1] He charmed him by his agreeable converſation; for with a strong memory he had alſo a very acute judgment.[Notes 2] He continued a long
while
- ↑ All that I have to obſerve upon this ſubject is extracted from Joachim Camerarius’s life of Melanchthon. Hunc (Langetum) lectio libri cujuſdam in Italia, ubi tum ipſe degeret, a Philippo Melanchthone compoſiti cupiditate incenderat videndi autorem illius, & ea ſtimulos perpetuo admovems perpulerat tandem ut in Germaniam veniret, & Wittembergam ſe conferret.[1] Languet arrived at Wittenberg in the year 1549,[2] and kept ſo conſtantly to Melanchthon that he never left him, except to take a journey now and then. Neque ab ipſo diſceſſit niſi interdum per intervalla quædam peregrinationum quibus miriſice delectabatur, donec Philipi Melanchthonis vita in terris duravit.[3] Languet’s converſation was admirable; he diſcourſed very pertinently on the intereſt of Princes, and was perfectly well acquainted with the hiſtory of illuſtrious Men. Erat autem Philippo grata atque jucunda multarum magnarumque rerum, quas ille tenebat, commemoratio, & oratio de Regibus Principibuſque gubernationum, & altis ſapientia, virtute, doctrina præſtantibus horum temporum.[4] i. e. “Melanchthon was very much pleaſed and delighted with his converſations, in which he gave him an account of ſeveral important affairs, which he remembered very well, and with his diſcourſes concerning Kings and Princes, and other men of thoſe times eminent for their wiſdom, virtue, and learning.” His memory never failed him with regard either to the circumſtances of times, or to proper names; and he diſcovered the inclinations of men, and foreſaw the ſucceſs of things with a wonderful ſagacity. The perſon who gives him that character had been particularly acquainted with him. Neque ego, ſays he,[5] audivi ullum alterum, qui tam prudenter & certò, & planè, dilucidè, diſertè exponeret, quicquid marrare inſtituiſſet. Non ille in hominum nominibus falli, non indiciis temporum errare, non comfundere rerum negotiorumque ſeriem. Eras autem in eo ſingularis jagacitas in notandis naturis hominum, & conjicitndo, quo quiſque ſuopte ingenio deferretur, & quæ eſſet voluntatis inclinatio. Conſiliorum etiam ſolertiſſimus, æſtimator, & eventuum futurorum proviſione admirabilis. i. e. “I never heard a man, who could expound with ſo much prudence, certainty, plainneſs, evidence, and eloquence, whatever he undertook to relate; he never miſtook the names of men; he was never wrong in the circumſtances of time; nor did he ever confound the order and ſeries of things and events. He had alſo a wonderful ſagacity to diſcover the Characters of men, and to conjecture which way men’s tempers would lead them, and what was the inclination of their minds. He judged almoſt with certainty of their deſigns, and could moſt wonderfully foreſee the event of things.”
Let us add to this what Monſieur de la Mare relates. He obſerves that about the year 1548, a German gave Languet Melanchthon’s Common Places or Body of Divinity; that Languet having read that book four or five times over that ſame year in his travels, found all his doubts removed which had a long time perplexed his mind, and conceived an extraordinary eſteem for Melanchthon; that having conſulted the moſt conſiderable divines at Leipſick, he embraced the Proteſtant Religion; and became a pupil of Joachim Camerarius who was profeſſor of polite literature in the Univerſity of Leipſick; that he even lodged at that Profeſſor’s houſe; that ſeeing the troubles ariſing in that country he undertook a journey into Italy till ſuch time as he could ſettle in Germany when the publick tranquility ſhould be reſtored there; that he ſtudied the law a whole year at Padua, and took his Doctor’s degree there; that he went afterwards to Bologna, and that at this time, as Joachim Camerarius relates it,[6] he was ſo enchanted with the reading of a new book of Melanchthon, that he longed
for
- Notes
- References
- ↑ Joach. Camerar. in Vita Melanch. pag. m. 333.
- ↑ Ibid.
- ↑ Ibid.
- ↑ Ibid.
- ↑ Ibid.
- ↑ Quo tempere narrat in Philippi Melanchthonis Vitæ Joachimus Camerarius elegantis illius & multiplici cruditione referti de onima libri à Melanchtone non ita prudem ſcripti lectione Langetum tanta videndi ouctoris cupiditate incenium ſuiſſe &c. Philip. de la Mare, in Vita Langueti, pag. 10.
