who married the widow of Stephens, took charge; soon, however, his three orphan sons, Francis, Robert and Charles took the business into their own hands, and prosecuted it zealously.

Robert (born 1503) was far superior to his brothers in ability and enterprise, and especially in firmness of purpose, in a thorough knowledge of languages, and in a skilful management of the business of printing. His intelligence and enterprise could not long be concealed from the chivalric king, Francis I, who honored every spirited effort, and' who, by personal example and by emolument, strove to create for his country a better golden age than that which dawned upon it two hundred years later, under Louis XIV. In 1539, the king appointed him for the Hebrew and Latin press, and, a little later, royal printer of the Greek, and supplied him with types worthy of his office. Thus was he recognized, in every respect, as the first typographer of France.

To these facilities were added others of a domestic kind, which rarely occur. His wife, Perrette,* was the daughter of the learned printer, Jodocus Badius Ascensius, who had transferred his business from Lyons to Paris, and was here prosecuting it with great success. Not a little of the father's learning was inherited by the daughter; the Latin language, in particular, had almost become a second. mother-tongue to her, with such fluency and accuracy was she accustomed to speak it. Besides for a long time, Robert had not less than ten learned men, from the different countries of Europe, continually with him in his house, who were employed in the different departments of his business, and who formed a literary circle, in which, more by custom than by agreement, the Latin was adopted as a common language. In this social intercourse, as well as in the ordinary conversation at the table, the presence of the servants was often necessary. Some words were understood by them, from their resemblance to others in their own language; some were guessed out; and others learned; and it soon became the established order in Robert Stephens's house, that servants and maids understood at least the Latin of others, and had more or less ability to speak the language themselves.

*Died 1566.

In this small Latin republic, which was formed so naturally and was so truly social, the head of it had three sons born, Henry II, Robert II and Francis II. Of several daughters, the name of Catharine only is preserved. She also spoke the Latin with ease, although not always with perfect purity, inasmuch as her knowledge of it was the result of daily intercourse rather than of elaborate instruction. In 1585, she was the only surviving sister, and we have no account of her subsequent to that date.

Henry Stephens, with whom we are now chiefly concerned, the oldest of the three brothers, was born in Paris, in the year 1528. The father's athletic form, still discoverable in his portrait, was not inherited by Henry. Early habit, however, may have strengthened him for the trials of his subsequent life; we only know, that up to his eighth year he amused himself with gardening.

In his literary course, he was to commence, according to the custom of the times, with the study of the Latin language. What Victorinus of Feltri, and especially Ambrocius Tranersari had said and done for the precedence of the Greek, had long since passed away. European nations, generally, had adopted a course of study mostly from Italy; and this circumstance gave the Latin language the preponderance. The bold independence which never forsook the man, first manifested itself in the boy, by his opposing the ordinary method, and insisting on commencing with the Greek. He heard his first teacher explain to older students the Medea of Euripides, in doing which he required them to commit the original to memory, and to represent it on the stage. The boy, pleased with the harmony of the language and with the versification, expressed to his father a strong desire to learn the Greek first. Robert urged the objection, that he had not yet acquired a knowledge of the Latin language; and, as all the helps and manuals for studying the Greek were written in Latin, it was necessary to study this first. The son replied, that with the knowledge of the Latin which he had acquired by hearing it spoken from his infancy, he could make use of those books; and when this knowledge should fail him, he could make out the meaning from the analogy of his own language. His earnestness overcame the objections of his father, who, in fact, agreed with him in opinion. The Greek declensions and conjugations were soon mas

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tered; in a short time, he read that same Medea, and translated, not as usual, into Latin, but with great spirit, into French, those splendid passages from the lips of the heroine, of Jason and of Creusa, for a knowledge of which he had so recently envied his more advanced associates.

Henry now easily made up his deficiency in Latin. But his preference for Greek literature was fixed for ever, and his plans for life, with reference to it, were formed; and, in later years, he was always happy that his youthful impulses led him in that direction.

That which was commenced with such ardor, was prosecuted with skill and with great success. Robert was indeed hindered, by his complicated labors connected with the press, from instructing his son personally; but he knew what teachers Henry's talents required. He first procured Peter Danés, then James Tusan [Toussain], and finally Adrian Turnebus (Tournebeuf). This last, like John Oporinus, in Basle, and Francis Raphelengius, in Leyden, successfully combined the office of royal professor of Greek with that of the supervisor of an extensive printing establishment. Under the direction of Turnebus, he prosecuted the critical study of the Greek authors with such success, that he was able, when but eighteen years of age (1546) to aid his father in editing the Roman Antiquities of Dionysius of Halicarnassus. This appears to be the time when his studies under a teacher terminated.

