Genefis xx, Jofeph. cap. 11. Jofeph. Antiq. ib. Gen. xxi. 31, 32. perfons who published or approved of the treatise entitled, The bleffed virgin's falutary advice to her indifcreet devotees. Mr. Abelly was doctor of divinity in the faculty of Paris, and made bishop of Rhodes, when Mr. de Perefixe, the king's preceptor, was promoted to the archiepifcopal fee of Paris. When he was fo far advanced in years as not to be able to perform his pastoral function, he refigned his bishopric, and retired to the houfe of St. Lazare, where he died on the 4th of October, 1691, in the eighty-eighth year of his age. ABIMELECH, king of Gerar, a country of the Philiftines, was cotemporary with Abraham. The patriarch having retired into this prince's country with his family, his wife Sarah, though in her nintieth year, was not fafe; for Abimelech became fo fmitten with her beauty, that he carried her off with a refolution to marry her. Abraham might have prevented this accident, had he declared himself the husband of Sarah; but being afraid of his life, he thought proper to give out that she was his fifter, and prevailed upon her to call him her brother. It is believed that the king of the Philistines was afflicted with a diftemper which rendered him impotent; but however this be, we are told he was not permitted to gratify his paffion for Sarah, having been warned in a dream that the was the wife of a prophet, and that he should die if he did not restore her to Abraham. The king accordingly gave her back to him, reproaching them at the fame time for their false affirmations. Abraham, amongst other excuses, faid, fhe was really his fifter, being born of the fame father, though of a different mother, for which we have the authority of fcripture. Jofephus (according to M. Bayle) falfely supposes that Abraham declared Sarah was his brother's daughter, and that upon the reftitution of Sarah, Abimelech and Abraham made a covenant. It is true, fays he, that the covenant of Beer-fheba was made between them; but this was fome years after. Jofephus, contrary to the authority of Mofes, makes this covenant prior to Ifaac's birth; whereas the fcriptures fix it after the rejection of Ifhmael, which was not till after Ifaac was weaned (a). Jofephus alfo tells us, that (a) Theodore Beza expreffes himfelf thus in regard to Jofephus: Hoc ego femel pronuncio, quod tu nunquam falfum effe oftendes, fi verus et multis locis Jofephus, mentitum effe multis locis Mofem et facros omnes fcriptores. Sed nos potius iftos pro veris ipfius Dei interpretibus, illum vero pro facerdote rerum facrarum valde imperito, atque etiam negligente that the above-mentioned Abimelech fhewed great favour to Ifaac, who came into the country of Gerar. It is not impoffible, fays M. Bayle, this might have been the fame Abimelech; but it is highly probable he was the fucceffor of him who carried off Sarah (b); for a famine happening to prevail, Ifaac withdrew into Gerar, where a king of this name then reigned. Here Rebecca's beauty obliged her husband to have recourse to the fame artifice which Abraham had before practifed; for Ifaac, fearing he should be killed if he was known to be the husband of the beautiful Rebecca, gave her out to be his fifter. Abimelech having from his window observed certain familiarities pafs betwixt them, fufpected they had a nearer relation to each other than that of brother and fifter; he fent for Ifaac, and thus spoke to him: “Behold of a furety fhe is thy wife; and how faidft thou, Gen. xxvi, "She is my fifter? what is this thou haft done unto us? one 9, 19. "of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife (c), and "thou shouldeft have brought guiltinefs upon us." At the fame time he forbid all his fubjects, upon pain of death, to offer the leaft violence to Ifaac or Rebecca. Ifaac's profperity deprived him of the king's friendship, and having acquired vaft wealth, he was defired, without the least ceremony, to go from amongst them, which he accordingly did. He ftill continued to profper, notwithstanding the efforts of the Philiftines to moleft him in feveral places, on account of the wells his people were digging: Abimelech again defired to enter into a covenant with Ifaac, who complied with the Gen. ib. request. negligente et prophano fcriptore ha- (b) The reason which induces M. Bayle to think that Abimelech who carried off Sarah, is not the