AVEN, or DAVENT, or DAVIS, or D'ASVESNES, an engraver, of whose origin and date little is known. Not so, however, of his works, which are highly important and deservedly esteemed. They chiefly consist of reproductions from drawings or paintings by Giulio Romano, Primaticcio, and Rosso Aven's prints are now very scarce, and therefore greatly sought after.
AVENARIUS, a Latinized name of some learned men in Germany, called Habermann, that is, "Man of Oats:"—
Avenarius, Johann I., a protestant theologian of the sixteenth century. He was professor of theology at Jena, afterwards archbishop of Zeitz. His "Lexicon Ebraicum" was said by Causabon to have been the best then existing, and his prayers "Precationes," have gone through a great many editions.
Avenarius, Johann II., professor of eloquence, grandson of the preceding. His works are chiefly questions on political economy and practical philosophy.
Avenarius, Johann III., a protestant theologian in the second half of the 17th century, wrote "Theses de Catechismo," and some other works.
AVENELLES, Maitre Albin or Aubin des, a satirical poet, canon of Soissons, born 1480. He translated the famous "Remède d'Amour" of Æneas Silvius, Pope Pius II., "La Complainte" of the same pope, and his "Description de Cupido," Paris, 1548 and 1556.
AVENELLES, Philippe des, a French litterateur of the sixteenth century, and a translator of Plutarch.
AVENELLES, Pierre des, an advocate of the parliament of Paris, who betrayed the confidence of his friend Renaudie, the leader of the protestant plot of Ambrose in 1550; and by denouncing the conspiracy to the duke of Guise, got for his reward a judgeship in Lorraine, and 12,000 livres.
AVENPORT, Francis Christopher, an English theologian, born at Coventry, 1598; died at London, 1655. He put on the habit of a Franciscan, and afterwards taught philosophy and theology at Douay. Afterwards he became chaplain in ordinary to Charles II. He wrote a System of Faith, and a Treatise on Predestination, Douay, 1665.
AVENSROT, Jan, a Dutch writer of the seventeenth century, author of "Epistola ad Regem Hispaniæ," revealing the secret of the war in the Low Countries, Amsterdam, 1615.
AVENTINUS, Johannes, the author of the history of Bavaria, born, 1466; died 9th January, 1534. His true name was Thürmayer. Having studied at Ingolstadt, he taught belles-lettres at Vienna, and afterwards mathematics at Cracova. His fame procured him a call to Munich in 1512, to instruct Louis and Ernest, the two sons of Duke Albert the Wise, and brothers of William IV. In 1522, after six years' devotion, he produced his "Annales Bojorum," destined to become a classical work. In 1529 he was imprisoned for his attachment to the Reformation; from this time he fell into a state of melancholy, and, though sixty-four years of age, bethought himself of the expedient of ameliorating his lonely condition by marrying a young wife. The remedy proved unsuccessful, for the object of his choice possessed a bad temper, unchecked by any respect for the great historian, and Aventinus died shortly afterwards. The first edition of his Annals was intrusted to Hieronymus Ziegler, who cut out all the passages inimical to the pope; but the complete copy appeared under the care of Nicholaus Cisner, Basil, 1580. There are several German editions. His life was first written by Ziegler, afterwards by several others. His name forms a title in Bayle's Dictionary, which may be consulted for Aventinus' other works.—A. L.
AVENZOAR, (Abou-Merwan-Ben-Abdel-Malek-ben Zoar), born at Pennaflor, near Seville, during the latter half of the twelfth century; one of the most famous of Arabian physicians, taking rank after Averrhoès of Rhagès. This family had long cultivated the art of curing; he was instructed from his youth by his father. The greatness of his character, and his success in medicine, removed all difficulties from his career. The prince of Morocco attached him to his court, loaded him with titles and honours, and kept him in his household until his death, in a.d. 1262, at the ripe age of ninety-two. Avenzoar did not, like his contemporaries, think it enough to follow the maxims of the Greeks and Romans, the credit belongs to him of having practically asserted for medicine a place among the ever advancing sciences of observation. He was also a skilful analyst: "I was extremely anxious," says he, "to ascertain for myself the composition of every description of medicine."—J. P. N.