HIS TRAVELS IN ITALY.

A decided fondness for travelling, which subsequently degenerated into a disposition to rove from city to city, and from country to country, was early manifested in Henry Stephens, as in most literary men of that period; and Robert, remembering his own youthful feelings, readily granted him indulgence. Immediately after leaving the school of Turnebus, he commenced a journey to Italy, which continued from 1547 to 1549. His principal design seems to have been to examine the most celebrated libraries, for the purpose of comparing important manuscripts, and of transcribing unpublished ancient productions. His numerous works, which afterwards appeared, testify how faithfully he improved his time, and what treasures of various learning he brought with him on his return. Nor was he negligent in forming an acquaintance with men of

the most distinguished talents and learning, of whom there were so many in Italy at that period. We find him at one time with cardinals and ambassadors, at another, with learned men of every description. It is pleasant to notice that, while his personal character won general favor, his learning acquired him the friendship and respect of such men as Charles Sigonius, Peter Victorius, Dionysius Lambinus, Francis Robortell and William Sirlet. From the dedicatory epistles of many of his later works, it is obvious that he formed not merely travelling acquaintances, but permanent literary connections. Ancient art only escaped his attention in Italy; but no one will reproach him for that, who knows how unremittingly his mind was occupied with the monuments of ancient literature, which then needed, more than they now do, the labors of the learned to remove their corruptions, and even to rescue them from ruin.

Although it is not now known in what order he visited the various Italian cities, or how much time he devoted to each, we learn from miscellaneous notices that he visited Genoa, Lucca, Milan, Vicenza, Venice, Padua, Bologna, Florence, Sienna, Rome and Naples. If it be borne in mind what tract of country it is that lies between these places, it may well be supposed that no important point was unnoticed by him. He appears to have made the longest stay in Venice, whither the manuscripts of Bessarion, the favor of the French minister, Odet de Selves, and the friendship of Sigonius attracted him.

But during his second Italian journey, which extended from 1554 to 1656, the good-will of Odet de Selves came near proving his ruin. That minister employed him on a secret embassy to Naples, during the Italian war between Charles V and Henry II, in which he was suspected and taken up; but, by his great presence of mind and his fluency in the Italian language, he succeeded in concealing the fact that he was a Frenchman. After this adventure, he never visited Italy again, though he still retained his love for intimacy with the great.

HIS TRAVELS IN ENGLAND.

Scarcely was he returned from his first Italian journey, when in 1550, he took a new flight in an opposite direction; he went to England. Öf learned

occupations we hear nothing at this time. His residence on the other side of the channel was of short duration; long enough, however, for the acquisition of the English language. The recollection of this tour continued to be fondly cherished in later life. After he had been favorably received by the young king Edward VI, then but thirteen years old, he returned in 1551, through Flanders and Brabant, to his own country. He employed his short stay at the University of Louvain, partly in making the acquaintance of the professors of that place, and partly in learning the Spanish language, for which there was a melancholy occasion at that time in the Netherlands.

HIS RESIDENCE IN GENEVA.

At this period, those generally who were well versed in ancient literature, and saw in that the surest defence against intellectual servitude and barbarism, had separated from the Papacy and from monasticism, and attached themselves warmly to the pure doctrines of the Reformation. Thus it was with Turnebus, thus with Stephen Doletus, and thus with the most zealous of them all, Robert Stephens and his sons. Decided in action, as well as in thinking, he not only circulated, by means of his presses, the writings of Calvin, Beza, Bucer and other leaders of the Reformation, but even at an earlier period, under the protection of the generous Francis I, he had labored to open to the people the pure sources of knowledge and of salvation, by publishing new and improved editions of the Scriptures, in the original Hebrew and Greek text, as well as in the Latin translation.

The doctors of the Sorbonne had long witnessed these successful efforts with smothered rage. When Robert, in the year 1547, lost his magnanimous protector, who was taken away by an early death, and Henry II ascended the throne, with whom a reign of strife and disorder commenced, this malignant inquisitorial body hesitated no longer to come out openly and accuse Stephens of heresy. Though there might have been no immediate personal danger, his keen foresight descried what would await him, if he continued in his present situation. He could not but perceive that every means would be resorted to, in order to annoy him in his labors, and to prepare the way for his final ruin. There was but one remedy for this evil, and this required