ing descriptions of many new plants found in various parts of the world. He died on the 29th of January, 1695.Linnæus, in his " Classes Plantarum," has given a sketch of the Hermannian system, which is founded upon the fruit, to which he adhered with more pertinacity than either Ray or Morison themselves. The first work he published was a "Catalogue of the Leyden Garden," in 1687, reprinted at Leyden in 1720, 8vo, under the title of " Index Plantarum quæ in horto Leidensi aluntur," to which Boerhaave added a history of the garden. To Hermann may be ascribed, on the authority of Sherard, the following work, "Flore Lugdunobatavæ flores," though published under the name of Zumbach. In 1695, a work, entitled "Flora Lugdunobatava," was begun to be printed, but after a few sheets were taken off, its author's death put a stop to any further continuation of it. At this time the "Paradisus Batavus" was in a state of forwardness, and it was published in 8vo, as a posthumous work, about three years afterwards. It was, however, reprinted in quarto in 1705, having been edited by William Sherard, at the expence of Hermann's widow. This indefatigable man left a considerable number of papers and dried plants, the latter of which came into the possession of J. Burmann, and formed the corner-stone of his "Thesaurus Zeylanicus," published at Amsterdam in 1737. These same plants came afterwards into the hands of Linnæus for a time, and from them his "Flora Zeylanica" was composed. They are now finally the property of sir Joseph Banks. Besides the above books, he was the author of the following works: "Musæi Indici catalogus, continens varia exotica animalia, insecta, vegetabilia, mineralia, quæ collegerat," 1711, 8vo; " Lapis Lydius Materiæ Medicæ," 1704, 8vo; "Musæum Zeylanicum" (unfinished); "Catalogus Plantarum Capitis Bonæ Spei" (unedited); and wrote various botanical and medical tracts, which are of less moment, and some of which are superseded by the former.1

HERMANT (GODFREY), a learned and pious doctor of the Sorbonne, and a voluminous author, was born at Beauvais in 1617, and displayed early propensities for learn. ing. Potier bishop and earl of Beauvais sent him to the various colleges of Paris for education. He obtained a

Moreri. Haller Bibl. Bot. Stoever's Life of Linnæus, p. 164. --But principally Rees's Cyclopedia.

canonry of Beauvais, was rector of the university of Paris in 1646, and died in 1690, after being excluded from his canonry and the Sorbonne for some ecclesiastical dispute. Hermant had the virtues and defects of a recluse student, and was much esteemed for his talents and piety by Tillemont and others of the solitaries at Port Royal. His style was noble and majestic, but sometimes rather inflated. His works are numerous: 1. "The Life of St. Athanasius," 2 vols. 4to. 2. Those of "St. Basil and Gregory Nazianzen," of the same extent. 3. "The Life of St. Chrysostom," written under the name of Menart. And, 4. That of "St. Ambrose," both in 4to. 5. A translation of some tracts from St. Chrysostom. 6. Another from St. Basil. 7. Several polemical writings against the Jesuits, who therefore became his mortal enemies, and contrived to interfere with his monumental honours after death, by preventing the inscription of a very commendatory epitaph. 8. " A Defence of the Church against Labadie." 9. " Index Universalis totius juris Ecclesiastici," folio. 10. "Discours Chrétien sur l'etablissement du Bureau des pauvres de Beauvais," 1653. A life of him has been published by Baillet.1

HERMAS Pastor, or Hermas commonly called the Shepherd, was an antient father of the church, and is generally supposed to have been the same whom St. Paul mentions in Rom. xvi. 14. He is ranked amongst those who are called Apostolical Fathers, from his having lived in the times of the apostles: but who he was, what he did, and what he suffered for the sake of Christianity, are all in a great measure, if not altogether, unknown to us. He seems to have belonged to the church at Rome, when Clement was bishop of it; that is, according to Dodwell, from the year 64 or 65 to the year 81. This circumstance we are able to collect from his "Second Vision," of which, he tells us, he was commanded to communicate a copy to Clement. What his condition was before his conversion, we know not; but that he was a man of some consideration, we may conclude from what we read in his "Third Vision;" where he owns himself to have been formerly unprofitable to the Lord, upon the account of those riches which afterwards he seems to have dispensed in works of charity and beneficence. After his conversion he probably

Gen. Diet.- Moreri. Dupin.-Niceron, vol. III.

lived a very strict life, since he is said to have been employed in several messages to the church, both to correct their manners, and to warn them of the trials that were about to come upon them. His death, if we may believe the "Roman Martyrology," was conformable to his life; where we read, that being "illustrious for his miracles, he at last offered himself a worthy sacrifice unto God." Baronius says, that "having undergone many labours and troubles in the time of the persecution under Aurelius, he at last rested in the Lord July 26th, which is therefore observed in commemoration of him." But Hermas being sometimes called by the title of "Pastor, or Shepherd," the Roman martyrologist has divided the good man into two saints: and they observe the memorial of Hermas May the 9th, and of Pastor July the 26th.

