A NEW AND GENERAL

BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY.

SAA, or DE SA (EMANUEL), a learned Portuguese Jesuit,

was born in 1530, at Conde, in the province of Douro, and entered the society in 1545. After the usual course of studies, he taught at Coimbra, Rome, and other places, and was considered as an excellent preacher and interpreter of the scriptures, on which last account he was employed, by pope Pius V. on a new edition of the Bible. He died at Arona, in the Milanese, Dec 30, 1596, in the sixty-sixth year of his age. His chief works are: "Scholia in quatuor Evangelia," Antwerp and Cologn, 1596, 4:0; and "Notationes in totam s cram Scripturam," &c. Antwerp, 1598, 4to; reprinted, with other scholia, or notes, by Mariana and Tirini. Dupin says, that of all the Commentaries upon the scriptures there is nothing more concise and useful than the notes of our author, whose sole object, he adds, is to give the literal sense in a few words and in an intelligible manner. De Sa was the author of another work, which, although a very small volume, is said to have employed him for forty years: it is entitled"Aphorismi Confessariorum," printed first at Venice, 1595, 12mo, and afterwards frequently reprinted in various places. Dupin calls it a moral work; it seems rather a set of rules for confessors in cases of conscience; and Lavocat tells us it contains some dangerous positions respecting both morals and the authority of kings. It underwent so many corrections and emendations before the pope would license it, that it did not appear until the year before the author died. The French translations of it have many castrations.1

1 Antonio Bibl. Hisp.Alegambe,—Dupin.—Morerı.—Saxii Onomast. VOL. XXVII,

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SAADI. See SADI.

SAADIAS-GAON, or Saadias the Excellent, a learned rabbi, the chief of the academy of the Jews, was born at Pithom in Egypt, about the year 892. In the year 927, he was invited by David Ben-Chair, the prince of the captivity, to preside over the academy at Sora, near Babylon, where one of his first objects was to explode the doctrine of the transmigration of souls, which was very prevalent, even among the Jews. But having refused to subscribe to a new regulation, which appeared to him to be repugnant to the Jewish laws, a breach arose between David and Saadias, which after some years was made up, and Saadias was restored to his professorship, in which he continued with great reputation till his death, in the year 942. His principal works are," Sepher Haemunah," or a treatise concerning the Jewish articles of faith, in ten chap. ters; but we have only a translation of it from the original Arabic into Hebrew, which was printed at Constantinople in 1647, and often reprinted. "A Commentary on the Book Jezira," printed, with other Commentaries on that book, at Mantua, in 1592; "An Arabic translation of the whole Old Testament," of which the Pentateuch is inserted in Jay's and Walton's Polyglotts, accompanied with the Latin version of Gabriel Sionita; "A Commentary on the Song of Songs," in Hebrew, printed at Prague in 1609, 4to; "A Commentary on Daniel," likewise in Hebrew, inserted in the great rabbinical bibles of Venice and Basil; "A Commentary on Job," in Arabic, the MS. of which is in the Bodleian library at Oxford; and a commentary on illicit alliances, mentioned by Aben Efra!"

SAAVEDRA. See CERVANTES.

SAAVEDRA-FAXARDO (DIEGO DE), a Spanish poli tical and moral writer; was born May 6, 1584, at Algezares; in the kingdom of Murcia, and studied at Salamanca In 1606, he went to Rome as secretary to the cardinal Gaspar de Borgia, who was appointed Spanish ambassador to the pope, and assisted in the conclaves of 1621 and 1623, held for the election of the popes Gregory XV. and Urs ban VIII. For these services Saavedra was rewarded with a canonry in the church of St. James, although he had never taken priest's orders. Some time after he was ap pointed agent from the court of Spain at Rome, and his