fame (c) The Philiftines had a great ve- ABLE, Wood's Fafti P. 19. Ib. p. 24. de Martyr. ABLE, or ABEL (Thomas) was admitted batchelor of Oxon. vol.I. arts at Oxford, July 4, 1513, and took his degree of master of arts June 26, 1516. He was afterwards appointed chaplain to queen Catherine, wife to king Henry VIII. Mr. Hift. Ecclef. Bouchier thus fpeaks of him: Vir longe doctiffimus, qui reginæ aliquando in musicarum tactu & linguis operam fuam navaret. "A man of great learning, who ufed fometimes "to teach the queen mufic and the languages." He greatly distinguished himself by oppofing the divorce of the queen (a), and was a violent enemy to the king in all his unlawful proceedings. He wrote a treatise, De non diffolvendo Henrici et Catherinæ matrimonio. In the year 1534 he was attainted of mifprifion, for taking part and being active in the affair of Elizabeth Barton, the holy maid of Kent (b). He was afterwards fentenced to die for denying the king's fupremacy, and was accordingly executed July 30, 1540. It is thought that he wrote feveral pieces: but they have been loft. When in prifon he was confined very closely, and the keeper of Newgate was once fent to the Marthalfea for allowing him and Dr. Powel to go out upon bail. (a) The lawfulness of this divorce 'Canterbury, and Fisher bishop of has been maintained by feveral emi-Rochefter, and Sir Thomas More, nent perfons, whofe opinions have been fully refuted in bifhop Burnet's hiftory of the reformation, and in feveral other books. (6) Lord Herbert of Cherbury gives the following account of that impoftor: Elizabeth Barton had almoft ftirred up more than one ⚫ tragedy; for being fuborned by the monks to ufe fome strange "gefticulations, and to exhibit di vers feigned miracles, accompa'nied with fome wizardly unfoothfayings, the drew much credit and ⚫ concourse to her, infomuch that no mean perfons, and amongst ' others, Warham late archbishop of gave fome belief to her: fo that notwithstanding the danger that was to give ear to a prediction of hers, that Henry VIII. should not live one month after his marriage with Mrs. Bolen, he was cried up with many voices; Silvester, 'Antonio, Pollicari, and Darius, 'the Pope's agents, giving credit ' and countenance thereunto. But the plot being at laft difcovered, 'fhe was attainted of treafon, and executed, with her chief accomplices; at which time the confeffed their names who had inftigated 'her to these practices.' Life and reign of Henry VIII. ABRABANEL (Ifaac) a famous rabbi, born at Lisbon in the year 1437, of a family who boafted their descent from king David. He raifed himself confiderably at the court of Alphonfo V. king of Portugal, and was honoured with very high offices, which he enjoyed till this prince's death; but upon his decease, he felt a ftrange reverse of fortune under the new king. Abrabanel was in his forty-fifth year, when John II. fucceeded his father Alphonfo. All thofe thofe who had any fhare in the administration in the preceding reign were discarded, and if we give credit to our rabbi, their death was fecretly refolved, under the pretext of their having formed a defign to give up the crown of Portugal to the king of Spain. Abrabanel, however, fufpecting nothing, in obedience to the order he received to attend his majefty, fet out for Lisbon with all expedition; but having, in his journey, heard of what was plotting against his life, he fled immediately to his Caftilian majesty's dominions. A party of foldiers were dispatched after him, with orders to bring him dead or alive: however he made his efcape, but all his poffeffions were confifcated. On this occafion he loft all his books, and alfo the beginning of his Commentary upon the book of Deuteronomy, which he much regretted. Some writers (a) affirm that the cause of his difgrace at this time was wholly owing to his bad behaviour; and they are of the fame opinion in regard to the other perfecutions which he afterwards fuffered (b). But however this may be, upon his fettling in Caftile, be began to teach and write. In 1484, he wrote his Commentary upon the books of Joshua, Judges, and Samuel. Being afterwards fent for to the court of Ferdinand and Ifabel, he was advanced to preferment, which he enjoyed till the year 1492, when the Jews were driven out of the Spanish dominions. He ufed his utmost endeavours (c) to turn off this dreadful ftorm; but all