Hermas's book, "The Shepherd," is the only remains of this father, and has been highly extolled by some of the ancients, while its authenticity has been called in question by others; and most of the fathers, who have spoken of it well themselves, plainly enough insinuate, that there were others who did not put the same value upon it. The moderns in general have not esteemed it so highly; and indeed, as Dupin observes, "whether we consider the manner it is written in, or the matter it contains, it does not appear to merit much regard." The first part, for it is divided into three, is called "Visions," and contains many visions, which are explained to Hermas by a woman, who represents the church. These visions regard the state of the church, and the manners of the Christians. The second, which is the most useful, is called "Commands," and comprehends many moral and pious instructions, delivered to Hermas by an angel: and the third is called "Similitudes." Many useful lessons are taught in these books, but the visions, allegories, and similitudes, have little to recommend them.

The original Greek of this piece is lost, and we have nothing but a Latin version of it, except some fragments preserved in the quotations of other authors; which, it is observable, are sufficient to evince the fidelity of this version. The best edition of it is that of 1698; where it is to be found among the other apostolical fathers, illustrated with the notes and corrections of Cotelerius and Le Clerc. with them also it was translated into English by archbishop Wake, and published with a large preliminary discourse

1

relating to each father; the best edition of which translation is that of 17101.

HERMES, an Egyptian legislator, priest, and philosopher, lived, as some think, in the year of the world 2076, in the reign of Ninus, after Moses: and was so skilled in all profound arts and sciences, that he acquired the surname of Trismegistus, or "thrice great." Clemens Alexandrinus has given us an account of his writings, and a catalogue of some of them; such as, the book containing the Hymns of the Gods; another " De rationibus vitæ regiæ;" four more, " De astrologia," that is, "De ordine fixarum stellarum, & de conjunctione & illuminatione Solis & Lunæ;" ten more, entitled, "Ιερατικα," or which treat of laws, of the gods, and of the whole doctrine and discipline of the priests. Upon the whole, Clemens makes Hermes the author of thirty-six books of divinity and philosophy, and six of physic; but they are all lost. There goes indeed one under his name, whose title is "Poemander;" but this is agreed by all to be supposititious, and Casaubon imagines it to be written about the beginning of the second century, by some Platonizing Christian, who, to enforce Christianity with a better grace upon Pagans, introduces Hermes Trismegistus delivering, as it were long before, the greatest part of those doctrines which are comprised in the Christian creed.

This philosopher has stood exceedingly high in the opinion of mankind, ancients as well as moderns. Plato tells us, that he was the inventor of letters, of ordinary writing, and hieroglyphics. Cicero says, that he was governor of Egypt, and invented letters, as well as delivered the first laws to the people of that country; and Suidas asserts, that he flourished before Pharoah, and acquired the surname of Trismegistus, because he gave out something oracular concerning the Trinity. Gyraldus thinks he was called Thrice Great, because he was the greatest philosopher, the greatest priest, and the greatest king. When the great lord chancellor Bacon endeavoured to do justice to the merits of our James I. he could think of no better means for this purpose, than by comparing him to Hermes Trismegistus, who was at once distinguished by the glory of a king, the illuminations of a priest, and the learning of a philosopher."

HERMOGENES, of Tarsus, a Greek rhetorician of the second century, is recorded as a remarkable instance of early maturity and early deficiency of talents. He flourished about the year 161. At fifteen he taught rhetoric publicly; at seventeen he wrote his art of rhetoric; and at twenty, two books περί ἰδεῶν, or on oratorical forms: but in his twenty-fifth year he lost his memory, and the faculty of speech, which he never recovered, though he lived to be old. Of his book on oratory, which consisted of five parts, the first part only is lost. There are extant also, 2. "De inventione Oratoria," four books. 3. "De formis," above-mentioned. 4. "Methodus apti et ponderosi generis dicendi." These were published at Paris in 1531, 4to, with "Aphthonii Sophistæ præludia," and in two or three subsequent editions. The best is that of Gaspar Laurentius, published at Geneva, in 1614, in 8vo.1

1

HERMOGENES, an heretic of the second century, was a native of Africa, a painter, and stoic philosopher, and was alive in the days of Tertullian, according to Fleury. Tillemont makes him flourish in the year 200; but Du Fresnoy says he did not preach his erroneous opinions concerning the origin of the world, and the nature of the soul, till the year 208. He established matter as the first principle, and made Idea the mother of all the elements; for which reason his followers were commonly called Materiarians. By his assertion of the self-existence and improduction of matter, he endeavoured to give an account (as stoic philosophers had done before him) of the original of evils; and to free God from the imputation of them, he argued thus: God made all things either out of himself, or out of nothing, or out of pre-existent matter. He could not make all things out of himself, because, himself being always unmade, he should then really have been the maker of nothing: and he did not make all out of nothing, because, being essentially good, he would have made every thing in the best manner, and so there could have been no evil in the world: but since there are evils, and these could not proceed from the will of God, they must needs rise from the fault of something, and therefore of the matter out of which things were made. His followers denied the resurrection, rejected water-baptism, asserted that angels were composed of fire and spirit, and were the creators of the

Moreri. Saxii Onomast.