CRESCONIUS
■ISO
CRESSY
known. Ilis special studies in Italian literature
heljierl to pave the way for the general histories of
that subject. His greatest work, "Dell' Istoria
della volgar poesia" (6 vols., Rome, 1698), was one of
the best productions of its kind and is still of consid-
erable value. In it he treats of the origin and
development of Italian poetry, appreciates the works
of the one hundred chief Italian poets, arranges the
poets in chronological order, and discusses the art and
kinds of poetry. Tliis huge work was followed in
1702 by the "Commentarii intorno alia sua Istoria
della volgar poesia", in 5 volumes, which was at first
undertaken to supersede the "Istoria"; but since this
had met wdth such favour, the new work became a
supplement to it.
Crescimbeni will also be remembered as one of the founders of the Academy of "Arcadia, conversatione di belle lettere", over which he presided from its foundation in 1690 to the time of his death. "Arca- dia" was a kind of pastoral republic, whose members included the leading scholars and poets of Italy who strove to root out the perverted taste of the seven- teenth century in matters of art and literature, and to introduce a simpler an<l more natural style into Italian jjrose and ])oetry. The society grew out of a somewhat similar society which had been patronized by Queen Christine of Sweden (d. 1689), who had taken up her residence in Rome. "Arcadia" grew in importance and numbers; "Colonies" were estab- lished in the principal Italian cities; and its influence extended even beyond the borders of Italy. The members assumed shepherds' names, and took as their device a Pan's pipes surrounded by laurels. (See Academies, Roman.)
The Life of Crescimbeni, with a list of his works edited and inedited, written by a contemporary, Francesco Mancurti, is in the final edition of the "Istoria" (Venice, 1730-17.31), VI, 213 sq. This biographical article also gives much information on the history of the "Arcadia". The rime were edited in Rome in 1695, and more completely in 1723.
Joseph Dunn.
Cresconius (or Crisconius), a Latin canonist of un- certain date and place, flourished probably in the latter half of the seventh century, though it may have been at the end of the sixth or even in the eighth century. He was probably a bishop of the African Church. We owe to Cresconius a collection of canons, known as "Concordia canonum", inclusive of the Apostolic Canons (see Canons, Apostolic), nearly all the canons of the fourth and fifth century councils, and many papal decretals from the end of the fourth to the end of the fifth century. The content is taken from the collection of Dionysius Exiguus, but the division into titles (301) is copied from the "Breviatio can- onum ' ' of Fulgentius Ferrandus, a sixth-century dea- con of Carthage. In many manuscripts the text of Cresconius is preceded by an index or table of contents (breviarium) of the titles, first edited in 1588by Pithou. In its entirety the work was first published by Voellus and Justellus in the appendix (33-1 12) to their " Bibli- othec:i Juris canonici" (Paris, 1661), and is in P. L., L.\.'\^XV11I, 829 sqq. One of its best manuscripts, the tenth-century " Vallicellianus" (Rome), has anotc in which Cresconius is declared thoauthorof ametrical account of the "bella et victorias" of the "Patricius" Joliannes in Africa over the Saracens. This wa.s fonn- erly interpreted to mean the African victory of the By- zantine " Patricius Johannes" in 697, hence the usual date of Cn'sconius. Some, however, hold that the poem in question is the "Johaimis" of Flavins Cres- conius Corippus, a Latin poet of about .'J.'iO, and on this ba.sis identify liiin with iiur canonist, thus placing the latter in thc'sixtli century. Others (with Maassi'-n, p. 810) \\\nw admitting that the poem in question can be none other than the " Johannis" of the aforesaid Latin
poet (unknown to Fabricius, and first edited by Maz-
zuchelli, Milan, 1820), maintain that it has been
wrongly attributed to our Cresconius, and that it can-
not therefore aid in fixing his date. The "Concordia
canonum " was much used as a handy manual of eccle-
siastical legislation by the churches of Africa and Gaul
as late as the tenth century. Few of its manuscripts
postdate that period.
Ttie best account of Cresconius and his work is in Maassen, Gesch. dcT Qucllm und Lilt. dcs. can. Rechls in Abendicinde, etc. (Graz, 1S70). 806-13, S46-47. corrective of Fabricius, BM. Lai., I. 400-01; see also Venables in Diet, of Christ. Biogr., I, 712-13).
John Webster Melody.
Cressy, Hugh Paulinds Serenus, Doctor of The- ology and English Benedictine monk, b. at Thorpe- Salvin, Yorkshire, about 1605; d. at East Grinstead, Sussex, 10 August, 1674. He was the son of Hugh Cressy by Margery, daughter of Thomas d'Oylie, a London physician belonging to the old Oxford family of that name. Educated first at Wakefield Grammar School, when fourteen years old he went to Ox- ford (1619) w-here he took the degree of B.A. in 1623 and that of M.A. in 1627. He was elected a Fellow of Merton College and took orders in the Established Church. Leaving Oxford he became chaplain, first to Tliomas, Lord \\'entworth, an<i afterwards to Lucius Cary, Lord Falkland, with whom he went to Ireland in 1638. During his sojourn in Ireland he was ap- pointed Dean of Leighlin, but returned to England the following year (1639). A canonry in the collegiate church of Windsor, which he received in 1642, he was never able to enjoy, owing to the disturbed state of the country; the following year (1643) his patron, Lord Falkland, was killed at Newbury. Cressy then attached himself to Charles Berkeley, afterwards Lord Falmouth, and travelled with him through several Catholic countries of Europe; this experience re- sulted in his conversion to the Catholic Faith at Rome in 1646. From Rome he went to Paris where he re- ceived further instruction from Henry Holden, a doc- tor of the Sorbonne. He then wrote his "Exomolo- gesis" (Paris, 1647), a work in which he published tc the world the motives which led him to change his religion.
After becoming a Catholic Cressy's first inclinatior was to be a Carthusian monk; this intention was set aside and he joined the English Congregation of thi Order of St. Benedict at .St. Gregory's, Douai, but st poor was he at the time that Queen Henrietta Maris provided him with money for his journey; he was pro fessed at St. Gregory's, 22 August, 1649. From 165 to 1652 he acted as chaplain to the Benedictine nun in Paris, returned to Douai (165.3-60), and was thei sent to the mission in England, residing at Somerse House as one of the cha])lains to Charles the Second' queen. In the English Benedictine Congregation h held the office of definitor of the iirovince in 1666 ani was appointed the titular cathedral prior of Rocheste in 1669. His last years were spent with the Cary ' family at East Grinstead, Sussex, where he died in h sixty-eighth year. The moderate party in the ( 'In ire of England respected him as a prudent and leaiiic man, and when Dr. Stillingfleet charged him wit credulity and want of historical judgment, his defenc was taken up by Anthony Wood who commemlcil hir for "his grave and good style, proper for an ecclrsi.i, tical historian" and spoke of him as one who "dot mostly (piote his author and leaves what he says to tl judgment of his readers". Cre.ssy's "Church lli-iloi of Brittany or England, from the Beginning of (lui tianity to the Norman Conquest" (Rouen, liii,. brings the narrative ilown to about the middli- cf il fourteenth century. A second part, "ironi 11 ('on(|uest Downwards", was discovered at Duiiii 1S5(), but is yet in MS. (Gillow). His other wnr are: Appcndi.Y to "Exomologesis" (Paris. 1647
