FROBEN, or 11101315'Ni US, JOHN, was a native of Ilaintnelburg In Franconia, where ho received his earliest education. llo afterwards went to the university of Basel. and there acquired the reputation of being an eminent scholar. With the view of promoting useful learning, he applied himself to the art of printing; and becoming master of it, opened a shop in Basel, probably about 1491. Ho was the first of the German printers who brought the art to perfection ; and one of the first who introduced into Germany the use of the Boman character. Being a man of probity and piety as well as skill, he would never suffer libels, or anything that might hurt the reputa tion of another, to go through his press for the sake of profit Frobeu's great reputation was the principal motive which led Erasmus to fix his residence at Basel, in order to have his own books printed by him. The connection between them grew close and intimate, and was one of the sincerest cordiality. Erasmus loved the good qualities of Froben, as much as Frobcn admired the great ones of Erasmus.
There is an epistle of Erasmus extant, which contains so full an account of this printer, that it forms a very curious memoir for hie life. It was written in 1527, on the occasion of Froben's death, which happened that year; and which, Erasmus tells us, he bore so extremely ill, that ho really began to be ashamed of his grief, since what he felt upon the death of his own brother was not to be com pared to it. Ho says, that he lamented the loss of Froben, not so
much because he had a strong affection for him, but because he seemed raised up by Providence for the promoting of liberal studies. Then be proceeds to describe his good qualities, which were indeod very great and numerous ; and concludes with a particular account of hie death, which was somewhat remarkable. Erasmus wrote his epitaph in Greek and Latin. Both these epitaphs are at the end of his epistle.
A large number of valuable authors were printed by Froben, with great care and accuracy; among which may be enumerated, the works of St. Jerome, 5 vole. folio, 151(3, reprinted in 1520 and 1524; those of St. Cyprian, foL 1521; Tertullian, foL 152], reprinted in 1525; the works of Hilary, bishop of Poitiers, foL 1523, reprinted in 1526 ; St.. Ambrose, 4 vols. folio, /527. All of these were edited by Erasmus. Froben formed a design to print the Greek Fathers, which had not then been done; but death prevented him. That work however was carried on by his son Jerome Frobenius, and his son-in•law Nicholas Dischof, or Episcopins, who, joining in partnership, carried on the business with the same reputation, and gave very correct editions of those fathers.