Mo'rasthite (Heb. Morashti', ^PuJ'nitt, gentile from Moreshelh; Sept. Miopa^irijg, Mwpcia^ii), a na- tive of ]Mout;suETii-GATH (Jer. xxvi, 18; Mic. i, 1). See ]\IiCAii.
Morata, Olympia Fulvia, an Italian lady of great genius and learning, noted for her piety and faithful service to Italian Protestantism, and spoken of by the biographer of the duchess Keuee as " a woman whose history may be pondered in silent compassion, yet in silent admiration — a saint so tried in life, so blessed in death," was born at Ferrara in 1526. Iler father, pre- ceptor to the young princes of Ferrara, sons of Alphonso I, observing her genius, took great pains in cultivating it; and when Olympia was called to court for the pur- pose of instructing the princess Anna d'Este, daughter of the (hichoss of Ferrara, and of herself studying belles- lettres witl) tlie princess of Ferrara, under the tutelage of her father, she astonished the Italians by declaiming in Latin and (ireek, explaining the paradoxes of Cicero, and answering any question that was put to her. The examjde of Kenee de France, duchess of Ferrara, who was much interested in the religious controversies of the times, liad a great influence upon Olympia's mind. Men like Jamet, Marot, Peter Martyr, Liclio (iiraldi, and Celius Calcagnini were received at court, and formed a select circle. Calvin, who went in disguise from France to Italy to see her, brought her over to his opinions, and her court became the refuge of all those suspected of heresy. Peregrino Morata, Olymjiia's father, became himself converted, but Olympia showed little inclina- tion as yet for a devout, religious life. Iler whole mind was taken up with her own literary works and the court gayeties. "If Olympia," says Young, the biographer
of Paleario, "learned anything at court of true religion, she also found much to distract her attention. The ex- treme precocity of her talents had early called forth her reasoning and reflective powers, but she herself owns that at this time she did not duly relish the sacred Scriptures. They were to her a holy, but a sealed book; her intellect revelled with greater delight in the mazes of human learning and philosophy." She wrote several essays at this time, the best known of which is a eidogy on ]Mucius Sca;vola. But the year 1548 brought a de- cided change. Her friend, the princess Anna of Ferrara, married and went to Lorraine, and shortly afterwards her father died. His death, and the ill-health of her motlier, withdrew her from court, and she devoted her- self to household affairs, the education of three sisters and a brother, and especially to spiritual contemplation and devotion. In communing with her own lieart she began to perceive her need, and from that moment re- solved to live and die a follower of the Gospel. In this her hour of greatest happiness she made the acquaint- ance of a young (icrman named Andrew Grunthler, who had studied medicine, and taken liis doctor's degree at Ferrara. He was a Protestant, and the day wlien she was married to him (in 1549) she followed her father's example and embraced Protestantism. Her husband, unprepared to depart at once with his bride, advanced to Ciermany to prepare the way for her, and over a year elapsed before he was ready to return for her. Together with her little brother and her husband she now left for Germany. They went to Schweinfurt, in Franconia, which was soon after besieged aiid burned, and they barely escaped with their lives. They sullered many hardships in consetjucnce, initil Grunthler in 1554 re- ceived a call to Heidelberg as professor of medicine. Now at last it was hoped that better days had come for poor Olympia, but the fearful hardships she had suffered during the siege of Schweinfurt had undermined her health. In December, 1554, she was taken sick, and never left her bed again. She died Oct. 2^3, 1555. A few months later her husband and brother died also. Several of her works were burned at Schweinfurt, but the remainder were collected and published at Basle in 1558 by Coelius Secundus Curio. They consist of ora- tions, dialogues, letters, and tr.inslations, and are known as Olympim Fulvia Moratce, mulieris omnium erudilis- simce Latina et Grceca, quee huheri potueriint, monumenta (Basle, 1558). They are distinguished for a deep relig- ious conviction and great refinement of language and thought. See Bonnet, Vie d'0/ywpie Morata (Paris, 1850, in English, Life of 0. Morata, with a Historical Sketch of the Ref. in Italy [Edinb. 1854, 18mo]) ; Turn- bull, O.Moratn, her Life and 7'imes (Bost. 184G, 12mo) ; jNIrs. Smith, Life, Times, a}id Writings of 0. Morata; Some Memorials of Rene e of France, Duchess of Fer- rara (2d ed. Lond. 1859, 12mo), p. 62 sq. ; Trollojie, Dec- ade of Hulian Women, vol. ii; Colquhoun, Life in Italy ami France in the Olden Time ; Young, Life and Times of Paleario, ii, 90 sq. ; Jl'Crie, Hist. oftheRif. in Daly, p. .54; LitteWs Living Age, March 13,1852, p. 510. (J. I H. W.)
Morata, Peregrino Fulvio, an Italian writer, noted as the father of the foregoing, and also for his de- fence of the Keformatory movement, wliich made him a Protestant, was born at ^lantua near the close of the 15th century. During the early half of the 16th century he was professor of belles-lettres at the univer- sity of his native place, and later at Ferrara. whither the fame of his learning and virtue had brought him. He now taught not only in tlie high schools, but M-as also em|)loyed by duke Alphonso d'Este as preceptor of his two sons. lie frequently appeared in the receptions at court, but he remained nevertheless an alien to the ! gayeties of its surroundings, aiul devoted himself largely ' to sacred meditations, in which he was assisted by his pious wife, Lucrczia. As a result of these studies, he , brought out finally an exposition of the Lonl's Prayer I in 1526 (Expozilione delT orazione Dominicak delta