Page:A new and general biographical dictionary; containing an historical and critical account of the lives and writings of the most eminent persons in every nation v1.djvu/40

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A A R T G E N. a confiderable progrefs in painting. He became fo diftin- guifhed, that the celebrated Francis Floris went to Leyderf, out of mere curiofity to fee him. He found him inha- biting a poor half-ruined hut, and in a very mean ftyle of living: he folicited him to go to Antwerp, promifing him wealth and rank fuita'ble to his merit; but Aartgen re- fufed, declaring that he found more fweets in his poverty, than others did in their riches. It was a cuitom with this painter, never to work on Mondays, but to devote that day with his difciples to the bottle. He ufed to ftroll about the ftreets in the night, playing on the German flute j and in one of thofe frolics he was drowned in 1564. ABBADIE QAMES), an eminent Proteftant divine, born at Hay, in Berne, in the year 1658, as Niceron affirms in his Hiftory of illuftrious men, though fome fay he was born in 1654. He ftudied at Saumur, at Paris, and at Sedan; at which laft place he took the degree of D. D, Thence he went to Holland, and afterwards to Berlin at the defire of count d'Efpenfe ; where he was made minifter of the French church, lately eftablifhed by the elector of Brandenbourg. He refided in this city for many years, and was always in high favour with the elector. The French congregation at Berlin vas at fnft but thin ; but, upon the revocation of the edi6t of Nantes, great numbers retired to Brandenbourg. They were received with the greateft humanity, fo that Dr. Abbadie had in a little time a great charge; of which he took all pofiible care, and by his intereft at court did many fervices to his diftrefled countrymen. The elector dying in 1688, Abbadie accepted of marfhal Schomberg's propofal to go with him firft to Holland, and then to England with the prince of Orange. In the autumn of 1689, he went with the marfhal to Ireland ; where he continued till after the battle of Boyne in July 1690, in which his great patron was killed. This occafioned his return to London, where he was appointed minifter of the French church in the Savoy; and fome time after he was promoted to the deanry of Kiilaloe in Ireland, which he enjoyed for many years. Having made a tour to Holland, in order to publifh one of his books; foon after his return, he was taken ill in London, and died in the parifh of Mary-le-bon, Sept. 23, 1727, He was Itrongly attached to, the caule of king William, as appears by his elaborate defence of the Revolution, and his hiftory of the Afiaffination-plot. He had great natural abilities, which he cultivated with true and ufeful learning. He was a moft zealous defender of the primitive dodirineof the ProtelUnts, as appears by his writings ; and