User:Revent/Biography/sources/A/Acontius, Jacobus

DNB

 * Article title: Acontius, Jacobus
 * Author: Tedder, Henry Richard
 * LEAD: ACONTIUS, JACOBUS, latinized from Aconzio, Aconcio, or Concio, Jacopo (1500?–1566?), jurist, philosopher, theologian, and engineer, was born at Trent in the Tyrol about the beginning of the sixteenth century.
 * LEAD: ACONTIUS, JACOBUS, latinized from Aconzio, Aconcio, or Concio, Jacopo (1500?–1566?), jurist, philosopher, theologian, and engineer, was born at Trent in the Tyrol about the beginning of the sixteenth century.
 * LEAD: ACONTIUS, JACOBUS, latinized from Aconzio, Aconcio, or Concio, Jacopo (1500?–1566?), jurist, philosopher, theologian, and engineer, was born at Trent in the Tyrol about the beginning of the sixteenth century.

General

 * Gerdes, Specimen Italiæ Reform.; ejusd. Orig. Eccles. in Belgio Ref.
 * Mazzuchelli, Scrittori d'Italia
 * Tiraboschi, Storia della Lett. It. vii. 375, 474
 * Bayle, Dictionnaire Critique
 * Chaufepié, Nouveau Dict.
 * Guichard, Hist. du Socinianisme
 * Hallam's Lit. Hist.
 * Strype's Grindal
 * Cat. of Books &c. of Dutch Church at Guildhall
 * Burn's Hist. of French &c. Refugees
 * Dugdale's Hist, of Imbanking
 * Cal. of State Papers (Dom. 1547–80, 1601–3, and App.

Cites

 * Crussius (Crenii Animadv. pt. ii. 32)
 * Ancillon (Mélange critique, i. 24–9)

Works

 * ‘J. Acontius de Methodo, h. e. de recta investigandarum tradendarumque scientiarum ratione,’ Basileæ, ap. P. Pernam, 1558. First edition, reprinted at Geneva in 1582 ap. Eustathium Vignon, ‘multo quam antea castigatius;’ again at Lugd. Bat. 1617, sm. 8vo, and in G. J. Vossii et aliorum de studiorum ratione opuscula,’ Ultraj. 1651, sm. 8vo.
 * ‘Satanæ Stratagemata libri octo, J. Acontio authore, accessit eruditissima epistola de ratione edendorum librorum ad Johannem Vuolfium Tigurinum eodem authore,’ Basileæ, ap. P. Pernam, 1565, 4to. The genuine first edition, of extreme rarity. Bibliographers are unaware of the existence of two editions of this year. The one usually quoted is in smaller type, and is entitled ‘Stratagematum Satanæ libri octo,’ &c. Basileæ, ap. P. Pernam, 1665, sm. 8vo. Reprinted Basileæ, 1582, 8vo, and ‘curante Jac. Grassero,’ ib. 1610, 8vo, ib. ap. Waldkirchium, 1616, ib. 1618, ib. 1620, Amst. 1624, Oxon. G. Webb, 1631, sm. 8vo, Lond. 1648, Oxon. 1650, Amst. Jo. Ravenstein, 1652, sm. 8vo, ib. 1674, sm. 8vo, Neomagi, A. ab. Hoogenhuyse, 1661, sm. 8vo. The French translation is ‘Les Ruses de Satan receuillies et comprinses en huit liures,’ Basle, P. Perne, 1565, 4to; printed with the same type as the first Latin 4to, wanting the ‘Ep. ad Wolfium’ and the index. The first issue of the English translation is called ‘Satan's Stratagems, or the Devil's Cabinet-Council discovered . . . together with an epistle written by Mr. John Goodwin and Mr. Durie's letter concerning the same,’ London, J. Macock, sold by J. Hancock, 1648, 4to. The date of Thomason's copy (British Museum) has been altered by him to 1647; he purchased it on 14 Feb. The translator announces that if the work found favour he would finish it, but only the first four books were published. There are three dedications — one to the parliament, one to Fairfax and Cromwell, and one to John Warner, lord mayor. The stock seems to have been sold to W. Ley, who issued it with a new title, ‘Darkness Discovered, or the Devil's Secret Stratagems laid open,’ &c., London, J. M. 1651, 4to, with a doubtfully authentic etching of ‘James Acontius, a Reverend Diuine.’ Thomason dated his copy July 7. A German translation came out at Bâle in 1647, sm. 8vo, and a Dutch version, Amst. 1662, 12mo.
 * ‘Eruditissima epistola de ratione edendorum librorum ad Johannem Vuolfium Tigurinum.’ Dated Londini, 12 kal. Dec. 1562, first published in the Latin ‘Stratagemata’ 1565, and to be found in the subsequent editions, but in none of the translations; printed separately Chemnitz, Mauke, 1791, 8vo.
 * ‘Una essortazione al Timor di Dio, con alcune rime italiane, nuovamente messe in luce [da G. B. Castiglione],’ Londra, appresso Geo. Wolfio, s.a., 8vo. Dedicated to Elizabeth. Chaufepié is the only person who seems to have seen this very rare little piece. The printer learnt his art in Italy. He worked between 1579 and 1600, and brought out many Italian books.
 * ‘Epistola apologetica pro Hadr. Haemstadio et pro seipso.’ Written in 1562 or 1563, says Gerdes, who reprinted it (Scrinium Antiquarium, vii. part i. 123) from the archives of the Dutch church, now in the Guildhall library; contains much information respecting Hamstedius, the Dutch church, and the writer.
 * ‘Epistola . . . Londini 8 idus Junii, 1566.’ Reproduced from the archives of the Dutch church by Crussius (Crenii Animadv. ii. 131). It is not known to whom the letter was addressed.
 * ‘Ars muniendorun oppidorum.’ Acontius refers to this in his ‘Ep. ad Wolfium’ as having been first written in Italian and afterwards translated into Latin while in England. Mazzuchelli says, ‘Ital. et Lat. Genevæ, 1585,’ but no such book can be traced.
 * A manuscript on the use and study of history, written in Italian, and presented by Acontius to the Earl of Leicester in August 1564, is preserved at the Record Office. It is not spoken of by any of the authorities, although made use of in the following interesting little octavo volume, dedicated to the Earl of Leicester: ‘The true order and methode of wryting and reading hystories, according to the precepts of Francesco Patricio and Accontio Tridentino, by Thomas Blundevil,’ Lond. W. Seres, 1574. The compiler states that he ‘gathered his work partly out of a little written treatyse, which myne olde friende of good memorie, Accontio, did not many yeares since present to your Honour in the Italian tongue.’
 * ‘Liber de Dialectica.’ An unfinished work with this title is referred to in the ‘Epistola ad Wolfium,’ with the remark that the world was soon to enter upon a much more enlightened era.