AVERANI, Benedetto, an Italian litterateur, born at Florence, 19th July, 1645; died at Pisa, 28th December, 1707. He was a member of the Academy Delia Crusca. and professor of Greek and Latin eloquence at Pisa. His "Dissertationes" were published at Florence, 1716 and 1717, 3 vols.
AVERANI, Giuseppe, an esteemed Italian jurisconsult and philosopher, born at Florence, 1662; died 24th August, 1738. When very young, he attracted attention by a treatise on the movement of heavy bodies on inclined planes, "De Momentis Corporum Gravium in Planis Inclinatis," in which he supported Galileo against his master Vannius. Patronized by Magalotti and Redi, he was called to the chair of law in the university of Pisa, when only twenty-two years old, on which occasion he delivered an oration, which Redi, in his peculiar way, pronounced to be "Superbissima, Latinissima, et Archi-Eloquentissima." He was afterwards intrusted with the education of Duke Cosmo's son, Giovanni Gastone, who was the last of the Medician dukes; and without renouncing his legal studies, applied himself to a series of experiments on the burning-glass, light and electricity, sound and smell, which procured for him an adoption into the Royal Society of England in 1712. Consulted and respected by all Italy, he died shortly after putting the last hand to his work, "Interpretationes Juris." His other works are enumerated by Le Clerc, Bibliotheque Ancienne et Moderne.—A. L.
AVERANI, Nicolo, an Italian mathematician, brother of the two preceding, died in 1727. He is known principally as the editor of the works of Gassendi.
AVERARA, Giovan Battista, an Italian painter of the first half of the sixteenth century, a native of Bergamo. He is believed to have studied at Venice, from the fact of his having so sedulously imitated the great Titian. Died in 1548.
AVERARO, Antonio, an Italian theologian of Milan—1500-1600. He was one of the most famous preachers of his time. He has left "Ragionamenti Sopra le Virtu Teologali," 1509, besides an epitome of arts, and some poems.
AVERBACH, Samuel ben David, a Polish rabbi of Lublin—middle of the seventeenth century; author of "Chesed Samuel," and commentaries on the Old Testament.
AVERDY, Clement Charles François de l', a jurisconsult, born at Paris, 1723; died 24th November, 1793. He became comptroller-general of the finances in 1759. Some say a few years later. He introduced, according to Voltaire, many excellent measures, such as the abolition of all transit duties on grain through France, the removal of all impediments to the exercise of professions, and the revision of the privileges of civic corporations. But the extravagance of the court at that time neutralized the advantages of economical reforms, and faction, always seeking for a victim, fixed upon L'Averdy, against whom there was directed a storm of lampoons, even greater than that suffered by his predecessor Bertin. He retired in disgust to his estate, Gambais, near Monfort-l'Amaury, where he resided until the outbreak of the Reign of Terror, when accused falsely of having been accessory to the famine of the time, he was brought to the guillotine on the 24th November, 1793.—A. L.
AVERELL or AUERELL, William, an English black-letter writer of the sixteenth century. Some pamphlets of his are curious and scarce. They are mentioned in Lowndes' Bibliographer's Manual—"A Wonderful and Strange Newes which happened in the counties of Suffolk and Essex, the 1st of February, being Fridaye, where it Rayned Wheat the space of VI. or VII. Miles Compas," 16mo, 1563; "A Meruailous Combat of Contrarieties," 1588; "Four Notable Histories applyed to Foure Worthy Examples," 1590; and "A Myrrour for Virtuous Maydes," 1590.—A. L.
AVERKAMPEN, Henrich van, surnamed the Dumb on account of his habitual taciturnity, a Flemish landscape painter of the latter part of the sixteenth century, more noted for his drawings than for his pictures.
AVEROLDI or AVEROLDO, Giulio Antonio, an Italian antiquary, born in Venice, January, 1651; died at Brescia, 5th June, 1717. He formed a rich collection of books, inscriptions, and medals.
AVERONI, Valentino, an Italian theologian, a native of Florence—sixteenth century. He was a monk of Vallombrosa, and left some translations of Aquinas and other writers.
AVERRHOÈS, Aboul-Walîd Mohammed Ibn-Ahmed IBN ROSCHD; the greatest Arabian inquirer of the West;
