a sum of 35,000 francs. The hospital for foundlings was also greatly indebted to her. She died March 24, 1(>9G. See Abbe de C'hoisy, 17e de Madame de Miramhm (Par- is, 170t>, 4to, and 1707, 8vo) ; Saint-Simon, Mimoires; Kichard and (iiraud, Biblintlieque Sucree; Hoefer, Xouv. Biog. Oeneruk, s. v. Sec GEXEVihVii, St., l>ALtiii-
TEKS OF.
Mirandula, Giovanni Francesca dell a, a
noted theological and ]iliilosiiphical writer of the Kith century, was horn about 1409. He cultivated learning and the sciences, after the example of his uncle. (See below the article Miuaxdula, (iiovAXNi Pico della.) Upon the death of his father, in 1499, lie succeeded, as eldest son, to his estates, and thus became involved in great trouble, which finally cut short not only his lite- rar}- labors but also his life. His brothers Lewis and Frederick combined against him, and, by tlie assistance of the emperor Maximilian I and Hercules I, duke of Ferrara, succeeded in driving him from his princiiiality in 1502, and he was forced to seek refuge abroad, until at length pope Julius II, invading and becoming master of Mirandula, re-established him in loll. After the pojje's defeat at Kavenna (April 11, 1512), (iiovanni Francisca became a refugee a second time, and so continued for two years. After the FVench were driven out of Italy he was restored to his possessions. He died in October, 1533, when Galeoti Picus, his nephew, i. e. the son of his brother Lewis, entered his castle by night with forty armed men, and assassinated him and Ins eldest son Albert. He seems to have been a more voluminous writer than his uncle. His earlier works were inserted in the Strasburg edition of his uncle's, in 1504, and con- tinued in those of Basle, 1573 and ItiOl. Among these are: (1.) iJe studio dirinm et Jiitmance pfrihsojdiim libri duo: in this he compares profane philoso|)hy with a knowledge of Holy Scripture, and shows how i)referable the latter is to the former. (2.) Le imatjinatitme liber. (3.) De imitatione ad Pttrum Bembum epistohe du<e, et ejus responsum. (4.) De rerum prniiotione libri ij: : m this book of the Prescience of things, he treats of the divine prescience, and of that knowledge which some pretend to have of things future, by compacts with evil spirits, by astrology, cliiromancy, geomancy, and the like means, which he confutes at large. (5.) Exnmen vanitatis docti-inw gentium et veritaiis disciplime Christi- ans, etc., wherein he opposes the errors of philosophers, Aristotle particularly. (G.) Kpistolannn libri quatuor. (7.) />e reformnndis morihis oratio ad Leonem X. These are the most important of his writings to be found in the editions above mentioned of his uncle's works; but there are other works, which have never been collected together, but have always continued separate, as they were first published : such are — Vita Ilitronymi Savona- rolce : — De veris calamitatum temporum vostrorum causis liber: — De animcp immortalitatc : — Dialogus cui nomen Strix, sire de ludijicatione damonnm : — Uynini heroici tres (id Trinitatcm, Christum, et Virginem: — De Venere et Cupid ine erpellendis carmen keroicmn: — Liber de Proridentia Dei contra philosophaslros : — De auro turn a'stimando, turn confia'endo, turn ntcndo libri tres, etc "There is not," says Uu Pin, "so much wit, sjirightli- ness, subtlety, and elegance in the Avorks of Francis Pico as in those of his uncle : no, nor j-et so much learn- ing : but there is more evenness and soliditj." See the books referred to in the article following.
Mirandula, Giovanni Pico della, an Italian philosopher an(l theologian, one of the writers of the days of the Benaissance. noted for his attempt to recon- cile Christianity with the ideas of paganism, was one of the greatest lights of the 15th century. He was born F'eb. 24, 14(>3. Even as a youth, the prince of ^li- randula was noted for his precoeiousness, and remarka- ble for his memory anil intelligence. He clialUnged disputations on abstruse stdyects with the learned of his day, as if one of their number. In 1477 lie entered the University of Bologna, to study canonical law, be-
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sides which he devoted himself especially to the study of philosophy and theology. After this he visited the other universities of note on the Continent, and every- wliere attracted attention by his learning and the facil- ity with which he acquired knowledge. Besides a mas- tery of Greek and Latin, he could claim acquaintance with the Hebrew, Chaldee, and Arabic. He was also well acquainted with the various philosophical systems of antiquity, and with those of the scholastics and of Raymond LuUy. But vain of his knowledge, he came to consider himself qualified to solve the problem of reconciling philosophy and theology, and even to con- ciliate the philosophical systems of Plato and Aristotle. This would have required a critical knowledge more profound than was to be found in the 15th century, as well as an originalitj'- of mind which Mirandula did not possess. He has, indeed, in his writings, rendered great service to theology, in pointing out the aid it may de- rive from the knowledge of Oriental languages, but we vainly seek in them a single new metaphysical idea.
After man}' wanderings, "wanderings of the intel- lect as well as physical journey," says Parr, " Pico came to rest at Florence." But his stay at the different imi- versities had made him only the more sanguine of car- rying out the plan formed of reconciling the philos- ophers with each other, and all alike with the Church. To Rome, the centre of the Church, he therefore now directed his steps, satisfied that there he should first dis- close to the world his great project, and there he should promptly receive the honors of the clergy. Mirandula arrived at Rome in 1487. Innocent VHI was then reign- ing. Like some knight-errant, the young man of only twenty-three summers now, published, to the astonish- ment of the learned world, nine hundred propositions on subjects of dialectics, morals, natural philosojihy, math- ematics, theology, natural magic, and cabalism, taken not only from Greek and Latin, but also from Hebrew and Arabic writers, and declared himself ready to de- fend these propositions openly against any one. For that object, lie invited aU the savans of Europe to come to argue against him at Rome, offering to defray the expenses of such as would have to travel a great dis- tance. These famous theses, De omni re scibili, as Sli- randula called them (et de quibusdam aliis, adds Vol- taire, thus making the best criticism on Jlirandula's pretensions), were posted all over Rome, and awakened great curiosity as well as jealousy. Parties envious of JMirandula's reputation succeeded in awakening the doubts of the papal court as to the orthodoxy of some of the propositions, and Mirandula not only struggled in vain for over a year at Rome simply to obtain leave to publish his theses, but even the reading of the book containing them was forbidden by the pope. Disgusted with this treatment, Mirandula finally quitted Rome for Florence. JLade restless by the opposition he had en- countered, he remained here but a short time, went to France, and did not return to Italy till several years later. Shortly after Alexander VI had ascended the papal throne (1492) the case of Mirandula was reconsidered, and, June 18, 1493, Pico was finally absolved from all heresy by a brief of the pontifical court. Mirandula by this time had, however, given up all profane sciences, to devote himself exclusively to theology. The remainder of his life was spent in attempts to refute Judaism, Mo- hammedanism, and judicial astrology. He died at Flor- ence, Nov. 17, 1494, the day when Charles VIII, who had received him at Paris, entered the city. He was in- terred in the cemetery of St. Mark, in the habit of a Ja- cobin, having taken a resolution, just before his death, to enter into that order; and upon his tomb was in- scribed this epitaph :