CASAU'BON, Pr. pron. krl'z.ThAN', IsAAC (1559-1(;14). A distinguished French classicist and theologian, who with Joseph sfcaliger and Justus Lipsius (q.v.) formed the famous triumvirate of Sixteenth Century classical scholars. Casaubon was born in Geneva, Febru ary 18, 1559. At the age of 23 lie was appointed professor of Greek in his native town at a salary of £10 a year; in 159G he was called to a similar position in Montpellier, and two years later was summoned to Paris by Henry IV'. The influence of the Catholic opponents of Casanben was strong enough, however, to prevent his re ceiving a professorship, and instead he was ap pointed royal librarian. After the murder of the King,, he felt his position insecure, and in 1011, crossed to England, where James I. received him with favor, appointing him prebendary of Can terbury and Westminster. Casaubott was sharp ly attacked by his opponents because of the favor the English King showed him. and he was charged with having bartered his opinions for position. lie died in Westminster July 1, 1614, and was buried in the great Abbey. Throughout his entire life Casauhou was interested in theo logical studies, but his fame rests primarily on his classical scholarship. lie was possessed of great industry, an excellent critical and gram matical sense, and skill in illustration and ex position. lie was the first to treat in systematic manner an important field of literary history. This he did in his masterly work. De ,5'atirica Grace Poesi ct leomanoram Satin: (1605, last edition by Rambach, Halle, 1774). Most of his labor was expended on the preparation of editions and commentaries. The most important of these were on Strabo ( 1587) ; Theophrastus's Characteres (1592) ; Suetonius (1595) ; Pe•sius (1603, 4th ed., 1533, called by Sealiger 'a divine
book') ; Po1yhius (1609) ; Polya•us, the editio prineeps ( 1589 ) ; and especially At hemeus (1598), on the commentary of which he spent ten years. Besides these, he edited Apuleins; Aristotle; Aristophanes; the Ifistorim Seriptores: Pliny the Younger, etc.: he also made important contributions to the criticism and intrepretation of of Hvtlicarnas sus; Diogeues; LatIrtins; The(writus, etc. His theological interests gave rise to the works De Libertate Eerlesia.s/icrr ( 1607 ) and Eserrita tiones Contra Ba•oniriet (1.614). in he attacked the .lanales Erelesi istii of Cardinal Barimins (q.v.). All these works would naturally appeal only to the scholar. lint 1n15 characteristic diary, Ephemerides, may he relished by the gen eral reader. It was edited by Russell (Oxford. 1850). Casaubon's Leiters were published in Rotterdam, 1709.
The scholar lived on in his SOIL :NInRIC CA SAT% RON ( 1599-1671 ) inn in Ceneva and.. educated at Sedan and Oxford, who edited the works of Harms Aurelius, Terence, Epietetns. I'll!. Made successively prebendary of Canterbury. vicar of two charges, a rector, he suffered because of his devotion to Charles I. At the Restoration, how ever. he again was in favor. He wrote De Enthu siasmo; but perhaps his greatest work was the pious preservation of his father's TAISS. lie died at Oxford, where he had taught theology, and, at the instance of Charles 1., had received the de gree of Doctor of Divinity. Consult: Pattison, Isaac Caseation, 2d ed. by Nettleship (Oxford, IS92) : and NazeIle, Isaac Cosaubon, su •tic ct temps ( Pa 1897).