FRANCKE, AUGUSTUS HERMANN, a zealous philanthropist and learned theologian, founder 01 the celebrated Orphan House at Halle, was born at Liibeck, 1663, and carefully and religiously edu cated by.his parents. At Gotha he passed through the gymnasium, and in 1679 visited the university of Erfurt, where he applied himself to the study of Hebrew. Six months afterwards he visited the university of Kiel, prosecuting with renewed vigour his favourite studies. At Hamburgh he enjoyed for two months the instructions of the celebrated Hebraeist, Esra Edzardi, who urged him to read the Hebrew original in course ; in compliance with which advice he read through the Hebrew Bible seven times in one y-ear. In 1684he accompanied, as companion and Hebrew teacher, a young man to the university of Leipsic, where he had further opportunity of enlarging his stores of knowledge, and acquired the Italian and Rabbinic languages. Soon afterwards he enjoyed the privilege of receiv ing the instructions of C. H. Sandhagen in Scrip ture interpretation at Ltineberg, where his mind passed through a deeper spiritual change than he had before experienced ; religion gained an entire influence over him, and he consecrated himseli wholly to God. On his return to Leipsic, he lec. tured on the epistles of Paul with distinguished success, until envy raised an outcry against him, and his lectures were prohibited by the Theological Faculty, 169o. The same year he was appointed to the Diaconate of the Augustine Church at Erfurt, and by his earnest, fervent discourses, at.
tracted crowds, but envy and malice again prevailed. The enemies of truth clamoured against him, and he was ordered by an Electoral rescript to quit the city. In 1691 he \vas appointed Professor of the Greek and Oriental languages in the university of Halle, to which the pastorate of the Church of St. George, in a suburb of Halle, was added. In 169S he became Professor of Theology in the same uni versity, in which office he continued till his death in 1727, in the 64th year of his age. His labours as pastor, professor, and philanthropist, were in cessant, and at length wore him out. But, esti mated by his works in his Alaster's service, his life was a long one. His principal productions in the department of biblical science are as follow :--r. Manucluctio ad lectionem Scriptura Satre'', Halae, r 693, etc., translated into English by Air. Jacques under the title of, A guide to the reading of the Holy Sotatures, London, 1813. 2. Pr.:elect/ones Hemmen/Ica aa' viam clextre indagandi et expon endi Sensum Scriptura Sacra', etc., Halae, 1717. 3. Commentatio a'e Scapo Librorzent Vetelis et Novi Testament'', Halae, 1724. 4. Christus S. Scrip how Nucleus, etc., translated from the German into Latin by H. Grischovius, Halae, 1724. 5.
Introa'uctio ad Lectionem Prophelareme, Gene rates ; Specialis ad Lectionem 7onee mere in reli qui! exemplo esse possit : Utrdque a'irect4 ad Com parandum e prophetis agnitionem _Wm Christi, Halae, r724.—I. J.