1 Moreri.-Simon Crit. Hist.

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In

conduct in this office acquired him general esteem. 1636, he assisted at the electoral congress held there, in which Ferdinand III. was chosen king of the Romans. He afterwards was present at eight diets held in Swisserland, and lastly at the general diet of the empire at Ratisbonne, where he appeared in quality of plenipotentiary of the circle and of the house of Burgundy. After being employed in some other diplomatic affairs, he, returned to Madrid in 1646, and was appointed master of ceremonies in the introduction of ambassadors; but he did not en joy this honour long, as he died Aug. 24, 1648. In his public character he rendered the state very important services, and, as a writer, is ranked among those who have contributed to polish and enrich the Spanish language. The Spanish critics, who place him among their classics, say he wrote Spanish as Tacitus wrote Latin. He has long been known, even in this country, by his "Emblems," which were published in 2 vols. 8vo, in the early part of the last century. These politico-moral instructions for a Christian prince, were first printed in 1640, 4to, under the title of "Idea de un Principe Politico Christiano repre sentada en cien empresas," and reprinted at Milan in 1642; they were afterwards translated into Latin, and published under the title of Symbola Christiano-Politica," and have often been reprinted in various sizes in France, Italy, and Holland. He wrote also "Corona Gotica, Castellana, y Austriaca politicamente illustrada," 1646, 4to, which was to have consisted of three parts, but he lived to complete one only; the rest was by Nunez de Castro; and "Respublica Literaria," published in 1670, 8vo. Of this work an English translation, was published by I. E. in 1727. It is a kind of vision, giving a satirical account of the republic of letters, not unlike the manner of Switt, The French have a translation of it, so late as 1770. 1

SABATIER (PETER), a learned French Benedictine, was born at Poictiers, in 1682, and died at Rheims March 24, 1742. He spent twenty years of his life, in preparing for the press a valuable edition of all the Latin versions of the Scriptures, collected together, and united in one point, of view. It consists of three volumes, filio; but he lived only to print one volume; the others were completed by La Rue, also a Benedictine of St. Maur. The title is

Antonio Bibl. Hisp.

"Bibliorum Sacrorum Latine Versiones antiquæ seu Vetus Italica, et ceteræ quæcumque in codicibus MSS. et antiquorum libris reperiri potuerunt," Rheims, 1743 1749. End gesites

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SABATIER (RAPHAEL BIENVENU), a very eminent French surgeon, was born at Paris in October 1732, and after studying there, acquired the first rank in his profession, and in every situation which he filled, his knowledge, skill, and success, were equally conspicuous. He became censor-royal of the academy of sciences, professor and demonstrator of the surgical schools, secretary of correspondence, surgeon-major of the hospital of invalids, and a member of the institute. His education had been more liberal and comprehensive than usual. He not only was an excellent Greek and Latin scholar, but was well acquainted with the English, Italian, and German languages. Besides his public courses of lectures on anatomy and surgery, he instructed many private pupils, not only of his own country, but those of foreign nations who were attracted to Paris by his fame as a teacher, and were delighted with his unaffected politeness and candour. In -his latter days Bonaparte appointed him one of his consulting surgeons, and he was one of the first on whom he bestowed the cross of the legion of honour. Sabatier died at Paris July 21, 1811." He retained his faculties to the last, but we are told became ashamed of his bodily weakness." Hide me," he said to his wife and son, "from the world, that you may be the only witnesses of this decay y to which I must submit." A little before his death he said to his son," Contemplate the state into which Fam fallen, and learn to die." His humane attention to his patients was a distinguished feature in his character. During any painful operation he used to say, "Weep! weep! the more you express a sense of your sufferings, the more anxious I shall be to shorten them." helainer om 21

His works are, 1. "Theses anatomico-chirurgica," 1748, 4to. 2. "De variis cataractam extrahendi modis," 1759, ន 4to. 3. An edition of Verdier's Abrégé d'Anatomie," with additions, 1768, 2 vols. 12mo. 94. An edition of La Motte's "Traité complet de Chirurgie," which was followed by his own, 5. Traité complet d'Anatomie, 1775. Of this a third edition, with many improvements, appeared.

1 Dict. Hist. Saxii Onomast. vol. VIII.

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