proved ineffectual, fo that he and all his family were obliged to quit the kingdom, with the reft of the Jews. He retired to Naples, and in the year 1493, wrote his Commentary on the books of the Kings. Having been bred a courtier, he did not neglect to (4) They affirm that Abrabanel justly deserved the usage he met with, and that he would have been treated with greater severity, had not king John, out of his wonted clemency, contented himself with banishing him. They add farther, that he left Portugal from a confcioufnefs of guilt. A&t. Lipf. Nov. 1686. p. 529. (b) They alfo fay, that by negotiating bills of exchange (which was the business he followed in Caftile) he got introduced at the court of Ferdinand and Ifabel; that he amaffed prodigious wealth, by practising the feveral arts and frauds of the Jewish people; that be oppreffed the poor, and by his ufury made a prey of every thing; that he had the vanity to 2. afpire at the most illustrious titles, fuch as the noblest houses in Spain could hardly attain; and that being a fworn enemy to the Christian reli gion, he was the principal cause of that storm which fell upon him and the reft of his nation. Ib. p. 530. (c) He himself mentions, in one of his performances, what he did on this occafion; Solomon Ben Virga relates it alfo in his hiftory of the Jews, where he gives a defcription of the dreadful calamities which befel the three hundred thousand Jew who were all obliged in one day to leave the dominions of his Catholic majesty. Comment. in litros regum apud Nicol, Anton, Bibl, Hist. tom. I. P. 627. avail avail himself of the knowledge he had acquired at the courts of Portugal and Arragon, fo that he foon ingratiated himself into the favour of Ferdinand king of Naples, and afterwards into that of Alphonfo. He followed the fortune of the latter, accompanying him into Sicily, when Charles VIII. the French king, drove him from Naples. Upon the death of Alphonfo, he retired to the ifland of Corfou, where he began his Commentary on Isaiah in 1495; and about this time he had the good fortune to find what he had written on the book of Deuteronomy. The following year he returned to Italy, and went to Monopoli in Apulia, where he wrote several books. In 1496 he finished his Commentary on Deuteronomy, and alfo compofed his Sevach Pefach, and his Nachalath Avoth. In the fucceeding year he wrote his Majene Hajeschua, and in 1498 his Mafchania Jefchua, and his Commentary on Ifaiah. Some time after he went to Venice, to fettle the difputes betwixt the Venetians and Portuguese relating to the spice trade, and on this occafion he displayed fo much prudence and capacity, that he acquired the favour and efteem of both thofe powers. In 1504 he wrote his Commentary on Jeremiah, and, according to fome authors, his Commentary alfo on Ezekiel, and the twelve minor prophets. In 1506 he composed his Comentary on Exodus, and died at Venice in the year 1508, in the feventy-first year of his age. Several of the Venetian nobles, and all the principal Jews attended his funeral with great pomp. His corpfe was interred at Padua, in a burial-place without the city. Abrabanel wrote feveral other pieces, befides what we have mentioned, the dates of which are not fettled, and some have not been printed (d). He was a man of fo great a genius, that moft perfons have equalled him, and fome even (d) The following are mentioned in the Leipfic journal, viz. 1. Commentaries on Genefis, Leviticus, and Numbers. 2. Rach Amana. 8.Miphaloth Elohim, works of God. 9. Sepher Schamaim Chadafchim. 10. Labakath Nebhiim. His Commentary on Haggai was tranflated into Latin by Adam Sherzerus, and inferted in the Trifolium Orientale, published at Leipfic in 1663, where his Commentary on Joshua, 3. Sepher Jefchuoth Mofchici, a treatife on the traditions relating to the Meffiah. 4. Zedek Olammim, upon future, Judges, and Samuel was also printed in rewards and punishments. folio in 1686. In this fame year his An 5. Sephor Jemoth Olam, a history notations on Hofea, with a preface from the time of Adam. 6. Maamar Machafe Schaddai, a treatife on prophecy and the vifion of Ezekiel, against rabbi Maimonides. 7. Sepher Atereth Sekenim. on the twelve minor prophets, were tranflated into French by Francis ab Hufen, and published at Leyden. In 1683 Mr. de Veil, a converted Jew, published at London Abrabanel's preface to Leviticus. |